I had spun 25 skeins for this market and what I have leftover I will be putting into my Etsy shop over the week. I also had a lot of patterns available as well as spinner starter kits. I also had a few Unraveled Oracle decks with me that originally debuted at the Manitoba Fibre Festival in 2019 and sold all but 1. The below felted farm was made by Arlette Seib! Isn't it amazing? And this gorgeous vest made out of natural fibres on display at the Pembina Fibreshed booth where they were demonstrating how to work with flax. ![]() I didn't get a picture of all the animals at the festival except this sweet baby cria with his mom. You can see a Wensleydale sheep in the background. There was also a Texel, Shetland, CVM, Cotswold and Romney. Before heading home the next day we of course stopped at Baked Expectations and I got a piece of this German Chocolate Cheesecake. It really is a hard decision, as I also wanted the Red Velvet, Pumpkin Cheesecake and there is a Peanut Butter Marshmallow Cheesecake (!). I slept most of the way home but I had a smile on my face that hasn't been there for a long time.
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Blue Hills Fibre Fest was on June 9th - which was also World Wide Knit In Public Day. Jeremy and I spent the day in Carberry with the always amazing Manitoba Fibre Community. If you haven't visited a fibre fest before, you MUST add this one to your list. It may be smaller on scale but it is overflowing with amazing vendors, classes, fleeces and pie! This was my booth all set up and ready to go. Aside from our regular items we also had Straw into Gold kits and Cog Yarns hand dyed skeins for purchase. I am always overwhelmed at the generous support from the people in Manitoba. You all made my day so bright and one I can say I honestly enjoyed. Looking forward to next year already Wool ShowI was very happy to judge the wool show this year. There were 16 fleeces in all and wow (!) most scored pretty high. Manitoba wool is exceptional. Here are the first place winners as well as some of my favourites. My phone was a bit greasy so sorry about the shiny pictures hah! More SpinningI had a few new skeins to bring with me. Watch for an update in my Etsy shop very soon, were I will be listing the skeins I have. You can also find some at The Naked Sheep Yarn & Fibre Emporium. Cake!If you are ever in Winnipeg then you MUST go to Baked Expectations. The cakes are so unbelievable, you will need to decide on a few to go as well. Jeremy had the Tia Maria torte. Next time I might get the Red Velvet cake and likely another cheesecake or chocolate cream pie. Also, take it from me - the hot chocolate is one of the best! My HaulI did well. I could have bought soooo much more. The quality of vendors was outstanding and such a great variety. A new knitting wedge bag from Dragon Fibre Bags, project bag, sock yarn and t-shirt from Long Way Homestead, Sock yarn from The Sheep-ish Spinner, darning mushroom from Natural Knot Woods, french spindle from Homespun Tools and a cork wedge pouch, cedar/grapefruit handmade soap and merino hand dyed fibre from Last Dance Ranch.
Oh I love it all!! I wanted to send out a big Thank you to those who stopped by the Etsy SK Winter Market on Dec 2nd at the U of R. This was the 3rd sale I organized at this venue and it still is my favourite. I had a good day talking to a lot of great people and meeting new vendors as well. I bought some yarn from Midknit Cravings; some to make another Aura shawl and a sock appetizer (pics below). I also got some fat quarters from So Sweet Quilts which I am planning on making some quilted mug rugs. A hand blown glass tumbler from Glassy Eyed and some beautiful notecards from Sparkling Medusa. Thanks to my chronic pain, after the sale I slept from 9 pm on Sat to 2:15 pm on Monday.
