Workin' It Wednesday May 11, 2016

This week I've been working on a couple of things.  The main project I've been working on is the Kiss of North Sweater Vest done with Trendsetter Stratta.  This yarn is an approximate worsted weight in singles construction.  I am holding two strands together so that I am getting the bulky weight that the pattern is asking for.  I have now split the front and am working just half of the stitches.  It is a pretty fast knit since its on size 13 needles.

I've also been working on knitting up some samples for the May Inspiration.  This months inspiration is Space.  Here's a black and white peek at the variegated.

So, I am trying something new.  Each month I am taking an inspiration and coming up with 3 yarns taken from that inspiration.  So every month, there will be a variegated, tonal, and self striping yarn based on the months inspiration.  So, I'll give you guys a hint by giving you this months names.  Orion Slave Girl, Space Pants, and Galactic Space Kitten.

Also, I've started a monthly newsletter.  You can sign up at Brazen Stitchery. 

What Happens Backstage

I graduated from college with a degree in theatre and have noticed some similarities between theatrical productions and yarn/fiber festivals.  What you are at a fiber festival, much like when you watch a play or a movie, is really just the tip of the iceberg.


What you don't see when you go to a play are the hundreds of hours that go in to a 2 hour production.  You don't see the all of the time that the director spends shaping and tweaking performances, all of the time that the actors spend studying lines and perfecting their character, the time that the costumer spends in making sure that everyone's bum is covered in an appropriate costume for the period or the character, you don't see the time that the sound designer spends making sure that the phone rings with an appropriate sound for 1947 or that the dog barks at the correct time.  You don't see the time that the lighting designer spends making sure that you can see everyones face and the the mood is accurately lit-different lights for a farce than for a dramatic show for example.  You can't see the stage manager herding actors from one scene to the next making sure they are where they are supposed to be or all of the paperwork they have to do.  You don't see the time that the producer spends making sure that the staff for all these backstage functions is put together in a cohesive way.  The machinery that goes into a theatrical production is amazing.

And a lot like when you have a small crafting business like mine.  I am the everything to my business.  I design and create everything that I sell.  I clearly label and/or package with exactly what it is, I design the feel to my booth and how the items are displayed, I dress according to my brand-which is very much how I dress in real life.  When I go to a show all 500 items that are in the booth were created by me.  This is a pretty awesome feeling-the knowledge that when I am gone from this earth, people will still have things that I created in their lives.  They will be able to wear or use a piece of my creativity.  And you know?  That brings me happiness-hopefully the same feeling that folks that knit with the yarn that I dye or use any of the bags that I have sewn feels when they look at or touch something that I have made.

Just as people carry the memory of a play with them through their lives.

Weekending-DFW Fiber Fest 2016

 This past weekend was DFW Fiber Fest 2016.
I managed to fit all of this(except for the 8ft table at the back)

Plus myself and 2 other people into Penny's Hyundai Elantra.

We set everything up and Bryanna(the pocket sized minion in the back seat) finally taught me how to eat Chipotle.

I am very happy with the way everything went.  This was my wall of Self Striping.

I sold out of all of my mini skeins and most of my heel and toe skeins by the end of Saturday, so I made some more heel and toe skeins to have available for the Sunday Shoppers.

There was a super fun stitch marker swap happening at the event and these were the markers that I made from shrink dink paper.

And I found this fabulous hat that I didn't even recognize as my dyeing at the show as well.  This hat is from a skein of Dias De Los Muertos that the knitter purchased in the fall at Stitches Texas!    I had no idea that this color way would react like this in hat formation.  I am so in love with it.

It was very lovely to meet new people and talk to people that I've only interacted with via social media.  

If you have a chance I recommend coming to DFW Fiber Fest 2017 which will be April 7-9.

Friday March 11, 2016

Friday is one of my schedule blog days so here I am.  I am a little fried brain was-though I did manage to get something like a normal amount of sleep 2 nights in a row.  I just have been going all day and my creative brain is already trying to focus on the next thing on the list.

