HYP Recap & Etc.

     If you happened to come on out to the Homespun Yarn Party this past Sunday, I hope you had an awesome time. I know I did! The HYP sort of kicks of the season of festivals to me-- gets you excited for MDS&W and spring! As always the committee, vendors, advertisers, volunteers and party goers rocked! ;)

Savage Mill

      This year at HYP I was a volunteer and really enjoyed helping friends old and new unload and tear down their booths. As well as be a greeter for party-goers. It was a great day and if you're ever in the area and can make it out I highly recommend it. While at the festival I had arranged with my friend Patrick to buy his Louet Jr. drum carder. And I am happy to say it is now in my studio all set up and happy. Big thanks again to Patrick for being so generous and kind. 

What I love most about this specific drum carder is the 72 tpi (teeth per square inch)! It is more coarse than the Strauch (128 tpi) I am borrowing from Kate of Dragonfly Fibers. So I can really go nuts with the Art batts on this one. Which then leaves the Strauch carder for the smoother batts. Though, I can do art batts on it as well. But I think I will reserve the Louet Jr. for the really funky batts. Though as long as I take good care of both I can do whatever I like. Which...I do! Because I would hate to have to replace either carder. One thing I really urge all fiber/spinning enthusiasts to do is, to take care of your equipment. If you do, then they will last you generations.

     In other news... this week Kristin of the Yarngasm video podcast is having a Fibery Tribble giveaway! If you'd like to enter for her giveaway go watch the newest episode for more information. There is also a super cute watercolor print giveaway happening. So you should enter for that one too! 

     For tonight's update I've got some new Bon-Bons made from my new drum carder. But they're not the normal mini-batts so you'll just have to check them out! ( hint: I had a lot of fun making these and was VERY inspired by Macklemore! ) 

Happy Spinning!!

Kate

3/22 Update & A Studio Revamp!

     Just a few items going up in tonight's update. Sorry-- I got side tracked by a few things. ( read below and you'll know why! lol ) However, in the update I am indlucing a "test" product. This week I tried out a new style of drum carding. Lots of extra blending and keeping each batt a single color. I was really inspired by all of the ombre and gradient yarns and fibers I've seen recently. Specifically the crew at Cephalopod Yarns. Their ombre mini palettes are incredible! I am hoping that soon they will give ombre fiber a test run. But in the mean time...

 Here is my take on the gradient trend!

      I learned a lot with making this set. Like, there is such a thing as over-blending fiber lol! I won't be making that particular mistake again. Please feel free to join the Ravelry Group and let me know what you think of the gradient sparkle batts! Or just come on over and share what you've got going on with your projects and ideas. And if you're a bit shy that is okay. Lurking is completely fine with me. ;)

     So, you may remember something about Fibery Tribbles with Wednesday's update. Well, I've been making lots and lots of them. ( hence the whole side-tracked thing...) But that is because they are so. much. FUN! The only problem, is that I was running out of surface space. So, my amazing husband jumped in last night and finished putting together the rest of the tables for my mini-studio in our Morning Room. 

We doubled the work space in one night and now I've got tons and tons of room to store my fiber, batts, punis, and shipping materials. Because of all of this extra space I made another 30 Fibery Tribbles today!

Again.. do I need to say it? They are addictive. 

     Then today, lots of great business-related stuff happened. I am not going to bore you with the details. Lots of it has to do with business tax and licensing stuff. Again, very boring. But, the best part was getting my PayPal Here card reader in the mail. 

     So now I will be able to accept credit cards/payment anywhere!

     Which means, I will ( hopefully ) be vendoring at a few festivals this year. When I hear back on my vendor applications I will let you know the wheres & whens. Overall though, I had an awesome work week. Which aside from the business admin stuff didn't feel like work at all. Which is the best kind of "work" in my humble opinion. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Happy Spinning!

Kate

PS - If you're in the Maryland/DC/VA/PA region come on out to the Homespun Yarn Party in Savage Mill, MD. I go almost every year and it is tons of fun! The lovely Kate of Dragonfly Fibers and Sarah of Cephalopod Yarns will be there alongside many, many other equally wonderful vendors.  If you're interested in attending... go to the Homespun Yarn Party blog for all of the details and lists of vendors. Hope to see you there!

