Colorado Echoes – Made to Order

If you weren’t over on Facebook this morning, I released Colorado Echoes to a flurry of excitement and quickly sold out of what stock I had.  It was a big hit to say the least!

I’m currently waiting for more sock yarn base to arrive – it’s in the mail – so I’m offering made to order skeins with a tentative shipping date of July 8th.  If you want to be one of the first to “visit” Echo Lake, Colorado and go on my Dream Vacation with me, order now and I’ll package and ship as soon as the yarn is dry!  Click on the picture for the listing.

Phat Fiber – June 2015 – Dream Vacation

If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would it be?  If you are a fiber arts lover then come on over to Phat Fiber and join us on our dream vacations around the world!  Sample boxes will go on sale on Saturday June 27th following a preview video on Thursday or Friday.  I’ll share the video here on the blog as soon as it is released.

If you would like a sneak peek as to where I dream of going on vacation, I present to you Colorado Echoes.

This newest colorway is inspired by the photo I took in June of 2013 of Echo Lake, Colorado while driving to the top of Mount Evans (14000+ feet elevation) with my fellow fiber artist, Barbara of Kitty Mine Crafts (go check out her Dream Vacation colorway – Versailles, which will be released soon).  Don’t you just love the blue sky reflected in the water, the greens of the pines, and the crisp whiteness of the snow capped silver mountains?  It’s so peaceful and serene.  This is nature at its most beautiful and this colorway echoes what I love about Colorado.

Currently, Colorado Echoes is dyed on Panda sock yarn (a blend of SW merino/Bamboo/Nylon), but it can be dyed on any fiber base or yarn weight/base I can obtain.   Just contact me for information and I’ll see what I can do for you!

Colorado Echoes will go on sale in my etsy shop on June 25th.  Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and right here on this blog for release announcement and shop updates!

Watercolors

I’ve been going through my stash of ready to ship items and discovered a few that I’d never listed.  I now present to you – Watercolors.  It reminds me of a watercolor painting of flowers.  This was dyed using a new to me technique that a fellow indie dyer taught me.  I’m really happy with how this came out as I was not convinced I was going to like it when it was in the dye pot.

Close up you can see the green, some peachy tan-ish color and flecks of red and orange/yellow.  This is a OOAK skein of panda sock (fingering weight) yarn.  It’s a Superwash Merino/Bamboo/Nylon blend (60/30/10) and is approx 450 yards in a 4oz/113g skein.

Wonder what other yummy yarns I’ll find going through my stash?  🙂

Branching Out

I’ve decided to branch out and try a new site for selling my handmade stuff.  I’m giving Big Cartel a shot as I’m not sure I’m on board with all the changes that have been happening over on Etsy.  Things were great until they opened it up to the wholesalers and the people who can sell “handmade” items that they bought for pennies from China.  Makes it hard for people who actually put time and effort into making their items to sell and make money when others can offer the same thing for cheap.

Anyway, here’s my new shop.  Sarandipity Handmade.  I’m still going to use Etsy for a while, but I’m just testing the waters.  Several of my friends have made the move over to Big Cartel and love it, so I’m hoping I (and you) will, too.

My first listing on BC is for my newest handspun yarn – Lollipop Guild.  This is spun from a braid of Organic Polwarth that I dyed with bright green, purple, red and brown.  It’s a 3 ply, navajo ply and approximately a worsted weight/heavy weight.  There are 2 skeins of this and you get both (I had to split it because my bobbins are small and I can’t fit all 4 oz on at one time).  There is a total of 124 yards and 4oz/119g.  I just love the fun colors of this yarn and hope you will, too.

I’m also hoping that I’ll have more time to start blogging again, so watch this space for more shop updates and more crafty stuff.  I’ve got some things planned that I want to work on for the upcoming Madison Street Fair in September so I’m hoping to blog about that, too.

First Day of School 2014

Today was the first day of school here.  Bug started 4th grade and Fidget started Pre-K.   Both were pretty excited about starting a new adventure.

Here Fidget is waiting outside his classroom before he could go in with his new teachers and classmates.  The school my boys attend is an awesome school.  It’s a Montessori school and they have combined classrooms for the Pre-K/K classes and the 1/2 classes.  This means Fidget will remain in the same class for 2 years, with the same teacher and half of the same kids.  They do a lot of hands on activities and they teach in a child led manner (despite the fact that NY is unfortunately a Common Core state).

