I'm going to do it again.  I knew even before I finished last time that I was going to do it again & I've been looking forward to ever since.  That's right, on November 4th I'll be completing a 24-hour marathon gaming session for Extra Life and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

Extra Life is a charity group that organizes gamers of all flavors to raise money for their local Children's Miracle Network hospitals.  Extra Lifers have raised over $30 million dollars since its inception in 2008 & last year alone raised over $9 million.  People raise money all throughout the year, but the major event is the 24-hour gaming marathon which is exactly what it sounds like...stay awake for 24 straight hours to play games.  It can be card games, board games, video games...whatever the participant wants to do.  I'll once again be playing video games.  Mostly because it's fun, but also because I can live stream the whole thing over on my Twitch channel so awesome people like you can hang out with me & anyone else who wanders into chat.

Children's Miracle Network hospitals provide life-saving care for kids regardless of financial situation.  Things like diabetes, cancer, newborn & fetal care are all treatments that can be done at this network of hospitals.  And this, ultimately, is why I participate in Extra Life.  No child should have their life cut short, and no parent should have to lose their child to a curable disease simply because they lacked the funds to pay for the care.

Last year was the first time I actively participated in Extra Life even though I had known about it for a few years.  It was quite an experience.  It sounds easy!  Who doesn't want to sit around and play games to help kids?  And, to be honest, it really wasn't too bad...until around hour 18.  That would have been right around 4am.  For much of the previous day I had people stopping into the Twitch chat to hang out and keep me company, but at 4am all of the smart people are sleeping & had been for quite a while.

Luckily I had prepared really well for the event.  My first instinct was to just eat pizza & drink beer all day.  Again, that sounds pretty great in theory, but would have been a disaster in practice.  Alisa was a huge help in preparing healthy meals and snacks to keep me going.  Just knowing that there were delicious turkey wraps waiting in the fridge really helped.  And, yes, I did have some coffee...probably around that 4am time I mentioned earlier.  This is what I looked like a little over 20 hours into the marathon.  In my head I thought I was doing a big exaggerated goofy smile, but apparently not?

So, I really hope that you will consider donating to this amazing cause.  If you aren't financially able to make a donation, I totally understand.  In either case, I'd really appreciate it if you could share my donation page on your social media sites with your friends and family.

Oh yeah!  I'm going to give away some prizes this year!  For every $15 you donate you'll get 1 entry into the prize drawing...$45 gets you 3 entries, etc.  You could win fabulous things like a dozen chocolate chip cookies baked by ME, an Extra Life phone case, Steam codes for games AND, the thing that most of you reading this will want, I'll have TWO $25 gift certificates from Firefly Fibers!!!

AND, if we hit the $1,000 goal in time before November 4th I'll dye my hair in time for the stream to match this years Extra Life shirt (Black, Blue, Pink, or Green).  If you donate any amount you'll get to vote on the color!  Make sure to include your email address when you donate so I can send you the link to the poll.

I'm really excited for November 4th!

P.S. - 42 is my age. :)

Horicon Marsh - July 2016

I can confidently say that Logan will remain in our hearts as the best guy ever... he was a gentle giant of epic proportion (11+ years with us and he never uttered a growl), a true lover of being a dog (hopefully super-serious Rollo learned a bit about the fun of being a dog from him), a zealous drinker at the water bowl (and carefree about actually swallowing what was in his mouth while walking away), a backyard explorer (we won't talk about what he spent a fair amount of time looking for), a fabulous hunter (watch out backyard rabbits and voles), enthusiastic squirrel chaser (of course he never got one, but he always remained optimistic), a little brother to our beloved Joey (we hope you're playing together again), a big brother to our dear Rollo (oh, how the tables turned with having a youngster in the house),  and (quite simply) he was just a really nice guy. The best guy, really.

Logan and Joey - June 2006

We love all of our dogs and they've all come from sorted backgrounds as rescues, but Logan defeated the odds when he came home with us in 2006 at 3 years old having just recovered from tapeworms and having a tumor removed from his tail. He was left at a dog show (ironically, a Siberian Husky show) and we weren't even at the humane society to look at him. Thankfully, they asked us to and he immediately followed Joey around the yard and then made the winner of all moves, he laid down and rolled onto his back at my feet. We never had a chance and I'm so grateful he chose our family. 

Logan, Rollo and Papa - Winter 2017

I posted on Instagram during my recent trip to Colorado that our Logan wasn't doing so well and I want to say thank you for all of the comments, messages and kind words - your kindness and love helped both Mike and I through a challenging time. He celebrated his 14th birthday this last February and we know we've been so very lucky to have had him with us this long. Logan had a rough few months and the last few weeks were the most difficult for our little family, and yesterday it was time to let go.  

Our merry band of idiots on the way home from the Green Day show in April.

Dearest Logan, we love you and miss you so very much. Thank you for being part of our family. Now, go drool all over Joey, chase those squirrels, and be sure to run to your heart's content (with plenty of unintentional somersaults). xoxo

Last month I tried very hard to complete the daily April @yarnlovechallenge on Instagram. I started out strong and I was having so much fun, but later in the month, posting started slipping away a day at a time and then all of a sudden (you know, out of nowhere) May showed up. How does that happen?

So, clearly I’m not cut out for a daily challenge, but May brings a new challenge and this time there are weekly prompts - I can post once a week (which I should totally be able to do) or as much as I want during the dates for that prompt. You can join the fun, too!

As I was thinking about posting the quick answer on IG, I thought this week’s prompt #HowILearned would also be a great blog post and I hope you enjoy my extended answer below!

