Moving Sale & Giveaway!

I'm moving!

In anticipation of the big move, I'm having a Moving Sale and Giveaway!!!

MOVING SALE:

From March 5th - 14th, enjoy 15% off in my shop*

Yep, you got it- 15% off handspun or dyed yarns, hand-knit hats, cozy scarves, or whatever else you may find!
Help me clear out so I don't have to pack it up and move it all!

*the discount does not apply to shipping, gift certificates or custom orders, and cannot be combined with any other offer!

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GIVEAWAY: a $25 USD coupon to spend in my shop!

How to enter:

1.) Go visit my shop and have a look around ... come back here and leave a comment in this post about your favorite item from my shop & why.= 1 entry
2.) Leave me a comment here telling me of a moving tip you've found helpful = 1 entry
3.) Blog about this giveaway and leave a link to it in a separate comment here = 1 entry

4.) Make a purchase in my shop and come back here and tell us about it = 1 entry

PLEASE NOTE: each entry must be it's own comment and you must leave it in the comments of this blog post!

**RULES**

a) it is possible to have a maximum of 4 entries total per person.
b) please make sure to leave each entry as it's own comment. thanks!
c) using random.org, 1 winner of the giveaway will be chosen on monday march 16th and announced shortly thereafter.
d) please be sure to leave me an email where i can reach you if your account doesn't link to one.

1 (among many) Idea for Creative Reuse

It finally happened! The book came out- the first craft related book I've been in!
My day was made on Tuesday when the article on etsy came out about the book (read it here).  I got the book for the holidays it was so satisfying to see one my projects in there- I was so excited I couldn't find Aaron, so as I was looking for him in the bookstore, I couldn't hold it in so I told the people working there- and then they gave me a discount!

There's little me with my hobo bag!

Apparently Garth, the fella who put the book together wanted it to be sort of a guessing game, so he didn't put what everything was made out of with the pictures.  So you flip to the back and you find out!

The bag that was in the book sold long ago so I decided to make up a new custom listing, since I only have a tiny bit of that yarn left (most of it has went into these).  So, practice what I preach, I went to goodwill and found a bunch more wool sweaters to start unravelling:

Sometimes I find it a bit difficult finding sweaters to unravel- it seems to be the time where I can find ones that I would actually wear!  Had the yellow one been a different color, I probably would have kept it.  I did also bring home a nice blue one that Aaron decided to keep.
I'm waiting next for my ball winder to arrive, my little holiday/birthday present to myself! 
In the meantime, yay for creative reuse!  Check out the book for some fabulous ideas & inspiration!

Happy 2010! Year in review

Happy New Year!

Wow!  What a great year it has been, full of learning and fun!
I'm looking forward to the new year's challenges as I continue to grow my skills and life.  I feel like 2010 will be a year of change- and I feel ready for it too. 
Thank-you to everyone who helped or supported me in 2009; you are truly appreciated!

On the horizon for 2010:

- more handspun yarns

- more hand-dyed yarns

- crochet patterns

- a d.i.y. guide to non-toxic dyeing

- fiber supplies- hand-dyed rovings & batts

If you have something you would like to see more of in my shop, feel free to drop me a line!

I heart cables

A couple of weekends ago, I finished my first cabled hat (or cabled anything, for that matter).  I am so happy with the result, and was amazed at how easy these cables worked up!  I used good ol' reliable lion brand thick n quick in the color barley.  I am hoping to make a matching neckwarmer too!

I don't think everything lines up perfectly, but i'm still pretty happy with my first cabled hat!

The Big 100

I've hit a major milestone in my shop today- I've reached 100 sales!
Thanks to fellow Alberta Team member, GlassCircus, I am no longer staring at that annoying number 99!  Thank-you Martina, and to the other 99 OffTheHooks customers!  She's getting this Headband/Necktube with Handpainted local Yarn:

The number 100 has so many connections... according to wikipedia:
- One hundred is the basis of percentages (literally "per hundred"), with 100% being a full amount.
- 100 degrees Celsius is the boiling temperature of pure water at sea level
- 100 is the atomic number of fermium.
- 100 is The number of years in a century
- A 100 year old person is known as a centenarian. George Burns. Bob Hope,  were among those who had lived to 100.
- In Greece, India and Israel, 100 is the police telephone number.
- In Belgium, 100 is the ambulance and firefighter telephone number.
- In the United Kingdom, 100 is the operator telephone number
- 100 episodes, generally the point at which a TV series becomes viable for syndication (often reached during a prime time series' 5th season)

Okay, okay, so you get the idea!
To celebrate, take 10% off any regular priced item in my shop- until Sunday, November 15th!  Just quote "big 100" in your notes to seller!

And check out the lovely GlassCircus' work below:

Happy 80th!

Alright.  I'm having one of those "whoa" moments.  I just put the puzzle pieces together.  Today, I reached 80 sales in my shop.  Today is also my paternal grandma's 80th birthday, AND I just noticed that this is my 85th blog post!!  And, my first front page on etsy was on August 8, 2008 (08/08/08), which was a tea cosy that I named after my great-grandma; Mrs. Peterson's Tea Cosy:

What's with all the 8's??? I sometimes wonder if my great-grandmother is out there cheering me on; it seems a little too coincidental.  I think about her often, even though she passed away when I was quite young.   I think she's a big part of who I am today- through my grandma, I have inherited her sense of thrift, hard work, and strength.  It's something I'm really grateful for, and its so amazing that I get these little reminders periodically- it's so encouraging!

So as I celebrate my success, I also celebrate and honor the great women I have learned from.  

Thanks great-grandma,  and happy 80th birthday grandma!!!

above: just some of the big 80!

Front Pages

Yay! I have made it to the front page 3 times recently, once with my Lama corespun art yarn: (mentioned here)

(2nd row right)

And with my Rhubarb Chunky Textile Necklace/Loop scarf in Bamboo and Silk:

(bottom right)

And then, this morning with my brand new Wool Legwarmers w/ Upcycled Yarn in Umber:

(bottom left)

I am, however, a bit bummed about the last one, which was this morning. As someone "bought" the legwarmers, but it turned out to be totally phoney. Nothing like starting the day all happy because you thought you made a sale, and then finding out it's a hoax :(

Oh well, seems to be a rite of passage for us etsians.

Thank you

Just wanted to say a quick thank-you to the folks who've featured my work in the following places lately:

- myhandmaderegistry: my Harvest Fingerless Gloves with Upcycled, hand-dyed yarn were featured on the front page as part of a member's wish list! My handmaderegistry is a place to pick & choose your very own handmade wish list- whether it's for a wedding or some other special occasion. Check it out!

- Etsy: my Eco Trivet/potholder in Mayan Sunrise was featured in the Storque article Which Item Gets You into a Fabric Frenzy?

Gee, are people on an orange kick, or what?!

I have also had many items picked for various treasuries- to find out what treasuries you're in, check out Craftopolis- Etsy treasure hunt.

*Last night I also reached 60 sales on etsy! yay!