Well, I have decided to start this blog again!

I realize that losing Sasha was a necessary part of life and that ignoring it won’t make it go away. This blog is an important extension of my shop and life and I need to have it for everyone.  So without further ado, my first post in forever!

I finally was able to snag a Phat Fiber box this month and it just came today!  Phat Fiber is a box full of yarn & fiber samples, along with patterns, stitch markers, buttons, coupons & other fibery goodies!  It is very similar to the Sampler boxes, but geared towards us fibery geeks!

SPOILER ALERT!!!! 
Following this is photos of what I received in the June Phat Fiber box, don’t look if you haven’t rec’d it yet and don’t want to be spoiled!!

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Here is what I got in my box!!!  The theme this month was Oceanic, so it was right up my alley!!

Opening the Box:

Inside the box:

Cute little message in a bottle:

Gorgeous handmade button:

Fish Stitch Marker

Cute purple stitch marker

All the amazing fiber samples!

And all the awesome yarn samples:

I also got two amazing patterns, a ton of coupons and lots of new vendors to buy from!!!  I just signed up to become a contributer myself, so look out for Mandalinn Knits & Spins coming to a Phat Fiber box someday in the near future!! Probably the August box, but I will post here when I am sure.

There are many new and exciting things that I am working on lately, including getting ready for SAFF…which will be my first fiber festival ever, starting a Mandalinn Knits & Spins Batt Club (yup finally!!!) and other various interesting things.

I have also been having fibery fun days here with my buds lately and will continue to do so and share the fun here.  We do everything from carding, to dyeing, to knitting, to spinning and more!  Gnat (barknknit), Krisha (susie190) & Monica (BeltwaySpinner) were here on Sunday for like 7 hours of awesome knitting & spinning!  It was the best day in a long time!

I am also quite active on Twitter lately, so please add me if you Tweet!!

And finally, I have been KNITTING like mad lately.  I have many neat projects lined up, including a sweater out of my own handspun!!!!

So I hope you will stick around as I will be adding a lot more in the days to come, I am so glad to have this going again, it is a great way to keep motivated!

Happy Knitting & Spinning!

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Whew it has been a while….

For some reason I have been totally “down in the dumps” lately and I have no clue why.  It sucks and I have been neglecting my friends, family and blog.  Hopefully I can get out of this funk soon, because it sucks.  Meh!

 Well today is Miss Bella’s surgery for her spay, microchip and softpaws, she is there right now having it done and I hope to hear something soon.  I know it has to be done, but I just worry since she is such a tiny baby still.

Hopefully she will be home soon and purring away.  And content so I can go to my SnB meeting tonight, I need some away time.  LOL!

Speaking of SnB, here is the latest project I am working on!  I finally casted on my Lady Eleanor and I love how she is coming out.  Entrelac is so much fun to knit and really keeps your interest!  It is going so quickly so far and I am loving the Noro Silk Garden I chose.

Here is my latest spinning!  Flamingo Bay—252 yards of fingering weight….65% Merino, 15% Colonial and 20% Tencel from Copperpot on Etsy!

I am really happy with how it came out.  I am work on another yarn right now that I can’t wait to put up, it will be fantastic I think!

I also have been updating my Etsy shop with 6 new rovings and 2 bags of locks.  Here are two of my faves!

 Love Bites—-5oz of Falklands roving

And Psychedelic—3 oz of Mohair Locks

Along those lines, I had to reorder wool today for my shop since I just sold off the last pound to a buyer in Romania of all places!!  🙂  So I went ahead and finally ordered a full bump of the domestic wool roving.  A full bump consists of TWENTY-SEVEN POUNDS!!!!!!!!!  I think I am freaking insane!

Also on the insane front, I just ordered a new carder, yup not too long after my first one, I ordered a new one.  AAAAHHHHH!!!!  I love my Louet Jr…..but a production model it is not and it just wasn’t fitting the bill for what I needed for my shop.  So I ordered one of these!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Yes it is a freaking Strauch’s Finest!!!  OMG I am drooling over the photos and cannot wait for it to be here.  And best of all, I ordered it from fellow Etsy-er, Artclub and she is throwing in 2 pounds of mixed fibers to boot!  I am so stoked!!!  Crazy, but stoked!!!  🙂

So be on the lookout for new fantastical batts to be coming to my little shop soon!  YEAH!

