Serendipity

Serendipity's Fiber Festival Schedule 2011

2011-05-26T21:13:00.008-04:00

Another year of fiber events are upon us again (squee!!!). The following are the shows Serendipity will be vending at:

This Weekend!! May 28 & 29 Massachusetts Sheep & Woolcraft Fair Cummington, MA

August 11 from 9am-4pm Speculator TWIGS Annual Craft Fair. Info can be found here. Speculator, NY

September 10 & 11, Sat. 10-5pm Sun. 10-4pm Pennsylvania Endless Mountains Fiber Festival Harford, PA

September 24 & 25 10am-5pm 3rd Annual Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival, Washington County Fairgrounds, Greenwich, NY

November 5 & 6, Sat. 9:30-5pm & Sun. 10-3pm THE Fiber Festival of New England West Springfield, MA

Please be sure to stop by and say Hi!

Spring, please??

2011-02-09T17:08:00.004-05:00

While futzing around on Etsy this afternoon I decided to make a treasury, full of daisies!! Go check it out, let me know what you think!

Cute giveaway!

2011-02-08T14:08:00.001-05:00

Really cute giveaway over at http://onlythebestofetsy.blogspot.com/ . Of course, I'm biased because I have babies on the brain. More on that to come! ;)

Sunday Stealing....on monday....

2011-01-10T12:33:00.003-05:00

A is for Age: 28

B is for Beer of choice: Heineken or Yuengling

C is for Career: Hand-dye and hand-paint yarn and roving which I sell online on Etsy and at the fiber shows in the NE. But mostly Mommy, I get to be stay at home mommy.

D is for favourite Drink: water

E is for Essential item you use everyday: laptop(!) or my Droid (yeah, I know it's not essential to LIVING or something like that but I do find myself using it daily without fail)!

F is for Favourite song at the moment: always a hard question for me since music is so essential to my life. I usually have to go with things that are symbolic for what's going on at the moment.

G is for favourite Game: Right now it would have to be Just Dance 2 on the Wii. I got this (technically after) Christmas this year and the kids and I love playing it. I do NOT like video games but this is different and everybody really gets involved and is laughing and having a good time and no one's ever bored.

H is for Home town: Peekskill, NY but really Fishkill, NY too.

I is for Instruments you play: none (pathetic, I know). I used to play the clarinet in school but it got broken in the band closet in HS and I never bothered to pick it up again. I have always wanted to learn how to play the piano ever since I was little but we couldn't afford it and I have had an acoustic guitar in my closet since I was 4 that I have yet to learn how to play. hmmm...maybe I'll get lessons this year!

J is for favourite Juice: Orange juice

K is for Kids: what about them??? I have them.

L is for Last kiss: is a great song!

M is for marriage: let's just skip over this one for now!

N is for full Name: I have one!

O is for Overnight hospital stays: When I had my daughter

P is for phobias: spiders! oh, and flying, I HATE flying as in, I don't do it anymore!

Q is for quote: "Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead." -Louisa May Alcott
oh and, "I knit so I don't kill people!"

R is for biggest Regret: Not finishing college before I went and became committed and "settled down." Being too afraid to go off and see more of the world before becoming set in where I had always really been.

S is for sports: they're all right. I play them on the Wii!

T is for Time you wake up: always too early! Especially for someone like me who has a hard time going to bed at night. I always seem to get my energy when I should be climbing into bed!

U is for colour of underwear: seriously??? they couldn't come up with a better one here??

V is for Vegetable you love:carrots and salad and cucumbers. I could sit down and eat a whole cucumber sliced with or without dressing.

W is for Worst Habit: buying more yarn when I have too much! no, I'm sure there's worse....oh, I know! Forgetting to eat and then eating junk because it's handy and I'm starving!

X is for X-rays you've had: lower back, neck, right knee, both hands numerous times (my mom had an'86 camaro when I was a kid and the doors were really heavy!).

Y is for Yummy food you make: that I make???? ok, if you say so.....chicken pot pie, chili, beef stew in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, that's about it but I can make you the best damn chocolate chip cookies you ever had (and no I'm not sharing the recipe!)

Z is for zodiac sign: I'm a bull!

sunday stealing, a day late....as usual....

2010-11-08T22:33:00.005-05:00

1. What do you consider your hometown to be? peekskill, even though i moved away when i was 10, i still say i'm from there. Just feels right. it's where i'm from.
2. What’s the hardest part of your average day? getting up in the morning and going to bed at night have it tied. in the am, my body usually hurts and I have a hard time getting myself moving, it takes awhile. at night, i can't fall asleep. i'm a night person, by nature, and have always had a hard time relaxing enough to fall out (even when i'm exhausted!).
3. The easiest? Why? having to stop what i'm doing because my daughter wants me to do something with her like read a book or snuggle. because i know those that don't have the opportunity to do that with their child anymore and nothing is more important than those minutes.
4. What beverage do you reach for to quench your thirst? water
5. What is one not-so-secret goal you have for your life? I’ll let you keep your secret ones to yourself. to finish my college degree.
6. What physical pain do you fear most? For example, I’m trying to decide how bad my jaw pain needs to get before I risk a potential needle from my dentist. So, for me, throbbing is preferable to jabbing. lupus.
7. Where do you find solace? the lake. and in music.
8. What makes you the saddest when you read/see the news? when children are hurt or suffering. when they show the people that have lost and seeing their pain is unbearable to watch.
9. What do you eat for a favorite snack?cereal.
10. What movie could you/would you watch more than two or three times and still enjoy just as much as the first time? HA! there's a list! in the interest of going to bed tonight i'll just say: oh, i don't know.....breakfast club, ferris buellers day off, stand by me, the princess bride, scarface, goodfellas, say anything, cool hand luke, dazed and confused, serendipity, high fidelity, brown sugar, love and basketball, the notebook, breakfast at tiffanys pretty woman, dirty dancing, hello, dolly!, groundhog day, you've got mail, roman holiday, pride & prejudice. WOW, if that's not a list that should be analyzed by a professional, not sure what is!
11. What boy/girl first made you cry? i'm assuming they mean in an emotionally attached kind of way so i'm gonna go with shane. betcha wanna a story here? yea, you're not gonna get it, this is a blog, not a novel!
12. What brand of coffee/tea do you drink most often? recently the pumpkin spice lattes from starbucks but usually i brew lavazza espresso at home and i drink republic of tea most often with a bit of tazo sprinkled in for good measure.
13. Dig in the dirt with or without garden gloves? usually start with gloves and then rip them off and throw them to the side because they're hindering, then go looking for said gloves the next time and can't find them, go out and buy new gloves. nasty cycle. a groundhog somewhere has a very nice collection.
14. James Taylor or Carly Simon? james taylor.

