Small Business Saturday Special :)

I'm gonna have a trio of hand-spun yarns going up in my shop tomorrow for Small Business Saturday. Previews are up now if you wanna go see. This year, make a difference in the lives of small business owners everywhere. Shop Small.

Entering a giveaway

I'm hoping to win $50 worth of stuff from my wishlist at Knitpicks.com. If you love to crochet, knit, dye, spin, or just love to collect awesome pattern books, go check them out if you haven't already. They have super-affordable yarn, that is actually of great quality. I have used quite a few of their luxury blends (like kid mohair and silk, and merino and angora, just to name a couple) and they also have a great selection of bare yarns for dying.


So here's my wishlist:
 http://www.knitpicks.com/cfCart/viewWishlist.cfm?wishlistid=92E09541-9B54-F37A-43713A0E9D603423&media=WLBL


Now that I've "shared" it, I hope I win!

Recent finished projects

Here is my first baptismal/christening gown, made for a newborn. The most detailed, labor-intensive thing I have ever made, but lots of fun. I learned a lot from it, and can't wait to do another one! 

 This is a scarf I did for a free-for-shipping drawing at the congo. It is my own design, made of 100% wool. Six motifs joined together in a web of cream. A unique piece.

 A sock-monkey hat, custom made for a friend. She picked the colors. She wanted a pom-pom added, but I forgot to take a pic after I added it :( The pic on the left is pre-pompom. The pic on the right shows the pompom, however, and is modeled on my baby girl, Rosy.

 These next three yarns are yarns I dyed. They are 100% peruvian highland wool, and are all kettle-dyed. They are available for sale in the congo. The top one is worsted weight, in the colorway "Reflecting Water."  










The second one is fingering weight, in the colorway "Breaking Dawn."

The third one is fingering weight, in the colorway "The Roaming Gypsy."

This yarn gets big pics! It is one of my first real, usable handspun yarns. It is 151 yards of worsted/aran weight superwash merino. The fiber came from Becoming Art in the colorway "Wake Up," and was spun by me on a spindle. This yarn is also available for sale in the congo.

 This is some fiber I kettle-dyed in the colorway "Lagoon." It is 100% Peruvian highland wool. 4oz. Available for sale in the congo.

 Toddler longies for Margaret in The Yarn Gnome's "Friends Forever" colorway. Licorice Twist.

 Newborn sock-monkey hat for my good friend Jennifer's baby boy.








My customs list is now closed for the year. I am going to take this time to finish up all the orders on it, do some crocheting for me and my family and friends for the holidays, and focus more time on dying, spinning, and learning to knit. I will re-open it the beginning of the year with a special sale, and will have more things to offer. Have a safe and happy holiday season, everyone, and thanks for choosing me!  <3

Rows and Roses is now part of the Simply Serene congo on HC!

Just wanted to let everyone know that R+R is proud to be involved in the hot new congo on hyenacart, Simply Serene. We are still in the process of getting it all set up, and we plan on having our grand-opening stocking on September 8th. There will be multiple giveaways from crochet and knit, to diapers, nursing pads, and other items. You'll wanna be sure to come check us out, and I'll keep you all updated right here on the blog. And don't forget to go like us on facebook.

Thanks for being so supportive. R+R couldn't have done it without you all.

Drawing Time!!

Okay, so I completely forgot that this was supposed to be done 3 days ago. Can you tell how busy I am? Here's the list of entries:

1. MrsBrittanyBlankenship

2. beth_ann_12

3. doxielvr08

4. Amanda

5. Renae

6. tntdiapers

7. Jennifer Rojo

8. Holly Page (posted pic)

Wow, is that all?  Okay, the winner of the FFS fruit bowl is:


True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:1Powered by
Mrs. Brittany Blankenship!!

Congratulations, Brittany! Email me at: rowsandrosesATyahooDOTcom to claim your spot on my customs list.Thanks, everyone, for entering!

Time for a Giveaway!

I've been thinking: when's the last time we had a giveaway? It's been a while! I've been so busy getting my customs caught up, and working on things for various friends and family members' birthdays and such. But now it's August, and summer is coming to a close. I think it's definitely time for another give away!


I have gotten some feedback from fans saying they want me to give away a fruit bowl, so that's what's going to happen :)  The winner of the drawing will receive: one apple, one banana, one orange, one lemon, and one lime, along with a bowl to put them in. Here's what you have to do-


You must be a follower of this blog, and comment here for your first entry. YOU MUST COMMENT for your first entry BEFORE you can gain any other entries. If you do NOT comment, then your other entries will not count!!


For a second entry, send your friends! For every person who follows this blog and says that you sent them, you both get an entry.


For a third entry, post a pic on my Facebook page of something I've made for you.




That's all!! Now ENTER!! This giveaway will run until August 15th, when I will tally all the entries and use Random.org to pick a winner. The winner will go onto my customs list, and will be notified when I start their fruit bowl.

