The January Giveaway Post

Hello!  And welcome to the January giveaway post.

Now I figure that much of North America is under the grey cold skies of winter right now.  So, I chose the yarn this month with a mind to bringing some color back into your life.

This yarn is on my 3 ply base and is 100% SW Merino and 490 yds.  It is a fabulously soft and drapey yarn.

So, here's Eat Crayons, the January giveaway.

  All you have to do to enter this giveaway is leave a comment on THIS blog post.  Yes!  It's that easy.  Winner will be chosen February 1, 2015.

I also just finished a shop update over at Brazen Stitchery.  Full sized and mini skeins are now in the shop.

Good luck to the entrants and may the odds be ever in your favor.

Yellow Rose 2015 Purchases

You know, I didn't really need to buy anything.  My house is all akimbo with the very beginnings of a craft reorganization so I sort of have everything every where.  And this is where I don't tell you that I still have my Christmas Tree up...the ornaments are down so at least theres been progress.

But, there I was.  At a yarn and fiber festival.  And feeling pretty raw emotionally.  So, a few things had to come home with me.

First things first.  I recently became the latest Jamberry Nail Junkie.  I went to a friends house in early November for a party and I. Was. Hooked.  Which is good because I bought a couple of sheets at Kid n' Ewe.  I just became a consultant too-So if you too want to have fabulous nails, let me know and I'll hook you up with some sass.  Anyways, a fellow Jamberry consultant was at Yellow Rose-she's my grand-sponser of sorts, and she had some custom made Doctor Who Jams-so I had to get them.

 And there was a vendor there doing her first ever show, and she had some fabulous yarn.  So I HAD to support the newbie.  You can find her at Undead Yarn-She has an etsy shop and a podcast that you should check out.  Hopefully we will vend together again in the future.

 And there was also a LYS that had this fabulous yarn from Yarn Carnival on one of my favorite bases.  I plan on making a big soft shawl with this yarn.

 And, I was lent a loom by some really kind local weavers-that I haven't even touched yet.  And across the aisle from me was a booth that was a Saori style weaving booth.  So I got a shuttle and some bobbins because I didn't think I had one.  But, I got home to find that the people HAD given me one of those too, so maybe it was unnecessary, But I will use it.

So there.  That is what I bought at Yellow Rose 2015.  I plan on curtailing my yarn purchases for a while until I have 10 completed projects under my belt.  So, I guess that means I better get to work!

Weekending January 19, 2015

I haven't struggled too much yet with having to write the new year down.  Maybe because I don't actually write what year I'm in too terribly much?

You guys.  Yooooou Guuuuuuys.  I made a mistake.  Ugh.  I drank a cup of the Newmans Own Keurig coffee and while it was delicious, I am feeling really rough because i have given up caffeine.  I decided to splurge and have a cup and now I am feeling really yucky.  ButlookhowfastIcantype!!!!!
WheeEEEeeeEEEeee!  And exclamation marks are soooo FUUUUNNNN!!!!

Lately I have been dealing with some hard emotional times (like I'm really struggling for sure).  I had to soldier on to prepare for Yellow Rose but since I've been home I have been thisclose to being a basket case.  I wish I were one of those people that compulsively cleaned and forgot to eat when I am struggling but instead I am the kind of person thats all 'Sure I like more (insert junk food here)!!  I'll have to eat it over the sink or on a napkin, because there are no clean dishes in pants that I've worn 2 days in a row!!!  And brushing my hair?  I'm so over it.  That's so 2014!'

So, on to my weekend.  I worked Saturday at the yarn shop and then I spent yesterday in sweat pants lying prone and watching movies.  Oh.  My.  Bob.  Cutthroat Island Though?  I really is a as bad as everyone says it is.  I don't know what was worse-The acting, the writing, or the casting.  But woo.  I did think the story was the best part and that it actually had potential to be a better movie with a different cast or director.

And, It was time to switch out my Jamberry wraps since it had been two weeks.  I decided to go with a random design-So each nail has a different wrap.  And I think it is delightfully chaotic!

I did French tips on the pinkie(Je Suis Charlie!), ombre on the ring finger, TARDIS on the middle, painted polka dots on the pointer, and stitched away on the thumb.

Ah, sweet mother of God.  I am actually starting to come down from my caffeine high.  Look!  I can type all normal again!!!!  Though exclamation marks are still GREAT!!!!!!

My goals this week are to finish a knit project, finish spinning bobbin 2 of a three ply I started forever ago, and start to get the house back in order.  I also need to start prepping and dyeing self striping for the trunk show that I am doing at Inskein Yarns over V-Day.

I hope this blog post finds you well and that you aren't struggling to come down from a caffeine high like I am.


Oh!  I almost forgot!  I have been featured on the Undead Yarns podcast.  I am in episode 37.  She and I spent a lot of time chatting and admiring each others work.

Which also reminds me, I need to do a blog about what I bought at the show and show off what I bought from her.

Weekending: The Yellow Rose 2015 Edition

This past weekend, I vended at the Yellow Rose Fiber Producers Festival in Seguin, TX.  Seguin was such a cute little town-with a historic down town and surrounded by historic houses.  We had a good time and met some new people and chatted with some folks that we've met before.

The festival is not usually in January-it's usually in the spring, but there was a scheduling conflict and the only weekend that the Seguin convention center had available was this past weekend-so instead of not holding the show at all, the organizers decided that to have a show at a wonky time is better than not having a show at all.  And yes, the crowds were not huge, but that could also be because there was some weather events happening in the area that made people want to stick close to home.  We still had a good time, and met lots of people, and the attendees were in a buying mood, so while this wasn't fiscally our best show to date, it was not our worst either.  And I think we did pretty well for our first year there AND icy weather!

Katie from The Barbed Dragon and I are definitely looking forward to vending at this show in April 2016.

Here's a little collage of our weekend.

 And here's my Franken Blanket that I've been working on since 2012.  I worked on here a little at the show and at the hotel.

And I have a question for you, dear reader.  What knitting podcasts are you fans of?  I haven't ever been a regular podcast listener, so I am interested in maybe becoming one.  Post what you like about your favorite podcasts in the comment section below.