The Twisted Purl

The Twisted Purl Handmade Fiber Blog has moved!

2011-03-19T10:33:00.000-05:00

Our Twisted Purl Wrapped Sheep is flying away to a new location.

After years of being here, we've moved! If you are looking for our new content please:

CLICK HERE

New Etsy Treasuries Featuring our handspun yarn. Sweeeeeet!

2011-03-04T17:17:00.000-06:00

Thank you GuatemalanFabric for this gorgeous Mardi Gras themed treasury and including one of our Mardi Gras handspun yarn. ♥

Vanilla Ice Ice Baby! A big thank you to grafryn for making this chillingly beautiful treasury and featuring one of our Vanilla Yarn series. ♥

Thank you to BabyShowerSupplies for including us in your Carnivale Treasury ♥

PurpleGoddessDesign this treasury rocks! I am honored to be a part of it. ♥

Chose Your Own Yarn for Unique Hand Weaved Scarf

2011-02-02T11:45:00.002-06:00

The Twisted Purl's Hand Weaved Scarves have always been a favorite at our shows and in our shop. A unique creation from handspun yarn this one of a kind scarf is sure to turn heads and get many compliments. After many requests, the option is now available to you to chose your own.

I pick YOU!

You can now chose your own yarn from any we have listed and have it turned into a one of a kind hand weaved scarf.
How does it work? It's easy!
Pick one of the listed yarn from either our Handspun for You shop section or our Painted Yarn for You section.

Purchase the "You Chose Your Own Hand Weaved Scarf" listing in our Hand Weaved For You shop section. In the comment of the purchase, please name the yarn you want used for your scarf.

That's it! Within a week of your purchase your new scarf will be on it's way. ♥

Geocaching, Crafting, and The Twisted Purl Traveler

2011-01-29T12:23:00.001-06:00

Do you go Geocaching? Geocaching is one of the most fun outdoor family friendly activities you can do. All you need is a GPS device (most cell phones have them now a days) and the will to get out and find stuff!

I'd love to get more into Geocaching at a later time, for now...you want to learn more? Please go to www.geocaching.com

We are excited to be releasing a Travel Bug today! This is The Twisted Purl's first ever Travel Bug. A Travel Bug travels between geocaches worldwide and most work to fill a mission.

Current Goal:
On a mission to see your projects made out of yarn and visit as many local yarn shops as possible. I'd like to travel as far and as long as possible, so please keep me moving! I'd love to make it to a yarn shop in every state of America and then travel worldwide.

Anytime our travel bug moves or gets update we'll share the information here.

We are heading out now to put it in it's first cache so it can start it's journey!

Travel Bug's Official Site: http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=487833

The Twisted Purl now has More than Yarn...

2011-01-27T12:13:00.000-06:00

The Twisted Purl is proud to announce the expansion of our online shop to now include Patterns for You and Supplies for You.
In our Pattern Section you will find a mixture of Older Knitting, Crochet, and Crafting Magazines, Vintage Pattern Books, and more.

Supplies for You will have Knitting Needles, Felting Kits, Spinning Kits, and much more.

On top of all this we will always have plenty of Handspun or Hand Painted Yarn, Felted Soaps, and Weaved Scarves.
Our Facebook Page is the best place to stay connected. Twitter is always good too!

New Year New Yarn New Beginnings

2011-01-11T13:24:00.002-06:00

The Twisted Purl has started fresh and new with the New Year. The yarn is flying off the wheel and back into our Etsy Shop. I know....it's about darn time!

I took about a year off of the yarn production. Tried to enter the real world and work a real job. PSH! You know how yarn can call to you? Well my yarn was SCREAMING! Why did you leave me? Where have you gone? You are the crazy yarn lady....not this other crazy lady! So, I give in. Here I am, back and ready to rock n roll!!!

A few new yarns are now listed in our online shop. Please check it out! Let me know what your hopes are for 2011. Mine is to stay committed to what is important.

Hope you are having a crafty day!

Bert the Bunny

2010-04-01T06:44:00.000-05:00

This is Bert.

Bert is an English Angora Rabbit.

Bert will get as big, if not BIGGER than the average house cat.

Bert is the beginning of our newest line of Angora Yarn.

Bert's the Bomb.

My wonderful sister and her adorable hubby, have invested in Angoras and you my dear friend will benefit! Bert is now 2 and a half months old. His first shearing will be in October. Look for a line of Bert yarn coming in November, just in time for Dazzle Daze. Bert will be making an appearance at all upcoming events.

Come out to our next event and you too shall behold the beauty that is Bert.

Bert Haiku

*****************

Bert the Angora

Silky Fantastic Fiber

Makes Sweet Yarn for You

*****************

♥

Mardi Gras, Valentine's, and Yarn oh my!

2010-01-24T09:56:00.001-06:00

With January shortly coming to a close, there are several Holidays knocking on our doors. I already told you 2010 will be the Year of the Yarn, well hold onto your freshly knitted socks and check out this new handspun yarn.

I have been on a bit of an art yarn kick. I know, art yarn may not exactly be what you will knit up to wear as socks or sweaters, but let me tell you, they would make one fantastically interesting hat, purse, or embellishment for a scarf.

It is my pleasure to introduce Mardi Gras:

Mardi Gras is February 16th this year. This yarn was handspun from painted purple, green, and yellow roving (pictured below) and then plied with a green thread and metallic Mardi Gras steamers. It looks like a big ole mess of Mardi Gras fun.

Some of this hand painted roving will be on sale in the good ole Etsy shop. The Mardi Gras art yarn will also be in the shop, so keep an eye out.

The Yarn of the Month club this month was filled with lots of love, early enough for your Valentine's Day pleasure.

The freebie was a little metal mailbox filled with your yarn. Hope you enjoy! I got a lot of strange looks when I entered the post office with a huge box full of Priority boxes decorated just for you. As I put them one by one on the counter, I heard a few chuckles. But hey! Gotta love the yarn decorations, no?

For more Valentine's Day fun, I felted up three new soaps, in shades of pink and a touch of white. I am in the process of plying some yarn out of this same colorway and it is turning out spectacular.

Of course, these soaps will be listed in the Etsy Shop, as soon as I get off my bottom and start listing!

So, there you have it! I hope you are all having a wonderful New Year and are enjoying the Year of Yarn. ♥

Craft Along 2010

2010-01-11T18:05:00.000-06:00

Craft Along with us this year. Stay motivated to get those creative projects finished. Just by participating, you can win supplies for more crafting projects and other goodies.

Don't you just hate it when Christmas time rolls around and you still have a list a mile long of people you would love to make an item for? Then there is that dreaded last week of crafting crunch time, where you mad dash to finish projects. Let me ask you, do you enjoy mad dash craft time? Wouldn't you rather just finish up the touches on a couple gifts and enjoy the Holidays with your friends and family?

I adore my craft times and hate it when it's time constricted. It takes the fun out of it and makes it more like a job. So my proposal to you, if you choose to accompany me on this journey, is to make one item a month for the next 12 months. That way, come Christmas time, you will have at least 12 handmade items completed. 12 items made by you to give or sell, or keep and treasure. You can look back on 2010 as the year of crafting accomplishments.

Whether you crochet, knit, spin, weave, sew, glue, glitter, or use a blow torch that is entirely up to you! Just join me in creating, in crafting, in being one with your artistic self. Feed the little crafty monster inside of you with at least one project a month and see how fulfilled the rest of your life becomes!

MOTIVATION??? Yes, yes, we all need motivation. There will be the satisfaction of creating a handmade item. There will be the bragging "I took this nothing and made it into this something! What have you done?" And if that is not enough, how about freebies and goodies?

So, here's the deal: Every month, when you have finished your project, please upload a picture to the Event: Craft Along 2010 on The Twisted Purl Facebook page or on Flickr, you can also email the picture. Each month, one of the participants will win special crafting supplies or goodies.

QUICK BREAKDOWN:

What? Craft Along...make one item each month now through Christmas 2010

How? Anyway you like!

Why? To stay motivated to craft year round, to get a jump start on gifts, or to feed your little craft monster.

Did you say prizes? Yup! Once a month, share a picture of a completed craft item and you'll be entered.

Where to send pics? Facebook, Flickr, or Email

Sound like fun? If you are on Facebook, please RSVP to the event, if not, please leave a comment here so we know you plan to Craft Along! Happy Crafting! ♥

Do you spin your own yarn? Then Spin for the Handspun Revolution Show

2010-01-08T15:03:00.004-06:00

Calling all you fabulous creators of handspun yarn! If you spin your own yarn, then pluckyfluff needs you! The Handspun Revolution is an Art Show just for Yarn!!! Here's the details of how your handspun yarn can be part of one large exhibit of one continuous skein of yarn. (click on image to see it larger)

Want more information? Check out the facebook page and the ravelry page. You can always go right to the source too: pluckyfluff's site.

I personally am so excited to put a skein of The Twisted Purl yarn into this exhibit and hope you do the same. If you are sending in some yarn, I'd love to see some pics! Please post a comment with a link to your contribution.

I may just send in this new one, I finished it last night. It's wool, thread, lace, string, silk, and ribbon. ♥

Handspun Snow Art Yarn

2010-01-07T10:38:00.002-06:00

This is the final outcome of waking up and wanting to know "Where's the snow?". A unique handspun yarn plied with a white eye lash yarn and 85 iridescent white snowflake sequins carefully strung on a metallic thread.

For the last week, our forecast has shown snow. Maybe not a lot of snow, 1 to 2 inches, but for here any snow is really exciting! Growing up in California, in the valley, the land of no snow, then moving here has been a treat. There is a chance of snow! Not enough to be sick of it, just enough to really enjoy it. Just enough to make a snowman, get cold enough to enjoy hot chocolate, and then warm up by the fire. Then in a day or so, it's gone. Again, for the last week, we were going to get snow last night. I woke up this morning to no snow. So, what's a girl to do? I just had to make my own.

I threaded 85 sequined snowflakes. Then I spun some blue yarn. Next I thought it needed a little blizzard effect so I added in the white eyelash yarn.

The next part was a bit of a slow process. Actually plying the three together was a bit tricky. Every time a snowflake went through the orifice, I had to stop and help it get to the bobbin. But each and every snowflake made this skein well worth it.

Once off the wheel, it was onto my swift. I have to say...this morning when I peaked out my window, there was a deep sigh of disappointment. But when I peered at what came off the swift, there was absolutely no disappointment. It was definitely enough to make me smile.

This yarn is now on Etsy.

To you who live in the land of snow...go out and make a snowman for me :) To those of you who do not, enjoy the view of Handspun Snow. It's almost like Jack Frost himself breathed out this skein of handspun art yarn! Stay warm and cozy, but enjoy the winter. ♥

New Yarn for the New Year

2010-01-06T16:09:00.000-06:00

This Handspun yarn will be heading to some of you in the Yarn of the Month Club for January. It is squiggly, chunky, bumpy, and fun. This month has so many active subscribers, we will be sending out two sets of yarn. I dyed one pound of roving thinking I would have enough, but it's not entirely enough to fill the order. So, I will be doing one more pound with similar colors so a few of these may end up in the Etsy shop too!

I recently went back to my roots and hand painted three skeins of yarn. They turned out beautiful and will be in the shop's much neglected "Painted Yarn for You" section soon. In cleaning out a closet, I found several cones of sock yarn. I plan on dying them over the next few months.

The two on the outside have longer sections and will stripe nicely. The black and white one is a variegated yarn. All three would make great socks! The yarn is the perfect weight for socks.

This hand painted skein is called Anemone. It reminds me of something you would see in a tide pool while strolling along the beach.

Hope you are all having a fantastic 2010, my year so far has been very inspirational and exciting. I can't wait to share all the new things with you this year. ♥

Talkin' Etsy Tuesdays with TheBeehive

2010-01-05T08:24:00.000-06:00

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programing:

This week I got to interview the ever so cool Queen Bee Owner of TheBeehive on Etsy. TheBeehive is your one stop place for scrapbooking items and more. Her shop is almost like the scrapbook store for the non-scrapbooker. When you want to preserve your precious memories, shes got the right thing for you!

TheBeehive has now been selling on Etsy for two years. She started as a freelance graphic designer and has even done some illustration work. Before opening up her shop she had never even attempted to sell her crafts or scrapbooks.

Like so many of us, work from home moms, TheBeehive missed having a creative outlet. She started selling her items because she was searching for a way to reconnect with her artistic identity. Although her boys are always top on her list of priorities, working from home is a bonus. She enjoys being able to stay at home, not working the traditional 9 to 5 job, and still help the family financially.

When asked what her craft of choice is she said "I'm a paperaholic. I enjoy using paper particularly making scrapbooks, but any paper craft will do. I love paper! I never thought I'd find myself a scrapbooker but alas, after some years as a graphic designer for a greeting card company and two adorable little boys to keep memories for, here I am!" Alas, being a yarnaholic, I can so appreciate any type of craft addiction. Indulge and keep at it!

Her shop houses many unique items, not just scrapbook supplies. She has fun "Upcycled Paper Bead and Safety Pin Bracelets":

You will also find exquisite Memory Catchers which "are perfect for those who want to keep their memories out of the shoe box but don't have time to scrapbook." The top silhouette picture is one of my favorite items in her shop. They are custom order Silhouettes. Just send her a profile picture of your child, dog, husband...and she'll take care of the rest. TheBeehive says they are her favorite because "They make me extra happy to see in my shop because they feature my favorite boys and my puggie!" I would just adore to have one made of my boys.

She finds her inspiration in her customers. She really enjoys working together with each person, fulfilling their specific needs. Each person has an idea of how they would want to preserve their precious memories and TheBeehive is there to help them achive that vision.

As for her shop name, TheBeehive, and it's origin, she admitted "When I started my shop I wasn't completely sure what it was I was going to make and sell. There was one thing I did know, I was making a lot, I'm a long time sufferer of crafting ADD, and I was doing a lot between the boys, our pets, our church, my husband is a youth director...we were some busy bees! As my shop grows, and develops it's own identity, I have been mulling over the possibility of a name change that would better reflect what I do but that will be a tough decision."

Following her on Facebook, you may see the shop name is soon changing...you will have to check out to see what TheBeehive evolves into. You can find her on:
Facebook: http://facebook.com/thebeehivecrafts

Twitter: http://twitter.com/thebeehivestore
Blog: http://thebeehivecrafts.blogspot.com/
Etsy Shop: http://thebeehive.etsy.com/

My favorite question to ask Etsy Sellers is what is their favorite color combination. TheBeehive's favorite is a deep rich velvety red with a bright cobalt blue. Gorgeous!

Lastly, TheBeehive would like to give a special big thanks to her husband "who wholeheartedly supports me in everything I do. He's done everything from helping with housework, to attaching paper beads to safety pins, to helping me man craft show booths, to listening to me stress! He's my personal super hero!"

Be sure to check out TheBeehive etsy shop and keep an eye out for her new name!

Please help support your local crafters and artist by looking to Etsy for your needs before you run out and get some kind of impersonal mass produced item. Thanks and Happy New Year! ♥

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

2009-12-24T10:06:00.000-06:00

From my family to yours, Merry Merry Christmas!