Crochet hooks- a review

I recently made a purchase on Etsy for crochet hooks, and I am so totally impressed with them, that I wanted to write a review to share with you.
I purchased a set of  14 carbonized bamboo crochet hooks from suhangsupplies. Now, anyone who has used regular bamboo hooks can tell you that they have a lot of "drag" to them. In other words, friction. I have two regular bamboo hooks I bought at the LYS that I loathe. Seriously. They seem to make my work 10 times harder. But I REALLY want to love bamboo! It is a renewable resource, and natural material, and it just makes sense to me that it would be better for me to use bamboo instead of the aluminum I've been using.
Enter carbonization. When the bamboo is carbonized, it hardens quite a lot. And smooths out (or perhaps they were just sanded? Not sure on that one.) Anyway, when I received these hooks, and took them out of the pack, the first thing I thought was, "Oh my, these are NOTHING like the hooks I already have!" I have been seriously impressed with how hard and smooth they are.
They also have a really deep throat, and a really pointy tip. These two things are very hard to find together. I have some Boye hooks with decent tips, but really shallow throats, so the yarn slips off about every third stitch or so. This is why I refuse to use them! :)  I also have some Susan Bates aluminum hooks with a nice, deep throat. I love them way more than Boye, but the tips are just not as pointed as I would like for some projects.
If you've ever wanted to try bamboo hooks, or if you tried regular ones and hated them, then I strongly recommend you try these. I got 14 hooks, size 3mm to 10mm for $19 plus shipping. I think it's safe to say I have a new favorite hook!

Types of wool

I get people asking me which type of wool they should use, and if a certain type will work for them, and so forth. So I want to talk about the different types of wool that I use, and their individual qualities. This should help you when picking out a base for a custom, or knowing, when you see a yarn in my shop that you like, whether or not the base would be a good fit for your child.


Merino:
This is the gold-standard for softest, next-to-skin wear wool. It has about a medium ruggedness, though. So if your toddler likes to slide on his knees outside, then this may not hold up well enough. For toddlers who do not spend a lot of time doing this, however, merino should work fine. It will, from time to time, need a good shave with a sweater shaver.


Gaia and BFL:
I put these two together, because they have a lot of the same properties. These are both excellent bases for newborns and younger babies who are not very active yet. They both have a sheen to them, but BFL almost looks metallic sometimes, the sheen is so high. They are both super-soft, with gaia being a bit more silky. They are not, however, very durable, which makes them not the best for active toddlers. They both tend to get fuzzy with use, requiring shaving. These are my two favorite bases to work with. They feel so good on my fingers, and slide so delightfully on my hook!


Licorice Twist (LT):
This is another extra-soft base, good for newborns through toddlers, although for very active children it will require more frequent shaving. LT is a three-ply yarn, meaning it is made up of three strands, one of which is superwash. This superwash strand takes dye differently than the non-superwash strands, resulting in a candy-cane, or barberpole effect. This yarn is my favorite for the way it looks. A softer option for toddlers, as the superwash makes it a bit more durable than other soft bases, like gaia or BFL. The pic above is LT.


Blackberry Ridge (BBR):
For toddlers, this is my all-time favorite base, hands down. It is super-durable, and does not fuzz or pill at all, requiring no shaving. However, it is nice and soft against the skin. Now that my little girl is walking, we will be using a lot more of this base, especially for longies and capris, since they have knees and I'm sure she'll try to wear holes in them! lol


Mountain Meadow (sometimes MMR or MMW):
This is a good toddler-friendly base, as well. Very durable, but still requiring shaving, and not as soft as BBR. I tend not to buy yarn in this base, because it costs more for some reason, and in my opinion isn't as good as BBR.






I think these are all the bases that I use in Rows and Roses. I am trying to type this up between two screaming kids throwing food, so please let me know if I left anything out :)

P-rolags!

I wanted to share with you my first experience in making pseudo-rolags for spinning. This was a fun project, and the fiber I used was dyed by me.


 I used some Falkland wool that I dyed purple, added a little silk that I dyed pink, and then just a hint of Firestar for some glitter.


I pulled just a little from each, and laid them out, over-lapping each other a little. 




I wasn't sure if I was doing it right; I don't know anyone in real life that is into stuff like this, and everything I've learned, I've either figured out myself, or watched on youtube, or read about in a forum. I wanted to blend the fibers a bit more, but I don't have any hand-cards or a drum carder, so alas, this was the only way to go for me.






The wool was very fluffy, and easy to draft (pull out in pieces), and the silk was yummy and smooth. But the Firestar, being a synthetic fiber (read: plastic) felt a little weird as I was pulling out strands. I laid everything out as well-blended as possible, and then pushed the sides up together a tiny bit to create a little density. I figured this would help once I started to spin it.




