I’m happy to welcome a new online retailer to the short list of companies carrying Neighborhood Fiber Co. yarns, Handknitting[dot]com! Right now, they’re stocking a selection of the Penthouse Silk Lace. So, if you’re looking for silk lace online and my Etsy shop has none (as it does now!), head over to their Neighborhood Fiber Co. page.
Here are some of the lovely photos that Laurel at Handknitting took of the silk lace. Enjoy!
I’m slow to jump on this particular bandwagon, but I figure, better late than never. Lots of good people out their in the knitting/crochet community are donating a portion of sales to non-profit organizations doing work in Haiti to respond to this disaster. I’d like to do my part.
So, until February 15, 2010 at 11:59 pm, 25% of all sales through my Etsy shop will be donated to Oxfam America’s relief effort in Haiti. Oxfam America has 200 people on the ground in Haiti right now working to meet the basic needs of Haitian people (like clean water delivery). To learn more about their work in Haiti, visit their website at http://oxfamamerica.org.
The shop is currently stocked with sock yarn, but I’ll add more stuff as it becomes available.
I have actually been knitting since I’ve been here in Columbus. Part of my plan to face my first mid-western winter is to cover myself in knitwear. The rest of the plan involves a very very very warm down coat and snow boots. On to knitting content!
Long ago I started Ulmus (rav link). Great pattern! And repetitive but not in a bad way. Currently it looks like a big orange and purple blog, but soon it’ll be a big squishy shawl of wonder. I’m using the Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Sock in Truxton Circle and an experimental colorway.
I actually managed to finish the Maine Morning Mitts (rav link) from the Knitter’s Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. Warm, cozy, and just perfect for these cool fall days. Fall is one weather thing about Columbus that will not elicit any complaints from me. There is a crispness in the air that we never got in DC and there are lots of pretty leaves!
Pattern: Maine Morning Mitts (rav link)
Author: Clara Parkes
Source: Knitter’s Book of Yarn or Knitter’s Review website
Yarn: Farmhouse Yarns, Andy’s Merino in Deep Pink
Needles: US 7
Mods: I cast on 6 more stitches and then did 3 inches in ribbing before decreasing over the next 2 inches. Also added little white dog hairs. As I do to everything I knit.
Also, this scarf. Knit from the yummy, wonderful, squishy merino that I bought from Folktale Fibers’ booth at Crafty Bastards. I love the way the yarn transitions through 32 different colors and how soft and buttery the merino is. I was almost done knitting it before I got off the plane back in Columbus. I pretty much started knitting it as soon as I got back to my Mom’s house. The yarn totally knew what it wanted to be.
Pattern: My So-Called Scarf (rav link)
Designer: Allison Isaacs
Source: Sheep in the City website
Yarn: Folktale Fibers Yarnbow
Needles: US 13
Mods: I made it a keyhole scarf because I only had 130 yards. Also, again, with dog hair.
Since moving to Columbus, I have experienced a frightening phenomenon with which I was previously unfamiliar. This bizarre occurrence is known as Buckeye Football Season. Truly, being a DC gal, I thought I was at least somewhat prepared. After all, Redskins fans always seemed pretty hardcore to me. I was wrong. So. Very. Wrong. OSU fans are a different breed. I don’t know if it’s the cold, the lack of proximity to the ocean, or just the sheer numbers, but on weekends in the fall, everything in Columbus is about Buckeye football.
I’m still not a football fan, but I did finally cave in and give the people what they wanted.
Buckeye colorway, Studio Sock. It will be available, exclusively at Wonderknit beginning next Monday, October 26. GO BUCKS! Or something.
Also, look at me posting two days in a row!
You may have heard that I’ve resurfaced. In reality, I’ve been here in Columbus the whole time, working away on yarn for Neighborhood Fiber Co. and classes for Wonderknit. It’s been a long process, but I finally did get my studio set up and was back in DC for the Crafty Bastards Arts and Crafts Fair. The show was amazing, and I got to see a lot of friends and family.
Anyway, I’m back on track, dyeing yarn and selling to stores, as well as stocking my own Etsy shop. I’ve even got some handspun listed, the product of partnership between me and Mia (http://knitplaywithfire.wordpress.com/). Look for more updates from me in the future as I’m really getting busy and have made some major changes. It’s an exciting time for Neighborhood Fiber Co.!
Check out my yarns in Fibre Space in Alexandria, VA back in the DC area. If you’re in Columbus, stop in to see me at Wonderknit.
Well, I made it. Somehow, with all the packing, sorting, and throwing away, I managed to get the moving done. Now, if you’re looking to find me, you’ll have to look in Columbus, OH!
I’m still getting settled into a routine, but I’m really happy to be here! I’m working with Libby at Wonderknit and still setting up my studio on the premises. For now, I’ve reopened Etsy shop and stocked it with lots of laceweight yarn. I’m on a lace kick. As I get more stuff set up and properly sorted, I’ll add more yarns to the shop.
Also, I have been doing some knitting to keep me sane. I finished the Boneyard Shawl as a gift for a guy friend. I used Studio Sport in Thomas Circle. Very masculine.
I feel like all my posts lately have been about moving, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about or doing lately. The big day is this Friday, July 10 and I’ll need a few weeks after that to get things back up and running on the Etsy site.
Spent the morning at Eastern Market and then headed down to Artomatic for the last day of the show. I can’t express enough how much I’m going to miss this town and its crafty scene.
