traveling rhinos // yarn + fiber adventures

on moving forward.

As previously announced, I've moved my blog over to a new location: elingeling.typepad.com.  Please bookmark the new site.  All new entries will be posted there, though I'll be keeping this blog archived here, 'cause I'm nostalgic like that.

I'm looking forward to new adventures!  I hope you'll join me on my journey (there will still be yarn + fiber, I promise).   

2nd annual cabin fever show this weekend!

(cross posted from my new blog) I've still got promised studio photos to edit + share, but I am rather frantically preparing for a show this weekend and thought I ought to pop in + give the show information out before it's here!

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Got cabin fever?
Then the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show is just what the doctor ordered. And the doctor wants you heart healthy on Valentine’s Day, so shop indie for your sweetie! Browse for fabulous handmade wares from 60 of the area’s top independent designers, artists and artisans at the 2nd Annual Cabin Fever Indie Gift Show. Choose from an exceptional array of indie goods: jewelry, handbags and wearables, stationary and paper goods, re-purposed accessories, gourmet foods and flowers, bath and body products, plus lots and lots of chocolate and hearts!

Cabin Fever will be held indoors at the Cathedral Hs Gym (home to the SoWa Holiday Market) in the thick of the SoWa Art and Media district, within walking distance of Boston’s best artist studios, galleries, boutiques and restaurants. So mark your calendars for Sunday, February 13th. Handmade retail therapy at its best!  www.cabinfevershow.com

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I've got lots of new flowers, pudgy bears, toast + more, plus mounds of yarn + fiber that I've been hoarding for this show, so please stop by to say hello + check things out if you're in the area!

open studio event this weekend!

So, I moved into a new (physical) space as well recently-- a new studio!  It's at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell, MA, and I love it!  I've been taking my sweet time choosing colors, painting the walls, cleaning the floor, moving furniture around... and now I have just one day to finish it all (or at least make it presentable), because I'm participating in my first WAS First Saturday Open Studios event this weekend! 

Saturday, February 5th to be exact.  At the same time, I'm also participating in an event called Gifts from the HeART that's happening within the studio buildings.  You pick up a postcard and visit participating studios, where you get a sticker for stopping by.  The more stickers you collect, the larger the gift certificate drawing you get to enter.  So fun!  And I'm ridiculously excited to give out stickers. 

If you're in the neighborhood, please stop by and say hello!  I'm having a studio-warming party during open studio hours, 12-5.  I'll have food + drinks + stickers!  And specials!  As in sale prices + stuff that never makes it online + probably some freebies.  My studio is #410, in the C Mill.  I'm not on the printed directory yet, but I'll have signs + postcards up.  I'm listed as migration goods on the flyer below (click to enlarge).

 
Of course, if you need additional motivation, there are over 140 artists in the building, and a large number of them participate in open studios.  Oh yeah, and the Classic Elite Factory Store is also at WAS. Have a great weekend!

on being deliberate

It seems like I've been writing and re-writing this post in my head for months now.  In truth, it's probably only been a few weeks; but many of the things I want to touch on have been bubbling up in my thoughts for quite some time.

It's no secret that I'm an irregular blogger, and in the last year or so I've been feeling exceptionally uninspired and worse (in my mind), closed off.  I'd like to, right now, share a little more of where I'm at. 

2010 was kind of rough for me and mine personally, and without going into too much detail, a death in the family early on in the year resulted in what was essentially a year of playing catch up.  This came after 2009, which I will forever think of as The Year of Ten Weddings and Too Many Craft Fairs.  And while I am extremely grateful to have such dear friends and family to spend time with, and the opportunity to travel for shows, and regret none of the travel & expenses & efforts of that year, I see now that I allowed myself to be carried along by what was being thrown at me, in both personal and work life, instead of making conscious choices about what I really wanted to do. 

It's become sort of a pattern for me.  I've come to realize that by not making what I wanted and needed to do for me and for my little business (which is my full-time job) a priority, I have allowed myself to be carried along by what life throws at me, rather than choosing what I want to do and focus on. 

Want to take part in a cool wholesale show?  Sure, even though I don't have enough stock, or enough experience with selling wholesale to know that I don't have enough stock.  Want to write a book on dyeing yarn?  Definitely, even though I hate precision measuring & writing recipes.  Travel across country to a show you know nothing about?  Sure, I've never been to that city before! 