I also finished 2 pairs of socks using the Straight Up Socks pattern again. One pair was for my dad's birthday and I used good ol Kroy sock yarn. I really like knitting for him because he truly appreciates it. When I gave them to him (as he was going out the door) he cam back in, took off his boots, ripped off his socks he was wearing and put my handmade socks on. I love that. ![]() My other pair I made in only a couple days using some new yarn from Midknit Cravings. It is one of their appetizers as I mentioned above. The colourway's I used were Bad Mood Monday and Wine Not! You get 50 g of the main colour and 20 g of a contrast colour. I was waffling between doing an afterthought heel, or maybe just tube socks but thought I would try to see how far I could get with the Straight Up Socks recipe and was left with 5g of the main colour and 6g of the contrast so I could have been ok. I just love them! Can't wait to make more. ![]() I also sewed a brand new dress!! It is the Fen Dress from Fancy Tiger Crafts and I highly recommend it! For starters it comes in a bunch of sizes and it has POCKETS! You can also make a shirt. I love the hem line and it is SO comfortable. I will be making more of these as well. I also just bought the Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated so it will be my next sewing project for my handmade wardrobe. It also has pockets and it is reversible. We had so much fun last year that we are at it again! I am organising this market with the help of Marjorie, Angela, and Jeremy. 3 amazing partners will be joining us this year including The Wren, Paper Umbrella and The Blue Rooster Cafe. We have 38 vendors bringing you their handmade work from baby items, pottery, jewellery, fibre, paper, art and skin care just to name a few. We also have sellers and 3 vintage shops this year like Burlap Linen & Lace, The Dress Form and Your Aunties Panties. We have 2 vendors travelling from Manitoba (Periwinkle Designs) and Alberta (The Wacky Windmill). You can follow the details on our Facebook event page. I will be bringing some handspun and finished handknit items with me as well as putting on an Etsy Start Selling workshop. I hope you will join me!
![]() Thank you to everyone who came out to Carberry this past weekend and shared in the day surrounded by the wonderful people in the Manitoba fibre community. There were lots of great vendors, workshops, a spinning circle, demonstrations and of course a nice number of fleeces up for grabs in the wool show. I judged the wool show again this year and we had 12 fleeces entered including a silky angora fleece from one of Barb Mulock's Mohair goats! Congrats to the winners were: Brian Greaves - Polypay/Ille de France, Gail Kasprick - Dorset, Gerry Oliver - Costwold X, Barb Mulock - Shetland and the Angora. Thank to the Wool Growers for sponsoring the show and donating prize money to the winners. Follow Blue Hills on Facebook so you can keep up with their plans for next year. You really want to add this one on to your schedule. I'll be back in Manitoba this fall and look forward to seeing everyone again!
I crocheted this hat using merino I dyed to get a pebbled look but I needed to take better pics. Merino is the softest of all the wool breeds so this yarn isn't itchy at all. Hat measures 18.5" around and 6" from crown to brim. I was babysitting my niece & nephews this past weekend so took that time to do better justice for this cute hat. This is Kale, he originally said he didn't want to be my model but luckily changed his mind. It was his idea to pretend to read a book to make the pictures look more natural haha.
I made a few of these hats and just have this one left so I decided to knock the price down by 40%. You can find it in my Etsy Shop. Thank you SO much to everyone who came out to support local artisans at the Etsy Sask Bring on Spring sale yesterday! It was a wonderful day and I was happy to talk to lots of people about my process, my yarns and wool in general. I met a lot of fellow Etsy Sask team members and even Elaine, who is one of our Team Leaders. Erin, Elaine and I organized this event and were happy to see so many people supporting our very talented bunch of makers. We had something for everyone and I even came home with a few goodies myself. This Necessary Clutch Wallet above has been on my list for a while and it has yarn balls in it!! I saw it in Dear Leora Designs' booth and I quickly grabbed it and had to have it! Kathryn even said she had me in mind when she made it :D SO perfect.
Etsy Sask Team has been organizing another sale. Erin, Elaine and I will all be selling at this one. It is on March 13th at the Saskatoon Farmers Market 10 - 3. Click on the picture above to be taken to our Facebook event page and read our vendor profiles. ![]() I have picked out a bunch of new fibres from my stash to spin for this sale. I am hoping to have 30 new skeins in bright, spring colours. I've also got some nice Easter egg felted soaps :) Hope to see you there!