I took two knitting needles, and put one underneath and one on top of my fiber. Then I rolled the fiber up into a tube, and slipped the needles out.

 Voila! Pseudo-rolags! 


I ended up using these rolags to spin some Clemson yarn. I spun a long purple single, and plied it with an orange one (made of merino), and got about 76 yards of some gorgeous yarn. The silk and Firestar made the purple ply so shiny and shimmery. It will be perfect for a hat for the coming football season!


I haven't photographed the Clemson yarn yet, as I just finished it yesterday, and then it rained :(
They're not calling for rain today, tho, so I will take it outside and get a really good pic, and post on my facebook page.


Thanks for looking!

Basic Wool Care

I have drawn up a pamphlet that I include in all woolies purchases, that outlines the basics of what you should and should not do with your wool. I thought it would be a good idea to post it here, too, for reference.

Benefits and Care of Wool Diaper Covers

There are many reasons why people choose to use a wool diaper cover, as opposed to a PUL one. Some benefits of wool include:

• Wool is naturally anti-microbial, which means it doesn't have to be washed every time it is used; just turn it inside-out and allow to air. Wash once a month, or any time it gets soiled.
• Wool can absorb 30% of its weight in water without feeling wet. If your child "over wets" his/her diaper, for whatever reason, chances of having an actual leak are much smaller when using wool.
• Wool will keep your baby warmer in the winter than any other natural, absorbent fiber, BUT will keep the heat out, and body cool in the summer, due to it's three-dimensional fiber-structure. This means that wool is not too hot for the summer months.
• Longies, shorties, and skirites are super-cute!

How to care for your wool:

• Again, unless soiled, wool only needs to be washed about once a month or so. Just turn inside-out and allow to air.
• Wool should be hand-washed to keep it from felting (shrinking and turning fuzzy) and lanolized to keep it water-resistant on the outside.
• You can use a wool wash, such as WOW, by Naturally Luxe. Fill a sink or basin with tepid water, add a couple Tbsp. of WOW and swish gently. Allow woolies to soak for a few hours, or overnight. Remove, gently squeeze out excess water (no wringing or twisting!) and lat flat to dry. I like to run mine through a spin cycle ONLY, with not water or agitation, to get out the most water, and shorten drying time.
• NEVER put your woolies in the washer or dryer. THEY WILL FELT!

Now on Etsy!

I decided to start listing some stuff on Etsy. Hyenacart is great, still my favorite go-to, for selling and shopping. However, it is more the earth-friendly type thing. That's perfect for things like cloth diaper covers and hand-made toys. Not so great for things like totes and crafts. There just doesn't seem to be much demand on HC for other, "grown-up" type stuff. I'm hoping to start blending and dying my own fiber for sell, some of it luxury fibers. On HC, everyone seems to just want wool. I really like silk, alpaca, and mohair blends, which absolutely do not work for diaper-covers! I also want to start crocheting things like shawls, doilies, bags, slippers, etc. Again, not much demand on HC for things like that.
Don't worry! I'm still all about longies, skirties, and cute little toys. I just want to expand a little, and I think I'll have more luck on Etsy for things like that. So come check me out on Etsy!


 http://www.etsy.com/shop/satiglenn?ref=ss_profile I haven't figured out how to get my shop to say Rows and Roses yet; so right now, it's just Satiglenn. I'm really looking forward to branching out. I hope you all are, too!

Apologies

Let me start this post by saying that I am sorry for being a terrible blogger. Really. I am the worst at keeping posted. I am a wife, and a mother, and after those two things, crochet comes first. I have a custom list, and always something I'm trying to get finished, so between that and tending to my kids and husband (yes, he needs tending), I rarely have time to put together a good blog post. Since I already know how bad I am at this, and how little time I have to dedicate to it, it is daunting to even START a post, and so, alas, I tend to go a month or more between posts.


That said, I am going to try to do better. I am super-passionate about all things fiber-related, and I really want to pass on the excitement to my family, friends, fans, and customers. Be it crochet, dying yarn, dying fiber, spinning fiber, processing raw fleece, or (gasp!) attempting to learn how to knit (my 5-months scarf is a whopping 4 inches long), I always have my fingers in some sort of fiber-arts activity. I want to be able to keep you all up-to-date on what I've been doing, what I've finished, what I'm starting, and what I'm stumped on. I welcome comments of all kinds, whether it's a product or post request, constructive criticism, conversation, questions, or really anything short of hate-mail. You can just send that straight to my inbox: rowsandroses@yahoo.com. :)


In order to keep this blog going along, with what little time I actually have for it, most posts will probably be short and to the point. Such as a picture with a caption, and nothing more. Sorry, but that's the only way this is gonna work for me! Starting tomorrow, I will begin keeping everyone informed of what's going on here at Rows and Roses. Thank you for being a fan, and as always, please let me know if there's anything I can do for you.

