This is the culmination of 4 years of hand spinning. All the experiments with both dyeing and spinning: locks, roving, all of it. All the hours put in to hone this skill. Some were hits, some were misses. I would say the majority are acceptable, if not pretty darn good for a gal who hated the drop spindle but decided to just to throw caution to the wind and buy her first wheel in 2012. I adore spinning. To hell with knitting. I will sit and spin all day any day. 😉
Now with two wheels (first my Lendrum and then my Spinolution wheel) I can work much more efficiently and that means the yarn stash has the potential to grow even bigger, faster. I didn’t do a lot of processing (skirting, washing, or dyeing) fleece last year. We seemed to be in a perpetual state of renovation. But that didn’t seem to stop me from combing, carding and spinning.
I laid all this out on the table the other day, and I was a bit disturbed at how big the yarn stash has grown. With all that time sitting and spinning I haven’t had, well, any time to knit or crochet or weave. It feels a bit stagnant to me, in the sense that – as much as I feel you can never have too much yarn, having these around is stunting my creativity and zest to try something new. There is literally too much choice right now.
One reason why I find it hard to let go is because spinning is such a cathartic process for me. It really is therapy – if not a spiritual experience. So the finished yarn carries a lot of those emotional qualities for me.
The other reason is that I look too critically at my work, and assume it is not good enough for anyone else to enjoy.
Excuses aside, it’s time to get these ready for listing and hopefully into some new homes (my handspun is probably the only thing I sell that I am not unhappy about if it doesn’t sell ;)). I have a few skeins drying now – some of these have been in storage so have become compacted and needed to be fluffed up and looking their best again. 🙂 I also have my pricing spreadsheets set up and shipping rates worked out. I just need to get photographing and listing. I’m not sure if that is all going to gel together by the end of this month – which is fast approaching. I was hoping to get a least a skein or two up this week but I guess you just can’t rush a good thing.
You will find the prices will be affordable if not downright rock bottom. These yarns have served their purpose as a teaching tool to hone my skills and I am happy to give away the time and possibly even partial cost of materials in order to make way for new skill building. The hardest ones to price will be my merino and alpaca yarns, since they were the most expensive of my fleeces to obtain. They are so soft and fluffy and – the hardest ones to part with. But I am all about intention and energy and my hope is that these yarns will make it into the hands of people who can appreciate all these qualities that come with them.
Then when I am done with all that, you see these two containers in my closet? The label on the top bin says: wholesale overflow. And that is exactly what this is. 13+ years of wholesale, clearance and closeout jewelry supplies. In my lifetime, I will never use all of this. So these materials will have to find a new home as well. Now, to clone myself several times in order to get all this done… 😉
Last month (and on my birthday no less) I picked up over a dozen bags of alpaca fleece – and I didn’t pay a cent for them. Above you see my trunk – filled to the brim.
the contents of just one bag
Mother’s Day is a holiday I don’t care much for, but for the majority of the afternoon the weather was nice to sit out on the deck off my studio and do some picking. I have been (im)patiently waiting for a day to go through some of this, not really knowing what condition the fleece would be in. It had been stored for sometime, in a shed – so somewhat exposed to the elements and critters.
Wonderfully shorn with not many second cuts
I only got through one bag before the fog rolled in, but boy, did I ever pick a great bag to start with! The fleece came out in all one piece – and you could picture how this laid on the animal. It is a beautiful butterscotch/cream color -probably my fave alpaca color. It’s shorn nicely with very few second cuts – and a low to moderate amount of VM (vegetable matter). Pretty much not at all dusty. It is also quite long stapled as shown in the picture below.