 

I will say that Fidget was a bit hesitant and scared about starting something new, but he did it with no tears.  He did try to make not one, but two attempts to leave with me, but once he was significantly distracted finding his cubby he was fine.  When I picked him up at the end of the day he said he had fun, left his lunchbox in his cubby and was very distraught over the fact that he couldn’t bring his nap blankie, that I knit for him, home.  He doesn’t quite understand that he’ll get to see it again every school day.My day was a typical housework day and while I was sad that my baby isn’t a stay at home baby anymore I was glad to have the break and the quiet, even though it meant cleaning.  I had the sheets off the beds and into the washer before we left for school, had them hung up on the line outside just after getting home, opened all the windows, had breakfast, put away some clean laundry, cleaned the living room and vacuumed it, put new sheets on the beds, cleaned one of the bathrooms, and gathered all the garbage and put it in the bin outside.  

After all that cleaning I did manage to do some crafting.  I’ve been spinning up some wool that I brought home from the Estes Park Wool Market this past June.  After attempting to dye it, I found that it’s rather sticky (almost like there is lanolin that won’t come out) and it felted with hardly any agitation.  Spinning it seemed to work better for it and I am actually liking how it came out – despite the fact the my fingers feel sticky whenever I touch it.  I finished the second bobbin of singles last night before bed and today I wound it into a center pull ball and made a 2 ply today, all while watching a couple episodes of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman on tv.  The first skein I made, which I re-skeined today, is 140 yrds of DK/sport weight (13-15WPI).  I also found that soaking the yarn in super hot water with dawn, followed by 2 hot water rinses and a conditioning rinse alleviated the sticky factor and the yarn is a bit softer.  It’s actually a very pretty ecru color…not sure if I’m going to bother dyeing it.  I think I might leave it plain.  

Not sure what tomorrow will bring…I need to clean the other bathroom, at the very least.  I’m hoping to do a little spinning.  I’m thinking of having a giveaway contest on my shop facebook page when I reach 300 likes.  I think I’m going to offer a skein of handspun faux cashmere as the prize.  If you are interested, hop on over to facebook and give my page a like – if you want to make sure you get in on the contest you can request notifications whenever I post anything…it will go directly into your notice bar.  🙂

 

 

Shop/Craft Update – Let’s Get This Blog Going Again!

I really suck at this blogging thing…with the end of school and the summer having the boys home I just never found a quiet moment to sit and type.  I’ve had ideas floating through my brain for what I could write about, but never put my fingers to the keyboard.  With school starting back up this Thursday I’ll have the house to myself for almost 6 hours a day!  Yay for peace and quiet!  

I still have my normal housework to attend to, but I’m sure without someone underfoot or needing me to do something or help with something I can get it all done fairly quickly.  I also plan on working on my shop/stock, advertising, and my crafting/spinning.

I currently have 3 knitting projects in the works.  The first is a hat, following this Cabled Dad Hat pattern, worked in Premier Yarns Alpaca Dance.  It’s a lovely silver color (silver fog) and is super soft.  It has a slight aura to it as well.  I’m 4 repeats into the first chart.  I’m not sure if I’m going to keep it or not.  I haven’t decided just yet.

The second pattern I’m working on is for 4 year old Fidget.  I’m making him a new pair of socks.  I’d planned to get it done before he starts school – he’s going into Pre-k this year – but I just didn’t get it in progress in time.  I finished the first sock today and with a little luck I can get them finished by next week. 

The last thing I’m working on is a shawl.  I’m actually using my own handspun for this project.  It’s a mix of corriedale, finn, and rambouillet cross spun into a laceweight singles yarn.  I called the colorway Little House on the Prairie because it’s a brownish green mix that reminded me of the cabin and the fields from the old 1970’s TV show.  I just finished watching the 3rd season on dvd with the intention of watching the rest when I get around to checking them out from the library.  The shawl is knitting up very nicely, using this Swallowtail Shawl pattern.  I think I made a mistake in the last row that I worked, but thankfully I put in a lifeline strand so hopefully I won’t lose too much of my work when I “tink” it back.  

