BohoKnitterChic Spins

Hangtown Yarnival and Pluckyfluff Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:06:00 +0000

From August 31st-September 4th I had the opportunity to participate in one of the best, most exciting fiber events EVER. Lexi Boeger, of Pluckyfluff, hosted a fundraiser earlier this year so that she could build "Pluckyfluff Headquarters"- a studio space dedicated to spinning, teaching about, and showcasing fabulous yarns. The grand opening was this past week along with her traditional spinning workshop. It was by far the most exciting fiber event I have ever attended.

The studio turned out so amazing! It's full of fiber and yarn, but it's clean, bright, and the perfect place to get creative!

My fabulous friend, Craftypuppylover, and I shared a booth together where we were selling out yarns, fibers, and hand knits. We were also fortunate enough to get to camp right in the orchard of the Boeger Winery where the event was hosted. We celebrated all day and spun late into the nights, woke up early, made some pancakes, and started it all again. It was a dream come true!

Me with Debra, Esther, Lexi, and Amy

And the best part of it all is that Ashley of Neauveau Fiber Art created a documentary of the event! Carrie and I were interviewed together and that starts at 44:30. Check it out! It's pretty amazing.

You can see the rest of the pictures I took at the event in my Flickr Set.

So how about those goals?

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 06:32:00 +0000

Way back at the beginning of 2010 I set some knitting goals for myself, things that I wanted to accomplish in order to progress to the next level as a knitter.

I wanted to knit a full sized sweater.

I wanted to knit a pair of socks.

And I wanted to knit something lacy.

I wouldn't say that I succeeded in knitting the most complicated or the most impressive projects for those 3 categories, but I definitely accomplished something in each category.

The Sexy Sweater only took me a year and a half to knit. You may laugh but I say: A project done is a project done, regardless of how long it takes. I finally finished the sweater in June 2010 I used the Aran Off the Shoulder Sweater pattern and Classic Elite Wool Bamboo. I really loved both the yarn and pattern! I knit the sweater in the round instead of in pieces, and in the end the neck pulled off the shoulder to much so I stitched elastic thread around the neckline.

My other 2 projects have TERRIBLE photos, so I apologize.

For the lace project I started one thing, the rose scarf I think? Well, I still haven't made much progress on that. Tiny needles and I just aren't friends. So I decided to do something a little easier. I took 238 yards of my own handspun in a worsted/aran weight and set out to knit a shawlette for my mom's 60th birthday present that I named Boheme Flourish. I finished knitting it in late July 2010. I used the Flourish pattern found on Ravelry.com. I'm really happy with how it turned out. It's a little small, but I found a gorgeous shawl pin to go with it so it stays in place.

The socks turned out to be a big letdown. I went on a cross country road trip from Seattle, WA to Madison, WI with my friend Carrie 2 weeks before Christmas 2010. I decided to surprise my husband and knit him a pair of socks so that he'd stop asking me about it. I'd always wanted to knit him house socks using the Log Cabin Socks pattern. It was a great pattern. But I didn't think much about the yarn and just got what the pattern recommended, Cascade Yarns Pastaza. BIG mistake! It's wool and llama, no nylon to keep it in shape and the llama is so fuzzy! The sock stretch terribly every time my husband wears them, the yarn fuzzed so much that you can't see the cables and it attracts pet hair so much and it's impossible to get out! Boo! I guess at least I can say that I knit my husband a pair of socks, and I got them done in 10 days.

Goals for 2011-2012: Knit the boatload of superwash yarn I got for baby knitting for a baby that hasn't even been made yet. Again with the overachieving....

New Ventures and a New Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 06:22:00 +0000

I'm a classic overachiever. My husband say's I work best under a lot of stress and here is how I've ensured that my stress levels will stay sky high for a long time: on top of running a fiber business, spending time with my husband, and doing crafty projects for myself, I recently got a part time job working for Colorsong Yarn. A part of my job is the opportunity to work on pattern design.

