PSA

Wine,  in combination with pizza, a silly boyfriend, too many cats and a long week makes life wonderful.

I’m never moving.

Handmade Ho-Down 2009

Have you guys heard of the Handmade Ho-Down, yet?  With all of my ramblings, reviews, and links to different etsy shops I’m sure you can already sense where this post is headed.   The Handmade Ho-Down is an SF Etsy Street Team coordinated event, and brainchild, featuring local artists with unique handcrafted products.

The Handmade Ho-Down will be held on December 3rd from 6pm-Midnight at 1015 Folsom St. in San Francisco. What does that mean?  Alcohol, music, crafty bitches, spending money, window-shopping, finding even more screen printed tee’s, kitchy items for the home, and a fun way to knock out all of your holiday shopping in one inebriated, giddy spree.

With space to hold more than 50 vendors, and the variety that local indie artists represent, there’s no doubt that each booth will feature something absolutely wonderful, unique, and wallet-threatening.  I’m going, are you?

Excitement and non.

Things I’m excited about:

* Stitches West, and building a volkswagon sized pile of yarn.

* All of the knitting that people are doing with LRB yarn.

* Fall, soups, pies, naps, and brisk mornings in the city.

* The huge fucking waves that are starting to come in, and being able to see them from the kitchen window.

* Maverik. Nuff said.

* Thanksgiving break, Bakesale Betty’s trips, LSG’s one year anniversary, and torturing Sara with yarn.

Things I’m not excited about:

* Research paper on Perpetua’s Passion (book)

* Research paper on Caligula

* Research paper on Claudius

* Research paper on … you get the idea.

* The panic I feel when trying to determine how much of everything to bring to stitches.

Things that relieve:

* Being in a sweater kick, finally.

* Knitting for myself, first time in nearly a year.

* Finishing the semester.

* Knowing that paying for school isn’t a question anymore, scholarships and grants have made my year.

*****

I’ve finished the Featherweight Cardigan. I’ll post soon with pictures, and notes. I do have one interesting result, the yardage required for the sweater was a little … off. I made the second smallest size (37″), requiring 3 skeins of malabrigo lace. It only took 1.85 skeins. What am I supposed to do with the third skein?! Make a scarf? Gahjsgh.

*****

The next little red bicycle update is coming.

Hopefully I can make an October 26th update, I’ll let you know the details as they arise! This update will include 50+ skeins, mostly 100% 2ply Snowflake Sock (last chance to get it before I switch to a similar 80/20 base), a superwash/cashmere/nylon sock yarn, worsted weight (which is awesome).

I’m beginning to test some worsted singles, and I have a few laceweight samples on the way in. If all goes to plan we’ll have lace up for sneaky-updates, debuting officially at Stitches West in February.

OH! Speaking of Stitches, are you going? What hotel are you staying at? Interested in sharing a room with some awesome girls? I’m working on finalizing my hotel details with Femme Fatale, and want to see if we can get a great group rate and a block of rooms.

New ways to waste time. :)

I’ve (finally) released my “Snowflake” sock yarn. Right now there’s sliiiiim pickin’s, all yarns listed are one of a kind – so if you like something, get it now, because I (probably) won’t be dyeing it again. Each Snowflake will be unique, randomly dyed, quirky, and should knit up without pooling. The base yarn is an amazingly squishy 2ply superwash merino, great stitch definition, and incredibly soft on your soles.

As an introductory incentive, any members of LSG, readers of this blog, or twitter enthusiasts who mention their participation/readership/addiction will receive free shipping on any item purchased through September 1st. This includes the handspun currently listed, and any that goes up during the promotion.

—

Last weekend our family was given some bad news. My cousin, Sgt. Otto T. Waycott, died in a solo car accident in Smith River, Ca. As soon as I got the news I packed my bags, and my mother, aunts and I drove the 8 hour trek through the mountains and to the coast to try to lend a hand to Otto’s surviving sister, and his mother.  We remained with the family until the Army’s representative arrived to help Otto’s mother and sister make all arrangements for the funeral, and once he entered their home we packed our bags to head back to the bay.

While up somewhere between California and Oregon I managed to finish the first Cake or Death sock, and cast on the Featherweight Cardigan. Curious about which yarn I ended up going with? I went with this, bitches:

Malabrigo Lace, in “Olive”, and I love it. I was able to get gauge with the recommended US 6 (4.00mm) needles, so I’m zipping along in the stockinette. I’m maybe four rows from separating the sleeves, and then it’s on to long, hard, boring, excruciating, unforgiving stockinette… forever. About 15″, then a little ribbing, and then?! Then I pick up 923529837535 stitches for the shawl collar. Kill me now.

Obstacles.

Just one more obstacle keeping me from finishing my shawl.

Every time I pick it up he parks himself front-and-center. :/

I think I’m in love…

If you’ve been reading for a while, or know me in person, you know how intense my desire to surround myself with handcrafted items is. I’ve done a few general review posts, showing some of my favorite Etsy shops and items. Recently I’ve been taking this determination to the next level by trying to purchase from local, California based, indie sellers as often as possible.

Several months ago I took the handmade hygiene plunge and ordered a vegan deodorant from Hiromi at Soap.Etsy.com. It arrived in a little bag full of her bar soap samples. She was quick to email me, letting me know everything I needed to know. Because I (at the time) lived about 60 miles south of the Soap HQ my mega-hippy-super-commie-vegan-deodorant arrived within a couple of days. What happened next? I converted.

It’s been a slow process due to the woes and restraints of a student budget, but I’ve been putting more and more of my hard earned cash into the pockets of people that truly deserve it. I bought I great piece of art (above) from Caitlin Kuhwald, who lives/works/creates in Berkeley. More handmade soap, from Savor (a San Franciscan!) which I absolutely adore (below) in a sweet, yet tart, Rhubarb and Raspberry scent.

What do you think will happen next? I’ve been eyeballing shampoos and conditioners from Gudonyatoo, coasters from Greenchairpress and the skirts made by Idea2Lifestyle. I’m wondering when I’ll have a falling down, abusing my wallet gleefully, and what I’ll get in the mail the following week.

Here’s a sneaky peek at tomorrows update

At 5pm Pacific I’ll list these four skeins in the etsy shop. From the top down they are…

102 yards heavy worsted/light bulky superwash merino, in pretty shades that make me think of storm clouds threatening to ruin your picnic.

118 yards worsted south african fine, lucious purples, pinks and hints of mint, chocolate and sky blue.

98 yards heavy worsted/light bulky superwash merino, it looks like the verbena flowers in my back yard.

162 yards worsted BFL in chocolate, taupe and a bronze/gold. This one is really fantastic!

Mmm squishy

More than 220 yards of worsted-to-bulky/aran-weight superwash merino in colors reminicent of baby afghans and pastel easter candies. $26, tomorrow at 6pm Pacific.

Yummy.

Grand Opening of Little Red Bicycle!

Are you ready?

6pm Pacific, June 30th 2009.

Five skeins in 5 days, each with more than 200 yards to work with.

Free shipping during this celebration!

http://littleredbicycle.etsy.com