getcrafty :: popular topics :: knitting :: yarns

View entire thread: Connecticut

Posted by Karen on 2004-04-13 18:00:01      Post Subject: Connecticut



CT Stitch 'n Bitches:
New Haven http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SnB_NewHaven
Fairfield County http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snbfairfield
Hartford http://groups.yahoo.com/group/snbhartford
Coventry http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stitchnbitchcoventry

CT Knitting Meetups:
New Haven http://knitting.meetup.com/318
Fairfield http://knitting.meetup.com/601
Hartford http://knitting.meetup.com/184
Norwich http://knitting.meetup.com/319

CT yarn shops:
Country Yarns, 327 North Colony Rd., Wallingford, (203)269-6662
Fabric Place in Cromwell http://www.fabricplace.com
Hither & Yarn, 835 New Harwinton Rd., Torrington, (860)489-9276
Janet Kemp in Stratford http://www.janetkemp.com
Knit Together in Stamford http://www.knittogether.com
Needleworks, 10 E. Cedar St., Newington, (860)665-0277
Selma's Yarns & Needleworks in Southbury http://www.selmasyarns.com
Village Sheep in New Milford
Yarn Barn in Woodbridge http://www.theyarnbarn.com
Yarns Down Under in Deep River http://www.yarnsdownunder.com
Yarns Yarns Yarns, 2400 Rte. 80, Town & Country Plaza, North Branford, (203)488-7370

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View entire thread: Chicago yarn store event and sale April 4

Posted by ChristineRenee on 2007-03-30 14:36:03      Post Subject: Chicago yarn store event and sale April 4

I'm on the SnB mailing list and got this. Thought any other Chicago people here would want to know about it:

> Amy Singer, author of No Sheep For You, co-author of Big Girl
> Knits, and Editor of www.knitty.com, will be visiting Loopy Yarns
> on Wednesday, April 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 for a book signing, trunk
> show, and party. These fabulous books should be in every
> knitters library! To celebrate, for two hours only were having
> a sale of 20% off ALL our animal free yarns and ALL our silk.
> Thats EVERY cotton, bamboo, linen, soy, corn, and milk yarn, as
> well as all our 100% silk and wool-free silk blends. So come in
> to meet Amy on April 4, and go home with some great books and
> great yarn!

> Loopy Yarns
> 719 S. State St.
> Chicago, IL 60605
> 312-583-YARN (9276)
> http://www.loopyyarns.com

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View entire thread: I'm spinnin' some yarn!

Posted by yarnahoy on 2006-02-04 23:10:28      Post Subject: I'm spinnin' some yarn!

I finally decided to sell my hand spun yarns at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=14993
And i'm loving it :))

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View entire thread: Yarn Art Blog: Unique, creative & ecclectic types welcom

Posted by StitchAndBramble on 2007-09-19 16:53:37      Post Subject: Yarn Art Blog: Unique, creative & ecclectic types welcom

Stitch and Bramble is a brand new yarn art blog, catering to knitters and crocheters of all levels.

The blog includes reviews of yarns, as well as links to helpful books, websites and other blogs, updates on the author''s personal projects, DIY tips for your own knitting and crocheting ventures, and a regular reader feature-- showcasing readers'' projects!

Stitch and Bramble is not for the average everyday crocheters and their granny square afghans! It''s all about new ideas, unique streams of inspiration, and ecclectic artists!

Stitch and Bramble supports crafters and small crafting businesses-- if you sell handmade knit or crochet items through a website such as Etsy.com, Stitch and Bramble is open to supporting and promoting your website for free! Email for details, or check out the blog for yourself!

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View entire thread: AD: San Francisco Knitters, Crafters, Do-Gooders!

Posted by zimfreak on 2007-12-29 05:01:47      Post Subject: AD: San Francisco Knitters, Crafters, Do-Gooders!

Got an hour to spare? Need to pare down that stash?
Knit a scarf!

Warm and Fuzzy, a group of friendly teen knitters in San Francisco, is collecting scarves for the homeless and impoverished in the Bay Area and we need your help! An hour or two of your time can make a world of difference for someone in need. Warm and Fuzzy asks you to spend that time knitting (or crocheting!) :). A hand-made scarf is not only personal and priceless, it''s practical, too!
Knit a scarf between now and Valentine''s Day and, well, feel the love.

Donate your scarf at any of the following locations:

Imagiknit
3897 18th St (at Sanchez)
www.imagiknit.com

Greenwich Yarn
2073 Greenwich St (at Webster)
www.greenwichyarn.c om

Atelier Yarns
1945 Divisadero St (between Pine and California)
www.atelieryarns.co m

Mendels/Far-Out Fabrics
1556 Haight St (between Clayton and Ashbury)
www.mendels.com

The Gables
5636 Geary Blvd (at 21st Ave)
(415)751-8152

Wishbone
601 Irving St (at 7th Ave)
www.wishbonesf.com

For more information, check out www.myspace.com/warmandfuzzySF

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View entire thread: Gorgeous hand painted sock yarns.

Posted by yarnahoy on 2006-06-15 22:53:53      Post Subject: Gorgeous hand painted sock yarns.

Hi all,
check out my hand painted sock yarns in both superwash & regular wash at http://yarnahoy.etsy.com
Also in my shop are beautiful handspun yarns.
Free shipping for the month of June if you mention 'Get Crafty'.
Cheers!



http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3510/1702/400/sock%20yarns%204.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3510/1702/320/super%20nylon%202.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3510/1702/320/super%20nylon%203.0.jpg

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View entire thread: drop spinning help?

Posted by stella on 2008-03-19 04:18:05      Post Subject:

it sounds like you might want a longer and heavier spindle.

spindles for fine yarns are designed for yarns that are more like 15-20 wraps per inch. people who spin hundreds of yards in one spindle-full are probably spinning very fine yarns. if your yarn is 1/8-1/16 inch wide, it is probably more like 8-12 wraps per inch, which is a bulky yarn. this website has some info on measuring handspun: http://www.spinderellas.com/patterns/yarnchart.html

7 inches is also pretty short for a spindle, and shorter spindles tend to wobble more. if your problem is that the spindle starts to wobble as it fills, i would suspect that the problem isn't the hook, but that you might want to invest in a longer spindle.

as for joining yarn... you never need knots.untwist the ends you want to join a little so that the singles yarn is fluffy and open, overlap them, and twist them back together. you can put a little water or spit on your palms and rub the join between them to make it stronger. this join isn't strong enough for warp yarn, though.

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View entire thread: AD: just launched my yarn webstore!

Posted by high-strung on 2006-10-24 14:08:29      Post Subject: AD: just launched my yarn webstore!

just want to let everyone know that my yarn shop is now open! i specialize in natural fibers and yarns that are a little lesser known, but high in quality. keep checking it as i will be adding to the inventory very soon!

HIGH-STRUNG

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View entire thread: How to make good pastie tassels

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2007-11-11 20:54:15      Post Subject:

Embroidery floss will work fine, but other yarns and threads will too.

For ease of practice, take a full skein of embroidery thread. Take a short length of thread and tie a knot around the skein at the dead center.

Now, have another length of floss or thread or contrasting fiber and about a quarter inch down from the fold, wrap the new piece around tightly. Keep going around until you have a small band of wrapped area. Tuck your ends under the wrap.

Snip all the threads free, then snip to even the cut ends up.

Use the original knot as your anchor, or replace it with a jump ring or however you want to attach the tassel.

If you need a shorter length tassel, you could just cut them shorter, or make a shorter skein.

You'll find some other yarns will weigh less than the cotton floss, so you might want to experiment with the right look and heft, and figure in the amount of movement.

You can put a few strands of other colors in the tassel, or add some mylar threads as well.

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View entire thread: discontinued yarn

Posted by mrs_stroozi on 2006-05-23 13:46:18      Post Subject:

I find what I believe are discontinued yarns from my local 99 cent store. Big Lots carries discontinued yarns from time to time as well.

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View entire thread: Linen yarn

Posted by smudgy_cat on 2007-12-23 13:46:58      Post Subject:

Have you looked at bamboo yarns? I would think it would have a similar texture to the linen in terms of stretchiness. I've seen some bamboo yarns at Michaels, but I'd probably go to a knitting shop and see what they have.

For trial runs, you could also try some cotton yarns. I've used cotton before, and it's okay; I got the peaches/cream kind from walmart, and it really faded during washing.

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View entire thread: Knitting/yarn stores in Broward, South Florida

Posted by MosaicMadness on 2006-11-26 20:48:04      Post Subject:

I just saw Tropical Yarns on Miramar Parkway just east of I-75 (on the North side of street). Nice variety of yarns.

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View entire thread: yarn grab bag!

Posted by glccafar on 2004-06-25 20:45:22      Post Subject: me please!

Hi, I've been lurking for two days now, but I had to register when I saw this thread. ;)
I'd be happy to pay for shipping, and I love deep colors (reds, blues, purples, greens, browns) and multicolored yarns. I also plan on trying felting soon, so if there is any non-acrylic, I'd be especially excited to see that, but any type will be geat.
Just let me know what account to send the paypal payment to, and I'll PM you my address.
Thanks!!!

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View entire thread: butterfly looms?

Posted by sammie cat on 2006-12-05 17:45:15      Post Subject: butterfly looms?


Has anyone used butterfly looms? I got some at Jo-Anns and I'm hooked.

I love going through their yarn deparment and just touching and loving all of the yarns. I sew and make jewelry but knitting and crochet always confused me. I'm so proud, I made a scarf and started working on a bag.

