~~ Creating handspun yarn & handblended spinning fibers for The Knotty Sheep is one of my loves, but - dogs are my passion. They go hand & hand as the former helps me to raise money and awareness for the latter. ~~ Kary / The Knotty Sheep
Small print time ... all of my text & images are copyright protected by me, Kary Miksis/The Knotty Sheep (2002-2011). Please play by the rules and do not use anything without my permission. Merci!
One of the things about small business ownership is you have the chance to create something new for it on a daily basis. Creating is key to the over all growth of any business. Faithful customers may tire of the same old same old and you may just grab the eye of a new customer with a fantastic new item.
Introducing: "Cheap Sinks™!" These babies have no frills, no bells & no whistles. Just fabulous hand blended fibers for your spinning pleasure!! The concept is simple ... wonderful, artistically hand blended batts without all the fancies! Less fancies = a more affordable price. OK - it helps if you have looking for something for that guy in your life too who doesn't want all the frou-frou silk & glitz!! Lot #1 is a fabulous guy color ... think sox or a wonderful cap!
Of course, "The Kitchen Sink Battz™" are here to stay. Bells & whistles are needed too! Check out Hold You in My Dreams. Yep .... a little frou -frou adds a little something ... yes?
Sometimes, the last thing I want to do, during the course of my day, is to work on my business, The Knotty Sheep.
While I love doing what I do ... it is the constant self promotion, carding, dyEing, photographing the wool etc, that gets me nutty. Compound that with 101 thousand other fiber artists also selling what I do ... well, I think you get the picture: frustration.
Just when I think I can't do it anymore ... just when I don't want to do it anymore - I realize, I must! I donate 5% of my sales to PittieLove Rescue.
I digress for a moment, my friend Stasia is one of my heroes. The interesting thing about that concept is ... I really don't do the 'hero-worship/groupie' thing. It is because I know her, and her generous heart, that makes me admit that she is a hero of mine.
You must read her BloG to understand the story of her "Boris"!
I love Boris ... and Val ... and Emma ... and Molly! She has rescued them all.
But, I can't continue without letting you know that so many others also do this kind of thing. They save animals. Artist Bernie Berlin is another. Her 'shelter' is called "A Place to Bark' and right now - she in the running to reap beaucoup dollars - which she desperately needs! If you can spare at least $10, right this very minute! - please do!
More information is found at her BloG, it isn't about the amount of money collected - it is about the amount of donors who donate!
Unfortunately, there seems like there will always be homeless dogs & other animals. Why?? I can not say as I would rather lose my fiber & spinning wheels than my dog, Diesel!!
Thank you Stas for being my Light & inspiration! Thank you Bernie, for being the same! You inspire to keep "The Knotty Sheep" going as it is my way to providing shelter & love to all the pitbulls that I can not adopt at the moment.
So .... if you happen to have that extra $10 I was talking about - please leave it here ... I thank you and so does every homeless dog out there :
It will be sent with 2 other fair isle hats to South Dakota to warm the Cheyenne River Sioux via the Macuwita sni program. Wanna see?
Since I have completed a few fair isle hats of late ... I am itching to do mittens. I don't know why. Today, I had a brain storm ... I want to put all my fair isle mittens on the wall ... you know, like art. I mean, they are art and I totally think this would be so cool.
Wish me luck. Keep in mind, I want 25 Christmas stockings before December 1st.
Where are my vitamins & espresso? Remember .... Inspire Art! Create Art! Buy Art! Be ART!! Comments, please!
The knitting content is minimal. I am still working on the Bea Ellis Dog Hat for Macuwita sni. It is coming along nicely - although, since I am climbing the Stash Mountain, I didn't find any cotton yarn to line this baby. Not one to give up ... I created a small K1 P1 rib. Suffice to say that said ribbing likes to 'fold up' on me while I am knitting. Again, not one to give up (but one that gets quite agitated) - I sewed the 2 sides of the hat together until it is finished and blocked. AH ... no more 'folding up'!
I like to knit for charity as faithful readers of this BloG are well aware. It seems an easy answer to the on going question of "How to make the World a better place."
The question is easily answered if we don't try to change the world all at once, in its entirety. If baby steps are allowed to band together - they will make a parade.
The company to which my husband is employed recently signed up with Anysoldier.com . It seems only natural to help those who put their fannies on the line for us while our fannies sit on cushy pillows (At least mine does!) A bag of personal care items is ready for my husband to drop off next week. One shouldn't have to take tampons for granted and the soldiers that we will be assisting (the ratio is 55 males/1 woman) have lost their PX. Sigh ....
Moving on ........
