Last week I decided to buy a set of wood folding shelves. They are a style I’ve seen around at shows for a long time, even in SCA merchant booths, but I could never find them. Every time I typed “folding wood shelf” into Google I’d get something that was more of a bookshelf than anything else and only about 3 feet high. About a year ago I bought two of those type and one immediately became integrated into the house (now full of CDs and videos). The other has been used as an endcap and filled with bags of locks. I don’t dislike it, but I wanted something that was tall enough to stand on its own and didn’t require squatting to reach the bottom.

 I ended up finding the long sought after shelves at Woodland Marketing. It was recommended by someone on Ravelry (same place I heard about Got Print!). I browsed through the different heights and widths, and decided to go with the 5′ x 4′. I thought it would be a manageable size for me, and I can use the 4 foot shelves I already have to add more space. I think these will go well with my crates in color and style.

Can’t wait to fill them up!

Did I mention they were marked 40% off?

We’re starting off the year with a bang here at Gwen Erin Natural Fibers. My first show of the year is the 8^th Annual Pittsburgh Knit & Crochet Festival held at the Four Points Sheraton in Mars, PA. 

This is my second year setting up at this event. This year I will be in a double booth, #45-46, with Cosy (Cosy Knits literally) and Maggie (Burgh Baby Gear). We’re quite excited and hope to see you there. If you come, don’t forget to stop in and say hello.

So clear your calendar!
February 10, 11, & 12, 2012
Four Points Sheraton North
910 Sheraton Drive
Mars, PA 16046

Friday – Market open from 1:30 pm to 6:30 pm ** This is new!
Saturday – Market open from 9 am to 5 pm
Sunday – Market open from 9 am to 4 pm

I don’t want these two pairs of socks to continually prevent me from making new socks. They will no longer hold me down. Onward!

Question: How do “UFOs” – unfinished objects – affect you? Do you feel obligated to finish one project before starting another? Do you have many projects going at once? What’s the oldest unfinished project you have still lingering?

I recently joined a group on Ravelry called Fleece Market. It’s a place where farmers can sell their fleeces and people like me, who just loiter around the farms but don’t actually do anything with sheep, can buy fleeces. Even though I prefer to see, smell, squeeze, and ponder my fiber before purchasing, I thought this might a good way to get ahold of some breeds I haven’t been able to find around here. And without a whole lot of thought, I “popped” on a 5 lb white BFL cross from Iowa. The fleece belongs to Sophie, who has a rather complex lineage it seems. Her mom is 1/2 Romney, 1/2 Corridale and her dad is 3/4 BFL, 1/4 Merino. Phew! Pretty exciting, eh? I was planning on dyeing this weekend, so I’ll wash some up to see how it looks clean. From what I have already seen, I think it’s going to be a good one.

I can’t say for certain the last time I actually successfully knitted an entire pair of socks. To Ravelry! Ok, wow. The last pair of socks I made were finished in 2008. That was the self-striping pair for my dad, who still has not worn them out of fear of destroying them. Just this weekend we had everyone over for a birthday party and I told him how hardy handknit socks are. In fact, I told everyone that I tend to wear my socks for days (and nights) at a time! I think it grossed them out a bit. meh.

Dad's first (and only) pair of socks. 2008.

Other than that pair, I have two who are haunting me with their perpetual unfinishedness. Also in 2008 I decided to join my first KAL, Summer of Socks. I got one sock completed for myself, but abandoned it to start a pair for my mother. I had selected two patterns that were more than just stockinette, and perhaps that was the key to my failure. I could handle the cables on my pair, but the lattice on my mom’s sock proved too time consuming. Since this double epic fail, I have not tried to knit socks. Perhaps I felt that I needed to complete these projects before I could move on to a new one. I have decided they will remain UFO’s forever. Time to start fresh with a new pair! And nothing fancy this time.

Half of a pair of socks for me.

Cuff of my mom's sock (never finished).

This event, our Winter Revel, is held at a beautiful old building at Mill Creek Park in Youngstown. It has been many things over the years including a wool mill. Now it is available to rent for parties and gatherings. Upstairs there is a fireplace with wonderful woodwork from floor to ceiling. It’s the perfect place to spend an evening dancing, eating, and reveling. And honestly, it was a nice break from fibering! I had brought my spindle but left it in my basket all night long. I just enjoyed visiting with friends, sipping apple wine, and listening to music. Not every moment must be spent focusing on the thickness of my yarn, the way colors are blending, or the gauge of my stitches.

Question: What else do you like to do to relax besides knitting, spinning, crocheting, etc? Do you have other hobbies that are related to fiber? Do you ever find yourself taking a break from one hobby to enjoy another hobby?

There were a few things standing in my way to reserving a spot.

1. Getting over the initial apprehension. I felt intimidated by the idea of advertising. I know how important it is, so I didn’t want to go about things in a casual manner. At some point I figured that if nothing came of it, I only lost a few dollars. If it worked, I could gain some new customers. Either way, I decided it was worth the risk and dove in.
2. Reserving the spot. In the past, I’d often forget to check when the next month’s ads were open, so I’d miss the rather small window to reserve a space. At the end of December I read up on all the advertising info and wrote myself a note so I wouldn’t miss the next deadline. Now I know that ads open at the same time every month, so I’ll be ready in the future.
3. What to advertise? I started paying attention to what other vendors were putting in their ads and took notes. I could do a general ad for my business; I could advertise a particular fiber; or I could advertise a particular item. That got me thinking about my products in a new way and helped me decide what to put in my ads.
4. Creating the ads. I used to maintain several fan sites in high school, so I was used to creating banners. And this was a bit more of a challenge. However, thanks to Erin I now have a lovely logo that I am proud to display. But there is more to it than just the logo. I started playing around with a few ideas, some text only, some with images. Each one highlights something a little different. Now I’m having fun!

Here are a few of the ads you might be seeing floating around Ravelry group forums this month. Notebook ads will start running in February.

However, I was recently pointed to Got Print and I may be switching. It might be a little premature on my part, since I haven’t actually ordered anything from them yet. But their prices look competitive. They are sending me a sample pack of different papers and products (for free), so I’ll be able to get my hands on something before deciding. Of course, this is all fairly moot right now since I just got an order of 1000 business cards in the mail yesterday. It might take me a few months to get through them, but I’ll be prepared for my next order when I need it! Besides, Vistaprint has sort of taken over the world. I doubt they’d miss me.

Question: Are you a loyal customer? Do you shop at the same stores (online or brick & mortar) again and again? Do you use the same service providers? Or do you chase the best deals? Are you always looking for something different, something better?