Does anyone have any patterns?
Sammie's Mom

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View entire thread: butterfly looms?

Posted by sammie cat on 2006-12-05 18:33:54      Post Subject: butterfly looms

Hi, they are wooden looms that have hinges to fold in half.
You just wrap the yarn around them and then knot the intersections on the wrapped part. They are sooooo easy to use. I played around with some different kinds of yarns and made sample squares before I decided which ones to use to make my scarf. It's thick, fluffy, and colorful! I made 7 sqares and sewed them together in just 1 night of tv shows.
Sammie's Mom

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View entire thread: Denton, TX? Yarn?

Posted by bookishsunny on 2007-02-05 18:46:00      Post Subject:

Hobby Lobby has the best selection in town, but not a lot of 'nicer' yarns. Other than that, you have to drive to Fort Worth.

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View entire thread: It's My Party and I'll Knit if I Want

Posted by pudding on 2005-03-02 08:01:02      Post Subject:

Yeah, I've read this. I inherited a copy from a family member.

The best thing about this book was it's Australian perspective - I knew all of the places the author mentioned, was familiar with the yarns and such that she talked about, and so on. Sometimes with books from the US or other places there is a sense of being very far away from 'the action' (which I am!). I found the local perspective very refreshing.

Having said that, I actually much prefered Stitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller. Stitch and Bitch seemed to cover the same material, but in a much meatier way, if that makes sense.

"The book being about writing the book" is the same impression I got. I also got the impression that the author didn't have a long history with knitting, or rather it seemed (because there's nothing wrong with being a new knitter) she may even have taken up knitting to write the book rather than writing the book about taking up knitting. I feel a bit bad for sounding so harsh, but that was my impression.

I wish there was a 'scene' of hip, funky young knitters knitting skully sweaters and chunky scarves here! That's the impression I get of what New York is like. Here it feels a bit lonely. But there is a pretty cool knitting magazine and some wonderful online yarn shops, so that's something.

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View entire thread: drop spinning help?

Posted by flamesdancing on 2008-03-18 02:29:41      Post Subject: drop spinning help?

So I''ve been spinning on a spindle for a while now (6-8 months) on and off, as much as I can afford roving. (working on preping raw wool, but thats somehting else.) anyways, I''ve gotten pretty good, my threads are mostly pretty even, and fairly fine. I''m spinning on a top whorl wood spindle, I think its about 1.5 ounces? maybe its two. mostly, I''m using blue leicesteir mostly, though I was using corridale. I''m having a wonderful time, but I have this one problem. Even spinning a very fine yarn, I find that I can''t spin a yarn or thread of any great length. I double-ply, but I can''t make my singles much longer either, usually, I only lose about a yard or less at the end of plying. The longest yarn I''ve spun so far is about 23 yards. Its between 1/16th and 1/8th of an inch thick. By the time I get to between 15 and 20 yards single, or double, the spindle is wobbling all over the place, and its full. I can barely find a bare place to use to continue it spinning.
Is my spindle just too small? I like spinning this light weight yarn, I don''t want a much heavier spindle, though I''d also like to spin some thicker woolens. its about 7 inches long from the bottom of the whorl to the bottom, and the whorl is about two inches or so in diameter. I see people who''ve spun over 100 yards on their spindles, which blows my mind. Do have any suggustions for how to spin longer yarns/threads? Is there a way to connect them without knotting them in an ukky mess? I''ve been thinking about selling them on etsy, if I could only get this length issue fixed. Plus, it would be way better for my weaving that way. Thanks a million,
Flames Dancing

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View entire thread: How to make good pastie tassels

Posted by andi.devine on 2007-11-12 12:13:42      Post Subject:

I hunted around online til I found a tutorial with my favorite tassel-making method: http://www.nezumiworld.com/crochet_057.htm

I would defintely experiement iwth different thread weights. even some acryllic yarns might be nice becase they're so bulky for their weight.

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View entire thread: HELP!!!!!!!!!! RECYCLED SILK YARN PROBLEM

Posted by Katrin on 2006-05-26 00:00:48      Post Subject:

I'd say to try the regular dye-lot-mismatch solution of alternating yarns every row or two - that way the colors will blend together. Of course that will still involve ripping at least part of it out and starting over.

Okay, here's a silk question from me. I have some white recycled silk, most of which is spun way too tight. I started knitting with one skein of it, unraveled that project and started it over a couple of times trying to get the gauge right. So the stuff that I've used is now all relaxed and easy to work with - but if I try starting another skein now, it'll be overspun again and won't match up, gauge-wise (unless I knit and unravel all of it two or three times). Is there any easier way to loosen it up before I use it?

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View entire thread: discontinued yarn

Posted by stella on 2006-05-23 23:16:47      Post Subject:

do you want yarn to match old lots, or are you just looking for cheap yarn? if you are trying to find discontinued yarn to complete a project, elann.com and the Knitty board have areas where you can ask people if they have that yarn to swap or sell.

if you just want cheap yarn, discountyarnsale.com sells whole bags, and they have a variety of discontinued yarns and colors in the "bargain bin" section. www.yarn.com (Webs) also has sections for discontinued or otherwise heavily discounted yarn.

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View entire thread: Crafternoon Help Please, Very Much Appreciated

Posted by Karen1948 on 2006-09-07 20:35:55      Post Subject:

Hi Mimi: I have never heard of a Crafternoon Tea -- it sounds interesting! If it is a "get together" for people who are looking for a craft, I would think a few munchies and tea/coffee would work. Men and women are great craftspeople and you could certainly have a variety of ideas for people to try. For eg., one of the best "scrapbookers" I have ever met is a male. He has a graphic arts background and the pages he puts together are amazing! There are many little wooden projects that can be purchased in Canada from craft stores which a person can then modify (if they wish) with the use of a craft knife, paint or other decorative finishes and proudly take home with them. Many men also knit or crochet -- not generally the dainty thread type of work, but yarns, and other unusual materials such as fabric strips, plastic strips, etc. Having the materials for "whittling" (pieces of soft wood or driftwood, sharp knives/chisels, etc. is something any male or female can learn by doing. There is information on the web and in libraries in most communities -- again that is true in Canada and I would assume it would be the case elsewhere in the world also. Having paint supplies and "canvas" (pieces of wood, painters' canvas, paper, glass, etc. could also be very entertaining. Many people say they "can't paint" but they can usually create geometric shapes or abstract pieces if they just let their imagination go. Hope this is a bit helpful.

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View entire thread: where do i find good yarn to make a scarf with?

Posted by stella on 2004-10-21 12:17:33      Post Subject:

try a craft store like Michaels or Jo-Ann. they have lots of bulky yarns. there's a bulky version of Wool-Ease, and Lion also makes a bulky polar-fleecy yarn.

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View entire thread: Handspinner needs advice from knitters and crocheters

Posted by sarabell on 2005-09-02 13:27:09      Post Subject:

usually i want my fraternal twin yarns to have a little more contrast. perhaps varieagated, textured, or more heavily embellished. other than that, i prefer identical twins, myself. whenever i purchase fraternal twin yarns without a specific project in mind, the yarns rarely get used together.

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View entire thread: Knitting/yarn stores in Broward, South Florida

Posted by JenipherLyn on 2006-09-18 14:30:07      Post Subject:

There is a knitting type of store in the Fountians shopping plaza on University. They were nice to me one time i went in, not so nice another time. BUT at least you won't have to order online.

I also work at JoAnns and we just restocked a bunch of new kinds of yarn. We have about 8 sheves full of yarns and wools.

Good luck!

*JENipher Lyn*

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View entire thread: knitting - new to cables - yarn question

Posted by stella on 2006-12-27 19:15:36      Post Subject:

single-colored (or heathered, just not space-dyed) yarns look best as cables, since the cables get lost if there are a lot of color changes. like goddesshanna said, a smooth yarn shows cables off. wool is easier to work with and more forgiving than cotton or other inelastic fibers, but you can work cables with any yarn.

i don't tend to use a cable needle unless the cable is really big or complex, and even then i just put the stitches on a spare DP or a toothpick.

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View entire thread: Linen yarn

Posted by stella on 2007-12-23 16:22:21      Post Subject:

Knitpicks makes a linen blend called CotLin. all of the pure linen yarns i know of are fairly expensive, but check the closeouts on Webs (www.yarn.com).

bamboo and cotton don't handle much like linen at all. your best bet for a substitute would be hemp.

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View entire thread: intarsia knitting

Posted by ada on 2004-08-21 05:04:22      Post Subject:

Alrighty, I'll try to explain some of this - but I'm no expert and there's no substitute for seeing it - so perhaps have a look for on-line resources?

Firstly, yes, you can knit a patch like you describe without using a new piece for each row. You just carry the colour you are working with up inside (that is, at the back) of the knitting. Make sure you are not pulling it too tight, else the final product will be puckered.

Secondly, yes, you should twist the yarns you are working with all on the same side of the piece - the back side of the piece. You should twist together the yarns you are working with WHENEVER you switch between yarns, not just when you get to an end of a piece of yarn. This is because when you are working intarsia, the 'patch' of colour won't be attached to the rest of the knitting along its vertical edges unless you do this twisting.

If you were doing fair-isle type knitting, you would not need to do this twisting - you would carry both colours along the row you were working on, switching between them regularly, and this process would mean that the two lots of yarn would be intertwined.

Gosh it's hard to explain in words! Good luck, it definitely begins to make more sense once you have the real thing in front of you.