In the meantime, I leave you with a few of the photos I took for my Crafty Bastards application. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Well, not everything. But a lot of things! I’ve been finalizing moving plans and realizing that I have A LOT of stuff. Crafty stuff, book stuff, random furniture stuff. And most of it will not fit in the back of the Honda Fit.
So, this Sunday, June 28th, I’m hosting an Open House/Rummage Sale. Come on down to Chez NFC to say goodbye to moi and paw through all the yarn, fiber, and general crafty ephemera that I’ve accumulated. Details are below:
Who: Come one, come all!
What: Karida’s De-Stashing Rummage Sale and Open House
When: Sundya, June 28, 2009 from 12:00 to 8:00 pm
Where: Karida’s house, 3602 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, MD 20712
In addition to the NFC yarn you’ve seen on my Etsy site, I’ll have for sale a lot of my personal stash (yarns from Karabella, Art Yarns, Rowan and more!), books and some random supplies (paper, glue guns, a sewing machine, etc.).
Even if you don’t need to buy any stuff, come hang out with me and say goodbye. This will probably be the last time I get to see most of you while I’m living here! No need to RSVP, this is an open event. Post any questions in the comments!
Back in October, I wrote up a pattern for Neighborhood Fiber Co’s Walking Tour of DC Sock Club. The deal with Sock Club is that patterns and colors are exclusive for 6 months. Well I completely forgot that 6 months has LONG since passed and I could have posted the pattern back in April! Anyway, here it is! The free pattern for the Election Season Sock (rav link).
And I just finished the Turtle Tracks Socks for the most recent Sock Club package. Here’s a photo of the finished sock, and the pattern will be available in October.
Since I set a timeline for moving, I’ve been frantically running around trying to get things done. Things like packing and cleaning and apartment hunting and general moving madness-type stuff. At the same time, I’ve been hurrying to do the East Coast things that I’ve taken for granted. On top of this list is SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY. Most of my family lives in this area, and I’m pretty much used to seeing them on a weekly basis. So, when my Mom let me know that she was planning a 5 day trip to her retirement house in the mountains of Western NC, I was instantly jealous. And then she let me know that my Grandma was going too, and I knew I had to find a way to go too. Basically, I moved my whole working schedule around and made it work. It was just the vacation that I needed. I rested, relaxed, and soaked up lots of family time! Of course there was also lots of knitting. I’m really close to finishing my Ishbel (Rav link).
The best part of the vacation was taking a short hike with my Mom and Grandma to see Whitewater Falls. We also stopped at Fairfield Lake for some pics. I’ve never seen such lush, green terrain. We came back on Saturday, and I can’t wait for my next mountain retreat!
Also hit Handmade Mart on Sunday. Recap and haul to follow tomorrow!
Well, it’s that time. I’ve planned the last two dye workshops/studio tours that I’ll be able to have in my current location. These workshops have been lots of fun for me and (hopefully) for the participants!
The last two in this area will be on Sunday, June 7th and Saturday June 20th in my home studio in Mount Rainier. You can sign up by purchasing either of the workshops listed in the Etsy shop. Pics below are from past workshops.
The big Neighborhood Fiber Co moving sale is in full swing! Lots of stuff has been listed in the Etsy shop (http://neighborhoodfiberco.etsy.com), and today I added a TON of laceweight. Check it out.
I finished my Adamas Shawl (Rav link)! The yarn is Studio Sock and I used about 1.5 skeins. The color is leftover from the October Walking Tour of DC Sock Club. I’m so happy with the result!
Photos courtesy of the wonderful Becky who was kind enough to take my pic!
Also, if you haven’t heard, I’m selling off all the yarn and fiber in my studio before I move! I’ve set up an Etsy shop where you can find lots of discounted Neighborhood Fiber Co. goodies. I’m adding more stuff every day, so be sure to keep checking in. Here’s a sampling of what I listed today.
The cat I mean. It’s out of the bag. I started telling people over this past weekend at the MD Sheep and Wool Fest (which was AWESOME, btw). I figured it was time to share the news with everyone else. Fair warning to anyone who is not interested that the rest of this post is personal life stuff, not yarn related.
After moving into the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington DC 10 years ago, I am finally leaving the area. This summer, I am moving to Columbus, OH. There are a lot of reasons for the move, both personal and business. But the overall reason is that it’s time for a chance and I’ve been presented with a wonderful opportunity.
I will still be continuing Neighborhood Fiber Co., and will be dyeing yarn out of a studio in Wonderknit, the most kickass yarn shop in Columbus. I will also be working with Libby and Karen to bring new and exciting classes and workshops to Wonderknit which is in the adorable Clintonville neighborhood where I will also be living.
I love Washington, DC and no amount of time in Columbus will cure me of feeling like a DC girl, but I’m incredibly excited about embarking on this next great adventure!
And tomorrow I’ll return us to actual yarn-related news. I even finished binding off the Adamas shawl (Rav link) and should have photos of it!
I came, I saw, I signed books! And also ate cupcakes and drank lots of wine. And whisky. Photos from Knit Happens book party:
More are on Flickr, and they tell the sordid story of cupcakes, booze, and knitting! Plus a special appearance by Becky of This Chickadee with a lovely apron for moi.
And last week’s big party at Wonderknit in Columbus, OH was a repeat performance of me not taking pictures. Luckily, Priscilla and her hubby, Mac, were there and they took LOTS of photos. Go look at the funny one of me and Libby with soap in our boobs. It made drunk sense when we were doing it.
And now, for some rest yarn dyeing time!