January 2014 Newsletter – Archive

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Click the above image to read January 2014’s newsletter. To subscribe to the current newsletter & thus qualify for the giveaways & sales, subscribe here. It’s only once a month & I will  only use your email to send you the newsletter: no spam, & you can unsubscribe at any time.

More Handspun Confetti Yarn: New Colors

Dpp 2225

More handspun confetti yarn has been added to the website. I like to call this light & lofty yarn “confetti” because before I spin the roving, I card it with bits of leftover wool, silk & angelina fibers (for sparkle!). 🙂

DPP_2231

One of the first yarns I made & knitted projects from evolved into what is now confetti yarn. Currently it is mostly made up of roving from a small mill in Maine that I re-card adding my own bits of fiber throughout. The dyeing/overall color has to be credited to the mill. Now that I am dyeing my own fleece confetti yarn will most likely evolve into a product designed completely from raw, but that still remains to be seen. So long as I can obtain the base roving at a decent price I’ll continue to buy it. Plus I could never replicate the colors seen here (nor would I try!).

DPP_2237

If you enjoy a thick yet light feeling yarn like I do, you would most likely enjoy this series. I love to knit a winter hat or a scarf/cowl with this. It also makes a nice trim for projects. I normally us a US9 knitting needle.

DPP_2247

I love to process my fleece from raw but there is something so satisfying about drum carding roving and being able to spin virtually right away. I used to spin this particular roving straight out of the package but I like to spread out the fibers even more on the drum carder as well as add my own flair.

DPP_2242

As this is a wool mix and spins up quickly it is one of my least expensive yarns for sale. I can give a sizable discount if bought in person since I do not incur any shipping/packaging fees.

DPP_2225

I have spun more yarn than I can ever use so I’m happy to share it for those interested in purchasing it. That said, I’m also happy to squirrel it away & wait for the inspiration to hit for a new knitting project.  🙂

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New Engraving Fonts

Curlz

As mentioned in a previous post the studio is open but you will see some favorite customizable products on the website missing. I have 2 new engraving fonts and thus am updating/revamping the missing products. I should have prototypes completed within the week, and barring the need to order in supplies we should see the new and improved products back for sale in about 2 weeks. I’ll reintroduce them one at a time here on the blog once ready, as well as on my newsletter where you can also receive discounts and a chance to win product.

I actually own many fonts for manual engraving, however not all are suited for the kind of engraving I mostly do. I usually do jewelry with one or two letters, or monogram initials, and some of the fonts I have are either too plain or not suited size wise or style wise for either. A couple products I offer now are on the time consuming side as I have to fiddle with the font to get it to look proper for one initial rather than a whole word. A slanted font will look lovely in text, but horrible as a stand alone initial. In this case I need to play with the size and the angle of the blank when I engrave. It’s a skill I certainly can do, but the more time it takes to engrave one piece the more expensive, essentially, the piece becomes. I am committed to offering my products at the best price, but this also means it has to be a fair price for me. I literally time myself when making a piece, and will always continue to look for ways to become more efficient without sacrificing quality. Time is money, as they say…

So here’s a peek at the 2 new fonts I am adding to my collection. The first one is called Curlz. It will replace most of the engraving on the children’s pieces:

curlz

It’s a fun font and on the larger template side, so suited for 1 or 2 initials for most of the work I do.

I also obtained an upright script, as I the script I use now is slanted, which as mentioned above needs a bit of play in order to look good as a stand alone letter. An upright script will alleviate the need for measuring and guesswork when engraving one or two initials.

uprightfontalphabet

I am also going return the use of the Old English font, especially on personalized bookmarks. I also already own a curlz type font that I am calling curlz vintage. It is very old and a collector’s item to me. It will be another variation available. Be sure to keep an eye out both here on the blog & on the website or sign up for my monthly newsletter & never miss an update on new and improved products. I look forward to sharing them with you!

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