Drama Queen

I got my Soap Opera yarn spun up last night, I've called it Drama Queen!

With real blue skies and a smattering of sunshine I managed to set the twist, get it dry and actually managed to take some photos! Infact I went overboard on the photos, so if you want any more just pop over to my flickr album!

I'm not sure if I'm going to come up with anything for this weeks theme, but then again I did dye up some fibre this morning that might fit in. This weeks theme is Asia.

Friday Fibre Fix!

Hot off the wheel, well lukewarm really because the weather has been so rotton for photos are these two 100g skeins of merino.

They were dyed at the same time although the top skein has alot more pink and grey verses the blues of the bottom skein.

I've just joined a group on Ravelry called Fiber Friday where the host sets a theme and then the participants spin and then submit yarns inspired by the theme. Last weeks theme was Ocean, shame I missed that one, and this weeks theme is soap opera!

Shameless Self Promotion

Update on The Knitting Daily Pattern store: I have managed to purchase Koolhaus! yippee! I shall probably go back for the Central Park Hoodie at a later date, remember garments are off limits for the moment.

Today I have been uploading yarns to my Etsy shop. I have decided to try out a 'free'postage to everywhere promotion. I also try to keep my prices in line with other handspinners and small businesses so I would appreciate any feedback on this, if you think my prices are high or if anything in my shop doesn't read right please let me know. If you don't want to let me know via comments you can always e-mail me, my e-mail is listed in my blogger profile.

Now for more shameless self promotion...well actually I need you to promote me if my Etsy store and fledgling yarn 'business' are to succeed...I don't need it to go mad but the only way for it to really work is via promotion and from word of mouth or word of blog, so to reach a wider audience I need my friends to blog about my etsy store too, and for everyone that does I'm offering a 10% discount off all my yarn for life, and a chance to win some custom spun yarn in colours of your choosing, we will have a Prize draw on 15th March! Just let me know that you've linked/mentioned me in a post to be eligible to enter!

Talking of my etsy store I'm having a bit of an identity crisis, as you will see my etsy store, old website and e-mail are all under the name Limegreenjelly, although when I started spinning and set up this blog I came up with the name freestylefibre. I have purchased freestylefibre.co.uk for future use, but at the moment all my yarns are labelled with my limegreenjelly branding. My helpful hubby has designed a freestylefibre label, which I really like but does it confuse things to sell yarns under the name Freestylefibre in the Limegreenjelly shop?

Edited to add...if anyone wants to display my limegreenjelly button from my sidebar on their blog to link to my etsy shop...please do!

Grrr Knitting Daily

I just need to get this off my chest...KNITTING DAILY IS MAKING ME CROSS!

Ok its just this small matter of the Pattern store, living in a different country shouldn't make it that difficult to buy the pdf's should it, I mean I get Interweave Magazine.

It all started with the Central Park Hoodie, then Koolhaus, now they are really tormenting me with Babette.

I have e-mailed them about this small matter, which is now turning into a bit of a campaign.

ok feeling a little better now...but it just irks me!

Dull Frog Day's of January!

Is 2008 the year of the frog? It is in this house, but I keep reminding myself its all part of the learning curve.

It started with Rosedale United, I knitted the neckband the week before New Year actually arrived, and frogged it and knitted it and frogged and knitted at least three times, I then tried it on, and the raglans weren't in the right position for my arms and basically decided to start 2008 with a clean slate and frogged the whole thing! Its all labelled and ready to be knit into some kind of a raglan sweater, but everything is on hold this year.

I have decided that the Handknitting course needs my full attention, so for 2008 it has become my top priority. This doesn't mean I won't be knitting because the course (obviously) involves knitting, it just means that I have to be strict with myself about what I knit and concentrate my efforts into designing, swatching and producing the 2 garments, 1 accessory and 1 item for the home, that I need to pass this course, and some of the time it may mean I don't have alot to show for it. Although that said I will have non college knitting on the go...I've just decided not to try and tackle anything that needs alot of commitment...like a sweater, and stick to small items like mittens, maybe some colourwork handwarmers, experimental felted pieces and bags.

Of course I will still be spinning, I don't think I could stop even if I wanted to!

So on the needles at the moment is a Rowan kidsilk scarf, which I'm going to be felting in the washing machine and I'm working on my first design piece which is a scarf based on seaweed.

Frogged this week: I had a 50g ball of Noro Cash Island to knit a sample for the seaweed scarf project, gorgeous colour and velvety soft, but it didn't have the drape I envisioned so I cast on for Luce. It just didn't have the right drape and feel either.

UK SWAP QUESTIONNAIRE

Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both? I mainly knit, I do a little bit of crochet occasionally mainly amigurumi type stuff which doesn't involve a pattern.

What do you like to make? I like to make sweaters, scarves, mittens, gloves, bags, hats

Do you have a favourite project? Not really

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn? I love Noro yarn although Kureyon can be a bit scratchy, I also like Habu, and unusual yarns like linen paper, and things like that! And I spin my own handspun too!

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn? Eyelash

Do you do any other crafts? I'm a keen handspinner, by spindle and wheel. I'm also interested in paper making, feltmaking, button making.

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’? at the moment I'm doing some shibori felting experiments so some vanilla stocking stitch

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new? I have a 'Go Knit' pouch, that is perfect for my projects.

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over? Can't think of anything off hand


Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? Blue, purple, green, brown

What is your least favourite colour? yellow

What scents/smells do you like? vanilla, chocolate, apples

What don’t you like? lavender

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure) bubble bath, handcream

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with? (chocolate, biscuits, truffles, etc.) I love chocolate orange, belgian seashells, peppermint creams, soft centres, most biscuits, nothing with nuts in.

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup? I prefer tea, although I do like hot chocolate too, I only tend to drink plain old tea, i do have a favourite mug...its called scraffito and its from Habitat!

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts) I tend to watch tv mostly while knitting although I occasionally listen to music, and play online scrabble! I like Heroes, The Mighty Boosh, and I mostly listen to Radio 1, i like an eclectic mix of music, one of my favourite bands is Hot Chip!

Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address) I live in St Leonards-on-Sea, in East Sussex!

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else? I grew up in Ipswich, and spent most of my adult life living in Wales.

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? I'd like to visit the USA

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to? (book club, tea party, yoga class, jewelery class, etc.) I do like to read so maybe a book club, I also attend a Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers, yoga class.

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.) my anti style more like, casual, arty, sort of lost look!

Final Part:Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)? Some bath essences and things can make me itchy, and I don't do nuts.

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know? If there is anything further my swap partner wants to know they can always ask me!