Yellowbird Yarn Room

My crafty little entrepreneurs

The Yellowbird and I are just a few months shy of our three-year anniversary, and one thing that has remained a constant wish has come true at last:  my boys finally found something they can make to sell for themselves!

From the moment Judy showed me my original space at River City (a room, in fact), those two have racked their little brains trying to come up with something they can do to earn themselves a little extra pocket money - you know, for all those things mom and dad say "no" to (how many Lego sets do two boys need, anyway???). 

Many ideas have been thrown out over the years.  Now, I love my oldest son's origami figures and boxes out of notebook paper, and my youngest son's drawings and mixed media collages, but I was not overly confident there was a market for such things. 

Even at the suggested retail price of a quarter.

The few ideas I came up with were, of course, a bit too involved to hold their interest for any great length of time. 

I just don't do simple.  Simple is too complicated for me.

But as we sat waiting in the doctor's office last Monday morning to have the 9 yo's ears and throat checked (good times) we came up with the perfect plan! 

A couple of days to kick the cold and a few quick errands to acquire the necessary supplies, and those boys were ready to work!

Finally!  You can't see the smiles on their faces, but trust me - these boys are sooo excited!

I'll be bringing their tiny terrariums in with me to Open Knit first thing in the morning.  They only have five done so far, but I guarantee there will be more to come!

Mama needs a new crochet hook

Who knew a metal table could be so rough on a metal crochet hook?  So glad I wasn't using my beloved Laurel Hill!

And after sewing in ends on a table, the thought of sewing in ends on a nice little project that sits comfortably on your lap seems significantly less daunting.

I was quite sad to have to miss Open Knit this week, but it was definitely a day to wear the Mom hat and I did so with gusto!  In fact, during our not-so-pleasant visit to the doctor (really, who doesn't dread the throat swab?) my little man and I came up with a crafty plan. 

And, ooooooh, it's a good one!  

But, alas, I cannot tell you now.  If all goes well, I should be able to tell you all about it within the week.  Suffice it to say that the nearly three year quest for something the boys can make themselves to earn a little extra pocket money may finally have come to an end!

In the meantime, I have my new metal crochet hook and I can't wait to get back at that table come Monday morning - hope to see you then!

Can you still call it a "yarn bombing"...

...if it happens over the course of weeks and with prior approval?

Yup, this could take a while.

Inspiration: found.

My creative side has hungered for a spontaneous outlet for months now, with little time or inspiration to feed it.   But a couple of things occurred last week, seeds were planted, and I am so ready to tackle a new and fun and interesting "just-cuz-I-feel-like-it-and-I-can" kind of project!!!

Ahhhhh, yarn-y experiments.....I've missed you so...

Is your curiosity piqued?

Excellent.

I'll be there in the morning, bright and early, yarn and crochet hook in hand, ready to sit at (or stand over?) the small round table with the mesh top...

Oops.  I may have said too much.

Anyway.  I'll be there, and I hope to see you, too!

The end of (Thurs)days

It may be good weather today for staying inside, curled up on the couch, knitting in hand and movie on TV...but the signs are there for warmer days to come.  The birds are back and (if you're sitting in Judy's Ice Cream) flying aggressively at the windows.  The tulips are withered and gone.  The new leaves are light on the trees.

This may have been a ridiculously mild winter here in NE Ohio, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a long one!  And I may be a fan of the Fall, but for some reason I feel particularly anxious for the dog days of summer to arrive this year.  Bring on the days of sleeping in, of lounging by the pool, of going shopping just to relish that blast of cold as you walk in the door.

And I don't think I'm the only one.

Last Thursday was a shiny, happy day, filled with old friends and new, visiting and talking (not so much with the knitting) during Open Knit.  It was so nice, it had me questioning a decision I had made. 

But made the decision was, and to it I will stick.

As the weather has warmed, and outdoor activities have increased, the Open Knit crowd has thinned a bit.  Along with that fact, I find myself in need of more time for more things. 

That's why I've decided to take a break from the Thursday Open Knits for a time. 

I'll still be there every Monday, from 10:00 until noon, and will be working diligently on this year's blankets until they're ready for raffle...hope to see you soon!

Thoughts on the Drop

The drop of the spindle, that is.

A couple weeks ago I attempted to spin a bit of fluff for the first time.  I'd watched this video that made it look so easy...

Well, it wasn't too bad, but it was significantly trickier than anticipated.

I've never been the most coordinated of souls, and using a drop spindle does require that the right hand know what the left hand is doing (not too mention the legs!).  Then there's knowing how thick the fiber needs to be before drafting, then how much you can draft without the fiber pulling apart, then getting the spindle to spin well and the twist to work it's way up properly and how to stop the spindle from spinning and when to stop and wind the new yarn around the shaft...

phew.

I like to think of my finished product as a thick-and-thin (though mostly thick) art yarn. 

I definitely intend to try again at some point (there is far too much lovely fluff out there to play with!).  I can't say that I personally felt the same passionate obsession that I felt when I first learned to form a stitch, but it is certainly a challenge that I cannot ignore. 

After all, those lovely and stormy-looking Dyeabolical braids do taunt me so very much every time I go into River City.

