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Stitching & Crafting Room:  what is your biggest splurge on yarn?  |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 08:18:32 AM
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Connie I personally like sweaters made from Icelandic - I have several and there is never a need for a coat - wind and water never get in and they wear like iron. Dale of Norway is labeled as such and there are many weights that go with that label. If I where taking the time to make a sweater for a outside guy I would purchase something that would do a soft felt during wearing that way is really keeps the cool out.
As for selling items you really need to do your research but I always tell folks if you have a great product folks will come. I have been doing fiber for 12 years and they did not beat a path to my door but rather I had to go out and find them. Now I have customers (friends) all over the world.
I never hang folks I just feed them to my pyrenees - lip smacking good.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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dkelewae
True Blue Farmgirl
1310 Posts
Diana
Saint Peters
MO
USA
1310 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 11:20:46 AM
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The most I've ever paid for a skein of yarn was $45. As for justifying my yarn purchases to the hubby, I spend a LOT less on yarn than he does on his 'techno toys', guns, ammo, ammo reloading supplies, etc. At least with the yarn I'm creating things that can be worn or used :) First time I paid $18 for some good sock yarn he said "you can buy a pair of socks at the store for a couple bucks ya know!" Well, then I made him a pair and after he wore them he said "Wow! Now I know why you like to make your own..these feel great!"
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city! |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 3:21:50 PM
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grace waht yarn would do a "soft felt"? in the past i have onyly used the cheapest of the cheap yarn (and sadly got what i paid for!) do you sell something that wouls fit the bill?
peace connie in alaska |
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frolicnfibers
True Blue Farmgirl
668 Posts
Diana
White City
Oregon
USA
668 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 3:49:47 PM
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Hi all! The most I've spent for yarn was $45 a skein from a Llama farm we visited when we were shopping for our llamas. It was one of those "ahhhhh...have to have it" purchases! But that doesn't compare to what I've spent on fiber recently, and like some of you have said, my hubby is pretty supportive because his hobbies are pricey also! People spend a lot of money for my art yarn, and that makes me feel really good about it, but sometimes a little guilty as well :/...
Diana
Please come visit my animals and my Etsy store on my new blog!
http://www.frolicnfibers.blogspot.com |
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electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 8:14:26 PM
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Back when I could still knit, I think the most expensive yarn I ever bought was alpaca. I knit a vest for my husband. It was such lovely stuff...every year when I go to the Maine Organic Farmers' fair, I drool over all the handspun, hand dyed fibers. I drool over the alpacas too.
There is just something so amazing about natural fibers, and i think alpaca is so luscious. I used to amke lots of sweaters for my family, sometimes out of Brown Sheep Wool's wool cotton blend, whcih was lovely to work with, or all those nice Icelandic wools.
After three hand surgeries i figured out I was never going to be knitting again for more than about five minutes when the pain and cramping started. I started doing hand sewing and quilting then instead. I love to sew. I have figured out this year that I can still crochet without it being too painful, what a treat!
I did buy myself a little skein of palest green silk sport weight thread last year, because it is like a big jewel to me, it is so lovely, I don't know if all I'm going to do is admire it, but I am glad I got it. I gave away most of my yarn and all my knitting books except a few of Elizabeth Zimmerman's when I stopped knitting. I do love to go in and fondle the fibers though...
Karin
Farmgirl Sister #153
"Give me shelter from the storm" - Bob Dylan
http://moodranch.blogspot.com
http://domesticnonsense.etsy.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2008 : 9:08:21 PM
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I am afraid to do the math on what my fiber addiction has and is costing me. I have about 50 head of sheep, already spent $350 for hay and not done yet...(still sore from bucking those bales), then I have to have mineral...that is 1 bag a month at $27, can't forget they get grained which has sky rocketed...$40 a month plus, vet bills, shearing cost, etc. I wash all the wool myself. (Got to save a dollar when I can). Water, electricity, dawn dish detergent, nylon bags, and time...then I card the wool...that just takes time and muscle. Then when my daughter and I are both weaving I realized that I can't keep up spinning the wool into yarn so I send 5 fleeces to a processor and the postage was $20 to get it there. By now you all know how crazy this old Missouri girl is...but girls, when that box of yarn arrived, I almost died and went to heaven except I was afraid my husband would remarry and another woman would get to knit and weave $330 dollars of my sheep's wool yarn. The cost for processing the wool per pound and having it spun cost me about $25 a pound (that does not include the expense of keeping the sheep). It is beautiful yarn and the socks are really neat made out of the brown and tan shetland wool. The corriedale white yarn has been dyed many colors (see my yarn tree on my blog). But you know what....I work hard and I enjoy my sheep and knitting and weaving..soooo I AM Worth IT! I also pack a pistol here on the farm...but I just carry a cheap 22 pistol but you need to know that I ride a $4000 4 wheeler!
