So, I must confess… we’ve had a couple visits from the delivery people this week. The first was to deliver some yarn I’d ordered from a shop in Berlin, Wollen Berlin. This is one of the shops I visited in Berlin what seems like ages and ages ago (hmm… probably because *checks Ravelry stash* I went in 2018?) In particular, I wanted to nab some of their (very reasonably priced) linen yarn produced under their brand. Totally going to throw TheEnabler under the bus here – I was going to limit myself to just two colors (the Caribbean blue and the Peony) and he asked “why are you limiting yourself? You should get this color too!”
So I did.
I also upped the number of skeins to be on the safe side and threw in a couple skeins of Opal sock yarn from German wool. I love the linen. The colors are amazing either on their own, or together. My goal is to (eventually) make myself some summer tops with it. I may do another one with Intarsia lace inset like I did last fall.
This, though, really does need to finish off my yarn acquisition on this side of the pond, barring something really special I can’t have shipped directly to the US. My stash bags in the closet are looking pretty full, and I’m beyond even pretending to myself I could use this all up while we’re still here. Vaccination may seem ages away, but it will come and we will go home sometime this year.
The other delivery was a lovely new Joji&Co bag all the way from Argentina. These are apparently one of the hot crafter items to get right now – they tend to sell out incredibly quickly when new stock is added whether directly on her website or on a distributor’s site. I can see why though. It’s a lovely bag, and while simple, is cleverly and well designed. If you are interested in one of their bags I suggest a) patience (you may have to try for one a few times) and b) advance planning to decide what styles and colors you want so that you can act quickly, decisively, and without regret when you get your chance.
This worked well for me – I’d decided on which styles would fit my needs (medium sized, with some form of closure to foil clever kitty paws) and that I wanted a bright color (my purses and leather luggage tend towards the traditional black, brown and neutrals). I am thrilled with my orange BAUL style. The top flaps fold over and snap closed, it has a handle on the side for carrying it, and it stays open while I’m working from it. Because it’s suede, it’s also fairly light. I prefer full grain leather for my everyday work-horse purses or leather luggage, but full grain is much heavier!
I quickly decided that my rainbow gradient project would fit nicely. The bag I was using was a bit too small, so I couldn’t put all the colors together. Now the entire project is in one place, and the spindle fits in nicely without straining the sides of the bag. Also, lets be honest – the colors are just glowing inside the orange bag. It makes me happy just to look at it.
What else makes me happy? That I’ve finished about 1/6th of the fiber and my first full turtle of fiber. It came in at 33g, or about the same weight as the spindle. Some people try to get the biggest cop possible, but I’d rather stop when spinning becomes a struggle. It’s not worth it to me to fight the spindle, and spin slower and less well just to cram more on. I could have comfortably added a few grams, but I wanted to end with some of the plain orange to go so I didn’t switch during a color transition. I’m now through the orange and working on the pink/orange mix. I’m still immensely pleased with the spindle.
Community Stuff
Warnings about the increasing violence towards the Asian community in the US (as well as Europe) started pretty early in the pandemic and became more urgent earlier this year. However, I think many of us are still processing the recent events in Atlanta, which highlight a nasty mix of racism and misogyny. If you’re looking for ways to help, there are plenty of ways to do so. This article in Marie Claire includes a number of places to donate (including funds for the families of the victims), ways to become a better advocate, and more. You can also do a quick internet search for other resources too.
Looking to support the craft community and makers? Consider backing the Radicle Threads Magazine Kickstarter:
“Our mission is to uplift, amplify, and empower Black, Brown. Indigenous, and Melanated People (BBIMP) voices and to share our knowledge, skills, and experiences with the goal of increasing accessibility for all.”
And if you’re a student who needs support, consider applying for the Jimmy Beans for Brains Scholarship. Applications are due by May 14, 2021.
“Beans for Brains is a 501(c)(3) merit-based scholarship program for artistic students attending an approved accredited institution of higher education in the United States. This program recognizes students for a variety of characteristics such as GPA, community service, project knowledge, financial need, and more while uplifting their creativity through fiber arts! This year we will award three scholarships of $2500 to students, sponsored by Jimmy Beans Wool, Madelinetosh and Knitter’s Pride.”
And lastly, if by some chance you live in/around North Devon, UK and are looking for a new job, John Arbon Textiles is hiring for Machine Operator / Retail Assistant:
We are a small team running an independent woollen mill looking for someone with an enthusiastic, friendly attitude and a willingness to learn. We recognise that this is a specialist industry, but experience is not necessary as we will provide all training needed for running machines, stock
control, customer service and more. If you have any questions or would like more information before applying then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We pride ourselves on fostering an environment where people feel valued and respected and would love for you to join our team.
I can’t vouch for the work environment, but I know their products are great.
Whew… almost there! This blog post took about four times longer to write than it should have due to frequent cat interruptions.
*minor edits March 26th to fix typos missed while fending off cats