Wordless Wednesday: Newest Creations

Spinning Up Something GOOD!

Hey friends. Sorry it's been a while since my last post. No one told me planning for a wedding would be time-consuming, serious work. I thought it was all daisies and dandilions. ; )

So, I'm spinning up some alpaca fleece for Julie from Wier World Llamas & Alpacas. This is my first chance to show what I've done so far! I'm excited to say that I'm getting closer and closer to these animals by working with their harvest. I've bought a set of Strauch Hand Carders on eBay and I've washed my new fleece. Now, it is slowly but surely being brushed and yanked and brushed again with my carders (I've got the blisters to prove it). As I turn each clump of soft fleece into silkworm-like fiber rolags, I get better and better at spinning what I've prepared. Here's a look at some of the yarn that has already been through the spinning process on my Ashford Traditional Spinning Wheel.

Super Promotion

Hey folks! Let's continue on with the promotions and discounts at Dye2Spin. When you order 3 or more items from my shop (shown in the scrolling button to the right), you can use the coupon code: "FIRST25" to receive 25% off your entire order. Wow, a win-win! You get beautiful, handmade yarn AND a discount. Call the newspaper.

So, how are you on this fine, balmy Sunday morning (or afternoon, or evening)? Leave a comment below about what you are accomplishing today or anything else that is on your mind. Love, Ashley

Oh, check out the sweet little buns by the pool. You can find his Craigslist ad here. I want him sooo bad but I don't have a pool to satisfy one of his favorite pastimes.

Simple Saturday

A picture of outside my apartment. May 2007, Baguio City, Philippines

Melodies enhance

The sunrise of the springtime

As different birds sing

Coffee tastes so good

In the lazy Saturday morn

Warms up the body

What to do today?

Create, grow, make, expand, give

Fiber colorwheel

Dormant life erupts

Softens the air with sweetness

Spring has sprung in me

Finding peace in work

Taking ideas to heart

Fruition comes now

Wordless Wednesday

Oh Boy-O, Its FARM DAY!!!

http://www.jacobsreward.com

The day before I turn the big 3-0 I'll be spending some time with my yarn-y friends at the Little Red Barn on Jacob's Reward Farm in Parker, Tx. This will mark my second monthly visit. It was just a month ago that I really got the knack of spinning. I told Cindy, "There's something magical about this place because I am spinning so well here!"

It was definitely the support of newfound fiber friends, the sweet alpaca watching over me with their big baby eyes, and of course, the Little Red Barn itself.

Now I'm heading back to Parker, just outside of Plano, for some more spinning and knitting action. I've got a pound or so of fine merino roving that I need re-carded into something smoother that will be easier to work with. So, perhaps this weekend I can expand my knowledge of the world of working with fiber. Maybe my next obsession will be carding fiber into roving and batts myself. Oh Boy-O, this is going to be fun!

Simple Saturday

When work and play clash

I have little energy

Yet, knitting remains.

Rolling out of sleep

Stepping into the morning

Coffee in the fridge.

Looking back on snow

Rejoice for the rest given

Look forward with love.

Behold the wonders

The wonders of creation

Seeps through me and out.

Why do you stare, dog?

Do you want something from me?

Oh, you need to eat.

Draft, spin, give, treadle

Twist, pull, slow down and speed up

Create something great.

Poetry this way

Fingers counting syllables

Try to make funny.

Saturday simply

Is a long day for some folks

Choose your day today.

Wordless Wednesday

Catching the Bug

Angora rabbits! Angora fiber! Bun Bun Heaven!

I've been doing some research and I'm quickly falling in love with these fiber producing rabbits. As some of you know, I've had a rabbit before, Mr. Bun Buns. He had a past and he was not the happiest guy. Luckily, I found him a home where teenaged pet-lovers could tend to him and hopefully see him enough every day that his demeanor would change for the better.

Now I'm catching the bunny bug again. Ever since I got my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel for Christmas (2010) I have been working with fiber and spinning it into yarn. I have had dreams of working and living on a farm with pygmy goats, chickens, horses and now... fiber-producing animals. So, what better way for me to ease into this out-in-the-sticks lifestyle than to just go ahead and get a fiber-producing animal that can safely be cared for at home, without 4 acres?

Enter the Angora Rabbit. Research has told me that there are some differences between Angoras and other rabbits (pictures could have easily told me that, duh). For example, they are bred to be more passive and docile than other rabbits due to the frequency in which they must be brushed and groomed. Mr. Bun Buns, bless his heart, HATED to be touched, especially on the hips where he had a past injury. So brushing and grooming this creature was a task. One time, as I was preparing to brush Mr. Buns, he lunged out of the cage at me (as I sat on the floor), mouth open, incisors bared, in order to protect his precious territory. I guess he didn't like the nail clippers I was hiding behind my leg. I should have known that he sensed my fear.