I learned to knit in 2001 and I had no idea how two sticks and some string would change my entire life… I was working through some pretty big “life stuff” and needed something to ground me, and I decided that “thing” was knitting. I went to my local JoAnn Fabrics and purchased the Boye I Taught Myself Knitting Kit (I think the lady with the pretty hair and big smile sold me), some size 11 circular needles (plastic with an unyeilding cord), and ONE skein of Lion Brand Chenille (because, clearly this was all I needed to knit a skirt). It's okay if you're laughing, because how could you not be? It's really funny and I'm giggling now. Thankfully, it was only a short wait for Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘N Bitch Handbook (a book I still recommend for beginning knitters) and she guided me to the light with her great writing style and good tool & yarn recommendations!

I did discover the local yarn shop, but I was quite intimidated in the beginning because 1) I was self-taught, 2) the knitters in the shops seem very tight-knit (pun intended), and 3) I felt like a total newbie because the yarn and everything else was overwhelming. It was A LOT to take in and felt like I was back in high school and the knitters were the cool-kids and I again didn’t fit in. However, what I know now is that 1) many of us are self-taught and that’s awesome (you don’t have to take formal classes to be a "real" knitter), 2) knitters *are* tight-knit, but most are super friendly and LOVE to talk about knitting (I dare you to try and stop us from talking to anyone that seems like they *might* listen), and 3) I had actually developed some mad knitting skills though my self-studying (I am a researcher at heart and probably spent just as much time knitting as internetting about the knitting).

The fear of the yarn shop is one that I hear about frequently at Firefly Fibers and to that I say... get into your yarn shop, ask questions, and support your LYS so they'll be around for years to come! We are here to help and want to do what we can for you to have fun knitting. And, if you have the opportunity, visit more than one shop – most shops are run by one or two people and their personality is part of the shop and you may feel more comfortable at, or like the selection better, at a certain shop. Take a deep breath, walk through the door and get to know them!

I’d been knitting for a couple years when a co-worker told me about the Madison Knitter’s Guild… WHAT?! There were actually enough knitters in the area to make a “club”?! Apparently, yes (and several times over). My friend invited me to my first meeting and my knitting universe broke wide open – there were SO many lovely knitters at the meeting and I discovered a whole new world that was full of people who loved sticks and string as much as I did. Until then, knitting was mostly a solitary activity for me and I was so happy to finally find that there was (a lot) more of my brand of freak out there and it's only grown more since then.

Here's where I date myself.... when I learned to knit 16 years ago: the internet was a baby and had very limited knitting resources, yarn was nothing like what we have now (we were coming out of a decade - or two - with A LOT of acrylic and little to no indie dyers) and Ravelry didn’t exist. This last one may be hard to believe, but it’s true. There was a time before Ravelry.

I signed up for Ravelry when there was a wait list, so I entered my email and then I waited to be granted access… I remember the day I got my email notification and signed up immediately – January 14th, 2008 and I am Raveller #64,320.  How do I know my Ravelry number and do you want to know yours? Here’s a fun little trick (you’ll have to do this on a computer):

Hold the Ctrl key and (using the arrow keys) Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A.

After doing this, your Ravelry number should appear below your “Raveler Since” date, just like this…

Pretty cool, right? If you give this a try, feel free to leave a note below with your Ravelry number. It's fun to see where everyone falls - especially since as of February of 2014 (over 3 years ago) there were 4 MILLION ravellers!

Speaking of Ravelry… many congratulations to these amazing folks on their 10-year anniversary this month! Knitting and crocheting have grown beyond what I could have hoped for, or imagined, because of Ravelry. They’ve connected knitters and crocheters all across the world with each other and created the most incredible database of patterns and yarn. Knitting and crochet has been transformed because of them.

If someone would have told me in 2001 that future-me would own a yarn shop, design patterns, teach others to knit, and knit the beautiful things I do now, I would have told them they were bonkers! After all these years, I am so very thankful for making that fateful decision to pick up that silly kit with the super-happy smiling lady on the front of the booklet, those terrible plastic circular needles, and that awful chenille (it was purple, just in case you were wondering), because it was the stepping stone to where I am today.

CHEERS!

Real Plans is a subscription online meal planner offering a variety of options for dietary needs/restrictions that I discovered through one of my favorite foodies, Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo and I've been using it ever since. I was instantly in love, but I wanted to see if the love wore off over time. It's been more than 3 months now and I love Real Plans even more today!

"REAL PLANS IS A MEAL PLANNER WITH SUPER POWERS."

TRUE! I'm now spending a fraction of my previous planning time getting organized and cooking so much more for our family! Over the last 2+ years, cooking at home has become even more important for me with my celiac disease diagnosis, because in addition to it being rather difficult (and expensive) to dine out, we're also limited in options. I have yet to be bored with Real Plans and my 'to cook' list is growing weekly.

I've always loved cooking. My mom is a wonderful cook and shared the joy of the kitchen with me at an early age. I honestly can't even remember how young I was, but I do remember feeling right at home in the kitchen and it's the same to this day. I love the flavors, colors and smells of fresh food and making something delicious from scratch is one of my favorite past times. I enjoy it so much, that many times I'm at a crossroads of knitting or cooking and cooking can win that contest. I love cooking THAT much!

I also adore my cookbook collection (really, I'm a total sucker for pretty pictures of food and flipping through pages and putting on post-it notes), but getting organized for the week was time consuming and was expensive (really, I wanted everything) and I would much rather spend my available time actually cooking. But... I found that if I didn't spend the time planning, I'd toss whatever into the cart at the grocery store and so much of the food would go to waste over the next week because I lacked a plan. 

Now I spend about an hour each week planning things out and we're saving $ at the grocery store. Real Plans has paid for itself (and then some) with what we're saving. Wanna see how it works?

