And the Winner is...

Beth from Michigan!!

Beth, email me your address and I will have your fiber shipped to you ASAP.

To everyone else, thank you for playing. I will have more fun contests in the future. We just started a group on Ravelry called A Verb for Keeping Warm (I know, how original right?). I would love it if you joined us.

I, along with all of you, spy Ms. Pearl-McPhee. I heard her speak for the first time at the Maker Faire. I have to admit, I was a little leery at first. Well, when you hear second hand so much about someone...and no one can really explain exactly why they love her. I heard she is humorous, I have see a clip of her bringing knitters together in Central Park -- which don't get me wrong is very cool. However, hearing her talk was absolutely amazing. And, like those before me, I stumble over explaining her speech. I think that is what makes her so great. When you hear her speak, everything she says rings so true, and her articulation of each point she makes, so exact. However, upon reflecting on her speech, I can not explain such fine points with articulation.

This is what I can recall: she made fun of those who make fun of knitters (always a good time), she brought up alcoholism amongst those who own yarn companies (in response to the precision of knitters banding together as a unit - I can attest to both the alcoholism and the banding). My favorite part of her speech (that I can recollect at this moment, I had many moments) was her explanation of the brain. And our brains when we knit. She connected an article that I read a year or so ago about monks, who though meditation, spend a decent amount of time in a state of mind called theda. By spending this amount of time in theda, they have a lot of activity in the left side of their brain, thus raising levels of creativity. When I read the article, I believe I read that they were actually able to raise their IQ. Stephanie spoke of the similarities between meditation and knitting, the repetitive motion, and the positive physical and psychological aspects of knitting (and I would push the argument even further to include spinning). Anyhow, I hope I have recollected this correctly. I welcome others to share their experience hearing her speak and add any additional points.


In other news, the new tees are now available on our website.


Also, we are offering a new yarn. I love it. It is 100% baby alpaca. 4oz. 1000 yds. Lovely, soft, wonderful, lace.

The Maker Faire, It's the Maker Faire! A Contest!

Yesterday was Day 1 of the Maker's Faire. Today, day 2, come and visit! It is very, very fun. Very inspirational to see so many people come together to create and make unimaginable (to me) robots, contraptions, rockets, music, fire, bikes, and yarn (of course). Today, I hope to walk around alittle bit more and take photos. Yesterday, I was so overwhelmed with the sights and sounds, I could not really focus. With the one exception, I saw a werewolf! I had this funny urge to hug it?! Maybe a twisted memory of my childhood and Disney World. If I see him / her today, I will try to take a photo for you.


Here is our booth in the mid day rush. Let's play a teensy tiny game called "who can you spot?" Let me know if you recognize anyone in this photo. You will have until Wednesday at midnight (PST) to submit your answer to this blog post. I will draw a person, and you will receive a 2oz bundle of the lovely baby camel/silk tussah fiber.

Well, I better get ready to go. If you are coming to the Maker's Faire. We are in the Bizarre Bazaar building. Hope to see you soon!

Maker's Faire & CNCH

What? I don't know. What? This is what it sounds like in my brain. This is a snippet of a conversation I have with myself when I try to multi-task. Multi-tasking does not work. I want to believe it does. I once read an article in the NY Times that talked about how multi-tasking lowers your IQ. That all of these gadgets we try to use to save time, like the iphone, actually distracts us, dis-allowing (if this is a word) to never really fully focus on anything. Kind of like instilling ADD. Life has been a little crazy.

Maybe it is the weather, the shifts from cool to very warm, the wind whipping through today, lifting all sorts of debris. Yet, the roses are in bloom. They are so unbelievably beautiful their red, pinks, and yellows. Spring makes my senses swoon.

Part of the problem is that I have so much to tell you. And, I keep waiting for the best time to tell you instead of just letting you know. So, here it is!

First, I have to tell you about Y Knit. This is a new-ish podcast. They have 6 episodes. I love this podcast. I highly recommend listening. Witty and intelligent. Leather and Lace. Art and Craft. Listen and Laugh.


Then, there’s the studio. Adrienne and I have been working our buns off on this one! Yes, I am a perfectionist. I want everything done yesterday. I want the place to shine as if I have a million dollar budget. I want this space to look like I have lived in it for 10 years and it to look like a mixture of Wes Anderson's design sense (think Royal Tannenbaum's or the Darjeeling Limited - completely off the subject: not a great movie, but boy did I love the set design!) and some kind of obscure London textile gallery. OK, well this vision clearly takes time. It's something that I have to grow into, a vision that must be developed along time. At then end of the day, I only have myself to fight with, and really -- not so much fun.

So! I have decided that we must have a party! April is a little hectic. I will get to that momentarily. I am hoping to have the party in May or June. I hope, if you are in the area (read California) you will stop by. Details to follow in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned.

The 3 following events all take place on the weekend of May 3 & 4:

Maker's Faire: Bazaar Bizarre
San Mateo County Fairgrounds
I have never been, and am excited to be part of it. I hear that it is the Bay Area's wacky version of a science fair. I can't wait to see all of the zany inventions. Bring your drop spindle and join us!

CNCH Sacramento
Brooke and Maia will be representing A Verb for Keeping Warm and Tactile. This event hosts thousands of amazing weavers, weaving workshops, and a great array of fiber and yarn vendors.

Maryland Sheep & Wool
A Verb for Keeping Warm is making its East Coast premier! Our fiber and yarn will be available at the Cloverhill Yarn Shop booth. This booth is going to be amazing. Jolene has chosen to spotlight 18 independent dyers and designers. Hopefully, next year I will be able to make it out to Maryland. I hear the event is a ton of fun!


