By Tara, on June 17th, 2010%
If you read this in a feedreader or your email, click on through, because Blonde Chicken Boutique got a makeover!
I’m still rearranging some stuff and fixing some not-quite-right pages, but I love it already!
Along with the redesign is a new way to make sure you never miss a yarn:
The Fortnightly Yarn-Love Note!
Sign up below and you will get the latest yarns, delivered right to your inbox, every other Friday!
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. . . → Read More: Never miss a yarn
By Tara, on June 10th, 2010%
Last week, I signed my little brothers up for the Summer Reading Program. For every book (or 15 minute increment) they read, they get a sticker. The reader gets to set his own goal and then work toward it all summer, filling up their tracking sheet with stickers.
As I was helping them set their goal, I thought I want to do this.
I want stickers! I want summer fun! I want a pile of people to play with!
And then I started thinking about summer camp.
The campfires.
The songs.
The Trivia Game (which I rocked.)
Why don’t we (adults), get to do this stuff anymore?
Get to have slightly structured fun-time, surrounded by our friends?
Why not?
I’m making my own summer camp!
With the focus (heavily!) on my favorite thing in the world: YARN
But without structure! No forced patterns, or yarn, or colors. Freedom, baby!
And even better: from your own home!
No mosquitoes!
No sunburn!
No gross shared bathrooms!
Introducing: Summer . . . → Read More: I’m ready for summer yarn fun
By Tara, on June 3rd, 2010%
Today’s my birthday!
And it’s also the birth of a new project/home/excitement!
And you are invited to celebrate with me!
This is my new home on the web.
Oh, Blonde Chicken Boutique isn’t going anywhere! In fact, it is just growing and growing!
Blonde Chicken Boutique (where you are, right now) is my yarn line and my new home (still trying on names, it feels weird to keep calling it TaraSwiger.com…it’s like I’m being very formal with…myself)
What’s this mean for you?
If you come here for the yarny goodness: good news! You are going to get MORE of it!
Every Thursday I’m going to share patterns, ideas, information about eco-friendly fiber and yarn. And this month, I’ll be rearranging stuff around here so the pattern ideas and contests are even easier to find.
If you don’t want to miss it, you can get it delivered right to your inbox, by clicking here.
And if you come here for the crafty-business . . . → Read More: You’re Invited: Birthday Brunch
By Tara, on May 13th, 2010%
Let’s create some yarn together! Tell me your favorite flower + I’ll make a yarn out of it. . . . → Read More: Favorite Flowers
By Tara, on May 6th, 2010%
I just put a new color of hemp laceweight in the shop and I thought I’d take the chance to answer the perrenial question:
What can I do with this?
Well, with 625 yards in 2 oz, there is a LOT of very fine yarn to work with.
What Customers Have Made
The most popular project (from customers of A Novel Yarn), has been the ultra-simple Stockinette Scarf.
This one, knit in Pomegranate, was made by Jodi (who also makes the BEST cream cheese pound cake) and it is looong. Over 6ft long!
The pattern is super simle:
Cast on 30 sts on US10.5 needles.
Work in St st. Bind off when you have just a bit of yarn left.
Bonnie is knitting the Whisper Cardigan out of Pumpkin hemp.
(photo by Bonnie)
. . . → Read More: What Can I do with Hemp Laceweight?
By Tara, on May 5th, 2010%
Just got my copy of Inside Crochet in the mail.
And flipped to page 66.
And there. Is. My byline.
Even better: there’s a whole 4 page spread of my article.
And my pictures.
The article is, as the title says, all about finding local fiber farms (or, if you’re British, Fibre Farms). I wrote about my experiences and gave some suggestions for finding farms local to you.
Inside Crochet is a British magazine (and it’s been available there for a few weeks, I think), but you can find it in the States at your local yarn store or at Barnes + Noble (my spies tell me that it should be in by May 10th).
Let me know if you . . . → Read More: My first published article!
By Tara, on April 19th, 2010%
Today isn’t Monday.
Oh, sure, you are reading this on a Monday. But I am not writing it on Monday.
Because I don’t work Mondays.
Ever.
Really.
Why?
Because everyone needs to rest.
And not just a midday nap (although I’m a fan!).
A real, totally clear, totally un-eventful day of rest.
Without expectations or appointments or changing out of pjs.
Why?
Remember my theory of the Cycle of Creativity? Our creativity needs a fallow period, in order to, well, continue to be creative.
But so does our…everything. Our body, our mind, our spirit, our energy.
Everything. Needs. A. Break.
The fallow periods of the creative cycle always force me to take a creative break.
But I’ve learned that if I wait for my body/mind/energy to force me to take a break, it’s too late. Usually I get the flu or a sinus infection or just an overarching listlessness.
But it’s more serious than that.
If I don’t take a break, my work suffers.
I go slowly.
I get distracted.
I . . . → Read More: Not on a Monday
By Tara, on March 22nd, 2010%
The first goats born on our farm! . . . → Read More: New Goats!
By Tara, on March 19th, 2010%
Win a copy of Handmade Marketplace! . . . → Read More: Handmade Marketplace – book giveaway!
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