Kettle Dyeing

I've started dyeing yarn slightly differently than I had been doing it--up until now, all my yarns for sale have been handpainted. (And I will continue to handpaint yarn--I'm just adding a new technique.) I now have one yarn--a silk and merino blend--for sale in my Etsy shop that was kettle dyed and I have a few more that need to be wound and then put up for sale.


The yarn above was me making another attempt to use my black dye. I don't know what it is about that dye, but I think I'm going to try another brand as a commenter suggested. The yarn did come out pretty, though.

When I was dyeing, I had some leftover dye in the pot (not when I was using the "black"), so I threw in a few silk scarves to use it up.


I have had these scarves for quite a while now--back when I was dyeing with Kool Aid, I was planning to dye them as playsilks for a gift. They didn't dye well with Kool Aid, but I think they are lovely now. These (along with the others I have not yet dyed) will be a gift for some child (not sure who yet, since none of the ones I know are quite the right age for playsilks) and I am also considering making these to sell. Once I get some more time, that is.

International Sales

I sold the clutch that is my avatar on Etsy yesterday.


I'm thrilled to have sold it, but I'm also a little sad--and I don't know if I should change my avatar or not. I had been thinking about changing it to a skein of yarn, but I'm still not sure. (I will probably eventually make another clutch like the one that sold.)

I posted a while back about adding international shipping to my Etsy shop and it seems to be starting to pay off. My last two sales were international. (One of which was the clutch.) And hopefully there will be many more. I had been so scared of sending things out of the country, but it really is much easier than I had expected. The only thing I don't like about it is that I have to actually go to the Post Office, rather than sending it to work with Chris (who is a mail carrier).

Home Again

It may be hard to believe, but, yes, I am finally home again. I've actually been home since Friday, but I've been incredibly busy and haven't managed to post. I decided that I simply had to post today, so here I am.

I finished this throw over the weekend. (As usual, I don't have a picture of the entire thing--it's nearly impossible to take a decent picture anywhere in my apartment except my light box.)


It was a wedding gift for some friends of my family. It's crocheted (surprise) all in single crochet with super bulky yarn. I enjoy making these as gifts because they work up so nicely, but don't take incredibly long to make--like an afghan in worsted weight yarn would.

I'm pretty sure I will be in a craft show on September 30th in Ann Arbor, MI. I say pretty sure since I have applied for the show--which is first come, first served, not juried--and have not yet heard that all of the spaces are filled. So I think I'm in. This makes me a bit nervous, since it will be my first craft show. I used to help my mom out with her shows (she used to own her own crafting business--I guess it runs in the family), but it feels different doing your own. Besides, I don't have nearly enough stock. Which is one of the reasons I am so busy.

Out of Town

I am going out of town for about a week--leaving tomorrow. So I won't be posting here or listing anything in my shop for a little while. (If you do order anything, my boyfriend will be shipping for me. I will also be in contact with him so that he can answer any questions anyone may have.) I meant to do a really big post before I left to make up for my neglect, but I guess that's not going to happen. Hopefully anyone who regularly reads this will forgive me--I promise to do better when I get home.

It's About Time

I can't believe it's been this long since I posted. I've been working on helping my parents with a huge garage sale we'll be having later on in the summer and I just haven't been home all that much. I will try to do better.

I finally got around to predrafting the roving that I handpainted a while back.


Fluffy! I am planning to start spinning it very soon, but we will see how that goes.

Right now I am trying to build up some stock for Christmas and a craft show that I may do in September. It's going slowly since I've been so busy with this garage sale stuff, but I am hoping that I am on the right track now. I also have some ideas for new items to sell and I hope to get around to those soon. Once I do, you will likely see them here first.