How do you tell a girl from a woman? By the cost of their toys of course! I am also the same woman that will spend about a buck .20 a quart to grow green beans and process them myself than to pay .50 a can for them in the store and I hate to weed, get an achy back from bending over and picking the beans, sweat runs down into my eyes when I am snapping the beans and the range throws off the heat while I am using electricity to air condition the place....I wonder about me at times!!! Sorry for the long story but after I read your neat comments, I knew I was safe to vent to you all...is this forum the FAA? (Life is short, be happy and content where the Lord has put you). I shall die with a smile on my face and I pray you will too.
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
A woman is like a teabag - you never know how strong she is until she gets
into hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt. |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 01:58:50 AM
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lol too funny serita! i ride an $8000 4 wheeler (2 up bombadier) and we also have 2 others, a honda rancher and a kawasaki. we also have 2 snow machines including a 2 up yamaha long wide track and a 2 up artic cat jag! we wotn even talk about what we have spent on guns in the last couple of years! a .22 doesnt work for anything other than grouse and squirrels, wouldnt do much against a bear or a moose! lol i guess when put in that perspective my $14.95 splurge doent seem like that much! thanks to all you ladies for helping me to justify my fun to myself!
peace connie in alaska |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 05:11:09 AM
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Connie, I don't feel so bad now... The 22 is to scare with noise...I probably couldn't hit the back side of the barn if I had to. Don't have bears or moose here but we get very serious about the coyotes and the bobcats and a few mountain lions have been spotted around. Have a great day!
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
A woman is like a teabag - you never know how strong she is until she gets
into hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt. |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 06:56:51 AM
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Hi Connie
Sorry for the delay phones went out again and Yes, I am a dial up.
I love doing a soft felt with my Icelandic yarns. I do have many skeins in my farm shop so if you would like further information (price, colors, weights etc.) I will gladly work with you.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 07:11:50 AM
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| sarita you really need to learn what you are doing with theat .22. you will be surprised at how easy it is. the trick is to dry fire ALOT! unload it then pick a point on the wall. dry fire keeping the spot in sight at al timmes. when youc an keep the sopt in your sights thru the trigger pull then ou are ready to target practice. i use time while watching tv to dry fire every day. i out-shoot hubby *grin*. dry firing takes the chance of flinching out of the equation and makes you much less apt to flinch when you use live ammo. practice, practice, practice! let me know how it goes. peace connie in alaska |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 07:18:51 AM
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thank you grace. when i get the $$ to indulge again i will let you know. there is no doubt that i will be buying my specialty yarns form you!!
peace connie in alaska |
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 07:58:25 AM
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ROFL @ Sarita!!! You should write short stories. ;)
People don't realize all the work,time & $$ that goes into the whole
"grow your own" yarn process. Pay yourself a decent wage for the whole process and tack that onto it too. And that's just your cost, never mind a profit!
 http://bonne1313.blogspot.com/ BLOG
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 08:12:40 AM
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Connie, Grace's yarns REALLY are reasonable. I literally started to salivate when I looked through her Etsy shop just now!! LOL!! I know what I'm getting my sister for future holidays/Bdays , as she spins. I think I'll have it sent to me first though, just so I can handle it. MWWAAGGgghhhhh.....Plus I'll be doing my ABC's (Always Buy Colorado) ;)
http://bonne1313.blogspot.com/ BLOG
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 09:46:02 AM
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Grace, It is good to see you back online again!
Connie, Grace does have the nicest stuff! I haven't bought yarn from her, but I have bought silk and wooly locks and they are just wonderful! As I said before I have not spent a lot on yarn, but I finally found a spinning shop about 30 miles from me so I had to go check it out! The only bad part is that you have to drive through about 20 miles of mountain roads that are very windy and scary, but I decided I wanted to go more than I was afraid of the road! I spent 33.00 on a bag of wool so now that is my biggest splurge, but it is so beautiful and I really have been wanting to get a larger quantity of one color.
Bonne, If your sister spins, the tussah silk Grace has is really nice! It is so soft and very nice to spin. It's different from wool,but once you get used to it, it is really neat!
Grace, you are going to have to let me know what brand of wheels you have because I really want to get one! I am absolutely hooked on spinning now and I think I may make it to the guild meeting next Saturday! I am so excited!
I think it's good to splurge every now and then! It's only bad if you start spending grocery money on yarn, then you end up on Dr. Phil or something!!!!
