Merry Go Around - My Inspiration

My question for today is: What inspires us: a peak into journals, pinboards, folders or wherever we keep our little snippets of inspiring stuff...

I'll be honest, I used to keep hundreds of journals, pinboards and scrap magazine sheets for inspiration... working as a fashion designer that's what you did! I would have had so much to show and tell today... if I hadn't thrown it all out in the move from London to Devon! Since then however, I've not really been so hot on sketching and storing inspirational sheets in the same way... and I often don't keep anything either. So I'm going to be a little light on something to show and tell today.

I prefer instead is to take time out and visit a place of inspiration and be immersed in a certain style. This I find inspires me much more than my old boards and journals.

When I was in London I highlighted a few places of interest for my DIY City Magazine London Issue at http://diycitymag.ning.com/ (PDF version http://diycitymag.net/pdf/DIY-CITY-MAG-LONDON2009.pdf)

By finding my inspiration like this I am able to completely focus on a theme I've often already started formulating in my mind. Now I hear you ask, what sort of place inspires me? Well it could be a market, or a museum, a shopping area in the city, or now days in my back garden! It really doesn't matter where, it just has to speak to me in colour and texture.


In nature, it's usually plants that inspire me, they are great for showing life cycles and the colours and forms these take shape in. They can even be used to dye fibre for my projects!

I also love the seaside and now that D's closer to his family who live by the sea, I'll have a balance of inspiration in seaside views alongside my Mum's village wildlife... the birds, rabbits, badgers and much more!

I'm hoping in future to be able to share a lot more of my inspirational places as I get familiar with my new surroundings... I'll keep you posted.


Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/


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This post was part of a blog Merry go Around, where I have got together with some friends to talk about a similar subject on the same day... a nice way to meet people!

Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design http://designjennykarlsson.blogspot.com/
Nikki at Beaded Zen http://beadedzen.blogspot.com/
Wendren at Wren http://thewrendesign.com/
Sara at Sara's Texture Crafts http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/
Charlotte at Fancy Picnic http://fancypicnic.blogspot.com/
Lily at Lily Pang Art http://lilypangart.blogspot.com/
Marian at Florcita http://florcitasart.blogspot.com/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com/
Fabienne at Easterya http://easterya.blogspot.com/
Ruth at Birdland Creations http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com/

DIY City Magazine - London Issue now out!

I'm sure some of you have already heard, the London Issue launched earlier this week at http://diycitymag.ning.com/. I have taken a quick look through today and I'm sure you will agree it's another great issue from Deb and Wendy!

I just want to thank everyone who took part and allowed me to include them in this issue and especially those who helped write some of the articles too! I hope everyone enjoys the issue...

Here is a link to the PDF download version http://diycitymag.net/pdf/DIY-CITY-MAG-LONDON2009.pdf

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Knitting straight from my Spindle yarn...

So I read somewhere that I could knit directly from my drop spindle, especially if I wanted to felt my hand knitting... so I thought, let's have a go. This is my knit sample from my 1st Drop Spindle Spin (http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/2009/03/spinning-myself-in-knots.html)... you can see my attempt at spinning the Merino/Wendsleydale mix and the plain green Merino. I was quite surprised actually, not only did it knit up ok, but my imperfections of the first spin didn't notice so much!

Mum felt the Merino and asked me to spin enough for a jumper... I think my jaw hit the floor at that point... this tiny knitted sample took me an evening to spin... how long will it take to spin enough for a jumper!? Well it gives me a target to practise for!!

I'll let you know how I get on... and don't forget to check out the community group at Spinning Web

If you are looking for some fibre to spin with, or spinning equipment visit http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Saras-Texture-Crafts

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

My Etsy Shop is becoming a Fibre Deli!

http://www.sarastexturecrafts.etsy.com/ is becoming a fibre deli... a place for fibre addicts to drop in and grab their stash of rovings, blends, batts and equipments for their spinning and felting! I apologise in advance for feeding your addictions... I can't help it!



Sara x

Niddy Noddy 'ing'!

Niddy Noddying... this made me smile, one of my customers bought herself a Niddy Noddy from my shop and left feedback saying 'Thanks and that this is a lovely product', then she finished by saying 'I shall have a great time Niddy Noddy 'ing'?!' I thought what a great new term... so I'm now Niddy Noddying my own spun yarn! She's right... how else do you say it?!



I got myself one of my Ashford Niddy Noddys, so stretching the yarn onto a winder would be easier. I have a great respect for Ashford products, so it was for me something I knew would do the job.



So now that it's all wound on I have to try the next step and heat set my yarn so I can create either a skein or ball of Merino hand spun yarn.

I'll let you know how I get on... and don't forget to check out the community group at Spinning Web

If you are looking for some fibre to spin with, or spinning equipment visit http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Saras-Texture-Crafts

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Fibrefest!

I will be showing at Fibrefest on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd August 2009 at Coldharbour Mill, Uffculme, near Tiverton, Devon.

I don't have a stall number allocated yet, but I can tell you a bit about the event... Fibrefest is a festival celebrating the best in UK Fibre, Yarns & Textiles.