i would like to add a a little note here to say that any mis puncuation, misspelling, or non capitalization of a word in this post is not going to be corrected or checked on purpose today. this is for a special reader who keeps telling me how boring my blog is (thanks ma!). there, that oughta keep your "should have been an english teacher/librarian" mind occupied for awhile. hang on, i think my phone is ringing........ oh, and :)

Ten on Tuesday!

2010-10-26T17:55:00.003-04:00

Ten on Tuesday this week is 10 Ways to Enjoy Halloween!
I'm more into the Fall/Harvest stuff than the Halloween stuff but in keeping with the theme, here goes:
1- carving pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns (pictures to be posted)
2- get a chance to wear my pink wig. Though I should try pulling it off on other days of the year, just for the heck of it. :)
3- bake cupcakes and cookies for my daughter to decorate.
4- eating candy (I always go through the kids candy and separate their favorites, they can keep what can fit in a sandwich baggie, some may not make it there though!) :)
5- Halloween costume parades at school, big around here.
6- costume parties and dances, also big this year, it seems.
7- Getting dressed up,
8- painting faces, and..
9- trick or treating, of course!!
10- Start Christmas shopping (LOVE!)

My daughter's favorite fairy tale is Little Red Riding Hood and we have been reading it in both English and Spanish. She had planned to be a butterfly for trick or treating and a witch for handing out candy later on in the night, until we were at the store and she screamed (a good one!) and saw IT! So this year for Halloween she has decided to be Caperucita Roja. The oldest won't decide. He plays this game every year, never deciding which costume he wants until it's time to actually trick or treat and then he sends me scrambling! Any suggestions, maybe we can actually be prepared this year?!?!?!

Another Late Sunday Stealing

2010-10-23T22:29:00.006-04:00

Fall in New England.....

football and knitting come to mind:

Wrapped in blankets, of course!

I'm still playing catch up here so, Fall in New England (LOVE):
1. Have you turned the heat on in your house yet this fall? Absolutely!
2. Do you allow your pets on the furniture? Absolutely NOT!
3. What were your final words for September? I need to dye more yarn!
4. What are your first words for October? How can it be October already???? I have to dye more yarn!!!
5. Do you think you’ve ever seen a ghost? Possibly but I was a kid so who knows???
6. What is the one color that represents this time of year? Orange
7. Which of your senses do you think is most sensitive this time of year? smell
8. What is your favorite thing to do at the county fair? Avoid it! too crowded, hot, expensive, etc. The only time I go near the fairgrounds is for Sheep & Wool Festival!
9. What do you like when you have a cold? tea and for everyone to be QUIET!
10. Are you willing to spend over $100 for a piece of winter clothing, like boots or a coat? For the kids, yes. For me, only if it's on sale for much, much less! Purses on the other hand........
12. What do you have too much of in your kitchen? stuff! Oh, like one item in particular......right now, candy but it's all for Halloween.
13. What gripes do you have about this time of year? Usually that it's cold and rainy and everything dies off but this year it's been pretty and warm and I'm actually enjoying it. :)
14. Other than yourself, are you responsible for getting anyone ready in the morning? My daughter. The 14yo is on his own. I avoid teenagers in the morning!

Horses at the farm while we were apple picking!

15. When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? um, what, clean, what? I'm gonna go with never. I am vertically challenged and would therefore need a ladder on a chair on a table to reach my very low eaves. I have those cage things over them though so they keep pretty clean on their own.
16. So, it’s after Labor Day. Will you still be wearing white? probably.
17. What shows are you most looking forward to this Fall? I wouldn't say I'm "looking forward" but Burn notice comes back in November so that's cool and I like that show Parenthood that's on right now.
18. What three things have you just not gotten around to from the summer, but probably should do before snow flies? Pick up my yard, clean out my basement and have a yard sale. Put away the A/C's and fans, too!

Love this parting shot, my daughter off on a mission to find the perfect pumpkin! :)

Got anything??

10 on Tuesday

2010-10-12T22:17:00.005-04:00

My first 10 on Tuesday!

This is one of my first cars, about 12 years ago :( I won't say here how fast it could go but man, was it fun! :)
This week's 10 on Tuesday is 10 Ways to Have Fun on Long Car Rides which is good seeing as I am still in the middle of fiber festival season and certainly clocking in the miles.

1. play lots of music, really loudly!

2. play I spy

3. play "who can spot the big sign 1st" (this kept my daughter and younger sister occupied for a good hour on a very stressful trip to PA last year!).

4. knitting (not if you're driving, of course).

5. paint your nails :)

6. catch up on reading (I'm one of the few that can still do this without getting carsick).

7. stare out the sunroof at the trees and such flying by (man, I miss having a sunroof!)

