Archive for the Category »Stash and Supply Shopping «

03
Jun 2010

Lazy Blogger

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I’ve been a lazy blogger over here at the old Creative Corner Blog but that doesn’t mean I’ve been lazy.  I’ve been spending a lot of time getting my Creations by Uli web site for my chainmaille jewelry off the ground.

Go take a peek: Creations by Uli

There’s still lots of work to be done.  I’m slowly building the gallery and some pages of interest to those who like my jewelry and also links for those who want to learn more about creating chainmaille.

Tell me if you like it…… my normal tendencies toward purple have totally shifted (I’m still a purple girl) and I’ve gone for crisp white with bright orange.  I love the look.  I can’t wear orange but it sure feels happy and cheerful to me for the site.

Well, instead of getting ready for Fab Fair which is a show I’m participating in this weekend, I’ve been playing with the template for this blog.  I think I love this template.  I think I’ll feel at home here as I try to write more.  June might be a bit hit and miss though because I think I might have slightly over committed.  Feels like I’ll be running from one thing to the next constantly.

Most interesting in the last little while is a dyeing workshop I’ve been participating in.  I will try to blog more about it this weekend.  We have one more session left to go but the first 2 sessions were fabulous.  Hard work but the results were so worth it.

Tonight I’m leaving off with my most recent handspun – some silky cashmerino from Fluff Fibers on Etsy.

It was a great spin and the result is yummy soft and fluffiness.

Currently on the wheel is some BFL/Silk from AllspunUp and today, I bought a bit more (just a tiny little bit) of the Fishy SAL that Kirsten from AllSpunUp is running.  What an undertaking!!!!  The fibre will all be Polwarth – such yumminess.  I’ve been so good about NOT buying any fibre but this past week has brought me to my knees again.  Let’s just say that there will be a few lovely packages in the mailbox soon.

It’s late and I must go but I’ll be back soon with more details about my dyeing experience!!!  A new hobby you may wonder?  Well, let’s just say I have a whole newfound respect for those who dye up all this gorgeousness for us spinners and knitters.

I’m in a Pro-D day all day tomorrow.  I’m hoping that I can sneak out my sock knitting project and just plug away at my current sock while I listen – all day long…. I MUST knit.

Category: Knitting, Sock Knitting, Spinning, Stash and Supply Shopping  Tags: , , , ,  Leave a Comment
05
Jan 2010

Woohoo – First Project of 2010 and a Win

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Well, ging back to work has been tough this week.  One gets used to the luxury of staying  at home, sleeping in (even if just a little) and having the ability to devote more time to those crafty details.

I brought my first finished project of the year (and my camera) to work with me so I could get some outdoor shots.  We’re still living in that world of twilight where I go to work in the morning and return in the dark and I find weaving projects difficult to photograph indoors.  But, let me present my Purple Fade scarf…….. it “only” took me months and months to finish.

Warp and weft are both Regia Hand-Dye Effekt.  It wove up nicely on my 10-dent heddle but I did have some warp problems.  I broke a warp thread because I didn’t notice that I had split/ripped the black thread that’s plied with the purple yarn strands and that made the structure of the yarn quite weak.  I managed to overcome that issue but then I left it sit for that long and with the help of kittens and kids almost all the warp became unwound and so I had to re-tension it etc. in order to be able to finish the scarf.  I still love – it’s so my colour.  A little bit short at only about 50″.  I will probably wear it “open” around my neck more for decoration than warmth but it will look fab with black slacks, a white blouse and the scarf.

I also won something today………….. wahoo……. I’m subscribed to Coby Kopec’s newsletter for her Etsy shop CJ Kopec Creations.  Her newsletter came out today and it said that the 10th person who opened the newsletter would get a very generous gift of 4 oz of her lovely fibre!!!  Guess what??? Yes, I was the 10th one.  I was so excited.  Totally made my day especially since this week has been a little bit a challenge with trying to get back to the normal routine.

Have you popped over to my Photoblog?  I’m trying to document 2010 in pictures – much like a project 365.  I like the idea of hosting it on my own blog but then just as I had already played around with my template (and I actually purchased it rather than relying on something free), I found out about a site called 365project.  It’s all set-up for the project 365 idea.  I’d say it has a bit of a twitter feel to it with “followers” and people you can follow etc.  It works well and I’d highly recommend it if you’re thinking about doing something similar like this.  It is fun and it is meant for me to focus on my camera and practice my skills throughout the year.  So, since I’m a bit stubborn, I’m keeping up with my photoblog for now but I’m also over on 365project where I am “mommyknits” if you wish to look me up.

Well, I think it’s time to hang out on the couch for a bit with my Lacy Baktus or my spinning wheel.  I’m spinning some gorgeous blue Falkland from Fat Cat Knits.  I have several favourite fibre pushers and Ginny from Fat Cat Knits ranks right at the top of the list.  Her fibre is fabulous…. just saying….. check her out if you need some fibre (or sock yarn or some other great stuff) and if you haven’t checked her out before!!!

Have a great night.  I was going to weave but I’ve waisted so much time now that I’m not about to pull out the loom.  I think that’s what stops me the most from weaving…. the fact that I have to move it to the kitchen table.  I store it in our front living room on the coffee table there and when I want to weave, I move it to the kitchen table.  It seems like a lot of effort – tonight anyways.

Category: Stash and Supply Shopping, Weaving  Tags: , , , , ,  Leave a Comment
12
Oct 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

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Up here, north of the border, it’s Canadian Thanksgiving today.  We had our turkey feast last night so today is a day to hang out.  I started my Thanksgiving weekend celebrating in fibery style with a quick shopping visit to 88 Stitches.  There was a great Thanksgiving sale going on and what’s a girl to do but to support the sale and do some shopping.

Here’s the stash:

Thanksgiving Day Sale at 88 Stitches
Thanksgiving Day Sale at 88 Stitches

Bottom right is some Malabrigo sock in the sought after (or so it seemed at the store) Tiziano red.  I have no idea what this one wants to be yet.  Malabrigo sock does look and feel a bit too yummy for me to actually use it on a sock project.  I’ve kind of had a hankering of doing another Diamond Fantasy scarf from Sivia Harding.  There are several other good options as well for a lovely skein of yarn like that.  Then the other two skeins on the outside are a solid and a multi skein of Araucania Rancho.  These two coordinate and I think are destined for a future weaving project.  In the middle are two skeins of lovely, vibrant Frog Tree Brushed Suri.  It’s fingering weight and I’m maybe thinking of an Ishbel.  That yarn comes in some lovely colours and it was very, very difficult to decide.

Another outing this weekend took me to the Fraser Valley Bead show which is now over and done with.  Let’s just say it was an expensive outing, especially because I probably only spent an hour on site.  I bought all my fall supplies of sterling silver chain, clasps.  Took delivery of a sizable order of chainmaille rings from my “ring dealers” and got sucked into the most gorgeous of clasps.  I love these clasps….. love, love, love them but of course, they are also expensive – very expensive – making a piece of “for sale” jewelry very expensive and making it hard to find just the right market but I just can’t resist these pieces of art.  I will show finished pieces only but one clasp that came home with me was a 5 strand clasp in sterling silver with inlayed black onyx…… and the cuff I will be making – with solid sterling rings – will be just for me.  There were a couple of other clasps, one of them a necklace toggle meant for a front closing necklace that I will start creating the chain for in just a few minutes here.
Here’s hoping for a good craft show season this year…… my mind is brimming full with ideas!!!!
Category: Stash and Supply Shopping  Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,  2 Comments