Erik and I talked about it and he is the one who is concientious about the money in the family, as he should be. And he recognized that having another pet is having another expense. I just thought to myself, how sustainable would it be to have my own fiber producer in the house? I wouldn't have to pay someone else all my hard-earned cash on fiber (as often), I wouldn't have to pay for shipping, I'd be taking the equivalent of 1,562 delivery trucks off the roadways, and I'd be taking the equivalent of 80, 904 lbs. of CO2 gases out of our air! All because of one sweet (herd of) Angora rabbits!

New Beginnings

As the snow melts into slushy stuff on the roads, our hearts warm up as the sun shines from above. The future husband and I went out of the house, that's right folks, OUT of the house for the first time in five days since the big freeze on Jan 31st.

Janie and I are now members of the Textile and Fiber Arts List (http://www.tafalist.com/) and you can find our member profile here. Thanks for snooping around.

Telegraph Canyon Freezes, but Not Tam.

Why does Tam from Telegraph Canyon NOT freeze in this scenario? Oh, because she's wearing some awesome, hand-knit fingerless mittens that I made for her so she can rock the block on her fiddle while remaining toasty as... uh, toast?

Even though the fan pic (provided by Jose from Gingerman) is not the best quality, you can see there, off to the left, that Tam is snug in her stylish mittens. They go so well with that jacket, if I do say so myself. Thanks Jose for the pic!

Don't forget to visit Gingerman on Camp Bowie in Fort Worth for trivia every Thursday night at 7pm.

A Record in Tresuries.

Must be the fact that so many people are snowed in. All they can think of is to sit in front of their fire, computer in lap, cruise Etsy, and create treasuries.

Today is pretty exciting because I've been featured in five, count them, five treasuries! Hopefully this boosts some sales now that I'm offering 10% off PLUS free shipping until Feb 20th, when I celebrate my 30th birthday.

The items featured from my shop (http://dye2spin.etsy.com/) are Mustard Greens Wool yarn , Better Belize It wool roving, Blueberry Afternoon Alpaca roving, and Deep Purple wool yarn.

Snow Day #2

Well friends, its the second day in a row that inclement weather has shut down North Texas and surrounding areas. Many school districts far and wide have closed their doors so teachers, staff, and students can stay home and be safe. I consider this time to stay home and CREATE!

So, my plan for the day is to do some spinning, dying, knitting and general fiber nerding. To your left is some chunky Valentine's Day yarn I hand-dyed using my trusty crock pot! I really like the way it turned out. With the special technique I have found, I can make OOAK (one-of-a-kind) yarn colorways without using plastic wrap or microwaves. Plastic wrap is like nails down the environmental chalkboard. I avoid using it at all costs. Eventually I want to move on up to a solar cooker. But I don't know how much one of those costs or what is involved. So, I'll have to research.

Stay warm, give yourself a treat, make a fire, and mark your calendar for the Cowtown Indie Bazaar on March 19th at the Will Rogers Memorial Center here in Fort Worth, TX. Until next time! Find me on Ravelry: knittybangetsy

http://dye2spin.etsy.com

http://knittyknittybangbang.etsy.com

Craft Show, Craft Show, La-dee-dah-dee Craft Show.

Wow, have we been away THIS LONG? Really? Well, there have been some good reasons surrounding this extended absence from our blessed blog. A masters degree has been finished (Oct. 2010) and much knitting has commenced.

Janie and I have finally gotten ourselves involved in craft shows. It is quite an experience. Finally WE are the people sitting behind a table-o-stuff saying "How 'ya doin'?" to the passers-by, anticipating an "oooo" or "awwww" as they look at all we have to offer.

We began in September 2010 with the Cowtown Indie Bazaar. This was a wonderful experience for the inexperienced. Everything was organized and simple. Even though I was in charge of organizing the musical performances for the event, Janie and I managaed to meet and greet many potential customers, hand out some "business cards" we had to write on pieces of notebook paper (doh!), and make some sales.

Then we had the Soul's Harbor Community Church craft fair in October which was good exposure and an opportunity to network with other folks.

Then we moved up to the big time and ventured into the Big D. No, not D-I-V-O-R-C-E,

D-A-L-L-A-S. We signed up to be a non-food vendor for the White Rock Local Market. This was such a fun show. It was from 8am-1pm and we did the best we had ever done. We were finally validated for all the work we had done in our own little knitting worlds. Janie and I could say, at last, that we are getting paid for what we love to do.

Isn't that the whole point of life before retirement? In some areas of the world, I'm sure it is.

Come on out to the Catholic Charities of Dallas on November 18th between 6:30pm and 10:00pm to buy some great holiday gifts from vendors promising to make a donation to the church. http://www.catholiccharitiesdallas.org/

Win an Etsy Shopping Spree!

You know you would love love love to spend $800 at your favorite Etsy shop. Now here's your chance to do just that.

