2009 PERSPECTIVE

Yes, I know, this was a whole two and a half weeks ago. For shame! Well, the following weekend I had a three day show in Kirtland, and just this past weekend I flew to Wisconsin with my family to visit my grandparents for the 4th of July and their… drum roll please… 60th Anniversary! Have been busy. Just no way around that. But I’m talking fiber. So I know y’all will forgive me. Plus, there will be the yarn, the silks, the everything else that you saw listed in my shops in the next two weeks. So, settle in. It’s kind of a long post.

A candid shot of a shopowner at Knitters Connection. By my little girl!

Frontier Fiber Mill

You know how you love something and love to talk about that something, to the point where folks who don’t give two whits about that something eyes’ glaze over when you talk about it? Yeah.  That didn’t happen here. I love yarn. I love dyeing yarn. I love knitting yarn. I love fondling, ogling, and thinking about yarn. And roving, too.  And nigh on everyone there at Knitters Connection was. Exactly. Like. Me.

My booth! There's yarn there. I swear.

Ahh, there's the yarn. 150 skeins is NOT. MUCH. Plus, Jeremy and Leon. Well, Leon's head.

I can only review the vendors, the people, and the two marketplaces. In short, amazing. Next year, I’d sure like to finagle a way to take classes as well as be a vendor there again. Sure, there were a few things I didn’t like as a vendor (being in the far away marketplace, it was cold, and the lighting was terrible), but aside from that, in short, again, amazing.

Ellen & Bonnie of Stitch Sisterz. I'm still not sure they like yarn. Much.

Shelbridge Farms - lovely, lovely things.

ColoraturaYarns.com / HandPaintedKnittingYarns.com- these guys were fantastic. The overtired daughter had them nervous, but they were so kind. I, of course, purchased some yarn from them. Lovely dyed wool with metallic accents for some felted cuffs. Wait and see!

I was next to Bonnie and Ellen of the Stitch Sisterz, who are just two cards in a wild deck. They shared a large booth with Rita of Castle Fibers and her fabulous helper friend, whose name, forgive me, I forget. Many other amazing vendors, instructors, students, crocheters, knitters… it was a steady and fantastic stream of people!

Colortura Yarns and their gorgeous, giant, mixed fiber/same hue skeins.

Dusty Vintage’s amazing vintage button selection.No website, but you can email her for her show schedule.

Jennie The Potter’s buttons, plates, all things beauiful.

Ivy Bramble and their patterns, and Jerry - who I chatted with about his to dye (hehe) for sheep tees which he’ll try to get in a v-neck and child sizes; my kiddo, she does love the sheep. Smart gal.

Judy Pascale, an instructor at KC ‘09 and lively woman who purchased some of my dyed silks for her demonstration class. Hint: I would be beyond thrilled for a photo or update - bet the silks did not run, as promised <giant grin>.

Shirley Tinsdale - a woman who spins and dyes specialty and rare yarns… because. Best reason ever, right!

Glory-ous Knits and Gifts whose notions were so fun - especially their Culinary Colors dye kits.

Kathy and her husband Randy of Wise Man Woolens whose farm in Jackson, Ohio I cannot wait to go and visit!  They’re local to me, amazing people, love their animals - what better place could I ask to find for fiber to dye?

Bonnie’s Kozy Knit’s booth - alas, I can’t remember the name of the son, but he was a sweetheart and learning to knit at KC!

I also met two Columbus fiber addicts - one knits, one crochets. Yep, Leon and Jeremy, I’m talking about you. And giggling incessantly while I do so. Amazing guys I’ll never forget, they’re even Browncoats through and through.

My daughter with the camera - catching the gentleman from ColoraturaYarns.com. He was having a good time. Swear.

Oh the fun the daughter had!

Gorgeous beadwork shown by a shop I can't remember . The horror, I know.

For me personally, it was a little stressful. I have only about 150 skeins of dyed yarn, and about twenty 4oz peices of roving thus far - it was a debut of sorts. I’m only one person who works from her garage and is just simply in love with color.  I’m so incredibly pleased that folks were interested in my colorways, my ideas, my babies, as it were!

Jennie The Potter. Beautiful is all I can say.

The pattern I purchased from Ivy Brambles for my daughter. She totally picked it out. So I had to buy some cotton yarn from the Stitch Sisterz to make it with. Naturally.

In financial terms, I did not do as well as I would have liked - I know part of that was my selection, my display, my newness, but what I didn’t make in sales, I more than made up for in learning.  It was a joy to talk to shop owners, dyers, knitters, spinners and hear what people liked, what strikes them, how they dye, why they dye, why they sell yarn if they do not dye, how I could be better, how they were taking ideas from me (oh the pleasure in that I won’t deny!).  There is no price tag on those discussions.