 

Tribbles and Bon-Bons

     I have been ahead of schedule this week! Ever since we created the drum carding station in the Morning Room I have been able to get a lot more done. Which makes me happy, the kids happy and best of all-- my husband happy. And, in my opinion, when you're happy it really shows in the things you do. So for a good portion of my week I created new Bon-Bons for the shop. 

All of the happiest, fun, and bright colors I could think to use went into making them. I smile every time I look at them. And then, I have to touch them. Because who could resist these lil guys?!

     I posted a sneak peek of them on Instagram yesterday and got so many sweet comments and lots of positive feedback. My favorite comment was from Kristin of the Yarngasm Video Podcast, "Woah! Fibery Tribbles!!". Which is right on target. They're cute, fluffy and multiplied at an astounding rate! So this group of  Bon-Bons are called Fibery Tribbles and will be listed in the shop for tonight's mini update. Which may go up sooner rather than later. Like, this afternoon! =D

Happy Spinning!

Kate

We Have a Winner!

     Over the weekend I held a giveaway in celebration of St.Patrick's Day. The prize was a brand new set of Dyer Mashup! punis, a bottle of Julep nail polish and a 15% off coupon.

And I am happy to announce our winner... 

Elizabeth! 

     It just so happens that she is also from Maryland and a friend of mine. She is super sweet and one heck of a knitter and spinner. You can catch Elizabeth talking about knitting, spinning and her life over on her blog Just Add Fiber. Thanks again Elizabeth and I can't wait for you to play with your goodies!

     This week will have our usual updates; a mini update on Wednesday and a regular update on Friday. I've decided to have the set time for the updates be 10:00PM EST. I find that this works best for our family dynamic and gives me enough time to get everything finalized to go live.
   

    In other fun news, yesterday my husband and I put together a drum carding station in our Morning Room (aka dining room/kid computer area/arts & crafts area). 

     This way I can still watch the kids and romp around in the fiber. Though we will be changing out the tables next weekend. But, you get the idea. =D And after this coming Sunday I will have two drum carders to play with. A very sweet friend/fellow fan of Dragonfly Fibers will be selling me his Louet Jr. drum carder. So lots of fun to come from the carding station(s).

     Just an FYI, next month I will have another giveaway-- so let me know what you would like to see. Handspun? Batts? Punis Samplers? Comment below or shoot me an email. I'd really love to hear your thoughts.

Happy Spinning!
Kate





   

St. Patrick's Day Giveaway!

     My all-time favorite holiday of the year is St.Patrick's Day! Everyone Irish or non-Irish wears something green, maybe puts on some Irish music and if they're of age drinks a pint of Guinness to celebrate. So with the start of tonight's update I will be having a giveaway in honor of St.Patrick's Day running through the entire weekend. 

The prize pack will consist of the following:

1 St.Patrick's Day themed Dyer Mashups! Punis (1oz) 

1 bottle of Julep nail polish in Leah

1 coupon good for 15% off your next order

The details:

     For a chance to win, place an order starting Friday 3/15/13 through Sunday 3/17/13 (ending at 11:59pm). Once your order is placed, you will be given a number (ex. if you're the first to place an order, you will be given #1, etc.) and entered for the giveaway. On Monday 3/18/13 I will draw a winner using a random number generator and then announce the winner on the blog. The winner will receive their prize pack with their order and are not required to pay additional shipping. This giveaway is only open to residents in the US and Canada. Total value of prize pack is $27.00 US. 

And as added incentive here is a sneak peek at some of what will be going up in tonight's update!

     The debut of my drum carded batts! These are "Sparkle Batts" and they are a mix of smooth, moderately textured fibers and angelina. Also, I will be listing some "Art Batts" for those of you that like your yarn funky and highly textured. The update will go live by 10PM EST tonight. So, stop by the shop for your chance to win the awesome St.Patrick's Day prize pack!

Erin Go Bragh!

Kate

     

3/13 Mini-Update!

Last night (very late) the weekday mini-update went live. 