8. time to calmly wind yarn on your hand or nostepinne.

9. catch up with each other on what's going on at school, work, etc.

10. most recently I listened to a George Carlin cd on the ride to PA and it was great, I should be listening to those much more often!

Anything I missed?? :)

A Late Sunday Stealing

2010-10-11T23:28:00.005-04:00

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? Huh, I DO look as tired as I feel!

2. How much cash do you have on you? about $20, I don't like carrying too much on me.

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? FLOOR (I know I could've gone mean with that but eh...)

4. Favorite planet? I'm gonna go with Earth though I hear Jupiter is beautiful this time of eon.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? My friend / neighbor, L.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? The one it's on, a kind of funk tune.

7. What shirt are you wearing? This one.

8. Do you label yourself? Like with a tag????

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? New Balance

10. Bright or Dark Room? somewhere in between.

11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon's 70th yesterday? yes, it was very exciting, when I went on Google, I said "oh, look, it would have been John Lennon's birthday."

12. What does your watch look like? It looks like it's buried in a drawer somewhere needing a battery undoubtedly.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? For the first time in a long time, ASLEEP!

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? got in fine

15. Where is your nearest 7-11? the only one I know of is across the river in Wappingers.

16. What’s a word that you say a lot? word.

17. Who told you he/she loved you last? My daughter. :)

18. Last furry thing you touched? hahahahahaha! wish I had a good one here but I have to say my dog.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? 0

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? 3

21. Favorite age you have been so far? tough one.......I would say 15 but I couldn't drive yet so it wasn't all good.

22. Your worst enemy? my procrastinating self!

23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? the lake

24. What was the last thing you said to someone? wash your hands!

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? I'd take the million bucks, if God wanted me to fly, he'd have given me wings!

So....how would you answer? :)

The "Stolen" post

2010-09-27T18:40:00.005-04:00

Found this through a blog through another and so on and so forth....

1. Where are you from? New York

2. If you could live any place in the world, where would you live? The Adirondacks or Boston

3. What's your favorite blog? i have a really long blog roll and am not sure it would be fair to choose just one!

4. What is your biggest blogging pet peeve? Being hung up on.

5. What's your favorite TV show this season? Parenthood. I also like (tho they are not all "in season") Rescue Me, Burn Notice, The Office, 30 Rock

6. What's your favorite 'down' time {nothing computer related}? Reading books w/ my daughter or watching a movie with her. She loves to watch movies that I used to and she has a surprising sense of humor for her age. The other day we snuggled up and watched Uncle Buck! Time to myself would be knitting, usually while catching up on shows.

7. Are you a parent? If so, what's your favorite thing to do with your children? Yep, see above.

8. What about your blog, have you considered changing? It's really all I know. It was free and easy to set up though I need to figure out how to blog MORE!

9. What do you do for a living (if you work outside the home or if you work at home)? It's not exactly a "living" but dye yarn and roving.

10. What is your favorite song at the moment? I have about 8! I like all kinds of music so it's kind of a hard question to answer without breaking it down by genre. I like Eminem's new stuff and I can't wait for Staind and 3 Doors Down to come out with new albums and I'm going to a Lady A concert soon. I listen to country, rap, rock, alternative, classic rock, r&b; just about everything except that new dance crap where they take a usually decent song and add a horrible dance/techno beat behind it that makes my head want to explode!

What is your favorite song ever? Well, when you break it down to "ever" it becomes more of a classic thing. Drift Away by Dobie Gray if I was only given ONE to pick but there is just so many. My mp3 has 737 songs on it and is on a constant shuffle. That's about 1/4 of my digital music library.

11. What is your favorite niche TV channel to watch? Well, my family would say the Weather Channel but I would have to say anything funny that's on or news, I watch way too much CNN.

12. If you could have any career, what would it be and why? I always wanted to be a civil rights lawyer and work to help people who couldn't help themselves. Now that I am where I am, I would love to have my own business, not only online but with a location as well.

13. What is your favorite outfit? jeans and a fitted tee. I'm a jeans girl!

14. If you could tell your teenage self something, what would you say? Let it go!!! and let him go!!! and when the time comes, just GO!!!

15. What is your favorite recipe? my chocolate chip cookies. :)

16. What is the funniest joke you've ever heard? the knock, knock jokes my daughter makes up!

17. What is your favorite vacation spot and why? The lake that my family goes to in the Adirondacks. It's beautiful, peaceful, quiet, it's the only place my family seems to have history and solidarity. When I get there I'm calm, which is BIG for me. My anxiety goes away and everything is as it should be and even when things go wrong it doesn't seem so bad.

18. What are you most excited about with fall here? Well, we already did the apple picking and fiber shows are almost done now so I would say that winter will be here soon. I enjoy the snow and the days the kids get off of school. Oh, and I LOVE Christmas!

19. Did you envision yourself to be where you are today ten years ago? If not, what did you envision? NO! 10 yrs. ago today I was in college and looking to transfer out to another. I thought that I was going to go away and finish school, get a real job, buy a house on the lake.

20. If money were no object, what would your dream house look like? On the lake, with lots of big windows looking over the lake with a wrap around porch and high ceilings. I would want a cushioned window seat that looks out at the lake and built in bookshelves everywhere. A master bath with a huge whirlpool tub.........oh, sorry got carried away. I'm sure something like "a large a-frame on the lake" would have covered it. :)

21. What is your all-time favorite Disney movie? Bedknobs and Broomsticks

So, what would your answers be???

Fiber Festival Season!!