A pattern from Ivy Brambles I will own. Soon. Very soon.

Ivy Brambles' lovely yarns - and awful cute sheep tees - which I requested in child sizes. Hee!

I also got to meet and speak with Joe of SWTC yarns; all y’all on Ravelry know of whom I speak! That man is a traveling fiber pimp!  Not only was he personable, he talks the fiber talk, and he doesn’t try to sell his products, he proves his products.  Three of SWTC yarns will be on my coming-soon list of standard yarns I will be dyeing.  And though I don’t sell anything that isn’t made by hand, folks need knitting needles for sure. Else I’m not a knitter.  Joe also introduced me and sold me on Hiya Hiya needles - hollow stainless steel that are as light as air. It was love at first stitch.  I’ll be selling those also, with pleasure.

The button seller, Dusty's Vintage, wow. That's all I can say. I'm actually going to stalk her at her next local show so I can peruse without the child in tow. It'll be worth it. Promise.

Child, please don't take pictures of mama. Love, mama.

And, of course, I bought yarn. And traded for some of Castle Fiber’s fibers (heh).

Rita (on the far left) and a poor shot of her lovely dyed Castle Fiber yarns.

My purchases at KC. Didn't seem like that much.

What I purchased is above. Doesn’t seem like that much, but it’s also more than I thought! There was so much more to have purchased. Really.

Top Row:

• 2 balls Crystal Palace Mini Mochi and 6 balls of an Italian cotton/bamboo/rayon yarn, “Vienna”, in a deep navy with a distinct shimmer to it from Bonnie’s Kozy Knit.
• Seven fluffballs of gorgeous roving from Castle Fiber.

Bottom Row:

• Debbie Bliss (delish!) Pure Cotton yarn - 4 balls in a dusky navy, and 4 balls in yellow for the daughter’s top - see said pattern from Ivy Brambles there under it.
• A partial ball of Toffuti yarn from SWTC’s Joe (shared it with Ez of Emerald Isla Yarns, a beautiful friend of mine).
• The ball with the needles in it is my yarn (Storm Sky, just so ya know), but the needles are hollow stainless Hiya Hiya’s. Which I love.
• Then a gorgeous earthy dyed hank of wool from Hand Painted Knitting / Coloratura Yarns that has these pretty metallic flecks in it.

I will be doing this again next year, all things willing. I am happy to have pleased those who bought my hand painted yarns, I am happy to have purchased some beauties for myself, and I have memories to last until I stop knitting. Which you all know, is like, never.

So, stay tuned, in about 24 hours I”ll have another post for Ohio Farmpark’s Woolfest. Tell you one thing in advance, that place was incredible.

Yes, internet moms, I know blogging is meant to be done in a timely fashion, to inform prior to an event, not the day before (which, imo, is prior), or, in this case, the night before.  However, that is the case today.  Tomorrow, Friday, at noon, we leave for:

It’s at the Lake Metroparks Farmpark and I can’t wait!  True, I’m burnt out (if I ever say, hey, here are three great events to do.. all in the same month so lemme sign up, shoot me), but how could I not be excited about being at a fiber festival when what I love is fiber.  I mean, I love color and I love jewelry, but fiber has always fascinated me. Knitters Connection was amazing; being able to talk, at length (sorry to my customers, eek!), without someone’s eyes glazing over, was fabulous.  I presume WoolFest will be no different.  I’ll have a full review post on Knitters Connection 2009 on Monday after this last, thank goodness, show.

I am a little bummed that I didn’t do a calendar check, but the trade off for missing Origins and ComFest is a balanced one.  If I have to miss those, it better be for fiber.

In any event, I better finish packing up, yes, even at 11:45.  It’s been raining, and my last instinct when it is raining is to do anything remotely necessary. Rain is meant to be enjoyed.  But, alas, the storm has nearly completely passed, so off to pack for three nights away with my family I go.  And to H and R - thanks for housesitting and watching the kitties. We all love ya for it. I’ll bring ya somethin’ purty to play with.

Keep dreaming, my friends, for without the dream, imagine our reality.

Wow. I can’t believe this is TOMORROW. I’m giddy, nervous, skeered, excited… And do I have everything ready? Gee, of course not. Not yet. So close, yet SO far away. Thankfully it’s a four day event, whatever I forget/don’t complete for tomorrow’s set up and preview, I’ll make darn sure I have ready for Thursday morning.