As for my shop I’ve done some new colorways that I’m really proud of.  My favorite so far is Laetiporus, which was inspired by an awesome shelf fungus that I found in the woods at my parents house.  You are probably thinking, “Eewww!  A Fungus!  That’s disgusting!”  That’s where I think you are wrong…just look at this amazing, bright color that was created by nature.  

Here is the colorway that I created.  This is dyed on a Merino/Firestar blend (85/15), this bright colorway closely matches the inspiration photo and sparkles slightly like it’s dew covered!  Click the image for the etsy listing.

I’ve also been spinning, too.  I recently finished up an amazing faux cashmere handspun from fiber that I dyed myself.  This bright colorway is called Neon Lights and is available in my Etsy Shop.  This has all the amazing softness of cashmere without the high ticket price of the real thing!  

Well, it’s almost bedtime for the boys.  Hopefully this post won’t be the last one for another 5 months.  I really do have plans to update this blog more often.  I may even try to offer photo or video tutorials.  

 

New Yarn in the Shop!

I’ve decided I’m going to merge my shop blog and this blog since I tend to write about crafty things in my life here anyway.  Since that includes my etsy shop, I figured it would be perfect for Sarandipity’s Craft Room.  🙂

On to the yarny goodness!  If you’ve read my blog in the last month or so, you might have seen these yarns before.  They were spun up as part of Ravellenics this year.  I’ve decided to put them up for sale so others can enjoy the beautiful colors and make beautiful things with them.

First up is X’s & O’s.  There are 2 skeins of this yarn, both 2oz and approximately 64 yards.  Worsted weight with approx 10 WPI (wraps per inch).  Both are up on etsy at $15.50 each plus shipping (NYS residents add tax).  Click the photo to go to the listing.

X’s & O’s

Next up is a First on Facebook Friday Sale – I like to offer some of my yarns for sale before they go up on etsy.   This week I’m offering Chocolate-dipped Berries.  This yarn looks good enough to eat.  It’s spun from a mix of Finn, Corriedale and Rambouillet Cross wool.  It is Navajo or Chain plied resulting in a worsted weight 3 ply yarn.  There are 128 yards at 3.2oz.   Just look at those gorgeous colors!  Lots of reds/pinks, purplish blues and shades of brown.  This is available for 23.50 + Shipping (NYS Residents add tax.)  Click the image to hop over to my facebook page and comment with an email address where I can send a paypal invoice.

EDITED: Chocolate Dipped Berries is now available via etsy.  Please click on the photo to be taken to the listing.  Look for future First on Facebook Fridays.

Chocolate-dipped Berries

Also, my Luck of the Irish sale is on until midnight  tonight 3/21/14 (EST).  Just enter code IRISHLUCK and receive 10% off a $10+ purchase.  That goes for the First on Facebook Friday Sale, too!  EDITED: SALE HAS ENDED.  Look for future coupons and sales here, facebook and twitter.

Too Excited!

Apparently there is something in the air since both myself and my oldest son just can’t seem to get to sleep.  I think it may be the combination of the pepsi and the jelly beans I ate and the combo of pepsi and ice cream that he ate right before bed…that’s enough to keep anyone up.  Granted, I shouldn’t have had the pepsi to begin with since I’ve given up caffeine.  I just wanted to splurge a bit I guess.

Anyway, I’m also too excited to sleep – my mind just won’t shut up.  It’s silly, I know.  But, the reason I’m excited is that I finally broke down and opened my very own Etsy shop.   I’ve probably mentioned it on here before about how I’d love to open one so I can share my crafting talent with the world, but I always chickened out.  It’s the shipping charges that make me nervous – I’m just worried about over and under charging customers.  But, I sucked it up and started the shop.  I’ve finally gotten a couple of things listed, too.  I hope they sell.

I’ve got a ton more ideas for things I want to make – baby bibs, baby blankets, hats, scarves, wash cloths and dish cloths, more of my “No Knot” designed tag blankets…the list can go on (and does!)

Aside from being busy digging out stash items, creating listings, stressing over shipping charges and hoping I made the right decision, I’ve created a blog dedicated to Sarandipity Handmade as well as a Facebook page dedicated to my shop.  Some people will probably think it’s overkill, but I figure if I can get the word out there that I’m here I can maybe drum up some business. You never know unless you try, right?

So, if you or a friend are ever in the market for a handmade quality item, please stop at my shop and I’ll see if I can help you out.  🙂  Thanks!