staple of the alpaca fleece
I separated this into two bags: one with the fleece with very little VM, and then a bag of seconds that has a ton of VM and is stained/discolored. The seconds batch I will do first: comb and card out the Vm and then most likely dye since the color is uneven. I will store the bag of “firsts” for now. i like to experiment with the lower quality first before diving into the good stuff. 🙂
I’m ready to start my second bag and it’s not so great as it has a ton of VM – but, it will still be nice fleece to work with, it just needs more elbow grease to remove the unwanted bits. I will chronicle the processing of this fleece as I go. BTW – this is the view from my studio – isn’t it breath taking? When the fog doesn’t roll in, that is…
click on the photo to read bb3.ca May 2016 newsletter
In the bb3.ca May 2016 newsletter, I recap the month’s new products including 2 new gold-filled necklaces and of course the most popular part: the giveaway! Since my house seems to be full of ladybugs this time of year, it’s for your choice of a sterling silver or gold-filled personalized ladybug necklace. 🙂
The cover picture this month is what fingers look like after polishing metal. I bench polish all sterling silver disks so that they have a bright finish. It also removes surface scratches. I am just starting to make the gold-filled versions of the jewelry and was really excited to try polishing the gold disks last month. It really helped buff out the edge of the disk where it has been punched out of sheet.
I’m still (re)introducing sterling silver products this month with a sneak peek of the gold-filled. The piece I was most anxious to make this month is the revamped “Wings” that bears my mother’s initials. I am happy to say that I am really satisfied with the end result. Other than that, I am (desperately?) trying to wrap up the jewelry prototypes so that I can get back to playing with fleece in my “spare” time. 😉 Read More…
APRIL NEWSLETTER
GIVEAWAY
This month the giveaway is for a 14kt gold-filled initial necklace with culinary grade pewter butterfly. If you have never tried gold-filled now is your chance. To enter fill out the form (link in newsletter below) before April 30th, 2016 11:59EDT. I’ll randomly draw for a winner after that. Open to all newsletter subscribers (subscribe at: bb3.ca/newsletter).
If you subscribe to my newsletter, you know that I have been revamping my work to sterling silver since mid-January. This month, I was honored to revamp the one piece that is most dear to me: a necklace that I developed bearing my mother’s monogram. I called it “Wings” and it is a memorial necklace.
I stumbled upon the original design quite by accident, playing around with charms and engraving blanks- and I really liked the 2 angel wings together. It was as if they were hugging the disk in protection. At the time most pieces I had seen with angel wings only had one wing – or were a completely different design altogether. I knew I stumbled upon something I was really feeling, but with the current fonts I had it simply did not seem “finished”. Wings was benched for awhile – until I purchased an interlocking monogram set.
New re-vamped “wings” – with sterling silver (cast) wings, chain and disk
The original design was made out of silver plated components and when I finally offered it up to sell the original price I listed them at was $17 – because I still felt weird selling a remembrance piece. It seemed really wrong as it was a memorial necklace for my mother. But over the years I have heard the stories that go along with the necklace: loss of children, mothers and fathers. Friends and relatives. I was beginning to feel part of one’s healing process, and that in turn was very healing for me.
I’ve been “test driving” the new design and really like it. It’s smaller in design compared to the original, and I am finding the older I get, the more I like to either have a very subtle piece – or the option to layer with other jewelry. And although the price is significantly higher than the silver plated “Wings” (double the $23 price the original had been currently selling for) you really can’t argue with quality. Most of the cost incurred is due to the fact that these are cast wings. Unlike the culinary grade pewter charms I tend to use, these wings are completely sterling silver, making the cost significantly higher. Unlike the silver plated option, there is no fingers crossed that the item will not tarnish to ruin: you can polish the sterling silver version again and again.
Switching this piece in particular to sterling silver means it will stand up to the elements and I know I will cherish my piece for years to come.
If you loved the original “Wings” piece don’t despair: it will be coming back as a keychain/bag charm & a metal bookmark. I had a purchase for a rear-view mirror charm once, and I love that idea. That is a possible development as well. For those of you who love gold, I have not had any luck finding 14kt gold-filled wings yet that I like. But I do have the engraving blanks ready to go, for when the time comes.
More info on this popular material commonly used in handmade jewelry
Update: since writing this post originally, I am finding I’m selling more gold-filled necklaces these days. In fact, it is out-pacing sterling silver in some of my offerings. This is only good news: that more and more people are truly understanding what gold-filled is, and the benefit of purchasing jewelry pieces constructed with this material. With inflation soaring, I suspect gold-filled will continue to increase in popularity.
gold-filled letter necklacegold filled flower engraved necklaceEngraved Celtic Knot NecklaceGold-filled allows jewelry makers like me to offer a quality product that doesn’t tarnish like 14kt gold but at a fraction of the price
I’ve been using gold-filled components for many years now, and I don’t find it to be as popular as sterling silver for my products. I think the reason is many people don’t know or understand what gold-filled is, and why it is priced higher than sterling silver.
