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! 

Today was a busy day at work. Sometimes it is a lot to balance a part time job, a full time business, motherhood, a relationship, friendships and a household. It is all consuming, hectic, and exhausting. I find renewal in moments like this. A quiet sky, the stillness of the air, the picture perfect rainbow. 

Inhale
Be still my beating heart
Exhale
Inspired

Slow Down 

Today I am reminded to slow down and stop, sit.

It is easy to keep moving, even when exhausted. I watch my 20 month old do it all the time. When I say let's have a nap, she screws up her face in the cutest way and says "no". 

I am never surprised. She is not a napper. I completely understand. The world is to interesting. There is too much to do. 

She is a mini me.

There is always something that seems like it needs to be done right now. The list of loose ends is long. It feels good to tie them up, organize them away, and cross them off the list. It is a weight off my shoulders. 

So is sitting down.

What I have noticed is that as soon as I finish one thing there is so always something else to do. It pops up on my radar, just as the last dot on the screen fads away. 

I am not complaining, just noticing. It is never ending and that's okay. Why? Because it means I can rest. I can stop, because I will not run out of things to do. Because if it is not life or death, immediately necessary for health, safety or general well being, then I can let it go for another time.

So I am sitting down. 

I am cuddling my baby, before she is too busy to cuddle. 

I am holding her even while she sleeps. 

Because those moments are just as important as sending in a long over due correction to my taxes or starting on my next order. 

I notice that if I stop and give myself space I am able to do more, be more productive, focused, calm and happy. 

Happy.

Happiness leads to inspiration, which leads to creativity, which in turn leads to more happy feelings = how I want to live!

Making space in my brain for rest is a daily medition (challenge). Reminding myself that stopping is acceptable, not laziness, that stopping is about taking care of me so I can be the best version of myself.

New Years Resolution: 

STOP, just for a moment. Breathe, exhale and let it go for now. 

Have you stopped today?

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