September’s Newsletter:

Here we are heading back to school, or sending the kids back. It’s almost September 1st and fall is right around the corner. It’s a lovely time of year here in Maine. As the weather is changing we’re making some changes here at Spunky Eclectic.

-Colorway of the month starts Wednesday September 1 at noon EST - This month we’re not doing one colorway but all the BFL is on sale!

-We have new products joining us here in the shop.
1.Already in stock is the new 3G Woodworks spindles. I’m hoping to have them listed online by the end of the week.
2. Ashford wheels, Looms, and fibers should be arriving in the shop any day now. I’ll get them listed as soon as I can but if you need anything you are welcome to email me.
3. Hiya Hiya needles are also on their way to the shop and I’ll list them as soon as I can.
4. Soon we’ll have a stock of Tibetan and Russian spindles. Stay tuned to Twitter and Facebook for the first notice of that.

Starting September 15th and running through October will be a loom sale:
-Any of the smaller Rigid Heddle looms you will get a free book “Hands on Rigid Heddle Weaving” with your order
-Order the largest Ashford or Schacht Rigid Heddle and get a free Book “The Weaver’s Idea Handbook”.
-Pre-order any of the larger floor or table looms and you will receive the book “The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory”, one 10 inch boat shuttle and a bag of 10 plastic bobbins to fit the shuttle.
If you’ve been wanting a loom, the time to get it will be September 15th through October. I’ll have my full stock and you’ll get your item shipped out fast! All the details will be on the site starting September 15th at Noon EST

If you like to spin with a group of people, or knit, or weave then you’re in luck. Thursday evenings here at Spunky Eclectic in Lisbon Maine, we’ll be having Fiber night starting the end of September. I’ve not got a date set because we’re doing a bit of remodeling here. I’m making more room and we’ll have a couch as well as the table. Once the dust has settled and we’ve got some room for you all, we’ll make another announcement.

You’re not in Maine? Don’t forget you join us virtually at Raverly with the Spunky Group . If you haven’t joined us there yet, now is a fantastic time. We’re hosting a spin along. Spin up your stash with us starting September first and running through October 15th when many of us will be heading to Rhinebeck to restock that stash. Following the stash spin up we’re going to have a knit along and weave along, so join us to see what we’re up to.

There is always more going on so make sure to join us on Facebook or on Twitter for almost daily updates on what we’re up to.

in no sense of order

I got a tattoo

I finished Baby Boogie’s Xmas sweater

At least it was only Xmas 09. As soon as I block it and add the button, I’ll see if Baby Boogie will grace us with a modeled shot.

Cleaned up an area of my cellar to be more conducive to sewing and redid my cutting table.

I’ve made myself a few skirts and dresses are under way for the girls. That fabric to the right of the photo will be new kitchen curtains as soon as I can find the time. Hawthorne Threads Just go there. But let me warn you, it’s good.

I cut my hair

It was long and bugging the crap out of me. Also, it was just downright unattractive. I had made a deal with myself that I had to deal with the hair til I hit a certain weight goal. Well, I broke the deal. So now I have to really work at it so I don’t feel so bad about breaking the deal with myself because this is a spectacular haircut. The back is gorgeous (very funky). I’m just not enough of a contortionist to be able to show it to you.

I planted a bunch of stuff

That’s about half my pots in the front (look at that gorgeous herb basket to the left). There is a veggie garden and I’m still working on the shade garden in the front. It’s still sparse but I’m not willing to spend what it takes to get it gorgeous in one year.

Bit by bit it will be done.

I spun a bunch of yarns

I need to get to that plying. I’m working at cleaning up my spinning basket so I can move on to larger projects. Other stuff was finished but I’m being sekritskwirrel about some of it, so I can’t show you just yet.

I made gnome

Who went to go live with Hello Yarn last weekend when I went down to do Massachusetts sheep and woolcraft. This weekend there is no gnome. I’m staying home and I’ll be at the Fiber Frolic in Windsor Maine. Booth 7, come say hi.

For the past 5 years I’ve been borrowing my Mom’s truck to participate in Fiber shows. I was limited in the shows I could do and this year it came down to find my own transportation or don’t do a couple of my favorite fiber shows. I couldn’t give up SPA so we decided to trade in the car for a truck. A truck that would haul it all and hopefully would be reliable. We had to go with something older and well used….but hopefully it will serve me well. And it doesn’t look half bad either.

I’ll be able to load up well for the 3 shows I have planned so far
SPA - Hilton in Freeport, ME - Feb 26-28
MA SW - Cummington - Memorial Weekend
ME Fiber Frolic - Windsor - First weekend of June

Okay. I’ve blathered about running here from time to time. I’m finally ready to put my feet to the pavement and actually take up a race. Not that I have expectations of winning but I plan to get out there and beat the pavement for beating Cancer. I’m going to try to do a couple of small races here and there but in the Fall there is a charity race called The Dempsey Challenge.

I’ve signed up for it and if you want to donate to the cause, Here’s my Page. But of course, if you want to make it a party, then you can run, walk, bike along with me. Just go to the main Dempsey page and you’ll see where you can sign up too. I figured it was for a good cause and I’d be out there sweating my butt off which is always a good thing.

This probably won’t be the last you’ll hear about this from me. Running seems to keep me sane…that’s right. Can you imagine how I’d be if I wasn’t running? It wouldn’t be a good scene. I’ve also taken up with Kettlebells and I’m still hooping and doing pilates. Not all at once of course. I’ll probably talk more about all the exercise craziness in the future but for today I wanted just put a shout out there for the Dempsey Challenge and to start raising a little money for a good cause.

Now, it’s not just the money - Make sure to sign your name when you make a donation. For every $10 you donate you’ll get an entry into a prize drawing. The 2 big drawings will be for a sweater’s worth of yarn in your choice from the Spunky Store, and the other, a sweater’s worth of fiber from the Spunky Store. You’ll have til October and I’ll remind you as we get closer.

Remember that tub Louet asked me to “destroy”?

Well. I did my best. Ok. Maybe not absolute best. I didn’t take a blow torch to it….If there had been one more handy I can’t say that I wouldn’t have tried it and well, the matches were handy enough. The tub will NOT catch fire, but it will melt. Also, if you leave it on a hot stove burner, I assume it will melt to the burner. But these are common sense things you already knew that you shouldn’t be doing. Right? Please, tell me you already knew that and didn’t need to hear from me that you don’t put rubber and plastic on hot burners.

I’m going to use the small tubs for dyeing. Maybe the big tubs too but the small tubs make a perfect sized tub for this stuff. First the proteins tuff didn’t dye it but what about the fiber reactive dyes? That stuff dyes everything!

it doesn’t dye this tub:

I also did a small batch of Osage Orange natural dyeing and it survived that. I just forgot to have photographic evidence of the dye in there. As you can see the tub is still as purple when I got it. I still hope someday to get dye to take to it so I’m going to do more different natural dyes and see if I can defeat it some day. It’s a challenge now and I cannot be beat by a little purple tub. It’s purple! I’m stronger than purple!