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.

Once again, behind the 8 ball!

So, here I sit, brainstorming for July, when the June samples are not nearly finished! Okay, so they are almost finished, but not close enough to warrant additional brainstorming! Im very excited with the way that all of the batts and rovings have turned out for this month. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was the theme for June and I split this into two separate categories: "A Midsummer's Night" and "Dream". I was inspired by a photo collection on Flickr by Alexandria LaNier filled with beautiful fairies! "Dream Fairy" inspired this lovely color combo, which is currently available in SW BFL and Merino/Tencel, and will also be available in two different types of sock yarn:


"Dream Fairy"In addition, for the "Midsummer's Night", I decided to a batt series based on the complexities of a Midsummer's Night in the Midwest. The batts are to be titled "Neon Night", "Stormy Night", "Dead of Night" and "Lakeview Night". I am ridiculously excited about these batts and I really think they are turning out great! Two fo the three batts are uploaded and fully for sale on Etsy and the other two will be added soon! I cant wait to finish them up so I can preview them in the Phat Fiber group on Rav!
Ahhh, so, the brainstorming: July's theme is something along the lines of "Buccaneers and Scalawags", so I have come up with an off-the-wall idea, once again, to keep my excited about this theme. Unfortunately, it probably means that I need to make a few massive orders for fiber coming up here in the very near future. Oh, well! I will be testing out the improved version of my knit AND crochet friendly stitch markers, also, so Im excited about that.

Otherwise, I am envisioning another 4 batt series, including the following:
Batt 1 (bl): superwash corriedale (white), mohair (multicolored), firestar (tropical), sari silk, angelina (lots and lots of glitz)
Batt 2 (cb): superwash corriedale (green, fuschia), nylon (yellow), firestar (color-to-be-decided)
Batt 3 (m8km): oatmeal bfl, alpaca (white), yak (brown), silk (rainbow)
Batt 4 (pfl): polwarth (natural), silk (natural), bamboo (purple), merino (black), angora (????)

Im very excited about this batt series and cant wait to reveal more details!

So, who is super stoked? I am super stoked! I got my first shipment from Global Mamas yesterday and it is everything about which I could have ever been excited! The unfortunate part? I want to keep it all for ME! I did order myself a shea butter (in lavender, which smells amazing!), a Sudsy Mutt for the Weasel and a new Pet Mat for the Weasel (In the pretty daisy print!-you'd never know it by the teeth and the manly demeanor, but she IS a girl!) As a tribute and a preview, I will be having a "Barely Marked-up" sale: not quite wholesale, but lower than my future website pricing! This sale will run on Ravelry (PM me), on Facebook (message me), and through my email (email me!). I suppose, if you already have my phone number, that you could call me to reserve your items, too. If youre in the area, pick-up is available, otherwise, I will offer my flat-rate shipping of $5 to the continental US and Canada, and discounted shipping overseas.

Time for a little promotional goodness, before I post a price list. This excerpt is taken from the Global Mamas website, with a little background:

Global Mamas is a non-profit and fair trade organization assisting women in Africa to become economically independent. By purchasing Global Mamas products, you are offering sustainable livelihoods to women and their families living in poverty. All proceeds go directly to the women and to the non-profit programs that assist them with business development.

Time for some personal testimony! I have used the shea butter and the trunk scrub, in the past (and still use the shea butter). It is great for tired skin and anyone who works with fiber on a regular basis knows the dry crackiness that ensues (especially in cold winter climates). The shea butter is a great, all natural moisturizer with some yummy smells (I currently carry lavender, unscented, and vanilla). I also got an apron for the Holidays from my cousin (THE Global Mama, herself!) and I use it for dyeing; it works great! I now carry the "Trashy Aprons", which I think would be even better for dyeing, as they are waterproof! All of the "Trashy" products are made from recycled materials salvaged from the streets of Ghana, in order to reduce pollution and waste. The juice container pouches are so cool!

Current stock and SALE PRICE LIST: (orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis)

• Batik tote bags (various prints, pictured above)-$14 each
• Recycled flour sack totes-$9.50 each
• Batik padded zip purse (chose from two prints, pictured above)-$4.75 each
• Trashy totes (waterproof!)-$12 each
• Mama Africa Trashy tote (yellow or pink medley-1 of each in stock, pictured above)-$15 each
• Trashy zip wallet-$3.50 each
• Trashy juice wallet-$4.25 each
• Trashy coin purse-$3 each
• Sister-to-sister earrings (chose from "United", "Transformation", "Prosperity", or "New Day", pictured above)-$4.25 each
• Hodgepodge Bracelet (styles vary from bracelet to bracelet, picture above is for illustrative purposes only)-$5.50 each
• Batik Aprons (various prints, pictured above)-$11 each
• Trashy Apron (waterproof, great for dyeing)-$11 each
• Trunk Scrub Shea Soap (noni/lemongrass or tea tree)-$3.75 each
• Dandy Lion African Black Soap (shea or exfoliating)-$3.75 each
• Slippery Slope Shea Butter (lavender, vanilla, or unscented)-$8 each
• Sudsy Mutt Shea Butter pet shampoo (citronella/tea tree)-$3.75 each
• Pet Matts (various prints, pictured above-lined with waterproof "trashy" material)-$6 each

Please feel free to browse and let me know if you have any interest or questions! You can also leave comments here!