FIBREFEST will offer the visitor an array of exhibitor stands & stalls; a selection of workshops, seminars & demonstrations, an animal paddock, a knitting emporium & a multi coloured fibre swap shop; plus free mill museum entry and musical entertainment.

MARKETPLACE – an array of exhibitor stands / stalls offering a wide and unique range of high quality fibres, yarns, textiles and textile craft equipment.

KNITTING EMPORIUM and MULTI COLOURED FIBRE SWAP SHOP (hosted by P/HOP) - this promises to be a hubbub of activity hosted by P/HOP ... P/HOP is a fundraising knitting project for the humanitarian medical aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres ... several designers have donated free knitting patterns to P/HOP – copies of patterns will be available FREE to all FIBREFEST visitors for an unspecified donation which will go straight into P/HOP’s wonderful fundraising kitty...
...meanwhile P/HOP will host the KNITTING EMPORIUM - where folk can sit and knit and chat and exchange ideas...
...and also run the MULTI COLOURED FIBRE SWAP SHOP – which enables visitors to bring along a textile related item (be it yarn or top or a bit of craft equipment) and swap it for a different item brought along by someone else...

WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS - a selection of workshops and seminars to indulge in, including:
SASHA KAGAN knit / crochet technique lecture in the Museum cinema
VINTAGE CRANKERS sock machine workshops within the Mill building
DYEING, FELTING, CROCHETING workshops / talks in the Mill and the Old Stables
(see following pages for full confirmed workshop and seminar line-up and details)

DEMONSTRATIONS - there will be textile / natural fibre related demonstrations taking place around the site - such as machine knitting courtesy of the Guild of Machine Knitters from Taunton and spinning from the Devon Guild of Spinners and basket making demonstrated by Basketmakers Southwest.

Hope to see you there!
Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Second Spin...

Do you remember my post http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/2009/03/spinning-myself-in-knots.html? Well I've had another go and over a few evenings before Woolfest I produced this spindle full of yarn...

One of my good customers picked up her first drop spindle about the same as me, so when she said she was going to Woolfest we though it was a great opportunity to compare our yarns. Tips too if time allowed...

Dawn's spinning looked really good, she's obviously been working quite hard... so I was a bit worried to show her this, but she was very encouraging and gave me a bit of a push to try some more... I have to say I really enjoyed meeting Dawn, it was nice to put a face to the emails.

Luckily my stall at Woolfest was next to a professional spinner's stall... beautiful yarns, beautiful... had to have D look after the money belt while I swooned! It turned out that the Spinner and I were friends of a friend, so while we were chatting I picked her brains about my drop spindle spinning and she gave me some really good tips and encouragement. She had a good look at my yarn too and said it was ok for a first attempt at drop spinning, I was really quite chuffed to hear this... this craft is going to be particularly hard to master, so I felt much better about my being able to progress.

The things I have to consider before I have my next go are:

• to consider the weight of my spindle, about 30/40g is ok for standard yarns. I must weigh mine...
• practise my drafting. For this second spin I used Merino strips as a pose to rolag techniques... must go back and practise! Although I have read that both options are ok.
• Consider a natural fibre like Blue Faced Leicester (which you can find in my shop) because the longer staple creates a better tensile strength across the width of the spinning yarn/rolag and will be easier to spin than chemically coloured Merino which is less clingy (because of less scales on the fibre hairs)... Although Merino is also very good to spin with too!
• Maybe try standing while I spin, so that I can draft a longer length as I spin.

I'll let you know how I get on... and don't forget to check out the community group at Spinning Web

If you are looking for some fibre to spin with, or spinning equipment visit http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Saras-Texture-Crafts

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

An Interview for a Friend

Some of you may have come across one of my blogging pals, Mariana of Florcita (www.florcita.eu). Well, here's a piece I sent in to DIY Magazine for her that was recently published.

http://diycityguides.ning.com/profiles/blogs/florcita-brightens-up-your

Please do take a look!
Sara x

I've been Tagged by The Pink Crab!

You never do know who reads what you put out there in the ether, whether what you are saying ever really gets read, or what your readers opinions are... but one things for certain people do stumble across your musings occassionally!

A few days ago I got tagged at The Pink Crab: I've been Tagged! I never knew I'd been saved as a favourite on this wonderfully frank blog about daily musings. So thank you!

Here's my tag game answers... I made a slight change to the question, as I'm sure I answered something like this in the last year...

Five new facts about me:

1. Enjoying every minute I'm back in Devon.
2. Really loving my Garden and can't belive how much it's grown.
3. I'm learning how to Spin, in hope to get myself a wheel at some point soon.
4. Decided not to redye my hair red... not sure how long I'll put up with it though... the grey is already showing!!
5. Just booked to show at a show in August, working on my website to coincide where possible... a bit of a tall order, but you know me... never like to have a blank to do list in teh morning!!

Here's who I'm tagging in return;

1. http://gailbennett.blogspot.com
2. http://feltfinland.blogspot.com/
3. http://niftyknits-somuchyarnsolittletime.blogspot.com/
4. http://thyme2dream.blogspot.com/

I'm leaving it at 4 people, because I've noticed a lot of people are taking a break from blogging at the moment... maybe everyone's on holiday?

