Monday, July 28, 2014

Summer Magic - Kool Aid, not just for drinking

You all know I've been knitting using the yarn I have dyed myself with KoolAid and food coloring and have been enjoying it immensely. This summer I decided to take the plunge and do a batch for my etsy shop which I call Faerieknitz you can see it by clicking on the link to the shop in the right side bar.
I'm hoping to have some sales so I can invest in more yarn to build it up. So far I've had some good views and lots of hearts and even my first Yarn sale!
I thought about doing a tutorial blog but this would be a challenge since I'd need another set of hands to make that happen. In the mean time, you'll have to be content with some older pictures I took of my experimenting in the beginning. Here are the some of the original colors I just dyed for my own creations. I have some bulky "Wool of the Andes" I want to do up in bright solids for fall again, so anyone interested, can try Fair Isles patterns with it for themselves. It's great fun working on this type of knitting for kids, and it goes really quick with the bulky and is super warm for winter wear. All these items I made are long gone, so I need to replenish again. So many ideas, so little time..
Something still available is this cute baby sweater and hat set.
Here's something I just whipped up and am planning on using for a special shawl pattern in the near future. I'm always very active on Ravelry and soon will be starting another test knit for Luis O'Neil of Impeccable Knits on Rav, one of my favorite designers. Do check out her group if you are a Rav member, you will become hooked very quickly, especially if you love cables and lace.
Here's a few more personal items I made using these wonderful tie dyed yarns from my Kool Aid play:
Next time I plan on showing you the new project bags that I've begun making to add to this shop as well. I am doing them in bright batik fabrics that will co-ordinate well with the yarns. Don't forget to look at my other shops because I have slowly been adding to them also. Looking forward to your feedback!!

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Still Keeping The Faith

Since it's been such a long absence, I'll start of by saying I survived the winter of 2014 with no major disasters or anything too eventful. That, for me is just fine and I don't mind having it quiet, even on the downright boring side for a change. Must be because I'm getting older..Still it hasn't been dull, that's for sure!
Ari is still alive and kicking and will be celebrating her 12th birthday this summer. She's doing her best to keep me on my toes by being very persnickety in her eating habits. I finally figured out that it's best to just keep it simple and put out food and ignore her. The more fuss I made over her not eating, and the more worried I became the more she baulked, so I just gave up on all the fancy home cooked "balanced diets" I was trying to coax her gourmet taste buds with, and broke down and bought some high quality organic dry kibble and put that out and she nibbles when she's hungry. I bake chicken thighs and debone one for dinner time, drop that in her bowl and walk away, soon after it's disappeared. She sometimes expresses a curoisity for what I'm eating, but often times just turns her nose up when it's offered so that's that, and I don't force anything. This seems to be our new "happy place" of mutual agreement now, and obviously, she's getting her nutritional requirements met and we are at peace again. I'm all for opting out on stress these days. My fancy beloved embroidery machine had need of a vacation and decided to quit working (tension and over-heating issues) right before the holidays and I've been playing email tag with the lady who repairs it and finally now that it's April(good grief!)was able to make an appointment to see her this coming Friday, so fingers crossed. When I get it back I will be anxious to go back into production for restocking my etsy shops which have been sitting sadly neglected for way to long.
Mostly this winter I spent my time on Ravelry and enjoyed knitting to the max! Here's some of the things I've made this year: Then too I've had my first official clean-up day out in the yard, raking and pulling and cleaning up Ari's gifts left after the snow melted, and am planning on trying to actually do a small scale garden this season if all goes according to plans. Since last year was a no show because of foot and balance issues there is quite a mess to keep me occupied before planting can commence, but I'm hoping with all my therapy and exercising it will pay off and things will get organized sooner or later if I can remember "Easy Does It" and not work on the overkill and die principle this year.. we'll see how it goes.