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View entire thread: Do you have any preferences(producer,price,assortment,stuff.

Posted by Astrid on 2008-08-11 17:51:32      Post Subject:

If you have read my blog (it's in my sig) you already know that I have a great dislike for shopping for new things. The waste of other people has been my best supplier of yarns and fabric for a number of years now, but I've also found paints, glue, wood filler, tape, tools, sewing thread, packaging materials, display materials and buttons, zippers, metal rings, stuffing fibres, elastic band etc. from old clothing, toys and bags and such. Sometimes even beads and broken jewelry to reconstruct or reuse parts from. Not to mention the complete furniture.
I have shopped on line for jewelry supplies in the past and I will do so again for brooch pins and such. For special one time buys (a crochet hook, special buttons like jeans buttons or something I just browse until I find the best deal). I do have one favourite jewelry supplier because their prices are the best deal I found so far and the assortment is great (Sayila, based in Holland but they sell world wide now), but these days I even check Etsy before, because sometimes Etsians selling off leftovers even provide better deals, or with so many sellers I even find what my regular dealer doesn't have! For example I wanted either non allergic or silver plated ear wires, my supplier had only the non nickle free stuff, I found silver plated ones on Etsy for next to nothing. And the fact that I am buying someones leftovers makes me feel more comfortable about it too. At least from the prices I've seen so far I took it they didn't buy the stuff wholesale somewhere to resell through Etsy. For that reason I avoid Ebay if I can. It's too commercial for me.

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View entire thread: to block or not to block (knitting)

Posted by xuli on 2005-01-26 20:57:01      Post Subject:

Also, many synthetic yarns should not be blocked.

But yeah -- I never bother blocking scarves, anyway.

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View entire thread: keeping the stitches on the end tight when you knit

Posted by Knits4Fun on 2005-01-17 12:59:32      Post Subject:

Hope this helps a little: When you go to turn your work to work on the other side, work the first stitch.

Then, before you finish working the second stitch (i.e. put your needle into the second stitch to work it), really pull your yarn tightly so that the first stitch on the needle is tight.

It can be hard with certain yarns and/or size needles to really get a tight first stitch on the ends.

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View entire thread: Any Knitters in Central NH?

Posted by Karen on 2004-07-13 16:12:11      Post Subject: knitting in New Hampshire

The Cafe Knitters meet from 6 to 8 pm on the 2nd & 4th Monday of each month at Cafe on the Corner, 478 Central Ave., in downtown Dover. (And they're trying an every-Monday schedule for a while.) There's a flyer on the bulletin board at Spinning Yarns.

Nashua Stitch 'n Bitch http://kat.prettyposies.com/nashuasnb

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View entire thread: Bond knitting machine

Posted by kkusnier on 2007-11-11 10:12:25      Post Subject: issues

when you use the machine have you made sure that the floor/surface/ and the machine are PERFECTLY level? have you also made sure to use the right cartridge for the type of yarn you are using.. i have always had issues with real heavy yarns and yarns that have a lot of textures to them ...
I tried to use mine for three months and i found that simple little things made a BIG difference, but when everything is perfect then it is a breeze to use.

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View entire thread: Los Angeles Crafters/Designers!

Posted by piscesmama on 2005-03-03 19:36:45      Post Subject: Los Angeles Crafters/Designers!

The Red Carpet Boutique, a prestige shopping event in Los Angeles, is looking for designers!
Our first event is scheduled for this April! The event will be held at the famous
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. We have so much planned! Like a Spa Lounge where customers
can relax and ponder their next purchase, delicious food, goodie bags, door prizes,
silent auctions and so more…

Red Carpet Boutique is the brain child of 7 successful and ambitious female entrepreneurs which include:

*Event Diva* – A Los Angeles-based upscale list event planning company

*Costa Portal.com* -- an entrance to the global world of creativity.
Its purpose is to source the most inspirational art, be it finely woven yarns,
exquisitely tanned and dyed leathers, hand-crafted jewelry, black and white
photographs or treasures not yet discovered.

*Heaven Sent Jewelry.com *-- Heaven Sent Jewelry makes an everlasting
impression with its quality, stunning and opulent designs (jewelry, book marks,
key chains and more) made from fine quality hand-crafted genuine Swarovksi
crystals, freshwater pearls, sterling silver bali beads and semi-precious stones.

*Moodivations.com* – A total wellness company that delivers spa quality
massage, cosmetic and alternative healing services, pamper parties and products
to the comfort of your home. Sometimes getting away to the spa, means staying in.

*Pisces Soap.com* – A boutique style, Beverly Hills-based company that
specializes in hand crafted, highly aromatic, unusually shaped, decadent soap bars.

*Sand Dollar Cosmetics.com* – Cosmetic and beauty products designed to enrich
the flesh, the mind, the psyche, the spirit and the soul. Infused with essential
oils and blended with ingredients and properties considered through the ages to
be healing, nurturing and inspiring.

*Somewear Literary Clothing Company* – For children and adults, original
stories, original illustrations published on the most comfortable reading-material
around: your t-shirt.

If you are interested in being a vendor and/or would like to get more information, please contact our event planner, Seema at seema@eventdiva.net

Thank you so much! I hope to see you there!
Warmest Wishes,
Kerith Eizabeth Henderson
CEO/Designer
Pisces Soap
Being Dirty Has Never Been So Much Fun!™
www.PiscesSoap.com

369 South Doheny Drive #106
8913 West Olympic Blvd. #104
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 659-9211 tele
(310) 657-3245 fax
PiscesSoap@aol.com

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View entire thread: i want to knit this skirt.....

Posted by janaka on 2007-07-05 10:55:37      Post Subject: i want to knit this skirt.....

www.berroco.com/255.262/261/261_maria_pv.html

here is the question:

* the pattern is knit in a yarn that is 46% cotton, 30% acrylic and 24% nylon. i would like to knit it in a yarn that is 70% mercerized cotton and 30% rayon.

is anything bad going to happen if i do this? ie, will the shape hold, will it stretch out? should i knit it with something woven in so that the shape will hold firm?

i am trying to use what i have, and i keep finding patterns that i love but i don't have any yarns that match exactly what is called for.

help!!

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View entire thread: Clearwater/Tampa

Posted by Stuff_by_Steph on 2006-02-01 17:40:10      Post Subject:


Hey,
There is a knitting store on S. Dale Mabry...it's called Knit n' Knibble. Lots of good yarns there. Hope you like Tampa!

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View entire thread: Making a doll for a new born

Posted by meexie on 2005-01-04 05:15:26      Post Subject:

Maybe not as boy/girl as you are looking for, but I love Kate Gilbert's Bunny pattern. Since it's made in one piece, it's a lot harder for baby to rip off an appendage, and the facial features are embroidered on so baby can't rip them off and choke on them. You could gender them with embroidery or choose different colors and yarns.

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View entire thread: yarn dyeing question

Posted by stella on 2005-06-07 02:45:21      Post Subject:

the Curious Creek yarns aren't handspun, they're dye-painted. you can make variegated yarns like that by spinning different colors, but i don't think it's as possible/convenient/economical for yarn mills to do that.

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View entire thread: What is that yarn called...

Posted by anthrogirl on 2006-11-26 19:31:12      Post Subject:

There are many yarns like that. Sometimes it's marketed as 'bulky' yarn. Some yarn has actual slubs (little fluffy pieces) in it. I'm afraid that unless you're more specific (color? brand?) it would be hard to identify it.

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View entire thread: eh. scarf color trouble.

Posted by soapandwater on 2004-11-13 08:27:19      Post Subject: eh. scarf color trouble.

I just finished a scarf for my friend, but it's a little shorter than I expected. It's a thin scarf, and I typically like thinner scarves to be at least a little longer than what I've done. It looks great so far, vari-colored (not sure if that's a term, forgive me, six hours of sleep) with purples, and it's ribbed. The only problem is I refuse to buy some more yarn because I'm without a car at this moment and don't need that much more yarn.

So, I'm thinking of crocheting a chunk of solid color to both ends, to sort of give it more weight and length (it's such a lightweight scarf, though warm, that it feels like it'd fly away). And I have a ton of navy blue.

Would navy blue work with the violet/purple variations? I think it would, but then, I think it's okay to wear red and pink together, whereas some might disagree (put your dukes up).

And, yes, you'll have to forgive me for not wanting to buy some new yarn. I'm frustrated with myself for not using the yarns I already have, and I kind of want to use them up.

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View entire thread: messy lace sweater from R2?

Posted by xuli on 2006-01-29 19:03:00      Post Subject:

R2 is a knitting magazine put out by the Rowan yarn company. The patterns tend to use their line of novelty yarns (R2) and tend to be young and very hip.

Here's the website; you might be able to snag a back issue from them:
http://www.knitr2.com/

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View entire thread: HELP! Yarn Shop in East Vancouver??

Posted by aspiring on 2004-12-20 11:00:05      Post Subject:

I've never been to Vancouver, but I've heard there's a nice yarn shop there called Urban Yarns. Could that be it? You can try Google, and also there is a directory in Stitch n Bitch Nation, can't remember if there were any entries for Vancouver.


btw: ugh, not enough yarn for a project! Your Mama has my sympathy.

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View entire thread: alchemy yarn

Posted by Karen on 2004-08-26 15:56:09      Post Subject:

http://www.alchemyyarns.com
From Knitters' Review:
http://www.knittersreview.com/goto.asp?goto=Alchemy
"Based in Sebastopol, California, Alchemy Yarns offers a mind-boggling number of colors in 15 different yarn types, ranging from sleek alpaca and traditional wool to plump mohair boucle, crisp silk chenille, and a smooth and firm bamboo."

