Featured!

Posted on March 18, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

A fellow Iowan,  AreYouAnArtist started a blog recently, and has featured my “Love Lies Bleeding” hand dyed yarn.  You can read the blog entry here.  She features a different color every post, and I think it is a great way to showcase some Etsy items.  If you look beyond some of the earlier color themes, you will also see some great tips about drawing.  She is taking a break right now from the tips, but plans to bring them back.

 Thanks, AreYouAnArtist for the feature! Here are some of her amazing drawings:

White Bengal, Copyright AreYouAnArtist

Poison Dart Frog copyright AreYouAnArtist

 

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Fiber Friday, March 14

Posted on March 14, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Here’s what is new this week in hand dyed yarns and rovings at ThePaintedTiger!

Cheerful (I made more after it sold out the other day!)
Cheerful SW Sock Yarn

Olive What She’s Having (lace)
Olive What She's Having

Lilac & Citron Roving
Lilac & Citron Roving

That 70’s Stove (In Roving, Sock, & Aran)
That 70's Stove Roving
That 70's Stove - SW Merino Sock Yarn
That 70's Stove - Aran Bulky Yarn

Lime, Cantaloupe, Flamingo, Lemon, and Asparagus Sock Yarns in Semi-solid and Nearly Solids.
Lime, Cantaloupe, Flamingo, Lemon, and Asparagus Sock Yarns

I’ll be listing these throughout the week, and adding links to this post as I do.  All of these will be in my main store, ThePaintedTiger.com, and duplicates of the sock and lace yarns will also be available in my Etsy shop, ThePaintedTiger.etsy.com.

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A Cheerful Treasury

Posted on March 12, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Fellow Etsian, HarmonyVanlue, created this blue and yellow treasury , and there is my perky Cheerful Hand Dyed Sock Yarn right there in the top right corner!  I found out later that it did indeed make it to the front page, and I sold the yarn.  (I’m making more today!)

Cheerful treasury

Otherwise, I’ve been toiling away at dyeing up the special signature yarn for Yarny-Goodness.  It is called “A Slice of Heaven and Earth”.  Once I have a few wound and zip up a sample tube so you can see what it will look like, I’ll get some pics up here.  It is truly one of a kind art yarn.

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Great news all around!

Posted on March 8, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Friday was a great day for ThePaintedTiger.  I made my first sale on ThePaintedTiger.com I’ve been open there for about a month, and in fact had just received my March bill (where I had a small fit of ‘can I really swing this going it alone thing’?), when a few minutes later the sale came in.  Whew!

  On Etsy, I enjoyed some exposure (the good kind!!) on the front page:

Etsy Front Page, March 7

That is Autumn Aspens in the bottom row, which has been featured before.  Apparently tones of gold and brown and orange are trendy right now.  Doesn’t explain why the two skeins of it (one on Etsy, and one on ThePaintedTiger.com)  just sit around though.  Maybe the colors aren’t trendy with knitters?  Who knows.

 Anyway, I received 18 shop hearts yesterday, and 7 hearts on that specific hand dyed yarn.  I’ll take what I can get!  I did also sell two yarns, Pine & Burgundy SW Sock, and I Like Coffee, I Like Tea Lace to a new customer.

Oh, and to top it off, I sold a scarf this morning.  It is a nice feeling to have money to transfer in my PayPal account!

 Thanks for letting me brag a little bit, it is such a rare occurance to have so many good events happen on the same day!

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Fiber Friday, March 7

Posted on March 7, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Here is what is dry enough to photograph today!  Hope you enjoy!  I dyed a bunch of rovings too, and will post them soon.

 Blue Bells & Crocus Sock

Blue Bells and Crocus – Hand Dyed Superwash Merino & Nylon Sock Yarn

Blue Bells and Crocus - Hand Dyed Yarn - Single Ply Wool

Blue Bells and Crocus – Hand Dyed Yarn – Single Ply Wool

Chestnut - Hand Dyed Yarn - Superwash Merino Worsted

Chestnut – Hand Dyed Yarn – Superwash Merino Worsted

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My first hand dyed roving!

Posted on March 6, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger


My first hand dyed roving!

Originally uploaded by ThePaintedTiger

Yup, I stuck my hand in a whole huge can O’worms this time….yarn just wasn’t enough, I had to dye roving, too. Next I suppose I’ll have to buy a wheel and spin it. Hubby will be so pleased for me to have another hobby that requires expensive equipment…*grin*.

