Uh hu....

Suint Vat - Part Two

I left my vat for a couple of weeks. Mostly a time thing and I figured it could not  hurt! Wow is it stinky when you open it up. I set up a screen over a bin and took out handfuls at a time. 

I wore gloves and squeezed the fleece out ove the screen. 

Then I threw it in my commercial spinner, which I set in a tub to catch the water I spun out of the fleece. 

Once I spun it I decided it needed one hot water wash. I soaked it in a tub with some Euculan for about 30min. I rubbed the really dirty tips between my fingers and then spun it dry. 

I noticed that the fleece in the smaller tub was not as clean as the one in the larger tub, I think the extra water makes a difference. I started another cat and split a very large corriedale fleece into the three vats. I still have a little left over. 

The fleeces look fairly clean, no worse then when I do my two wash, rinse with them. Once they are dry I will be able to make a better decision on it I like the suint vat or not.

Let Go of Perfect

Perfect is an idea, a way of creating pain and a way of beating ourselves up. You can definitely have it all, but you are going to have to let go of perfect.

I am not saying to let go of your standards or your dreams I am saying: Cut yourself and everyone else slack.

Beauty come out of our imperfection.

The best discoveries happen almost by accident, when we let go.

Do the work, work hard and then let go. Think of it like learning to ride a bike. You can study the books and you can learn each of the steps to perfection, but in order to ride the bike you have to let go, let yourself gain some speed.

Being creative, running your own business works the same way. Get it all together, make the list, cross of each item, let go of the things that become less important and then let yourself gain some speed, let go of perfect.

Perfect is a myth, a construct. It is what happens only when you realize that it is perfect in its imperfections.

So be brave and be imperfect.

This beautiful saying has been posted by an anoynoumous artist along the KC trail in Rossland. 

"Even after all this time the sun never days to the earth you owe me. Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky."

What if we worried less about who owed us what and focused more on doing just to do? 

How would that change your everyday? How could it change your thought patterns? 

What affect would it have on how you perceived the world? 

Sometimes...

For a very brief period...

Before chaos reigns my living room looks like this...

I am trying to tidy up once everyday, it helps me focus, stay grounded, and reduces my anxiety... 

#rare #beautiful #mylivingroom #smallspaceliving #workfromhomemum #spinolution #spinolutionfirefly #productionspinning #spinnersofinstagram #fibreworksfromhome #mystudio #makingourselves

Fermenting Fleece

I have heard about fermenting fleece and with winter coming on and the prospect of washing one fleece at a time in my tiny shower loomed before me I thought I would do a little more research.

@julie_patchuliespins posted a picture on Instagram of a Jacob fleece fresh out of the suint vat. I was intrigued. Washing fleece is back breaking work, not to mention all the water and soap it takes. Could a suint vat be the solution to days spent washing fleece and a little more environmentally friendly too?

Well I am about to find out. I went a googling and came up with Wool Ewe, the instructions here seemed pretty good, so I am about to try it out. If you would like her instructions too, just tap the above link.

Stage one begins...

I am filling my bucket with tap water, not the recommended rain water. I am hoping to catch some rain water soon, but for the time being I will settle for soft mountain water. I let it sit out for an hour so the chlorine could evaporate. I am fortunate to live in an area with very few water additives, no fluoride for my fleece today! I filled the bucket almost to the top, fleece absorbs so much of the water that it did not overflow.

Next up the fleece...

I am using a Rambouillet fleece to start my vat. I am hopping it is greasy enough, as I don't have any smaller greasy fleeces and I did not want to split my fleece up to try this. I am starting two buckets, one Rambouillet fleece in each. I have chosen to use old mayonaise containers from a restaurant, one I have accesses to them, two the lids fit nice and tightly, a must with little fingers present. The seal should also contain the smell and they tuck into a corner of our back storage area better then a bigger tubberware bin. They also stack without fear of toppling.

All that has to fit in there???...

So I did not shove the fleece down into the bucket like this, I separated it a little and pushed individual pieces into the soon to be vat. I made sure the whole fleece was submerged. 

A little extra water...

