Festival Fun!

Catch your attention, yet? I hope so! So, Fiber Addiction made our debut at the Ann Arbor Fiber Expo (and Gun Show; just sayin') this weekend. Wow! I was nervous, nervous, nervous. Many things in the world of FA have not been going...well...lately and the confidence factor has been huge. However, I am super lucky to know many talented women in the fiber world. Not to mention, I meet more and more forms of inspiration at every show that I attend. Part of my inspiration at this show, however, came in the form of excellent customer service and truly exceptional product. On a whim, I decided to order some wholesale product from ZippyPins. I am personally familiar with the exceptional humor and craftswomanship of these items from way back. I have received a few zipper pulls, buttons, and magnets in Phat Fiber boxes. Zippy is a fellow Spin or Dye Swapper on Ravelry, so I have swooped a magnet set and a bumper sticker set...once or twice ;) Above is one of my favorite bumper sticker sayings, but I must say my favorite of all time is my magnet that reads: "A bad day knitting is better than a good day at work"! Since I have been doing this fiber thing full time (well, sharing it with the full time job of being Dingo's mama), I really want to let others in the fiber community know when I find exception product, committment, and customer service! Here's a little info on the masterminds behind ZippyPins: (PS~Clicking on the links will take you right to the Artfire studio)

FA: So, who is ZippyPins, anyway?
ZP: ZippyPins is a mother-daughter team made up of me, Jamie O’Sullivan, Director of PINnovation aka ‘Chief PINhead’, a married mother of six (SIX...yikes!) and my daughter, Jenna Montgomery, Chief PINnovation Officer, a 30 year-old mom to a longhaired Chihauha and 3 cats (hey, animals are children, too!)

FA: Tell us a little about how you got started.
ZP: Well, ZippyPins had an accidental and humble beginning on the kitchen table.
FA: Ah, like the beginning to so many good stories...
ZP: Ha! Several years ago, one of my daughters, Logan, was on a crew team and her time commitment to the sport was so great that she had no life outside of rowing. I had purchased a used button maker and she asked me to make her a pin that said “I Can’t, I Have Crew” so she could put it on her bookbag and point to it every time someone asked her to do something after school or weekends. Girls on the rowing team liked the pin and started asking her for them. When I found out the team needed to raise money, I created some new crew designs and started making hundreds of pins and selling them at regattas and donating the money to the rowing club. Sayings such as "Fast Girls Finish First," "Some People Party, I Erg," “Rowers Do It Backwards,” “Kiss My Stern” as well as more than 70 other sayings proved to be very popular. In December of 2007, on a whim, I created some knitting themed button-badges as Christmas gifts for my friends in the guild. They suggested listing the crew and knitting pins on eBay, which I did in January 2008, trading as Emblazon Yourself. From the beginning, there was great demand for the pins. I decided to create pins about things my kids were interested in like geology and Irish dance plus, plus things I was interested in like fiber arts, gardening, antiques and collecting. Very quickly, my eldest daughter, Jenna, saw the potential for growth and we decided to go into business together. Wanting to establish an online marketplace dedicated to celebrating people’s interests, it became apparent that to take our business to the next level we should create an e-commerce website and rename our business Zippy Pins. The specialty website ZippyPins.com was launched in October 2009, offering a broader selection of designs and a variety of products in many sizes, as well as Create Your Own Design and Buy In Bulk pricing. In September 2010 we found ArtFire and realized it offered a unique opportunity to reach more customers in a creative, new way. Customers have requested our sayings and designs as bumper stickers, so in October 2010 we began offering knitting bumper stickers in our ArtFire Studio.

FA: That is such a great story! I give you so much credit for the time and dedication you have to maintaining such a professional atmosphere with excellent customer service. Anything else you want to mention or anything surprising, to you, about running your business?
ZP: Well, I think the hardest part is trying to figure out a way to let people know that Zippy Pins exists and to be seen on the WWW. We have a unique product, an incredibly designed website and we strive hard to please our customers, but we haven’t broken through for search engines to return Zippy Pins as a result when people are looking for pinback button-badges.

FA: Thanks, so much! The bumper stickers were a huge hit at the Fiber Expo (and gun show, did I mention it was a gun show, too?!) I will definitely be expanding for the next show I do! I sold out of three designs on the first day! "Spinning because knitting isnt weird enough", "I knit so I dont kill people", and "I knit so no one must die" were the show favorites on day one, but I sold out of five designs all together and only had one left of "Knit Happens". The only suggestion I got was to expand a little bit...I had plenty of requests for "Friends dont let friends needle felt drunk". I can see how that would be potentially harmful...