So... now I feel like this is an infomercial, but seriously, this has changed my life and I'd only share if I believed in it and I wholeheartedly do - I believe in it so much that I'm an affiliate now. I'm also asked frequently about how I plan food out and I've been so happy with Real Plans that I HAVE to share the joy! In addition to a HUGE library of recipes that are built in, there are some amazing additions that are really reasonably priced, including: Nom Nom Paleo, Whole 30, Well Fed, Cookie & Kate and more! AND... (yes, this is where I say... "wait, there's more!") you can modify the existing recipes (ingredients, portion size...) and you can add your own recipes. The latter is very important to me because I find so many delicious recipes online and it's as simple as adding a url to the recipe box or clicking on the Real Plans Chrome extension to add it. It's so easy and quite fun. 

That's all the words I have for you today. I'm passionate about cooking at home and healthy eating and I hope I've inspired you to get organized and into your kitchen. Questions or comments? I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment below.

CHEERS! 

A year ago, Jane Richmond was experimenting with a Cowichan-inspired sweater in a super-bulky roving yarn and my needles were itching to cast on as soon as she started posting photos of her WIP prototype. In September of 2016 the West Coast Cardigan pattern came to life and the final version blew me away. Just look at this gorgeous sweater... 

© Jane Richmond

As I was wiping the drool off, I purchased and read through the pattern and, well... my wheels began turning because my inner knitting-geek (well, really, my knitting-geek is pretty much front and center) was TOTALLY geeking out with the techniques Jane has packed into this single design. As you may know, I LOVE technique, so as I was planning the winter class schedule at Firefly Fibers I knew I wanted the West Coast Cardigan on the schedule because I *needed* to share all of the fun techniques with other knitters. But... planning a class isn't just deciding on a project, one of the first tasks is to decide on the class yarn and this proved to be quite challenging.

I really didn't want to bring in a new yarn line at the shop *just* for one sweater, so I tried to find a suitable substitution... my available options were going to be costly for a super-bulky project requiring so much yardage and one of the things I appreciate about Jane is her use of affordable yarn and that just wasn't happening. Also, the yarn in her designs is (generally) easily substituted, but after running numbers (spreadsheets and all that nerdiness) to compare cost and the overall weight of the sweater (because pencil roving is light and airy, so it therefore weighs less and no one needs a 10lb sweater), I decided to reach out to Jane...

After much discussion and enthusiasm on both our parts (many thanks to Jane for taking the time to brainstorm with me), it became clear that the Briggs & Little Country Roving is a unique yarn and perfect for Jane's sweater because of cost, the physical weight, and it's just quite lovely in its sheepy goodness. I contacted Briggs & Little and they are lovely folks at a small mill in Canada that's been operating for 100+ years and I'm so happy to be working with them. As soon as the yarn arrived, I understood why the math was telling me that I wasn't going to find a suitable substitute - there are other yarns that *will* work, but in this case, I strongly feel that the yarn and design go hand-in-hand. Now, I'm smitten with the Country Roving and I can't wait to try it in other projects, but for now... it's all about the project that introduced me to Country Roving and here's mine in progress:

I'm wrapping up my West Coast Cardigan #1 this weekend and getting ready to cast on #2 because clearly, Firefly Fibers can't be the only one to enjoy a new sweater this winter (besides, it's been in the negative and single digits here in Wisconsin and that's COLD). This first one (in Sheep's Grey and Dark Grey) was intended to be a shop sample, but I think it will be for me. So, I *have* to knit a second one. This sweater has been so much fun to knit that I'm excited to knit another version and I hope you're inspired to knit your own West Coast Cardigan.

As luck would have it... Jane is hosting a KAL for the West Coast Cardigan! Woot! AND... Jane is offering 25% OFF the West Coast Cardigan pattern now through the cast on date of January 10th with code 'WCCKAL' on Ravelry! Full details are on Jane's blog right here. I hope you'll join the fun!

Need yarn? As I'm sure you can guess, I highly recommend the Briggs & Little Country Roving and we'll be placing an order at Firefly Fibers this next week. If you want to make sure you get the colors you want, you can special order from our online shop through Monday, January 9th at noon CST. We anticipate the yarn will arrive on Saturday, Jan 14th or Mon or Tues of the following week and we'll ship orders out as soon as it arrives (really, we'll have it out the door super fast) so you can cast on. Yes, it will be a week or so after the cast on date, but this sweater knits up quickly, so there's plenty of time and it will be worth the wait. And the yarn ships to us like this, and this is pretty cool:

So... are you in? I hope so! 

CHEERS!

This time of year is especially busy at the shop, so taking a moment to slow down can be challenging, but with encouragement from Mr. Yarnista, I'm on day 2 of a 9 day Winter Break that is very much needed. With our brick-and-mortar shop closed for a few days, this time is for me to slow down a wee bit, get caught up on a few things that have been looming over me, take some time to really focus on some work stuff that needs undivided attention, but (under strict orders from Hubby) I will be taking a fair amount of time just for myself to re-energize. I have plans for knitting and binge tv watching and I can't wait! Yay me!

The last year has been amazing, humbling, and more than I could ever have hoped for professionally. It's been an awesome experience to see Firefly Fibers grow over the last 6+ years and I hope to continue enjoying this for many years to come - many thanks to all of you that have supported me and our shop over the years. We're also into the second year of the Alisa the Yarnista Podcast and I've really enjoyed this endeavor that once seemed so terrifying to me.