Just go to http://www.readymade.com/, create an account if you don't already have one, then look for the Etsy Sweepstakes button on the top right of the home page. Click it and enter once a day until September 26th. How easy can it be, right?

On to other things, I know its been quite a while since the last blog post for KKBB. We've been busy knitting and crocheting away in preparation for the Cowtown Indie Bazaar in Fort Worth, TX. http://www.cowtownindiebazaar.com/ This event is happening on Saturday, September 4th. We have our booth and we are creating as many awesome handknit knits as humanly possible. In fact, I had to take some pain meds last night because my left thumb was giving me some troubles. But, its all in the name of handmade madness.

Come by our Etsy shop http://knittyknittybangbang.etsy.com/ to see what's going on. We are going to be getting ready for another successful winter season full of chunky scarves and Janie's socks, nearly a household name.

Newest Crocheted Baby Hats by Janie

Ok folks, get your oooo's and ahhhhh's ready for the newest crocheted addition to KKBB. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=43875039

Model Astrid is wearing the Antique Spring crocheted cloche with a bright beautiful side flower. Hand crocheted by Janie Bull with 100% cotton yarn. Sure to keep your baby's head protected from the sun while cool.

In all it's Glory.

http://tinyurl.knittybang.com

Here it is in all its glory! Support Handmade and Cafe Handmade.

Ashley

Cafe Handmade Featured Artist!

So, after applying to the awesome Cafe Handmade blog, KnittyKnittyBangBang won the chance to be a featured artist. Our day to shine is Monday, March 29th so check out www.cafehandmade.com for the blog and our feature!!!

We're knitting away as fast as we can. Janie and I are also putting our heads together to make a knock-out appearance at our very first craft show, the Cowtown Indie Bazaar in September '10. We're thinking fall afghans, winter socks, perhaps some naughty knit panties and Knit-it Kits.

More later lovies.

Take a Deep Breath, Now say "Ahhhhhh..."

And exhale.........

After all the craziness and excitement that circled around our heads during the Funky Finds Spring Fling on March 13th, I'm finally ready to blog again.

The FFSF was my first time to work a craft fair booth and it was a successful learning experience. Luckily for me, two of my hard-working fellow Esty FW teammates were there with me from beginning to end. Thank you to the crafty minds behind Christi's Creations (http://christidj22.etsy.com/) and MakaylaCreations (http://makaylacreations.etsy.com/) for the help!

Our Silent Auction baskets had so much cool stuff in them that people started to ask to buy things right out of the basket. Since the awesome Etsy FW members offered to donate their products that could have been sold in-shop, we were benefitting the Tarrant Area Food Bank with the proceeds from the Silent Auction. The executive decision was made at noon to difuse the Silent Auction and sell items from the baskets singly. We made a larger donation to the TAFB that way, and we all felt better about it. Plus, more people got the great stuff from Etsy FW creators that they wanted!

In the world of KKBB, I stumbled upon a website or an email or something that gave my shop the opportunity to be featured in a blog. http://www.cafehandmade.com/ is the blog that features artists and crafters every other day. It's exciting because I got to fill out a cool questionnaire that made me feel like a supa-stah! I also got to pick and choose some of my favorite photos of the items that Janie and I knit to send in for the feature. Thanks to Jill Johnson (http://www.jilljohnsonphoto.com/) I was able to make some simple decisions on which photos to choose. In past blog posts, its easy to pick out the professional photos from the one's Janie and I had attempted. Hey, we tried, but Jill is the ultimate expert!

March 29th is the Big Day for KKBB as we are the featured artist in the blog for Cafe Handmade. Go visit, be amazed, and don't forget to follow this awesome blog that is supporting artists, crafters, and designers. Hey, maybe YOU could wind up getting your shop featured there as well.

Happy First Day of Spring (even though that's three days away).

Valentine's Day LOVE!

I love love. It's a wonderful thing. I love Etsy because it lets me unleash my creative knits to the world with a no-holds-barred (whatever that means) attitude.

I'm doing that today with my love for Valentine's Day. I'm "no-holds-barring" my price for the lovely American Indian Princess Afghan.

This afghan was hand knit by yours truly with a completely original and on-the-spot color scheme. It can be yours for half the price of what it usually is listed in the store. I have adjusted the price to the listing so you don't have to wait for a pesky refund. Oh, did I mention Free Shipping to the US. Well, there's Free Shipping to the US, guys and gals.

Other promotions for Valentine's Day are also happening in the shop. Jump on it!

Buy one item -----5% off

Buy two items----15% off

Buy three items--25% off

Buy four+ items--35% off

This discount applies to your entire order, pretty sweet. Shipping for each item still applies.

Check it out! Or Cross it out! Or Heart it out! Whatever you do best on this Valentine's Day!

http://knittyknittybangbang.etsy.com

Ashley Ammons

Love Monger