Dahara Dreaming’s FaceBook Events has this all set up, but here are the awesome details:

Columbus Convention Center
400 N. High Street
Columbus, Ohio

Hours:
Wednesday: 4 - 6pm
Thursday: 11am - 6pm
Friday: 11am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm

And since you’ll be looking for us (hehe), here’s what to look for - COLOR.  Sort of like this (our setup from last Saturday at Yellow Springs Street Fair) - main difference here is that there will be yarn. Lots. Of. Delicious. Yarn. It’ll be everywhere. All the products of Dahara Dreaming, Wildflower Skin Care, I Dye Yarn, KaeBrook Kreations and Angel Squares will also be there - Knitters Connection said to just bring everything. Gotta love that!

Shout out to the hubster too, our tent braces snapped. On three sides. With duct tape and extra bags of sand that poor baby stayed up the entire time. Thanks too, to Yellow Springs who told us just to leave the busted equipment for street cleanup.

So, Knitters Connection 2009 starts tomoorrow, yo!  I so hope to see y’all there, whether you knit, crochet, spin, or just want to see something new.

Oh - and side note, my harvest bag that I previewed in my prior post debuted at Yellow Springs — sold three of them. I am one proud pattern creator. Since each one is unique, here they are.

I must  be crazy because I’m seriously trying to churn out 4 more by Thursday. Crazy. Yep. And lovin it.

Keep dreaming, friends. It’s like hope, it’s eternal, it’s strength, and it’s beautiful.

Wow, that is tomorrow morning! I’m so excited! Sad thing is that my brother, who I believe reads this blog, asked me if I was going to be there tomorrow. I just thought, well, suck. I didn’t get the word out.  I’m lagging in my blog - though I do have it on FaceBook.  You can find me on Corey Street, next to the general store.  I’m the booth with tons and tons and tons of color.

There’ll be lots of new stuff - but as I’m inventorying right now, I can’t even photo to sneak peak ya. I know, I’d be bummed too.

Hmmm - I do have a photo or two of some things I’ve been working on. One sec…

Here’s first ever pattern design all by yours truly - the Harvest Bag. This is just the mock up, and is unpressed. Be gentle with her. She was through a lot.  Her progeny, though there are only five, will be at Yellow Springs with me.

I will have Wildflower Skin Care’s new Body/Rescue Balm - oh man is it ever amazing. The beeswax makes those awful dry/scaly spots feel all normal again.

My hand dyed ruanas (aka wraps) in cotton / bamboo velour - some with shibori stitching. Here’s one that I still have yet to finish the edges. Still cute as hella!  Like that picnic table in the background dontcha.

Bunches of other things, but more importantly, I need to get it all together to take with me. See ya there — and keep dreaming.

18 days, to be exact. Approximately 15 days too long away from the blog, in my opinion.

In that time - caught my second (and got over) a severe rib shuddering hacking sickness, pulled my back on mother’s day (plus to that was I got to sleep all day whilst on a heating pad), the dad got double knee replacement surgery (doing well, yes!!), got more yarn dyed up (which, by the way is not a good idea to do a few days after the back stops seizing. Trust me.), watched my husband work a grueling schedule, finished up a few more ruanas (a post coming on those), made some new jewelry, got a shipment of Far Far Away fabric (OMG. fabrics like this I really wish I didn’t take the time to prewash and iron), and worked out a play/work schedule with the kid so we’re both happy (I’m a stay at home mom who is working on home schooling… but the need and want to create is HUGE).

Been busy, to say the least but sort of isolated in that. Need to find more balance there as well. Until that happens, ha!,  I have three shows coming up in June!

Yellow Springs Street Fair 6/13/09; Yellow Springs, Ohio
Knitters Connection 6/17-6/20/09; Columbus, Ohio
WoolFest 6/27-6/29/09; Kirtland, Ohio

I’ve also got gobs more jewelry listed in my shop, and Wildflower Skin Care has a lovely beeswax based Body Rescue Balm listed (already using it, of course!), as well as some new essential oil soaps that are divine. Val, the woman who makes all of her own skin care deliciousness, is a genius at making healthy skin care products. Genius, I say!

I’ll have more to update, as well as tons of dyed silks and yarns to be added to the shop here in the next few days, but am still catching up on quite a bit… in the meantime, however, here’s a shot of some of the new pieces to be listed in the shop:

More photos of the new things (not jewelry, starting to get restless and need to do some massive sewing) coming. Until then, keep dreamin’ y’all!

p.s.: that was photographed on the backside of Heather Ross’s Green Unicorn, Far Far Away double gauze material. Having a hard time letting go of it long enough to wash it. It’s amazing.