I topped off my container with a little extra water so that the entire fleece was fully submerged. My containers do not allow for as much space as a rubber maid, but I am hoping that it will work. With a few containers on the go I should be able to split larger fleeces and give more space to the fleece if the tight quarters do not work.

Even if I have to do one hot water wash for the fleece following this process I am happy to have less back breaking work to do and be using less water in the process... fingers crossed.

Think this pretty much says it all...

This pretty much sums me up some days. My drive, my passion, my unending energy... No apologies.

Don't be scared of texture! 

I have a very small feature in PLY magazine. My two cents on using textured yarns. Pun definetly intended!

SpinOlution Firefly Review

I bought my two SpinOlution wheels, the Firefly package and the King Bee Travel wheel sight unseen. I had never tried a SpinOlution wheel before. What I knew was this: they had interchangeable flyer modules and bobbins in multiple sizes and specifically in the size I wanted... 32 ounces. Before my order was complete I was lucky enough to see Ashley Martineau of How To Spin Yarn taking the 64oz bobbin compatible with the Firefly and Mach III for a test drive. I was in love... I wanted that size too.

perfect for production the 64oz setup

Before my obsession with fibre I painted large abstract paintings, think wall size. I love to work big. The SpinOlution Firefly combined the awesome potential of electric with large bobbin size. I was pretty sure I was going to be very happy.

After much anticipation my wheels arrived and I have not been disappointed.

I immediately went about putting the parts together, flyer head here, bobbin on there. Now drive band... I am sure if I read the manuals I would have been much faster, but what fun is that:)

interchangeable with the King Bee the 8oz setup

There were a few initial hiccups, when I started up the Firefly the drive band kept slipping off, this was easily fixed once my father figured out that the motor had shifted during shipping. With the motor back in the right spot the drive band on again everything flowed smoothly. I started spinning with the 32oz bobbin setup, but quickly moved to the 64oz setup, which I am a huge fan of.

the 32oz setup, perfect for wild yarn

I only have a few wheels to compare the Firefly to, my Cowichan style spinner and my Ashford E Spinner. I love both of those wheels for different reasons.

Here is what impresses me about the Firefly:

- Tilt feature, makes it easy to use on the ground, while in a seated or semi up right position with a baby snuggled against me.
- Interchangeable bobbin heads, this is awesome as I love to have multiple projects on the go. The flyer setups are easy to remove and have a handle for easy pick up. This also works well for changing between production spinning with the 64oz bobbin and personal spinning on a smaller scale.
- Magnetic interchangeable orfice bars. Having an plastic large orfice is handy for slippery fibers as then the yarn cannot slip off the hook. The hook orfice is better for thicker slubby yarns that get caught in the plastic orfice hole.
- Speed!!! Although I did notice a bit of a slowdown as the 64oz bobbin got full this was remidied by charging the battery completely or using it plugged in. The larger bobbins can be a little slow to build momentum, but once they are going the spin is smooth.
- Battery = Portability. I loved being able to take my spinner to the Fall Fair and not having the extra hassle of power setup or limitations on where my booth could be. It is also easy to shift around the house and take outside to work, not as cumbersome as having to run an extension cord.
- Solid design, The Firefly is light, portable, and solid. It in no ways feels flimsy or cheap. I appreciate that level of craftsmanship. Side Note: the King Bee is also this way, well constructed, unique and beautiful to look at.
- Break, I really like how the break works. It is a spring on a screw with a knob that you can adjust, simple enough, but it functions and the spring cannot get stretched or damaged. It is effective and controls the uptake of yarn onto the bobbin well.
- The lack of hooks, sliders, things that my funky yarns can get caught on is a major plus in flyer design. The long pin like guides on the flyers work really well and are spaced far enough apart to not impede the progress of thick yarns onto the bobbin, I have not yet tested the limits of this. Although I am not generally a fan of plastic, I think, although I do not have conclusive proof, that the pins being plastic make them flexible and therefore they can shift slightly to let thinker pieces through.
- Electric. So as a busy mum, starting my new business, electric makes the art of spinning smooth. I still love my treadle wheels, but not having to watch little fingers, toes and toys under my feet and just having to draft and spin, it is more relaxing. I don't find that the electric takes anything away, the motor is relatively quite and is easily drowned out by the whipping around of the flyer.
- The foot peddle. This makes the act of starting and stopping the wheel, even adjusting the speed for a moment; by taking your foot off and then placing it back on, simple and easy, one less thing to do with your hands.