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View entire thread: Los Angeles: Looking for designers/crafters

Posted by piscesmama on 2005-03-03 19:33:39      Post Subject: Los Angeles: Looking for designers/crafters

The Red Carpet Boutique, a prestige shopping event in Los Angeles, is looking for designers!
Our first event is scheduled for this April! The event will be held at the famous
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. We have so much planned! Like a Spa Lounge where customers
can relax and ponder their next purchase, delicious food, goodie bags, door prizes,
silent auctions and so more…

Red Carpet Boutique is the brain child of 7 successful and ambitious female entrepreneurs which include:

*Event Diva* – A Los Angeles-based upscale list event planning company

*Costa Portal.com* -- an entrance to the global world of creativity.
Its purpose is to source the most inspirational art, be it finely woven yarns,
exquisitely tanned and dyed leathers, hand-crafted jewelry, black and white
photographs or treasures not yet discovered.

*Heaven Sent Jewelry.com *-- Heaven Sent Jewelry makes an everlasting
impression with its quality, stunning and opulent designs (jewelry, book marks,
key chains and more) made from fine quality hand-crafted genuine Swarovksi
crystals, freshwater pearls, sterling silver bali beads and semi-precious stones.

*Moodivations.com* – A total wellness company that delivers spa quality
massage, cosmetic and alternative healing services, pamper parties and products
to the comfort of your home. Sometimes getting away to the spa, means staying in.

*Pisces Soap.com* – A boutique style, Beverly Hills-based company that
specializes in hand crafted, highly aromatic, unusually shaped, decadent soap bars.

*Sand Dollar Cosmetics.com* – Cosmetic and beauty products designed to enrich
the flesh, the mind, the psyche, the spirit and the soul. Infused with essential
oils and blended with ingredients and properties considered through the ages to
be healing, nurturing and inspiring.

*Somewear Literary Clothing Company* – For children and adults, original
stories, original illustrations published on the most comfortable reading-material
around: your t-shirt.

If you are interested in being a vendor and/or would like to get more information,
please contact our event planner, Seema at seema@eventdiva.net

Thank you so much! I hope to see you there!
Warmest Wishes,
Kerith Eizabeth Henderson
CEO/Designer
Pisces Soap
Being Dirty Has Never Been So Much Fun!™
www.PiscesSoap.com

369 South Doheny Drive #106
8913 West Olympic Blvd. #104
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 659-9211 tele
(310) 657-3245 fax
PiscesSoap@aol.com

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View entire thread: yarn nightmare

Posted by peenkfrik on 2006-11-03 02:30:06      Post Subject: yarn nightmare

Hi All,

This may sound unusual but I believe I am having yarn nightmares. I've been thinking about yarn almost 24/7 and there is no day that I don't think about it or read about it or hope to get my hands on those yarns. The problem is that we don't have a lot of yarn around here and if there are, they would be the acrylic or mercerized cotton thread which are not so helpful if you want to make projects like bags that require other types of yarn.

I was GA for a very short time and I feel so guilty for not being able to buy all the yarn that I like. I was busy training with my company and so the thought of purchasing all the good yarns that I could never crossed my mind. I was also worried about having to pay excess baggage. I went down to hobby lobby one time but went home with several eyelash yarns that were on sale. I went there another time and bought only two balls of another kind. I'm glad my mentor's wife also gave me a few yarns that she no longer used. Now that I am back here in my country, I would stare at my stash and think of how stupid I was for not taking advantage of that very rare chance I had. It just makes me sad to have to think about it everyday. And the feeling worsened yesterday when I went to the bookstore and checked the "Hooked on Crochet" book and realized that we don't have anything like that ribbon yarn on the book cover.

So, what I'm doing now is just search online for good and affordable yarns. I came across this Peaches and Creme website with which I'm hoping to close a deal sometime in the future. Has anybody tried using their yarn? Can anyone recommend an online yarn store that doesn't charge a lot for international shipping? Another sad fact is that shipping costs could be more expensive than the total price of yarn you're ordering.

I think I'm just having a big nightmare and I'm just not sure what the cure to this is..... I've been looking around local supplies store in my place, hoping and wishing to get across the perfect yarn or the perfect string for my projects. I've been experimenting on my stash like using several strands of my local cotton thread just to have a thicker thread.

Please bear with me. I was just hoping that expressing myself here would lighten up my burden.

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View entire thread: Buying fabric remnants in NYC??

Posted by E. Bess on 2005-05-17 22:52:51      Post Subject:

You might find some at P & S Fabrics on lower Broadway. They have *everything*, including a fine fabric section (that probably includes remnants -- I tend to hang by the yarns so I don't know offhand, but I bet they would).

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View entire thread: yarn nightmare

Posted by xuli on 2006-11-05 05:28:32      Post Subject:

You might try www.patternworks.com.

They are US-based, and shipping is expensive, but depending on what you buy it's not unreasonable. Basically, they charge you for US shipping and then a flat fee of $15 on top of that no matter what country you're in. So -- if you order in large batches, it can be worth it. (I learned this recently, as I ran out of yarn for a Christmas project and since I'm currently in England had to figure out the cost. Damn pattern mistakes, causing me to buy less yarn than I needed!)

They also have some really nice yarns! I wouldn't pay international shipping for Peaches'N'Cream either. I wouldn't use it to make anything I'm going to wear (although I have used it to make washcloths).

EDIT:

Here are some of my other favorite online yarn stores, but I don't know their international shipping costs (patternworks is the only one I've ordered from internationally). You might check them out:

www.knitpicks.com (reasonably priced, nice yarns -- don't know about international shipping costs)
www.yarnmarket.com (more expensive, but lovely, yarns -- don't know about international shipping costs)
www.elann.com (really nice, discount yarns -- they are based in Canada and are reasonable for shipping to the US, but I don't know how they are for shipping to other countries)

Like I said, the only thing I know about those is that they are good, reliable companies; I don't know about their shipping policies.

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View entire thread: Handspinner needs advice from knitters and crocheters

Posted by sarabell on 2005-09-05 11:14:51      Post Subject:

sounds like a good idea - get your juices flowing, make some really wild loners then spin out some simple coordinating yarns - worry about those last!

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View entire thread: can i make cheap yarn...better

Posted by stella on 2005-01-23 23:02:48      Post Subject:

try just washing it to see if that helps. i don't know if fabric softener works on synthetics, but i'm allergic to it, so i don't know much about it in general.

you could definitely embellish it. duplicate stitch or regular embroidery could be used with other yarns to make patterns, or you could sew fabric shapes to the ends where they would show.

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View entire thread: ribbon yarn...

Posted by meexie on 2004-12-27 15:09:47      Post Subject:

You can put the ribbon on a spool (or in a box, with a long knitting needle stuck through it) so that the ribbon unwinds (like toilet paper - sorry, can't think of a better description) and knit very carefully so it won't twist. The results will look like weaving and not knitting. Books that describe this: Principles of Knitting and The Reader's Digest Knitter's Handbook.

A little twisting is fine - most of the patterns for ribbon yarns these days expect that. You could still do the box and needle to keep it from tangling up as you work. To unravel, just hold the yarn close to the stitch and tug very gently. Time-consuming, yes.

If the cast-on is the biggest problem, maybe you could try doing a provisional cast-on with waste yarn, then going back later to loosely bind it off?

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View entire thread: Get-well craft

Posted by craftfetish on 2007-11-27 14:59:06      Post Subject:

Completed craft gift ideas:

Knit cap (toboggan caps are nice if he will have chemo, or just because teenage boys seem to wear them about)

Hot water bottle cover (or a heating pad cover - whatever is appropriate for whatever may be sore) - along that line, since it is his knee - you might be able to make a sock type thing that he could use to hold an ice pack or a heat pack in place

A lap blanket/afghan/regular blanket

You could use freezer paper stencils or an iron on transfer or something to decorate a tshirt - you could look for Celtic or Egyptian or Asian (or whatever moves you) symbols of healing or protection?

On a similar note, you could decorate a tote bag to house magazines/comics books/and various distractions when he goes for treatment or has limited mobility. You could use healing images or go with something snarky (a la "cancer sucks")

A journal (I think that documenting his experience can be healing and beneficial, but "journaling" may be a tough sell for a teenage boy. I'd go with a more tongue in cheek "long list of reasons my oncologist is evil" type design)


Ideas for crafts for him to do:

If he has ongoing treatments or needs to recover from surgery or something, he may be looking for things to keep him occupied.

Knitting or crochet could be a good option if you can find some manly yarns and patterns. I'm picturing hemp bags, amigurumi monsters and skully caps.

If he has patience for fine details, a how-to book, an exacto knife and some papers to get him started on Chinese Cut-Paper designs or making his own pop-up books.

Origami would be a good one too.

If he embraces the "it could be worse" philospohy, he might like making hats or blankets or prayer flags or other items for a charity or other sick kids.

That's all I can think of at the moment - let us know what you decide. And best of luck to your cousin.

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View entire thread: beginner knitting question

Posted by stella on 2004-10-24 14:14:35      Post Subject:

-16" will be fine, but you will need a set of double-pointed needles to close the top of the het, unless you plan on gathering it.
-no. it's a personal preference. i prefer bamboo for slippery yarns and Bryspun or casein in general.
-http://www.elann.com is a fine website for buying needles.