But before writing patterns using super luxurious yarns from Fleece Artist and Handmaiden Fine Yarn I wrote a fun pattern using low yardage bulky handspun and pairing it with a commercial single ply wool. It's called "Facet" and it's available on Ravelry and in my Etsy shop:

SIZE
One Size

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Laying Flat: 11 inches wide and 8 inches tall

MATERIALS
16-inch US 10.5/6.5mm circular needle

Notions required:
Stitch Marker
Tapestry Needle

Yarn required:
MC Crystal Palace Yarns Iceland Solid 100% wool; 109yd/100m per 100g skein; Color: 1219 Color Name: Fuchsia, 1 skein- you will use roughly half
CC 40 yds/ 37 m +/- of Hand Spun Yarn with 5-7 wraps per inch. Shown in Craftypuppylover Corespun Art Yarn which can be found at http://craftypuppylover.etsy.com/

GAUGE
12 sts= 4” in pattern stitch after being blocked, it will be slightly tighter before blocking
11 sts= 4” in stockinette stitch in Crystal Palace Yarns Iceland Solid
9 sts= 4” in stockinette stitch in Handspun Yarn

2010 Spinners Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 23:04:00 +0000

There comes a time in everyone's life when they realize that something has taken over their life. In my case, it's fiber. "But you have a fiber business.", you might say. Yes, that's true. I do have a fiber business. But I also have a multiplying fiber stash that I can't manage to keep up with because I spend the majority of my time producing fiber to further other artist's fiber addiction.

My business consuming my time is not a complaint, but it is a realization that I need to remind myself of occasionally. I have to rely on special events like workshops or stash spin down challenges to really get spinning done. So here we are again, spinning challenge time!

The Challenge: Spin as much as you can between November 1st and December 31st and post your stats and pictures in the BohoKnitterChic Spins Ravelry Group to enter into prize drawings for over 20 categories. That's right! Over 20 people have donated prizes to help the cause!

(The yarn on the left is one of my challenge yarns named "Strawberry Shortcake)

Still reading? I hope so because I've added a twist!

IT'S A POWER SPINNING WEEKEND!!!!! Spin as much as you can, yardage and weight, this Saturday and Sunday (Nov 20-21st) and post your yardage and weight spun in the comments of this blog post by Monday morning (the 22nd). The most yardage spun and the greatest weight will win a prize from me. What's the prize? I have no idea. But it will be good. I promise.

I am a Busy Chic...

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 05:21:00 +0000

Or at least that's the excuse I give myself for never blogging.

Really, I think I have commitment issues (but don't tell my husband that). My creative endeavors have taken me all over the place lately, literally and creatively, and it makes it hard for me to slow down and commit to getting everything on virtual paper. But it's officially my pre-New Year's Resolution to make writing down my experiences a priority. I have experienced a lot of things that I think knitters and spinners would really enjoy reading about, and learning about, and maybe even experiencing for themselves when the opportunity arises. Now hold me to it! I'm penciling it in my calendar!

Some of my latest creative endeavors (listing backwards):

November 6-7th, Camp Pluckyfluff in Placerville, CA:
Lexi Boeger doing a spinning demo:

October 16-17th Camp Bear Paw Spinning Retreat in Newport, WA with some of my favorite spinners:

September 25-26th Oregon Flock and Fiber in Canby, OR where I (far left) shared a booth with one of my favorite Fiberista's Craftypuppylover (far right) and got to meet two other wonderful fiber artists LushMommy and GirlwithaHook:

And I think I should leave you will the image of what sums up a lot of my life right now- "The Wool Wall", the place where I get inspired, where I blend fibers, and where I spend most of my time, and where the majority of my business takes place:

Tour de Fleece was a Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:34:00 +0000

I started spinning in January of 2009 and quickly learned that not only was spinning a hobby, but it could also be coordinated with sporting events such as the Olympics and the Tour de France, turning me from a crazed fiber addict, into an Elite Athlete without ever leaving my spinning chair!

The event "Tour de Fleece" is coordinated with the bicycling competition "Tour de France" and runs very similarly to the actual event: we spin as their wheels spin, we rest on the days the riders rest, and we challenge our spinning skills on the days of the riders more challenging ascents. There are teams and events, tears, sweating, and lots of competition!

This year 2 of my favorite Ravelry users (Craftypuppylover and SavethePlanKnit) and I formed our own team "Team SavetheBohoPuppies", in which we gathered a total of 40 teammates of all different spinning skill and commitment levels. It was a long 23 days of spinning, and many of us succeeded in making a dent in our fiber stashes.

Me personally, well, somehow I always manage to go on vacation during the Tour de Fleece, challenging my determination to spin, and patience to wait until we return home to really get some spinning done. This year we were in Yosemite National Park and I promised my husband that I wouldn't try to fit my spinning wheel in with all of our gear. BUT- I did bring a drop spindle so my spinning could be documented throughout the trip and I could still feel like part of the team. I was gone for the first 10 days of the tour, nearly half, and only managed to spin one yarn- so I was left with a lot of ground to cover when I returned home. I think I managed pretty well.

