Mail!...what I spun...Q&A

Hi everyone - I have so much in my head I can't possibly get it all down in one post or a) I'll be here forever and b) it will make no sense.

So I'm going to curb my enthusiasm a bit and focus on one thing at a time.

The stuff that's hit my mailbox this week!

As stuff has sold in the shop, it has given me a bit of virtual cash (seriously - with PayPal it doesn't seem like real money at all) to play with and I wanted to find some interesting Canadian sellers on etsy to support.

I got super lucky when Uli hearted me on etsy (I love that...hearted...and the little hearts pulse too!) cause she has some super cool stuff in her shop. I held out in the resistance department until I got to these and then I was hitting "add to cart" and the rest is history. There have been two great side effects of this - I got a terrific sock pattern and a new friend in the process!

I am also coveting this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=10876026

I was also after some removeable stitch markers and stumbled onto Crimson Orchid and bought these (I might have a thing for silver and blue).

I also heavily covet the shawl pins in Chris' shop - I have some gorgeous stitch markers by her that Jeanne sent me that are so pretty that if I use them I tend to pause a bit every time I have to slip one from one needle to the next.

And last, but certainly not least...I've got cool labels! One of my older, bestest (see, moi in Vancouver - I didn't say oldest!) friends - who may be familiar to all as wanna-baa in the comments - is my friend Jenna and I wouldn't out her on the blog if I didn't have a fabulous reason. I got these awesome iron-in labels in the mail today - I kind of knew they were coming when I got an email that said "If I was going to buy you labels, what would they say? Not that I'm going to do that or anything!" Anyway - this fantastic "surprise" showed up in the mailbox this afternoon:

Jenna is selling labels for a company called Lovable Labels - if you have kids or know of someone with kids, there is way more there than iron-ons. I am particularly intrigued by shoe labels that don't wear out inside of kids' shoes. With summer camp season nearly here and school starting again (I know, someone had to say it) in two months, these would be terrific for everything from the child's forehead (okay, maybe just mine) to sippy cups at daycare and so much more.

Check it all out at http://www.jenna.lovablelabels.ca/

So its been a great week for my mailbox. I am expecting new dyes next week (navy!) and a huge fiber shipment from the U.S. which means a shop update will be forthcoming too.

And just so you don't think I've been sitting around waiting for the postal worker...

What I spun

Back in the winter I spent an afternoon at Chriss' house and between the hours of conversation I made up about 6 batts with my pile of dye experiments on her drum carder...I finally had a chance to spin up some of the red yesterday. This is merino - bright red with flecks of purple. I didn't realize how much of a difference there is spinning from a batt vs a roving. With the batt there was more friction in the fiber and I was able to control out the amount being drafted and managed a pretty effective bulky weight - there's 1.8 ozs and about 72 yards in there.

Next up was some tussah silk I received as part of the Funky Carolina fiber club last year. I hadn't spun pure silk in a long long time - like two years and then it was only small amounts. I predrafted the top and man, was it static-y! And me without a water bottle. Not annoying-to-the-point-of-not-being-able-to-spin but definitely a bit more difficult to control. It is absolutely gorgeous. There's two ounces there - probably a fingering weight or light sport weight. I need to run it through the meter to get the right count at some point...but for now I am just petting it and calling it George. Not really, but you get the point.

And speaking of Funky Carolina roving - I just undid a braid from her that I got last year too (merino bamboo - awesome!) and it isn't braided! Its a crochet chain! I have got to try that!!!

Answering Qs

moi in vancouver asked if I was going to have yarn too...I actually just posted two handpainted soysilk laceweights and my plan is to offer handspun and handdyed yarns when I have them. I have some fingering weight yarn I have never knit myself that I will probably post when I have a chance to photograph them and figure out my pricing.

Take care and have a great weekend! Tomorrow, Chriss and I and the Hilltop Fibreworker are heading off to Almonte for Saint Distaff Day where I am hoping to learn to navaho ply.