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No baby for me right now…..

Well it has officially been over a year since we started trying to get pregnant and nothing, nada, zilch.  Not even a hint of a line.  Honestly this has been the hardest thing my husband and I have ever done and it has not been easy on our relationship.

So, we are taking a break.  No testing, no adoption meetings, nothing.  It isn’t really what I would choose, but I totally understand and respect my dh with everything I have.  There is still a part of me that is screaming….YOU ARE GETTING OLDER and that the clock is quickly ticking by.  But, I know this is the best move for now.  I just wish that it could have been easy, but it seems it isn’t for a lot of people.  It is hard not to be sad though.

So moving on……..

I am finally starting to feel better from this nasty flu I got, it has been almost a week and I am tired of being sick.  It has been making the rounds in our family and lasts a good week or two and lingers longer than that with the cough and congestion.  Blech.  I am definitely going to get my flu shot this week, don’t want to tempt fate.

So obviously with being sick I haven’t gotten any dyeing or much spinning done.  Just trying to finish up my swap yarn, it is taking forever but I am loving how it is coming out.  It is some of the best spinning I have done to date.

I hope to get the dyepots up and running by the end of the week.  Same with getting my photos updated from my trip to Disney.   I just have little energy right now.

Ooooh one quick addition, I did make it to the Bucs game on Sunday.  It was an early Christmas present from Brian (my dh), he is such a sweetie.  He splurged and got us club seats.  It was fun and I loved being there, but we both agree that we like it better at home.  We are such fuddy duddies.  LOL!  You should see the tan lines we got, wowza.  That is the only thing that kept me alive during the game, the brutal sun! 

Oh and I was a naughty girl and finally used my 10% coupon at Blue Moon Fiber Arts last night, I ordered coughcougheightskeinsandasheep2shoekitcoughcough.  The new Raven series is to DIE for.  I got one skein in Octobers sock club and fell in love and knew I needed more.  I will now have 4 all together.  I decided to not rejoin the club.  I enjoyed it, but the price is a bit much for what you get and I prefer to pick out what I want.  So I placed that order, spent less and got way more minus patterns, which is fine by me.  🙂

So now I am going to try to sleep some more, without coughing up my lungs.  😉

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Lendrum ST is sold…..

Tell me why I am a bit sad?  I love my new Rose (who still needs a name and her new wheel), but I will still miss my first wheel.  Thank you for all the interest.

I got a big order of wool in today, tons of white and black merino, awesome light brown romney roving, some camel down and a bit more cashmere.  Well it was supposed to be only 0.1 pound, but they sent a pound, ugh.  So I am waiting to see if I am billed for the whole amount or not and what can be done.  It is gorgeous, but I already have 8 oz of white and I am not that proficient at spinning cashmere yet.  I do okay with it blended, but by itself, forget it.  So I might have some cashmere up for sale in the shop shortly and definitely cashmere blended batts, be on the lookout!

Off to spin and dye up some more, the shop update should be done by Monday.  I will post here when it is.  🙂

I forgot to ask, do any of you do lampwork bead making? It was something that I have always been interested in and I know I do not need another hobby, but would love any info if you have it.  🙂

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Great mail day and 2 new rovings!

Well today was a crappy day, then the mail came and I once again am very happy. LOL!

Here’s what came. If you are in HollyEQQ’s Batty Babes Club and don’t have this month’s batt yet, don’t peak unless you want to be spoiled, K?????

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I got 3 packages today!!! One from Amazon with a Stitch-It Embroidery Kit that I have been coveting for months, also had the Hogwarts School Books set and the Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning.

2nd package was 1lb of raw brown alpaca from Ebay, it is so soft and clean already. Just will take a quick scour and rinse and will be ready for carding!!

Lastly was my 1st month of HollyEQQ’s Batty Babes Club, it is so fantastic!! This month is called Girl Gothic. It is 2.8 oz with wool, mohair, angelina, romney, BFL and silk noils all in a black, white and hot pink theme. Simply fantastic! I can’t wait to spin it up!!!

I also have 2 new rovings up on Etsy for today, check them out!!