When we returned from Yosemite I devoted as much time as I could to my spinning wheel. I planted it firmly in the middle of our living room, and I don't think I sat on the couch once in the 13 days left of the tour when I got home. I gathered together fiber from some of my favorite Etsy shop owners: Jazzturtle, LushMommy, AtomicBlue, CraftyPuppyLover, Extreme Spinning, Woolyhands, and Silver Sun Alpacas and got to work. I spun 2-plies and 3-plies, corespun and autowrapped and even surprised myself at how much I got spun.

In the end, in a 23 day tour of not resting on rest days I managed to spin:

20 Yarns
3351 yards and then plied 948 yards for a total of 4299 yards- or 2.44 miles
46.5 hours- almost 2 full days
My yarns weigh a total of 89 oz- or 5.56 pounds
My longest and heaviest yarn was a 349 yard 3-ply that weighs 9 oz.

I think it's time for a break from spinning and some time for knitting!

And so it begins...

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:30:00 +0000

I set my goals for 2010, and now begins the execution. I know that it won't be the only thing on my mind this year, far from it, but I would like to make an effort to always be working towards completing my goal projects. I decided to start with one that I already had the yarn for, my lace project.

I've chosen to knit the Traveling Roses Scarf with Jojoland Melody. Since it's a scarf project, and I'll probably use it for a table runner or to drape over a shelf, I didn't bother to do a gauge swatch. I'm using size 2 needles and I'm fumbling around like an idiot. It's definitely different than the size 8-11 needles that I'm used to using!

But here's the real issue. I started the project a couple of days ago and worked on it a little bit on our road trip over this past weekend. Tonight while watching tv my husband looks at me and says "Don't take this the wrong way but, that's going to take forever and a day to knit". Yeah, I've only knit 36 rows of 528 in 2 days and I can normally knit a bulky scarf on size 11's in 2 hours. That's why it's a goal, right?....

One door closes and another opens...

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:56:00 +0000

Today is the last day of the 2009 Calendar Year and with that comes the tried and true New Years Resolutions. For me, I have set several fiber related goals that I would love to complete in 2009. Honestly, I would happy to have 1 of these completed by the closing of 2010.

For my birthday this past year my mother gave me two gorgeous alpaca fleeces. One is a fawn (light cinnamon brown) and the other is a combination of blacks, browns, and grey. They are gorgeous and they are all mine. They will not be used for my business in any way shape or form. I have been practicing with other fibers a lot lately spinning finer and finery 3-ply yarns. First it was an aran weight, then a worsted, and now I just finished a sport weight! I think that's thin enough for alpaca, right? My goal is to spin the fawn fleece into a sport weight 3-ply yarn and then knit a sweater from that yarn. And not a cropped sweater either. So far that's all I've been able to knit (see left) and it just won't due. I need a real sweater, a sweater that requires 1800 yards of yarn, and I've already begun to drum card the fiber for it.

I want to knit something lacy, like a shawl or table cloth. I never have, and I feel like it's a huge milestone for a knitter because it requires a lot of patience, attention to detail, and commitment to a time consuming project.

I want to knit a pair of socks. I want to knit a pair of socks purely because my mother in law suggested that I might want to consider a career change if I can't manage to knit a pair of socks. Well. I'll show her, won't I? LOL

I have a very short attention span, I hate long projects and tiny needles. I'm hoping that these 3 projects will change all of that.

Look at all the Pretty Handspun

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Now that the holiday market is over here in Corvallis I was able to get back all my hand spun. Quite a bit sold, but look at all that's left to go in my etsy shop. I can't believe I spun so much in 1 year!

Who is this mysterious woman?

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:30:00 +0000

I found my dream pattern! The new issue of Knitty featured a pattern, Incognito, that may have made my fingerstashe tattoo unnecessary. Within a few days of being published I had knit myself a mustache cowl out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and I couldn't be happier! See?

Are you my fan yet?

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:04:00 +0000

I've created a Fan Page for my small business Bohoknitterchic Spins. Become a fan for yet another place to catch the latest news on my shop and Ravelry group!

Spin-a-long: Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:42:00 +0000

The All Hallow's Eve Spin-a-long that I hosted through my was such a success! There were 22 yarns spun and each one was so different!

There was a random drawing for prizes, and also voting on the yarns for other prizes. The top 3 were so close that I decided to offer 3 prizes!