2010-08-01T21:21:00.006-04:00

Yes, that time of the year is FINALLY here! The air gets just a bit cooler and the idea of knitting miles and miles of hot, heavy wool or alpaca is a welcome thought. Below is just a quick update to post the upcoming shows and festivals that Serendipity Hand-dyed & Hand-painted Yarn & Roving will be vending at:

August 12-

Speculator TWIGS Craft Show 9am-3pm, info can be found here.

Sept. 11 & 12-

PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival Sat. 10am-5pm/ Sun. 10am- 4pm, info can be found here.

Serendipity will be in booth #30, same space as last year!

Sept. 18 & 19-

Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival Sat. 10am-5pm/ Sun 10am -4pm, info can be found here.

Serendipity will be in Booth B16.

Sept. 25 & 26-

Southern Adirondack Fiber Festival Sat/Sun 9am-5pm, info can be found here.

Nov. 6 & 7-

THE Fiber Festival of New England Sat. 9:30am-5pm/ Sun. 10am-3pm, info can be found here.

I am very excited to be attending so many shows this fall and can't wait to meet more great fiber people! Hopefully, they will have great turnouts. There are plenty of workshops (many of which are free) as well as sheep dog trials and demonstrations at the fiber shows. Be sure to stop by and say "Hi."

DRRROIIIDDD

2010-06-20T00:15:00.002-04:00

I got the new Motorola Droid and I LOVE it! I was trying to hold off and get the iPhone when it (hopefully) came to Verizon but my Voyager was broken oh, about 6 months ago so I finally caved. So glad I did because it's fabulous, does just about everything I have tried so far and now that I got it a nice purple case isn't so manly looking. I like a cute, girly phone (dumb, I know). So far I have only downloaded some knitting and yarn stash apps and a few games for my daughter like Princess Memory. Help me out a bit, will you? Let me know what apps I NEED to have right now. I have no idea where to start! Thanks! More tomorrow..... :)

Sorry for the delay....

2010-06-19T22:50:00.007-04:00

But I got real sick and getting better was priority numero uno. Now that I've accomplished that I'm back to work and with a vengeance. There is so much more that I want to accomplish with this yarn business and after taking a serious look at things I realize that, in fact, the problem is me. (Surprising, I know). I am going to try and work really hard to make this work b/c well, I want to. I enjoy what I've been doing and the people it has allowed me to meet. I just have to work a hell of a lot harder! And blog more, b/c I think it's good for me. But I am going to think a lot less about what I write and just write, so I hope I don't turn anybody off by that!

I promised pictures of May and the MA S&W festival so I'll start there:

I was on a waiting list for the show and got an email 4 days before the show asking if I could make it. After much running around like a chicken with my head cut off I managed to secure a place for the kids to go (thank you mom and jeff!) and tried to get some fiber ready to go. I was way under prepared and wished I had had more time so I could have had more fiber but you do what you can with what you have. Since I did show up I get to go back next year so that was great. I will have a ton more fiber next time around. With such short notice I had no idea where I was going to get put but was lucky enough to be able to set up in the garage type booths which was fantastic because it kept us in the shade for most of the day.

I brought my (new-more about that next time) wheel since I didn't have any yarn to tag and didn't want the heavy alpaca shawl I was knitting at the time sitting in my lap on the hot days. I am still learning but managed to spin about 16 oz. (full pound!) in the 2 days, not bad for a new spinner!

My view from the booth:

I was lucky enough to be next to the Merlin Tree and his wonderful Hitchhiker wheels. It was all I could do to not come home with one but I resisted.

Look at these beauties though! Some lovely old wheels restored to their original charm.

When I was leaving the 1st night I heard a ton of bleeting and baaing and went over to see what all the ruckus was about. There were SO many sheep I was amazed (I've never been to MASWF before), it rivaled Rhinebeck as far I was concerned.

Some were ready for bed, like me!

And these I fell in love with at Rhinebeck last year, the Cheviots. I think they are just so sweet looking.

The mama (I think she was the mama) did not seem happy that the babies were coming over to be petted and actually shoved them away from me so I took the hint and moved along.

MASWF was amazing overall, I met some great people, did well enough to make me want to go back again and couldn't have hoped for better weather. The local area is gorgeous and I only wish I could have stayed longer.

Before the crazy week that ensued after receiving the "we have a space" email I was crazy busy working on a last minute gift for my oldest friend's daughter for her baptism. It's actually the Pinkie Blankie but I used a sport weight alpaca yarn and went up a couple needle sizes and am thrilled with how it turned out. Although my last minute blocking job in the sunshine that morning was horrible, I'm sure, being a baby, she'll forgive Auntie Em (I know, I know). I just hope she still has it when she's grown and enjoys being wrapped up in it.

More tomorrow, I'll try not to be so boring, ahem!

GIVEAWAY!!

2010-06-09T00:04:00.000-04:00

Not here! Over at ---> Tracey Knits.

Serendipity was featured as her Handmade Shop of the Week and I'm giving away a skein of Seaside alpaca/wool yarn on there. So go and check it out, she features some great Etsy shops on her site so be sure to scroll back and check out some of the others as well!

So much to write, so little time....

2010-06-08T21:24:00.004-04:00

Well, as usual it has been awhile since my last post but I have so much to post about! So the next few days promise to be filled with lots of goodies! Since last time Serendipity has been at Clermont, MA Sheep & Woolcraft Festival, spring has come (and in the NE gone straight to summer!), we've seen some graduations and joined a local CSA.

To start where I left off: Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase-

Rovings ready to bought up (hopefully)-

My stand at Clermont (well, one part of it anyway).

Some bright, yummy fingering weight yarns.

Pretty and lucious alpaca/wool blends.

Some llamas that my daughter seemed to be enthralled with (she pulled up a chair and made herself right at home).

My view from the booth of some lovely fibers, nice people and spinning wheels!