Here's the giveaway, facebook fans!!

Alrighty, I'm gonna consolodate all the entries here, and then head on over to random.org to find the winner. I'm working through all the pictures first, then the extra entries. Remember, if you commented on more than one picture, you only get the one entry for the first pic you commented on.


1. Laura Beaulieu
2. Erika Pryor
3. Donnisha Cherelle Jones
4. Nicole Tackett
5. Mary Mcmenamy
6. Lisa Cour
7. Shannon Gammon
8.Jessica Hanlon-Weston
9. Amy Hollandsworth
10. Dawn Smisek
11. LaTonya Thornhill
12. Crystal Bechard
13. Melissa Miller
14. Jodie Schuyler
15. Elizabeth Hawkes
16. Mandy Inness
17. April Quinton
18. Hannah Oakley
19. Caroline J Matus Hoffman
20. Grace Shetrompf
21. Erika Renae King
22. Moxie Blu
23. Laura Mitchell Rinehardt
24. Tiffany Williams
25. Danielle Krause
26. Jessica Krenner
27. Alexandrea Finney
28. Jameson Sallens Irene
29. Devon Potate
30. Amy Bayer Lanctot
31. Candy Harvey
32. Jennifer Flint-Caulder
33. David and Katie Owens
34. Shauna Corinne
35. Ann Van Tassle Kent
36. Joy Matthews
37. Sarah Johnson Gullion
38. Addicted to Cloth
39. Jenn Teixiera Anderson
40. Kate Farlow
41. Christina Lehoux-Locke
42. Jessica Dresser (for posting the giveaway ALL OVER her store page! :) )
43. Elizabeth Hawkes (for sharing on Celebration Outlet)
44. Danielle Krause (posting on her blog)
45. Moxie Blu (posting on her store page)
46. Caroline J Matus Hoffman (posting on her store page)
47. Renae Owens (posting on her blog)
48. Amrc Giveaways (for posting on her page)
49. Kristian Smith (for giving me the idea for this giveaway. Thanks, Kristian <3)


Okay, are y'all ready? Here we go!!
And the winner is...


Kristian Smith!!!  Hooray for Kristian!! Let me know what you want me to make you!

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:49And thanks,  to all my fans for playing. We'll have another giveaway real soon ;)

200 Facebook fan giveaway

When we reach 200 fans on facebook, we will be having a giveaway!! There are five beautiful patterns that I would love to stitch up, and one lucky winner will get to choose which one they want. Here's how to enter, if you haven't already:

• Go "Like" my facebook page.
• Click on "Photos" and find the "200 fan giveaway patterns" album.
• Check out the pics (FYI: these are not mine; they are just pics that I've found of the patterns I want to make.)
• Once you figure out which one is your absolute favorite, which is gonna be hard, post here to let me know. Is it the hat? Bookmark? Baskets (you'll receive one)? Ice cream cones, or baby toy?

Once we reach 200 fans, I'll draw a name using Random.org and will announce the winner on the blog, so check back often! If you have already entered on Facebook, I'll still honor that entry. The only reason we can no longer do the entries on facebook is because of their new guidelines regarding giveaways and promos. They have come down really hard on biz pages, and the new level of dictatorship is ridiculous. 


You may receive an extra entry if you advertise this giveaway on a blog or forum. Just comment here, linking me to your post. There is no limit to how many extra entries you can get by doing this. Keep the links a-comin'!! :)


Also, everyone is allowed ONLY ONE ENTRY from commenting on your fav pattern!! For those fans who have entered multiple times by commenting on more than one pic, you will be taken down to one entry before I do the drawing.


So that's it! Go like my page, follow the blog, and tell all your friends! Oh, and if you want, you can go to my HC store and buy something...  :D

Welcome to Rows and Roses! Crochet, dye-services, and spinning services!

This is a blog for my at-home crochet business, Rows and Roses. I do pretty much anything having to do with yarn and fiber. I crochet, and am learning to knit. I love to dye my own yarn, and I am learning to dye fiber. I am a novice spinner. I am in the process of working on a raw fleece (clun forest) right now: washing, carding, and dying, and eventually blending it with other fibers and spinning it. I am a mother of three children.  I am in the process of becoming as "crunchy" as I can manage. I breastfeed, cloth diaper, babywear, co-sleep, buy organic, clean with vinegar, and am always looking for new ways to become more natural.


This blog is for giveaways and product testing. It is to be used mostly in connection to my facebook page www.facebook.com/rowsandroses  because facebook has changed all their guidelines on contests and giveaways, and now it is almost impossible to host something without having it deleted.  I will announce giveaways on the FB page, but you will have to enter here on the blog. Sorry for the roundabout inconvenience, but this seems to be the easiest way to get things done :)


Now, go tell your friends!!