Here are the top 3 winners (and their ravelry ids):

atwhittzend:

phatfiberlady:

tracethekat:

And I have to show off mine too. I've since knit it into several i-cord scarves and a neckwarmer to sell at the Artisan's Market Boutique:

I also want to announce my next Spin A Long and Fiber Club! It's the Warm Up Winter Club and it's available in my etsy shop now!

SAL in Motion

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:29:00 +0000

I want to thank everyone who is participating in the All Hallows Eve Spin-a-long put on through my Etsy Shop. The batts and other goodies are all on their way to everyone and I just can't wait to see what everyone does with them! For those who are participating, or if you just want to follow along and see everyone's projects check out the thread in Ravelry here.

All the batts lined up on my picnic table:

My favorite colorway still on the drum carder:

I'm Shearlock's Choice!

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:49:00 +0000

Phat Fiber has a new little felted buddy, Shearlock the Sheep, who is traveling around to a new box recipient every month. But- he only travels to vendors so that he can learn all about their business and what makes them who they are.

Well this month- I got him! So be sure to check the Phat Fiber Ravelry Group and my shop for my adventures with Shearlock and for my No Sheep Wool Shop updates, because Shearlock is the only sheep in my house this month!

All Hallow's Eve Spin A Long

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:22:00 +0000

Since Halloween is my favorite holiday and October is my favorite month I decided to start celebrating early by opening signups for an All Hallow's Eve Spin A Long at my etsy shop. Buy the batts now and I will ship them all around September 22nd. Then we can spend the month of October spinning and celebrating the best month of the year!

Yarn Bombing

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:32:00 +0000

Every once and a while my "secret life" is just so cool that it has to spill over into my real life. About a year ago I gave permission for some of my photos to be used in an upcoming book Yarn Bombing about Knit Graffiti and they used some of them! It's so exciting! I got a copy in the mail a few days ago and have flipped through the pictures 3 times and have read up to page 100. It is fantastic!

This book is for anyone who loves the concept of Knit/Crochet Graffiti. It is part coffee table book, part historical and biographical, and part instruction manual.

There are basic instructions for people who haven't knit before, and patterns/instructions for those who have. Even if you don't have plans to decorate the great outdoors, there are some great garment patterns and you could always decorate your own home with the patterns intended for trees and poles (I'm contemplating some monster feet for my dining room table).

I highly recommend that anyone who loves fiber arts should check out this book!

My First Time Entering In the County Fair

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:24:00 +0000

I entered some yarn and knits in the Benton County Fair and I did surprisingly well!

Top Row:
Glass Beach Hat made of my very first handspun
Lemongrass Necklace
and the unappreciated Drop Everything But the Sparkle Scarf.

Bottom Row:
“Carnival” Flax
“Bark” natural merino
“White Wine” bamboo/silk
“Neon Rainbow” wensleydale wool
“True Romance 2” blended fibers art yarn
“Greed and Envy” a shredded money art yarn

Next year I think I'll try to enter yarn in each category :-)

Revamping Pattern Posts

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:54:00 +0000

Today I am hoping to revamp a bunch of the posts on my blog that include information about my patterns. I'm going to make sure that all the free patterns include the pattern, that all for sale patterns include a purchase link, and that all patterns include a Ravelry Projects link.

So check back at the end of today for thorough information about most of my patterns!

I just realized that a bunch of my free patterns aren't here on my blog! Over the next few weeks I will be sure to change that!

Check back for the free patterns:

Duke of Devonshire: Masculine Cowl
Bree: Retro Inspired Hat
Puzzled: Plush Puzzle Pieces
Cycles: Tampon Holders
Uprooted and Deflowered: Menstrual Cup Cozies
Reign in the Boys: Condom Holder
Circlet: Sunny Scarf

New Pattern: Wonky

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 19:12:00 +0000

Knitty published my pattern Wonky! It's a really fun and quick cowl that could be knit for kids, adults, men, women, or even dogs if you wanted to.

Here's a little info about the pattern, but you'll have to go to Knitty to see the rest:

Sometimes life is a little wonky, a little off kilter. Sometimes things happen at the most inconvenient of times, but this cowl makes it okay, and even fun to be out of balance.