Most often, I just have an attitude - whether it be grumpy, smarmy, happy, excited, angry, disappointed, thrilled, cheery. I bring it all with ‘tude.  Just ask my loved ones [insert mocking grimace and slight eye roll]. Anyway, I’m sitting here making jewelry and thinking, wow, I’m really, really grateful. For A Lot.

The past couple of days have been hard, with looming deadlines, migraine warning signals, a delicious child who won’t.stop.asking.questions. (I know, I know), and just not enough time in the day to finish all the things that need to be done. So I shall take some time to just be grateful. For stuff. And list it. Here. Randomly. (you’ll see).

My husband. Has begun to really start giving me the time to work on this business. He’s always been for it, but just these past two weekends has given me time to work, in a steady stream. Which has done wonders for me, my mothering, and my wifeing.

These measuring cups by Preserve. Brand new from Drugstore.com - I was missing the 1/4 cup in my old set… can’t fathom how that might of happened (hey little girl, why are you cooking crayons in my measuring cups?). Anywho… I’m grateful because they’re made from recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable. That’s the way to do it. And adding those to my cart got me a free goodie bag from Seventh Generation. And now I have a 1/4 cup measuring cup. Even though it’s not pictured. It was just used in tandem with the next item. Good thing.

This waffle maker from Eliza. I was borrowing my friend Julia’s, so I’m twofold grateful to Eliza. We have good waffles, I don’t have to bug Julia, and well, Eliza is just awesome.

My eight new colorways went from looking like tangled skeins to pretty wound balls.  And yes the photos are full of suck, I just wanted to show them off a bit.  When they’re all skeined up and in the shops, they’ll look tons better!

Moonlit Dusk    ////    Fiery Fall

Herb Garden    ////    Sunrise

Forest Moss    ////    Giggling Gnome (no photo of the wound ball I gave away for sample knitting)

Spring Breeze    ////    Pixie Dance

My friends Val, Heidi, Kim, Brandy, and Ez (who dyes her own amazing yarn!) who are knitting samples for me in trade for the remainder of the skein of yarn.  Because I am so thoroughly neurotic about knitting my own colorways. Perhaps terrified is more apt?! That what I envision in my head is not as beautiful as *I* think, you know!  I’ve got four samples in my hands that I’m staring lovingly at. I have 16 coming and I’m all itchy antsy about it.

I have my first show of the year this May 9th, Oddmall ~ Emporium of the Weird. Won’t be taking the oodles of yarn I’ve been dying - but will be able to take lots of the funky other things I’ve been working on. Y’all will see come next week!

These shoes from Land’s End. My first new shoes in years. They’re so freaking comfortable. And the green ones are like tennis shoe comfortable, but pretty. Which is something I haven’t had in a long while.

My daughter. Who even while this past week I have had to tell her I needed 5 minutes of No Questions Being Asked, and the resulting meltdown of not being able to ask said questions for five minutes, I love wholly.

My nephew E had his tonsils taken out today, and is doing well. I’m grateful that it was an “easy” operation and that he’s going to be the better for it.

My jewelry is looking awesome.

I have tons of fabric cut and ready for the serger and sewing machine.

Last but not least, thankfulness, for being grumpy. Because when ya come out of the funk, your perspective is just that much brighter and full.

Keep on dreaming y’all, it’s what keeps us alive.

Yep, got all the blank silk hankies, scarves, long underwear, as well as some silk/rayon velvet scarves and silk/wool scarves I had left over dyed yesterday and today.  I can’t stand waste so I use all the left over dye from the yarn. Well, not all the dye, but all that I could and not mix any new dye. It can be a challenge, but it’s fun and the outcome is beautiful.

Anyway, the purpose of today’s post - I’ve been reading tons on shibori - wrapping, tying, folding, rubber banding, stitching - there are endless ways of doing each that create infinite and gorgeous results.  Here are five I finished today - each one either had marbles tied into it, was folded in a specific way, or both.  I. love. this. stuff.

I got over my fear of trying new stuff and just went for it. I folded in ways that looked interesting. I rubber banded plastic spoons into some pieces (none here), I tied marbles in 1’s, 2’s, 3’s and 4’s - all with different effects. I shadow dyed, over dyed, over wrapped. And I can’t wait to do more. Oh Dharma Trading Co., how I love thee.