Overall I am really most impressed with the SpinOlution Firefly. In the few short weeks I have had it I have found it easy to use and exactly what I was hoping for. I racked my brain for improvement ideas, to give a less biast review, but other then feeling that in comparison to the unique and beautiful look of the King Bee the Firefly is not as pretty, I have failed to come up with much.

The few things I am not so keen on, but are completely survivable are:

- Although the design of the skein winder is awesome, and I love that it folds down flat, the fact that it is not powered when attached to the Firefly base missed an opportunity in my opinion. Fortunately Mike Pauly owner and designer of SpinOlution Products agrees and we might just see this in the nearish future:)...fingers crossed.
- I did not find that the way the lazy kate attaches to the back of the FireFly felt secure, however since I can use the lazy kate on the floor, I am not too fussed about this.
- I find the foot peddle small, which is awesome for storage and travel, but a touch hard to use on softer surfaces such as carpet. I remedied this by placing a small piece of scrap wood under it.

My only other comment is that the customer service for SpinOlution has been exceptional. I am happy that when I decided to purchases my wheels I also decided to become a dealer it is gratifying to represent such a down to earth company that takes its customers concerns and its dealers ideas to heart.

If you have any questions not covered in this brief review or are interested in a SpinOlution product just fill out the contact form along the right sidebar or leave a comment below.

Description of the SpinOlution Firefly visit:

http://www.spinolution.com/firefly

To see the Firefly in action visit: 

How To Spin Yarn  

Alpaca was my first fibre love. 

I found the only Alpaca Farm on Newfoundland and I was in love.

Why was I in love... is was sooooo soft!

As we continued to travel across the country my husband and I made a point of visiting as many Alpaca farms as possible. We even considered buying land and owning our own animals... maybe one day. For now I am lucky to get my Alpaca from a wonderful farm in British Columbia.

This past spring I helped with shearing and got to pick the best fleeces.

I like to work with Alpaca because it has a different quality from sheeps wool. It does not have grease in it, but it is super dusty. I wash all my alpaca first and make sure to wear an apron or have a cloth down when I spin it. I love working with high quality soft alpaca. Like any fibre you want to touch before you buy or find a reputable source. All alpaca has guard hair, the best alpacas have been bred to have a finer guard hair that blends with the softer hairs in their coat. Dehairing alpaca is not necessary if the guard hairs are the same diameter as the regular hairs.

My favourite way to spin Alpaca is straight from the lock. I like the thick and thin quality I can achieve and especially like the soft fuzziness the final yarn has once the twist is set.

Separating Locks

I start by washing my fleece, unless I know the locks will get all messed up this way, as is the case with some shorter locks or a fleece like Gotland, it is sometimes easier to organize before hand and then wash in netting. Natalie Redding has a good you tube video on this. 

First I set up three containers, one holding the fleece, one to lay out the locks in and one for the fleece without locks to be carded. 

To separate the locks I find a section of fleece with nice locks

I pull the tip of the lock away from the fleece 

I use my other hand to hold the base

And then I pull... Viola! The lock is free.

Then I place it directionally in my locks container. 

I like a shallow but long container for this.

I set it beside the container holding the fleece I am working with. 

Then I bundle them.

Depending on what I am doing with the locks I may bhundle them by weight or Colour. I will tie them in the center with a piece of yarn to keep them neat.

Move Forward... 

Even if the progress is slow, it is progress, slow and steady, in fits and starts, fast and furious; it does not matter... You are still moving forward.

A little life work balance...

Today I hiked with my husband and daughter for the first time in months. Sometimes it is just hard to walkaway from all the things to do. The list is log and never ending; business and personal. It is was wonderful to get out and hike one of the beautiful trails in our town. 

Our town is off to the left in this picture.

My husband and I at the top of Kootenay Columbia! 

On the way down their was some beautiful art for us to stop and contemplate...

Feeling pretty blessed I have a Sunday with my family to enjoy the gorgeous outdoors in the sun! 