Within the update is the debut of a new line of repeatable colorways!

     "Dyer Mashups!" are a set of hand carded punis/puni-style rolags made from two different repeatable colorways from two different indie dyers. When I hand card these dyers' colorways and fibers it truly becomes something fun and unique for you to spin up.

I am pleased to announce the dyers collaborating with me in this project are:

Kate from Dragonfly Fibers and Sarah of Cephalopod Yarns

     I am constantly inspired by the beautiful colorways that come out of their dye pots. So it was only a matter of time before I put my local Maryland dyers' fibers together to create a new perspective on what they do. If you love the individual colorways before I put them together I urge you to visit their websites.

     Over the next few weeks I will be updating the shop with more Mashups and repeatable punis. I had planned to also debut some of the drumcarded batts I have been working on. But, I will be saving them for tomorrow's update. Also, for the update tomorrow I will have a St.Patrick's Day themed giveaway to tell you all about! So stop by the shop and check back in with me here on the blog tomorrow for those details and the update.

Happy Spinning!
Kate

Spinning Wheel Troubles and Updates

     This past Sunday I had moved my spinning wheel into my office. I was planning to snap some action shots of my wheel for the blog. Sadly however, when I looked at the base of my spinning wheel I noticed a crack in the wood. And then another crack. And then finally a third hairline crack. I was devastated. It wasn't something that would break or ruin my wheel. But it was the beginning of something I just didn't want to ever experience.

     Now, mind you I've had my Majacraft Pioneer spinning wheel since September 2010 and before that an Ashford Traveler since February 2009. I am no stranger to small fixes for the wood or the general maintenance of a wheel. But I've never had so many cracks in one spot, just appear out of nowhere. And then it hit me. Henry had been playing on my wheel last week and had knocked it over. Before that I had traveled with it. The mix of those two events plus the dry winter air in our home could all be the culprit.

     Either way. I had to fix it -- and it was simple. Lucky for me the weather was warm with a good breeze on Sunday. So I was able to take my wheel outside, give it a good scrubbing, sand it down, apply wood glue to the crack, let that dry, sand again and then polish it with some wax. And voila! My wheel is fixed and squeaky clean.

     After all that, I still couldn't spin on my wheel until Monday. So I didn't get to spin any punis or fiber into handspun over the weekend. But, that is okay. I ended up doing some basic "restocking" of the goodies for the shop packages. Like making these fun pom-poms and finishing the coupons for those that buy punis samplers. It was a productive weekend, just not quite as productive as I had hoped.

     This week there will be a mini-update on Wednesday and then a regular update on Friday. Since I like doing more than one update per week ( if I can manage it ) the official update schedule will be exactly like this weeks'! So every Wednesday there will be a mini-update and on Friday, a regular update. I feel this makes it easier for people to know when the updates are happening and have more options for what day they can look for new items in the shop. 

     Also, have you noticed some changes to the shop?! When Etsy & Virb announced a partnership for shop owners to create professional shop websites we jumped on it. My husband is very talented with this sort of thing ( it is basically what he does for a living ) and took over the design and implementation of the new website. And I just love it. He is doing a few tweaks here and there. But, overall I am pleased as punch with what Virb offers and what my husband has created. With that, we have a new web address www.gourmetstash.com and you can shop directly from it through etsy. I hope you all enjoy the new website and stop by for the updates this week. 

Take Care & Happy Spinning!

Kate

Great Fun & News!

     First of all, I'd just like to thank those of you that visited my Etsy shop and blog over the weekend. I am very humbled by the positive response to my business. It shows me that not only do you all like what I am doing, but that you want me to keep doing it. So, again Thank You for your support.

      Today was my first day of shipping, and it went very smoothly with no hiccups. Though, it was very windy so the smaller packages were put in the mailbox. My mailman loved my huge basket for picking up packages. He said it was so much easier on his back to lift the basket vs. bending down and stooping to grab the packages. I am glad it was windy, otherwise I wouldn't have thought to put the basket out!

