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Save 20%, Give 20%

The fiber arts community in North Carolina is suffering horribly. SAFF, the big fiber arts festival, has been canceled because of Helene. So, taking after my weavers guild friend Patti Barker, I’m having a sale to benefit Asheville artists. You get 20% off with the code ASHVILLE20 until Oct 13th. And 20% of your sale amount will go to the fundraiser being done by fiber arts collective Local Cloth. On Oct. 14th I will post the sale total and donation receipt on this blog.

Do a little shopping and feel good about it. Thanks, and have a good day.

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I’m Back!

Back to spinning, that is. My right thumb problem turned out to be arthritis. But I modified my spinning technique and did a little practice, and now I’m back to shop-worthy spinning.

I just finished this gradient (about sport/DK weight, 285 yards, 5 ounces, merino and nylon) and I’m working on its twin, as I have another braid of this colorway. They’ll be in the shop soon, along with a few yarns I spun before my thumb started bothering me.

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SwitchKnits in Person!

I’m doing a vendor table (very rare for me — the last one was around 2017) at the closing of the SOFT exhibit at the Thomas Center here in Gainesville, FL.

When: Friday, July 23rd, 2024 — 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Where: 302 NE 6th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32601

I’ll have about 30 skeins of handspun with me, almost everything in the online shop right now. Come by and say hello! And if you can’t make it, there are some new yarns online for you.

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The Dangers of Spinning

In February I developed tendonitis in my right thumb (aka De Quervain’s). It’s only a particular movement that causes pain, and it’s the movement I use while spinning. Yeah, I overdid it. So I’ve been taking a break from making yarn. Instead I’m cross-stitching, which doesn’t hurt. The results won’t be for sale, though.

So the store is still running, as I have lots of yarn available. I’m just not making more, and taking commissions is on hold for a bit. As are spinning lessons. (I can still knit and weave, thankfully.)

I hope everyone is well and has a great summer!

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Antique Wheel, and My Fiber Stash

Two announcements:

First, I was given a beautiful antique spinning wheel, which I’ve fixed up. It’s from the 1860s; I know when and where it was made, and it was an heirloom in a family that went west in the 1880s in a Conestoga wagon! I’m using the wheel now for my own projects, and I’m willing to spin commissions on it. (Your yarn has to be on the thin side, though, as the wheel won’t do thicker yarns.) For more on the wheel, check the related posts on my personal site. There are even videos of me using it.

Also, I have some really beautiful fiber in my stash these days. Let me know if you want to call dibs on any of it!

Multiple colors of wool.

(Click on pictures to embiggen.)

I hope you all are well. Happy holidays!

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The Grayson Loom

I didn’t name it after myself, I swear. The maker chose the name. It’s a warp-weighted loom (the style of loom used from ancient Sumeria through the Middle Ages) that I designed with a weaver/carpenter. It’s portable, and breaks down for storage. You can weave up to a four-shaft pattern with it once you get the hang of it. It’s great for reenactors and history nerds.

To see the story of the loom and info about it, go here. To purchase, it’s on Etsy here. I’m very excited to have helped create a reasonably priced WWL for people who don’t want to build their own!

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December? Already?!

A lot has happened since I last updated the shop. A friend from the weavers guild gave me a floor loom!

A large wooden floor loom.

It’s a Macomber Add-A-Harness, 40″ weaving width, with four shafts. I plan to upgrade it to eight when I’m able. I started a project on it, but haven’t had time to finish.

Why? Because I got a part-time job at the local yarn store, which just closed last month. My boss, the owner, had been running the shop for 34 years and was ready to retire. So I helped out until the end, and have been getting the leftover products ready to put on eBay and Etsy. I’ll share links when the time comes, as we’ll have some pretty good deals on yarn and needlepoint stuff.

Now that my life is a bit calmer, I plan to resume spinning for the shop, as well as finishing that weaving project. I have some other crafty plans, too, like learning to spin “in hand” for a medieval re-creation, and learning to spin flax. Should be fun!