Personally, I know I've neglected myself with my focus on work and all 3 of my boys have been neglected. I'm always looking to improve and challenge myself and a few months ago I started the huge undertaking of implementing a new point-of-sale and I'm currently in the process of building a new website - alone, these are both huge projects, but I'm doing both at the same time *and* during the busiest time of year. I'll try not to bore you with the technical details, but basically... when completed, our brick-and-mortar and online shops will be integrated and that means some time will be freed up for me, along with relieving a lot of stress as I say "goodbye" to the current (very) manual processes. I'm so very thankful that I have a supportive partner that understands the end goal of working smarter, not harder and why I've been absent for many weeks. It's nearing the end, but WOW, this is a big project!

Owning and operating a yarn shop is about the knitting (that's why I chose the business of a yarn shop), but it's definitely not about knitting all day. I wish that were the case. Most of my days are spent doing bookkeeping, ordering, correcting incorrect orders (always a not-so-fun task), maintaining the website (I do geek out over this a bit), packing online orders, checking in orders, doing inventory, researching new vendors and products, planning classes, teaching classes, sorting through emails, marketing (facebook, instagram, ravelry...), and this is just some of what I do. And, all that is in addition to working with the lovely knitters and chatting with my awesome vendorsReally, if something needs to be done, I do it. Mr. Yarnista helps out when he can, but he already has a full time job, so he can only do so much. To be clear and very honest, these aren't complaints, this is just what I do and I absolutely LOVE everything (well... maybe not needle ordering, because that really just sucks). This is the best job that I've ever had and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to do something I love. Again, thank YOU for being part of this success.

As I look forward, I see the day where I've achieved balance between professional and "me" time (again, I'm taking steps so I can work smarter, not harder going forward). I'll be sharing (in detail) some of what I've been doing to maintain the crazy (and my sanity) in upcoming posts right here and I hope that at least some of it will be inspiring for you. I'm focused on continuing what's been working well for me and cutting out the excess "noise" and having a few days off to focus is going to be absolutely wonderful. It's only day 2 and I feel more like myself already and I hope that just improves over the next week.

I hope you're finding time to slow down and work on you, because we all deserve it.

CHEERS!

WRAPPING UP | THROUGH DECEMBER 31st

The first project is one of our newest additions at the shop, the popular Katrinkles Sweater Ornaments:

I adore these wee ornaments and, in addition to looking adorable hanging on a Christmas tree, they're also fabulous for dressing up gift packaging. With the hustle and bustle this time of year, I appreciate these quick projects because 1) they're pretty awesome, 2) I'm sure at least one can be completed in an evening (really, several could be stitched up if I can take a deep breath and not overthink it), and 3) they're handmade by Katy at Katrinkles and when they're stitched up with love (and some pretty floss or yarn), I'm sure they'll be well-received. 

We're stocked at Firefly Fibers here as the blank only or as a kit with a variety of 6 colors of floss and a size 24 tapestry needle (both include the cord for hanging). There have been some super fun versions posted on Instagram and one of my favorites used variegated sock yarn, so you can even stash dive for some fun bits of fingering weight yarn for stitching. Fun, right?!

I did say I had 2 projects this month, so we also have one of my all-time favorite projects from one of my all-time favorite designers... Marian by Jane Richmond:

I've knit several of these cowls over the years and several have made the rotation as a shop sample. When the new Sugar Bush Chill arrived a few weeks back, I had grand dreams of knitting Jane's new Entwine Scarf (you know, in all the free time I have), but reality set in with looming deadlines, so 2 balls of Chill and some big ol' needles seem to be just perfect for an "instant-gratification" project. 

I've got 2 balls of Chill in Grey River stashed in my knitting bag with a set of needles. Maybe I'll cast on tonight?

So... what do you think? Do you need to whip up a couple last-minute projects for gifts or do you just want to knit up a cozy, squishy, soft cowl for yourself? After all, it's cold outside now and we're expecting a BIG storm this weekend.

We love seeing your projects (and they get you chances to win), so be sure to share on social media with #HandmadeAlong and also here on Ravelry in the Firefly Fibers group. We'll have a final giveaway to officially wrap up this year's Simply Handmade-along, so be sure you're signed up here, share photos, and stay tuned for details... 

psst... you can use any yarn for Marian, but if you want to try Chill and order from the Firefly Fibers online shop on or before Sunday, December 18th, we're working hard to ship ASAP, so your order will be shipped out no later than Monday, December 19th. 

CHEERS!

For the last few years I've watched from the sidelines as other individuals and groups have participated in the annual event called Extra Life.  Instead of trying to use my brain to make up words to describe Extra Life, I'm going to copy/paste the blurb from their website that says, "Extra Life unites thousands of players around the world in a 24 hour gaming marathon to support Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised more than $22 million for local CMN Hospitals."

That's right, a gaming marathon.  Some people raise money for causes by running in actual marathons, but I really dislike running.  On the other hand, I really like games...video games especially.

This is the part where I hope to tap into your generosity.  All Extra Life donations go to Children's Miracle Network affiliated hospitals and each participant gets to choose the hospital their raised funds go to.  If you donate through me, 100% of your tax-deductible donation will go to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.  Every penny you donate goes to the hospital, nothing you give will be spent on administrative costs or overhead by Extra Life.

I've set a pretty aggressive goal of $750 for my first year & I'm really happy with the progress toward that goal.  Here's where we are so far:

To make this entertaining for you as well, I'l be live streaming the entire 24-hour event over on my Twitch channel.  My plan is to start the marathon at 10am on Saturday, November 12th.  Feel free to stop by on Twitch to keep me company in the chat, or just hang out to see how things are going.

I appreciate any amount you can give.  I also totally understand if you aren't able to contribute financially right now.  In either case, it would also be helpful if you could share my effort with your friends and family.  Please consider sharing my donation page by email, or through your social media sites.