Basically, I allowed myself to be so concerned with either making enough money or missing out on an opportunity that I said yes to things without stopping to find out if I was really ready or even really interested in what I was saying yes to.  And I certainly didn't spend enough time figuring out if the choices I was making were going to bring me to where I eventually wanted to be. 

I made things because people were buying them, not because I really wanted to make them.  I spun off businesses and started new lines because I thought that that was what I should do.  Instead of focusing on the things I started out caring about, I just took on more and more because I thought that was what growing a business meant. 

I have been lucky enough not to be ruined by any of the decisions I've made, and I've learned a lot trying out different opportunities that presented themselves.  I got by, no matter what came my way, and even thrived.  However, I found myself nearing the corner of Exhausted and Burnt Out this past fall, while still being nowhere near Financially Comfortable Land, and figured it was time for some big changes. 

As a result, I cut down on the number of shows & commitments I made for the holidays, and started thinking about what I really wanted out of my life and my business.  I found and read this book, I slowed down and tried to say no when I wanted to, I took a time out. 

Here's what I've decided.  I want to keep making things, by hand.  Not design them and then have someone else make them.  I want to make things that I am proud of and enjoy making, and I want to share them with other like-minded folks without being so concerned about whether my business is growing fast enough or keeping up with what everyone else is doing.  When I first started making & selling things, I didn't know enough to care about what others were doing.  And I did well.  Really, really well.  I made things I was proud of and didn't concern myself with trends or markets or the demands and requests of others.  And while I do need to stay within the bounds of making a living and running a business, I think it is crucial for me to go back to a place where I have more balance between what I'm happy & proud to be making and what others want from me. 

I want to be in a place where I am making deliberate choices about what I make and do, not in a place where I do what I think I should do or what others think I should or want me to do.  To that end, I have decided that for me and my small business, 2011 is the Year of Being Deliberate.  Making conscious choices that will get me to where I want to be, both short-term and long-term. 

First and foremost, I'm working on bringing myself back into my business. I do everything myself-- design, make, package, sell, ship, haul, promote-- so why have I been hiding in the background?  I am working on a new, simpler online presence, which includes a lot more about me (and the life behind-the-business-scenes), and I am finally leaving some of my past business monikers behind.

I will still be working with fiber-- dyeing, spinning, carding, knitting -- I can't imagine not having that in my life.  But I will also be bringing my fiber work + sewing + jewelry making + illustration combined into the mix, instead of segregating it off to another world of its own.  I want to move ahead with all that I do & love, all working together.  I'm so excited about the possibilities!  Thank you for reading what has been hard for me to write & share.

I've been plotting out lots of projects and things to share.  I'll be announcing the new blog-site here very soon, and I hope you will move forward with me there to the next stage of my journey. 

holiday shop 2010!

This is the first time I've done anything like this.  I think because usually at this time of year I'm so overwhelmed it's all I can do to get me + my merch to all the holiday shows in (almost) one piece.  This year I made a concerted effort not to overextend myself. 

So while I'm still feeling a little crazy over here, I did manage to gather a nice bunch of things that I normally only have in-person at craft fairs into an online holiday shop.  I hope you'll take a look around!  I have no plans to stop dyeing fiber + spinning yarn, but I'm excited to see where sewing + clay take me. 

For those who only have eyes for wool, I'll also have new yarn + fiber items tomorrow night... plus, a secret surprise reveal soon! 

Bazaar Bizarre is (almost) here!

Hooray!  This is always one of my favorite shows of the year, and I've got lots of fun new stuff to unveil there.  It's tomorrow!  We're in booth #30, please stop by and say hello!!

Bazaar Bizarre Boston 2010
Noon - 7pm
@ the BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont Street, Boston
Hope to see you there!

like, whoa.

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving!  I've been spinning + sewing up a storm in preparation for holiday sales + updates!  I'm finally feeling almost sort-of caught-up and ready to share.

The postcards shown above are already available in my migration etsy shop and at migration @ bigcartel.  There's even a 25% off code in my etsy shop announcement that's good until midnight on 12/4!

What I'm really gearing up for though, is posting a nice selection of ready-to-ship + made-to-order gifts.  This includes wooly petal brooches, ornaments, and more.  (Can anyone say fiber club?)  I'm getting these updates ready for next Tuesday + Wednesday, 12/7 + 12/8.  If you're not already signed up for the newsletter or following me on twitter, I'll be announcing there first. 