And, dh totally helped me out - I couldn’t stand the thought of throwing away saran wrap after dying a single skein of yarn, or a few silks, wrapping it up in the saran wrap, microwaving (to set the dye), and then tossing it.   So, he thought of a pretty neat re-usable solution - visqueen. 1mil and 2mil plastic sheeting. I’ve been able to reuse one package of the 1mil thus far to dye 40+ silks and 40 skeins of yarn.  Shout out to the dh.  I rinse, hang to dry, and reuse. Until there are too many holes to use it.

Until later, remember to wear gloves while dyeing and rinsing, or be prepared to be asked what you did to bruise the hell out of your hands. Tsk tsk tsk. I can’t fathom anyone forgetting to wear gloves.

I’m dyeing, I’m dyyyyyeeiiiinnnng!!

No, not death dying, but yarn dyeing. I dyed 40 skeins of yarn from Saturday to Monday - 5 skeins each in eight new colorways. They are amazing!  I have the next 6 already planned out for this Saturday, and I am excited.  Since I don’t really like to show off the yarn until it’s been re-skeined, here’s two of my “favorites” (because I really love them all, don’tcha know).  And I apologize beforehand for the shoddy photo quality, this is in my garage. In the shade. Where I dye. Thank goodness for warmer weather. For sure.

Moonlit Dusk

Pixie Dance

There is one colorway I can’t figure out a name for that I’ll be putting up for a naming contest once it’s reskeined.  As a prize, you’ll get one skein of it!  Details on that tomorrow.

Also, congrats to the three folks who were the first three to comment on my Pay It Forward blog post: Jenise, Mich, and Jen of Tula Pink — who my mom in a quite gleeful moment, gave up her spot as the third commentor so I could give the designer who gives us sewers such great fabric designs, a gift of her very own.  (oh the pressure!)  Thanks mom, you are incredibly sweet.  I’ll contact you three once I’ve gotten back from errands and playing with the little one today.

…live, after the photos.

Watch American Idol anyone? We do. Shamelessly.  Though we don’t vote. So perhaps we should stop watching it? I dunno. But I will give a quick shout out to Adam Lambert and Kris Allen. That’s all. Swear.

Anyway, here’s the grand, and I mean Grand with a capital G process of selecting winners.  Since my comments don’t have numbers (which I think I’d like to change, but we’ll see), I had this - over 30 entries!

And I must say, thank you all for commenting. There wasn’t a single bad idea in the bunch. At all.  My personal favorites were the nearly-exasperated “don’t over think it”. Because, that’s what I do. Constantly. Just ask my poor husband when I finish something and tell him the thought process and he just cocks his head and says, “well, it’s nice”.  Must be because he’s a computer guy.

Anyway, here’s the state-of-the-art random generator we used:

And, the winners:

Katie will receive the sterling earrings

Valerie will receive the merino/silk yarn

Julia will receive the hand dyed silk hankies.

If you don’t live in Columbus and I know where you live, drop me a note with your address at jen at daharadreaming dot com and I’ll get your package out first thing Monday morning.

Thank you all again! Should you come back, you’ll find content worthy of reading, even if you hate it.  For those it applies to, have a happy Easter weekend.

Now, I’m off to finish getting ready for my father’s Welcome Home Par-tay from Iraq. And as such, I leave you with this image, taken by my daughter:

Sharon G., you have a $5 gift certificate since my daughter insisted, quite insistently, that I pick out a winner too — as she picked out a name and held it out to me.  And since I had nothing else prepared, hope that’s alright. Said daughter also took the photograph. Not bad, eh?

Today is the last day for my Help Me Write a Blog Contest. So, here’s the obvious statement of the day - leave a comment!

And in relation to the blog, I was discussing the weirdness of blogging (in my mind) and found that it’s sharing the personal things and the things I take for granted (eating gluten free, buying in bulk, not being able to dye in the winter since my ’studio’ is my garage, why I work from home, etc. etc.) is what many folks are interested in. Who woulda thunk? Then duh, I realized my Google Reader list is filled with amazing artisans who don’t just jabber on about their stuff, but they talk about their life.

Good to know.

Here’s an insight into my life - and what makes me think of beauty, love, life, gratitude - the hubster and daughter at Hoover Dam:

And this - my two favorite people’s hands - my heart sings a bit when I see it:

And, a gratuitous pic from my artistic child. Amazing how incredibly frustrating she can be and yet amaze me every. single. day. Universe willing, there’ll be another two frusmazing (like that, eh) children in our lives to confound us and bring us joy:

How does she do it?

Comment so I can get some good old numbers pulled out of a hat and send out some prizes tomorrow!