Here's to making 2010 the year we finish all our crafting projects, love on our family, and make new memories. And of course start lots of new projects to finish in 2011.

Merry Christmas to you ♥

Merry Christmas Scarf Giveaway Winner Announcement

2009-12-18T05:58:00.002-06:00

The winner is.......Tammy! She was the 88th entry into the contest. She also is a Facebook Fan!

There were 198 entries into the contest. Thank you all so very much for entering the Giveaway. I truly appreciate all the kind words about my work. Each and every comment made my day! One of the comments was made into a poem and it's just too cute not to share:

Elsie said...

Let it snow,

Let the winds blow,

I'll have my candy cane,

To keep me warm!

A candy cane, people wonder,

What magic can this be?

Why it's this scarf,

For everyone to see!

Thank you Elsie!

Just to let you know, I will be hosting another giveaway soon, so keep an eye out.

Bleh, do I need to say it? Only 7 Crafting Days left until Christmas! Ahhhhhhh! Best of luck with all your shopping, finishing of handmade presents, and yarn consumption. If your stash is getting low, you know where to go.

♥

Christmas Gifts...Christmas Crafts...Christmas Cheer...

2009-12-14T06:38:00.000-06:00

Looking up at my calendar and realizing there are only 11 crafting days left until Christmas is a bit overwhelming. I still have four weaved scarves to make, two stockings, and a pair of socks (or four). AND to top it all off, I still need to spin the yarn for a few of my projects. Oh no!

I did finish a stocking. It's a bit funkier than I had originally planned and a bit smaller. The yarn was bumpy and it hides the cable pattern that runs throughout it more than I planned. I think I will add a little embellishment to the top or weave a bit throughout to make the cables more pronounced. Gauge, is something I just don't like to listen to. I know, some of you out there just cringed. I just like planning and starting projects, if indeed I finish it, which is oh so rare, I will love it regardless of if it will only fit a giant one legged man. My socks tend to be too big, so I figured I'd rock a stocking...well it's a bit too small! Go figure!

If you have thrown the idea of making things for those on your shopping list out the window already and you are still looking for a one of a kind gift, I have a few things that may help. I still have one Yarn of the Month Club subscription left in each 1, 3, or 6 month subscription. If they do not knit or crochet, I have plenty of Felted Soap and a couple Weaved Scarves left in my Etsy Shop.

Our Merry Christmas Hand Weaved Scarf Giveaway is still happening as well. All you have to do is post a comment on the above linked blog post to be entered to win.

I got an early Christmas present! One hot summer day, Chris Massingill and I were trying to entertain ourselves at the Argenta Farmers Market. I told her I wanted her to make me sheep. She happened to have clay in the car and my sheep were born that day. Chris is an amazing art teacher. When I first met her, she was my oldest sons teacher. After a year off, she is now back in the school and teaches at my other two boy's elementary school. So, a big thank you to Chris, for my sweet Salt & Pepper Shaking Sheep.

Hope you all have fun finishing all those craft projects and checking off your list for all the special people in your lives. I'm quite certain I will be throwing in the towel soon!

The Ins and Outs of Felted Soap: It's Good Clean Fun

2009-12-11T07:12:00.000-06:00

~♥~Felted Soap 101~♥~

What is Felted Soap? Why use Felted Soap? How can I make Felted Soap?

One of our best selling items at shows has always been Felted Soap. It's fun and funky, unique and spectacular. Simply put Felted Soap is "Good Clean Fun". It makes a fantastic gift. It is so cool even Martha Stewart talked about it. I am frequently asked a lot of questions about the soap. So here are my frequent answers:

~♥~

So, what the heck is Felted Soap???

Felted Soap is really soap. It is a bar of soap with wool wrapped around it. Then the wool goes through a felted process. Once felted the wool is smoothly matted and totally adhered to the surface of the soap.

~♥~

Okay, great! But why would I want to use Felted Soap?

First and foremost...it's pretty. We all want something pretty in our lives right? Felted Soap is also practical. The wool gently exfoliates your skin. So that eliminates the need for a loofah or washcloth. The covering around the soap helps prolong the life of the bar of soap. So, it lasts longer! Felted Soap is also a lot easier to hold onto than a slippery bar of soap, so it's also great for kids.

~♥~

How do I make Felted Soap?

Mostly, lots of rubbing and patience. I take the bar of soap and carefully wrap the wool in all directions until the entire bar is covered and no surface areas are showing through. Next is off to the sink. I gently soak the covered bar in steaming hot water (as hot as my hands can handle) and then start patting and very carefully rubbing the wool. This is the most tedious part of the process. I find if I am irritated, or my kids are having a wrestling match in the living room, felting soap is not an option. If you rub too hard it will make the wool slip right off the bar of soap and then you have to start all over. If you rub one area too much it can expose part of the bar of soap, which is no good.

Once the wool feels like it is more secure in its position, then you can start being more rough with the wool. I put the bar into hot and cold water to help the felting process. Eventually you have a completed bar of felted soap.

~♥~

That sounds like a lot of work...can I just buy Felted Soap?

Why yes you can! CLICK HERE to go to our Etsy Shop Felted Soap section. Every Friday I make felted soap and list new soap all the time. The soap that has images or detailed patterns are a little bit more than our standard soap, just because of all the extra effort that goes into the process. We sell our soaps online pretty inexpensive, so the world can know the goodness of felted soaps. We do occasionally use handmade soap as well, and those also are more expensive. Each bar of soap comes wrapped in a raffia ribbon, tied in a bow, with a descriptive card.

The Twisted Purl website has a page dedicated to Felted Soap, it's http://www.feltedsoap.com/. Video tutorials will be coming to our website soon. In the meantime, you can check out a really great guide, by Mielke's Fiber Arts, with pictures of the process here.

If you have anymore questions, please feel free to leave a comment!

Remember Felted Soap is 'Good Clean Fun' and makes a great, unique gift.

~♥~

Merry Christmas Giveaway: Handwoven Scarf for You

2009-12-09T14:59:00.000-06:00

Candy Cane Christmas Handwoven Scarf

'Tis the Season to be Jolly and to have a Giveaway! I have been very blessed this year with wonderful customers and very supportive friends and family. In return, I want to host a Giveaway that anyone and everyone can enjoy. This Christmas, I am giving away one of my exclusive Hand Weaved Scarves to one very lucky person.

The above pictured scarf, Candy Cane Christmas, is what you can win. It is all natural, 100% handspun yarn, made by The Twisted Purl. The yarn is made from super soft Merino Wool. Then handwoven throughout a red grid/mesh.

This exclusive Hand Weaved Scarf is a one of a kind creation. Even the yarn used in the scarf is made by hand so this creation will never be found anywhere else. This scarf would normally sell for $50!

So, how do you win? Quite simple...post a comment. I will be allowing Facebook Fans two entries! So, if you're currently not a fan, best CLICK HERE to join. Facebook Fans can post a comment on this blog post and on the Facebook Fan Page Giveaway Post. Each post will count for one entry. I will then use a online Random Number Generator to select a winner. Post must have a name (can not be anonymous...or I can't contact you).

The contest will start as soon as this post goes live and will go until Thursday, December 17th, 2009. At 12:00 Midnight, central time zone, the giveaway will close. I will announce the winner on December 18th, on my blog and also on Facebook. If I can get in contact with the winner fast enough, the scarf will be mailed out on Friday, December 18th, in plenty of time to give as a Christmas Gift or to show off during the Holidays.

Quick Breakdown:

Starts: 12/09/09

Ends: 12/17/09 @ 12:00 PM CST

Winner Announced: 12/18/09

Leave a Comment on this Post or on the Facebook Post

So, let the Giveaway begin! Good luck to all who enter! ♥

Talkin' Etsy Tuesday with Denise Felton

2009-12-08T06:47:00.000-06:00

This week our Talkin' Etsy Tuesday Interview is with Denise Felton, owner of the shop...DeniseFelton. Denise has unique dimensional collages in her Etsy Shop. The collages are a fascinating intersection of paper craft and needlework. Her wit is exquisite and it shows in each of her pieces. This one is Mother's Power:

The quote at the bottom of the picture says "Her Controlling Power--The mother can take man's whole nature under her control." The descriptions she puts on each listing in her shop will send most into fits of giggles and a you may utter an "Oh my!" here and there. The description on Mother's Power says "In his search for the perfect wife, Edgar couldn't help comparing every girl to his ideal: Mother. The woman of his dreams would be strong, decisive, tall. And over 50." Don't we all know a man or two like that?

I had the pleasure of interviewing Denise Felton. She started selling handcrafted greeting cards and collages through two brick and mortar shops in 2002. Her Etsy shop opened up in August 2007. I adore the reason she started selling her items:

"My friend Jonathan. When you say "muse," most people think of a fairy with flowing hair and a voice like windchimes. So lightweight. My muse is a broad-shouldered pseudo-son who bullies me into being an artist."

Along with her marvelous collages, she also has some fanciful art quilts that make the fiber/texture heart in me go pitter-patter. This piece, "Yo Art Quilt", is Denise's favorite listing in her shop at the moment:

This is an "Art Quilt of cotton fabric and cotton batting, appliqued with hundreds of one-inch and half-inch cotton yoyos, and heavily embroidered with gold metallic thread and glass seed beads." To get the whole idea of what one looks like, I have to post another picture of this. It is absolutely divine!

Yo Art Quilt is 16" x 20" x 1". Denise says she loves this one the most (right now), because it's lumpy and bumpy. Also because it's turquoise and orange, which is one of her favorite color combinations. Sounds like another good yarn color scheme. She likes all variations of the turquoise and orange colors, like aqua and bronze, teal and peach.

She finds her inspiration in her work itself. The photos know what they want to be and she just tries to go along with them. As for the art quilts, she just lets the fabric, thread, and beads express themselves and she stays out of their way. She does admit she does not actually hear them talking to her, so no need to lock her up. Denise Felton does each of her pieces justice by listening to the heart of each item and expressing its inner desires.

With her keen eye and wit, Denise is making the world a better place by bringing the past back to life through her Collage Pieces. Her Art Quilts are just that, amazing pieces of art that should be in every home. I have had the pleasure of seeing Denise's work in person and the detail in each piece is beyond comparison. A photo can not capture all the delicate intricacies of each piece. You will be pleasantly surprised when you get your purchase in the mail and see so much more than you expected.

Lastly Denise wanted to give a big shout out to AREtsy, the Arkansas Etsy Street Team. She said "We rock and roll so hard. Everybody needs to shop AREtsy for Christmas! " It's easy to do just CLICK HERE to check out the AREtsy Team Artist's listings.

Denise Felton can be found on:

Etsy

Twitter

Blogger

Please help support local artists and remember, everyone loves handmade! Why not get that hard to buy loved one on your Christmas list one of Denise Felton's items. It's a one of a kind and sure to be a collectible treasure.

Christmas Market at St. Peter's in Conway Arkansas

2009-12-03T17:30:00.000-06:00

Come join us Saturday, December 5th, at St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Conway, Arkansas. The Christmas Market is located at 925 Mitchell. Corner of Mitchell and Prince.

This will be the very last show for The Twisted Purl in 2009. Starting next week all our felted soaps, weaved scarves, handspun yarn, and painted roving will be back in our Etsy shop.

Hope to see you there!

Old Meets New: Horse Carriages, Cell Phones, Spinning Wheels, Fireworks...

2009-12-02T07:48:00.003-06:00

Old Meets New

Nothing beats being somewhere and seeing beautiful horse drawn carriages. Takes you back. Makes you think of the day when all there were were horses and wagons and wait a minute...is that guy on a cell phone? Yep, turns out both horse drawn carriage drivers were on their cell phones. Wonder if they were talking to each other. CLICK HERE if you want to see the picture "Old Meets New" on Flickr. It's a bit larger.

The set up this year at The Promenade at Chenal was really not that great. First off it was so windy. Everything had to be really anchored down. Standing behind my booth was very chilly. Secondly, they placed us down at the end of the center with another vendor. All the activities (horse drawn carriages, tree lighting, choirs, Santa & Mrs. Claus) was in the center of the area. At least the general manager came by and apologized for our placement. I think the initial thinking was if they placed vendors at the ends it would keep people walking around...not so much. The manager told me next year would be different and we would be smack in the middle of things. I will have to think long and hard over whether or not this show is worth doing again. But hey, at least it ended in a BANG:

There were a ton of fireworks and they were awesome!

What's on the Wheel Wednesday (& handspun too):

Pictures on Top Row: New Handspun Christmas Red & White Sparkly Yarn

Picture on Bottom Left: Alpaca Handspun Yarn

Picture on Bottom Right: Blue Tencel & Merino

What's on the Knitting Needles?

This array of mess is a new Scrap Scarf. It's a lot wider than the last one. Such an amazing use for all my scraps. The end outcome is always so cool...a cross between harmony and ciaos.

I got these trio of Snowmen Razorback Fans at Hallmark. They have opted out of doing a new snowman in their series this year (which I am totally heart broken about). But the new Razorback Trio was a great consultation.

I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas Season. Enjoy every minute of it, and craft your pants off...we still have 22 crafting days left! ♥

Talkin' Etsy Tuesday with the owner of BrianaRose

2009-12-01T08:16:00.000-06:00

If you do not know about the wonderful world of Etsy, then you my friend are missing out! Etsy is a website community full of artists and hand crafters that make creations just for you. This year, for Christmas, you should support local artists and give handmade items. Etsy is the very best way to find unique, well crafted items for your loved ones or yourself.

One of my favorite sellers on Etsy is BrianaRose. Being so fond of the ocean, Briana Rose's Swarovski Starfish Hair Clips really take me back to when I was young and searching for sea shells on the beach.

Although these creations are 100% real starfish, they do not flake, smell fishy, or are brittle like you may think. Briana takes a tremendous amount of care and puts a lot of work into each one of these pieces to ensure they will be in your collection for many years to come. She uses Sugar Starfish from the Caribbean. She then has to clean, shave, and strengthen each one with a special glue. They also each have a protective coating. After all the preparation she adds gorgeous Swarovski Crystals on each star. Just so you know, these starfish are not endangered and are very abundant. Each one of her Starfish Hairpins are a steal, seeing how much work goes into each one, BrianaRose sells them anywhere from $14 up to $28 each. A small price to pay to be able to put on such a gorgeous hair pin to bring out your inner star.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Briana and learned a lot about her and her craft.

"My craft of choice is sugar starfish from the Caribbean. They've got more character than other starfish." BrianaRose

She started selling starfish hairpins in high school. After a break, she started again after getting a scholarship to pursue her business a few months ago. She likes new ideas and trends and wanted to start something that wasn't typical, was totally natural, but still kinda girly. She hits her mark perfectly with her Starfish creations. The crystals give the glitz that every girl wants but the starfish bring you back to nature, which fills the hearts desire.

Her Etsy Shop name comes from her first and middle name "Briana Rose". She said "My great grandmother and I share the same middle name, so that's why I like it so much."

When asked where she finds her inspiration she said "I like to flip through magazines and pictures for my inspiration, but in hasn't really aided me with the hairpins thus far. I think my inspiration comes from the Lord, ya know?" No better place to find inspiration!

