St. Distaff's Day at Threadbear!

We will be celebrating St Distaff's Day a bit early-- Sunday, January 4-- at Threadbear Fiber Arts in Lansing. We'll demo spindle spinning and have spindles available to try and/or buy.

It's also my daughter Em's 18th birthday so be sure to stop by and throw fibery gifts at her...or at least wish her a good one.

more new stuff

A custom order for plying, this spindle is HUGE...

5" whorl, 15" shaft, weighing in at 2.5 ounces

current projects

a custom order

another quilt inspired, echoing some previous designs

My youngest daughter, Abi, has a passion for "boney men" (she's been studying the human body since before she could walk), has recently discovered Skelanimals (Diego is her fav) and Halloween is her favorite holiday.

Day of the Dead-ish,

the first in a series inspired by Abi

busy, busy

We had our family vacation in the Outer Banks the first ten days of the month. Then the Michigan Fiber Festival the weekend after we returned. My friend, Rita of Yarn Hollow was kind enough to carry my spindles. In order for her to do that, I actually had to make some spindles. Which I did, in the week before...while also dealing with my daughter's entry at the county fair (she won a blue ribbon!).

Now, we're heavily into back-to-school activities...two 4th graders, a high school sophomore and senior and a college freshman.

I'm trying to get some new stuff in the shop while also working on custom orders and trying to build up stock for Northern Michigan Lamb and Wool, the end of September. I hope you're all saving up for this one...Em's dying up lots of lovely fiber to bring with us!

Here's a peek at what I'm working on for the shop...

Coming Soon

Celestial series I and II

Last Thursday, Em had all four of her wisdom teeth out (her older sis--Kait--moved out the same day). Em managed to dye a couple rovings the night before (Stepping Stone is sold but Acanthastrea is still available) but it's been rough for her so she's just easing back into things. Start looking for some new rovings later this week.

As for me, I've been working when I can...in between family and friend obligations. I created Americana for Knit with Snot's rockin' Independence Day Fest at the Grange, where she dragged me to demo spinning (and my shortest family members to ride through horse shit in the parade, but that's another post for another blog...though we all had a seriously good time--good friends, parade with horses, free food and drink, spinning...how that not be fun?--and I'm pretty sure one incredibly cute little curly blonde boy in cowboy boots is still begging his parents for a spinning wheel).

Doodle Flower

and Pennsylvania Dutch inspired Floral

both sold almost as soon as I put them up. I plan on doing more PA Dutch inspired designs in the coming weeks. Also, watch for a new spindle spinning kit next week.

Fiber Arts & Animals Festival

I just heard about this little festival, even though it's practically in the neighborhood. Its focus is primarily educational but there's a great group of vendors scheduled. Come on over and join us!

Saturday, June 14, 2008 • Marshall, Michigan • 10 AM - 5 PM

New spinning kit...Hydrangea

This one includes 1.5 oz of hand-dyed and blended to coordinate wool/bamboo blend batt.

New spinning kit...Hydrangea

This one includes 1.5 oz of hand-dyed and blended to coordinate

Batts by Em!

My daughter, Em (AKA Spinningin360 on Ravelry) has been trying her hand at the dyepot and carder with gorgeous results...





Go see these--more coming soon--now listed in my shop.

I'm also working on a new spinning kit that'll be listed tomorrow.

the trouble with working at home

It's just after noon. Since 9 AM, I've packaged three spindles for shipping, glued together and applied the first coat of finish to three more, rubbed (with steel wool) and recoated three others, put in two loads of laundry, cleaned the livingroom carpet, responded to email and Etsy convos, let the dogs out several times, emptied the dishwasher and sketched out some potential new whorl designs.

I'm still in my pajamas. Oops.

Now, I need to go open and adjust hooks and stain three square-whorled spindles. And mop the kitchen floor.

laceweight

I spun this

about 36 wpi 2-plied

on one of these

.5 oz featherweight spindles

Now available in the shop.

silence is an illusion

I haven't been posting, not because I'm not working but because I'm crazy busy. In addition to my Etsy shop, my spindles can also be found online at Yarny Goodness and at brick and mortar stores: Threadbear Fiber Arts in Lansing, MI, the Smoky Mountain Spinnery in Gatlinburg, TN and--as soon as I get some to Beth--The Spinning Loft in Howell, MI

I seem to have a blue floral theme

going on at the moment

Newest Spinning Kit

Now working on very special Spinning Kits!