I had a great time in Saskatoon this weekend! Jeremy and I met a friend of ours who was down from Edmonton and we had a great supper at Samurai. My first time trying Teppanyaki and man, was it amazing! It was also really great to be able to hang out a bit more with Erin and get to know her a little better, We have talked quite a bit on Facebook but never really had the chance to have coffee and talk.
On Sunday I was helping Erin, the Team Captain for Etsy Sask to organize a Holiday Pop-up Market. We did it in 2 weeks and had about 25 vendors. I brought some new skeins, hats, buttons and felted soap along my regular items. It was such a great day and the Farmers Market where we set up was a wonderful venue! Thank you to everyone who came out! We hope do do more of these types of sales. ![]() Starting today, until the end of the month I am offering a coupon code to use in my Etsy shop for 15% off the 12 oz bottles of Soak in the Celebration scent. Just type CELEBRATE15 when you check out. The scent is sweet, delicate and absolutely delicious, this perennial favourite smells like good, clean fun. Soak is a pure, gentle and deliciously scented way to wash the delicate items you care about most. I use this product to set the twist on all my skeins. This rinse-free formula is perfect for washing your laciest lingerie, your softest sweaters, hand-made quilts and even baby clothes. Soak is designed with fabric-friendly ingredients that revitalize fibers so they look great and last longer. Soak is safe for both hand and machine washing, including HE. Great for blocking. Use Soak on lingerie, swimwear, knits, quilts, workout wear, dance wear and all the stuff you love most! Even your dog! 12oz bottles: 75 washes ![]() I am excited to be planning an Etsy Made in Canada Sale this year in Regina on Saturday Sept 26th. This is a day where there are many pop-up markets happening in cities all across Canada. Etsy is making a name for itself in Canada and it has been helping many people in the handmade business for quite some time. There are two markets in Saskatchewan this year - Saskatoon & Regina. This sale is open to all Canadian residents who have an Etsy Shop. If you would like to attend as a vendor, the applications will be going out in the spring. Please sign up for this mailing list to be notified when the applications go out. If you are in Saskatchewan, you can join our Etsy Team Saskatchewan group and get in on the discussion and support. If you don't have an Etsy shop and have been thinking about it, this is a great time to open one up! You can really get your creative works out to the entire world. (here is a link to help you get free listings). Participating in this sale will also let your community know about your Etsy shop and give you an opportunity to sell face to face with your customers. I had a table at the market last year in Saskatoon and that sale was very well received. We had over 800 people though the doors and many lined up down the street waiting to get in before the doors even opened. I will be flying to Toronto with Etsy at the end of this month to attend their Leadership Summit and obtain lots of insight into making this sale as successful for the participants as possible. My sister is coming with me to hold my hand on the plane as I am terrified of flying. There will be sight seeing and maybe a yarn shop or two ;P It was a bit difficult to find a venue as I was looking for a classy place with lots of natural light. I have found what I was looking for in the Research and Innovation Centre at the University of Regina. Their Atrium is nice and open, and has character. Another interesting thing is, Christie Mechanical (where I work during the day) did all the mechanical for this building. I still have a lot of work to do, but I am happy to have found such a lovely place to hold this sale. If you don't have an Etsy shop, you should still mark this date down on your calendar. You will be able to shop local while buying fine craft, and supporting your community and handmade businesses. This will only keep getting bigger and better.