After Clermont I got back to a prayer shawl that I've been knitting for my dear, sweet best friend who has both kidney disease and lupus and needs a little something nice to be wrapped in! (more pics when it's actually finished!).

I finished some socks in April!! They are the black dress socks I was dying to finish LAST YEAR!! But....at least they are done so I won't harp on myself for too long!

I will be dyeing yarn tomorrow and posting to the shop on Thursday and Friday with some new yarns and roving. But be sure to come back tomorrow for some new stuff, we move on to May!!

Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase

2010-04-20T22:49:00.003-04:00

I have been dyeing, reskeining and tagging yarn all week, why????

Well, because Serendipity is going to be vending at the The Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase along with some fabulous ladies! Jenn from Bluestocking Yarns and Jen from Dog Gone Yarns will be there alongside me selling our hand-painted & hand-dyed yarns and roving, bamboo knitting needles, tote bags, skeinwinders, niddy noddys and such.

Clermont Sheep & Wool Showcase

Saturday April 24, 2010

11AM-4PM

Please be sure to stop by and say Hello!

ETA: Please be sure to check here for the change in directions due to some road work on 9G.

Spring Catch-up in pictures....

2010-04-20T22:23:00.005-04:00

Local Garden Show (sorry for the bad pics, they were taken with my cell phone):

A nice, potted arrangement of sedums...somethings I may do if I get the time...

I wonder if I can build one of these to sit under.....

The new addition to the family, my dear...Stella!!!! (She's an older Ashford Traditional single drive, single treadle that I found through the forums on Ravelry and just happened to be close by! I'm having fun learning.)

And Zhu, Zhu pets (small hamster toys that make noise and roll all over) have taken over.......apparently these are the must-haves these days. (Anybody remember tickle-me elmos??? Going to get these was something like that, the same moms at each store looking for them before they were sold out, crazy! I highly dislike these types of things.)

What have you been up to as Spring unfolds?

Phat Fiber Giveaway

2010-03-31T19:57:00.002-04:00

Please be sure to go and check out the Phat Fiber Sampler Box Page for a giveaway of a 450 yd. skein of Serendipity Hand-painted Superwash Merino Wool (plenty for a pair of adult socks and then some!) in colorway "Love-A-Lot."

Shop Update

2010-02-18T01:06:00.006-05:00

Listed some new yarn in the Shop today:

Earth Spinning- superwash merino wool, fingering weight

I See London- superwash merino wool, worsted weight Tie Dye- superwash merino wool, fingering weight

Clementine- alpaca/wool blend, sport weight

Frosted Pine- superwash merino wool, bulky weight

More coming tomorrow!

Also, coming soon, a list of upcoming fiber events. I sent in applications for a number of festivals this year and will post them as soon as I have confirmations.

Don't forget to become a Fan on the Serendipity Facebook Page, I will post updates regularly, as well as giveaways, etc.

Better posts to come.....until then, here are some pictures of the place I'd much rather be these days :)

Of course, right now it's frozen solid and covered in snow!!! :)

THAT day...

2010-02-15T00:13:00.004-05:00

So, today was Valentine's day, I don't really DO Valentine's day. It tends to be to me what Friday the 13th is to some people, so I try to avoid remembering that it's coming and am quite content when it's over with and the 15th comes along (which for those of us in NY, looks like is going to be another day of snow!) I, however, was pleasantly surprised with how I was able to spend my dreaded "V-day". My lovely sister came for a sleepover (I can still say sleepover, she's 8), I made chocolate covered strawberries w/ some dark organic choc. chips from the nature food store and dyed yarn. I was also given this:

A really pretty picture that I have been wanting for some time from a small chocolate and gift shop in the village nearby. I thought it would be perfect for my daughter's room but now that it has been given to me as a gift it may go somewhere else. There is a lot of transition in my life right now so it may just stay safely wrapped for a bit. But isn't it lovely?

Oh, and speaking of yarn, I did post some new yarns in the shop and have many more to put up tomorrow night and Tuesday (bring it on snow!).
Also, if you haven't yet, remember to join the fan page on Facebook, link is here. I thank you kindly! :)
Hope that your Valentine's Day was pleasant and full of things to make you smile!

It's been awhile...

2010-02-13T23:59:00.005-05:00

Yes, I know I won't be winning any awards for blogs anytime soon! I could go into a whole long thing about what's been going on but let's face it, if you made it here it's probably because you want to see yarn, or knitting, or some other fun thing. For drama, we watch the news! So, I'll just say that I'm back and yes, it's been awhile. My issue with blogging is, as it's always been, how personal should I go? I am a person who has a lot to say (and if you know me in person, you're saying "and then some!") but I started this to be about my business so we'll see how it goes. My mother tells me I have the most boring blog on the internet, she's probably right.....let's see what we can do about that! Til next time, this'll get you updated since last time:

Only The Best of Etsy

2010-02-13T23:32:00.007-05:00

If you haven't checked out the site Only the Best of Etsy, you should. It's a cute site where new, unique items are shown. They also have a box for sale (I think it's monthly) based on items that have been featured and she does frequent giveaways, so be sure to check it out.

I ordered myself a OBOE box last month and have been meaning to post about it so here you have it:

That is the lovely box I received and here is a nice shot of all the goodies:

There was an adorable toy wooden bunny:

Really cute donut earrings:

Both of those have already been claimed by my daughter! Also, in there was a firefly pin made from an old dictionary page, some cute pink hairclips, a lego heartshaped keychain, some hand-dipped candies, a chocolate, a small coin purse made from repurposed fabric, some gluten free play dough, and (my favorite) a bag full of 10 little soap samples. Some of the sellers also included coupons for future purchases. The box was reasonably priced and filled with some fun things. I may even participate in the future now that things are getting back on track!