She does have a few local events going on right now:

December 3rd, an open house, at Hungry Hair in the Fig Garden Village, in Fresno, CA.

December 5th, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, she is having a Trunk Show at Carmel Kids, in Fresno, CA.

Of course, if you are not in the area, you can always go to her Etsy Shop and conveniently purchase a star.

Briana eventually would really like to distribute throughout the country and one day possibly throughout the world. She is currently recruiting and would love some applicants.

You can find BrianaRose:

Etsy

Facebook

Her favorite color combo in general is black and white. But in reference to the stars, she does like the bright orange stars and crystal iridescent Swarovski rhinestones. Nice! Maybe I'll spin up some "BrianaRose" Yarn and ply it with some shiny threads.

Lastly, know each star has its own personality and great character. BrianaRose likes to think that the starfish you pick for yourself reflects your personality as well.

Please help support this fantastic Etsy Artist and get an exquisite, unique Starfish Hairpin for the star in your life. ♥

Give the Gift of Yarn this Year

2009-11-30T06:44:00.001-06:00

2010 will be the Year of the Yarn

Yarn addicts everywhere are wishing their families could some how grasp how much yarn means to them. To the average man...yarn to us is like a Sunday with the perfect football line up and a fridge full of beer. To the average child...yarn to us is like having full access to a toy shop and getting to take anything home anytime. Yarn means a lot! With it's textures and bumps and twists and turns, each skein is a new, exquisite, and breathtakingly indulgent.

So, you may ask...well if I know my wife, sister, friend, mother, aunt, cousin, neighbor loves yarn so much, then what am I supposed to do about it? Easy, I'm here to help. My goal after all is to enable all the yarn addicts in the world. I'm offering a limited time Gift Membership into my exclusive Yarn of the Month Club.

For a small fee of $35.00, your loved one will get a one month subscription. In the mailbox, they will receive one skein of yarn, from 100 to 150 yards (at least a $35 value). This will not just be any old yarn you can find at your local retail store...no! This will be an unique creation, made just for them. The fibers will be carded, hand painted (using only professional wash fast dyes), and then carefully handspun on my spinning wheel. They will also get a freebie or two and maybe even a pair of knitting needles. Shipping, via USPS Priority Mail, is included in the price as well as any applicable taxes (a $5 value). Now depending on how much you want to hear your favorite yarnaholic squeal, we do also have 3 month memberships for $85 and 6 month memberships for only $155 (remember each month is at least a $40 value).

For the 1 Month Subscription Click Here

For the 3 Month Subscription Click Here

For the 6 Month Subscription Click Here

Included with your Gift Membership Purchase is a nifty little Gift Card to give to your loved one. The card will be perfect to put under the tree or in a stocking. It's the perfect precursor of things to come. Your yarnaholic will adore you for this well thought out gift. And Christmas will continue for into the next year.

A very limited amount of memberships will be sold this year, as I am only one sole trying to provide the world with spectacular yarn. Gift Membership start in January and ship out during the middle of each month. If there are certain colors combos you do not like or would really like, please let me know during ordering, or anytime during your membership. Each skein is handspun with you in mind and I will try my best to fulfill your color desires. I'm easy going and chatty, so feel free to pass on my email to the gift recipient and let them know I'm here to help!

This yarn could be on your loved ones needles. Hey, if you are lucky enough...maybe they will make something spiffy for you!

To all my darling Yarnaholics, if this is something you want for Christmas, please let your loved ones know. As stated before, a very limited number of subscriptions will be sold, and spaces are filling up quickly. Join The Twisted Purl's Yarn of the Month Club and lets make 2010 be the Year of the Yarn. As always 'Happy Crafting!' ♥

Mom....Can I sell this???

2009-11-24T10:51:00.000-06:00

When you run a business from home, your children tend to think they can make anything and then sell it. It's sadly true. This Thanksgiving Break, my boys are determined to have a "scheduled" a crafting time everyday. The first thing that was made was a Robot, on a tower...with self destruction mode.

In this picture the robot has already ignited it's self destruction option. Brady's asking price for this adorable piece of work is $10. Disclaimer...since the destruction mode has been enabled...it can not go back to Robot Man on Tower.

~*~

Austin is convinced his "Camo Sneak Attack Shakers" are a bargain at $10 a piece. He is offering a first time buyer discount of $8 a piece. These would be perfect for sneaking up on something in the woods.

Each box is full of "Ugly Beads" that no one would want to see anyway. They are rather loud and could be a great addition to your Army Themed New Years Eve Party...or scaring away a deer.

~*~

Brady has taken Austin's Shaker idea and expanded it into a Monster/Hat named "Mighty Madness Monster". It has arms, legs, and is perfectly disguised. It can sit right on your head and induce total madness!

This "Mighty Madness Monster" asking price is only $5...what a deal!

~*~

Austin made a pretty cool looking "Almost Binoculars"...by opening up a box and looking through it.

He is asking $5 for the "I Can See You/Almost Binoculars"

Yes, it says "I Can See You" right on the box. Just in case you didn't know. This is brilliant, cause it lets you know you can actually be seen through the box!

~*~

And lastly, not for sale, is our "Family Bridge". Most have a tree...well, Austin made a bridge:

This item is "Not for Sale" because...well, it has all our names on it, so who would really want to buy it?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hope you and yours are all having fun "scheduled" Crafting Times everyday....Christmas is only 30 days away!!!

Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Promenade at Chenal

2009-11-23T12:31:00.000-06:00

This Saturday, November 28th, 2009 The Twisted Purl has been invited to set up during the Tree Lighting Ceremony at The Promenade at Chenal. The main event is from 3:00pm to 6:00pm and is guaranteed to end in a bang, with fireworks! We will be set up with handspun yarn, lots of hand felted soaps, and our exclusive scarves, hand weaved from The Twisted Purl yarn. Come out and see us!

The Promenade at Chenal

17711 Chenal Parkway

Little Rock, Arkansas 72223

Dazzle Daze Deal for our Facebook Fans "Thursday Night Girls Night Out Deal"

2009-11-19T07:45:00.000-06:00

More Dazzle Daze Deals for our Darling Facebook Fans

Tonight is Girls Night Out and we are offering a free pair of knitting needles with every yarn purchase!

Come to Dazzle Daze, in Conway, Arkansas, tonight for this great deal. Remember you still get $5.00 off your purchase of $20.00 or more!

We have Handspun Yarn, Hand Painted Yarn, Hand Painted Roving, Felted Soap, Felted Squeaky Dog Balls, 100% Silk Hand Painted Scarves , & Weaved Scarves: made exclusively with The Twisted Purl Yarn.

Don't miss the fun!!!

Dazzle Daze Deal for our Facebook Fans

2009-11-17T07:02:00.000-06:00

Dazzle Daze is just two days away! The Twisted Purl will be offering many deals for our Facebook Fans. The very first deal is:

Get $5.00 off your purchase of $20.00 or more!

This deal is for Facebook Fans only! You will need to provide your Facebook name for proof during purchase. Become a fan and tell your friends to get this great discount.

Dazzle Daze 2009 Conway Arkansas

2009-11-10T08:02:00.010-06:00

Dazzle Daze is a Holiday Shopping Extravaganza! November 19, 20, & 21 in Conway, Arkansas. Come out and see all the sights and maybe even win a 2010 Ford Mustang. Located at the Don Owen Sports Complex at I-40 and HWY 65.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page for deals for all our Facebook Fans. If you are not already a fan, now is the time to become one to not miss out on the freebies being offered.

The Twisted Purl will be there, sharing a booth with the highly talented, gifted potter and artist, Chris Massingill. Come out and get all your Christmas Shopping done in one day! We will be in the North West Corner of the complex located on "Mistletoe Way".

A room with a view...of yarn that is.

2009-11-04T10:53:00.004-06:00

What a day! Beautiful sunshine and a back porch with a view of handspun yarn and hand painted roving.

With Dazzle Daze quickly approaching I have found myself in a mad rush of crafting. Yesterday, I finished 8 batches of painted roving and handspun 2 more skeins of yarn. The view from the front is actually a little better, since the sun is shining right on the colors. The yarn is all from ArtsFest. I have about two more batches of roving to finish spinning and then all the ArtsFest 2009 yarn will be complete. Once these beauties dry, I will start posting them for sale on Etsy...plus those that haven't sold yet, will be on display (of course for sale) during Dazzle Daze (Nov 19-21). There will also be some ArtsFest 2009 felted soap for sale.

Now, I'm just waiting on Mr. Sun to hurry up and dry the roving so I can get to spinning up these new colors:

Take a peek at this new shiny, sparkly handspun yarn:

I plied it with a metallic rainbow thread, making it sparkly and fun. I absolutely adore the end outcome, plan to see many more sparkly handspuns in the future.

Happy belated Halloween! Hope none of you were attacked by zombie football players!

Artsfest Yarn Premiere

2009-10-20T16:07:00.005-05:00

Artsfest, in Conway, Arkansas, has come and gone, but the memories of the day live on. In addition to the memories, the Artsfest Handspun Yarn will be around for many years to come. May I introduce the first batch of yarn handspun from the roving the kids painted during the Artsfest festival:I have now finished five skeins of yarn (from four batches of roving). I made a different type of yarn with each roving. Variety is the spice of life!This yarn is in two skeins. It is crazy curly and springy. It reminds me of Medusa's Hair.
This next yarn is very bulky and thick. It's a 2-ply yarn and it is absolutely divine.

Just because I adore the way this next style yarn looks, I made two batches of roving this way. This one is plied with a gold thread:

This one is plied with a black thread:

The yarn plied with the black thread is the very first Artsfest yarn I made. Here it is lying on a bed of all the painted roving from Artsfest 2009:
I'm very busy spinning up the rest. I will have at least 4 more skeins to share when I'm finished.

Big announcement, this year, I will be at Dazzle Daze! It's a huge show right here in Conway. I will be sure to post more about that as time get closer.

Lastly, just a quick heads up for those of you who stumble upon my blog. In the next couple days I will be announcing another really big surprise. Love this yarn??? Then you'll want to be a Facebook Fan of The Twisted Purl. That's all I'm tell you for now. Happy Crafting! ♥

2009 ArtsFest Fiber Arts Hands On Exhibit

2009-10-15T18:52:00.004-05:00

On Saturday October 10th, 2009 I had a booth during the Hands On session of ArtsFest in Conway, Arkansas. It was an absolute blast!We set up two tables for the event. One that was full of dye and wet roving so the kids, and adults, could paint right on the wool. The other table was a sample of different types of fiber so everyone could feel the difference.The outcome of the day was 32 ounces of painted beauty! The kids did an amazing job. The roving is now set, dry, and ready to be turned into yarn.

Over the next few days, I plan to spin all of this up into yarn.

Once all of this is turned into yarn, I will post more pictures, so stay tuned. The yarn will be listed in my Etsy shop, if you are interested in purchasing any of it. It will be at a discounted price, compared to my usual yarn.

Since I ended up with much more painted wool than I thought, I may even knit a few scarves with it and list those as well. For those of you who may not knit or crochet but would love to have something out of the yarn.

ArtsFest 2009 was a blast! Thank you so much for all of you who came out and played with fiber. You totally made my day! ♥

Must Indulge in Fiber Addictions

2009-10-14T20:14:00.006-05:00

You know addiction is a such a hard thing to live with. The constant cravings and sudden urges. The impulses and the restrictions. The diets and binges. You know what I mean, sometime or another you have had an addiction.

The addiction I want to address today is not an illegal one, nor an eating, or drinking one, but my addiction, my drug of choice, is spinning fiber. Any kind of fiber! Wool, preferably Merino, but I'll settle with Blue Faced Leicester or Corriedale. Alpaca, oh yes please. Mohair is fantastic, Kid Mohair is even better. Angora, please I'll have an overdose. I can't even type Cashmere, oh cashmere!

You get the idea. Maybe you too are like me. Maybe you have a fiber addiction. Maybe you don't want to admit you have a problem. Well, sweetheart, in my world you don't have to! I am a Yarnaholic turned down the path of Fiberholism. Really, I don't want to quit and I'm not going to. No amounts of intervention will help.

So, when I saw this fiber from WoolyHands on Etsy, I could not resist. It is hand carded for crying out loud.

Before I knew what was happening, I had it in my shopping cart, hit purchase now and was typing in my PayPal password. Regrets, um never!!! The upside of this addiction, well the outcome is absolutely divine. May I introduce to you Reflections (of a Fiberaholic):

Yes I may be an addict and no there is no help for me. But for you, my dear Yarnaholic friend, there is an enormous amount of help (with your cravings that is). See, I am also an enabler. This yarn will soon be for sale on my newly renovated and reopened Etsy shop, TheTwistedPurl, no other name will do!
Hi, my name is Cyndi, and I am a Fiberaholic. What's your addiction?

Handspun Yarn in HD

2009-09-30T11:28:00.006-05:00

I now see yarn in HD. Before all my yarn was flat and although there were those "that's pretty" moments...I now see in full definition. This morning, playing around on my wheel I made this:It's the type of yarn I thought I had to purchase pre-made. It's almost like a boucle, but not. Thick and thin and loops and a dream come true!

There have been three definite "Ah Ha" moments of clarity in my life. Once was when I got glasses for the first time and miraculously saw all the leaves on all the trees. That was fantastic! The next was when we purchased our 52" HD TV and again I saw all the leaves on the tree. This is my fiber artist "Ah Ha" moment. I can make the kind of yarn I never dreamed possible. I see the leaves!

Yes, so I may be being a bit dramatic...but do you expect any less??? I mean really! Come on now...I started with this:Some good old fashion wool. Soft, luscious, but not exactly something you can put on to keep you warm. Then I took my spinning wheel and filled a bobbin full of of spun yarn. Then I took some organic bamboo and cotton thread and plied it together. Honestly, I love this yarn like a newborn child. I can see hats and scarfs and sweaters. Where are my knitting needles???

~*~

In other fiber related news...I made some other yummy yarn. I have been playing around with my hand carders and made some batts out of alpaca, silk, angora, and multiple bits of left over painted wool. I spun that up and adored it's depth and ever changing colors. Then, with the help of my 12 year old son, we strung hundreds of beads onto some thread. Then plied the two together.The end result is not short of fantastic.And just in case there hasn't been enough eye candy for you fiber fanatics out there then feast your eyes on this! The other night, at a football game the sun was setting in the most spectacular array of colors. So I had to spin it up:

Is the Rain Washing Away your Vibrant Color Yarn Mood?

2009-09-22T11:44:00.007-05:00

Rain has been flooding us out here! It seems like the gray days has put me behind in everything. You'd think with the lack of color outside I'd be spreading good cheer and brightness with some vibrant new yarns. Not so...look at my newest creation made straight from my drop spindle:

It may be gray, but it sure is pretty! It is tencil and merino. It has that lovely shimmer that the camera never captures correctly.

This new yarn has a dab of color. It's 100% Merino and super soft. The colors are white, purple, and green. All looking rather washed out, as the weather has made us all feel!I am SOOOO ready for some football! New team for my oldest this year. He is now playing for our middle school team. Woohoo! His first game was last Saturday and we won. Oh yeah! Nice way to start off the season.

