By Tara, on September 2nd, 2010%
This week has been all about the hemp.
I got a ginormous wholesale order from a fiber artist, so I have been winding + dyeing for days. (This is actually a giant pile of yarn I sold to someone at Starbucks last month. If you’re ever in town, shoot me an email and you get your own pile of yarn + coffee!)
This color (pumpkin) seems to be the most popular:
Emily is making a gorgeous Waves of Grain scarf:
(the free pattern is here, on Knitty). Emily is @emilyroots on Twitter is a new spinning convert, so go welcome her to the club!
And @fracksmom is making a cowl out of it. (I’m pretty sure it’s not for her dog, he’s just modeling it!)
If you’re wondering what you . . . → Read More: Shades of Hemp
By Tara, on August 19th, 2010%
A photo-tour of my inspiring local fruits and veggies (and the yarns they inspired! . . . → Read More: Farmer’s Market Inspiration
By Tara, on July 30th, 2010%
Welcome to the first installment of Talking to Yarn-Lovers. Each week I’ll have an interview with a different yarn-lover (maker, knitter, crocheter). If you want to share your yarn-love, sign up here and I’ll email you some questions!
Today I’m talking to Kim Werker, writer, editor, celebrator of ugly, and all-around-crafty-gal.
How long have you been knitting or crocheting? I’ve been knitting for seven years and crocheting for six. Where do you find handmade yarn? Do you have any favorites?
I find handmade yarn online, in local yarn shops, and at fibre festivals.
I’m absolutely in love with Felicia Lo’s Sweetgeorgia Yarns, which are hand-dyed here in Vancouver. I’m currently crocheting a shawl out of hand-dyed silk yarn from Indigo Moon, which also happens to be a local-ish yarn – she dyes off the coast on Gabriola Island.
What have you made with handspun yarn?
I made . . . → Read More: Talking to Yarn-Lovers: Kim Werker
By Tara, on July 15th, 2010%
The Big Crafty was awesome!
A big thank you to everyone who came out and said hello, we were so happy to meet so many of you (despite how serious I look in this photo – I was hot!) Our booth was spilling over with handmade yarn from me (of course!)
and a bunch of other yarnies.
For the full list, check out A Novel Yarn.
PS. If you got a pattern at the show? I’ll be posting those videos I promised tomorrow! Come back for them or just subscribe and it’ll come right to your . . . → Read More: The Biiiig Crafty!
By Tara, on July 9th, 2010%
I will be at Big Crafty this Sunday, 7/11 in Asheville (with bunches of yarn!)!
My favorite part? The delicous Short Street Cakes (the ONE place that makes gluten-free cupcakes!) will be there with cupcakes. Woo!
You can get directions to the show here.
I will be in spot #5, which you can find on this map (pdf).
Need even more incentive? Mention that you saw this blog post and you’ll get a FREE pattern. It’s super secret and not for sale yet, but it looks like this:
Let me know in the comments in you plan on coming!
By Tara, on July 1st, 2010%
Today’s my anniversary!
I have been self-employed, making handspun yarn, full-time for one year!
Instead of writing about, let me tell you what it’s like:
But most importantly?
I want to say, THANK YOU!
Without you and your support at the Boutique, I wouldn’t be able to pay the bills. Without your delightful emails, I wouldn’t love what I do. Without your encouragement and sympathy during hard times, I wouldn’t be able to go back to the wheel each day.
Thanks for making this last year awesome.
Here’s to many more fabulous, yarny, colorful adventures!
PS. Completely unrelated but entirely serendiptously, I’m almost at 600 sales in my etsy shop. The person who buys the 600th item will get a free skein of yarn in their order! Get yours . . . → Read More: Happy 1 year anniversary!
By Tara, on June 24th, 2010%
“What can I make with this yarn?“
Over the years I’ve compiled scads of ideas (and posts) on what to make with handspun yarn, banana yarn, hemp yarn, even handspun organic cotton (which I keep selling out of, but look for a few more colors tomorrow morning!).
After almost 4 years of this yarny adventure it’s time for a the Mother Of All Lists.
Let’s do it!
Patterns for Banana yarn Patterns for Hemp Laceweight Patterns for Handspun Organic Cotton Patterns for 1 skein of handspun yarn Part 1 Patterns for 1 skein of handspun yarn Part 2 Knitting patterns for handspun yarn (for boys) Knit gift patterns Knitting patterns worth buying Granny Square patterns Crochet Patterns for handspun yarn Sweater patterns for handspun yarn
If I’m missing YOUR favorite patterns, share them in the comments!
PS. Want the yarn and the pattern . . . → Read More: 40+ Patterns for Handmade Yarn
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!
Get Yarn Love Notes * indicates required Email Address *
First Name *
Last Name
Favorite Color?
//
}); function mce_success_cb(resp){ mce_jQuery(‘#mce-success-response’).hide(); mce_jQuery(‘#mce-error-response’).hide(); if (resp.result==”success”){ mce_jQuery(‘#mce-’+resp.result+’-response’).show(); mce_jQuery(‘#mce-’+resp.result+’-response’).html(resp.msg); mce_jQuery(‘#mc-embedded-subscribe-form’).each(function(){ this.reset(); }); } else { var index = -1; var msg; try { var parts = resp.msg.split(‘ – ‘,2); if (parts[1]==undefined){ msg = resp.msg; } else { i = parseInt(parts[0]); if (i.toString() == parts[0]){ index = parts[0]; msg = parts[1]; } . . . → Read More: Never miss a yarn
By Tara, on March 12th, 2010%
Announcing 4 new shades of hemp laceweight + the winner of the Name-a-New-Color contest . . . → Read More: Name a New Color – Winner!
By Tara, on March 9th, 2010%
I am loving all the entries to the Name-A-Color contest. But now that I read them, I realize I didn’t give ALL the information in that first hemp post.
You can’t come up with good colors, if you don’t know what you’re working with.
And what I’m working with is a naturally colored hemp.
Which is NOT white.
And that means that I can NOT get bright, crystal clear colors. What I can get are really deep and muted colors like this
(sneak peek of what’s coming Friday!)
If you have an idea for a muted, not-quite-bright color that I should dye, be sure to leave your suggestion in the comments of this post (and hey, you might just win a skein in that . . . → Read More: Undyed Hemp
|
|
|