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View entire thread: Handspinner needs advice from knitters and crocheters

Posted by chromegrrrl on 2005-09-05 18:10:46      Post Subject:

sounds like a good idea - get your juices flowing, make some really wild loners then spin out some simple coordinating yarns - worry about those last!

Wow, confronting crafty fears. This is sort of scary and exciting. I'll do that, leaving the plain ones for last is an excellent idea, that way I won't be worried about continuity until the very end. Thanks-- you don't know how much this encouragement means to me.

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View entire thread: yarn dyeing question

Posted by stella on 2005-06-03 22:55:30      Post Subject:

i don't understand your question. which yarns at loopyarn are you talking about?

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View entire thread: nifty knitter

Posted by thekitty on 2005-10-04 15:35:56      Post Subject:

I have the scarf one and the looms the circle ones... the scaft one gives tell/show how to put the yarns as for the cirlce one its kind of hard...
i yet to make some thing....

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View entire thread: Handspinner needs advice from knitters and crocheters

Posted by chromegrrrl on 2005-08-30 15:31:26      Post Subject: Handspinner needs advice from knitters and crocheters

I hope this is the right place to post this question. I've recently started selling a few my handspun yarns, usually pairing a plain yarn with one that is embellished or textured. http://yarnporn.com/aug_05/camel.jpg is a good example.

However I've based paternal twins on my own personal knitting/weaving preferences-- not too lumpy, easy to knit, balanced, all coordinating colors, etc. so my question is am I taking the wrong angle, or do yarn consumers like yarn that goes together?

I'm not having a problem selling so far, but I'd like to know who wants what-- if that makes any sense.

TIA,
Wen aka chromegrrrl

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View entire thread: wash cloth yarn + pattern help

Posted by meexie on 2005-09-01 01:26:23      Post Subject:

For washcloths, I like cotton yarns, especially organic, undyed cotton yarns like Pakucho and Blue Sky Alpacas. Very soft against the skin, especially for babies. For dishcloths, the cheap acrylic at the thrift store is great! It has a rougher surface and dries quickly.

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View entire thread: yarn nightmare

Posted by peenkfrik on 2006-12-11 02:51:25      Post Subject:

I haven't purchased yarns online, instead I ordered some tools of the trade which I'm expecting to arrive this December through the courtesy of a colleague. I've decided to stick with local yarns for the now and learn knitting....

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View entire thread: wash cloth yarn + pattern help

Posted by jewelie on 2005-09-02 03:28:06      Post Subject:

lilly sugar'n'cream cotton yarns are perfect for washcloths. sugar'n'cream yarns can be found in any chain craft store, are about $1 a skein, and it comes in a variety of colors! it washes up well, and is easy to work with. great for baby items too....

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View entire thread: Shawl help please...

Posted by Katydid on 2004-10-15 10:45:52      Post Subject:

thanks for your replies everyone!

I actually started to panic after I posted this, and just went nuts with the garter stitch. Since I used 19's and 2 thin interesting yarns, it looks pretty cool - open and lacy looking. I would have liked to attempt getting a yarn over lesson at the local yarn store, but I didn't...

Anyway - I am still happy with the way it came out - simple but pretty.

I'm thinking about what I can do now with fringe like you said girlthursday, to make it a bit more elaborate. I think I may just use the silver thread for that.

I'll try and post a pic when it's all done.

Thanks again!
Kate

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View entire thread: knitting question

Posted by sloane on 2008-03-23 15:41:15      Post Subject:

i need some knitting guidance with this:

i have a pattern for a combo hat/scarve (its one combined garment) and have a question about it. i would post the pattern but i think its illegal to post patterns, is that correct?

so basically the pattern calls for thin yarn but i really like knitting with thick yarn, plus i find it to be warmer when wearing it. so my question is: how do i alter the pattern when switching up from thinner/regular size yarn (it calls for blue sky alpaca worsted 100 grams or 91.4 meters) to a thicker yarn (i have a thick yarn - dont know how thick exactly, how do i find out?)?

i want to still knit this patten but switch it up with the thicker yarn.

1) can i post the pattern, is that ok? cause that would make troubleshooting this a lot easier
2) in general what is the rule for switching/altering patterns that call for thinner yarns when you want to use a thick yarn?

thanks SO much for your help.

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View entire thread: yarn dyeing question

Posted by Catana on 2005-06-06 13:25:50      Post Subject:

If they're handspun yarns, I think the colors might be applied to separate strands and then plied together. I've been curious about that myself.

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View entire thread: As far as felting my knitting goes.....

Posted by stella on 2004-12-09 21:51:51      Post Subject:

-it needs to be close to 100% of an animal fiber that CAN felt. superwash wool is treated with polymers so it can't felt. cashmere felts okay, *most* but not all commercial wool yarns that AREN'T superwash will felt to some degree, and other animal fibers like kid mohair will felt too.

-some type of animal fiber has to be involved. felting occurs because tiny, microscopic scales on the surface of the fibers interlock and stick together. manmade fibers don't have these scales, nor do fibers like silk or cotton.

-you have to knit and felt a swatch to see how much *your* yarn will shrink. all yarns shrink felt differently, for different people. even different colors of the same yarn will felt differently. i know it's tedious. but this is one of those times you really need to swatch.

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View entire thread: shopping online for materials

Posted by pudding on 2005-03-02 02:18:55      Post Subject:

Here are two Australian sites which ship internationally. They both have yarn which is of a beautiful quality. Marta's Yarns are also hand-dyed to produce unique colurs, I think.

http://www.rareyarns.com.au/

http://www.martasyarns.com.au/

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View entire thread: shopping online for materials

Posted by midnightsky1686 on 2005-03-06 17:25:35      Post Subject:

handspun yarn links- these are what i can think of off the top of my head
http://www.midnightskyfibers.com
(mine)
http://www.pippikneesocks.com
http://www.helloyarn.com
http://fuzzybumblebee.com
http://www.pluckyfluff.com/yarns
http://www.woolgathered.com

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View entire thread: What to do with this yarn...

Posted by natashafialkov on 2007-04-29 23:32:24      Post Subject:

i spin fancy yarns, so i tend to use small amounts, a neckwarmer would be fantastic, it is basically a square with either sewn on snaps or buttons (a buttonhole is super easy, i swear!) also, if you knit it on huge needles, just a plain knit stitch, it can go much further and is still fun to do. you could also get a skein of something else that you like that matches to add to it.

www.beingnatashafialkov.blogspot.com

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View entire thread: new dallas yarn store!

Posted by bookish on 2004-12-17 12:06:42      Post Subject: new dallas yarn store!

Hey Dallasites,

I was looking for the local specials etc.. and came across this little gem of information:

Passion Knit Opening
This new DIY knitting and yarn shop is housed in the former space occupied by Tique in Snider Plaza. Beginner and advance knitters are welcome and classes for all levels are available. Choose from hundreds of yarns including 100 percent cashmere, wool, angora, and cotton. Coffee and tea are served daily and its upstairs lounge area offers the perfect place to perch while knitting away on that new project.
6817 Snider Plaza
Mon.-Fri., 10-6; Sat., 10-5
214-346-0047
Major credit cards; checks; cash

Yay!

Keri

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View entire thread: yarn dyeing question

Posted by troodle on 2005-06-04 03:09:56      Post Subject:

Ok, that wasn't a very good example! They have a skein that shows what I mean on their ad on knitty, but nothing like that on the website. Sorry!

Try www.curiouscreek.com instead - their yarns are exactly what I mean.

--
troodle

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View entire thread: What to do with this yarn...

Posted by alate on 2007-04-24 10:03:08      Post Subject:

Those German novelty yarns! I can't help myself from buying them when they go on clearance. So I've had the what-to-do-with-90m-of-yarn dilemma before.
One thing I've done is knit a purse with it. I knit a rectangle in stockinette stitch, then sewed up the sides. I had enough yarn left over to loop around as the strap.
Another thing you could do is use the nice yarn as a border of something made with a cheap, abundant yarn in one of the colors from the Travertino. I've done that, too--a scarf made from Lion Brand Homespun, with a few rows of some novelty yarn at each end.

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View entire thread: anyone know how to make a nostepinne?

Posted by smachel on 2006-01-14 04:01:30      Post Subject:

What is one?


i didn't know either, so i looked it up!


"Nostepinne are used to wind center-pull balls which allow access to both ends of the ball of yarn at the same time. Spinners use center- pull balls when plying two single ply yarns together. Knitters use a nostepinne to wind balls of yarn - you can knit from both ends of the ball at the same time."

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View entire thread: knitting supply stores in denver?

Posted by amelia on 2004-07-26 21:04:18      Post Subject:

There's Aurora Yarn Supply on Illif and 225. It has a really wonderfull selection of everything, although a lot of it is aimed at machine knitters.

Showers of Flowers on Colfax by Casa Bonita is a nice shop, but has really shitty people running it, in my opinion. I went in there as an obvious knitting newbie, and they ignored me flat out. Even when taking my money.

My favorite is Knittycat on Arapahoe and Quebec in Greenwood Village. It's very small compared to the other two, but the owner is a wonderfull person and amazingly helpfull. I cannot recommend her shop highly enough. She was sooo nice to me when I came in as a newbie, and she's really nice about recommending yarns for your project while taking budget into account. Her shop's small, but worth it. Also, while I don't think she has beginner's classes, she told me she'd be more than happy to sit and help you out if you buy the materials there. I've seen her help other customers with their beginner projects.