Etsy hosted their first Canadian event on Sept 27th across the country. It included Pop-up shops in 23 cities. I am part of the Team Etsy Saskatchewan and I was very happy to have been able to participate in Saskatoon. It was very well advertised and there were hundreds of eager shoppers lined up at the door and down the street before we opened. There were about 20 vendors that had quality handmade items from metalsmiths, glass artists, fibre artists, paper artists and everything in between. It was a very busy day and we had close to 800 people through the door. I depleted my stock of handspun and sold some finished items as well. SOAK was a big seller, especially the 2 new scents; Fig & Yuzu. I wasn't able to leave my booth for long, but I did purchase a couple pairs of earrings and a really unique shawl pin. ![]() I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who bought something from me. As you may know, Jeremy and I have been taking care of a feral cat family who has been sheltering under our front porch for the last few months. Regina Cat Rescue has given us a shelter for them and will be helping us trap them so they can be spayed/neutered and adopted out. Their names are Mrs. Hudson (Mom), Sherlock and Watson. I was donating 15% of my sales from the Etsy Made in Canada day to fund the spay/neuter of these cats. Thanks to you, we raised $134.00, enough to neuter and tattoo both Sherlock and Watson! If you weren't able to make it out but wanted to shop at some of the great vendors, you can find their Etsy shops here. It was a huge hit in every city and I hope to attend next year as well. Thanks to everyone who came by and now I must get back to spinning so I can re-stock my shop with more yarn :D
Let's be honest, I had been counting down the days until this years' Manitoba Fibre Festival. Last year was so wonderful, I was anticipating another great day and I was not dissapointed. The festival was such a success in its first year that this time, they needed A LOT more space. There were several more vendors and so many interesting workshops that they expanded the location over slightly to include the arena area of St Norbert Community Hall. ![]() I was also excited for the wool show, as I was invited back to judge the fleeces. This year we had 17, so almost double from last year! The more the better and this also makes for a more interesting competition and class set-up. We had 4 classes - Fine, Medium, Long and Specialty. I saw Polypay, Corriedale, Suffolk, Dorset, Romney crosses and Shetland. A nice representation of breeds common in the prairies. It was also nice to see fleeces from producers from both Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
![]() Grand Champion and a First Place in the Fine Class was awarded to this Polypay fleece from Manitoba Producer Gerry Oliver with a score of 95.5%. You can see that she takes great pride in her wool and the quality of her fleeces and it shows. After the show, she even told me that she was up into the wee hours the night before, making sure her fleeces were perfectly skirted and looking their best. Well worth the effort. Congrats Gerry! The Shetland fleeces were also gorgeous, the colour ranges in that breed are lovely and the fleeces themselves were tip top. Janet from Qu'Appelle was also at the festival, attending workshops and even entered fleeces which placed first and second. It was quite nice to see so many people from Saskatchewan attending the festival this year. ![]() I was in the perfect location to snag a beautiful Capar tiny turkish spindle that was calling my name! It's made from Olivewood and Walnut. I must be crazy because I'm not a big turkish fan, and the little, teeny tiny ones just make no sense to me yet, I couldn't stop looking at it. They have an Etsy shop, I don't think this will be my only purchase from them. Keep an eye out for a spindle review on this one in the future. There were also lots of demonstrations in weaving, machine knitting, spinning, and net making. You could have also brought your wheel and joined in with the spin-a-long that was happening. There was a book signing with Carol James - who is well known in the art of Sprang and finger weaving. I purchased a couple of her books at Olds a couple years ago. Her personality is so addictive, I promise that you will be so amazed with both her and her work, you will want her to come teach a workshop in your area. Joanne Seiff, who is also one of the coordinators of the Manitoba Fibre Festival, had a couple books that I was very interested in; Knit Green and Fiber Gathering. She signed both for me and I have already delved into them and flagged several of the projects to knit for myself. I also love how both are somewhat reference books in the fact that they are chalk full of useful information and you can tell she has done her research. I highly recommend both, they would be a wonderful addition to your library. ![]() I appreciated that Jeremy ran my booth for me during the entire day. He even said that he had a great time talking to people and sharing all the enthusiasm and passion for fibre arts that everyone bonded over. Congrats to both Margaret and Joanne for another successful festival! Can't wait to see everyone again in 2015 and thanks so much for those who came out! I have updated the shop with some more handspun as well as different Spinner Starter Kit Fibres. I will be taking everything with me to Saskatoon next weekend for the first Etsy Made in Canada Day. Its a really cool idea for people who have Etsy shops. On Saturday Sept 27th, there will be pop-up shops happenening all over Canada and I will be participating. If you are in the Saskatoon area, come see my yarns and handmade items up close. I will be at Le Relais (103 - 308 4th Ave N) from 10 - 5. Hope to see you there!