Sx

Working away...

If I do go a bit quiet here, it's because I'm working on my main website... it needs a bit of a revamp and so I'm spending some time looking at all of my sites together. Hopefully this will mean a better and more coherent image... at least I hope!

In the meantime I have scheduled some blog posts here to show you what I have been up to the last few months, so do keep dropping by and more news will follow shortly.

www.sarastexturecrafts.com

Woolfest 2009 - my first full fibre show.

This was my first year showing at Woolfest, so I was very excited to be there... this is me outside our tent. Gosh, I'm looking a bit tired already... but we did just drive from Devon to Cumbria and set up our stall and tent on a very hot day... so forgive my dishevelled look!D is taking time out to read his paper here... well he's allowed some time off before I get him working again!!

We camped, thinking it would be the best option... close to work and less hassle worrying about booking rooms. Fortunately the weather was on our side this year... do you remember the rain last year? (http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/2008/06/woolfest-2008-and-other-crafty-news.html) In fact it turned out very hot, so it was quite stuffy by Friday afternoon on the stall... here's me showing off my sheep and looking a little too hot!

My sheep head dress made raised quite a few smiles, which helped get me chatting to people... I even got a commission for a brooch version!

Unfortunately this is where the camera seems to have given up in the heat and wouldn't take any more shots... I'm sure we took a lot more than this! So there are no stands or sheep to show you, sorry guys!

I did meet a number of my customers at the show, which was really good. It can be a bit lonely sitting here on my own sometimes and I also think it's quite important for them to put a face to the emails... although, having seen the state of me they might run a mile in future!!

Fortunately we were very busy and I helped demonstrate techniques where I could... more on this to follow soon... all in all we had a good reception, so I'm very pleased with my first Woolfest.

Woolfest host a 'Spin in' session on the Friday night, a place to bring your wheel, or other fibre project and meet new people... I was a bit upset that I missed this, because I've found a new passion for my drop spindle... but I was invited out to a business dinner in Cockermouth... if only the Spin in was on a different night! Still dinner was lovely and an important thing for me... lots of potential and a nice little bit of recognition for my small business, so I couldn't have been more thrilled to have been invited.

We worked really hard... so when we got home D and I were really shattered, fortunately D's brother lives in Warwick now, so we had a place to stop off on the way home. Desperately want to go back... we only caught a glimpse of the castle... what a lovely place... Maybe a trip out in the future?!

I'd love to go back next year, we'll see how things turn out. Sorry that was quite a short post... I'll get my camera sorted out for next year.

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

Belated Merry Go Round: An Inspiration Point.

Oh dear... late again! Woolfest is my excuse this month!!

So anyway what is my question for today? What is your favorite publication(s)? Is there a book, books, magazine, or website that has become the bible of your art/craft?

I did write something like this a few years ago now on my blog and it's been interesting to reread it and see if it's still the same (http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/2007/10/craft-book-that-has-become-your-bible.html).

I would always have said that books are my main point of inspiration... you should check out my bookshelf at some point... and just imagine the move... boy was I cursed under every one's breath and that's before they saw the stock!! Books held a lot of comfort to me crafting away at home on my own and helped me learn some new crafts... don't get me wrong I was perfectly happy in my little bubble, but I don't really think I always got to the root of my potential, or realised the full potential of the craft I was working in.

Then an interesting thing happened... I started to blog. Blogging initially was quite personal and I really didn't understand it's potential for social interaction. Overtime this changed and I made a lot of blogging pals (This Merry Go Round being one of those blog groups)... I also got into community forums. I think that this new route had a lot to do with the day job, but was certainly inspiring.

So where do I go to get my inspiration right now? Well, as part of Sara's Texture Crafts I run a couple of community sites; Working with Felt and Spinning Web (here comes the promo bit...apologies!) Both sites where set up to help share learning ideas, and inspiration with those who shared my passion for those crafts. This idea has now become part of my business ethos; that the learning and sharing of our work should be as important to us as our crafts themselves... that's something I've really picked up on from my blogging pals and has become part of my personal unwritten crafting mantra too. It's now these sites that I turn to for inspiration more over books... my little idea is spreading and I'm finding a whole wealth of useful information and source of guidance from members who share my passion for particular craft techniques.

Sara x
http://www.sarastexturecrafts.com/

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This post was part of a blog Merry go Around, where I have got together with some friends to talk about a similar subject on the same day... a nice way to meet people!

Jenny at Jenny Karlsson design http://designjennykarlsson.blogspot.com/
Wendren at Wren http://thewrendesign.com/
Sara at Sara's Texture Crafts http://sarastexturecrafts.blogspot.com/
Lily at Lily Pang Art http://lilypangart.blogspot.com/
Marian at Florcita http://florcitasart.blogspot.com/
Agathe at Le Bar du Vent http://lebarduvent.blogspot.com/
Fabienne at Easterya http://easterya.blogspot.com/
Ruth at Birdland Creations http://insidetheartisan.blogspot.com/
Charlotte at Fancy Picnic http://fancypicnic.blogspot.com/