If you have any questions (or game suggestions), you can comment through my donation page using Facebook comments.  I'm really looking forward to this event.  Let's do this #ForTheKids

~Mike

I cast on June 10th and I was leaving on the 22nd, so I knew this was a VERY ambitious goal, but Isabell's sweaters are enjoyable knits that seem to fly off the needles. I spent every waking moment away from work knitting on this sweater and I set my goal for a week. It even went to a Horicon, WI park with me for a special Canyon Spells show.

But, alas... even with taking this with me everywhere I went for almost 2 weeks before my trip, it wasn't done in time. So, I took it on my trip with me and it was awesome to be sitting on the deck at our Colorado cabin knitting away with this amazing scenery. Maybe it's more special to have a little it of my home state knit into it?

So, even though I was actually binding off the last sleeve on the plane on the way back to Wisconsin, knitting this gorgeous sweater in 17 days, really wasn't so bad. I love it even more than I thought and would and when I think of the places it went with me, I love it even more!

It was much too warm to wear it upon my return (we had a crazy hot summer), so it was displayed at the shop for a few months and finally came home with me the beginning of October just in time for Kraut Day! 

I'm now on my 3rd Woolstok sweater and I might need an intervention, because more are planned in my head. 

CHEERS!

Mr. Yarnista shows off his coordinated Port Huron Brewery attire and beer, while holding a 10lb head of cabbage (and this was one of the smaller ones).

 It's a day that we very much look forward to and, either others were simply curious or we made it sound like loads of fun, because this year, we had 18 family members attend! The OKT (Original Kraut Team) formed in 2012 with 5 members and has grown a bit each year, but the 18 attendees this year, made it clear that this really is a thing (or maybe we're just really popular). 

So, how do you make kraut, you ask? First you need a 5 gallon bucket, then you need cabbage, pickling salt, and a food processor. Oh, and beer. Kraut cannot be made without a beer in the hand. Optional items are: rubber gloves, carpet square (for the knees), and knee pads.

Once you have all your supplies, you'll shred cabbage and begin layering cabbage and salt in your (super fancy) bucket. With each layer, you'll do a bit of smushing so the cabbage releases water. You'll continue repeating this layering process until your bucket is full'ish and then top it off with a bag of water to seal things up while the fermentation is in process. Kraut Day is early in October and the kraut should be ready for canning or freezing at the end of the year. It's SO good!

See, it's all very fancy and scientific. 

If you want to try making your own sauerkraut, thekitchn.com has a recipe for a smaller batch in a mason jar - I realized that not everyone is crazy about kraut and "needs" a 5 gallon bucket of it. I love fermenting in small batches and currently have a jar of homemade kimchi in process - I tried a new recipe this time and I'll share that once I can test it out for taste. 

Do you ferment? If so, what's your favorite to make?

This year's Kraut Day was October 1st and it was cool enough for me to wear a new sweater. The light rain gave way to a beautifully sunny afternoon, so I'll have FO pics of my new sweater to share with you next time...

CHEERS!

As I was deciding on this month’s Simply Handmade-along project, I thought maybe you were feeling the same, so…

OCTOBER | CREATIVITY | THROUGH NOVEMBER 7TH

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve realized that I’m not the only one succumbing to the casting on of “all of the things” – this has been a common theme at the shop and amongst my friends. (Please note… we admit this to each other because we live together in this crazy world of yarn/fiber/creativity, but I know admitting it to anyone else would result in us being carted off to a padded room. So no need to worry, I respect your confidentiality and will not divulge names.)

I think we all understand that it’s totally counterproductive to create more work, when you already have more than enough, but we can’t help ourselves. Yes, I’m feeling overwhelmed and although I’d like to blame the chill of the autumnal air (I might have already, at least once), or the pretty new yarn that arrived at Firefly Fibers (it really WAS talking to me like a lost puppy, so it had to come home), but I’m not so foolish that I don’t know that I only have myself to blame.

As I’ve been resisting new projects (with rare exception for work-related ones) and thinking about why this happens (to me at least) and it’s simply because I don’t make time for creativity. Maybe it’s different for you, but my (ridiculously obvious) revelation is one that had me thinking that this month’s project should be making time to be creative.

I’m a firm believer that knitting and creativity in general are good for the mind and soul. Yet, it seems that more often than not, one busy day turns into two, three, or four days, or even an entire week since I’ve done anything creative. Then when I have time to finally sit down, I feel like I “deserve” or “need” a shiny new project as a reward. How does that make any sort of rational sense?

Now, I’m not saying that I won’t cast on anything new (I know I will and I have plans for that this weekend), but my hope with making time to work on projects will have me confidently starting something new because I've been finishing projects. It seems like a win-win to me.

Where am I going to find the time and how am I going to do this? I have a rough idea and I’ll share that with you, but I’m also curious about how you will (or already do) make time to be creative and how we can learn from each other…

So, I've started a new thread here in our Ravelry group for us to share our goals, processes, and our progress so we can learn, encourage, inspire and celebrate together over the next 4 weeks. As always, I’ll be checking into our Ravelry group and sharing photos on Instagram, and I hope you'll share, too! I’d love to see what you’re working on, so please use hashtag #simplycreative2016 so we can all celebrate making time to be creative.

Are you in? I hope so! Let’s get creating!

CHEERS!

SEPTEMBER | MOHAIR BIAS LOOP | THROUGH OCTOBER 10TH

photo © Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

I love the classic simplicity of Churchmouse patterns and the Mohair Bias Loop is one of my all-time favorite. It's versatile as a light (but warm) capelet for the shoulders, or worn long or doubled up as a cowl. 

photo © Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

I knit one up a few years back (my Ravelry project page says I knit it in a week and we have almost 4 weeks) and it was a long-term shop sample at Firefly Fibers. I used Rowan's Kidsilk Haze Glamour and the yarn has since been discontinued and I've wanted to knit another for the shop (and maybe one for myself, too). So, when this arrived a couple weeks back... 