Be sure to check it out!

Cyber Monday Sales!!

2009-11-30T00:27:00.008-05:00

For all you bargain hunters out there:
Cyber Monday Sale in Serendipity:
20% OFF ALL PURCHASES!

Free Shipping on all purchases $50 and over!
Also, any purchase of both yarn AND needles will include a free tote bag (perfect size for a small project!).
Sale ends at 12AM Pacific Time Tuesday morning.

I know I'll be hunting for some bargains myself! The past few years I have done almost all of my shopping online. It's easy, quick and you don't have to deal with all the traffic and stress involved with going to the big stores. So have fun and let me know if you find any good deals, I'll post some myself if I see anything really good!

Black Friday Sale!

2009-11-27T00:52:00.004-05:00

Hello all, I hope everyone had a nice holiday and was fortunate enough to be able to stuff themselves silly and spend time with family members and loved ones.

Some updates in the Shop:

1st up is our Black Friday Sale:

10% OFF ALL PURCHASES AND FREE SHIPPING!

Also, any purchase of both yarn AND needles will include a free tote bag (perfect size for a small project!).

Sale ends at 12AM EST Saturday morning.

Free Shipping will continue through the weekend as well!

Also, Serendipity is now on Facebook, so please stop by our page and become a Fan!

Happy shopping to those venturing out and please remember the true reason for the season!!

Craft Show in the AM

2009-11-20T23:12:00.003-05:00

Well, I have no pictures because my camera is currently shot (no pun intended!) but first thing in the AM Serendipity will be at the Valley Central High School Holiday Craft Festival. Stop by and get some holiday shopping done, (wouldn't it be nice to avoid all the crowds!). It is from 10am-3pm.
Hopefully tomorrow night I will get some serious blogging done (is any of it really "serious"?!?) and upload some pics I have sitting here (Rhinebeck, anyone??).
Also, be sure to check back on Wednesday for the upcoming sales in the shop for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I have lots to be thankful for and will be passing that appreciation on!

Rhinebeck in pictures:

2009-10-27T17:44:00.008-04:00

This year's Sheep & Wool Festival was last weekend and I was there both days.
There were alpacas (but the pictures came out blurry). So this is all I have :(

Some majestic llamas said hello:

Sheep competitions:

A yurt (which was very warm inside!!)

Some sheep (which I thought looked like they had alpaca faces) apparently (according to the sign near them), they are Border Cheviots (so cute!):

I loved the face of this ram, I took a bunch of pictures of him but he kept moving, finally hejust sat his face on the fence as if to say, "here, cheese"!

A goat trying to escape:

A nice man, knitting with some BIG sticks!

Lots of crowds:

With pretty fall colors:

Mmmmm....gyros for lunch:

And a nice bunch of new purchases!
How was your Rhinebeck?

Yeah!! It's almost here!!

2009-10-15T00:18:00.002-04:00

Rhinebeck, that is! Two more days until tons of knitters, crocheters, spinners, and so many more will descend upon Rhinebeck, NY for the very large NYS Sheep & Wool Festival. My mother and I will be going both days this year to enjoy all the fibery splendor, though I am hoping the weather moves itself along since I live nearby and they are calling for very cold days and, get this, snow!! I will not be a vendor this year but am looking into possibly having a booth for 2010, thoughts??

The problem with that, of course, being that I won't be able to see or enjoy as much if I am stuck in the same place! I am very excited to be going this year as I could really use the break in life that this little getaway brings. I wish I had had more time to finish a large and fabulous project, like a new sweater, or somesuch but family obligations and business work has taken precedent. Thinking about this the other day it occured to me that I have many of the yarns I bought at last year's Rhinebeck and was wondering how many of you do the same? This was brought up in a chat room on Rav recently as well. What's the consensus? Are we all hoarding our coveted Rhinebeck purchases??

And in Serendipity shop news, I am running a sale now through Sunday for 10% off all purchases made online. So be sure and check it out. I am posting more yarns Thursday and Friday as well and will combine shipping on multiple purchases.

Also, if you happen to see me at Rhinebeck (I will have on my Rav pin with my name LILM4105 on it), say Hi and I will be sure to give you a card with a coupon code for 20% a purchase in the Etsy shop. So don't be shy!!

Hope everyone's enjoying fall and the changing colors, better hurry the snow's on it's way!

Endless Mountains Fiber Festival Review

2009-09-29T22:20:00.005-04:00

Serendipity Hand-dyed and Hand-painted Yarn & Roving had it's first show booth at this years Endless Mountains Fiber Festival in Harford, PA. It was a lovely show, perfect size if you ask me. You could walk the show in one day, decide what you like the most and go back around to buy, which many people did! I met lots of great people and got lots of great feedback on the yarn. We sold all but one of the roving so I will be dyeing more of that in the very near future!

There was plenty of fiber (and lots of alpaca) for everyone but it wasn't crowded at all like some of the larger shows have become. There were some animals like these llamas who were across from our booth:

And some colored goats that were for sale (aren't they adorable!):

The weather was a bit iffy the first day with off and on rain but that made for a good bunch of people who showed up knowing it was inside a barn and would be covered, second was nicer. I had lots of fun and will definitely be going back again next year. I would recommend this fiber show to anyone who can make it.
In Serendipity Shop news, I have to be out of town this weekend but next week will be posting a large amount of new colorways and with this chill in the air, will be running a little sale.

Loss: Acceptance: New Beginnings

2009-09-24T18:28:00.006-04:00

I know I've been neglecting this blog but life has been very hectic and I'm still not sure how to put that out there for the world to see.

On July 28th, my puppy, Smasher passed away. He wasn't really a puppy, at 4 years old, but he certainly wasn't ready for the fate that awaited him. My brother, who was here visiting, woke me around 3:30am to say something was wrong with Smash's breathing.