It's here!!!!Soak items have been updated in the shop. There are 2 new scents in the line-up; Fig and Yuzu and I am having trouble picking my favourite. The fig is a delightful blend of fig, lychee and dandelions. It smells wonderful! The Yuzu is a mix of citrus and eucalyptus, nice and light. I really appreciate how the SOAK scents are subtle, and not overpowering at all. Not only do they smell good they also have so many other great benefits. They are dye-free, non toxic, phosphate free, made with plant-derived ingredients, and biodegradable. And that's just on the inside. The bottle itself is recyclable and the inks are water soluble. You can feel good about using this non-rinse wash on all your fine fibres from handknits, baby items, swim suits, gym wear, lingerie, and quilts and so much more (including pets). You can even use it in your HE washing machine. If you haven't tried SOAK now is your chance. I have a couple 3 oz bottles left in stock as well as 2 - 14 oz bottles of Aquae (discontinued) left and you can snag them for $12 each which is a 25% discount.
The fun doesn't stop there. You can also try out the Handmaid luxury hand creme which is non-greasy and a great size for your purse or while traveling. No more snagging your project with rough hands. Are you a sock knitter, or have a sock knitter in your life? Heel is a wonderful product for - you guessed it, your feet. It comes in 3 soothing scents; Peppermint, Spearmint and Cucumber and unscented as well. These also make great gifts - for feet worthy of handknit socks. If you are curious about a certain scent, let me know, or come see me at any of my upcoming sales. I can't rave about this product enough. All my handspun skeins are washed in SOAK to set the twist and I trust this product with my most delicate fibres. And yes, I have washed our dog Jenny in it :) Almost Christmas and it definitely feels like crunch time! 2 more "days" to go before the end of my 12 Days of Christmas Sale. For today and tomorrow I have a nice neutral skein of handspun Corriedale, in the colourway "With Time" - DK Weight - WPI = 13 - Approx 238 yards 4oz - Chestnut, ecru, brown, rust -2 Ply Corriedale wool is reliable, durable and very versatile. It is great for socks, hats, pillows, sweaters, blankets etc. This would make a great gift for the knitter/crocheter/weaver in your life OR you can use this to make a nice gift for someone. If you would like the skein wound into a ball I can do that too :) I will include a mini soak sample with this skein. This skein is $40 but for Day 11 you can get it for... Today's Deal ~ $30 ![]() Handspun buttons made a nice, unique addition to a project. I have used them as functioning buttons, embellishments and they also make a nice addition to a swap gift. Each one is made with handspun (spindle spun) yarn and each button is one-of-a-kind. 2 packs are $2 each and the 3 packs are $3 Today's Deal ~ Buy 2 packs & get 1 free! If you are interested in some, message me with your choices. **Keep your eyes peeled in the new year as they many more will be added to my online shop. ![]() These 3 oz bottles make great stocking stuffers or additions to gifts. 3 oz bottles of SOAK or Handmaid are buy 2 get 1 free! (You save $10) Scents available are: Aquae: is a “purely elemental” scent that’s like a breath of fresh sea air, this crisp, refreshing scent will make you think of white cotton sheets snapping in the salty breeze Scentless: for your sensitive side. Celebration: Sweet, delicate and absolutely delicious, this perennial favourite smells like good, clean, fun. Lacey: is a material girl, soft and sweet. (limited quantities, this is the most popular scent) I will also include the Heel Creme (which is great for feet worthy of handknit socks) You can find out more about these great products on my SOAK page Please message me for your scent choices ![]() For the next 2 days, I am offering gift certificates for less! Each $25 gift certificate sold will receive a discount of $10 so the more you spend the more you save :D These are good to use in my Etsy shop, this website or at any of my sales. Hats are one of my favourite things to make. I have a couple to offer for today's deal; one knit and one crocheted The horseshoe beret is handknit with a merino/corriedale blend to give you softness and durability. One of my favourite hats, I have made a bunch of these. Nice natural shade of oatmeal/brown.