     Speaking of packages, for those of you getting packages in the mail, I have a surprise for you! If you email me a picture of your punis spun up into finished yarn, I will email you a coupon code good for 20% off your next order! Just make sure you include your name, and what colorway you spun up. If I like your photo I may even ask if I can post it here on the Gourmet Stash blog.

     As you may remember in my last post I mentioned that I was attending the Dragonfly Fibers Sit n Knit. It was great fun, but before the Sit n Knit, I drove down early to Ms.Kate of Dragonfly Fibers house to peruse her fiber destash and to borrow her drum carder. (I set up the drum carder in my craft room today and it is so. much. fun!)
   
     After romping around in Kate's fiber, I went to the Sit n Knit at her studio down in Kensington, MD. There were a lot of people that came and lots of great conversations happening. While I was there, I did an impromptu puni and spinning demo for my friend Elizabeth ( and anyone else the was interested ). I enjoyed sharing a new way to prep fiber and spin with my friends old and new. Next time I will probably bring one crafty project with me. Bringing my wheel, fiber, handcarders, and some knitting was a lot of stuff to carry in and out of the space. =D

      Also, when I was at the Studio I picked up a small wholesale order from Kate. It is always tough to pick from her different fibers and colorways. But, I eventually narrowed it down. Here is a peek at what I got for my shop...

Sea Monster Roving in "West with the Night"

Polwarth Silk in "Save the Ta-Ta's"

Sea Monster Roving in "Van Gogh's Sunflowers"

     Is it just me or would Van Gogh and West make a good color combo? Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear feedback on what colors and fibers interest you. Also, if you would like a larger order of repeatable punis please convo me on Etsy or email me (gourmetstash@gmail.com). I am able to place wholesale orders with Dragonfly Fibers, though it will require some lead time for both of our shops. Also, I will be updating the shop this Wednesday March 6th with some one-of-a-kind punis, repeatable punis and batts! Hope you stop by the shop and check it out. 

Happy Spinning!

Kate

Open For Business!

     Yep, that is right folks. We are open for business and I am so excited to be officially out there selling my wares. For this weekend to celebrate our grand re-opening, I have a coupon code good for 15% off in my shop. The code is "nowopen4business" and is valid from today through Sunday night at midnight EST. So hurry on over and snatch up a Punis Sampler or some handspun! I will be adding to the shop on an adhock basis over the weekend. So find me on instagram ( katydidknits ) and you will get updates when I post new products in the shop. Which means, first dibs!

     There are so many amazing things I can't wait to share with you all. Like drum carded batts, and being able to partner with other fiber artists in my local community. There is plenty more to come into the shop over the next few days, weeks and months. Hopefully I will be able to sell at a few festivals this year. That would be a wonderful experience for me.

     Also, with every order you place, aside from a lovely handwritten thank you note on stationary, you will get a lil freebie. The freebie could be stitch markers, a homemade pom pom, tea, candy, buttons or a total surprise. Maybe unknowingly you became the 25th order or the 50th order! Either way, I am really looking forward to surprising you all with the goodies included in your packages.

     And can I just say how much I love weighing, wrapping and adding those little touches to packages?! It is one of the best parts of my job.

     Every listing gets wrapped in tissue paper then placed into a zip-top bag for protection from the elements. As you can I use fun stickers to seal the tissue paper, and included in these first orders I grabbed from my personal pom-pom stash for the freebie. These particular pom-poms are made from some of my own handspun. Which just so happens to be some of my favorite handspun of all time! My Nana once told me it was a sin to cut up yarn, until she said that pom-poms are exempt. Because who could ever frown at cute and perky pom-pom!?

     I do hope you all stop by the shop this weekend and catch a "sporadic" update. Though, on Sunday March 3rd 2013 I will be attending the Dragonfly Fibers Studio Sit n Knit in Kensington MD. So I probably won't be updating much throughout the day. If you are in the area or nearby, come on out to Kate's ( yes, she and I have the same name! ) studio and hang with us all. There is a new Dragonfly Fibers KAL on Ravelry starting soon so this is the perfect time to pick your DFF colors for the KAL. You can find more info about the KAL and Kate's studio in the Dragonfly Fibers group on Ravelry.

Happy Spinning, Knitting and Crocheting!
Kate