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This week I’m on vacation on the lovely shore of Emerald Isle. But because I love my work, the Boutique is still open with new yarns everyday and I’m still talking to customers via email. So I’m away but still checking in. Each day I’ll be posting a few pictures from the vacation, especially the yarny inspiration. Today was a beach all-day sort of day. Lounging, soaking, and strolling. This week I’m on vacation on the lovely shore of Emerald Isle. But because I love my work, the Boutique is still open with new yarns everyday and I’m still talking to customers via email. So I’m away but still checking in. Each day I’ll be posting a few pictures from the vacation, especially the yarny inspiration. Today (Saturday) we got up early and drove the 8 hours to the coast of North Carolina. We stopped at a…colorful fruit stand, unpacked in our gorgeous beach house and hit the beach View from the living room Beach house at sunset In which we begin an adventure together! . . . → Read More: Time to have a yarn-y adventure! An adventure in jam-making . . . → Read More: Making Jam I’ve tried to write this post for weeks. I can’t figure out how to say it in a way that conveys the big-ness for me and for Blonde Chicken Boutique. This is a huge, scary, exciting step, but it’s just so hard to express. So, how about I just say it: I quit my day job. June 30th is my last day working in an office, for an employer. July 1st, I wake up to…Blonde Chicken Boutique! I’ll be a full-time fiber artist, yarnie, fiberista, spinster – whatever we’re calling it that week – it’ll be my full-time job! Even though I handed in my resignation a month ago, it still feels crazy and new and exciting! This will allow me to do SO many new things with BCB, things you’ve asked me to do and things I’ve been waiting to do. More craft shows, more in-person lessons, more . . . → Read More: Big News These are a few of my favorite (Spring) things! . . . → Read More: Spring Manifesto Flowers, flowers, flowers! Fantastic inspiration! . . . → Read More: Flowered Inspiration Today I’m cleaning a fleece from an angora goat. Or a mohair fleece. I’m never sure what to call it! The goat breed is angora – but the finished fiber is called mohair. So, yeah, I’m cleaning that. This particular fleece comes from Rammings farm and while beautiful and strong it is quite dirty. While I’ve become more experienced with washing sheepy fleeces, this is my first time washing a goat fleece, so I did a little research. My fleece is still soaking, so I’m certainly not an expert, but here are the best resources I’ve found: Very detailed information all about mohair fiber, including the correct ph balance and water tempature at Fiber2Yarn. A much more succinct guide at the Colored Angora Goat Breeder’s Assocation. Lots of fleece information from Spinderella. The main points of concern (although I really recommend reading all of those articles – so . . . → Read More: Cleaning a Mohair Fleece Each year, for the last 3 years my mom and I have loaded my car with knitting projects, magazines, and coffee and driven to Maryland Sheep & Wool. The first year, we drove from Ohio – a 12 hour drive! This year, it was a much shorter trip, just 5-6 hours (depending on how many times we stop for coffee!) We left Friday morning, drove to Frederick, MD (note to self: you must stop at Zazzy’z because there is not another coffee shop until Staunton). Frederick’s an adorable town with a nice little downtown with lots of boutiques (like The Muse), restaurants and ice cream. We met up with Mia and meandered around town. I don’t eat seafood but my mom loves crabs, so we had dinner at May’s – endless crabs for Mom, a fantastically broiled chicken for me. Saturday dawned rainy and dreary but I leapt . . . → Read More: Maryland Sheep & Wool 2009 |
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