It has been quite awhile since I posted anything to the blog. Things here were crazy getting the kids ready for school. Of course there was the maddening boredom that encompasses the kids at the end of the summer. But now I am free! My youngest started Kindergarten and I am free to create and dye and spin all day long. I sure do miss my little helper, but you know...maybe now I'm not in so much danger for being fined for child labor laws. ;)

Talking about missing vibrant colors...well let's not talk about that anymore! This is what is on the spinning wheel as I type. It's literally calling my name in the next room to hurry up and get it finished. It will not be plied. I'm spinning it really thick. So it will be gorgeous when it's done. Lastly, you know how I said I've been behind...well here is this month's Fiber of the Month (for those in the spinning club). I worked up a bit of it, just for fun on my drop spindle.

With the markets winding down for the year, I plan on opening up my Etsy shop once again. Once I get some things posted I'll be sure to share!

OK, on a totally bizarre, and non-fiber related subject. This thing is too weird. It is a Wampus Cat. It is our town's high school mascot. I know, odd.

More to come, super soon! I won't take as long for another update next time....really. ♥

Conway's Farmers Market & New Roving

2009-08-05T14:05:00.003-05:00

Monday's Manic Dye Day produced five new batches of roving. Here are the new colors:

Green Blue Pink White

Red & Purplish Brown

Lots of Pastel Colors with Gray

Lavender and White

Royal Court

This last roving is the August Roving of the Month Subscription. The freebie for the Roving Club was a cute pin made by HotButtons.etsy.com. The pin says "Does this Roving make me look fat?"

Conway's Farmers Market move is going quite well. Tuesday, tons came out and shopped. I had the boys with me, which is always a bit challenging, but entertaining. They took turns grabbing the camera and entertaining themselves by snapping shots of the market in action.

That's me! Enjoying the breeze and meeting new people.

Below is a partial picture of our booth set up.

Lastly, a great shot Brady got of Austin sitting in the chair behind the table. It give a great overview of the table setup.

All in all, Conway's Farmers Market is a blast! I have made some wonderful new contacts, including Martha Rojo, who owns Alpaca and German Angora Rabbits. She came by our Yarn-Aholics group last night and brought me a sampling of her Angora. I have been in fiber heaven ever since! The fiber is silky and soft, just like touching a cloud. It spins up beautifully. I am very excited to be able to have found a local supplier of fiber. With that being said, keep your eyes open for our new line of Angora Handspun Yarns and Alpaca Handspun Yarns...your fingers will thank you. ♥

Hand Painted Wool Roving Process

2009-08-03T15:37:00.005-05:00

Today was a manic Monday dye day! I managed to produce 2 and a half pounds of painted fiber, all 80's grade Merino Wool. Here is a quick glimpse of the new colors...remember they are wet, so the colors will look a bit different next time I show them off.

With the Roving of The Month Club shipping out soon and all these Market showings we've been doing, I really need to schedule repeated Manic Monday Dye Days.

Some have asked a bit about the process of dying wool roving. Here's a few pics I snapped today during the process just to show off.

First the wool has to soak for about thirty minutes in a water and acid solution (acid as in vinegar or citric acid). I use citric acid, just because I am not a huge vinegar smell fan. The smell of wet wool is something else. Some say they hate it, me personally, I love it...but I am a bit of a weird duck.

After the thirty minutes, the wool blossoms and is ready to take the dye. I use many different dying techniques. Depending on how I want the end product to come out. In this example, I laid out the roving and painted the sections in bulk.

This one will be a red and a brownish purple when it's all said and done. In the above picture, the wet wool is laid out on some plastic wrap. The dye was painted onto each section using foam brushes. Once one side is finished, I flip the entire thing and then paint the other side to ensure full dye coverage.

The next step is steaming the wool. This sets in the dye. Now, I personally use the steam method, because when I took my class from the company I buy my dye from they were very insistent that steaming to set the color is the only method anyone should use. Other methods, including microwaving the wool, does not produce longest lasting life of the color you are setting. You can set the dye using different methods, but my color is always set using steam. I want the end product to be the very best quality and I want your creations to last for generations to come. So enough ranting...here's a steamy pic of the roving soaking up the dye:

The wool has to steam for around 30 minutes and then it is ready to be carefully rinsed (you don't want to felt your new painted roving) and then hung out to dry...see the very first picture.

Along with all the wool I painted today, I also painted 10 new silk scarves. I just recently ordered some new silk to paint, they were a bit smaller than I originally planned, but they are perfect hair ties. I painted a bunch purple, for the University of Central Arkansas's school color. UCA BEARS! I figure they will be cute to tie in your hair to head out to football games. Man I wish football would hurry up and start!

So, that's it for today! Tomorrow we will be in downtown Conway at the Farmers Market. Come see us and check out the new hair ties and new fiber. ♥

Fiber Combination to Die For

2009-07-31T14:58:00.005-05:00

I have always loved boucle yarn. A boucle is the style yarn that has the little loops in it. The first hand painted yarn I ever saw was a boucle and it has been close to my heart ever since. Painfully so, to spin a boucle is just not going to happen. Leaving each little loop out would take ages to do. Digging around in my fiber closet, I realized I had some boucle left that was not dyed. I took a single ply handspun yarn and then spun it together with the boucle. Here's a picture of it. Yum!

For those of you who have visited us at the different markets and shows this is nothing new to you, but here's a picture of a few Hand Felted Soap we sell. Next time I have one with a design, I'll be sure to take a pic before it sells.

In digging through the same fiber closet...I found some Kid Mohair and some Angora fiber. The two alone are both divine. But I started thinking...what if I combine the two. Can you say heaven??? Oh my! This fiber combination is to die for. Really, I may have to keep it in a safe cause people will be breaking down the doors for it. Once I get some spun up, I'll be sure to show it off. Just wish there was a way to let you feel it....hum, wonder if Bill Gates is working on a touch through the net program.

We have a new Patchwork Quilt Spun Yarn:

Here's what's on the drying rack all ready for our debut appearance at the newly relocated Conway's Downtown Farmers Market. That's tomorrow, by the way!

And lastly, non-fiber related news...I have to give a shout out to the Birthday Boy! Austin turned 7 on Wednesday! We had a blast going and seeing G-Force in 3-D and are having a big party for him on Sunday.

Gotta love that goofy boy! Have a wonderful week and as always happy crafting!!! ♥

Blogging Women!

2009-07-22T11:21:00.005-05:00

I'm pleased to announce my little blog is being listed on the amazing Blogging Women website. Woooohoooo!

We have been making a few interesting items lately. I'll post some pictures tomorrow and show off a few new things.

It's Summer and We're Everywhere

2009-07-12T16:13:00.007-05:00

Summertime brings warm memories of watermelons, fun hot nights with good friends and good times. Here is some watermelon roving soon to be spun into a summertime fun yarn.

I have been busy, busy, busy! Each Tuesday, I have been setting up at The River Market's Farmer's Market, in Little Rock. Be sure to look for our booth. The Market is open from 7:00 AM to around 2:00 PM. Stop by and see all the new yarn and other fiber creations including the ever popular felted soap.

Every Saturday, I am at the brand new Argenta Farmer's Market and Art and Crafts Market. It is located in the heart of North Little Rock's Argenta area. The Market is right on Main street and is right on the trolley path. Just look for the tracks and it will lead you right to the market.

Here are a few pics of new yarn:

Sunflower

Groovin'

Here's some of the new yarn laid out to dry:

Last Saturday, at the Argenta Market, a really nice man stopped by the booth and snapped an amazing shot of my wheel in action:

This was one of the daily photos for a really cool blog called 365Argenta be sure to check it out when you get a chance.

Lastly, Sunday's through Tuesday, some yarn is still listed on Conway's Locally Grown. The market is online and you pick up your purchases in Conway, Arkansas.

In facebook news...we have a Brand New Fan Page set up. Be sure to check it out and become a fan.

Argenta Farmer's Market

2009-06-23T07:56:00.002-05:00

North Little Rock has a brand new Farmer's Market, it's in the area known as Argenta. I'm very excited about this market. It is all organic and all handmade. So, if you are in the market for some high quality fruits, veggies, and items, this is the market for you.

I'm going to give it a try this Saturday. The Twisted Purl will have a booth, full of handspun yarns, painted yarns, felted soap, painted silk scarves, and a few other items.

I previously went to The River Market in Little Rock and had a blast. But, you have to show up around 4 am to get a good spot. Yup, that means leave Conway around 3:00 am. That makes for a crazy long day!

As I mentioned before...if you stop by the booth and let me know you've read my blog, I'll give you a freebie. Hope to see you there. And hopefully there will be a bit of a breeze. ♥

June's Handspun Yarn of the Month Club

2009-06-19T10:32:00.003-05:00

June is moving by so quickly! I was rather shocked to realize it was already time to prepare and ship out the yarn of the month. Here is a quick pic of "Cosmopolitan" yarn that went out to those in the Club. The yarn itself has some lovely light brown, pink and cream...although in this pic the brown did not turn out. The freebie was a purse handle. Just so you know, there are a couple more spots in the club if anyone is still interest. Please click here if you'd like to learn more.

We just got back from Vermont and my sister is now married!!! Yippeee! We had a blast. The wedding was on my mom property in Vermont. They have been restore their beautiful home for the last few years. The land is perfect for a wedding. The wedding was breath taking and my sister was gorgeous! And I have a new brother-in-law, whom I adore!

I celebrated my birthday in style this year. Lucky me, it happened while I was still in Vermont so I got to hit up my favorite restaurant and brewery, The Shed, in Stowe.

My youngest son gave me this adorable wildflower for my happy day. While in Stowe, I had to stop in on my other favorite place, Stowe Yarn and Fabric. The yarn shop is what I fondly refer to as the birthplace of The Twisted Purl. To my astonishment the owner remembered me. I was thrilled! It was a good birthday!

While in Vermont, we saw a moose.

Well, that was a super cute one. But we actually saw a real live moose on the side of the road! Some people live in Vermont their whole entire lives and never see a moose...we saw one. Unfortunately, I had left my camera at my mom's. I did have her camera...but I'm still waiting for her to find her camera cord so she can upload the pics into her computer. It may be awhile.

It was a wonderful vacation and a we saw this above gorgeous sight on the way home. Makes me want a farm so bad. Not a crazy, huge farm. Just a nice little fiber farm. Someday.

In fiber news, I will be at the Argenta Market the following Saturday, June 27, 2009. The Argenta Market is a new Farmer's Market in North Little Rock. The market is only for organic and 100% handmade items. The boys and I checked it out today and it looks like it will be fun to give it a try. Stop by and let me know you read my blog and I will give you a freebie!

Conway Locally Grown is going well also. It opens every Sunday, so if you are in the area, The Twisted Purl yarn can also be purchased through the market and picked up on Fridays in Conway.

If you have any questions, shoot me an email! Otherwise, enjoy the summer days and happy crafting! ♥

The Winner of The Twisted Purl Americana Giveaway is

2009-05-29T06:37:00.002-05:00

I used Random.org to generate a winner number. And the winner is...drum roll please:

Number 32!!!

Congratulations to Ken who is giving the Americana Yarn to his sister. So congrats to Ken's sister!

" Ken said...
My sister would love this. Please accept my entry. Thank you.
May 24, 2009 3:41 PM"

Thank you so much to everyone who entered in the contest. Hope you all have a wonderful summer! Americana Handspun is a yarn I normally carry in my shop, if any of you are interested in purchasing the yarn. Due to it being handspun, a very small amount is listed at a time and it does go really fast.

On a personal note, we are leaving to head to Vermont for a family wedding. I am taking my laptop and will be checking emails frequently, but if I take a little longer than normal to respond, know I am in the middle of wedding fun. ♥

Handspun Americana Yarn Giveaway

2009-05-20T11:37:00.010-05:00

The Twisted Purl is located in Conway, Arkansas. Recently, our town has received nationwide attention. Maybe a few of you watch a little show called American Idol? Kris Allen is from our hometown and he won American Idol last night. Woooohooooo!In honor of our Hometown Idol and in celebration of our Online Shop Grand Opening we are having a Handspun Yarn Giveaway...red, white, and blue just for you. This yarn is one of my most popular colorways, Americana. What better way to celebrate Kris Allen being the American Idol than with Handspun Americana. It's all American, and all free!

How to enter? Super simple! Just post a comment here on this post and you will be entered to win. I will close the giveaway on May 28th at 8:00 PM Central Time. I will use a random number generator to pick the winner.

This yarn was handspun from this hand painted roving:

Special thank you to all who voted for Kris Allen. It's reported 38 million votes came out of Arkansas on Tuesday night. Shesh! Now if we could only vote to make the Arkansas Razorbacks win all their football games next year.

Best of luck to all who enter this giveaway. This yarn is almost as "Kick Awesome" as Kris Allen. ♥

Pictures of Kris Allen were taken during his hometown performance in May 2009.

What's New in Stock at The Shop

2009-05-18T17:33:00.004-05:00

The Shop is stocking with new things daily! We have just opened up our Twisted Handspun Yarn of the Month Club. There are two options, a 3 month subscription for $80.00 or a 6 Month Subscription for $150, a limited amount of spaces are open and they are selling fast. You will get a subscription into The Twisted Purl's Handspun Yarn of the Month Club. Once a month, around the 15th,you will be shipped a brand new skein of handspun yarn. At least 100 yards and up to 150 yards, a $30 value each month. Included will always be a freebie. There is nothing more exciting than getting a package full of a brand new yarn made just for our exclusive club members.

In Fiber News, one of the roving from the other day's dying session is in the shop. Americana has always been a popular colorway from back in the Etsy Days. It was one that many customers requested again and again. So here it is...in stock and the shop will continue to produce and carry this colorway. Some of the roving was handspun and I will show off what it looks like in the next post.

Take a peek: Americana 4 ounces for $15

Also, due to several emails in regards to natural wool. I have added a natural roving for any of those of you out there who may what to try your hand at dyeing, spin up some natural yarn, or felt with a white fiber.

Here's our Natural Australian Wool 4 ounces for $5.00:

We don't want to discriminate against the spinners. It would be completely unfair to offer up a Handspun Yarn of the Month Club and not offer a Twisted Fiber Club as well.

Spinning Fiber of the Month Club 3 Month Subscription for $40.00; 6 Month Subscription for $75.00:

You will get a subscription into The Twisted Purl's Spinning Fiber of the Month Club. Once a month, around the 1st, you will be shipped a brand new, freshly dyed/painted batch of beautiful roving. At least 4 ounces of merino 80's grade roving, a $15 value each month. Included will always be a freebie.

Lastly, in our Crafting Accessories and Bags Section we have added awesome bags handmade by Debbie Ayres of FrontPorchCrafts. These Crafting Little Ditty Bags are the perfect carry all. I never leave home without this one here, fully stocked of all the projects I most likely won't finish.

They are $18.00 each, well made and worth every penny!

They work wonderfully for spinning as well. I throw my fiber in the bag and throw it on my wrist and spin right out of it.

Next week we will be having a giveaway. So stay tuned for more details. You can always sign up for our Newsletter to get the news right to your email.

Big Big BIG News

2009-05-13T14:44:00.005-05:00

The Twisted Purl finally has an online shop. It is very slowly stocking. All the yarns listed are a one time yarn, so if you see something you want, you better grab it. Also, be sure to sign up for The Twisted Purl Newsletter to stay up to date with special savings and discounts.