Not to be mistaken for gold-plated
So just what is gold-filled? The easiest way to describe it, is layers of brass and gold sandwiched together. These layers are bonded (clad) together with extreme heat and pressure. There is two or three layers within this sandwich. The result is a very durable product that has all the benefits of karat gold without the hefty price tag. The top gold layer does not chip or flake like gold plated items which has a minuscule amount of gold covering. Gold-filled is very popular with jewelry makers like me because it is affordable and easy to obtain. You can expect gold-filled to not tarnish just like a gold wedding band.
Legally gold-filled must contain 5% – or 1/20 gold by weight. If you compare with a gold plated item – which has 0.05% or less gold in the plating – you clearly see the value: 5% vs. 0.05%. Gold-filled products can be purchased in 10 karat, 12 karat or 14 karat gold. I purchase 14kt gold-filled disks and chain for my engraving. You will often see it listed in the industry as 14/20 gold-filled. I put 14kt gold-filled in my listings as karats are more recognizable to the general public.
I have had requests for “pure” gold items, and this may still be an option in the future. I priced one of my necklaces out with 14kt gold components, and the supply price alone was approaching $100 CAD. That is a steep investment for little ol’me. 🙂 It is not out of the question, just out of my reach currently.
It’s March and I’m pretty excited, as it was a productive February & spring is just around the corner. I’m happy to present to you more revamped goodies. I’ve been watching spinning videos again just to get back in the game: I’ve been so focused on the sterling silver jewelry that I inadvertently took a spinning hiatus. This is surprising since I tend to spin every single day. The goal is to have skeins of yarn up for sale again over the next few months. I want to go through what I have, and rewash/set them just to get a good feel for what I think is worth selling (and what I can let go of… ;)).
New items means lots of choice for this month’s giveaway. Read More…
I should clarify: why I switched to sterling silver for my engraved necklaces. For now I will still be offering bracelets in silver plate and cord, and the engraved stitch markers will remain silver or gold plate (but I’ll certainly take requests for sterling silver versions ;)). As far as my most popular items – which are my necklaces – we’re going sterling silver all the way. 🙂
Time for Change
Back in mid-January it hit me: it was time for a radical change. I was slogging through my list of sterling silver requests. The list of, “if you ever do a sterling silver version, let me know…” and I was feeling both overwhelmed and under-whelmed. There is no fun remaking something that you already make, and happen to make a decent amount of. Quite frankly, I was bored. Normally I combat boredom by developing something new. But by necessity I was pushing myself to do sterling silver versions of certain designs. People asked for them a year agoand I had to make it happen. It was the key to shaking this stale feeling, the unmotivated feeling that has been creeping up over time. I was going through the motions, with something that I am passionate and love to do.
A-H engraved stitch markers have gotten an updated look but will remain silver plated
To throw another wrench into it, I think too much. I over think everything. One reason why sterling silver versions had not yet been completed, is because I over analyze and essentially talk myself out of it. It seems too complicated. So finally one afternoon I asked myself, what do I find the most complicated about it? And the answer was juggling all the options. Having a silver plated option, vs. a sterling silver option. Then add to it a gold plated option vs. a gold-filled option. That’s up to 4 options for one necklace design. The answer was to upgrade everything to sterling silver, and concentrate on 14kt gold-filled later.
What? Discontinue successful products? Why in the world would I do that? But this time instead of thinking it over (and over) I just did it. Like, when you have a really stuck band-aid. Just rip it off really fast, rather than peeling it slowly and feeling every single tug on the skin. This is the analogy of my entire life. Otherwise, I would never make a decision!
