I seem to come out of my New Year’s fog on Tuesday – it was that apparent, I can tell you the exact day I stopped feeling both physically and mentally tired. I have not changed a thing, in fact I have not been getting enough sleep and craving sugar. I should check the Schumann Resonance for that day and see if there was a change.
My new studio groove means working on one unfinished project a day and photographing/pricing one yarn listing a day, until I get caught up. I do this before starting a new spinning project. I hear that 2021 is a purge year, and I’m sure feeling that. I’m motivated to get items moved out of the studio.
On a bad note, my computer went bust earlier this week, luckily the resident geek in the house repaired it (for now). Two requirements for handmade ecommerce: a computer & the internet. Needless to say, I am on the hunt for a new one.
Here’s what’s newly listed this week:
Celtic Heart earrings – this is a revamp of an older project. Sterling silver ear hooks, culinary grade pewter heart charm with a Celtic knot, and freshwater pearl accent. Available on this website and on etsy
This lovely yarn is a 2ply bulky, spun with merino wool top. I dyed the roving in one ply as a gradient. Starting with jet back dye I dip the roving a bit at a time until dye is exhausted to a dark blue to a pale grey. Plied to a solid black ply
What else is new:
I finished spinning the Wensleydale boucle. This is a labour intensive yarn and my back and shoulder are sure feeling it! If you ever wonder why handspun seems so expensive, keep in mind the amount of time it takes to create these yarns and the toll repetitive motion has on our bodies. I never make my time back on these projects, and I try to source out the best price while remaining as ethical as possible. For example I decided to use a laceweight commercial cotton yarn and set the loops with a lace weight commercial wool yarn. I used to be a purist who would never mix a commercial yarn with handspun and then I got real! Saving time and energy but still offering a great product is not a bad thing especially of it means I can sell it at an affordable price.This was a total accidental dye from awhile back and I adore the colors (i mixed up two dye formulas plus made the colors intenser than desired – don’t ask). I think I will dye a new batch in superwash merino for some sock yarn spinning (I’m using this spin to fix up this old boucle- one of the first i ever spun. I’m going to fatten it up with a new ply and hopefully knit it into something fun to wear. Otherwise, it’s destined to be a pillow cover)
I’m making a new “antiqued” theme stitch marker set and realized that I only had bright gold wire to go with these components. Pulling from my jewelry making, I brushed on some Simple Black (liver of sulphur) to oxidize some brass wire. You then clean it up with a polishing cloth. The color was a perfect match. LOS fumes are really strong so it’s best to use in a well ventilated area