Go to THE TWISTED PURL SHOP!

In Dye News:

Today I painted a few batches of roving. It has been ages and ages since I have dyed roving. But today was the day. With a bit of poking and prodding from a friend. I actually got dying again.

Mostly Green with a touch of Orange and Yellow Roving:
Classic Twisted Purl Americana Roving:

This N That (a combination of a ton of different colors):
Pink, Magenta, and Soft Brown:

These will be spun up in the next few days and then added to the online store. So keep an eye out!

Trunk Show Pics and Conway Locally Grown is Open

2009-05-11T07:24:00.003-05:00

Last week we went to Theodore Jones for a trunk show. I snapped a few pictures, but they really didn't turn out so well. Must be the school room lighting.

The Market at Conway Locally Grown is back open. It's that time of year where the market officially opens every Sunday at 8:00 PM and stays open until Tuesday at 8:00 PM. Here are two new yarns listed for this week:

"Marble Spun" Fiber: Blue Faced Leicester, Merino Wool,and Tencel Blend. Handspun & Hand Painted Approx. 65 yards of Bulky Weight Yarn "Marble Spun" is a three ply handspun yarn with very soft shades of tan, white, purple, and a touch of green. The over all look appears to be marbled. One of the plies is tencel which give the yarn a hint of shine. Handspun yarn is very unique. There are parts that are slightly thicker and thinner, giving your end project an amazing quality. Three ply yarn balances itself out quite nicely. This originated from hand painted roving and was carefully spun and then plied. $28

OLD FASHION LOLLYPOP 100% Blue Faced Leicester Wool Handspun & Hand Painted Approx. 80 yards of Bulky Weight Yarn "Old Fashion Lollypop" is a three ply handspun yarn with classic colors of red, yellow, and blue. Handspun yarn is very unique. There are parts that are slightly thicker and thinner, giving your end project an amazing quality. Three ply yarn balances itself out quite nicely. This originated from hand painted roving and was carefully spun and then plied. $30

Remember, if you are in the area these yarns are available. The purchases need to be picked up on Friday late afternoon.

On a personal note, I want to say Happy Birthday to the man behind The Twisted Purl. If it wasn't for him, life would not be the same. Happy Birthday to my darling. ♥

Kris Allen Comes Home!

2009-05-09T08:22:00.004-05:00

Conway's own local hero comes home. Kris Allen from American Idol has made it to the final three. Our family has been huge fans of American Idol since season one. We were thrilled this year to see a worship leader from our church, New Life Church, in Conway, Arkansas making it on American Idol. Kris Allen made it to the final three and came home for a free concert.

When Conway gets behind something, they don't do it half way! Look at just a few of the signs from all around the town:Drew and Austin had the "Kris Allen Flu" and had to be pulled from school a bit early on Friday. I mean really, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and one that shows the kids they can do anything they set their minds to. Kris Allen is our local hero. He is an awesome role model. There was nothing in the last couple hours of school that could have taught them the lessons they learned just from seeing Kris Allen and his humility.

The kids sported their support signs. Before we were allowed close to the stage, we were informed no signs would be allowed in. The signs went back to the car. Oddly enough, moments before the concert started, the staff handed out printed signs, homemade signs, and flags for everyone to hold.

We arrived at Simon Park in downtown Conway at 1:30 PM. With our super early arrival, we secured a front row position.

When Kris Allen took the stage, he was very humble and adorable as ever. The news reported there was between 18,000 and 20, 000 people for the concert. CLICK HERE if you'd like to see more pictures from the concert.

Here are the two videos I shot from my camera of Kris Allen's Performance. First song was "Man in the Mirror":

After this performance, he sang "She Works Hard for the Money". Sorry, I did not record it, I just enjoyed it.

Last song Kris Allen shared with the crowd was "Falling Slowly"...enjoy:

All in all, the concert was phenomenal. We had a blast. At one point Austin waved at Kris Allen and he waved back. Austin squealed!

The judges choice for Kris Allen to sing on next Tuesday is "Apologize". Kris was very quiet about what his song choice will be. Watch and vote help Kris Allen's dream come true. Your votes determine who will be the next American Idol...let's make sure it's our humble, hometown hero, Kris Allen. ♥

Want to read more about Kris Allen and his Hometown Visit? Go to: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1730780/american_idol_kris_allen_performs_for.html

Austin the Bully?

2009-04-29T10:24:00.007-05:00

On May 6th, 2009 I will be at Theodore Jones Elementary School for a trunk show. The elementary school is located at 1800 Freyaldenhoven Ln in Conway, Arkansas.

Along with my yarn, there will be handmade items from Jeanetta of Splendid Design, Laurie from IsInGlass, and Chris Massingal.

Here is my very latest creation. Three semi-solid painted Blue Face Leicester Fiber spun up:
Then plied together. Normally, I only do two ply yarn, but this was too cool:

It's pictured still on the wheel, but as soon as it finishes drying from being set I will put up another picture.

~*~

On a personal note, this is just way too funny not to share. My middle son is a rock star when it comes to school. He doesn't ever get in trouble at school. Every week, his teacher sends home a
behavior report. This entire school year there has been nothing but giant smiley faces on each report.
This week, this is what I got:
Yes, that does say "Gave a boy a wedgie". After laughing really hard, wiping away the tears, and putting on my most serious face, I asked Austin what happened. He explained he gave his best friend, Ethan, a wedgie, but only because he asked for one. Otherwise he would have never done it. He swears. I explained that even if someone asks for a wedgie, it's probably best to say no.

Oh the joys of motherhood! ♥

Conway Locally Grown Market is Open

2009-04-27T06:36:00.006-05:00

The Twisted Purl has been approved to sell handmade yarn through Conway Locally Grown. The market is now open for this week and will be until 8PM on Tuesday. I have listed a few skeins of yarn including:

BLUEBERRY SURPRISE
PASSION

RAZZLEBERRY

Please check out The Twisted Purl's handmade yarn listed on Conway's Locally Grown by Clicking Here.

Conway Locally Grown will be open every other week. I will try my very best to keep the blog updated as to when the market is open. You can also register by clicking here to sign up with Conway Locally Grown. When the market is open, you will receive an email. Be sure to check out all the other locally grown goodies and remember to support your local growers, crafters, and artists. You do need to be somewhat local to use this program as well. You pick up your purchases on the Friday that the market is open.♥

It's ALIVE!

2009-04-23T09:41:00.006-05:00

The Twisted Purl has been asleep for too long. It's time to get things back into gear and wake up!

Things have been happening. Really! First off, a new Yarn-A-Holic Group was started in Conway, Arkansas. The group meets every Tuesday at The Faulkner County Library. Click Here to go to the facebook page for the group.

Here's the lowdown on the group:
"Are you crazy for crochet? Needing to knit? Spastic for spinning? Or just freaky for fiber? Have we got the support group for you. Beginning March 31, join fellow fiber addicts at the Faulkner County Library on Tuesday evenings from 5:30 to 7 p.m. All skill levels are welcomed. We want to offer a community-learning environment where those just starting out can learn from others with more experience. Bring your projects, grab a cup of our free coffee and make some new friends."

I take my spinning wheel, when we are in the larger room. If you spin, please bring some of your yarn to show off! The first night of the group I took the roving pictured below and spun it while chatting with all the great ladies.

The second night of the group, I plied the yarn and this is the final product:
I want to give a shout out to an amazing local program. It's called Conway Locally Grown. The flyer for the program can be seen here: http://conway.locallygrown.net/files/document/document/106/FLYER-1.pdf
If all goes ok, I may be selling my handmade yarn through this amazing program. If not, I will be buying some local, super fresh produce. It's always best to support your local markets and producers. More details to follow on this program and The Twisted Purl's involvement.

I have teamed up with a few other AREtsy members to do some local trunk shows. The next date will be on May the 6th. I will share more details about this in my next post.

Spring is in the Air and we are all sick

2009-03-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

Hand painted spring color sock yarns. Both on for sale on Etsy. Click here to check out the top pictured yarn. Click here to check out the bottom pictured yarn.

Things here have been slow at The Twisted Purl. We have all had a nasty virus, which makes it hard to get anything done. With spring knocking on our door, we are getting ready for the warmer months. The Dye Room has been cleaned and is ready to produce loads of yummy new colors.

Published Craft Article

2009-03-07T08:18:00.000-06:00

Quick and Easy Paper Mache Easter Egg Craft
Directions for a quick and easy Easter Paper Mache Egg craft. Easy to do with kids and with materials you have laying around the house.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1513419/quick_and_easy_paper_mache_easter_egg.html

The Day my Jack Rat Terrier Became a Rat Terrorist

2009-02-10T14:06:00.007-06:00

Warning this story contains death, nastiness, and lots of screaming.

The other night, I went out to the BBQ and opened it. To my surprise a HUGE rat had built it's nest in the top of the BBQ. I screamed and dropped the lid down. My darling husband came running out and grabbed the broom (manly man). He opened the lid and the rat flew out of the BBQ about four feet off the ground. I screamed a lot more. It ran into a water cooler we have on the back porch. After careful examination and lots of broom poking by my husband, we determined the rat had gone into the inside of the back of the cooler.

The whole time, our dog, Daisy, had been circling the water cooler and trying to sniff out the rat.

The best thing I could think to do to get the rat out was beat on the front of the cooler in hopes of scaring the rat out. I beat on it. The rat flew out. Daisy caught the rat mid air and dropped it on the ground. I screamed. The rat ran right at me. I screamed more. My husband stood there holding the broom. Daisy pounced and grabbed the rat and ran into the yard with it, throwing it in the air and shaking it vigorously. Needless to say...the rat did not survive. But to be sure, my husband ran and got a shovel (manly man) and went to check out the status of the rat. It would no longer be frequenting the BBQ on our back porch. My husband used the shovel to carefully place the rat in a plastic bag and took it to it's final resting place in our trashcan.

That's how my dog, the Jack Russell-Rat Terrier mix, became a Rat Terrorist.

DAISY the RAT TERRORIST

Back on Etsy

2009-02-06T12:08:00.003-06:00

After a crazy long break from Etsy, I'm back! I posted 12 items this morning and have a stash of about 20 more handmade yarns I plan on listing over the weekend. CHECK IT OUT The above yarn is some funky fun yarn painted on some cool novelity stuff.

I have a couple Valentine's Day yarns listed. A Boucle:
And some sock yarn:
I also have a few handspun listed, but not as many as I will have over the next couple days. I will keep you posted when new items are listed. Until then, as always, happy crafting ♥

To Suck a Toad or Not

2009-02-05T11:46:00.006-06:00

No, I'm not talking about some crazy hallucination trip that you may have seen something about on the Discovery Channel. For my dear friends in California, and other places who may be thinking I have finally fallen off the rocker...Toad Suck Daze is a festival here in Conway, Arkansas. Last year I was a vendor and sold a lot of handspun yarn and hand painted yarn and roving. The event was quite profitable and a ton of fun. I met a lot of fiber friends and enjoyed every unique person I got the chance to chat with. BUT it was a lot of work. Many, many hours of painting went into the event.

This cute little toad is for sale on Etsy by Bubbletime. Check it out by CLICKING HERE.

So now I sit and ponder, should I do Toad Suck or not? More than anything, I love being in public showing off the dying art of spinning yarn. But again, it's so much work. It'll be right before my sister's wedding too.

If I do it this time, there will be a lot less painted yarn. Much more handspun yarn. And some finished projects for sale as well. Hummmm.....

The above adorable toad pin will be selling quick. It's on sale for only $5 on Etsy by AppleNoggin. To check it out CLICK HERE.

I have a few more days to make up my mind. With things finally getting back on track in our lives here, maybe this would be a great way to catapult The Twisted Purl back into the craft scene. Plus I do have well over 100 pounds of fiber to paint and spin. What do you think? ♥

Feeling a little Crafty?

2009-02-04T08:21:00.003-06:00

So, now that football season is over....what's a girl to do? Best to get crafty again. I have been on a sock craze, fueled by my boys begging for pairs. It all started with a loom experiment that ended is socks big enough for Shaq to wear. Thankfully, they were wool, so I threw them in the washer and dryer and ended up with the perfect size pair of socks for Drew. He has actually worn them out now. But he was the only one in the family to proudly wear Minister Made Socks. My dear Austin has been insisting I make him a pair. I started them and he kept asking if I was finished yet. So, yes, I sat and knit like a mad women and busted out these socks:

It only took me about a day. Hey, who knew kids socks could be so fast? I used a really simple pattern from LionBrand Yarn.

So those wear so dang easy and quick. Brady's pair are already on the needles:

I really like the striping on them. Of course Brady was very excited to pick out the yarn from my stash.

On to more important things, like spinning :) I have made a couple new yarns, that I must share, they are handspun.

Lastly, and most exciting for me is my new hat! Every morning when I take the kiddos to school I have been so cold and I have wanted a styling new hat to cover up my lovely bed head hair. So I found another pattern from the Lionbrand Yarn website (it's been a favorite of mine lately). It looks a bit more like a cabled hat then a lace hat, due to the yarn...which was Mongolian Cashmere (insert drool here).

Really, if only the internet had feel-a-vision technology, you would just really be in love with this hat. Well, I am...it's on my head as I type.

Keep yourselves warm and happy crafting ♥

Happy 2009!

2009-01-02T12:09:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year to everyone! We have many new plans on bringing new yarns and other creations into existence this year. As always, the blog will be updated with all the new creations.

This month, I plan on diving back into the yarn business. I have been in my cave long enough. Ha!

Keep your eyes open for loads of new handspun yarns and even a hand knit scarf here and there. The Etsy Shop, will be restocked and I am debating doing Toad Suck Daze again this year.

Yay for the new year and all the new days ahead! ♥

My Kids are BAD!

2008-12-24T09:45:00.006-06:00

The big joke in our family has always been when you take the first letter of each of our boys names and put them together they spell "BAD". My step-mom thought it would be funny to make them shirts and take a picture beside her Christmas tree this year. She then submitted it to our local utility company website page and low and behold:

If you want to see it live, go fast to http://www.conwaycorp.com/ and check them out.

From my family to yours, I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! ♥

Finished a BOOK!

2008-12-19T13:07:00.002-06:00

I know, I know! It's insane...I finished a blanket AND a book. The last book I finished was the third book of Harry Potter, way way way back in the day when they released the forth Harry Potter. I am a strange sort, I hate cliff hangers so...when the Harry Potter series was still being released, I would not read the second book until the third book was released, then I waited to finish the third book for the forth, and so on....but, I got to the fourth book and stopped.

Needless to say, the Harry Potter series is STILL on my list of things to finish, and surprisingly enough, I am still oblivious to the end of the series. If you know, don't spill the beans around me!

To ease myself back into the world, and I guess to help me with my lack of finishing syndrome...an old favorite novel kept creeping into mind. Watchers by Dean Koontz. I remembered reading the book when I was in high school and loved it. My sweet dog, has brought me such comfort as of late, it made me start thinking about the brilliant, genetically engineered dog, Einstein.