The Needlefelt Solution

I just pulled a yarn of my wheel the other day, it was perfect except for a few loose tailspin locks. I was probably distracted when spinning them in. They are holding, but not well enough for my liking, I don't want to pull them off, so I am going to needle felt them in place. 

Step One:

Find the lock.

Step Two:

Wrap it around the yarn as it would have been spun in.

Step Three:

Use a general purpose felting needle, very inexpensive, and some old foam. Move the sharp point off the needle up and down into the lock and the core of the yarn. Watch your fingers, felting needles hurt. Do not move the needle on an angle it may break.

Voila, all done! The yarn can now be washed and hung or set with steam. 

I use this especially for yarns I am not going to ply. It helps to strengthen and improve an otherwise perfect yarn. 

Happy Spinning, and needle felting should it be necessary.

Let Yourself Grow...

Don't Count Your Pennies, even if you have to keep track of them.

I can't say for sure that this is sound advice, however, it is advice that works for me. 

It is advice I try and give myself when I get that sick feeling in my stomach as if I have lost out in someway by tipping someone more then I meant to or when I have committed to buying something that is a few more dollars then expected. I don't know where this reaction comes from, but when it happens I remind myself not to count my pennies.

I am not trying to say I should not know where my money is going. In fact keeping track of money and what is being done with it is major component in the recipe for success in a business and financially healthy home. More on this another time.

What I mean by not counting your pennies is: be generous, be aware, but give where you can, don't focus on the cost alone, focus on value.

How is this advice useful to me in a business sense? I am growing a business for myself and my family because I love fibre and I want to share that love. Of course the bottom line matters, but it is not all that matters. To me, Don't count your pennies is a reminder that the bottom line is not the major driving force behind my business decisions. Ethics, fair transactions, sustainability, community. These are the major driving factors, pennies play a role, but they are not the first consideration. 

While I will be keeping track of my pennies, I will not be counting them. 

Don't Let the Fear of Failure Hold You Back

http://www.likeaboss.com/entertainment/16-creativity-inspiring-quotes-with-pictures/

How many times have I let my fear of failing hold me back? 

Too many to count, but NOT any more.

Google definition:

fail·ure

ˈfālyər/

noun

1. 1.

   lack of success.
2. 
   

Every FAILURE is actually a

 LEARNING experience and so not a failure at all. 

Failure has a negative connotation, but it is simply a word to describe an attempt at something that did not have the expected outcome.

This is not negative it is positive, this is how we learn and grow.

Babies are a prime example of this! How many times do they fail to roll over, to sit up, to crawl, to walk, to talk before they do it? Do you ever see it stop them from trying in the first place or again? NO. So get in touch with your inner paper and don't stop before you start!

I want to hear from you...Tell me... 

here or on facebook...

What would you try if failure was out of the equation? 

What have you always wanted to do, but fear of failure has stopped you from even starting?

New Traditions in the Making

Huckleberry Picking with my sister and my little one. It was beautiful to get out in the late afternoon sunshine and enjoy the mountain air. 

Fibre Fridays Tip of the Week

I recently, last week actually, started Fibre Fridays on my facebook page. I am also going to share my Fibre Fridays Tip of the Week here on my blog.

Here is last weeks tip:

When working with raw alpaca tumble it before washing. Use a small laundry basket with a cloth tied to the top and shake the fibres around, with enough force to dislodge dust and vegetation, but not so hard that you shake the fibre out the laundry basket slits. Since Alpacas do not have lanolin after the pre shake you may not even need to wash it before spinning or felting.

Here is yesterdays tip:

When spinning wear a cooking or baking apron to keep the hairs off your clothes. I love to do this because it works really well. I don't have to be constantly brushing or rolling fibres of my cloths and I can spin in anything. This also gives me another reason to add to my apron collection

If you have a tip idea for Fibre Friday just contact me and I will feature you and your tip of the week:)!

30% OFF Your First Purchase!!!

Spinning a Fabulous Textured Art Batt with Feathers from Nessaland on my Ashford E Spinner

I will be launching Sarah Elizabeth Fibre Works in September

and I need everyones help... as much of it as I can get

I need your opinions, information and general wants and needs
when it comes to locks, batts, roving, yarn...