Culinary grade pewter teddy bear (I love the detail in this little guy!) on a personalized sterling silver necklace
You know what? The decision has been just what I needed. By discontinuing many products I was able to see more clearly what needed to be done, instead of feeling overwhelmed with too many products, too many options, and too many what-ifs. I got so much done in a week. Many prototypes were completed, and photographs taken. The pictures were okay – but they were good enough to get the items relisted and presented for the February newsletter (I have since re-taken the product photos and my photography skills aren’t the strongest, but the final set of photos has the energy and vibe I want to convey). I have that excitement again: the sweaty palm, bubbling from the pit of my stomach feeling that I get when I create something wonderful.
Value
A few years ago (okay, maybe a tad more than a few) I would never dream to use plated items or base metal for my jewelry. That’s because sterling silver was so. cheap. I used to do all my prototypes in sterling silver – I considered it scrap metal! When I purchased my manual engraver and started teaching myself engraving, I had bought some silver plated blanks for practice. The price of silver soared, and the landscape of selling handmade online totally changed. All of a sudden, everyone was selling something they made on the internet. Plus, there were mass-produced companies popping up everywhere that needed individuals to sell their products, often times masquerading as handmade. And the prices were all. over. the. place. On top of it all, many people were struggling financially so there was no room for life’s extras. I had to look at where I could cut cost, and the best way to do it was in the supply cost. My cost: AKA my time and expertise was already as low as I could go.
How cute is this little pewter turtle paired with the sterling silver engraving blank
I rarely get complaints on my silver plated and gold plated items. I think most people understand that plated items are a crap shoot since there is no guarantee the level of tarnish or when tarnish will happen – everybody’s body chemistry is different. And the pieces were priced accordingly. It was certainly affordable. But even one disappointed customer is a disappointment to me, especially when you consider most of the purchases are as gifts and have stories attached to them. Many people are hurting and grieving, or have overcome a hardship that they want to honor. The silver plated items were intended to be a gesture – I never dreamed that people would become so attached to their necklace, that they would wear it often, even to the point of not taking it off.
Sterling silver does not always agree with everyone’s body chemistry, I do know a few individuals who can’t wear it at all. But for the majority of people the main issue with sterling silver is tarnish. Luckily, tarnish can be removed via a polishing cloth or even with hot water, tin foil and baking soda. Offering products in sterling silver gives me piece of mind that they will stand up to much love and wear.
Keeping it affordable
The biggest issue with offering sterling silver is to how to keep it affordable. I design with the philosophy that everyone deserves a nice product that they can be proud of. Silver has stabled in price, so it makes it more attainable. I buy in bulk: wholesale lots. So I have to make sure I have the funds to front the cost of large orders. It is the only way I can offer my work at the prices I do. That, and I donate a lot of my time. A lot. That’s the truth. Being the sole designer, sales person, marketer, photographer, copywriter, graphic designer, web designer (with help from my developer husband), and accountant means I really should be tripling or even quadrupling my cost (a topic for another day…).
Knowing where my supplies come from
I buy my sterling silver engraving disks from US suppliers. The disks are made in the USA and one supplier in particular smelts scrap metal to make their sterling silver sheet (disks are cut from sheet). The culinary grade pewter charms are made in the USA. The sterling silver cast charms are European or US made. The older I get, and the more informed I get, the more I would prefer to buy as close to home as possible. Plus, I have an established relationship with these suppliers. I can trust them.
Sterling silver engraving disks and culinary grade pewter charms: Made in the USA
An over-all product I can be proud of
I am confident with my skills and abilities. Am I perfect? No. Do I make mistakes? Of course. I am happy to fix and honor them. It happens. But I have no control over supplies that are simply not up to par. I am at a different place in my life. My philosophy has always been, would I wear it? And these days I don’t wear many of the items I originally developed. So after it is all said and done, this is the crux of change for me.
bb3 is still a project: I hesitate to call it a business as I just don’t have the time or resources to hire or grow it. It is a labour of love born out of the belief that we truly can get back to basics, express ourselves, be creative – and support local and small industries. It’s my reflection of where we are as a society – where mass produced, non-personal, bought without a thought does not always equate to better. It’s about spreading a little joy, a little positivity, a little healing, one item at a time.
This month’s newsletter is jam packed with new products, and the giveaway is for a sterling silver necklace. Read all about it here.