The sock monkey hat has been crocheted with hand dyed merino which is the softest wool out there. This hat will fit a small child. You can't help but smile when you look at it. This hat is one of a kind. These hats would make awesome Christmas gifts if you're last minute shopping but don't wait too long because this deal will only last until the end of the weekend. Today's Deal ~ $15.00 off This marks the halfway point in the 12 Days of Christmas Sale. I've been having a lot of fun with it :) The next item to offer, has been a popular one. My spa milkshakes are packaged neatly to make a great gift. Ingredients include: an extra large spa cloth, bath puff and a homemade soap all with a cherry on top! The spa cloth and bath puff are made with a high quality cotton/acrylic blend, so you get the softness and absorbency of the cotton with the lightweight characteristics of acrylic so these cloths will stay soft when they dry. The soap is an organic base.
Today's Deal ~ $15.00 each (Regular price is $25.00) Wanna show love for Knit Natural and look good while doing it? I have 100% cotton t-shirt in 4 Natural shades available for the 6th day of Christmas. Charcoal, chestnut, sand and black in sizes S - XL. These shirts have been direct to garment printed so they will last forever. "Knit Natural" on front with logo and web address on the back. These shirts usually sell for $25 but for the next 2 days......
Today's deal ~ $15.00 There are limited quantities of each available. Message me with your colour preference and size when ordering. Since it has been SO cold the past couple days I decided that for the 4th Day of Christmas I should offer a skein of handspun Merino in case you wanted to whip up a nice toque or miss or cowl or whatever you'd like.
"Bird, bird, bird, b, b, b, bird is the word" (yes, that's Jeremy's colourway naming) - WPI = 13 which classifys as a DK weight - Approx 198 yards 4oz - Nice soft shades of pink, blue, green and white -This yarn has been n-plied Merino wool is a superior wool in my opinion, it is fine and thus very soft, it is very lightweight and a nice classic wool. This skein is normally $35 but.... Today's Deal ~ $25.00 (That's a $10 savings and almost 30% off!) This is a one-of-a-kind item so once it's gone that's it. Items made from this yarn should be handwashed in cold water and laid flat to dry. I will also throw in a mini soak sample of your choice with this skein. This deal will be over on Dec 9 For Day 3, I have another great deal to offer. I have a couple of Spinner Starter Kits with Corriedale or Southdown wool. If you or someone you know is looking to learn how to spin and would like a great starter spindle and 4 oz of fibre to practice on these kits are exactly what you are looking for. Corriedale is a
great wool for both the beginner and advanced spinner. I really like it because its a nice soft fibre, not slippery and the staple length is nice and average. Southdown is a medium/down breed sheep and their fibre provides bulk without the weight. This wool is lofty and springy. Great for socks, hats, mitts and sweaters. It is a very versatile wool with a medium-soft feel. The top whorl spindles are made from maple. These kits went like crazy at the Manitoba Fibre Festival and you can get your hands on one too but only until Dec 7th. These usually sell for $25 each but.... Today's Deal ~ $15.00 each (That's a 40% discount!) *I have 3 Corriedale kits and 1 Southdown kit available* Well the first day of Christmas was fun, but we must move on to day 2! This deal is for a Felted Soap Trio. 1 Unscented, 1 Lavender and 1 Green Apple. This would make a unique gift for those people who have everything or are hard to buy for. You can even maximize your Christmas spirit and give 2 away and keep one for yourself!
Its like a soap and washcloth in one! These usually sell for $10 each or 3 for $25 Today's Deal ~ All 3 for $15 That's a 40% discount ~~SOLD~~ Wet the soap and work it around in your hands until the later starts coming through the fibre. Use as you normally would. Wool is naturally antibacterial so this soap won't turn moldy in your shower. When not in use, store it in a self draining soap dish and the bar will last up to a year! As you use it the wool will felt tighter around the soap, so it just keeps getting better and better with each use :) These are my last 3 soaps. This last day for this deal will be Dec 5. This soap is a vegetable/glycerin base. The wools used are Merino & Romney. |
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