I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to debut these awesome bumper stickers! Want to have a few of your own? Go to the ZippyPins Artfire studio, find a favorite (or five), add your comments below about the site, your faves, or any suggestions that you may have and your name will be enterred in a drawing to win a set of Bumper Stickers! Bonus entries for commenting on the Fiber Addiction facebook page, too!

Just Another Manic Monday

Wow! What a crazy week! We had to bypass Fiber Friday in favor of Sheepy Saturday; well Sheepy Saturday was taken over by World Wide Spin in Public Day with some awesome ladies! So, we postponed Sheepy Saturday for Spinning Sunday. Spinning Sunday was forfeited to the Gods of the Baby Cold (poor Dingo :( ). Today: Manic Monday! Fiber Time! Global Mamas! Specials! Opinions! Giveaways! Too many exclamation points...hey, I am enthusiastic!

I have been receiving great feedback and constructive criticism for my Etsy Site, Facebook Page, and Blog. As a result of this great feedback, I am going to extend my giveaway for the Hodgepodge Bracelet:

Head over to Global Mamas and check out their amazing line of Fair Trade, Sustainable goods! Post a comment to let me know what you would like to see kept in stock at all times; what do you need? What do you want? Cant live without? Would really consider adding to a custom order? Head over to Facebook and get this week's special promo code and shop away! Listed below are the current items in stock, drastically reduced for quick sale! You can order via Facebook, Ravelry, email (fiberaddictionnos@gmail.com), or the comment section here on the blog! These deals are phenomenal and the facebook promo just adds to the must-have nature!

This week's special and giveaway!

This week's giveaway: Global Mama's Hodgepodge Bracelet. Made of recycled glass beads and stretchy cord, this rainbow beauty promotes sisterhood, fair trade, and sustainability. How can this be yours? I need your help! Head over to the Global Mama's website and take a look. I need ideas of what to stock permanently (of course, I can still do special orders; the holidays are coming and I am hoping to make a custom with minimum deposit). These items travel with me to shows and are often featured on the website. What would you like to see permanently? Something you need to have access to AT ALL TIMES?! What cant you live without? Comment here to be enterred in the drawing. Get additional entries by participating in the Global Mama blowout sale (one additional entry per item purchased)! All current stock of Global Mama's items are drastically reduced. You may order here, facebook, ravelry, or through email. Make sure you check out Facebook for current stock, prices, and a special offer. Flat rate shipping applies and can be combined with any etsy purchase!

Fiber Friday and Congratulations!

Congratulations to betterintype (Sarah H); you are the winner of the first ever blog giveaway! Thank-you, so much, to everyone who participated. Stay-tuned, as next week brings another bolg-facebook collaboration, complete with secret code for Facebook groupers! For a hint: go check out Global Mamas and start your drooling!

In other Fiber Friday news: my mini-dye session yesterday has me all in a tither; I am in love! At first, I was slightly disappointed in my new custom roving/top base, as it was a little darker than I had anticipated, but let me tell you...it takes dye fabulously! I tried it with one of my slightly darker colorways (Hermione Granger), to see if the colors would still pop. It looks fan-freaking-tastic! LOVE IT! Also, I had my first successful results with Firestar and finished up a custom order. Check them out!

It's a Contest; first-ever blog giveaway!

In honor of the newly created business page on Facebook, (Rule Out): Fiber Addiction, NOS is sponsoring our first-ever blog giveaway!!

You, too, could be the proud owner of a super-skein of Fiber Addiction yarn! As we get ready to re-stock and revamp, all in-stock sock yarn is currently on clearance at the etsy store! Except, of course, for this beauty! "Toots" is a OOAK skein on superwash merino and bamboo; the old blend. Keep reading to find out how you could win!

Specifics:
"Toots"
SW Merino/Bamboo (65/35)
Fingering weight
Approx 420 yds

How to win:
1) Head over to our facebook page and "Like" us! Make sure to post on the wall to say "Hi".
2) Become a blog follower.
3) Head over to the etsy store and browse the clearance sock yarn.
4) Post a comment here on the blog about your favorite (or least favorite; constructive criticism always welcome) shop item.

Entries are welcome from Monday, Sept 05 thru Thursday, Sept 08. Winners will be chosen on Fiber Friday; Friday, Sept 09. If you are a member of Ravelry, join the (Rule Out): Fiber Addiction, NOS group for more previews and special offers!

Keeping up with the...yarnses...

And once again, epic fail! Still been crazy-busy around here, but trying to get on a regular blogging schedule! Youd think it would be easy for me to be regular with all this fiber in my diet; I digress! Been slowly building my business, once more, but had a few bumps in the road this year, namely an extremely active 9.5 month old! He keeps me busy, that is for sure. In addition to the fiber circuit, I have been expanding my knitting skills, including more colorwork, working crotch gussets, and knitting soakers/shorties up a storm for Mr. Pee-body! Here's a quick look at a recently finished project for one of my favorite expectant Mamas:



Doesnt every baby need a "Mom" tattoo? I thought so! I left it with the sleeves off to be a little biker-man vest; love it!