I think the most exciting news is the revamp of products in sterling silver as well as 14kt gold-filled…and yarn…coming soon. I have so much to do but I am really excited to do it. If you are a subscriber and have entered the giveaway, good luck! And if you are not yet but would like to enter, register here first. Entries will be taken until Feb 29th, 2016 and all non-newsletter subscribers will be disqualified.
It’s been 2016 for 3 weeks and now that I feel like I have a good foothold into the year I have set my creative goals. I’m not big on resolutions: they always seem to be unattainable and are easily forgotten/broken. But giving myself a list of goals always keeps me excited to continue learning and growing, and always gives me a place to start from when I feel like I am unproductively spinning in a circle.
I can’t say enough about how important creative projects are to me. They have not enhanced my life: they have saved my life. They gave me a place to focus nervous energy and stress after a day at work, and eventually gave me a place to focus my sadness and anxiety when these emotions overcame me and left me unemployed. They allowed me to turn negative emotions into something beautiful and tangible, and much to my surprise, that others wanted to share in as well. Not every day was motivating, but with some perseverance creating made me feel that my existence was just as important as everyone else. It was a way to express myself when words could not properly articulate my feelings. I believe that in our hectic world of work and schedules (even the “fun” stuff is scheduled!) we all need creative balance; creative voice; creative outlet.
Whether you are looking to advance your skill level or add a creative project to your life a simple list is all that is needed to get started and get motivated. You need not make a fancy vision board – unless you want to. Pinterest is a great way to visually plan your projects and it can always be with you via your smart phone. Let’s face it, they are handy little gadgets – they need not consume your everyday life – use them to your advantage. You will not find me spending much time on social networks. But you will catch me checking my phone often as I work on a new knitting pattern I downloaded or do a web search for some creative inspiration.
My finger after teaching myself how to needle felt: whoops!
Getting Started
Like most things, getting started is the hardest part. I started creating because a therapist told me to 16 years ago. So I just started exploring. In my school days I loved to write. So I bought a nice book and starting writing poems, and did a bit of journaling. But I found this to be a bit intense for me, so I turned to making goods instead. First it was making books that I could write my thoughts in. We’re not talking anything complicated here. A hole punch, some ribbon, and some pretty paper. Eventually this lead to playing around with clay, to making beads with clay, to jewelry making. I forced myself to set some time aside at least once a week to explore what I enjoyed doing.
Jewelry making: my longest – and most successful – hobby, enjoyed even outdoors
You don’t have to spend too much money
One of the common excuses we tell ourselves as that we don’t have the extra income to purchase supplies necessary to be creative. We walk into a craft store and are overwhelmed by all the options available. The price tag can climb high if we are not careful, but it doesn’t have to. Thrift stores are great places to find skeins of yarn for only a dollar or two. I am constantly finding unused skeins at my local second hand store. Costume jewelry from thrift stores or rummage sales can be dismantled for jewelry components. I have picked up some great beads for as little as a quarter by buying costume jewelry at a flea market. I’ve also expressed to family & friends creative items I would like to have for my birthday: a coloring book, a how to book, a nice set of pencils or markers, a tool…
Thrift store find: all this for under $50
Building on a skill
If you already have a creative skill under your belt but want to expand on your knowledge, You Tube is a great place to start. This is where I am now. At the tail end of last year I taught myself how to magic loop knit by watching You Tube videos. This gave me the confidence to say that this is the year that I would teach myself how to knit cables.
St. Blaise combs: one of my favorite tools
Don’t be hard on yourself
If you don’t do every goal on your list, or you feel unsuccessful, be proud that you took the time to attempt it. You made some time for you, and that is what matters. Tomorrow is a new day. If you decide a particular hobby is just not for you, swap your items with a friend for a project they have not had the chance to do. It’s okay to change your mind. Just be open to change, and be open to exploring the untapped talents we all possess.
Click the above image to read the January 2016 Newsletter
Read the January 2016 Newsletter to find out the winner of the sterling silver necklace from last month. As well as what’s new, I’m launching a monthly gift with purchase and blog reader’s discount. Read all about it above. I wish you all a creative 2016 and thanks for your continued support!