I always seem to forget how quickly this time of year flies by.  This year, I am really trying to stay grounded and actively trying to remember to take some time for myself and those closest to me.  I hope you are enjoying the season wherever you are!

PS. There's also an offer for 15% off all purchases in the yarn + fiber shop right now.  Good through 12/4 @ midnight, check the shop announcement for code + details!

this weekend: in Lowell!

this is where I'll be, with a big old pile of yarn. I'd be honored if you'd stop by and say hello. there will be sweets!

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=152400348134135
www.119gallery.org/

 

hello rhode island!

Craftopia! This Sunday, 10-5, in Pawtucket, RI. So much awesomeness.
We'll be in booth #33, please stop in and say hi.
More info here.

(mini) pumpkins & stitches (east)!

 
October has gone by so quickly I can hardly believe it.  I've been unexpectedly away from the blog for a few weeks while caught up with the drama of life.  I don't even have photos of everything that I've been working on, just this shot of my adorably tiny sugar pumpkin, which is all the decoration I've got for Halloween this year. 

Also (and long overdue): Allison is the winner of the last giveaway!  (Allison, please send your mailing address to migrationgoods[at]gmail[dot]com.) 

In the meantime, I'm down in Connecticut for Stitches East this weekend.  Am vending as part of Indie Spun, and I have SO.MUCH.NEW.YARN.AND.FIBER. with me.  Our booth is ALL indie handspun/handdyed yarn + fiber, I was drooling over all the good stuff as we went through boxes last night.  You can read more about all seven of our awesome spinners + dyers here at the indiespun blog. 

Please stop by if you're in the area!  Indie Spun is in booths #318 + #320.  Webs is a vendor too, and Habu, there are classes, booksignings, a fashion show, and so many other booths full of yarn + fiber! 

Indie Spun at Stitches East :: October 28 - 31, 2010
Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, CT
Booths #318 & #320

Market Hours (Open to the public Fri-Sun 10/29- 10/31)
Friday & Saturday :: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday :: 10 am - 4 pm

More info:
Stitches East website
Directions to Convention Center
Market Coupon ($2 off entrance fee!)
Vendor Map (don't forget, #318 & #320!)

Non-Stitches attendees, I haven't forgotten about you!  I'm not shipping while away, but I'm offering free shipping in my etsy shop through October 31st for blog readers.  Just leave a note that includes  "STITCHES" at checkout, and shipping will be refunded to you when I get back.  *This includes Canada!  Other international buyers get 1/2 off shipping.

cozy up neutrals giveaway

In celebration of some top-secret collections I'm working on, I'm giving away two warm + fuzzy treats, just in time for the cooler weather that is hitting us here.

I'll be giving away the last of the woolen bird's nests that I have left (as pictured in the previous post) and one of the woolen flower brooches below.  The nests are made of wool + hemp fiber, hand-shaped, and hold two little felted wool eggs.  The brooches are made of fulled wool, with individually cut & sewn petals. 



Please leave a comment on this post to enter (I'd love to hear what sort of cool-weather crafting you're working on).  For additional entries, sign up for our newsletter (above right), and/or retweet my twitter announcement (I'm @elingeling on twitter!).  If you're already on the newsletter list, just confirm your subscription type and leave an additional comment telling me so.

Entries will be accepted until Friday! 10/1 at 11pm EST. 

cooling down

Brrr!  It is suddenly quite chilly in New England.  The sudden cooling down always makes me want to bundle up and hunker down for the inevitable snow and COLD.  Except, running a small handmade business full-time means that the fall is BUSY with preparing for fall + winter craft fairs and sales.  Especially since half of my business is fiber and knitting related, which is decidedly skewed toward colder weather.



What this usually means is that in our house (half small biz/half teacher), September through December = chaos, culminating in little to no sleep the last few weeks, then jumping into holiday stuff with family.   Personal stuff gets tossed aside until the very last second, and in January I usually collapse for a few weeks before dragging myself up to really start the new year.

This year, I made the choice to keep October relatively quiet event-wise, hoping that the extra time would allow me to be better prepared for the fall & winter.  I really wanted this time because I've been realizing that our lives seem to be a constant game of catch-up.  Without really jumping up on my soapbox, a teacher's job is never truly finished.  There is always more to do, and the same can be said for running a small business, and I'm an insatiable multi-tasker.   Pretty sure that's not healthy though.  We've been running ourselves ragged, and the sacrifices we make always seem to be the ones that involve our own well-being. 