Anatolia by Julie Asselin

Anatolia by Julie Asselin

I knew Julie Asselin's new hand dyed, lace weight mohair would be perfect!

Anatolia is a mohair and silk blend, lace weight that can be knit alone for a featherweight look, or paired with other yarns for a light halo on your favorite knits.

FIBER: 60% Kid Mohair + 40% Silk
YARDAGE: 330 yards / 300m
AMOUNT: approximately 0.90 oz / 25gr
WEIGHT: lace
GAUGE: 5 sts = 1"
NEEDLE: US 6-8 / 4-5mm

The original project uses 2 balls of Kidsilk Haze, but Anatolia has a wee bit more yardage, so I'm knitting my Mohair Bias Loop using just one skein. It was hard to choose from the colors because all 12 are stunning, but I decided on Ballerine - a soft pink with warm taupe and grey undertones - and I love it! The project uses a provisional cast on and is finished with kitchener stitch, so the finished project is a loop without a seam. If these techniques are new to you, the fabulous Tin Can Knits ladies have a great tutorial here for the provisional cast on and here for the kitchener stitch.

We have all 12 colors of Anatolia in stock at the shop if you'd like to try Julie's new yarn - based on the Ravlery yarn usage, one skein with 330yds should be enough, just make sure your gauge isn't too tight so you can get the desired length - otherwise, you'll need about 350yds of a lace weight mohair. If you have time, check out some of the projects on Ravelry for more inspiration - there are some really gorgeous versions that pair the mohair with either a lace or fingering weight yarn and that's had me thinking about pairing Anatolia with either Fino or Merletto. One step at a time though. *wink*

What do you think? Are you in? I hope so and I can't wait to see what you knit up!

CHEERS!

AUGUST | CALEDONIA COWL | THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5TH

photo by Blue Sky Fibers

The Caledonia Cowl is knit in my favorite cotton, Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton and it's a perfect pairing of project and yarn. Really, the super-soft organic cotton and the garter stitch make a cowl that's not only gorgeous, but the cotton makes it a perfect summer accessory. And, what's even better... it's a super-fast knit with the yarn held double on size 13 needles! 

I knit the first one as a shop sample using the colors pictured [3 skeins (MC) 614 Drift, 1 skein each (CC's) 625 Graphite, 626 Stone, and 639 Wasabi] in just a couple evenings and quickly decided that I was going to knit a 2nd one for myself. I had enough of the 3 contrast colors left that I *could* have made an identical one with just 2 more skeins of the main color (you do have about half of a skein left), but I decided to swap one out one of the contrast colors and I'll share the new color combo soon on Instagram. It's not crazy different, just enough for a slightly different version. 

Here's a 2nd version recommended by Blue Sky Fibers using 3 skeins (MC) 80 Bone, 1 skein each (CC's) 643 Ash, 635 Sleet, and 628 Azul.

There are also some really fabulous color combos in the Blue Sky Fibers Caledonia Cowl KAL thread. 

photo by Blue Sky Fibers

So... if you fancy joining the fun this time around, you can (as always) choose any yarn you want for our KAL, but if you'd like to use the Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton (and I highly recommend this because it's a great yarn), Firefly Fibers is offering 20% OFF all in-stock Worsted Cotton through Monday, August 22nd for our Handmade-along at the brick-and-mortar shop or online with offer code 'CaledoniaKAL'. 

As an added bonus... if you complete your cowl before August 31st, be sure to share your FO photo in the Blue Sky Fibers group for a chance to win the prize for their KAL! Of course, just casting on and starting a project counts for prize eligibility in our group, but I know you won't be able to put this one down and you'll have one finished in no time at all!

I hope you'll join the fun this month, because it's REALLY FUN! If you're new to the Simply Handmade-along, you can find all the details and sign up here. 

CHEERS!

I've been ready for a few weeks with the new Simply Handmade-along July project, but since time has been passing so quickly, there's been a change in plans to accommodate the pace of life here and I hope it works out for you, as well! 

JULY | CROCHETED BEADED NECKLACE & BRACELET | THROUGH AUGUST 8TH

© Churchmouse Yarns & Teas

I've stocked Churchmouse Yarns & Teas patterns at Firefly Fibers since we opened in 2010 and I just love working with them - their patterns are well-written, beautiful (how could they not be with Jared Flood's photography), and they are such very kind folks. 

As I said... I had our July project all planned, but when a friend mentioned the Crocheted Beaded Necklace & Bracelet to me last week as a suggestion for our Handmade-along, I fell in love immediately. Somehow I missed this project coming out in February, but the timing for the hustle and bustle of July is perfect!

Please don't be dissuaded by "crochet" - THE CROCHET HERE IS VERY SIMPLE

Crochet and knitted jewelry can be fun, simple, and easy. This project is all of these (it's just a simple crochet chain with a bead here and there), plus it's super versatile for yarn and bead selection. 

What do you need? I gathered up supplies available at our shop and this is what I came up with for my project/s...