In 2016 I’m kicking off monthly promos for blog readers rather than one static discount for the year. This month receive 15% off your entire order at bb3.ca – even on sale items. That means on an item that is 30% off you will receive an additional 15 – for a total of 45% off. many items in the clearance section are at or below cost.
Simply use the January coupon code: BLOGJAN15 at checkout. Discount good until end of day January 31st, 2016.
One of the most popular requests I had in 2015 is to offer my engraved charms on a bracelet. I found these cord bracelets in several different colors and they make a nice affordable option. I am currently carrying the cord bracelets in 5 different colors. I may add more colors in the future depending on popularity of this option. Browse the new designs below:
International Breastfeeding Symbol on Cord Bracelet
International Babywearing Symbol on cord bracelet
Symbol of the International Child on cord bracelet
Puzzle piece for Autism Awareness with initial charm on cord bracelet
Personalized charm with cross charm on cord bracelet
Four other colors of cord available
More bracelet designs coming this year in different styles, including chain. If you see a necklace on the website that you would prefer on a cord bracelet I’d be happy to do that for you. All cord bracelets come with a piece of extender chain to help aid in the perfect fit. Back engraving on these items available at an additional charge.
My diningroom aka temporary studio here in Nova Scotia
I’ve taken over our diningroom here in our little vacation home in Nova Scotia. It serves as a makeshift studio space for me when I’m in town. When we want to do sit down lessons, the girls will also do “schoolwork” here. It is a high traffic area in this home and prone to clutter. Creating tends to lead one into the direction of a…creative mess, but I cannot work in an area prone to chaos. The energy simply doesn’t flow. If the energy gets stuck my ideas feel stuck too.
Which brings me to my early New Year’s organizing today. I had originally set up binders with business card/baseball card inserts to hold my supplies (as shown above). Tiny ziplock bags organize all the components necessary to make one item from the website. I usually have on hand at least 3 of these pre-pulled supplies per item. I try to aim for 6, if not 12 for very popular items. Efficiency is very important. It is the main reason why I can keep my prices so affordable. If you can imagine, it takes less time to pull the supplies needed for 6 necklaces at once than to pull them one at a time after each order. Having the supplies pre-pulled means they are ready for assembly and engraving at time of order. It is also the secret as to why I usually can turn around an order in 24 hours, and is handy for travelling when you are working out of more than one location.
I am finding though, as my product base grows I am becoming more and more frustrated with the binder setup. It is easy for things to become misplaced, particularly since the binders are becoming so full. Most of the time the item I am looking for is staring me right in the face in a sea of supplies that all look the same. The fuller the binders are also means spillage, and more misplacing of products that are located…somewhere in there. Not being able to find what I need will send me into a feeling of panic, and I usually enjoy what I do. But not when I am stressed out unable to find something, or taking more time than usual and my family is waiting on me to get done.
After scouring the internet, including jewelry suppliers and wholesalers with somewhat pricey solutions, I found the most affordable option today at Canadian Tire:
A supply organizing dream! I am excited to fill orders again. 🙂
It’s a small parts cabinet with 60 drawers. I got two for $39 each! They are lightweight, stackable and can even be mounted to the wall, which is great when space is at a premium. With my handy Dymo label maker everything is clearly and neatly labeled. This is going to make me really efficient; so much so that it’s time to reassess and adjust the pricing on some of my items…lower. 🙂
The December 2015 Newsletter is available, albeit late! That’s December/year end for you. Find out who won the sterling silver earrings last month. This month I’m giving away one of 2 engraved sterling silver necklaces: lotus or butterfly.
I am in need of some time away from the studio but will be back by December 7th, 2015 and shipping from my Nova Scotia address. Thank you for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!
Je besoin de temps personnel Je expédie à partir de mon adresse Nouvelle-Écosse, le 7 Décembre 2015. Merci pour votre patience!
Since teaching myself to knit I have been a thrower – formally known as English style knitting. This is the way that made the most sense to me when learning and I have been content to do so – until now. I really like to knit (or crochet) in bed. It is definitely not the most ergonomic way to knit, but I am too fidgety to sit and knit. Let’s face it, if I’m sitting in a chair I am pulling one of my spinning wheels up. Yup. I’d literally rather sit and spin. 😉
All this obsess – er- excessive spinning really puts tension on my right arm, around the elbow area. I’m finding my preferred way of knitting puts more strain on the right arm. Strain means I slow down, slowing down means the projects don’t work up as fast as I would like and then I lose interest. It was time to look at an alternate way to knit so that I could give the right arm a rest.