A brief mention to my wonderful dad about the urge to read the book again got him sifting through his large inventory of books. He could not find Watchers, so he actually ran out to a used book store and bought the book and brought it to my house. Like I said, he's a wonderful man!

Maybe it was the guilt he went to so much trouble to actually get the book in my hands that drove me to sit down for the first couple pages, but like a knitter fascinated with every skein of yarn they can get their hands on I was soon hooked. I actually finished the book today. Only took me a couple days...in between knitting last minute Christmas gift fits (which I actually finished a couple!).

So, hum....now, where's that darn Harry Potter book?

Fallen

2008-12-17T13:08:00.002-06:00

OK, so you may think I have fallen off the face of the earth. It's someone true. Things in life tend to take you by surprise and that about sums up the year of 2008 for me.

You know how when you think you know a person, you know the way they think, the way they act, you even know their very heart. When the world itself tends to revolve around the very fact that this person is this way. Then, you find out that person is not that way, and they do something so shocking it knocks your world out of orbit and you spiral into the realm of the unknown. Well, that is what has happened in my world. Sound overly dramatic? Well, hello??? What else would you expect from me?

Trust is such a hard thing to rebuild. Once it has been shattered, what do you do? I have been trying to rebuild the lace threads of trust in my relationship. It is darn near impossible. I have a bolt of fine alpaca lace weight (fingering weight) yarn that is crazy cool. It is so very fine and yummy to touch, the problem is, it's so fine, to put it into a skein to paint is a nightmare! Every time I go to put it on my swift it breaks. It is so delicate, it is ridiculous.

This is how I feel like trust is. My trust has been broken, repeatedly! So, now, just like that fine cone of yummy yarn, my trust sits in a cabinet for me to admire, but not to release. It stays bound up and completely useless for the world.

To start to rebuild trust, like that yarn, I have to let a tiny bit out at a time and then watch the skein grow. Slowly, and hopefully soon, the trust will rebuild into a beautiful skein ready to paint and show to the world. But for now, it goes to slowly to share. So, I sit, and do not blog, and do not paint yarn, and do not spin yarn, and do nothing. Bleh...I am pretty tired of doing nothing. It's about time I dive back into my work, it could be the very thing that helps get my world back on orbit.

Trust Life 3, 4x4 original collage print, ready to hang....for sale on ETSY by
alteredgirl. CLICK HERE to check it out.

Until my next post...which better be soon!!! Happy crafting! ♥

Working myself to Death

2008-10-17T10:38:00.002-05:00

Last Halloween, this lovely skeleton was hanging up in my husband's office. This year I can relate to this so much!

I have taken on a second job, doing in bound sales calls from home for an awesome company. This job has really taken over all my spare time. I have been working anywhere from 20 hours to 30 hours a week. Let me tell you that doesn't leave much time for spinning and painting yarn!

But, guess what? I finished my blanket! I know, I know...I actually finished a blanket. It's a miracle.

Drew's football games are starting to come to an end. It doesn't look like his team will make the playoffs. Darn it! Also, on the football news, most of you know what a die hard Razorback fan I am. I scored some pretty amazing tickets from a person my sister works with for the November 1st game! Yay! I can not wait!

Hope you are having a wonderful month and enjoying the fall weather. Happy crafting!

VOTE VOTE VOTE

2008-10-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

With the elections right around the corner, I am sure you are all as tired of these words as I am. Yes, the elections are important, don't get me wrong. I am just so tired of hearing about voting.

But, this is a bit different. Guess what I am going to do.....YES, ask you to vote! But, not for our country...for a small country farm. Many times I have talked about Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm. You know how near and dear this farm is to my heart. I have been a share holder for over a year, and as long as Susan has it in her to offer the shares, I will continue to stay involved.

This is where I need you. The farm has been nominated to win a $5000 technical makeover. This is an amazing opportunity. With this money, Susan plans on using the money to update her computer and to set up a webcam system. She already does an amazing job of keeping us involved in her farm, but with the cameras, we can take a peek at the lambs anytime. Plus she plans on putting a camera in the lambing barn, so when the little ones are born, we can all take part in the joy.

So, here comes the request...please go VOTE! It is super simple. You do not have to register to vote or anything. All you have to do is click the "like it" tab, that's it. She only needs about 400 votes to win and it goes until tomorrow night. When I started writing this blog she was at 1,152 votes.

Please CLICK HERE to vote.

Here is a video of Susan talking about her farm and showing off all the animals. There is also a birthing moment on the video, just wanted to warn you, if you are a bit squeamish.

Also, please, please, please pass this on! The voting closes tomorrow and it would just be awesome to see her win. Thank you so much! ♥

By the way, when I finished writing this, the vote count was already at 1,172! Go Go Go!

Pamper Me Please

2008-10-05T12:33:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last couple weeks. I could give you loads of excuses...I started a new job, I was in a deep depression over the Razorback-Alabama loss, followed by a Texas loss, and then topped off with a Florida spanking. Poor Hogs. Actually the list could go on and on...but I will spare you. With all this going on, I have been thinking about spoiling myself a bit with some pampering. Doing a search of The AREtsy Team items through Etsy (click here to search AREtsy) I noticed this really cool shop.

Today I want to focus on this seller on Etsy. Actually a husband/wife team. Melissa and Dave opened up their Etsy Shop PamperMePlease in February of 2008.

All of these yummy creations are actually bath and body products "Made just to Spoil you" Body washes and scrubs and tons of other items just to Pamper and Spoil the diva in all of us. They also offer some awesome cards, stuffed animals, and cute handmade gift boxes. I also love the baby shower items and gifts.

Check out their Etsy Profile to see the long list of sensation scents they offer.

Also, be sure to head on over to their BLOG to enter in to win some handmade soap and keep up to date on all their newest creations. Thanks Melissa and Dave for offering these awesome pampering creations in such a cool and unique way. I look forward to indulging in your products.

Go Hogs Go!

2008-09-19T11:50:00.004-05:00

Although, knowingly writing this post, I may have to eat my words to my dear friend's husband...I still must write on. I am a DIE HARD Razorback Fan. It's true. I am a knitter, spinner, and a huge football fan. These three things go together quite nicely in my world. Being the mother of three boys, I best like sports or I will be bored for many years to come. (below is a picture of a boars head on my dad's game room wall)

This weekend, Arkansas plays Alabama. All of my family is from Arkansas and we moved here about a year and a half ago. I have always dressed my boys in Razorback gear, and raised them the right way. Arkansas Razorback fans are amazing. Most states have numerous teams to get behind and Arkansas only has one team that is nationally known, so the whole state is behind them.
I attended the University of Arkansas and it will always be extremely near and dear to my heart. My friend, Jeanetta's husband, Ben, is a die hard Alabama fan. I am one of those who yell and scream and pace and curse (a lot) and tend to have too many beers during a game. How nice to find out, so does Ben! Which is loads of fun to be together during game time, but not this Saturday. I want to continue to be friends with him, therefore, he is not allowed in my home during the game and I will not be answering my phone when I see him on the caller ID.

I will maintain the higher ground and not rub it in too badly, if the wins comes our way, maybe just in a passive aggressive way, as Jeanetta describes in her blog about this same subject.

Dear Ben! Yes, yes, Alabama may have more national titles but Arkansas has it's bragging rights. We now have three rookie starters in the NFL from just last year. Our own Casey Dick has back to back 300 yard games.

The Razorbacks have home field advantage, which has proven itself successful the last two times with us beating Alabama at home. We call those hogs loud!

Don't be too confident...Arkansas has proven itself to be a strong second half team. Out of the 16 SEC meetings between the teams, 7 of them have come down to the final score of the game. 5 times that winning score actually happened on the last snap of the game. Two of the games have gone into double overtime. Needless to say, this should be a very dramatic and exciting game. Did you know, even your own senior center, Caldwell was quoted saying "It usually takes more than a day or two to recover from an Arkansas game."

As always, positive outlooks bring positive outcomes, so I will continue to say "Go HOGS Go!" until the final snap and the clocked ticks zero. Good luck to all you Alabama fans!

Still Knitting

2008-09-17T09:20:00.001-05:00

I had to take a picture. I knew you wouldn't believe it unless you saw it. Here, look:

This is the blanket I started last week. Yes, last week. It's hard to tell from this picture, but it is actually as tall as me already.

There, for a bit of perspective, I put one of my shoes on top of the blanket. Really, I know, you're shocked. I have one more skein of yarn to go and then I will be casting off my first blanket. Finishing my first blanket! Not a scarf, or a wash cloth, or a hat, but a blanket. Come on, that's commitment.

New listed items are in my Etsy Shop too. It's like I am actually becoming a responsible person again. Believe me, the storms of my life have not calmed entirely, and most likely will not for a long time, but the winds are slowing enough for me to get a few things done. Yay!

OK...so, I am queen of really lame jokes. So here goes...What's black and white and red all over?

CLICK HERE

Have a wonderful day!

Handspun Sunny Day

2008-09-16T11:29:00.001-05:00

The sun is shining and it is a gorgeous day. I got out with my camera and snapped some shots of my most recent handspun yarn.

The above yarn was a blended colored roving. The variations on this is fantastic. You will find gray, brown, blue, and green. Knitting with this yarn will be a pleasure for sure.

Mud and Moss is the name of this below yarn. A blend of merino and tencel to make a super soft and silk like appearance. Yum.

Above is a red and black spun yarn. Not my Red Door Painted Black yarn....but it's coming.

Below is my Snow Owl. It's strips of two different fabrics. One fleece and the other was a green dress. Spun up it looks like a snow owl sitting in a tree.

Now, I have the pictures, I best get off my butt and get some of this listed on Etsy. Have a great day!

Save the Bonobos...Save the World

2008-09-12T15:50:00.001-05:00

Totally non-fiber related, but still a good cause, and you could win a sweet sounding book.

Check out Susan's Blog:

Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm: Save the Bonobos! Book Giveaway

After doing a little wikipedia research on the Bonobos, just for my own curiosity, I found out they are dirty little monkeys, in a really funny way. They certainly are loving little critters. I'm not saying anymore, you can just do the research for yourself. Go read about them & register to win a book.

Can I be a Finisher?

2008-09-11T11:27:00.002-05:00

Watching my son lay around and pondering the universe made me start thinking about my knitting universe.

Since I started spinning, I have not picked up the needles. I began to get the itch. The feel of the fiber sliding over my fingers as magically thread turns into something of value. Yup, I must knit.

I had balls of left over spun yarn from various bobbins that I had been winding and tossing into a basket. Before I knew it, the needles were back in my hands and I was knitting away all the worries of the world.

I have admitted many times to many people, I am not a finisher. I have more projects started and not finished than I would ever admit. But, I am not a finisher. That is the beauty of being a fiber artist, I can paint and spin the yarn, and you can finish the project.

When this recent knitting itch hit, I had to keep in mind my finishing problem and keep my projects simple, mindless, and timeless. I began knitting various size squares out of various weight fibers, some hand painted, some hand spun, some commercially produced (oh the horrors!). I can cast on as much as I like, knit or purl as many rows as I'd like, and then just cast off when I get bored (or when the small ball is nearing it's end). Perfect for a non-finisher!

Here are a couple pictures of different squares I have finished:

I have actually finished 14 squares/strips/rectangles. Yes, I said finished. It's a miracle. They all look really cool, and super funky when laid side by side, so whenever I have enough squares, I am going to put them all together into a blanket. There is no timeline on this project, so hopefully I finish by the time I am 50 (at least that's a long way off).

The newfound ability to finish has got me inspired to start another project. Not to discourage myself, I should start a scarf or a wash cloth right? Of course not! I have started a blanket...yes, a blanket. I don't know what my deal is with blankets, I guess it's the longing for security. Nothing is better than a soft, warm blanket.

I am knitting it on size 35 needles, in the hopes that it moves along fast enough for me to not abandon it. Here it is in it's infancy. I do love the feel of it, so here's to sticking with it to the end.

So that's what I'm working on, what about you?

The Day After The Game

2008-09-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

The football game was a bunch of fun! The Broncos B team beat the Packers, sorry David. The A teams tied. Drew didn't play as much as we would have liked, but all in all the game was a blast.

The boys were both all smiles after the game, I told them they should put on their game faces, but that picture didn't turn out so well. I don't really think either of them have learned what a game face should look like.

Lastly, there is a new member to The Twisted Purl family, no not a sheep. My new nephew:

My sister got a pure bred Golden Retriever. His name is Marley. She is only 21, so I am glad this is my first nephew!

He is absolutely adorable. I promise to keep him away from the yarn.

Later this week, I am planning a big dye day. I will be doing some of your favorites in bulk. By bulk I mean 5 pounds of each colorway. I will have some of the roving for sale on Etsy and also be spinning it and selling it as well. Planned colorways to be produced is Sanjaya, Americana, and Over the Rainbow. I'll be sure to snap a few shots of the dyeing, 5 pounds at a time will be a sight.

Now I'm Back

2008-09-03T09:15:00.001-05:00

After quite a ridiculously long break, I'm back! My Etsy Shop has new listings. The summer was long and hot and full of life changing moments, but I'm back.

The handspun yarn below, once set, will be listed on Etsy for sale. It is a blend of tencel, and merino. The shades are purples, greens, and some tans. The merino roving I painted was called Mud and Moss. The spinning of the one bobbin was done during The Great Escape. The second bobbin, was spun due to the persistence of a friend's desire to watch me spin.

Jeanetta is having an amazing giveaway on her blog, Splendid Things. She won a gorgeous handmade removable covers for composition books. She got to keep one and was asked to giveaway the other. It's a blue on blue Molly print. I would love to win it, but I bet you would too...so go over there and post a comment and you may win.

With the mention of Jeanetta, it leads me to the upcoming football game. Last night, poor Drew was out practicing in the pouring rain. Arkansas has been hit with the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav. It has really been something else. Gusts of crazy winds and big heavy rain drops.

Of course, the skies were nice and blue on Saturday's scrimmage game, where I snapped the above picture. Drew was in the game for a bit and I was introduced to football for kids in the south. Man, the parents don't mess around. It was actually a bit scary. The team we played against was twice the size of our team. I felt like the parents/thugs from the other team needed reminders that we were watching kids play a game...thankfully, I can write checks with my mouth my husband can cash. But no check cashing needed to be done...thankfully. I actually maintained myself fairly nicely, just when people are yelling at their kids to hurt other kids, your mama instincts tend to kick in.

Lastly, I will leave you with a Peacock colored Boucle. The loops are small and it would be a dream to knit up. I have been debating listing this one for a bit, I just see it being a gorgeous scarf. So it may or may not be on Etsy...but we shall see. It's silk too, yummy.

With all this crazy rain, First Thursday may be rained out. I hope not, but the forecast doesn't look too promising. I'll keep you posted.

September Calendar

2008-09-01T08:52:00.001-05:00

Happy Labor Day! Here's this months wallpaper for your computer background. This week look for lots of new fibers to be posted. Also, The Twisted Purl will be spinning during First Thursday in Little Rock's Hillcrest District. I will post the map on Wednesday. Don't labor too hard today.

Football Fever

2008-08-29T15:53:00.001-05:00

My dear friend, Jeanetta, has football fever. She knows nothing of the sport, except the ball must go to the end zone. But, her son, David, is on the Packers Football team. Her excitement is quite interesting. I am encouraged she may actually become a fan of the sport, so we shall see.