Then there's a Knitted Peace on Prince street just off of the Main street in downtown Littleton. I only went there once before I knitted, so I can't give much of an opinion. They seemed nice, though.

There's another one whose name I don't know over on Youngfield in Applewood. My mom says they're good, but I've never been there. There's also one (Shuttles and Skeins? I can't remember the name) in Boulder that's very well known, and they have beginner's classes.

As for Stitch n Bitches: On the site that Anati recommended, there is one in Denver. I think they meet in the Highland's neighborhood in northwest Denver. There's also one organized through http://www.knitting.meetup.com. I went one month, and no one else showed up. Maybe it was a bad night or we simply passed by each other like two ships in the night. Where in town are you? Might be fun to start up a new one :-)

Anyways, that was probably more than you wanted to know about knitting in Denver. Hope that helps!

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View entire thread: What to do with this yarn...

Posted by jaimers on 2007-04-30 18:32:31      Post Subject:

i spin fancy yarns, so i tend to use small amounts, a neckwarmer would be fantastic, it is basically a square with either sewn on snaps or buttons (a buttonhole is super easy, i swear!) also, if you knit it on huge needles, just a plain knit stitch, it can go much further and is still fun to do. you could also get a skein of something else that you like that matches to add to it.

www.beingnatashafialkov.blogspot.com

if you knit in the round on a pair of circulars you don't even need buttons!

and i understand the whole single skein gift phenomenon. i'm the only person (seriously) in my family, and circle of friends who knit, so i frequently get single balls/skeins as gifts from well meaning people who have NO clue how much it takes to make something more substantial than a scarf.

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View entire thread: north/south carolina indie shopping

Posted by creativecat on 2005-06-04 09:48:12      Post Subject:

In Savannah, make sure you check out Wild Fibre on Liberty St. She has the coolest yarns and fiber-related things.

For food in Savannah, Rancho Allegre on Posey St is a little ways outside of downtown but they have excellent Cuban food. Sweet Leaf has good cheap "yuppified" BBQ.

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View entire thread: one ball of FANCY yarn!

Posted by emmie on 2005-05-11 09:14:27      Post Subject: one ball of FANCY yarn!

Hey guys, I am trying to use up some of my wool stash...problem is I have a few different types of absolutely gorgeous fancy yarns, all only one ball of each.... does anyone know of any patterns or stuff to make/do with one ball of coolest wool?

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View entire thread: baby sweater

Posted by xuli on 2006-09-10 11:35:29      Post Subject:

If your sister-in-law is into cotton and wool, and has the patience to hand-wash baby clothes, I highly recommend Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere yarn or Rowan Wool Cotton for baby clothes. I made sweaters for my nephew from both of those yarns, and they worked perfectly (plus they come in nice, baby-appropriate but not pastel colors). But my sister is willing to hand wash.

I think 100% cotton could be fine for a baby sweater, if you use a nice one. And if you use a pattern that won't require too much blocking, as you mentioned. The thing is, cotton is heavier than wool, but with such a small garment it won't make much of a difference.

I don't think there's much of a difference between cardigans and pullovers -- my practically-newborn nephew wears a lot of pullover t-shirts and onesies and things. The thing to watch out for, more than pullover vs. cardigan tops, is the issue of pants -- lots of baby knit pant patterns I've found have no plackets to open the bottom for diapter changes! Not good!

The only other advice I have about making baby sweaters is to think carefully about when the baby would be born and under-estimate sizes! I don't know where baby clothes companies get the sizing information they get, but when I was buying clothes for my nephew I bought things assuming that the "0-3 months", "6-9 months", etc. sizing would correspond to his actual age when he wore the garment, so I knitted him sweaters for 3-6 months since he was born in July in the hot and humid south. I was wrong. He is totally getting to wear clothes for 9 months now, at 11 weeks old! Sadly, the adorable little green Rowan Wool Cotton sweater I made him to wear in the fall, with cute little duck buttons, will probably be worn only once or twice in that brief window of time between when it's cool enough to wear it and before he outgrows it ... but he's the first niece/nephew, and I have three other siblings besides his mom, so it'll get used by other nieces/nephews eventually.

Here are two other free baby patterns I really like. (I made the "Daisy" cardigan without embroidery but with cute buttons in Cotton Cashmere and it's so cute, and is luckily still several sizes too big for him ... my sister and I tried it on him and decided he looked like Orko from He-Man in it, so we call it his Orko sweater. The other pattern I haven't made yet.)

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/PATTdaisy.html

http://www.interweave.com/knit/interweave_knits/web_projects/sum_06/Pea_Pod_Baby_Set.pdf

(Um, whoa. That was a lot. I've been doing a lot of baby knitting lately, if you can't tell!)

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View entire thread: Knitting Shop in Manila

Posted by Chari on 2007-02-21 02:57:18      Post Subject:

Any idea on what shop delivers to Philippines, I checked some shops and is delivering to US/UK only. I need a set of knitting accesories and some specific yarns for making sweaters. Thanks a lot.

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View entire thread: flickr + getcrafty = <3 ?

Posted by faithin on 2006-03-30 17:06:11      Post Subject:

i'm pretty sure you can't update your getcrafty through flickr. i've tried and couldn't find a way for it to work. but you still can post your pictures! you just have to do it the manual way.

i have a flickr, but it's mostly yarns and my brother and i getting into hijinks. :-) i'm kittenlogic!

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View entire thread: knit in at city hall

Posted by kissmyknitz on 2004-11-28 14:18:28      Post Subject:

Please come!

FYI Blondellonline has no info about this.

And times are: Wed, Dec 8th, 9-5
Thurs, Dec 9th, 1-5

They say to bring your own needles and yarn and works in progress, but last year they had tons of yarn and needles, from Sophie's yarns, I think, and also snacks. So I had two sets (hat and scarves) done, finished a third while I was there, and quick crocheted a cool hat from the supplies they had. A few weeks later, they had a party/ceremony where they passed the items out to the homeless kids. All were invited, but I couldn't go because of scheduling conflicts. Maybe this year!

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View entire thread: Best deals for yarn in the UK?

Posted by bilblio on 2005-08-22 15:21:22      Post Subject:

Charity shops are your friend.
I never have much money to spare, and have a crafting obsession, so I regularly raid charity shops.
Okay you might not get the posh yarn that everyone talks about on the forums, but you can get some great bargains. I've bought several bags of yarn, each with enough in for a cardy for about £3. Carrier bags full of different yarns usually go for cheaper, about £2, I make toys and bags from the bits, there's usually enough to make something.
I've had some great bargains. I picked up some about half a ball of sirdar Yo-Yo. A full ball costs about £16 and is enough to make a jumper. It's a lovely fuzzy multi coloured yarn, I made a great bag out of it, and it cost me 20p!
If you've really got time to spare you can pull apart old jumpers too.
As for the branded stuff, pass... I think you have to pay full price unfortunately :(

I see you do jewellery as well, I buy old necklaces from charity shops, pull them apart and combine them with other beads. Hey presto, new things made from vintage jewellery, and people like the fact it's vintage.

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View entire thread: Where to buy inexpensive yarn??

Posted by Grungie on 2008-02-11 16:36:27      Post Subject:

There's a store called Smiley's Yarns that has a website--

http://www.smileysyarns.com/

If you click on "Internet Yarn Sale" along the left-hand side, there are many listings for $1.00 and $1.50 skeins of yarn.

I've never ordered from them before, so I can't attest to service, and when I looked at the page further it looked like there was a $40 minimum for internet orders.

So, the $40 minimum might be a pain in the butt, but on the other hand with some of the prices on there, you could probably get enough yarn to last you for a couple of years.

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View entire thread: visiting NYC Oct 20-23rd! Where to go?

Posted by athena on 2006-10-11 11:40:35      Post Subject:

well, as for crafty:

scrapbooking:

kate's paperie comes to mind (http://www.katespaperie.com/store/productView.php)

and the ink pad (http://www.theinkpadnyc.com/welcome.htm) for rubber stamps

for home sewing, purl patchwork for amy butler and denyse schmidt fabrics (among others): http://www.purlsoho.com/purl

i think the home dec fabric shops are in the lower east side (i think, someone correct me. clothing fabric is in the garment district around 7th avenue and the mid-30s and radiating outward).

also, there will be 2 bead shows that weekend:

http://www.wholebead.com/calendar.html
http://www.softflexcompany.com/FestivalNY_Main.htm

there are tons of beautiful yarn shops in nyc:

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&lr=&q=yarn+shops&near=New+York,+NY&sa=X&oi=local&ct=title

go to purl soho because it's pretty (although a little expensive), school products for 1lb. cones of real cashmere for an excellent price, downtown yarns for nice selection and cozy shop (and nice people). these are the ones i've been to. lots of other nice ones.

tons of thrift stores, but don't really know any of them.

for flea markets, try the one on avenue a and 11th street. on sunday (saturday, too? i don't know) there are a ton of artisans selling jewelry, hats, scarves, bags, etc. on the streets of soho (west of broadway).

coffeeshops: kudo beans on 1st ave and 3rd street, cafe orlin on st. marks between 1st ave and avenue a

hookah bars:
http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/nightlife/n_8479/

records:
other music on east 4th street between broadway and lafayette

guitars:
http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&f=l&q=guitars&near=New+York%2C+NY&btnG=Search+Businesses

jazz clubs: the blue note, carnegie club, jazz standard, iridium, nublue for hip modern lounge(http://www.nublu.net/index.html)

hope this helps!