Please Fill out One or More (If more then one are applies to you) of the Surveys Below

just click on the link to be taken to the survey page

Fibre Arts Enthusiast, Fibre Lover and Hobby Artist

Fibre Artist or Fibre Arts Business 

Fibre Farm or those in need of Fibre Washing or Processing

I will be publishing the summarized results, sans personal information, on my blog in August so that all can benefit from the information I gather.

If you feel that you fall under the category of competition, for example you make your living or a significant portion of your living selling your one of a kind fibre products. Then lets help each other. Fill out the survey, share it with your other fibre business friends and I will share the results of the following survey with you. 
You are also eligible to receive 30% off when I launch in September. 

The State of the Fibre Art Business

Thank you for your support and help making my business a success!!!

Please see survey for details on qualifying to receive 30% off your first purchase

Farmers' Market Season is in full swing! Now what? You have your table for the season, you are committed, you are meeting people, getting your name out there. A familiar rhythm may be developing. Maybe you are just at one Farmers' Market or many, either way there are a few more things to consider. Your product, your brand and your display.

Essay #2: Product Continuity

Product Theme and a Sneak Peak at the Importance of Branding and Display

I have been to a number of Farmers' Markets over the years and what I have noticed is that not all booths display a cohesive theme. Some may be cluttered, or overwhelmed by multiple products that seem to have no relation to one another. Tags are beautifully handcrafted, but inconsistent. The table looks thrown together, messy even. What message do you send your customer when your product theme is inconsistent, when your tags are miss matched and your table looks like a haphazard display? 

A farmers' market stall with multiple product types that are not well organized or labeled can: 

• Discourage customers from approaching your booth
• Devalue your products
• Impede customer relations and repeat sales

There are few simple things you can do to mitigate these potential problems.

• Choose one type of product to carry, keep any additional products within the same genre. 
• If displaying multiply products separate them distinctly into groups on your table, let your overarching theme be: Hand Made, Locally Crafted, etc.
• Use consistent labelling throughout
• Put thought and effort into your display

By eliminating extra product you will make it easier for your customers to remember you and the products that you offer. You will also have a clear focus for when you are creating and restocking your table.

Multiple products need to be clearly categorized so that customers to your booth can clearly identify your many products, consider having signs stating what each product is, even include a suggested use. Place like products or ones that can be used together next to one another. For example place your hand made soap next to your hand knitted wash cloths, maybe even create a package deal such as buy any three soaps and get a wash cloth free. Customers need you to create the links for ease of shopping. If a customer has to create their own product link they may have left the market before it occurs to them that your knitted wash cloths and soap would make the perfect gift. 

Consistent labelling helps customers to identify your product, think of it as branding. Yes I said it, BRAND (Essay #3) yourself. Recent experience has shown me that branding seems to have a bad rap with the buy local, support artisan crowd. Personal branding is not about becoming something you are not or changing your base values. Branding is about expressing your product values and beliefs to the world in an easy to recognize way that helps customers who share the same values find you. 

Create a display that reflects your brand and your product, in other words, you. Do you prefer modern and streamlined? Does that compliment and show your product in its best light? Or does a victorian era style work better? Is your product eclectic and need a simple display? Does wood show off your product the best? More on display in Essay #4.

My Real World Examples of Product Theme

Market Day in Nelson - July 1st - http://riverstone-yarns.tumblr.com/

Susan from Riverstone Yarns focuses solely on selling her locally dyed and even some hand-spun yarns. She may also have hand-dyed roving available, this however fits neatly with her fibre arts supply theme. She often displays examples of how her yarn can be used in one of a kind knits. Her display is easy to set up and simple, meaning that her yarns are given the spotlight. Her booth is full, but not crowded. She uses that same style label for all products and keeps a similar colour scheme from sign to shade sheet to table cloth. Her booth layout is dynamic and makes it easy for more then one customer to accesses her products. 