It's been a rainy week here in DFW which means that when you have a broken dryer, even though theres an outside clothes line, trips need to be made to the laundromat.  So, I've been working that in amongst the other things that need to get done.

And here's a picture of one of my cats.  He wanted to throw his two cents in on the labels I was working on earlier.  I have a new base and needed to work up a fiber specific label instead of using my yarn labels.

And, It's now 3 weeks until DFW Fiber Fest.  Must remember to breathe.

This weekend I am taking my kids to Six Flags and prepping prepping prepping.  Have a good weekend gang!

Workin' It Wednesday-March 9, 2016

This week I am working on the socks that I am making for Ray.  My goal this week is to make it to the toes at least before next weeks workin' it post.  I am not having trouble with them, just having a hard time finding the time to knit.  

But!  I am trying something new.  I have a list of things that I'd like to accomplish daily, and under the health category I have 'knit'.  So Monday I knit, yesterday I did some crochet, and today is knit night, so I will be working on these puppies tonight.

Things are ramping up prep wise for the April shows here at the house and I am still getting used to the new schedule change at Major Airline.  I don't really have a problem staying up as late as I need to, its just the waking up the next morning that I am struggling with.  My body wakes me up at 8 and then my brain keeps me awake.  Which means that I am having a hard time not wearing my grumpy pants.  I find myself being snappish and short and then having to take a step back and say whoa!  I've got the same pants to get glad in!  I'm practicing the art of apology because I don't realize that I am being overboard until it's already happened.  Like I woke Ray up to fight with him the other night about CAT FOOD!  Hello!  I need to figure out how to get enough sleep.

It's Business Time-Monday March 7, 2016

So.  I have decided to put myself on a schedule for blogging so that maybe I will blog more than once a month.   I am planning to blog at least 3 times a week.

This week I've been making lists and checking them twice.  I am now lest than a month until DFW Fiber Fest and in order to make sure I get everything accomplished, that means good planning.  So, I need to make a list and check it twice and thrice and try to actually sleep, but I'm having  hard time with that.

And my goal this week is to list something everyday-So that means that Luck O The Irish is up at Brazen Stitchery

Both DFW Fiber Fest and Yellow Rose Fiber Fiesta are hosting a stitch marker swap, so I've been playing around with getting Ms Sheepy on to shrinky dink to then turn her into stitch markers.   I am planning on also adding beads to the marker and having the event on one side so that attendees at both shows get unique stitch markers.

And here's the periscope where I talk about it all, if you want to see me being under slept.  Yay new schedule!

Working It Wednesday Feb 17, 2016/Or Why I should Put Away Dyes When I'm Done With Them

This week has been full of dyeing because I have not one, but two shows in April.  DFW Fiber Fest which is April 1-3 at the Irving Convention Center and Yellow Rose Fiber festival which is April 15&16 in in Sequin, TX.  So I have a master list that I am tweaking and following for the most part.  BUT, I had a slight accident this morning with my dye pot.  I could blame it on poor lighting, or not enough coffee, but the blame really lies in the fact that I did not put away my brown dye last night, so when i reached for my black dye this morning, I ended up grabbing the brown.  And because I have moved all dyeing operations to the garage, I couldn't really see that it was brown either in powder or liquid form.  This can be solved by putting away my dye when I am done with each color way.  Lesson Learned!

I haven't been very good about wearing any kind of mask when I dye, so my goals are to never dye without a mask again.  I just get impatient and want to get on with it, so don't take the 10 seconds it takes to get my mask on.  

And this is a close up of the knitting I am finishing this week.  It is a Test Knit for Shannon Sanchez designs.  I told her I wanted to show off my halfie skeins and she told me she was looking for test knitters for a new pattern.  So its a win/win for the both of us.

And here's a peak at one of the lovelies out of the depot this week.  Best Engineer In The 'Verse is debuting as a self striping at DFW Fiber Fest.