• pattern - currently available here on the Churchmouse website (click on the free pattern tab) - just copy and paste the pattern instructions to a document since they will most likely remove the pattern when it becomes part of their regular pattern line up. 
• fingering or sport weight yarn - I selected our Quince & Co Sparrow (a fingering linen yarn - enough for several projects)
• beads (size 6) - Miyuki seed beads (1 tube will make several necklaces)
• crochet hook - pattern calls for a size B (2.25mm) but I used a size D (3mm) because that's what I had and it worked really well. 
• clasp - I've got both shell buttons and a silver clasp (shown above) and I'm leaning toward the clasp
• bead threader/needle - I use a dental floss threader

I'm really happy with my first project and I'll be attaching the clasp once it's been washed and blocked. It took about an hour for me to read through the instructions, string beads, and make the chain, so it's a fast project. I really wanted to use the linen because of the durability and structure of the finished projects. Jewelry is flexible, so play around and have fun! As I said, this is all available at my shop, Firefly Fibers, but it's at our brick-and-mortar only, so just pop into the shop or I'm happy to get mail orders together if you want to contact me at the shop.

I hope you join the fun this month and I can't wait to see what you create!

And... just in case you didn't see, the winners for the first drawing have been posted on Ravelry in our group thread and there will be more drawings to come, so keep participating! 

CHEERS! 

Our trip to the marsh on Friday was highlighted with absolutely beautiful weather that was reminiscent of my hike in the Colorado mountains a few weeks back. We commented during our marsh hike, that even though Wisconsin is very different than Colorado, the landscape is equally stunning - especially on a day with perfectly blue skies. I'll be sorting through my Colorado pictures soon, so you can see what you think.  

We made another trip out early this morning. After the crazy commotion of getting the boys into the car for the 20 minute drive, everyone had a great time! With Logan now at 13+ years and Rollo a mere 5, we have to go at different paces since Rollo and can run circles around his older brother (and us, for that matter). When Logan decided it was time to enjoy a bowl of water (laying down), Hubby stayed with him, while Rollo and I went off on our own for a few miles where we saw turtles, frogs, and lots of birds, including these geese. It was beautiful again today, but the skies weren't nearly as beautiful as a couple days ago. Both boys are currently napping off their exciting excursion. 

I've also done a fair amount of cooking during our time off and hope to do more today yet. The best part of cooking during time off is not having any time restrictions - I could start something and tend to it throughout the day. I made us a fresh batch of Roasted Tomatillo Salsa from Against All Grain's Meals Made Simple, but I grilled everything this time and it added so much depth to the flavor of the finished salsa! I also made an extra large batch, so we have plenty in the freezer - it freezes REALLY well. And... I also made gyros - from scratch... 

I've been gluten free for 2 years and the benefits have been tremendous for me, but there are many things I miss, including gyros. So, on Friday I made homemade gyro meat using this recipe by The Domestic Man with this tzatziki recipe and some delicious Mybread gluten-free pitas. These pitas were SO soft and SO chewy that I could have mistaken them for the real thing (from what I can remember). I'm skeptical of the GF substitutions/recreations, but I was introduced to these pitas at our local heath food store, The Natural Way, a few weeks back and they were just as good as I remembered. YUM!!! We have leftovers and I can't wait to dig in again!

Of course, I've been knitting. I have a new finished sweater (it's been too hot to get outdoor photos of it) and I'm close to finishing a couple other projects, so hope to have details to share soon. I've been pretty focused on working through my current WIPs and I've been doing pretty well, so far. I did get a wee bit distracted because I have to finish up the next knit along project for Firefly Fibers, but it will all come together. Right? 

I'm off to knit a bit before we record this week's podcast episode and make supper. I hope you're enjoying summer and finding time to do what you enjoy!

CHEERS! 

JUNE | Leafy and Ballband Washcloths | THROUGH July 10th

Leafy Washcloth by Tricksy Knitter

Ballband Dishcloth from Mason Dixon Knitting

With how busy things have been for our little family, I can only imagine that we're not alone in the chaos as of late and I hope that the simplicity of wash/dishcloths is welcome. I wanted something low-stress, fun, small, and quick to knit. Also, we desperately need some new wash/dishcloths.

I'm planning on using some of ourlovely Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton for mine (especially great for face and body cloths and babies because it's SO soft). Of course, traditional kitchen cotton (Sugar n Cream, Peaches n Cream...) are great for kitchen dishcloths, so I might end up stash diving for kitchen dishcloths, but we'll see. Both patterns are available for free on ravelry and I'm guessing you can't just make one. *wink*

If you'd like to join me in using the Blue Sky Fibers Worsted Cotton, Firefly Fibers is offering 15% OFF all solid colors of Worsted Cotton through Sunday, June 19th with discount code 'HandmadeJune'!

And... as promised, it's almost giveaway time! Since I've been absent, we're going to extend the giveaway through the end of this project (July 10th) - yes, that means you can knit cloths to your hearts content this month and have even more chances to win! Here's a peek at what you could win...

To be entered, just make sure you've signed up officially here and shared your WIP either in our ravelry group or tagged your photos with #handmadealong on social media to be eligible (you don't have to finish, but we love seeing your FOs). Good luck!

Thanks so much to everyone that's been participating and I hope you'll join again to knit some cloths with me over the next few weeks!

Cheers!

While visiting my family in Colorado a few years ago, my cousin and I were lucky enough to sneak away for a trip to a local yarn shop - it's not often that I get to shift from yarn shop proprietor to customer -  and I was just a little excited! As I was focused on yarn and fabric, my cousin found a cross stitch kit and I merely glanced at it while we were at the shop. Upon arriving at home, she opened up the kit and I was a wee bit jealous of her newly acquired treasure and I've been thinking about it ever since.

I was so inspired by her cross stitch necklace kit that we now carry them at Firefly Fibers and I hope you love them as much as I do. Say "hello" and "welcome" to Red Gate Stitchery!

MAY | RED GATE STITCHERY CROSS STITCH | through May 29th

I did a fair amount of cross stitch growing up. Then, in my twenties I created quite a collection of DMC floss, along with cross stitch patterns and several kits. To be honest, I love cross stitching, but my time is rather limited and these projects take HOURS and HOURS to complete and I always run into a brick wall with the actual finishing of my creation. 