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View entire thread: Knitting Shop in Manila

Posted by Dreaming Knitter on 2008-03-11 11:06:26      Post Subject:

There''s the LYS in Glorietta I in Makati, near the cinema ticket counter, called Dreams. They have the widest range of needles, yarn and other knitting stuff. A lot are imported...

There''s also Craft World in Megamall, near Powerbooks. Not much choice but have imported acrylic and some novelty yarns and knitting needles.

I also go to the Carolina''s Lace Shoppe there, where they have mostly local acrylics and crochet thread.

Otherwise, I just buy online. :-)

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View entire thread: Yarn Question

Posted by alate on 2007-11-14 07:31:04      Post Subject:

I thought I'd follow up, in case anyone else is trying the Pine Cone Scarf. I'm using two strands of Patons Soy Wool - two different solid colors, because all their variegated yarns seemed to have a random streak of pink or purple - and size 11 needles. I did not swatch because I am lazy about such things. The scarf looks *really* nice so far, so I recommend this pattern. It's an acceptable "man scarf" but it's pretty, too, and it knits up so quickly!

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View entire thread: Yarn Question

Posted by Athos on 2007-10-22 21:16:47      Post Subject:

It looks like many different yarns would work for that pattern. I personally could not stand to have any mohair blend anywhere near my neck. I wouldn't use an acrylic because it doesn't tend to breathe very well, and I wouldn't use cotton because on a scarf that I tied around my neck it would stretch out.

Here's a link to lots of variations on the pattern:
http://inahappycamper.eponym.com/blog/_WebPages/ArgosyRecharged.html

You can also search the knitty pool for examples to give you ideas:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/knitty/pool/

Good luck with your project!

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View entire thread: one ball of FANCY yarn!

Posted by neuroticdawg on 2005-05-11 10:26:34      Post Subject:

I've been thinking of getting a head start on next Christmas by making frou-frou covers for the Kleenex purse packs out of my "only have one ball" yarns. I don't think I'll need a pattern, just a pack of the tissues to eyeball. That, some lip balm, some Purell, and maybe some vitamin C drops would make a nice gift that any chick could use. And maybe a little pouch to put it all in.

Another thought (I don't know if this would work with knitting, I crochet) is that one ball of yarn would be enough to add cuffs and a collar to a blah sweater or jacket. I have a ball of this "fun fur" type yarn and a jacket that's just screaming to get sexed up. Or maybe it'll end up as trim for one of those fleece throws.

A few ideas I've seen are cell phone cozies that can be buttoned to a purse strap or belt loop, ipod cases, and book covers with straps so they look like little clutch purses.

Googling "one skein projects" yielded quite a few hits. Thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to go look at my stash now.

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View entire thread: Dye Your Own Yarn?

Posted by stella on 2004-12-21 12:31:05      Post Subject:

oh, i totally didn't get that you wanted to sell undyed yarn! if you could sell it for less than your dyed yarns, it might be worth it. i don't specifically buy undyed yarn to dye, but then again, i'm a spinner, so i don't need to. but i'm sure someone out there does.

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View entire thread: Help needed by Beginner Knitter - with 6 balls of yarn

Posted by stella on 2006-08-21 13:58:12      Post Subject:

i sort of disagree. you can usually tell from the yarn what kind of needles you will need. slippery yarns like mercerized cotton, silk, or some wools do well on bamboo needles. grabby yarns like Cascade Fixation work better on slick metal needles. it also depends on how tight you knit. a very tight knitter might prefer Addi Turbos (very slick) for everything, but i am a loose knitter, and i usually prefer wood or bamboo because slippery needles will shoot right out of my project.

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View entire thread: Help needed by Beginner Knitter - with 6 balls of yarn

Posted by athena on 2006-08-21 16:51:12      Post Subject:

i sort of disagree. you can usually tell from the yarn what kind of needles you will need. slippery yarns like mercerized cotton, silk, or some wools do well on bamboo needles. grabby yarns like Cascade Fixation work better on slick metal needles. it also depends on how tight you knit. a very tight knitter might prefer Addi Turbos (very slick) for everything, but i am a loose knitter, and i usually prefer wood or bamboo because slippery needles will shoot right out of my project.

oh, i thought slinkster meant would the yarn label specify what type of needle to use.

that's a good point about the looseness/tightness of your knitting.

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View entire thread: the best way to clear it out

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2006-03-25 08:25:28      Post Subject:

Things I've purchased in lots on eBay or at brick and mortar auctions or garage/thrift sales: buttons, paper, jewelry, clothing, sewing box contents, cans of screws or bolts or nails, beer making supplies, material!, books and magazines, clothing, rocks, ribbon, knitting needles and crochet hooks, macrame yarns, cooking utensils, gardening supplies, doorknobs, casters, old photos and postcards, lamp parts, baby items, fishing junk, aquarium supplies, candlesticks, candles, bells, and probably many more things. It helps to keep similar things together, like scrap fabrics separated from yardage, yardage separated by general types, and sewing patterns for general sizes.

If you do this at a garage sale, you do have to watch that people don't tuck valuable things in the box lots. An auction book I've read mentions the migration of desirable things from one box to another and another and another as a common problem. And I've had people rip me off at garage sales by buying three t-shirts and one evening dress for the price of the t-shirts.

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View entire thread: whats in YOUR workshop?

Posted by smokingmonkey on 2005-08-30 11:03:41      Post Subject:

We're remodelling our building - and included in that is my own office/workspace. Right now all of my work/computer/scanner/printer and crafting stuff/sewing machine(s)/yarns/beads are all in the living room. It's driving me nuts and annoys the boyfriend when he comes upstairs and has no place for his laptop on the coffee table. (He works on the first floor of the building). I keep telling him that the sooner we get my office done, the sooner we get our living room back.

In the meantime, I've started moving into an old bedroom untill the office is done. It's kind of gross because the guys that lived there didn't own a vacuum and the walls are boring white, but I don't want to take the time to paint it when the walls and ceiling are probably going to get torn out anyway.... hmmm... although at the rate we're going, that'll be a while so maybe I should just paint it?

So.... I've fallen in love with ::this::
Which of course is stupid expensive - so I've decided to try my hand at building it. (I've made desks and bookshelves before - but nothing with drawers.)
I love the idea of having a tall workspace. Like being in art classes again.

Using tool boxes and workbenches is a great idea though. They're made to be functional and durable.

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View entire thread: need knitters help

Posted by KnittyMomma on 2005-02-17 21:02:12      Post Subject: need knitters help

OK I have about 60 patterns I have printed off the internet and books of patterns. I'm always itching to do a craft but mainly using worsted weight yarns because I have oodles of it. My problem is I only have sizes 10, 11, 7, 4, 19, 35 and a 10.5 29" circular. I was going to buy either one of the interchangable sets or just buy a set of all sizes of needles. Would it be worth it? Would it be worth spending about 40 - 50 bucks at once and getting all sizes of needles or would it be more worth it to buy them as needed? Opinions needed!

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View entire thread: I need some advice + good thoughts sent my way

Posted by chromegrrrl on 2006-08-21 20:01:56      Post Subject:

I feel really put on the spot and like I have to defend myself a little. First let me couch this with my true appreciation and thanks, I do appreciate that you are trying to help me, but I lived with someone (my dad) who's hobby was tearing me down on a daily (usually somewhat more frequently than hourly basis) and interrupting my work and telling me how I was putting my energy into all the wrong areas, and just generally being destructive for the 2 months that it took to move him down here, and the 8 months that he was here. We didn't kick him out. Although in hindsight we should have, and much sooner.

I am really busy trying to catch up and since "going back to business" have remained so, so the websites are not my priority (kids, husband, house, art, manufacturing product, etc all come before the web work.)

I'm well aware of the implications for the name yarnporn (I think that is a no-brainer), however more people are intrigued than offended (there are some very conservative forums where I'm the top recommendation for custom handspinning.) Top level dot com domain, two four letter words, easily spelled and easily recalled-- curiosity is my friend, and the name is not easily forgotten (which is important because on the web there are rose gardens, wooly acres, fluffy farms, "for ewes" and all the other yarny sweet names that just melt together and are wisked away.

You have to admit "yarnporn" stands out and says "WTF?! Look at me look at me!"

Yarnporn *is* a blog, it is/was also a gallery, the shopping part is secondary (and will always be secondary) to how-to content and my ramblings about yarn. The reason that brighter and more intense colors were not featured predominantly is simple-- they sell faster and cycled out of my shopping pages faster than the pastels and novelty yarns.

Now as for my work, I have a great reputation for being a fast, consistant and reliable handspinner, my yarn is not "pretty" it's gorgeous and tough as the hubs of hell. I send out samples upon request, and I'm easy going about returns (which is ironic because for the life of the website I've only ever had one return and that was because I posted a yarn she liked better after she purchased the first.)

Considering the extra time and energy it takes to make yarn the way I do, $0.9 to $0.11 cents a yard is a pretty good deal and competative with high end commercial yarns. The skiens *are* expensive until you compare yardage and quality, then they are extremely affordable.

I also match other spinners yarns (handy if a spinner makes a small sample but doesn't want to do the spinning herself, or wants an amount of a yarn to go with what she's already spun one of us will do the fancy yarn and one will do the plain for contrast-- it's happened both ways) and I recommend other trustworthy handspinners when I can't take on more work.