After calling the animal hospital we got his 102lb. self in the van and raced off in the dead of night......he died on the way.

The vet worked on him for about 30 minutes and then called it and at 4:38am told me my dog had died of what was most likely bloat. I had no idea what that was but apparently, it's very common.

After I collected myself, filled out some papers, paid and left the vet, I somehow made it home though I don't remember the ride. I climbed into bed and all the kids joined me and I told them what had happened. We all cried together for a good, long, time. To be honest I just couldn't believe how much I was going to miss him.

It took me a day or two to really gather myself because I really felt as if I had just lost my best friend. I just kept thinking how great he was and how irreplaceable in my family he had become. He was a german shepherd-dobie mix and weighed 102 lbs. but he was a big, sweet baby. He would bark like crazy to scare people and protect us but wouldn't hurt a soul.

When I was pregnant with my daughter, my husband was working nights and I would go and sit on the living room floor in the dark with him. He would lay his head on my belly as if he knew she was in here and just peer up at me, like he was telling me I was safe; I wasn't alone.

When she came, he was her personal protector. He would bark like crazy and come running if she tried to climb on the counter or went on the front porch or anything he thought she wasn't supposed to be doing. She would lay on him and watch tv and he would just lay there no matter what. Whenever anyone would cry, he would come running and sit there with his head in your lap, raising his eyebrows as if to say, "it's ok, I'm here now". I always felt safe alone because he was always there watching out for us.

Christmas morning last year.

After a few weeks had passed I noticed that our house felt so empty and that my family was always going to be a dog family. I began looking on Petfinder.com and craigslist and emailed tons to my family, but I wasn't truly ready. So in the beginning of September my family and I were out running errands and they suggested that we stop at the shelter, just to look. I wasn't feeling terribly well so I wasn't really up to it but gave in anyway. Once there we looked at some pups and there was a litter of very young puppies who had just arrived. The kids were at the fence petting them all except 1, who was sitting all alone, by herself, waiting patiently. She was the smallest one of all, the runt as they call them. Now it is my experience (mostly proof from my family!) that the runts are the toughest. I walked up to the fence and she walked straight up to me and put her paw to my hand through the fence. In that moment, it was decided. My DH looked at me and said "well, she just picked you" and we filled out the adoption forms. Four days later she was spayed and we brought my new baby home!

Along with a kitten (!) that my oldest refused to leave without! They had both just come into the shelter and decided that our family was to be theres.

I will never forget my Smasher and all the trials we faced together.

However, I know that my family is able to love and give a home to someone special (or two someones as in this case!). If anyone reading this has lost a pet they loved, I send you my sympathies because I know it hurts something awful. But I also know that it slows and dims over time and the happier moments begin to shine through. So if you can, when you're ready, please go to a shelter and take home a new friend. I promise you, they'll let you know how appreciative they are and who doesn't love having someone to come home to? :-)

PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival

2009-09-11T17:17:00.003-04:00

Seredipity Hand-dyed and Hand-painted yarns will be at this weekend's PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival. It is Sat. 10-5pm and Sun. 10-4pm. If you're able to, please be sure and stop by, (mention you read about it here on the blog and receive 10% off your purchase). So, if you can, come on down ( or up as the case may be), pet an alpaca, check out some yarn and say Hi. I'll be in booth #30.

And then there were four....

2009-07-14T22:47:00.008-04:00

Broken needles that is. I have NEVER broken a knitting needle and I have knitted quite a few socks. I have only ever used some kind of wood (usually bamboo) so I was excited to get these needles (Knit Picks Harmony DPNs) but now, not so much. I have been (very slowly) plugging along with the Classic Socks and then night before last this happened:

I have NEVER broken a knitting needle before these and I have knitted quite a few socks. Two of them were broken when I was on the ribbed edging at the top of the cuff (my sister and daughter were playing and landed on them, no injuries just 2 broken needles!). I was able to knit with one as long as I only used one side, then a 3rd broke WHILE I WAS KNITTING and a 4th snapped (along with my patience) while I was checking how far along I was against my leg. Needless to say I am not happy about it. Since I very obviously could not use these for the rest of this project I have switched to some bamboo dpn's and have been continuing along just fine.
Hopefully, I will finish these sometime in the near future! I really like the pattern and the way they are turning out but they seem to be taking forever. The pattern is written to be done two at a time but I (stupidly) decided to do them on DPNs and now have to start all over again with the second sock (Arghhhh!). I keep reminding myself STRESS FREE Summer of Socks but am beginning to wonder why I didn't start my Rhinebeck sweater instead! Any idea what to do with these??

I have no words...

Finally, knitting...

2009-06-30T23:40:00.004-04:00

It's not much but I have been working on my Summer of Socks list. These are the Classic Socks that are way past due (they should have been a Christmas gift!). Pic is an awful phone camera shot:

I will be posting more yarn in the Shop tomorrow and am going to be having a sale coming up this weekend to celebrate the 4th of July. I had planned to have more on and to have dyed more but my mother was in the hospital over the weekend and family obligations took precedent. Back to the dye pots in the AM. I will take some pictures this time! For now, so tired...must sleep! Buenas noches!

Summer of Socks 09 & A Sale

2009-06-24T22:47:00.004-04:00

So I sat down last night and made a list of socks I would like to (try and) complete for this years Summer of Socks 2009. The theme is stress free, so to that end I decided I would like to finish up some pairs I have laying around that have a bit of second sock syndrome.

Twisted Tulip Socks-1 fully finished, second to go.

River Ripple Socks-needles, pattern and yarn are in bag ready to be cast on.

The Classic Sock- First sock is almost at the heel turn (this one was supposed to be a Christmas gift last year but got so put off!)