I firmly believe that there is a special place for those who abandon animals at the side of the road, upon their Judgement Day. This place, in my opinion, will be HOT HOT HOT. Again, baby steps are needed and thankfully, there are those kind individuals who take these abandoned creatures in .... feed them, water them, get them proper medical care and love them. There is a VERY special place for those who do this job too ... I am thinking weather conditions in this special place will be quite favorable - with a glass of wine on each cloud! (You know who you are ... and YOU are my hero!)
I could list many more ways to make the world better ... I don't think it is as hard as we all make it. I am taking my baby steps .... want to join my parade?
Part of the reason I love wool so much is that I get to wear quite a bit of it, here in New England.
From sox, to mittens, to scarves, to sweaters, to hats .... I pretty much have something woolen on daily - summer is the only exception.
Take for example a woolen sweater. Over the weekend, the sun was shining and the outside temps scooted over the freezing mark. I was happy that I was able to hang my laundry (both Saturday & Sunday) on the line. Said wool sweater was the perfect item to don while running in & out of the house whilst rearranging the clothes in the hopeful attempts that they would dry completely. I lost that battle - but, the clothes stayed out there long enough to get that wonderful fresh air scent into each & every thread!
My story fast forwards to Monday (yesterday) where a winter storm left us 'Ooooing & AHing' over the beauty and magnitude of the snow. Yep - I am lucky to have woolies. But, much to my chagrin, no laundry hanging for a bit. Here is my clothesline:
And my apple tree:
And the corner of my garden fence:
And my blueberry bushes & lilacs:
Did I mention DH & I shoveled the driveway?? Thank goodness for wool sox & LL Bean boots. I hear we might get another storm Thursday or Friday .... C'est la vie ... at least I have wool!
First, there is the new hand spun yarn available for purchase! Christmas maybe over - but Frosting on the Christmas Tree remains an irresistible confection!
Then, there is the completed "Whitney's Hat" for Macuwita sni! While an interesting knit ... I am kind of glad that it is finished. The pattern doesn't seem to be available as I googled it & came up empty - but, it is warm, warm, warm. My GYnormous head squeezed into it - but, if I made it for myself, I would have to do the (gulp!) adult XL!
Last but not least ... do you love FREE Prizes?? Well, Etsy for Animals is running a FUN contest. Prizes have been donated by EFA artists, including MOI! Do play - it is EZ, FUN, FREE & you get to see some terrific shops!! Rules may be found HERE!
Yes ... busy, busy, busy!! Now, I am off to do laundry & make dinner. O BOY!
Since we are now on Day 4 of the New Year - I am pretty committed to using up some of the stash that I have in the studio. I must. There are so many patterns and yarns that are popping up before my eyes that I need to make room for their arrival.
I have yet to purchase them, but, that is OK. Each new item have been 'book marked'. One of the things I am going to make is the Team USA Pullover at KidsKnits. I have loved the retro look of this pattern since I first discovered it ... I actually *need* to make it. But first, back to reality: the Stash Mountain must be conquered.
In my project boxes, I found a little ditty called the "Whitney Hat" by Fine Knits Design. I googled a wee bit and found nothing about it. I know I purchased it from Nordic Fiber Arts a year or two ago. Should be interesting as the pattern repeats don't coincide with the amount of stitches. No problem the instructions infer ... the pattern will 'still look fine'.
I am so intrigued by this methodology. My anal-retentiveness aside - I am going to make this baby just to see what the pattern looks like. Here it is in it's infantile beginnings:
This is going to be a wild ride! Remember .... Inspire Art! Create Art! Buy Art! Be ART!! Comments, please!
Seems like the last year flew by. It did, I know it did. I know that it's sppedy trajectory thorough Eternity had nothing to do with me NOT paying attention to my surroundings. Nope ... that wasn't it, I know it wasn't.
Yes - the older we get, the faster the days/weeks/months ( and dare I say 'years'?) go by. Mom always told me that would happen, she was right - as usual.
2008 is the Year I will take by the horns and parlay that into Simple Living and paying attention to my surroundings. There is much to be said about 'living in the moment'.
2008 is going to be a Year of JOY and Peace within. Sounds corny - but there is much to do to make the World sing a little louder. I don't have a good voice - but it is ready to harmonize with a global choir.
2008 is the Year of 'not wasting time'. How much time do we really have anyway?? If 'living in the moment' makes us value & appreciate each molecule of stuff & nano second of time ... then we should have gratitude for both molecules & nano seconds.
Time is precious - more precious than anything, really. Last night, while Christmas Carols still played ... I spun "Frosting on the Christmas Tree". Still have a second bobbin to complete ... but I love dorset!
I am spinning extra finely, I want a tight twist when plied as I have sock yarn on the brain when this is fins!