I’ve never really tried continental knitting (aka picking). I’ve seen videos of the technique but since I was comfortable with the English style I never saw a reason to really give it a go. But I am left handed (left dominant mostly with ambidextrous tendencies) and it seems that the speed knitters out there use this style. I also hear that pickers find their knitting works up looser. I do tend to have tight stitches as a thrower. Since I knit a lot with handspun bulky art yarns a looser stitch is definitely appealing.
Earlier this month I found myself laid up in bed feeling under the weather so since I wasn’t feeling well enough to sit up and spin, a little personal knitting workshop was in order. Off to YouTube I went to see different styles of Continental knitting. After trying different people’s styles below is what has worked well for me thus far. I was amazed that not long after I was continental knitting in my jammies. 🙂
beginning to wrap the yarn around my pinkie finger for tensioning
In the videos I watched, many people liked to simply let their yarn hang between their fingers. I definitely prefer to have the yarn tensioned. The best technique was wrapping the working yarn around my pinkie twice then laying it across my fingers towards the index finger.
twice wrapped around pinkie
laying yarn across all 3 fingers toward the index finger
So once I found a comfortable way to hold the yarn in my left hand – which by the way – felt so awkward at first since I am so used to using my right hand – I found that my knitting for the first few rounds resembled crocheting with my index finger held up in the air. The problem being that my index finger would get tired really quickly, and I definitely could not get the rhythm for purling with my finger so far away. In another video, I found my answer: rest my index finger against the needle. It was all starting to make sense now.
holding my finger too high and too far away from my work
this made it much easier
tada!
The outcome is I really like Continental knitting. I started by knitting in the round with a bulky reclaimed yarn that already had stitches done in the English style. There was a definite difference in the tensioning of my stitches. I found with continental my stitches were looser and thus looked/felt much better with the bulky yarn. I also found my knitting worked up much faster with the picking method, although I’m not sure if it is because I am quick at it yet or simply because I don’t get fatigued as quickly and can sit for more rounds before stopping. I’ve also practiced ribbing since then and I do like the closer change up between the knit and purl stitch. I’m finding my ribbing maybe a little too loose for my liking, but I think that will change with practice. All and all, I am so stoked to have another way to knit, so when I get tired (or injured!) on one side I can switch it up and keep knitting. 🙂
Are you a picker or a thrower? Have any tips for me? Drop me a line, I’d love to heard from you!
P.S. I didn’t keep a list of the videos I watched on YouTube, but if you search for “continental knitting”, “continental vs. english knitting” and even “speed knitting” you should get a good amount of examples to help you.
I have read a few articles with great fascination about buying wool sweaters from thrift stores with the sole purpose of unravelling them to reuse the yarn. It seemed like a lot of work to me, but I loved the idea nonetheless. I am surrounded by fleece and my own handspun, but what a great idea to a) reuse and b) obtain wool yarn without breaking the budget. If you have the time you can get a nice stash of yarn for just a few dollars.
Although the idea of unravelling sweaters sounded daunting to me, I am a picker and puller – I love to undo things. I find great satisfaction peeling paint and glue, dismantling jewelry that was not quite right (or to reuse components), or unravelling my own knit/crochet to make something bigger/better (in my mind, anyway). I have even been known to unravel my own handspun yarn – which is no easy feat but very satisfying when I can use the plies again.
I haven’t had any luck finding suitable sweaters, but I did find these 2 scarves, one with the tags still on. Although this is synthetic yarn they were super long, soft and bulky. Lots of yarn to be had here not to mention easy to unravel (in theory). I figured it was a great place to start – for practice anyway.
