sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Friday, February 29, 2008

etsy friday

This is one of the most exciting fibers I've come across in a LONG time (short of the Polwarth, but those thoughts are too daring to share...) and I can't. get. a. good. photo. I mean, like this one...

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"Raven" batts by enchantedknoll.etsy.com

...I hang stuff outside the window all the time, but the sunlight's working against me. See, the batt is made of a true black superwash merino that's carded with glitz and purple/magenta sari silk fibers-- but you don't really get the depth of the black even though you can see the sari silk okay.

And this one...

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"Raven" batts by enchantedknoll.etsy.com

...with a flash, the black is true but some of the sari silk and definitely a good chunk of the glitz is washed out and lost.

So this is as close as I've come...

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"Raven" batts by enchantedknoll.etsy.com

but, *it's not it.* It's somewhere between all three and even still not.

Backing up, why am I so excited? One of the nicest vendors on etsy, Enchanted Knoll, is selling this amazing blend based on the colors of "blackbirds"-- araucuna, phoenix and raven. Each is made off of a base of black-black superwash merino and carded with the corresponding birds' colors and depth... my raven batts are made with purple and magenta sari silks and glitz, while phoenix' emphasis is on gold/red and araucuna's is green. As soon as I read the dx I was sold... and am SO glad I was :)

I could go on, but I've just finished plying the yarn I made from these batts, so next week I'll go on and on and on then, instead :) Josette is great to work with for special requests-- if she doesn't have these listed in her shop, I'm sure she'll help you out if you contact her.

Keep coming back to this vendor, too...

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Sugar body scrubs by SweetSpice.etsy.com

For the holiday season, you may remember that I picked up sample sized scrubs and bath salts from Sweet Spice (and some body scrubs for myself). I don't know about the bath salts, but the scrubs are just awesome so I stocked up after using mine for the past months... Mike said they look good enough to eat, and for reals they do! The sangria scent I've been using recently is so cool... made with cranberry seeds :) I am pretty sure almost all of Sweet Spice's ingredients are organic, a plus on an already nice shop.

I just visited SweetSpice and saw that she (five times fast!) is having a leap year sale on all cocktail scented items, 29% off for the 29th... you can check her shop's announcement for more details. If I didn't have four new jars in my cabinet I'd be jumping on that :)

Shannon was also kind enough to send me a sugar cookie scented "shea stick" sample with my order-- and FOR REALS it smells *just* like sugar cookies! See, my local market has been carrying these incredibly soft sugar cookies piled with pink frosting and sprinkles and I try not to get suckered in but always am so really, I *know* my sugar cookie smell :) The shea stick goes on slightly grainy but melts immediately on contact with skin; the stick form is really clever-- you push up from the bottom and the stick rises, less mess.

A little thicker shea butter concoction...

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Whipped shea butter by FrostFishCoveSoaps.etsy.com

Okay, I think this is the last thing I have purchased from Frost Fish Cove Soaps to share, I promise :) (Except for tubes of lipbalm, but those are lost in the recesses of winter coats so I don't think they'll show up here...) I purchased this tub of scented shea butter from Frost Fish with my last big order just b/c I hadn't tried it before and it's really well priced... I like it, but getting into warmer weather (wishful thinking), I haven't been needing it or using it much. Still, super scent and heavy-thick... if my groundhog wishes don't come true, I'll be pulling it out sooner than later :)

***

My etsy pick of the week (from an etsy seller who has purchased from my shop) is actually two items from String Theory Fiber Art... alpaca roving and silk laceweight dyed in the same colorway-- "love." It's all about the love and subsets these past days :)

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Alpaca roving from StringTheoryFiberArt.etsy.com
(photo by STFA)

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Silk laceweight by StringTheoryFiberArt.etsy.com
(photo by STFA)

I can't help but look at this combination and think (undoubtedly inspired by the lovefest I've been substituting with Intertwined on my off-days) of spinning the alpaca into a single and plying the laceweight with the alpaca for a wrapped single, throwing some coils in there for good measure... the alpaca's tendency to grow would probably be reined in with these treatments, and... it IS called LOVE yall. There'd even probably be enough laceweight left over for a smaller shawl, too.

If I weren't choked with new fiber from Stitches West, it's what I'd be doing right now :) As far as fiber goes anyways ;)

String Theory Fiber Art also has a sweet shipping deal-- free shipping on orders of $40 or more.

Nice way to jump into the weekend, even if it won't be near as good as the last. Miss you!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your Raven batts are gorgeous! I can't wait to see what you do with it. I'm glad you linked to Enchanted Knoll, I'd never been by their shop before and they have gorgeous stuff. I just bought Lady of the Lake handspun sock yarn. :)

And you are right about that sugar cookie shea stick. I bought one for my MIL for Christmas, and it smelled so good I wanted to eat it.

Lothlorian said...

Those raven batts are such a clever idea and very effective too, They are going to look amazing spun up!!

I was looking at those soaps when they came up on pounce the other day, I wonder how well they would hold up to being posted all the way here??

margene said...

Oh no! You have done it again. How do I stay away from the Raven batts?

lexa said...

Love those raven batts! Absolutely beautiful. Great Etsy Friday as usual!

Hope you have a great weekend. We are, unfortunately, having a snowstorm today. I had hoped the groundhog was right when he said spring was only six weeks away...

Anonymous said...

Your spun Love reminds me of Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Flying Anne said...

Thanks for writinng

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