You can find Susan and Clyde in their Riverstone Yarn Market Stall almost every Wednesday at the Nelson Farmers' Market in the West Kootenay Region of beautiful British Columbia.  If you are not in the area to meet them in person make sure to check out their website. If they don't have what you want in stock, just send them a quick message or even create your own custom order!!! Their burly yarn is my personal favourite!

Hand Made Soap - http://trbyhand.com/category/sales/soap/

Tricia of TR by Hand displays her hand made soaps and homemade berry vinegars alongside her hand-spun yarns, handwoven blankets, and nuno felted scarves. Tricia groups her unique products by category. For example she displays all her vinegars together on a table and uses a logo and similar style label for all her products.

Although she has multiple products she keeps her table uncluttered by hanging her scarves from the tent and putting her hand spun yarn in a basket. Tricia creates some luxurious soaps from natural ingredients. Her hand spun blankets and nuno felted scarves are also fabulously one of a kind. 

You can find Tricia at the Rossland Mountain Market, in Rossland, BC. Make sure to check with Tricia first as her presence at the market fluctuates based on her availability.

A Note on Market Tents

Tents are a necessity on hot sunny days, not just for you as a vendor, but for your customer. Investing in a tent that is easy to set up and has optional sides makes for a versatile piece of equipment that will make your sunny and rainy day Farmer's Markets and Festivals more pleasant.

CARD Fibre Support Unboxing

I just love how Grace snuggles with it:) I cannot wait to see how she dyes and uses these locks in her upcoming book CARD... so much to look forward too.

The fibres in the box are: (not necessarily in order of unveiling)

BFL Lamb - Handyed - from Chase, BC

Gotland - Natural Black - from Chase, BC

Icelandic - Natural Grey with Brown Tips - from Nelson, BC

Rambouillet - Natural Brown - from Salmon Arm, BC

Rambouillet - Natural Grey - from Salmon Arm, BC

Make sure you check out her first two books ROVING and BATT 

They are chalked full of fabulous instructions and illustrations on how to spin the yarn you want from the roving and batts you love!

My Personal Struggle 

with the Creative Being that I AM

I struggle, usually every day, to fulfill the desire to live a big life. One that is full of colour, fibre, paint, nature, sun, joy, water, dye, thrift store finds, goods made by others, spinning, knitting, drawing, gallery visits, travel, exploration, and really just everything.

My Creative Self struggles to work within the constraints of time, money, the need to eat, and the need to sleep. My creative self also struggles with doing dishes, cleaning the bathroom, keeping up friendships, part time work, parenting and the desire to do anything but create.

My creative self is a part of who I am and I cannot deny it any more then I could decide not to breathe and remain alive.

Over the years I have struggled. I have been labeled; a cry baby, dramatic, demanding, eccentric, severe depressions, bi polar, border line personality disorder, anxiety, major depression, difficult, and most recently postpartum depression.

I do not deny that chemical imbalances within my body play a role in my struggles, but I reject the idea that I am ill. That I need to be or can be cured.

I understand the need to label. I know why my mental state of mind has become an illness, one that will be taken seriously by some and laughed off by others. Without this label our current social culture could not understand, categorize or otherwise make sense of my need to stay in bed one day and create all day the next. My quick and seemingly impulsive decisions, my over the top passion that borderlines on obsessive, my absolute love for the people in my life one minute and then my complete rejection of them the next just does not fit into the image society holds of a fully 'functioning' person. 

Without categorization as an illness and all the labels that come with it, my struggle, has no name. It is hard to take seriously within the current cultural framework. A framework that allows for vast amounts of independence within the constructed constraints of 'socially acceptable’. The current cultural paradigm does not allow for the fullness of the personality quirks that make us all so uniquely human.

Label me if you have to, if it makes it easier, but I am not ill. I am creative. I may take medication to balance my serotonin levels, or vitamins to keep me healthy. I may eliminate foods from my diet or need to set an alarm to make sure I go to bed at a certain time. I may do yoga, mediate, walk. I may use essential oils or herbal remedies. I may cancel on you unexpectedly or ask you to take my work shift only to be found posting pictures of my latest creative endeavor on social media. I may not ever live up to your expectations as a friend, a mother, a wife, or a community member. It does not matter, because I am me and I accept my whole self.