Finally, the to-do list left for the weekend: create a Facebook page; quick shop update, blog giveaway for the holiday; gather more bloggy followers! Website and whatnot are on that to-do list, too, but Im not sure I will be able to fit ALL that in with aforementioned active man-child this weekend! Here goes nothin'!

Fiber Friday...wish I had an update

I suppose I could insert something eerily clever and cloyingly cute; I just dont have it in me! I wish I had a fiber update today, however, I am once again out of town for obligatory fun. I am incredibly excited to share in the magic of joining of two great people, however I need a little time to dedicate to my own life, one day. In the works in my near future include: the finishing (labelling, packaging, mailing) of my May Phat Fiber samples, Michigan Fiber Fiesta...which means lots and lots of repackaging, carding, labelling, and organizing! I am so excited to be a vendor in this fairly new arena. I will be an outside vendor, so here's hoping for no rain! In conclusion, since I dont have my own update...an Friday Fiber Crush:

Months and months...

...of discord! Still trying to keep up with the blogging, the fiber, the job, the home, the husbeast, the Dingo, and the Weasel. Most days I manage three...and not very well! Through the ups and downs, I predict many changes this year; from a moderately functional fiber business to a barely functional home life, we shall see! I will be doing my first Fiber Festival of the year in two weekends, the Michigan Fiber Fiesta in Greenville, MI. The batt club went belly-up, but the brilliant ideas will be cornered in a new market; in theory!

In baby news, Dingo is a mostly-happy, healthy man-child. He has started trying new foods (so far: pizza sauce=good, rice cereal=bad), meeting new people, and spending days with his 2nd Mommy and best friend (babysitter and her daughter; exactly three months older than Ding).

So, for a closer, any colors you would like to see featured on a specific base at the fest? In the market for anything new? Bored off your gourd and uninterested? Tell me about it!

Less Than

So, just to weed out the truly uninterested: social commentary, Hindi Film Industry (aka Bollywood) style. Power to the women and women of power!



Okay, for those who are left, interesting title, hmm? Less than; in mathematical terms, it implies an opposite that is greater than. Greater than; so many uses: there is a power greater than I, this piece of cheesecake is greater than the last...so cheery and optimistic. Unfortunately, in terms of feelings rather than descriptions, less than seems to be a permanent state of mind these days. There are so many things I hope to accomplish; they used to seem entirely feasible (sp?). Now, I seem to lack the confidence to ensure myself that I did, indeed, remember to wear pants to work on any given day.

This confidence that I so lack, that I used to possess in untapped quantities; some of the things it has helped me accomplish include marriage to a wonderful man, at a seeminly "young" age; buying a house; having a son; switching jobs; and presenting myself every day as a strong, fearless woman. The only confidence I gain on a daily basis these days is the confidence in my acting abilities. If it werent for horrific stage fright, I have been told that presentation (in acting, dance, and other forms of creative arts) would be a strong area for me to persue. Now, I persue it daily; I have confidence that I am the only one who knows how truly less than I am feeling. I am confident that my smile seems genuine and my belly-laughs heart-felt. I am confident that my hope for improvement and strength in people comes across as nothing less. I am confident that my perceived confidence is taken for nothing less. Even those who know me well almost never question this confidence. And I am confident that it will present as nothing less than...no matter how much I am feeling less than. Today, acting is my business, and business is good.

Preface

A brand new year with brand new happenings...must preface all this, since my last blog was in July? So much has happened since then! My pregnancy progressed well...it was an awfully hot summer, however! Weasel and I spent most nights sleeping in the guest room with the window air conditioner because our house was so hot! I had a scare in late summer; I was having horrible chest pains and ended up going to the ER. It turned out to be a pulled muscle of some sort, making it very hard to breathe. My sugar went a little wild the week before Dingo was born; almost went on insulin, but managed to keep it under control. On Tuesday the 16th, I began having contractions intermediately during the day. They continued into Wednesday, until I was unable to sleep through them around 11pm. We went to the hospital on Thursday morning at 330am...the rest is history!

While I cant say that my labor and delivery were horrible...they didnt go as "planned". This was where it started to go downhill for me, I think. I gave in and got the epidural. My baby didnt get to stay in my room. I had trouble breastfeeding. Dingo stayed in the NICU for six days. I had a horrible run in with a NICU nurse. I had to supplement with formula. We werent allowed to use the cloth diapers in the NICU. I suppose, through all this, all I can tell myself is that my Dingo is healthy.

Im back in the world of blogging and etsy; fiber and frenzy. Global Mama's is my project this year, along with my website and a batt club. Hopefully, things will continue on a positive path.