The Vertical Approach to Drying Fleece

When I first started my obsession with farm fresh fleece I lived in 750 ish square feet. That would have been an okay amount of space if I had not been so intent on filling it with a couple hundred pounds of fleece and an assortment of fibre art equipment. 

It was in this small space that I became focused on finding ways to be space conscious and efficient. I love using the sun to dry my fleece. Rather then using heaters or fans, the fresh air does the trick. Even with snow still on the ground the strong south light is a beautiful and natural way to dry fleece, roving, and yarn. 

Rather then purchasing a bunch of clothes drying racks, or trying to fashion racks to place out in my front lawn. Neither of which I would have space for inside (even with the new square footage afforded to is with our new home) during the months it is too cold an wintery to have my fibre outside drying. 

This is my solution

A hanging system utilizing cup hooks, chains, dowels, caribiners, s hooks, zip ties and small round laundry baskets. This system is versitle, I can switch it up by adding more dowels, less baskets, or vice versa. I can hang this (as pictured) off the south facing side of my front porch, or from the ceiling in my studio. I can take it down and pack it away, or leave it up. 

Stay tuned for my "How To: Vertical Fibre Drying" coming soon! 

How do you dry your fibre? 

My Inbox Zero

Getting my email organized was a lot of work, especially since I have been neglecting my inbox for years and it already has a thousands of emails! AHHHH!!!!

For me the idea of an empty inbox is piece of mind. A heard about inbox zero while working through Set Up Shop by Jess of Create and Thrive. It has cleared up mental space for me, I feel like I can find the most recent and relevant emails. Deal with the stuff that needs to be dealt with, have a place to stash it and move on.

Here is what I did.

I create some categories that work for me. Then I broke them down. I am pretty detail oriented, so just achieving messages I was done with was not enough. My plan is to officially archive the messages at the end of the year so that I can stay organized throughout and then move on from there.

My System Looks Like This:

Inbox

Needs Response - Cleared out and caught up on ever week

New Orders - To be put into order book daily

Needs Action - Cleared out and caught up on ever week

Defer - Check once a week and wade through:)

Interesting & Inspiration

Six Bits Story Books

Fibre Works Archives
sub folders include:

• Order 
• Supply Order
• Customer Inquiry 
• Wholesale Information
• Projects
• Festivals
• Exhibitions
• E Books
• Patterns
• Guilds
• Taxes
• Receipts 2016
• January
• February
• March

Personal Archives
sub folders include:

• Photo Transfer
• Family
• Funny
• House
• Cat Sitting

These categories work for my life, your categories can and likely will be unique, just like you:)

When an email lands in my inbox I sort it into the correct folder if I can't deal with it right away. For me this allows me the space to have my email open for reference as I work through tasks to be completed, but removes the distraction of worrying how I will remember to get back to that email.

Now to work through all the organized Needs Response and Needs Action emails!

Thought Provoking: 45 Things to Consider

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Behind the scenes...
The messy world of my home based business and what I am grateful for. 

Yesterday I launched my etsy shop. I am so excited with the positive response I have received to my products!

What most of your don't know is I spent the wee hours of Wednesday morning haunched over the toilet, curled in a ball on my bed, and pacing up and down my hall from excruciating stomach pain. Launch day and I had the flu! It was bound to happen, my little girl spent the weekend ill. I was just hoping to keep my immune system fighting hard until I had everything up and ready to go. No such luck. I succumbed. 

How was I supposed to look at the computer screen from my curled in a ball position? Let alone put the final touches on the photo edits and product descriptions? 

It would be ideal if overall I had been ready last week, everything in perfect order and all I had to do was activate my listings. The reality is, like so many of us, I am juggling; family, a job and my new business. I am paying bills, doing laundry and snuggling my little one in between colourful Instagram posts, email replies, supply orders, washing, dying, carding, spinning, designing new products and preparing for an exhibition opening. 

The bottom line... Things get done when they really need to be...when the deadline looms! 

So back to yesterday morning, in between waves of nausea I hatched a plan. A plan to ask for help. At 8:22 am I sent my mum a message, "I have the flu/stomach ache can you type product descriptions for me? Can you ask dad if he has time to edit photos?" 

It seems ridiculous. I am a fully grown adult. I get out of bed and get to work on my own, look after my daughter and run my own business. Seriously, did I really just text my parents for help? It feels weird, awkward and embarrassing. 

But I did it, and they helped. The second my mum replied I felt a small lessening of my stress. I would not have to put off my launch for a second time. I could make this happen. 

I spent time with my dad figuring out the fastest way to upload photos so he could grab them from the cloud. Right, I don't think I mentioned, my parents live across the country. Then a photo capture of my product description notes for my mum. A short while later and I am on the phone to my mum while I soak in a bath of healing essential oils (fennel, peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass to the rescue) I talk through product descriptions and my mum transcribes. 

As silly as it feels to have asked my parents for help. I am incredibly grateful they were able to set aside their to do list for a few hours and come to my aid. I don't want to forget the physically closer help I received as well. My husband looked after me and my daughter before he left for work and my brother who made delicious soup that I sipped away at during the day and babysat when my husband left for work so I could rest.

Sometimes I feel like in order to fully own it, I have to do it all. I feel like I should be completely responsible all by myself. That it is not right to have help, that help = failure. Gradually I am moving away from those feelings and recognizing that having a family and a community of support is the way to creating something sustainable. Something I won't burn out from, something customers can rely on, something that I can be proud of.

I am grateful for all the help and support I have received and continue to receive along my journey. My family, friends, acquaintances, followers, customers, naysayers, and the community at large. I feel incredible gratitude to be able to reach out for assistance when it is needed.

Thank you. 

Do you have people who support you? What have they done for you lately? What are you grateful for?

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Wraps Per Inch or WPI

Wraps per inch is a method of determining yarn weight. Knowing the wraps per inch helps fibre artists choose the perfect pattern for their yarn or the perfect yarn for their chosen pattern.

WPI is determined by wrapping a yarn around either a specialized Wraps Per Inch tool or around a ruler.

Too Cute Sheep WPI tool from Katrinkles 

Start by wrapping the yarn from one end evenly around the tool or ruler. Make sure not to overlap the strands so that your results are accurate. Once you have filled the space or an inch marking on a ruler count how many wraps you have.

I like using my little tool here. I find it easier to keep the yarn aligned and in place then if I were using a ruler.

I also like that it has the weights and their corresponding titles listed right there. The yarn I am measuring here is 10 WPI and is between a Worsted and DK weight.

Yarn weight can also be used to help determine needle size!

It's happening! 

I am so excited to finally launch my online shop:)!!! 

Launching my shop has been a longer journey then I expected. An ultimately complex thing tied up with emotions I had not expected. I have sold my work privatly and at festivals, but putting it online has been an unexpected hurdle. One I am excited to finally be jumping! I have experienced lots of fear around listing my products on Etsy. Wednesday is the day. I am conquering that fear and forging ahead. 

The last five months of my business set up have brought me so far. I feel I have worked through many challenges. I have begun to build a brand and I feel comfortable in my product knowledge.

It is very exciting to finally be at this point! 

Would you like all the details and to be the first to know when the shop goes live? Head over to my website (www.sarahelizabethfibreworks.com) and hit the "be invited to our unveiling" button to sign up for my newsletter! 

I can't wait for you I see my shop!