I am very lucky to have a family and friends who do too. To have met a man who even if he does not understand me completely gets that I need to create to breathe. These people do not ask me to sacrifice who I am to make them more comfortable, they make accommodations for me, just as I do for them.

So I will continue to struggle every day, sometimes less, and sometimes more. I will continue to fight to find the balance between being a creator, a spouse, a mother, an employee and a community member. I will not, however, sacrifice or deny who I am to do any of the above because, to be totally honest, I would not have it any other way.

Important Note: 

This post could be taken as a down play on mental health issues. It is not. As someone who has been hospitalized for severe depression I take mental health very seriously. I have just come to see it in a different light. If you are reading this and don't relate, that is understandable, this is a very personal take on very diverse subject. This article is not meant as a substitute for medical advice. If you are suicidal or are overwhelmed with your struggle, ask for help. There is no shame in asking for help. Asking for help is brave. I ask for help all the time.

Unraveling the Sweater

I love to shop at thrift stores. 

I love to find unique and one of a kind things. 

I love the idea of saving something from the landfill and re purposing it. 

 I am so down to up-cycle: taking something 'old' and making it 'new' again. 

Unraveling thrift store sweaters for yarn is an obvious no brainier for me, but I can't take credit for the idea. I am actually sure that people have been doing this for as long as there has been yarn to unravel from sweaters! For me the idea came when surfing the web one lazy afternoon last year around February. I stumbled, so to speak, across Ashley Martineau's blog. Then Neauveau Fiber Arts and now How to Spin Yarn. It was her How to Unravel a Sweater to Recycle Yarn article that got me started on unraveling sweaters, something I still do. 

I have even used unraveled yarn to corespin with!

 I created over 150 yards of core-spun yarn by spinning around my recycled sweater yarn with semi felted Alpaca (Semi Felted- a happy accident that took place during my first forays into washing my own fleece) and then wrapping it during plying with a wool single from Custom Woolen Mills in Alberta. I still had enough yarn left over for My latest use in:

 Day 19 Square for My Granny Could Knit That personal challenge 

I still have lots of this yarn left... my guess... over 150 yards still to be used!

Being an Artisan Vendor at a Farmers' Market:

A Series of Five Short Essays 

 

So your table is set. You have spent the last month getting ready—creating inventory, designing labels, and figuring out your display—and the last fifteen minutes agonizing over getting it just right. It’s a coolish but beautifully sunny day at the beginning of June: the first Farmers’ market of the year. You’re excited: anticipating the people that you’ll meet, all the creations that you may sell. Fast forward to the end of market day.  You talked to lots of people, your friends dropped by as promised, your mum bought a token item in support, but you barely sold a thing. The excitement has gone, you feel let down. As you take down your displays and carefully pack away your goods, you wonder what did I do wrong?

The above scenario is hypothetical but realistic. Most artisan vendors will experience something similar at least once, if not several times over. People often frequent their local Farmers’ Market to buy fresh local produce: the idea of purchasing beautiful, one of a kind hand-crafted goods not uppermost in their mind, if there at all. Aah, the challenge of being an artisan vendor at a Farmers’ Market!

It’s hard not to, but don’t let the type of situation just described put you off vending at your Farmers’ Market. There are many positives to vending at your local market; making sales is just one aspect of it and the others are worth exploring.

In this first short essay (blog post) I am going to focus on being a regular at the market.

Essay One: 

Committing to Be There; Why You Should Become a Seasonal Vendor

For a vendor to get the most out of a Farmers’ Market, people need to get acquainted with their offerings. This means that you need to be a regular, and a great way to do that is to become a seasonal vendor. To be considered a seasonal vendor at your local Farmers’ Market you need to buy a season’s pass. These may offer a small discount on the per-market fee that you would normally pay but they come with some perks such as the same spot every week and free features in the Market’s advertising.

The commitment of a seasonal pass to your Farmers’ Market is a commitment to your community as well as to your business, and can result in paybacks in different ways.

To get down to the nitty-gritty of Farmers’ Market vending and why it’s all worth it, I spoke to a couple of seasoned vendors from my local Farmers’ Market (The Rossland Mountain Market). Susan from RiverstoneYarns and Tricia Rasku from TR by Hand were both very willing to share what they have learned from being artisan vendors: the drawbacks and the amazing positives.

