What to do with your knitting samples or swatches.

Dye2Spin: Your Stash Supplier

I don’t typically make swatches or samples. I dive right in and try to ignore mistakes as I make them. But, that’s the story with handmade, its the personalization that makes the product great!
Today I’m going to share just a quick tip with you about what to do with all those swatches and samples. Instead of keeping one (unfinished) fingerless mitten in a drawer, or swatches of yarn that you KNOW you’ll never need to measure again, use them to clean your house! That’s right, clean your house with them. Perhaps you could keep a 100% wool yarn swatch near your computer to clean your screen. You could put on one of those acrylic mittens to dust your mini-blinds. You could even use left over yarn scraps to make the center of your next dryer ball project.

Whatever you do, don’t throw them away!  You could use that wonderful wool in more…

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Dye2Spin Podcasts and Limited Release Sock Yarn

Dye2Spin: Your Stash Supplier

Check out the latest podcast interviews from TapGurl on the Go and The High Fiber Diet featuring Dye2Spin!!!  Both interviews were done on the same day but there were different perspectives and questions in each.

My first interview of the day was with KaRi from The High Fiber Diet.  She is the chairwoman of the fiber retreat, Knittin’ in the Mitten happening in Michigan, Nov. 7-10, 2013.  KaRi and I spoke about my environmentally friendly practices, where I get my inspiration, and how Dye2Spin is doing these days.  If you plan on attending Knittin’ in the Mitten, go home with some Dye2Spin goodies and be sure to make yourself some cute hexipuffs!

My second interview was with Carmen of TapGurl on the Go.  She is in my area so I got to do a face-to-face interview with her.  Carmen was one of my very first yarn customers at the Cowtown Indie Bazaar back in March ’11.  She…

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Dye2Spin: Your Stash Supplier

I was telling one of my co-workers today, “I think this is THE most well-deserved Spring Break I’ve had in my nine years of teaching public school.”  She looked at me and nodded, agreeing that she felt the same.  What a year it’s been!

So I’m diving into my Dye2Spin production studio (i.e. the kitchen) over the next week while I have nowhere to be but home.  More Captain Jack, Midnight Rider, and Lovebird skeins will enter the world.  Shortly after, those products will be available on this very website for viewing and purchasing.

I’m almost tempted to go visit the Shabby Sheep in Dallas to check on my hand-dyed spinning fibers and Bulky Merino skeins that are currently sitting on the shelves, waiting for lovely creatives to adopt them, love them, hug them a bit, and turn them into what they were always meant to be.  Would that make me…

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Tossing Your Cookies, Our next Coffee & Crafts

Sunday, January 22nd will mark our next Coffee & Crafts get-together as Craft Cafe.  We look forward to seeing everyone and tasting their lovely cookie creations that day.  Extra cookies from the swap will be donated to overseas soldiers so they can experience the joy that resides in a home-baked delight.

On the teaching agenda is Floor Spindle lessons with Ashley.  We have two floor spindles, called Meggies, from Heavenly Handspinning that will be used for teaching.  For new spinners, this is a great way to understand drafting out fiber in the process of making yarn.

We will also have knitting lessons available for those who yearn to work with yarn or those who just need some tips along the way.

Sure to be an excellent time, as usual.

My Review of Cream Fine Count Alpaca Top

Originally submitted at Alpaca Direct

Spins into superb fine yarn for knitting 25-27 Micron Diameter Alpaca Roving Soft and Luxurious

Cream Fine Count Alpaca Top

Luxurious

By Dye2Spin.etsy.com from Fort Worth, TX on 1/10/2012

 

5out of 5

Pros: Dyed Evenly, Nice Texture, Soft

Cons: Sheds

Describe Yourself: Artist

Was this a gift?: No

This top dyed evenly and dried wonderfully. I can’t wait to spin it up!

(legalese)

The Time has Come! FIX Prize Box Giveaway

The Time has Come! FIX Prize Box Giveaway.

To Etsy or Not to Etsy

Lately I’ve been doing through a situation where I ask myself, “Self, is it better to have an Etsy shop, pay for each item to renew on top of a transaction fee AND a fee to Paypal in order to keep my shop and my side business alive?”  You know, I actually DO respond to myself.  Since forging new friendships on Ravelry and through my newest Rav group Craft Cafe DFW, I’ve found out about Big Cartel and ArtFire. 

Clicking this banner will take you to my Etsy Shop

Both of these mediums are for independent sellers and they charge a flat rate per month.  Sellers can choose different levels of payment (gold, silver, platinum, etc.) for better perks.  I like the fact that I know, ahead of time, what my expenditure will be for my shop on a specific website.

Some questions that have arised in the creation of my online shops at BigCartel and ArtFire are, “How to items renew or get bumped up to the beginning of the search for a customer?  In other words, how visible are my listings?”  On Etsy, I can pay $0.20 and renew an item.  Within seconds I see that same item on the front page of  that category.  How is that handled on those websites?

I’m also wondering about the exposure of each of these websites.  Over the last several years, Etsy has become a household name to many people I talk to.  I’ve heard more comments like, “I bought everything off of Etsy this year for Christmas” and “I love shopping on Etsy.  You can find everything there.”  So, will BigCartel and ArtFire grow to the same popularity?

If you’re an online indie seller and you have questions or have answers, please comment below.  I’d love to open this discussion up to those who are interested in some way.  We can all help each other make the best decision for ourselves as business owners.

Twitter: @craftcafedfw

Facebook: Craft Cafe DFW (www.facebook.com/craftcafedfw)

Dye2Spin on FB: www.facebook.com/dye2spin

Get your FIX.

I’m talking about the Fiber Indie eXperience of course!  Didn’t you know?  Every month the FIX either collects products from their co-op members or has a gift certificate available! 

How can I get this, you ask.  Well, all you have to do is visit the Ravelry group for the online stores you can visit.  Each qualifying purchase is an entry into the drawing for either the box of fiberous goodies or the gift certificate.  If you have more questions, please ask as a comment to this blog post, someone else may be thinking the exact same thing you are!

For example, the January goodie box will be filled with roving and yarn samples.  Purchases from my Etsy shop (whether 2 or 200 items are purchased) is an entry into the drawing.  If you come back a week later to make another purchase, another entry is put into the drawing for the box in your name.  Get it?  Got it?  Good!

Find the FIX group on FB (by clicking on the banner above) or on Ravelry if you’re THAT cool.  I’ll cross my fingers for you that you win!