The thing is, I started with the drop spindle because...well...it's a vastly more economical way of testing my spinning skills than the wheel and I'm really quite glad I did.  I do see the potential.  But I also see the potential for a spinning wheel to be much easier to use.

Some day.

In the meantime, I will do the drop again.  Occassionally.  It's a nice change of pace.

(The results of my first spinning efforts may be seen as knit into the Yarn Tasting.  I used about a third to a half of the fiber that comes in the basic drop spindle kit from Spinner's Choice.) 

Mama's got a new toy...

...and tomorrow she plays...!

Whether you come to offer helpful hints, to pick up pointers, or simply to laugh at my novice attempts at creating yarn, I welcome you to join me for Open Knit tomorrow morning (10:00 to noon at Judy's) for my kind of spinning!

Official Open Knit changes and bonus events

Alright, it's official.  Time for an Open Knit shake-up, and here's how the lint is settling:

• Tomorrow, Tuesday the 6th, I will be in as usual from 10:00 until noon
• I will not be in Thursday the 8th due to PTA duties
• Next week starts my new schedule of Monday/Thursday from 10:00 until noon

But wait, there's more!

This Friday and Saturday, September 9th and 10th, you can visit the River City booth at the Copley Community Center for the "Craft Fair and Picker Days" presented by the Copley Veterans Post.

(Did you catch all that?)

I will be there the better part of both days, and the hours are Friday from 10-6 and Friday from 10-5.  I'm hearing talk of crafts and candles, flea market finds and fair food.

Mmmm...funnel cake....

And what's more, the following weekend is the Fall Craft Show at River City!  I'm sad to say that I may not be able to be there myself, but I'm working on it because this has been my favorite River City event since my Grand Opening there two years ago. 

It's a sentimental thing, you know?

So the actual Craft Show will be Saturday the 17th from 10-5, but the Kiwanis will be there the 16th-18th from 8am until 8pm selling mums and cider.  It's the perfect kind of event for putting you in that Fall kind of mood, inciting visions of leaf piles and cozy sweaters and wool socks...

Ahh, my beloved Fall...I have missed you so. 

Open Knit updates lead to questions

Ah, back-to-school time once again.  And you know what that means...

PTA meetings once a month on Thursday mornings.  And I definitely can't miss them this year because silly me went to them all last year which, of course, wins you your very own title! 

So I've updated the Open Knit page with a list of all the Thursdays I will miss throughout the school year, but it does make me wonder...

Should I change my Open Knit days?  Their times? 

You see, they have to be during the weekdays for me because evenings and weekends just get too crazy.  And there are meetings now on Tuesday mornings that I hate to miss, too.  And I like being at Judy's in the mornings for many reasons so I'm not anxious to change times.  But the Tuesday/Thursday thing just sort of...well...evolved...and stuck! 

What do you think?  Do you want to come but can't because you just happen to work on Tuesday and Thursday mornings?  Or do you come now, but couldn't come if I changed the day?

If you have any sort of opinion on the matter, I would love to hear it!  Just leave me a comment here or on my Facebook page.  I'll post again if I decide to make any changes, and you can always check back on my Open Knit page, but for the most updated information on all things Yellowbird make sure and give me a "Like" right here! 

It was fate. Fate, I tell you.

 

I saw Tahki's new yarn, Boulder, for the first time back in April and fell in love, laughing all the way.  This is one giant ball of yarn!  I've seen smaller pillows!  It is fantastic and fluffy and fun, and everyone who sees it has the same initial reaction as myself.

It is just so irresistible!

Now, upon consulting the label you will find that the recommended needle size is 35.  Yes, that's right.  35.  This is not a size that I have been able to acquire, in wood, through my usual sources.

Enter Joan Braun.

Joan came into River City several weeks ago during Open Knit to talk to me about some needles she had seen online.  They were square, and the site boasted about the benefits of square needles over round for easing strain.   

She was intrigued.  She said she knows her way around a woodworking shop (her sons make beautiful pens, by the way) and we had a very interesting discussion on the technicalities involved in acquiring proper gauge.  As the discussion evolved, I found that Joan was interested in making needles for the shop.   Including the size 35 that I would need in stock as soon as Boulder became available. 

I also found that she knew my husband and his family.  Oh, those six degrees... 

Another visit later, Joan showed me what she'd been working on and I was giddy!  I officially had my own set of size 35 straights, we had another very interesting discussion about proper gauge, and we compared a few more notes.  

 
Joan's square needles.  I love 'em!

Last week, just a day after the nice UPS man left a box of Boulder on my doorstep, Joan sent me an email saying she'd be at Open Knit with a whole assortment of goodies.  And, boy, had she been busy!

She made straights in standard sizes, a few sets of square needles, some size 35 circulars (pictured at the top of this post), and a cute little tool for fixing dropped stitches.  She even made the bags to store them out of repurposed material!

I could go on all day, but then it would take that long for this page to load.  If you would like to know more, contact me or come on in during Open Knit where you may just find me working on my Boulder scarf (which will be on display at River City between times).

 

And the Yellowbird was happy.