Monica
Farmgirls Rule!
www.justducky48.etsy.com
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Edited by - oldfashioned girl on Aug 27 2008 10:23:08 AM |
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HAINAngel2000
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Mary
Sweet Home
OR
USA
157 Posts |
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HAINAngel2000
True Blue Farmgirl
157 Posts
Mary
Sweet Home
OR
USA
157 Posts |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 11:09:28 AM
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wow mary! i have never spent that much at once on any hobbie except guns! whooeee i would probably have a stroke just thinking about it!
grace, do you have any cream colored baby alpaca? i dont have neough for htis neck warmer and dont want to take it out! you cant just pull or it knors up and un-kintting almost an wntire skein isnt my idea of fun!
bonne, you arent the only one to salivate while perusing graces etsy shop! her yarns look so nummy! peace connie in alaska |
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 1:15:27 PM
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we're such enablers. We ought to call this thread : "confessions of yarnaholics anonymous"
http://bonne1313.blogspot.com/ BLOG
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 2:49:29 PM
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Mary, I could easily spend that much at the spinning shop I just found! They must have had about 10 different bags of wool that I would love to have and they run about 33.00 each! I really need to get more listed and selling on etsy so I have some $ to get a bag here and there!
Bonne, I agree with you!!!
Monica
farmgirls rule!
www.justducky48.etsy.com |
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Keeper of the Past
True Blue Farmgirl
925 Posts
Sarita
Battle Creek
Michigan
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 3:20:27 PM
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Monica, do you use raw wool to stuff your pin cushions? It is great stuffing and keeps the pins sharp. You must diffently go back to that wonderful spinning shop...think what it would cost you to pay shipping on a bag of wool...just ask me...ain't cheap! You may be able to justify another bag of wool...just trying to be a good enabler! By the way...your pincushions are really nice.
Mary, you are my kind of shopper...I would love to go through your stash!
I think it should be called the meeting of the Fiber Addicts Anonymous (FAA).
Connie, thanks for the gun shooting lessons. Believe it or not, I do target practice, I shoot cans off the fence post, or at least I did untill I had to dig a new hole to replace the shot up post...and I will let you shoot all the big guns...they are loud and I get bruised up everytime I shoot them. I may not kill them with my old 22 pistol but I can burn their behinies!
Guns, yarn, wool, four wheelers, snow mobiles....we are all farmgals aren't we?
www.coffmanspinningcfarm.blogspot.com
A woman is like a teabag - you never know how strong she is until she gets
into hot water. Eleanor Roosevelt. |
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oldfashioned girl
True Blue Farmgirl
2391 Posts
monica
oatman
az
USA
2391 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 3:31:42 PM
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Sarita, I never thought of stuffing the pin cushions with wool! I will have to keep that in mind. Thank you for the compliment! I am adding little strawberry needle sharpeners to them as soon as I get them finished! I like FAA!
Monica
farmgirls rule!
www.justducky48.etsy.com |
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 3:41:13 PM
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Connie I only have two types of cream alpaca baby right now are blends. Both are sport weight. The first is 68 yards of 40% baby alpaca, 20% Cashmere, 20%silk and 20% Merino Lamb for $10.99
The next is 96 yards of 55% baby Alpaca, 23% Silk and 23% Merino Lambs wool and that goes for $7.00.
Both are natural cream no dyes.
Hope that helps. Let me know if any of those sounded like something you might like.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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grace gerber
True Blue Farmgirl
2804 Posts
grace
larkspur
colorado
USA
2804 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 3:44:26 PM
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Monica
I got your phone message and how exciting to have found a shop and guild. Maybe you can car pool so you are not having to do the drving. I always was the driver for the group when we had to go long ways or hairy drives.
I will send you info on the wheels off site - lost the phones for three days then slipped on the wet grass late at night while checking on the goat babies and spent the last three day flat on the floor till my back settled. The last two weeks have not been my best - I wonder what I did to get the universe mad at me.
Grace Gerber
Larkspur Funny Farm and Fiber Art Studio
Where the spirits are high and the fiber is deep
http://www.larkspurfunnyfarm.etsy.com
http://larkspurfunnyfarm.blogspot.com
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
Posted - Aug 27 2008 : 4:12:18 PM
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| sarita you forgot critters and gardens lol. gotta grow things to make up for what we spend on our addictions! lol peace connie in alaska full fledged member of FAA! |
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Bonne
True Blue Farmgirl
3003 Posts
Bonne
Littleton
CO
USA
3003 Posts |
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Stitching & Crafting Room: what is your biggest splurge on yarn? |
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what is your biggest splurge on yarn?