Dusk—4oz of hand-dyed Wool Blend roving

Withered—4oz of hand-dyed Falklands roving.

So now my day is looking up. I am going to go spin and clean a bit and then I am going to be dyeing up small bits in all sorts of colors for new batts I have in mind. They should be awesome. 🙂

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Doing a little dance, great day!!!!!

Today is just a fab day. I got my fanstastically awesome swap package from the Fill a Flat Rate Box Swap on Craftster. It has tons of goodies in it from EOCrafter, yeah!

I also got a new wrap per inch gauge from The Spinner’s Emporium on Etsy.

Andddddddddd the coolest most awesomest 8 ounce bag of scraps from Funky Carolina (vedabliss) on Etsy!! I can’t wait to make a fun scrappy yarn from it.

I went shopping today as well and my B&N actually had the new Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning book in so I of course got that, along with The Golden Compass on audio CD, Lace Knits, a cute plushie book and a new Nora Roberts book.

I also got tons of clothes for my niece and my bf’s son, Will. Who I will be leaving to see on the 14th for a week in California.

But the bestest news of all! I ordered a brand spanking new DRUM CARDER!!!!!!!! Hello Yarn was having the Louet Jr Roving Carder on special earlier this week and I got one for a fantastic price! It will be here Monday. I have never in my life use a carder, but love working with batts, so I can’t wait for it to be here. I am so excited!

So things are looking a bit up for me, a week in Cali and a new spinning toy, not bad.

I also opened my new Etsy Store: Mandalinn Knits & Spins, check it out when you get a chance, I am always adding new stuff!

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Too many WIP’s and new stuff!

HERE IT IS!!!!!!! My wheel!!!! Isn’t she beautiful!! I think I want to marry her.

Isn’t this gorgeous!!! I picked this up at Uncommon Threads in Palm Harbor, they are a bit of a drive, but so worth it!! Knitting, SPINNING, weaving and a ton of other stuff. I have no idea what I am going to do with this, but it will be gorgeous whatever it is!!

I picked up 2oz of this merino silk blend roving at Uncommon Threads as well, it is beautiful!

I also got this awesome SoySilk roving at UC from Conjoined Creations, the colorway is Flower Power. 4oz of soft, silky goodness! I will wait until my control is a bit better to use this, but I couldn’t pass it up!

And last, but not least, 7oz of the most squishy heaven ever!! It is 100% baby alpaca from Alpaca with a Twist, it is called Handspinner’s Dream and I know why. I am lusting over what I will make with this. But for now, I am content with just stroking and squishing it!

Well anyone want to see my disgusting amounts of WIPs and soon to be WIPs?? Or UFOs whichever you prefer. 😉

Item #1—Irish Hiking Scarf for my mom. Such

an easy pattern, I just don’t have the time lately.

Socks that Rock, by Blue Moon Fiber Arts http://www.bluemoonfiberarts.com/

This is my first sock, going very well, I don’t mind the pooling. The blue & brown is Lucy and for my mom. The pink is Rhodonite and for me.

Oh yeah, didn’t mention but I joined their STR Club, I will get a new pattern & skein every other month for a year. First one ships on Monday, Woot!

These are the super simple bootie slip-ons from PiggyHawk’s blog. You just stitch them up and they are so cute. I did find an error in the pattern though, you CO and the end of row 35, not 25. I am including the link, check it out! These are for my hopefully someday baby. Not preggo again this month though. 😦

http://piggyhawk.wordpress.com/2006/08/12/booties-super-simple-slip-ons/

Ahhh beautiful Koigu, don’t mind my messy wound balls. This Koigu is going to become my Clapotis. Yes, I know I am way late on jumping on that bandwagon, but it is perfect for the weather here in FL, especially in the fall & winter. I am hoping to have some left for maybe a small other project. It is glorious!

And finally, this is some bulky Brown Sheep Co yarn that will be made into the felted clutch in the One Skein book. I think it will be a Christmas gift, we shall see though.

Now this isn’t everything, I have a Lady Eleanor casted on and the Marsupial tote from SnB too, but there isn’t much progress on those. The spinning wheel is going to take most of my time I imagine for a while. Not to mention the time I spend on WoW too. :p

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