I vegged in front of the tv one night and gave it a go. The tags and tassels came off easily, and the end was petty obvious – just a loose knot so they unraveled like magic! Of course the unworn one unravelled the easiest. What to make? Definitely not more scarves. I have many of those with my handspun already. Slippers? I am thinking maybe chunky mittens/arm warmers or even some quick hats for my kids. They are always losing their hats/mitts so it would not be a shame if they lost ones made out of old scarves from the Thrift store. 🙂
october 2015 newsletter & giveaway click image to read
The October 2015 Newsletter & Giveaway is available. This month is a giveaway for an item from the spiders or skulls section of the website. Giveaway open until October 31st, 2015. Also read about new products, and new shipping policy. Thanks for your continued support!
This up-coming weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada. So the studio will be closed for the long weekend. I will be unavailable to make orders from October 9th to October 13th, 2015. Orders should commence no later than October 14th. You may still order via the website but expect a delay in the shipping of your order. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Je ne suis pas disponible pour rendre des commandes d’octobre 9 – 13. Les articles seront expédiées par le 14 octobre. Contactez-moi si vous avez des questions.
I get asked often to engrave full words or even 2 lines of text & sentences on my items. It’s been happening so often lately that I thought I should write a blog post about it. I try to be very clear on each piece just how much space I have to work with. In the age of computerized engraving I think most potential customers don’t realize that this is done manually and I am limited with size and space. I can really only comfortably fit 7 characters (letters like this: ABCDEFG) – and in some cases 8 characters (letters like this: ABCDEFGH). This is with the plain font (#3 option above). My script fonts definitely cannot do more than 4 letters on the typical 15mm blank that most of my pieces are made with. Remember that the more letters you add the smaller I have to go, and I will not sell anything that does not look good. The smaller the letters the less detail you can see, and thus it does not look clean or in some cases legible. So if you are going to need a magnifying glass to see it, I won’t be offering it. 😉
Example of curlz font; example of curlz vintage font
With the popular curlz & curlz vintage fonts, they are larger templates and are only intended as a focal initial. That means even at my smallest setting I can only get 2 letters, max on the blank.
I’d love to be able to fulfill all your requests and maybe in the future I will have bigger blanks that will accommodate more text. More text = more work which = more work for me, and potentially higher costs to you. Manual engraving is a skill that I have been honing for 5 years now. It’s not as simple as choosing the right letters and go. I have to position the blank accordingly, gauge what size to go with; often times deciding which of the fonts will look the best (it really does depend on initials vs. a word), and this is all done more by feel and intuition than by measurement. Mistakes do happen, so then I have to scrap that blank and start again. Sometimes I scrap a blank not because I made a mistake per se but because I think I can do better. Many times before I even start on the actual blank I will engrave on a piece of scrap metal first to make sure I have the size and spacing just so. By the time I offer an item to the world I have spent a lot of time perfecting its execution. It’s important to really stick with what the piece is intended to be: an affordable gift with an initial or two, or a simple word with meaning for the intended recipient.
I don’t want to discourage you from contacting me, I love to hear from you all, and if you have a request out of the norm feel free to send me an email. But hopefully this answers some questions in regards to size. 🙂
click the image above to read bb3.ca September 2015 Newsletter
The bb3.ca September 2015 Newsletter is hot off the press and into inboxes. This month I’m unveiling the new website as well as a reader’s choice giveaway. Check it out by clicking on the image above.
I’ve been quiet as far as my online presence goes, while I desperately finish this website facelift: upgrade and design. I finally came to the conclusion that I need to just put it up and change things on the fly, otherwise my complicated creative mind gets wrapped up in making everything just perfect.
Everything has been tested as far as ordering an item goes, and you should have no problems there. There may be some wonky things, such as asking if you’d like to receive updates and offers from our partners – obviously, my little creative project has no partners, and we do not give your personal info to any 3rd party. These options are hardcoded into the website software and I will have to get hubby to remove them from the code.
If for any reason you have difficulty with ordering, because I have been unable to test every single item, please drop me a line so I can complete your order. If you let me know specifically how your order failed I will be happy to give you a 25% discount. 🙂
The August 2015 newsletter was sent to inboxes last night, if you missed it you can read it here. This month I am giving away an International Breastfeeding Symbol necklace in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, or an item of your choice from the advocacy/awareness section. Check it out before the end of the month so you don’t miss the opportunity to win.