So I'm taking this coming month to slow down and re-evaluate how I'm running my business, and also to help us re-center ourselves at home.  This mostly means really taking weekends to do things for US-- choosing & preparing food slowly, getting out in the fresh air, and doing little things like watching movies or reading a book.  I really hope that this re-centering will help me realize how to run my business better and more efficiently, and allow me to spend more time creating and crafting. 

In that vein, this past weekend was spent quietly at a small local fiber fest, cooking, eating, and with a little leisurely magazine reading.  Fine, I was transferring files from my retiring computer too.  Old habits die hard.  No photos were taken of anything we did, but we made chili, this green bean salad, and this chickpea salad.  (Both salads are highly recommended!) 

And while getting back to work this morning was a little slow-going, I didn't start the week out tired.  Maybe I'm on to something here.  Here's wishing you some pleasant slow-down time. 

PS. I never knew that this existed.  The fiber fest was held in the associated event building nearby, and we walked through this afterwards looking for something to eat.  It was a little scary inside, and we left quickly without eating. 

PPS. Giveaway (involving the nest above + more) starts in a little over an hour!

another winner!

Ms. Daisy would like to announce the winner of the mini spinning wheel necklace:



"Hi!  Treats!  Treats?  Oh yeah, winner.  It's Number Three!  Janice!!" 
Janice, please email travelingrhinosATgmailDOTcom with your contact info. 

Meet back tonight (7pm EST) for giveaway #5...

fall, y'all.

In college I had lots of friends with lovely Southern accents, and being mostly accent-neutral myself, I had a tendency to pick up weird bits of other peoples' speech habits.  Y'all is one of those things that I still say in my head a lot but that seems funny when I say it out loud.  Anyway, I digress.

Even though I'm decidedly unhappy about shorter days and less sunlight, not to mention the rapidly approaching COLD and snow, I do love crisp fall days, apple-picking, sweaters, and everything pumpkin.  Seriously, I'm that person that companies are selling their pumpkin-flavored cheerios and salamis to.  Such a sucker for everything pumpkin.

This year we FINALLY got out early for apple-picking.  I didn't get a pumpkin to carve yet because that just seemed silly (hello, rotting pumpkin on my step, it's 80 degrees out today) but we did take a photo with some (and a very special cat):



And to me, nothing screams fall like sweet woodland creatures.  We're in the suburbs though, so while we get our fair share of squirrels and chipmunks and fuzzy bunnies, we don't usually get anything like this:



We came home to mama & big-baby deer on our front lawn the other night.  They seemed pretty uninterested in us, even after I used my flash on them several times.  They ended up crossing the street to the neighbor's yard.  Anyway, Happy Fall!  

PS. Don't forget about the spinning wheel necklace giveaway.  You've got until tomorrow (Friday 9/24) night to enter!

miniature giveaway

Something about tiny things is adorable, isn't it?  Like, baby hats are like a thousand times cuter than regular-sized hats.  This reasoning may also explain why hats never seem to look cute on my very non-miniature-sized head. 

Anyway, I digress.  I'm hoping to have full computer function later this evening.  In the meantime, I'd like to present Birthday 2010 Giveaway #4: The tiny spinning wheel necklace.



For all the spinnahs out there!  But to be safe, not young kiddie spinners, because I can't remember if these are totally lead-free or not.  On YOUR CHOICE of a 16" or 18' sterling silver chain.  If you don't want to enter, I did also just restock these in the shop here.

Please leave a comment to enter!  Favorite fiber to spin, if you need commenting fodder (I always feel awkward just saying hi).  Entries will stay open until 9pm EST on Friday, September 24th.  (I'm guessing I'll need some time to get used to the new computer.)

new bear homes

The winners of the pudgy bear drawing are commenters #3 & #4:



Please send me your preferred bear features (grumpy/happy, color and brooch/keychain/ornament) and mailing address!  migrationgoods[AT]gmail[DOT]com  

I had a computer crisis last week that is still figuring itself out.  ie. I'm figuring out a replacement, so please bear (hee-hee) with my slowed-down giveaway pace.  More birthday givewaway excitement continues first thing tomorrow!