Susan, of Riverstone Yarns, focuses on hand dyed yarn in stunning colourways to sell at the market. She explained that she likes being a vendor at her local Farmers’ Market because it is a connection to the community. When she visits other towns, she likes to visit the Farmers’ Market there to see what other artisans are doing and to support the local economy. Susan likes to be realistic about her sales, often she does not aim for high sales, rather she aims to cover her vendor costs. Susan views being at the Farmers’ Market on a regular basis as a marketing tool, her seasonal vendor fee comes out of her business’s marketing budget. Being at the Market allows her to meet her fellow vendors, create connections, and let people know what she has to offer. Her main piece of advice to other artisan vendors is, ‘decide to commit and pay the seasonal fee.’

When I spoke to Tricia Rasku of TR by Hand (purveyor of luscious hand soaps, mouthwatering vinegars, gorgeous yarns, woven blankets, and felted accessories) and asked her why she is committed to vending regularly at the local Farmers’ Market she commented that she goes to the market to interact with the people. She enjoys the atmosphere and the live music. Tricia has been a vendor since the beginnings of the Rossland Mountain Market and although she may not be at every market, she certainly is a regular vendor. Her presence at the market is consistent enough it’s easy to stop by and purchase her hand made soap before you run out, or to pick up a gift of flavoured vinegar or hand felted accessory for an upcoming occasion. Tricia, like, Susan  does not expect to sell much every time and considers anything over $50 in sales to be a successful market. As a seasoned vendor, she says that you develop a tough skin when it comes to lack of sales and other market challenges. You have to roll with it and be back again.

Making a commitment to your Farmers’ Market won’t, by itself, ensure success, but being there week after week will help solidify you as a market presence. This in turn will help to encourage new and repeat business. When a vendor makes a seasonal commitment they become a stable and reliable presence, one that customers of the Farmers’ Market can count on. The following scenario is worth some consideration if you are still feeling skeptical: Maybe last week someone came by your booth, they oohed and aahed over your gorgeous work, but they did not purchase anything. What if they return next week, cash in hand for that item they just loved and what if you are not there? What if they have thought of the perfect gift and want to give you a custom order to make it for them, but didn’t pick up your business card last time? If you are not at the next market, they may wait until the following one, but without knowing that they can find you again they’ll look elsewhere. Bottom line, as an artisan vendor, a committed and continued presence at the Market will bring in more sales then a sporadic presence.

Which Fibre is It? 

I love to scour my local thrift store for awesome yarn and fabric finds! Most of the time those finds don't come with a label. Even though my sense of touch is pretty good these days, sometimes it can be very hard to distinguish between the synthetic and natural fibres. So what do I do? There is touch, which I already mentioned and then there is smell. Most animal/protein fibres smell like wet dog if I dunk them in water. What about plant fibres though; cotten, hemp, flax? Most of the ways to determine the difference between natural and synthetic fibres are quite subjective. Without actually using a microscope to view the fibres structure, I may never know for sure, but one of the best subjective tests is the burn test. I found a great PDF Document by Pacific Fabrics outlining the Burn Test and what to expect from different fibres.

For my first square I used a beautifully soft pink yarn I found at the thrift store. I am not sure exactly what the fibres and so I am going to use the burn test to see if I can find out.

I split this yarn to do the burn test as it is plied. 

Each single is distinctly different.

When I burnt the thin single (upper strand) I smelt burnt hair and it shrunk from the flame. The bead was black. The strands are thin, smooth, even and shiny. Using the burn test, as well as my knowledge of fibre I think it is silk. The lower strand, which is fluffy and soft, burned quickly with a flame, a little bit of sputter and melt. The black bead at the end breaks and is crumbly. However some of the small beads are not, they are hard and irregular. The smell is chemical and burnt hair. I think this fibre is a blend of animal fibre (maybe mohair) and acrylic.

Remember always to use caution when dealing with open flame. I burnt my wool over the sink in the kitchen. Good ventilation is also important. Make sure you understand how to use a butane lighter and properly put out the flame. 

Happy Testing Everyone