Fall

I'm going to go ahead and declare it Fall. There's a steady stream of  yellow buses outside and all of the kids have new lunchboxes. The air is chilly and my toes found the grass too cold for sandals this morning.

I'm finally due to receive my new Merino bump today. You might not find this possible- but I only used up a single bump of wool over the course of the entire summer, due to unending time/financial restraints. I have no regrets though, there's nothing like a lazy summer outdoors with a cheerful tot.

Behind Ing, you can see my barn home/studio.

Now, I'm gearing up for Fall production mode! I'm going to be applying to several new fiber shows for next year and need to start plumping my stash. My studio has been re-arranged and most of the shelves are in place, so I have plenty of fresh floor space for drying racks and crates of orders. Last night, I added a dozen new sets of ClassicBatts to the shop, and will be adding some fresh ArtBatts to my Etsy as well. I'm also adding (again) a Clearance category to help me clear out stock that has sat a little too long on the shelves. I hate to see wool sit in its packaging too long- over long periods of time, it felts! I don't know exactly how long it takes, but I do know that the longer a package sits in a shelf or in a crate in my studio- the more jostling and  shuffling it receives as I dig for packages and shift items around. Fortunately, it is very rare for a batt or set to live with me longer than 6 months, and most find happy homes within a week of their creation.

My plans for the Etsy shop, in case you're wondering why batts are trickling into stock: I'd like to keep a semi-stocked shop in order to attract new fiber friends and customers. Exposure from Etsy has always been great for me, and their new uploading features are as easy to use as my own website now, so win-win! As always, if a customer orders from both shops within 24 hours, their order's shipping charges are combined.

Pinata ArtBatt available at hobbledehoy.etsy.com

My plans for Fall are basically to the carder cranks crankin'. I've discovered over the last half-year that ClassicBatts are a customer favorite, that the new wave of lace-spinners love to gobble up RollyBatts, and that the percentage of people who like glitz/sparkle and despise it is about 50/50. Spinning has taken a backseat, though I know I'll eventually get the bug again and will spin more art yarns. Confession: I prefer spinning finer yarns at the moment- fingering weight and lace. You'll probably never see them in my shop though- they take waaaaay too long to spin, and by the time I've completed one, I have dreamed up all sorts of lacy and delicate projects for it.

Coming soon!
-Gemmy Batts (!!!)
-Fresh colorways of hand-painted Merino, Merino/Bamboo and Merino/Tencel top.
-New novelty loose and textured fibers for ArtBatts.
-Small ArtBub (mini ArtBatt) sets
-Individual small ArtBatts for sale- averaging 1 oz.