In other news, Color Fiber Festival, held last Saturday at PSR, was a great success. People brought their wheels, spindles, and needles and spent the day together doing what we all love and live to do -- create beautiful objects out of wool, silk, alpaca -- fiber! It was wonderful spending the day with the talented women of Tactile, Pigeonroof Studios, and Girl on the Rocks. Thank you to everyone who participated.

I hope to see you this weekend at Maker's Faire!

Color Fiber Festival: Spring 2008

I would like to invite you to Color Fiber Festival!



Expect a laid back day of spinning, knitting, crocheting, etc. Bring your wheels, spindles, and needles. We will be there offering naturally dyed fibers and yarn along with Tactile Fiber Arts, Pigeonroof Studios, and Girl on the Rocks. We will also be offering drop spinning classes and fiber tastings. I would love it if you can make it.

Baby Bumps.

Happy Easter! The Easter Bunny came to my house and left this on my desk. This weekend, life has been very fun and very crazy. The weather has been absolutely beautiful, sunny and warm. My dad called the other day, just as I was walking to my car, in a light sweater. When I asked what he had been up to -- he answered that he had just finished snow blowing the driveway. Whoa.

I signed my lease to my new studio. Adrienne could not be more thrilled for multiple reasons. We can now cook again in our kitchen or I should say will be able to cook more in our kitchen. We now get to shower in a bathtub that will be clean, shiny, and white instead of pink or purple. Plus, she gets use all sorts of power tools and build things, kick up dust, come home smeared with paint. She actually just sat down next to me and said "Look at my bruises. Aren't they pretty."

I had a heart stopping moment this weekend. Literally, my chest tightened. "Oh, my God, what am I doing, Oh my God, Oh my God". It went away though. It probably will return and go away again. One thing that dawned on me, a total duh, that I can now have open studio hours. I have had two dreams my entire life. Literally for as long as I can remember. Owning a house, a creeky, antique, hardwood-ed floor house, with a big porch, and a huge garden. The other, owning a store. I used to create stores in my basement. Each store had a different theme, the jewelry store, mini-Target, the hardware store. I would go around the house stealing things, putting price tags on them, creating displays for them. And, now, I am actually going to have a kinda sorta lil' store. A dry run really. Now, for a little preview of the studio.

The person who rented this space before me built this little room inside of a little room. A Russian doll. He's a percussionist and was trying to keep down the noise. I don't need a little room.


Adrienne painted today. We ran to Ikea twice this weekend (ouch) shopping for countertops.

Today, I taught a drop spinning class at Article Pract. It was so much fun. I love teaching people about fiber and spinning. Here are the little bumps of fiber each new spinner received. I hope everyone continues to practice and make yarn!

Very soon I will post photos of Carmen. It is completely done save for a button which is sitting right here, next to my computer eagerly awaiting its new button home.

Let's get Physical, Physical!

Wow! It feels like a long time since my last post. Honestly, I am still getting my bearings straight post-Stitches. I had been working so diligently towards that goal, that now, I feel a little discombobulated. I imagine it is something like running a marathon. Training for months, engaging not only the physicality of it but the mental and emotional aspects as well. I have never run a marathon but for the first time in my life, I feel drawn to do so. Another form of process in which you can watch your mind, body, and emotion evolve.


But then it’s over, the goal completed, and for the first couple week, my muscle memory walks me the area where my raw materials live and there are none. I dyed them all. And. I am kinda crabby because I am overtired but am running on adrenaline. But then again, exhilarated because Stitches was more than I could have ever expected. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones.

I am completely taken aback how much talent is in this field, moreover, the fact that the talent continues to grow and broaden. I had the opportunity to meet Nicole and Jenny from the podcast Stash and Burn. If you have not listened to them, check them out. I have listened to them for years and love their warm, kind and personable style. Nicole just announced that she has started a new podcast where she talks about TV watching – I am sure it will be hilarious.




Then, there was the Passport (deserves a capital letter). When I mentioned the Passport idea to Casey and Jess of Ravelry, I imagined that we might have some kind of sheet of paper for vendors to stamp. Of course, as we all know from the stunning execution of Ravelry, with everything Casey and Jess do, they bring it to the next level; aesthetically, functionally, fairly, and otherwise. Once again, they took an idea, and rebuilt that idea into something far more than imagined. It was also great to meet everyone who came by with their Passports. If I stamped your passport, REMEMBER YOUR COUPON FOR FREE SHIPPING, EXP 4/30.


Thank you to everyone who supported my business at Stitches and purchased fiber and yarn. Now, I have more confidence in my business. I have a little more wiggle room financially. This week I made a decision that I have been fretting about for months. I rented a studio. I am so excited. I have a printer, with a press (this could come in very handy), on one side of me, and a man who makes custom dentist chairs on the other. Over the next week, I will be moving in, doing some minor remodeling. Hey, do any of you have a free electric stove hanging around your house?


So, what have I been doing instead of dyeing? I have been knitting!! I am so thrilled. I am so mad at Christina and Leslie! They have created this outstanding pattern, Carmen, (actually a series of patterns) that I can’t put down. Literally. Except maybe to feed the dog. I highly recommend their patterns. They are simple, straightforward, sophisticated, and use a surprisingly little amount of yarn.

This week I delivered 3 lbs of fiber at Article Pract. Stop by and check it out. More is on its way (if I can put down my knitting). Also, Piedmont Yarn Studio on Piedmont Ave. is carrying my fiber. Both stores have a very sweet, helpful staff, if you are local or are in the area, stop by and check them out.

More photos of knitting to come soon…

Stitches West 2008: Big Ol' Thank You!

Thank you so much for all of those who came to Stitches West, visited us, supported us, etc! I loved meeting everyone and the excitement of it all. This post is going to be pretty short. I am working my buns off to get things organized post-stitches. More to come soon!