It’s a traditional stitch with a twist. The pattern is shown in 3 different cool-toned yarns, demonstrating its versatility without them being wildly different. If you like living on the edge, make it even more discombobulated with a color that screams or a funky handspun art yarn.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Circumference: 19 inches
Height: 6.25 inches

MATERIALS
[Brown] Sirdar Click Chunky with Wool [70% acrylic, 30% wool; 82yd/75m per 50g skein]; color: #143 Duffler; 1 skein
[Pink/Purple] Crystal Palace Yarns Kaya [100% wool; 65yd/59m per 50g ball]; color: #0110 Potpourri; 2 skeins
[Blue] Sheep Shop Yarn Company Sheep 2 [100% wool; 90yd/82m per 100g skein]; color: #F111 Navy; 1 skein

Recommended needle size:
16-inch US #10/6mm circular needle
4 stitch markers – be sure that one is different from the others
Yarn needle

GAUGE
13 sts/18 rows = 4 inches in stockinette st

I feel like a broken record

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:35:00 +0000

I'm such a bad blogger, and it's all Ravelry's fault! And I rarely knit anymore- and that's all spinnings fault! So I guess until I can come up with something better to say, I will just have to leave you with some major fiber porn- pics of most of the yarns I've spun in the past few months. And even they aren't great pics, so maybe I should have waited to blog until I had something better to say...

Oh! And I broke down and signed up for twitter. Follow me (especially to hear about shop updates). I'm Bohoknitterchic there too.

New Pattern: Sweet Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:35:00 +0000

I have a new pattern in the Summer 2009 Popknits! It's called Sweet Georgia and is the perfect stretchy summer lace hat! You can wear it as a beenie, slouch, or snood.

Stone Soup Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:11:00 +0000

I just signed up for the Stone Soup Challenge and I encourage all of you to do the same!

The Stone Soup Challenge was developed for artists and crafters to commit to helping other artists and crafters by using a portion of their income to shop with other "starving artists". You choose what portion of your income you could commit to shopping with other artists, and then list your website so other artists can find you!

And to encourage you all to participate, those of you who mention Stone Soup when you shop at my Etsy Shop will receive 10% off your purchase (before shipping) that I will refund after purchase!

Also: list your shop url here in the comment section!

I had to edit to add, I went through the Stone Soup Shops list and here are all the fiber shops that are on the list thus far:

Feeling Sheepish
My8kidsmom Hand Dyed Yarns and Fiber
Desert Garden Farms
HandCraftedGifts
Serendipity
Infinity Yarn and Fiber
Extreme Spinning
Knit It Up

If we all contribute a little to the pot of Stone Soup, we will all feast.

My April Phat Fiber Box

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:36:00 +0000

I think that this was the best Phat Fiber Box EVER! But that may have had something to do with the theme. April's theme was "Green: Eco/The Color" and I was really glad to see that so many people went with the eco theme! I wish I had time to talk about all of the samples I received, but I do want to feature a few of them. If you have questions about any of the samples you see in the picture, just post a comment about it and I'll get you the info.

I got samples from two of my favorite ladies: a magnet from Banana Migraine and recycled fabric spun yarn from Dawning Dreams:

Look at this beautiful, soft, and fluffy angora from Desired Haven Farm:

I'm really excited to try this plantable paper from Winemakerssister. It's a sample that will last all season! And the shop has some of the cutest sheep stamps!

Plum Crazy Ranch donated fun samples of 3 different fibers, tussah silk, silk noil, and Optim. I'd never heard of Optim before so I looked it up: it's wool that has been treated to feel like silk- isn't that neat?

The next two samples were my absolute favorites and I spun them up immediately!

Milk fiber from Moonwood Farm:

And wool/ecospun (recycled soda bottles) from Wild Hare Fiber Studio:

They became this "Ahoy Matey!" 2-ply:

Year of Natural Fibers

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:57:00 +0000

I've got a few links for the devoted fiber artist to check out!

For me, fiber arts isn't just about knitting, spinning, fun colors and textures. It's about learning about the animals that create the fiber I love, and the traditions that helped the industry become what it is today.

2009 is the International Year of Natural Fibers.

One of my favorite magazine's is Wild Fibers. For me, it's like the National Geographic of Fiber Arts.

Keep the Fleece was put together to celebrate the International Year of Natural Fibers, to raise money in conjunction with the Heifer Organization, and they are holding a Natural Fiber Contest (submit your entry by September 1st 2009).

I am really hoping that I can tuck my spinning wheel and knitting needles away long enough to write about some of the sources of natural fibers this year, so check back though out 2009.

2 New Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Bohoknitterchic) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:53:00 +0000

I have 2 patterns that have been published in the Spring/Summer 2009 Metapostmodernknitting issue! Check them out!

"Electrochok"- a fun, hip, sporty hood that's great for summer and winter wear!

"Slouchy Shortrow"- a hat with just enough slouch to make it fun, but not long enough to trip over! LOL