That's why I love these kits - everything is included (you may need craft glue, but that's about it), they're SUPER quick to start and finish, and they're wearable so you can show off my FO with minimal finishing effort. Yay! 

I'm drawn to creative pairings and the mix of traditional cross stitch with bamboo, acrylic, and leather, is simply irresistible to me. Susan, the brilliant creative behind Red Gate Stitchery, recently added some holiday bamboo and red thread ornaments to her line up and these have me thinking about getting ahead on a few holiday gifts. 

New to cross stitch? Not a problem. These projects are small and totally do-able for a first cross stitch project and Susan has a great tutorial here on her website. 

I adore these little snowflake ornaments and they would be so fast to stitch up! I'm having a very hard time deciding on which kit to start with, but I think it might be one of the black teardrop kits and the leather cuff is sure to be next up. 

Do you want to join the cross stitch fun this month? The Red Gate Stitchery kits are available at Firefly Fibers - both in our brick-and-mortar shop and online - or if you have your own small cross stitch project, please join and share your progress with that. I hope you'll join in and I can't wait to see what you stitch up!

Learn more about Red Gate Stitchery here and if there's anything that we're not stocking at the shop that you'd like to see added, please drop me a line at the shop and let me know!

PS - I keep promising a giveaway and the details will be coming soon and you'll have until the end of this project (5/29/16) to enter. Stay tuned... 

CHEERS!

All photos by Red Gate Stitchery.

After giving myself a reality check with cataloging my WIPs last week, I'm happy to report that I have 2 projects fresh off the needles, so I decided I could cast on a new one and I've taken full advantage of that as you can see here with my morning coffee...

"What is it?" you ask. I'm (happily) knitting this lovely tank... 

© Quince & Co.

Togue Pond is knit in Quince & Co. Kestrel that's a new arrival at Firefly Fibers. I'm really loving knitting with aran weight linen and this is the first of two summer tops I have planned for Very Shannon's Tops, Tanks & Tees Knitalong that runs through May 27th. I do have to say (because I've been asked a few times at the shop) that this yarn doesn't look the best while knitting/pre-blocking, but after a good wash and block, it's super soft and has amazing drape.

If you want to try some linen yarn and join Shannon's KAL, we have both Sparrow and Kestrel at our brick-and-mortar shop along with a variety of patterns, so either visit us or contact the shop by phone or email and we'll help you get everything you need to cast on - FYI, Quince & Co. stockists can only sell Quince yarns via their brick-and-mortar shops, but we are able to do mail/phone orders if you want to reach out to us. 

The next Simply Handmade-along project will be coming your way very soon *squee*, I'm just waiting for the arrival of some new goodies at the shop and then we'll be on our way! Stay tuned...

As for the rest of my weekend... I'm going to get back at the knitting, record a podcast with Mr. Yarnista and either cook supper or throw some leftovers together. 

CHEERS!

When thinking of the perfect warm weather accessory, I think of open fabric with drape and Janina Kallio is one of my favorite designers for shawls and scarves. Janina has an amazing selection of one-skein projects and keeping with our theme of something simple and quick'ish... for our April Simply Handmade-along project, we'll be knitting Orbit - a dk-weight scarf. 

APRIL | ORBIT BY JANINA KALLIO | THROUGH APRIL 30

© JaninaKallio

"Sweet and simple scarf with just one skein of DK weight yarn. So fun & quick to knit you may find yourself making one for everyone you know." ~ Janina Kallio

© JaninaKallio

Isn't Orbit lovely? If you're new to lace knitting or want a quick'ish knit with a special skein of dk yarn, here ya go!

As you know, I love Julie Asselin's yarn and her Leizu DK is not only gorgeous, but wears really well, making it extra perfect for Orbit as a warm weather accessory and I have my eye on a skein of Birch for my version...

So, you want to join the Simply Handmade-along fun this month? We'll be having a wee giveaway later (details coming soon), so be sure you're "officially" signed up and you could win a goodie later this month. 

The pattern for Oribit is available here on Ravelry and a new delivery of Leizu DK just arrived at Firefly Fibers (including several skeins of that lovely Birch), but it would also be lovely in Tosh DK or another dk weight yarn. I really don't think you can go wrong. 

You can find Janina WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | RAVELRY

CHEERS!

With all that had to be done in March, I set a deadline. Yesterday. I made it to the finish line (mostly) not exhausted - although our boys probably thought I ran away from home and hubby has been a bachelor for the last 2 weeks - and I'm pretty much caught up and even worked a bit ahead on some things. Whew! 

Why yesterday as a deadline? Well, today is my birthday and not just any birthday, it's a milestone - at 12:50PM CST, I'll be 40. There. I said it. 40. I remember thinking 40 was SO old, and maybe it is, but I think I'm feeling okay. So far.

I had a lovely trip to Door County last month with one of my most amazing gals and we had a fabulous time - a million thank you's to hubby for "manning" the shop so I could get away and not work for a couple days. My gal took this photo of me and it makes my heart smile so big. 

And, just because I love this photo from our Door County trip (I promise I will share all the details soon), I feel like sharing it, too... 

Getting away for a bit, made me realize that I need to make more time for "time off" and what better day for that, than my birthday?! 

With that.... let fabulous 40 begin! Today will be full of food, family (hopefully all of my boys remember me), relaxing, and maybe even some knitting (I hope I remember how to knit). I'm off to open birthday cards and a special birthday package from my dear cousin before we start our day. Hope you have a lovely day and relax a bit, too!

CHEERS!