The funny thing is, my son, Drew, is also on a football team. Of course, it couldn't be The Packers, cause then, well, it just wouldn't be as interesting to write about. He's on the Broncos team. And guess who our first game is against? Of course, THE PACKERS.

September 8, 2008

Our kids did some practice take downs in the lake the other day. Of course, this was all before football training began. Who will be victorious? Who will take the other down? You will just have to stay tuned to see.

On another, non fiber related side note....it's Daisy Dog's 1st Birthday today.

Go Broncos!

The Concert, The Lake, & The Booth

2008-08-28T10:13:00.001-05:00

Quite a few weeks back, those of you with kids will remember, there was a Hannah Montana Concert in 3-D. We had the Darley's over for some Rocking Good Times.

Jeanetta thought her embroidery was much more fun in 3-D. And Phoebe rocked out.

We had one last summer outing, at the lake. It was so nice. I sat under a beautiful tree and knit while the kids made sand castles, swam, and wrestled.

Last weekend, was the Great Escape, here in Conway. It was super fun to meet a few blog readers, hanging out, and showing others the art of hand spinning yarn. Due to all that's been happening with my family, I was not as prepared as I would have liked to be for this show. Thankfully, I know a couple crafty divas who were ready to dive in, very last minute, sorry gals!

Jeanetta and Jerusalem flew in to help and fill in all the blank spots with their beautiful work. We made a great trio and hopefully will be sharing many more spaces in the future. It was awesome to be able to boast about our booth being filled with all handmade products.

That's Jerusalem there in the booth and the side of Jeanetta's head.

That's the small shot I got of my side of the booth...it really isn't a very good angle, but well, it looked just like the booth at Toad Suck Daze (a scaled down version, that is), so really nothing too new to show off.

I have agreed to do First Thursday, in Little Rock, on a regular bases, so much more will be coming about that soon. Hope everyone is happy the kids are back in school. Whoooohoooo! I know I am!

Rain or a Flood

2008-08-20T09:08:00.001-05:00

Into every life a little rain must fall. Yes, it's cliche...I know, but so true. I have been struggling with some pretty deep family issues the last few months, and have to apologize to my customers and readers for not being on the ball with the business.

Until things settle down, and my clear path is before me, I will be taking a break from my dear AREtsy group and also my Etsy shop. I hope to be able to dive fully back into my business by the beginning of October, if not sooner. Look for many more new handspun yarns and other interestingly painted fibers to be coming your way then.

The Twisted Purl will be at The Great Escape this weekend in Conway, Arkansas. After that, I must really focus on the well being on my family and really tune into God's plans for my next steps.

The Great Escape, a benefit event for the Conway Women's Shelter

Don Owens Softball Complex, Conway
August 23rd, 2008
9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.

August Calendar

2008-08-01T09:12:00.001-05:00

It's the first day of August, so here's a couple calendars you can save to your desktop as wallpaper or print out.

Wallpaper (just right click on image and chose "set as background"):

Calendar (print or can also be set as wallpaper):

We have a busy schedule this month. I am pleased to announce we will be at First Thursday, in the Hillcrest District in Little Rock on Thursday the 7th. On Saturday the 23rd, we will be at The Great Escape, located here in Conway. More details on both events coming soon.

Also, tomorrow, the 2nd, I'm hosting another AREtsy-Arkansas Etsy Street Team get together. Hope to meet lots of new artists and have a good time with some of the girls I have already had the pleasure of meeting.

My 6 Year Old Birthday Boy

2008-07-29T08:21:00.001-05:00

Austin turns six today! This picture was taken on the ferry to New York a couple weeks ago. For our birthday adventure we are going to a water park in central Arkansas. Spending the day in a water park is not exactly my idea of fun, it's the putting on the bathing suit in public thing. It's for the boy, I will keep repeating...it's for the boy.

Vermont Yarn Company

2008-07-23T08:34:00.003-05:00

In Middlebury, Vermont, located inside a beautifully restored colonial farmhouse lays the Vermont Yarn Company. This yarn shop shares the farmhouse with the Field Farm, the Foote Street Farmstand, and Sandra Lance Pottery. There is loads to see and for sure everything to delight your fiber senses and more.

The shops layout was very unique with yarn even displayed around an old fireplace. Too cool!

Why use curtains when you can use hand painted boucle?

More Cherry Tree Hill Yarn everywhere!

I did not have the pleasure of meeting the shop owner while I was there, hopefully next time. The layout of the shop was just too precious to not share. I did grab a couple bags of painted roving and a bag of super soft natural mohair. Here is a picture of one of the balls I spun into yarn, a before and after.

Sandra Lance was more than helpful and is a very unique character. She does beautiful pottery work, even makes her own glazes. I squealed when I saw this handmade glass sheep. Sandra loves to wrap up your items in gift wrap and does a fantastic job at that too.

It is a treasured addition for my sheep kitchen makeover. I'll share more of my sheep finds tomorrow. ♥

Peace

2008-07-22T16:51:00.001-05:00

In the past I have shown off some pretty interesting bags of barn yard fiber. After a trip to the Liberty Flea Market, owned by my Great Aunt and Uncle, I stumbled upon bags of old lace and bits and pieces of ribbons. These two combinations piqued my interest. With my recent voyage into the land of Art Yarns...What better combination than old rustic barnyard and vintage lace? Introducing Handspun Barnyard Lace:

After Jeanetta spotted a small skein of it, she had to crochet it up to see how it would look.

Isn't it cool? We both just adored it and agreed it would make a fantastic bracelet, or a bag, or even a necklace. Our husbands both looked at us like we were a little nuts, but you understand! We even talked about what a cool vintage embellishment it would make for crafters. It is such a cool looking yarn, it will be a nice addition to my new line of hand spun yarn.

Here's one more for my Thick N Thin Art Yarn Series. It's pink, and orange, and curly, and full of fun and wonderful twists. It will calm a bit and bulk up more as well in places once it gets set, but it's beauty will only improve. Really, I'm enjoying this yarn series so much, I see no plan of series being short lived.

My recent spinning has given me such a nice, peaceful feeling. Typically, I am pretty anal about how even my spun yarn is. Every little tiny part that's a tab bit thicker or thinner, I see a flaw and not an unique addition to the yarn. But, with my Art Yarns, my perfectionism is thrown out the window. I just let the creativity flow. The fiber can be thick or thin and locks can be left out and I'll over spin here and put in stings and lace and do whatever there. I get frustrated with life's little pains and I just put that extra spin in the yarn or just leave it bulky. Like magic, my frustration is gone and I am left with a gorgeous, unpredictable skein of yarn, as precious as a work of art. It is a very fun process and it is good for the soul. In my Art Yarn I find Peace.

I snapped this shot of the boys on one of our yarn shop trips in Vermont. Isn't it just so cool, sometimes in the insanity of it all, you find peace.

Ferry Tony

2008-07-21T09:07:00.002-05:00

The boys, Daisy, and me on our way home on the "Ferry Tony". It's really the Ferry To New York, but when a person quickly writes "take the Ferry TO NY" (with the letters T O N Y) close together, you can see how a person can easily think the ferry is called Tony.

Always good times and fun at The Shed:

Top picture: Meg and Me

Bottom Picture: Brady, Granny, and Austin

Hope you have a happy and fun crafting week. ♥

New Yarns

2008-07-20T08:18:00.002-05:00

With the recent trip to Vermont, I acquired loads of new fiber. The last trip I took, I bought up handmade yarn everywhere I went. This time, it was fiber! The best shop I found, surprisingly, was not in Vermont at all. It was Rainbow Yarns and Fibres in Germantown, Tennessee. They had a full line of spinning fibers and even had some spiffy bags of bits and pieces to spin into some art yarn from Pagewood Farm. First thing I did when I got home was spin this very unique art yarn.

It has sparkles and curls and thick and thin places and it is wonderful.

I got a couple of balls of super cool hand painted fibers from A Piece of Vermont:

I will show off what these beauties look like spun up later this week.

Two more finished yarns to show off...the green was a blended roving I purchased at Vermont Beads and Fiber, the red was from my favorite fiber farm right around the corner from my mom's, Chasworth Pottery and Farm.

These two may end up plied together for a nice Christmas Handspun.

Speaking of Chasworth Farm, I have bags full of yummy Vermont Grown Fiber. Much more yarn will be coming your way from this awesome farm. ♥

Stowe Fabric & Yarn

2008-07-19T12:37:00.002-05:00

This is the birthplace of The Twisted Purl. Nestled off the main road in Stowe, Vermont, lies a yarn shop where my vision of The Twisted Purl began.

This is Stowe Fabric & Yarn. The shop is located in this house with a lovely porch. Once inside the shop you will have the option of going right to the yarn or left to the fabric.

Do you notice the hanks of hand painted yarn hanging from the hooks? This is Cherry Tree Hill Boucle and amazingly enough, they still had a few skeins of the same colorway that enticed me on my fiber painting journey.

Back in 2006, after attending my favorite restaurant, The Shed, and having sampled some of their brewed beer, served in a "Ski" :

At this time, I was already fully immersed in my yarn addiction...I noticed a yarn shop. So, what better way to end a trip to Stowe then to go drool over some fiber. Once inside the shop my eyes landed on this wall of yarn:

I was instantly in awe and admiration of the company who made this yarn. Then I found out it was handmade. Hand Painted....what did that mean? I wondered. I went straight back to my moms and started my research. Being the yarn-a-holic I was, no yarn was enough and no color combination satisfied my urge to have it all. So, naturally, painting yarn had to be my next step. I bought a ton of natural wool fiber off of ebay. Through trail and many errors, I learned the difference between good wools and the itchy old school wools. I also learned 50 yards, although sounding like a lot, was really not much at all. I bought dye and then let it all sit in the top of my closet for a month before I built up the courage to dye my own yarn.

Once I mixed the dye and dabbed my first brush on the wool, my love affair began. The rest is history. History that must be credited to a lovely little yarn shop called Stowe Fabric & Yarn and an awe inspiring handmade yarn company called Cherry Tree Hill. ♥

Can you name this Flower?

2008-07-18T13:07:00.003-05:00

Found this one in a hotel parking lot in Nashville, TN. Anyone have any idea what it is? The center of it looks like little flowers inside a big flower. Too cool! I would love to plant these in my front flowerbed. Thanks for your help. ♥

Vermont Beads & Fibers

2008-07-18T09:40:00.006-05:00

In the lovely town of Middlebury, VT lays a jewel of a shop. Vermont Beads & Fibers has it all. I can not tell you how at home I was in this shop. My sister, Megan, loves beads. She was quite happy making bracelets while I browsed the fiber. They carry hand painted roving by Cherry Tree Hill. I had to grab a couple bags and also got some great felting fiber.

The shop had so much character. Really, you can't help but to adore it.To the right when you walked in the shop was a fantastically large spinning wheel.Megan sat down to make bracelets and I couldn't help but to grab a skein of yarn off the shelf and open up a pair of new needles just so I could sit and knit a bit. The yarn I couldn't resist was made by Laughing Tree Farm and was a delicious blend of Kid Mohair and Merino Wool. It was handspun and hand dyed. The new knitting needles were also handmade, by Lakewood Needle Company.

There was a tree of Cherry Tree Hill Boucle in the middle of a couple bead tables.

A whole wall of awesome yarn made right in Vermont. Look at all the colors!
This shop is by far a must if you are in the area. I have a couple other wonderful things to share about our trip, including the yarn shop where I first stumbled upon hand painted yarn. But for now, I'm beat. ♥

When Good Wireless Go Bad

2008-07-13T10:40:00.002-05:00

I am in Vermont! Yay! The trip was fun and I have many things to share. My wonderful fiber source here has been stashing aside white wool for me. I am coming home with six bags full! Actually six pounds of fiber. That is a lot! Think of six pounds of cotton balls. Loads of beautiful fiber will be coming from it.

On the down side, the wireless internet at my mom's is down. It is such a bummer! I am totally unable to upload any pics to show off all the fun we are having. Also, my internet time is very limited. Next post will hopefully be full of great pics. Today we are heading to the Yarn Shop in Stowe that started my journey into painted yarns and fibers. ♥

A Look Back

2008-07-08T21:21:00.004-05:00

Over the last year and a half, I have been in business and working in mass production of handmade yarn. Over the last two days, I did a massive re haul of my website. I made up several pretty cool mosaics for The Twisted Purl History page and here is one of them. A look back on the handspun yarn produced in the last six months or so. To see more of The Twisted Purl Mosaics, CLICK HERE.

Tomorrow morning, I'm going on an adventure. I am driving from Conway, Arkansas all the way to Vermont, to pick up my boys. The total driving time is 24 hours. I can't wait to see my boys!

I'm taking my computer and camera and will be sharing with you some of the wonderful things that make up The Twisted Purl History. I can't wait to share with you pictures of the yarn shop where I stumbled upon my first hank of hand painted yarn by Cherry Tree Hill.

Be sure to check out the new website design. CLICK HERE to see it. Also, I have started a gallery with pictures sent to me from crafters who have made items with The Twisted Purl yarn. If you have used my yarn and created anything, please send me a picture. I'd love to see your creations. Here's my email address for receiving images: info@thetwistedpurl.com Can't wait to see what you've made. ♥

Sappy Motherly Post

2008-07-06T20:40:00.003-05:00

I miss my boys! I didn't think it would happen. I am not one of those mothers. Don't get me wrong...I love my boys, but they are BOYS! They are wild, crazy, and into everything. I rarely get to sit down for long. The thought of actually unloading the dishwasher without having to breakup a wrestling match is just a daydream. They are loud, they fight and they can not pick up anything to save their lives. Boys!

My 11 year old step son, Drew, is with his mom, in California for the summer. It's killing me to be away from him for so very long. He has been a part of my life since he was three and growing into being his step-mom has been a long process. Now, I can proudly say, he is the son I got to choose. He lives with us full time and is a source of much joy in my life! As for Austin and Brady, my four and five year old, they are visiting their granny, my mom, in Vermont. They have only been gone a week and it has just been too long.
The weeks prior to the youngest boys leaving, I bragged to friends about how my home would be a child-free zone. The perfect solace. The vacation of all vacations. I would get so much done. Spinning, dyeing, listing on Etsy, painting my bathroom, the list could go on. My bathroom sits with half the wall paper striped, the wheel is collecting dust, the dyeing room is cluttered and in no shape for work, my poor Etsy shop has not had a new listing since May, yes MAY! So, I still sit, with my long list of to do's and all I can think to do is drive myself to Vermont and go spend sometime with my boys and my mom. Watch the cows and visit my one of my favorite fiber farms. My to do list will be here when I get back, and I am used to dealing with trying to get things done in the midst of the insanity. At least now, I may appreciate the craziness of my boys.