I have my eye on that Louet Hatbox spinning wheel. It is so cute, and the wheel is protected when closed (a must for our home if I want to leave the wheel out). I imagine myself spinning at the park while the children play, and all the moms will be fascinated by the wheel and the spinning. Or I can start selling my yarn at craft shows and attract customers with the spinning (hubby is pushing for me to do Art in the Park, but the Iowa Sheel & Wool Festival is the same weekend…. we’ll see what wins!)  I know, I know, these fantasies won’t play out, but it is nice for a girl to dream.

Anyway, I’ll post this bit of fluff in the shop tomorrow, along with this week’s yarns and rovings, tune in there, or stop by the blog again for Fiber Friday!

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Babies and Wizards

Posted on March 3, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

It is always gratifying when you have a repeat customer.  At least to me, it makes me feel like I am doing something right.  One such customer had purchased a scarf over Christmas, and returned when she needed a gift for an expectant friend.  Here is what I created for her…. a little hat with two pairs of booties/mitts, and a personalized baby blanket.  So sweet!

Baby Hat & Booties Set
Personalized Baby Blanket

I also knit this Harry Potter Gryffindor style scarf.  This is my BIG size, at about 7″ x 80″.  Click here if you’d like your own custom knit striped scarf  … I have 3 sizes available, and am open to special orders.  You choose your own colors.

BIG Wizard Style Scarf

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Fiber Friday, February 29

Posted on February 29, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Ooo la la…..yarn pictures!!

Pine & Burgundy Hand Dyed Bulky Peruvian Wool Yarn

Pine and Burgundy Bulky Weight Wool Hand Dyed Yarn

The Blue & the Grey - Superwash Merino Wool & Nylon Sock Yarn

The Blue & the Grey – Hand Dyed Superwash Merino & Nylon Sock Knitting Yarn

Pine & Burgundy - Hand Dyed Superwash Merino Wool & Nylon Sock Yarn

Pine & Burgundy – Superwash Merino & Nylon Hand Dyed Fingering Yarn

Cheerful - 100% Merino Wool Fingering Yarn

100% Merino Wool Sock Yarn – Hand dyed in Cheerful

Cheerful - Hand dyed Merino Lace Yarn

100% Merino Lace Yarn – Hand Dyed in Cheerful

Rainbow Oops! - Worsted Peruvian Wool Yarn

Rainbow Worsted Hand Dyed Yarn 

These are all available on my web site, ThePaintedTiger Hand Dyed Yarn .   Thanks for stopping by!!

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Oh Deer!

Posted on February 28, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

We live smack in the middle of town…just one block from one of the busiest streets.  Despite that, it is gloriously private and quiet here.  Last week, I opened the curtains in the living room, and this is what I saw:

Deer up close!

This is just part of the group, there were 9 total.  Two are the fawns that grew up in our woods this past summer.  I so enjoy seeing the deer, but I’m afraid I don’t enjoy it as much when looking at gardening catalogs.  They found my green beans quite delicious last year, going to great lengths to get through the fencing.

 More commentary on our Iowa winter….

Trapped!

This is the view from our back door (which is really the front door, but that’s another story).  After you are finished enjoying the massive and dagger-like icicles, look beyond to the glacier across the driveway.  Our plow guy insists on piling the snow right there, on top of our utility boxes.  *Sigh*  It’ll be spring soon…..right?

Tomorrow….yarn pictures!

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Roving!

Posted on February 25, 2008 by ThePaintedTiger

Roving!

I peeked out my front door to assess the sloppy weather mess that we are supposed to get here today, tonight, and tomorrow….and this was on my doorstep!  Yippee!! Something to play with during the probable snow day we will have!!  If you haven’t figured it out…this is a box stuffed to overflowing of 15 pounds (yup, 15 POUNDS) of Brown Sheep roving.  I pulled the bag out of the box to do a quick survey (plenty of pink in there….so I’ll have some with mohair in it), and look what was tucked under there!!!  A beautiful 8 oz bag of already dyed roving. 

This is one wise business woman.  I mean, don’t most dyers try to be good and not stash the things they have dyed?  I know I try to behave.  A whole bag of free roving, though….there will be some serious deliberation on what I will do with this!!!  Hmmmm….I do have a drop spindle, but maybe I’ll needle or wet felt a little somethin’ somethin’.  We’ve got black and yellow and bits of green in there…just right for someone from the Hawkeye state (although I’m a UNI Panther all the way!!!).

Anyway, my next dye day will include some of this roving, so you spinners and felters will not be left out of ThePaintedTiger any longer!

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