Since I didn't have the will (or time) to put all these things on my "not so slick" site as separate pages and organizing it all by hand in html, I thought it simpler to change to css and php-- which means I'm learning a new language as I go-- I think I'm doing pretty good for someone that was once terrified (I'm not kidding) to boot up a computer game in dos and not only learned to create a bbs server, but did so within a month of owning a computer (anyone remember the Commodore Amiga?)

There's also a lot of information from the first version of the site that has yet to be moved over while I'm working on the functionality of the site, I would pull it down again but my search engine rankings have already taken a hit, so I'll live with some bugs while I work on it and continue learning.

To add insult to injury some isps decided that they didn't like stealth servers, so my sites (and lots of others) all were not reflected, I don't know if this is particular to my isp, but it seems not to be since you couldn't access quantumspindles either. I changed the dns and it takes a few hours for the changes to be reflected (depending on how quickly individual isps decide to update)

The dns seems to be working now, at least through my isp.

For as rough as things are at the moment (not all of which is under my control, I couldn't predict the server moves, corrupted back up files, a screw up nasty one-man webhost that refuses to reboot and oversells server space, that there only 24 hours in a day, and so on) I *must* be doing something right because I'm taking orders and making sales from both sites. So I have this predicament where I really am not sure if I'm being nattered at (and my feelings hurt BTW) needlessly or if you are really being helpful. I hope I'm not out of line in telling you this, I admit that I'm more emotional than normal but I was asking for encouragement when I needed it -- then all hell broke loose with the websites and I have more work to do (in addition to what I've already taken on) and it's pretty tough to take it all on top of everything else.

In light of all this could you see why I might feel like this is a nattering on Wendy session instead of being something constructive? I didn't ask for a critique of my sites-- I appreciate the feed back and pointing out what doesn't work, but I was already in the process of correcting those things when you pointed them out, give me some credit.

I put the links to sites up because if I ask for advice about business the inevitable question is "what do you do?" and the sites show what I do (or at least did until they went down the first time.)

I know its easy to forget that people are really just people at home, and not just electrons displayed through a browser on a forum. I do the best I can, with what I have and I am just one person that is definitely doing too much. I barely have time to even start working on one thing before I have more pointed out to me-- it really does start breaking me down even more.

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View entire thread: Dye Your Own Yarn?

Posted by brown-eyed-girl on 2004-12-21 09:52:45      Post Subject:

Thanks for your input, but I think I wasn't clear in my original post. I'm not looking to dye my own yarn. I alreasy sell handspun and hand-dyed yarns from others (mostly independent spinners and guilds, etc). I was wondering about selling some undyed yarn so others could dye it themselves (I had someone suggest to me that I should sell some natural so others could dye, and it didn't really seem like something people would want to do--dye their own yarn--because it takes so much work!) I just don't know how many people are out there looking for yarn to dye!

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View entire thread: Hiring someone to knit a project for me?

Posted by meexie on 2004-11-12 16:23:58      Post Subject:

Yep, there's machine-washable wool, and if you are willing to go with a wool blend (like wool/cotton or wool/acrylic) you might even save some money on yarn.

Putting out inquiries with specific details (now would be a good time to find pictures of blankets similar to what you want in size and weight) might land you a knitter. Just so you know, having it done by Xmas for $150 materials + labor isn't impossible, but this late in the year a lot of knitters will have a list of projects they need to finish by the holidays, and may not have the time to work on a blanket. Is there anything you can add to sweeten the deal, like something to trade or a skill to barter? As an example, I know knitters who want to have a database of their yarns and supplies, but don't want to sit down and compile it. Or who want nice photos in digital format of stuff they have made. And there's always the non-knitting related (except that it frees up time for more knitting) trades, like Xmas cookies and gift-wrapping.

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View entire thread: Crafting allergies

Posted by brdgt on 2005-12-02 08:31:31      Post Subject:

When I work with certain yarns I sneeze - I haven't paid attention to if they have been sitting around collecting dust, or it was the content or what.

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View entire thread: crewel

Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-07-10 06:40:41      Post Subject:

Sublime Stitcher's kits are suitable for 'fine embroidery.' I knoiw I am an old lady, but embroidery stitches are in all kinds of printed matter. I don't know from online, but guess about.com would be a place to start.

The more detailed in smaller areas the design, the more likely it is to be fine embroidery. Crewel with heavier yarns on heavier backing material is likely to be a bolder motif.

You can do either with only a few basic stitches. You would rely on satin stitch a bit more in crewel work, but both use split stitch and lazy daisy and chain and french knots. Probably more, but I just don't think like a beginner.

Some crewel will use more woven stitches. The stitched area is more likely to cover the backing, but not necessarily.

If you start with kits, the basic instructions are usually there. If you freehand, you probably already know what stitches to use in what applications. There are plenty of stitches that I have to look up, even when I know what they should look like. Like a Maltese Cross: I can describe it to you, but not enough for either of us to do one without mistakes. I look it up to work the pattern. A beginner could do what peppermintsquare linked, though you might have to practice your satin stitch and tension a bit. A beginner can do most or all of Sublime Stitcher's kits, but with a little practice you can change up the stitches. Her portraiture though is probably not all split stitch or stem stitch, eh?

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View entire thread: sampler swap

Posted by pinkO on 2005-07-07 14:35:56      Post Subject: sampler swap

I got my first sampler today, and as exciting as it is to get many cool things in the mail, I concur with modforpretend that many of the items were personally irrelevant due to the necessary randomness of the packaging. This is not to diss on the items, which were all cool, but I can't use earrings, say, since my ears aren't pierced. So in case anyone got one and wants to swap, I am open to anything!

Here are items I have and would swap, pics are available at the link:

25+ items ( http://www.homeofthesampler.com/peeks/050625.html ):
1. Rustica bamboo earrings
2. Sabrina's Charm sunny day bead
3. ArtAngel robot patch

50+ items ( http://www.homeofthesampler.com/peeks/050650.html ):
1. Paws for Effect dog bone toy www.pawsforeffect.ca
2. Mellifluous Couture fabric flower necklace (exactly as pictured) www.mellifluouscouture.com
3. Sugar Hand Grenade Clothing felt cell phone cozy like the leopard skin one pictured www.sugarhandgrenade.com
4. Expresso Noir vintage ribbon pins like the cream patterned one pictured
www.expressonoir.com

75+ items ( http://www.homeofthesampler.com/peeks/050675.html ):
1. Lanak Crafts purple beaded toe ring www.lanakcrafts.com
2. Wrong Number Distro blank ladybug mini journal (in the black pink style of the one left of the whale) www.wrong-number.net
3. Chebang! one yellow, one green pom-pom sample

200+ items ( http://www.homeofthesampler.com/peeks/0506200.html ):
1. Midnightsky Fibers 2 small skeins (1 pink and yellow, 1 purple-blue) of hand-spun and hand-painted yarns
2. Feed Your Head Books feminism sticker pack
3. Amy Peters' Studio "devotion" bronze keyring


Make me a deal!

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View entire thread: yarn nightmare

Posted by peenkfrik on 2006-11-09 05:23:06      Post Subject:

It'll probably take some time before I finally get the yarns I really want. This journey has even caused me to search for online for Chinese/Japanese shops and it's taking forever translating their stuff. People might think I've gone crazy.

I've made several handbags out of mercerized cotton thread. The desire of wanting to use other types of yarn is what's really driving me to order online. Acrylic just doesn't look too chic for some people. But whatever the type of yarn I'm using, I hope to share with you pictures of the bags after I'm done with them.

Thanks for the tips. They help a lot.

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View entire thread: Acrylic Bikini

Posted by craftfetish on 2006-02-10 13:29:39      Post Subject:

A more experienced knitter than I may need to weigh in here, but...it is my understanding that you can substitute materials as you like. Cotton v. acrylic v. wool v. blends shouldn't impact the look of the outcome. If the yarns are of the same weight, thickness, etc. you should be okay.

Knit a swatch with your yarn and see if it matches the guage they recommend. Too big - substitute smaller needles. Too small - get bigger needles.

Having said all of that, I think you would need to be concerned about material if you wanted to do bathing suit things. I have no idea what would happen if you jumped in the pool in an acrylic bikini - but you should be good at a concert. Black light yarn sounds awesome.

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View entire thread: I need some advice + good thoughts sent my way

Posted by stella on 2006-08-16 19:49:11      Post Subject:

i think your yarn is nice. i'm a spinner, so i wouldn't buy it, but i'm sure it would appeal to non-spinners. another "just me" thing is that i don't care for pastel colors, and you don't offer any brighter or darker colors right now.

thinking of things from the perspective of a non-spinning shopper...

1. the close-up pictures are really blurry and low-quality. i'm not going to buy something i can't see in detail. maybe you could borrow a better digital camera, or just upload higher quality images.

2. it's not totally clear and apparent that all of the yarns are handspun. it would be a good idea to remind people that they are handspun in each description, or people might assume it's really expensive for Henry's Attic stuff. i know it says that all the yarns are handspun on the sidebar, but my eye was not drawn to that information, and i only noticed it after looking for a few minutes.

3. i'm assuming that your web design isn't done, so you can probably disregard this... if your website IS done, it's not all that slick, and you could probably find a design student or wannabe to redo it for cheap.

4. personally, i think the name "YarnPorn" is cute, but realize that it might turn some people off.

i know this is pretty blunt advice, but i also know that making a living as an artist is really hard, so i'm sure you want people's actual opinions.

**the quantumspindles site is still down, and the URL just gets you to a raw list of the contents.

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