I plan on taking my computer, and blogging along the trip. I will share the awesome yarn shops I visit, I have a few favs that are a must for my trip. And I will be sure to show off some of the cuties I get fiber from as well. ♥

Happy Fourth of July

2008-07-04T21:25:00.003-05:00

For the Fourth of July I made a dessert. Seen it enough times in a magazine, and thought it would be fun to have. It was super easy and pretty yummy! I just took pound cake and crumbled it all along the bottom of the pan. Took some strawberries and cut them up and put some sugar on them and let them chill out in the fridge for a bit. Then after about an hour, I threw the sugared strawberries on top of the crumbled pound cake. I covered it with about a tub and a half of cool whip and then I had my fun with my stars (blue berries...fifty of course) and stripes (more strawberries). Much fun to make and it was a big hit at the party we went to. Last night the husband and I went to First Thursday in Little Rock. So much fun! I did manage to get a few fun buys. Some awesome fabric to cover a chair that needed a bit of updating. And this awesome "Splendid Design" pillow:
It looks so dang good on my couch! It had been sitting in Jerusalem and Jeanetta's shop for over a month and has been calling my name for some time. Hope you all have a wonderful fourth! ♥

Last Mango in Paris

2008-07-02T14:01:00.005-05:00

Welcome to my mess:

This is my life right now. Spinning, in the middle of knitting, notes, redesigning websites, and many To Do lists. I feel like I have so much to do, and yet feel like I have done so much. The old Jimmy Buffett song keeps running through my head:

I ate the last mango in Paris

Took the last plane out of Saigon

Took the first fast boat to China

And Jimmy there's still so much to be done

Guess I haven't done anything as exciting as these things but I did drive to Virginia on Saturday and came back on Sunday...no mangos were involved. But there were deer and a bear...and a chair:

This chair was rescued from a yard sale and was just screaming to be used in the CASA Chair auction. I will post more about it when I actually know more about it. Jeanetta just told me I had to get a chair and decorate it with yarn. So, that's what this is.
Above is the starting of the wrapping. I am doing it all in handspun yarn so I can control the feel, look and all. Here is a look at that part finished.
The pic below was the closed thing to a boat we were on, not exactly a fast one. I hopped out of it (actually a hammock in Sam's Club) to take the pic. Yes we are goofy and it's hard to take us anywhere.

So until the next post...keep following la vie dansante! ♥

The Arkasnas Forest

2008-06-27T07:49:00.002-05:00

Handspun yarn natural blends add with dyed green roving. ♥

Family Camp, Birthday, Yarn

2008-06-24T17:22:00.012-05:00

This year we went to MarVal Camp in Oklahoma. It was a pretty awesome camp ground. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants the camping experience, in a cabin, with WiFi. We went with a group from our church. Drew was baptised in the river during the weekend (YAY!). We had lots of fun fishing, participating in a Light Parade (we went crazy with glow sticks on our golf cart), and goofing around with the Hawaiian Theme. Of course, Daisy went along for the trip. She barked at loads of people, and tried to put across that "mean dog, little body" attitude. Have a look at pictures from our trip:

So, on the 11th of June, I turned 33. I can't believe I'm 33, really, for some reason I thought I was turning 34 for a good part of the week. When I was informed, by my sister, I would only be 33, it was great! I gained a year, go figure. We had an informal party at our house with some of my favorite people and some of my favorite things.

How do I love beer....let me count the ways...one. Well, there really is only one way, right? OK maybe three. My sister and Matt came home from Vermont with four jugs of beer to help celebrate my birthday. Yum, yum, yum! Beer from The Shed totally rocks!

Here's a little knitting bag, from Mama Deb. They are awfully handy to have around and would recommend them to anyone. You can find more of them in her etsy shop.

Dad and Deb have been collecting old yarn bobbins for me over the last six months and gave them to me for a birthday present. One even still had yarn attached...super cool!
OK, this is sad. For any of you who have had a look at my etsy shop, you know, I have not listed anything in quite awhile. Here is my handmade stash just waiting for me to get off my lazy bum and start listing. What am I waiting for???
And lastly, just to add some "bling" to the post...well yarn bling that is, some new handspun bulky:
Lastly, is pure barnyarn handspun. This is a blend of four different wools I recently received. Instead of carding them, I spun them straight in their natural glory. I left some of the curly locks hanging out in the open and did not even ply it. Gotta love it!
Til the next post...happy crafting! ♥

Crafty Color Predictions for Fall & Winter

2008-06-23T08:24:00.006-05:00

Recently, I was asked how I pick my colors for the skeins of yarn or roving. I find inspiration in the world around me and am inspired by words and even an occasional cartoon. There is also a bit of science behind my madness. I wanted to share the color forecast for Fall and Winter of 2008/2009. These colors are from an article written in Handwoven Magazine by Daryl Lancaster. The Mosaic below is the combination of four color schemes highlighted in the article: I adore them all together. One of the dye companies I like to use has them listed under four colorway/scheme names. The schemes are: Quiet Simplicity, Autumn Patchwork, Theatrical Fantasy, and Classic Architecture. The above Mosaic could be titled "The Architecture of Classic Simplicity in a Quiet Theatrical Autumn Patchwork Fantasy".

I see loads of yummy colorways and skeins of delicious yarn coming out of this color forecast. Hope it can help you in all your crafty planning for this upcoming Fall and Winter. ♥

Knit 2 Together

2008-06-20T08:01:00.007-05:00

On Tuesday night, Jeanetta and I made a short trip over to Russellville to attend the new yarn shop's knitting night. This is an absolute must for any yarn-aholics anywhere!

The shop is located in downtown Russellville, click here to see the map to their shop.

OK, so I have to admit, since I really started getting into the production of yarn, I have become a total yarn snob. I scoff at yarn sold at Walmart, I barely want to reach out and even touch the yarn at Hobby Lobby, and in recent excursions to certain yarn shops I rarely see anything I find worth of taking out my wallet to purchase. I feel very strongly about yarn made here in America and also even more strongly about yarn WELL created. Now you know my dark secret...I am a yarn snob. Being a snob, I only like the best, and only approve of the best.

With all that being said, Knit 2 Together is exquisite. A majority of their yarn is handmade and if it is not handmade it is well worth knitting or crocheting with. I wanted to touch everything! They had this amazing baby alpaca that I just squealed over. It was the softest, yummiest fiber ever. I had to buy some and am in the process of knitting a pillow for my couch so I can curl up with it anytime I like. They also carry some very unique handspun yarn from Ozark Handspun. I am very impressed with the two ladies who own the shop, Stephanie and Kim. They are not the typical yarn shop owners. When you walk into their store, you are made to feel welcome. They have an excellent eye for yarn and fiber and this will be a store I frequent for many years to come.

Lastly, my sheepish feeling is passing. My computer depression is lifting and I am starting to feel like getting back into the swing of things. Last night there was a silver lining in my rain cloud. Don't you just adore the picture above? It's Truman from Martha's Vineyard Fiber Farm. He is napping and enjoying the sun. This picture really sums up my sheepish feeling today. ♥

Feeling Sheepish

2008-06-19T09:51:00.003-05:00

With the computer crashing and learning all types of new software, I have to admit, I have been going through quite the computer/internet/technology depression. Hopefully, I will get back in the swing of things soon.

Here are a few of my favorite "sheepish" things from etsy:

Etsy Shops listed from top right to bottom:

1) buckscountyframes

2) GretchenKramp

3) AudreyHeffner

4) bonnesinger

5) NatureMandalas

6) lulunjay

7) BethMillner

8) vickifredricks

9) nakedtile

Thanks to all these Etsy Sellers! Be sure to check out their shops. ♥

One of Those Weeks

2008-05-30T08:19:00.002-05:00

Aghhhhhhhh!!!!

It has been one of those weeks. One of THOSE weeks, where you get out of bed and think, what the heck is going on here? Then, you just get back in bed and cover your head. The above freaky picture was taken by me, a few years back, on a trip to Wild Wilderness Drive Through Safari, located in Gentry, Arkansas. The place is a trip...it's a must if you want to really mess with your kids. Ha! It is really a must, your kids AND you will love it. It used to be a favorite trip to take with my friends when I was in college too, so there is really no age limit.

Back to this week, nothing has gone right. Not to bore you with tons of details, but simply, everything I have attempted to do online has gone horribly wrong. I tried to post the chat notes for the AREtsy team chat and it vanished. I upgraded my website so I can sell directly from the site with ease, and it erased my previous website. I worked an entire day on the AREtsy website and it's gone too. I am slowly relearning the new software to update my website and hopefully will have it all back in working order soon.

On a cool note, I have been getting ready for camping next week. It should be a blast! I also started knitting a sun hat to hang out in during the summer. It feels really good to be knitting again, I will post pics later. AND lastly, the yarn shop in Russellville, Knit 2 Together, is OPEN!!! I am planning a small road trip tomorrow. They have contacted me about carrying my yarn, which is very exciting! Will post more later....off to learn a new program with a better outlook! ♥

Day Three- The Tortoise and The Hare

2008-05-24T19:02:00.006-05:00

This morning, I opened up the front curtains and peaked in on the baby birds. To my surprise there was a turtle sitting right under the tree. The funny thing is, we have been looking for a turtle forever. In California, they sell box turtles for enormous prices. Like $40 each! Seriously! In moving to Arkansas, we always hoped to find one in our yard. And here it is: Being that we are from California and all, we decide to "tag" him. "Tagging" means to put graffiti on something.
Not really! Come on, we are not THAT strange.

But really, to our shock, the turtle turned around and I saw a peace sign on his back. I was stunned. From inside the house, it almost looked like his shell had formed the sign on its own. I ran outside and picked him up and noticed he had lots of "markings" on him...poor little guy. Seems whoever "owned" this turtle named him Speedy and wrote it right on his shell. I went ahead and put him down so he could be on his merry way.

After a quick refill of coffee, I had another look in our flower bed and there was another surprise. A baby rabbit. It was our very own version of the tortoise and the hare. Quite honestly, my money is on Speedy.
Here are the baby robins today. I am a bit afraid there are only two. I could not get the best photo today, but what I did get, looks like there is only two. Maybe tomorrow, a better view will provide us better insight.

A quick favor to ask, please keep the Hennel family in your prayers. A dear friend of ours passed away from a massive heart attack last night. He has two young kids, who are struggling to deal with this tragedy. Thanks so very much! ♥

Day Two

2008-05-23T18:48:00.006-05:00

Here are the three babies today. The Mama Bird has been coming and going and from our dining room table we can see a couple months pop up and get their meal.

I read a little about Robins and learned they only lay one egg a day and only up to four eggs. Rarely, they will have five. So I am thinking the bird underneath is a day behind the other two or just the runt. It looks a lot less developed then the two. I hope it's just a day behind! We shall see with tomorrow pictures. They are totally strange to peak at for sure! I can't wait until the have feathers and look a bit more bird like.

Above is some handspun yarn, I adore it. Totally girly pink and great. It is the next thing I have planned to list on Etsy. Hope you all have a wonderful Friday evening. ♥

Three Babies

2008-05-22T17:39:00.006-05:00

For the last couple weeks, the boys and I have enjoyed watching a beautiful robin build her nest and then take care of the eggs. Today we noticed little heads bopping up and the mama feeding them. I very carefully took my camera, on my camera stand...set the timer, and ever so gently held it above the nest. This was the result. Three Babies!

The mama bird and daddy bird have been very busy tending to these little ones! I believe they were born either yesterday or early this morning. The eyes are not yet opened and they are quite naked. I will try to snap a few pictures over the next few days so we can share how they are growing (hopefully a bit better quality).

A rainbow array of roving is waiting to be posted to Etsy. Most of them are all under an ounce but a few are over. The next few days my shop will be over flowing with colorful yummy-ness once again. I have felt a bit like the baby birds and that my shop was a bit naked and striped down. The shop will grow with the babies!

I do also have several handspun yarns just hanging out in my ready to sell stash. Today, I did get the handspun listed from the roving Jeanetta painted. It had to be named after her, since she did the dye work and all....here is Jeanetta Spun.

Last night's AREtsy chat was great! We covered a ton, and now, I need to weed it down to the good stuff and get it out to the group. Hope you all have a lovely evening! ♥

Cotton Cotton everywhere is Cotton

2008-05-21T07:10:00.006-05:00

Save the Planet, use cotton as stuffing. Several months back, I stumbled upon some cotton, and by some I really mean LOADS of it. Pounds and Pounds of cotton that filled up one of my closets. The plan was to spin it, but I really have much more than I ever will need or be able to use. Jeanetta, took some and tested it out as an Environmentally Friendly stuffing alternative and has found it stuffs beautifully!

I now have quarter pound bags listed in my Etsy Shop for you to save the Earth by using. The bags are $3.00 each and I have many of them. If you want more than one bag, please send me a conversation and I will give you a price break and combine shipping.
I am just totally enamored with this sticker. It has a grainy texture and you just have to love the little bird sitting on top of the "Y"
A fellow, Arkansas Etsy Street Team member, dogwoodlane, has started her very own blog: "OnDogwoodLane". I just love her work. Recently, one of her wallets was a must add addition to my collection. It really has room for everything under the sun. I highly recommend her products to anyone!

This is a picture of the wallet I purchased from her and I truly adore it. Check out her Etsy Shop as well.

There is an ArEtsy Chat tonight and I am really excited about all the things planned to discuss. Has anyone heard of SEO before? I have my thinking cap on again and am in full research. I will have to share more on this later. ♥

The New Wheel is Here

2008-05-19T19:13:00.005-05:00

Today, sitting on my front porch was a glorious sight. An Ashford Wheels & Looms box. Bet you can guess what was in it... Ta Da! A brand spanking new spinning wheel. An Ashford Joy Spinning Wheel. It was so exciting. I almost cried. Yes, I am a big spinning dork...I know. She is so very pretty! Check her out.
The wheel folds up flat for easy travels. Also has a build in lazy kate. Ashford is engraved on both sides of the wheel.
I love the way she spins too. No fussy treadles and slipping wheel. Just smooth, smooth spinning.

On a different note, just in time for Memorial Day, I am listing some Americana funky painted yarn. Very bulky and super unique. My mail was ever so exciting today. I had a couple cute things sent to me as a special thank you and this was one of them. Cute sticker!

Off to enjoy my new wheel! ♥

Guests are Arriving

2008-05-09T06:33:00.004-05:00

Last night, Granny and Grampa Joe arrived safely. Tonight many more family members are coming to help us celebrate Megan's graduation. In the middle of all the craziness...we got a new car, a Toyota Corolla. It already has The Twisted Purl sticker across the back window so if you see it driving down the highway be sure to give a honk! The hub works out of Little Rock and needed a REALLY good gas mileage car, and this one gets close to 40 per gallon. Sounded good to us!

Amazingly enough, I also got some new fiber posted on Etsy. Here is Clown's Hair. Next, a little festival inspired Cotton Candy sock yarn.
I do want to get more posted today...hopefully, in between yard work and shopping I can get some fiber listed. It is just so hard for me to part with fiber. I dream of how gorgeous it will look spun.
This morning, I came across this verse:
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:26
It gave me great comfort in my stress and exhaustion from the last few weeks of non-stop action. Like a little reminder that God loves me and is waiting for me to come to Him for recharging. I may name this fiber "Rest" after this verse.

As for me, my resting time is done, I have to mow the lawn and get some laundry moving. Plus, shopping for Megan's brunch tomorrow (at my house) and her BIG party, on Sunday, at Dad's. ♥