This is the first of my new spinning kits, including everything you need to get started or add to your collection--

1. Hand-painted paisley flower spindle (.8 oz, 10.5 inches tall), and 1 oz of easy drafting Michigan border leicester roving, all packaged in a lovely paisley floral divided box with room for 2-4 spindles and fiber.

lookie

It's one of my spindles at Crafting a Greener World! How cool is that?

Thanks, Autumn.

my spindles in Australia!

Back in July, PR, a Knitty Coffeeshop member bought one of my spindles. She came back for a custom design. Since I knew a little of her tastes, I consulted her on a kind of crazy spindle (black w/pink filigree, which was inspired by a design on a tshirt which I then learned was the trademarked logo of a certain band) I made but wasn't sure I could sell. She bought the spindle before it ever hit the shop--proclaiming it perfect for her Australian friend who was coming for a visit and wanted to learn to spin.

Emma, the recipient of that spindle, really took to spinning (YAY, another one bites the dust!). Back home in Australia, Emma ordered another so she could teach her mother to spin. Then she joined a spinning and weaving guild, taking her spindles to meetings. Her guild members (apparently mostly wheel spinners) were fascinated. Recently, I shipped off an order for six Simple Oaks--purchased by members of Emma's spinning guild.

And I received the following email...

Hi Shannon,

My name is Marion and I am President of the Nambucca Valley Spinners & Weavers Group that received your spindles. I was wondering if you could email some back-ground info on yourself and your spindles. Photos would be great so that the girls know a little more about their spindles history.

After using heavy bottom weight spindles we are finding out that "drop spindle" is just what we are doing, but we will get it together. We also have 2 more names for spindles so when we have a few more we will order through Emma.

Thanks for giving us a renewed interest in an old craft.

Marion

Wow. This is the coolest thing ever. Really. Thank you so much, PR, Emma and Marion.

stay away, bad paint juju!

I'm really liking this one

here fishy, fishy, fishy

custom order

Hey, it's notched!

finally!

Some new stuff in the shop...

This was meant for the shop as well

the shaft end

(turned on the lathe by my son Alex)

but I love it so much

I couldn't bear to part with it

I'm sorry.

It has a lovely spin

(kid mohair)

I set up my photo shoot area but still need to work on quality...the backdrop is the same in each of these pics but all are different colors. Part of that is from my playing with editing software but they should all be the same if I did the same edits, right? Wugh.

New stuff coming

I worked on some new spindles (including a couple with hand-turned shafts!) today but ran out of heat before I was able to finish. I'll have a propane refill this weekend and should have some listed by Monday.

I've also been working on a light box set up so I have someplace other than my rumpled bed to take pictures. Hopefully, that will be functional in time for the new listings.

Valentine

2/13 Update: It's not a secret anymore...

go check out Copperpot's Blog!

I noticed she doesn't seem to have

a link to her shop on the blog--go drool

This was for a friend. She asked for a special Valentine design.

I'm not sure whether it was supposed to be a secret

so I won't mention who, or what it's for.

Custom Orders

Etsian brondesjen asked for a sunflower

and another based on the 12 star Flag of Europe

(with temperature changes, my paints weren't cooperating...I had to make this one twice)

Etsian knittycat81 really likes my stained flower spindle but prefers her spindles a little heavier. I was happy to make her a double flower whorl that topped out at 1.99 ounces

I don't usually like spindles much over an ounce

but this one has a great spin.

I even tested it as a bottom whorl

To use a top whorl as a bottom-- spiral the yarn up the shaft toward the shaft end, wrap the yarn once around your thumb (as always, click for big)

and slip over the tip of the spindle, like a backward loop cast on.

I'm very pleased with the spin and am now offering this as a special order.

I'm going to have to make one for myself.

Now that the holidays are over, the kids are back in school and I'm caught up on my custom orders, I really will be working on some new designs for the shop!

If you love Kai's alien spindle, look for a clone of it soon.