HUGE SALE

As I mentioned before, I will be shifting my yarn and fiber to a new etsy shop (http://www.lovehandspun.etsy.com). Before I do this, I need to empty out the LLBSupplies store and I'd rather sell it than unlist it. SO....

From RIGHT NOW until 12 Midnight on Sunday November 30th, all items in the shop are 25% off. Every person who orders will also receive a coupon for the new store for 15% off any order and a sample of my new Fantastic Batts.

Don't Wait!! Shop Now! Please wait for a revised invoice before paying.

Thank you!
Lindsay

Fantastic Batts in the Shop!

I just listed two spinning batts in the shop this morning. I'm calling them "Fantastic Batts" because they are pretty fantastic :) What I really like about them is that they are a soft blend of different fibers in monochrome or complementary colors. These have two or three different kinds of wool, nylon, soysilk, mohair, ecospun and the pink one has sparkle.

I have a few skeins of yarn spun from these types of batts drying right now and should be listed very soon.

Weekend To Do List

1. I went to Wegman's today and bought all the ingredients to make my own laundry detergent. This recipe is for a dry powdered version:
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated - you could also try the other bar soaps)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

• Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
• Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

2. My drumcarder was returned to me in perfect working condition, so I plan to use it! The goal is to card 6 batts with fiber that I have on hand.

3. Dying! It's been a little while, so I need to dye some rovings before I run out of things to spin. I'd also like to get some up in the shop for you to buy :) I ordered some new dyes the other day called "greener shades" that are heavy metal free and better on the environment. I don't know if they've arrived at my house yet, but if they have, they will be put to use.

4. I'm also expecting a couple of fleeces to arrive by mail in the next few days. Two of them from local Western NY farms and one from a farmer on ebay. If they come I will spend some time cleaning them up. This will be a new process for me, so I'm looking forward to it.

5. Dear Husband decided he wanted to have a party on Saturday night, so I'll have to whip up some snacks and clean the bathroom (not at the same time). He'll clean the rest of the house since the party was his idea.

6. I have six skeins of yarn that need finishing, photography, and listing. I really hope I get to that.

So, it sounds like I'll be busy... let's talk Monday :)

Important Announcement

Look to your left. There is a link to sign up for my newsletter. Please click it.

Within the next month or so I plan to be moving around the web-iverse a bit. My yarns are being branded under a new business name and there will be a website, etsy store, and new blog.

SO, if you like what you see here, please be sure to sign up so that you don't loose me!

Get more out of your Online Shopping

As I've mentioned, I do a lot of my shopping on line. In the current economy, it's always really nice to get deals and discounts, and I've found two sites that give you cash back on things you buy through their site. All you have to do is sign up, use the site to find the stores you want to shop from. When you make a purchase, they will give you a percentage back.

BigCrumbs is a really nice, general cash back shopping site. It's easy to use and includes most of the major retailers plus some that you wouldn't expect.

UPromise is a great choice for parents or those of us with student loans. It's the same concept as BigCrumbs, but the money you get back can only be transferred into a student loan account or a savings account meant for your childs future education.

So, use these sites to shop online this holiday season (but only if you can't find what you want on Etsy :). Save some money, save some gas, and save yourself the trouble of fighting with crowds

A Blog Award! For me? you shouldn't have.

I've been given this wonderful award from More than Sew So and it totally made my day :)

The rules go like this:

Uber (synonym to Super) Amazing Blog Award is a blog award given to sites who:

* inspires you
* makes you smile and laugh
* or maybe gives amazing information
* a great read
* has an amazing design
* and any other reasons you can think of that makes them uber amazing!

The rules of this award are:

• Put the logo on your blog or post.
• Nominate at least 5 blogs (can be more) that for you are Uber Amazing!
• Let them know that they have received this Uber Amazing award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to this post and to the person you received your award from.

Please visit these amazing blogs. You won’t be disappointed and they will be happy to see you!

I Nominate:

1. Hobbledehoy for her yummy yarn pics and cute kittens
2. Pink Penguin - Check out her quilt in progress and her awesome tutorials.
3. Blonde Chicken for more yummy yarn photos
4. Eco Etsy street team blog for great Etsy finds and green tips
5. StitchWitch for being truly entertaining

I'm serious, go check these folks out!!

Early Christmas Shopping - Gag gifts

I tend to do a lot of my holiday shopping on line. I'm just not a huge fan of malls and shopping centers in November and December... too crazy! There are a few on my list that are deserving of some fun gag-type gifts, and I think I found the perfect site for them, Stupid.com.

Being that I have a degree in psychology, I particularly like their line of Freud toys, that include "Tickle me Freud", and "Freudian Slippers". I'm also drawn to a Harvest your own pearl Kit, that is basically an oyster in a can that you open yourself. Maybe for my jewelry making friend...

Anyways, if you've never been to this site, you really should check it out. I could spend hours just looking through all of the strange, and yes, Stupid, stuff they have.

Yarn Shop Update

All three of these can be found in the shop right now!

Featured

I was featured on Lime and Violet's blog today. Yay for getting love from the knitting community!

Updates, New Things, and General Thoughts

Here's a photo of my newest yarn, available in the shop. I've been spinning some lately... got the wheel fixed and then broke my carder!! Apparently I need to be more careful with my tools. I have plans to launch a new site very very soon that will allow all of you to buy yarn, fiber, and other spinning goodies from me and other artists all in one place. Interested in getting involved? Email me at lovehandspun [at] gmail [dot] com for more information.

The Buffalo Indie Market for November is this weekend, and I'm psyched because I haven't been there in a while. I really didn't have time while planning the wedding. The goal is to sell everything that I bring :) If you're reading this, and you're local, you should totally be there on Sunday afternoon and the Pearl Street Grill in Buffalo.

In closing, I just have to say "Yay" regarding the election results. I'm really excited to be part of history right now, and I can't wait to see what's next.

Why buy Handspun?

Hand spinning yarn is not a new craft; in fact it is one that’s been around for a very long time. While our ancestors spun yarn because they needed to in order to make clothing, our generation does it simply because we like to. As a new wave of knitters has emerged, so has a new generation of spinners who are making yarn so spectacular that it can cost upwards of $75 per skein. The variety of fibers is almost endless and the yarns themselves are just so unlike the ones you can buy in a craft store.

One of the best places to search for handspun yarn (and at more reasonable prices) is of course, Etsy.com. Type “handspun” into the search bar to find hundreds of one-of-a-kind skeins ready to be cast onto your needles. You can of course check out my shop, LLBSupplies too! Have some shipped to your home and you will immediately recognize the uniqueness of your purchase. Handspun yarn has soul, energy, and can produce knits that are like nothing you’ve seen.