Roger Sock- Great new pattern from KnitSpot, have to pick a great variegated color.

Angora House Socks- If I'm lucky I will get this far, but here's hoping.

Embossed Leaves Socks- I have wanted to do these and have had the yarn for a year now.

Sprucey Lucy Socks- still need to pick some yarn for these...hmm...

I think I better stop there since I will be surprised if I get half of those done. I am not a terribly fast knitter and am going to be spending tons of time dyeing yarn, etc. so I will have to be sure and steal some time for myself in the evenings. I dyed 28 skeins yesterday and have listed some new things in the shop that were dyed last week such as this one (great for the upcoming 4th and summertime):

Bomb Pop-Hand-painted superwash merino wool.

I've got lots of other fun, summer colors being listed over the next few days and I'm running a School's Out SALE!! to help kick off summer. You can take 10% off all purchases now through June 30th, 2009. No coupon code needed.

I think that's going to be it for tonight (not much, I know, but I'm working on it). I have lots more dyeing to be done in the AM and listing on Etsy as well. I am trying to get as much work done as possible this week since I would like to take a "day off" from everything this weekend and take my kids fishing or some such fun-ness. We went strawberry picking recently and it was great to just get the kids out without any stress. So, til next time ciao!

Montgomery Farmers Market

2009-06-22T12:50:00.004-04:00

Every Friday, in the Village of Montgomery, is a nice farmer's market from 11-5pm. Last month, while picking a strawberry plant for my daughter, I thought it would be nice to have a stand there to sell my Serendipity yarn & roving. So, for the past 2 Fridays I have set up a small stand there and it seems to be well received.

I have gotten a few "what are you selling?, oh, yarn?" but there have also been some knitters and crocheters as well. I'm hoping that word will get out a bit that I am there and more will stop by and check it out. It's a nice group of people and the weather has (for the most part) cleared on market days lately.

I will be there again this Friday from 11-5pm with hopefully even more yarn and roving. The market has also been good practice for my first fiber show, which will be the PA Endless Mountain Fiber Festival, Sept. 12 & 13, 2009 in Harford, PA with LOTS more fiber.

Also worth noting is the Summer of Socks 2009 that has kicked off and this year I made sure to join. I saw it last year but things were so crazy I decided to skip it. This year things are just as crazy but I figured if I joined I would maybe actually get some knitting done and I have to tell ya, the projects are starting to pile up! Plus, I really do love to knit, especially socks, so it will be good to have some pressure on me to relax and knit a bit (ironic, huh?). I tend to work better and faster with a deadline, which is a good thing because I'm also going to have to dye a boatload of yarn and roving for Sept. as well. [Note to self: no more procrastinating!].

I will be listing more yarn in the Etsy store for the next few days and my kids will out of school soon, so hopefully there will be more to write about. So, til next time...adios!

Victory Garden.. wait it gets better!

2009-06-20T18:00:00.005-04:00

This year I decided I was going to do a Victory garden (and by I, I meant everyone in my household!). I, of course, decided this in the dead of winter when there was about 2 feet of snow on the ground and the only signs of life were the chickadees on my birdfeeders (of which I have 10 or 11). I decided I was going to grow all my veggies and strawberries for the next 6-8 months. I read online about how lawns were wasteful and started in the Victorian Era as a decoration in yards of the wealthy. Everyone else used every plot of land they could to grow something or raise some type of livestock. So I thought in this day and age, no one has a right to keep a huge lawn when, (even if we didn't need it- which we do) there are people starving in our towns and schools. Not to mention the care and cost of a lawnmower- the oil and gas it requires, etc. This year I was going to be a responsible person and dig up the whole yard and put in a Victory Garden! (This was in Jan.- by March the Victory Garden was everywhere, go figure!) I also seemed to ignore the fact that actually putting it in cost quite a bit as well. So, of course, when it came time to do all of the work, I seemed to have forgotten my very vigilant ideals and we are still mowing a lawn every weekend. However, we did manage to do our part with this lil' bit:

I think I like this picture better with the sunlight streaming in...

That's corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, broccoli, green peppers, green beans and snap peas.

In this one below there are zucchinis, watermelon, summer, acorn and butternut squash.

They look a bit bigger in real life and the plants are definitely doing well, with all this rain we've gotten! I still have more tomatoes and peppers on the deck and a pumpkin patch I would like to start, as well as strawberry plants my 3yo picked out at the Farmers Market. I will get those in as soon as I figure a way to keep them from getting eaten by critters. She's already eaten 4 or 5 ripe fruits so they may just stay on the deck. I think all in all it's pretty good. We amended the soil as little as possible, used all organic seeds, plants and soil, laid newspaper and straw down to inhibit weeds and now we wait. it's not exactly a Victory Garden but it's a start in the right direction. Til' next time....ta-ta...

Not exactly tomorrow but...

2009-06-19T23:57:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't written much on here because, to be honest, I'm not sure what to write. I'm not sure how personal I should be on a blog without being too personal. However, I have come to the conclusion that I have to become somewhat inclusive and let people have a glimpse into my life a bit and see who I really am, or this will never be successful (as far as blogs go). The truth is, I don't think I know how to write about my life, or even the shop, without being totally personal, the good and bad! So, I will try it and hopefully some of you reading this will comment and let me know what you think. (Hopefully, the blog visits have not all been my mother!) I am going to write about my new endeavor, my business- dyeing yarn and roving, my knitting and my (sad) attempt at gardening. I'm also going to write about my family (a bit) and the events of my life because they are sometimes mind-boggling (I have been told countless times that my life should be a tv show- "you can't make this stuff up!"). I hope I don't offend or turn anyone away and I truly hope and implore you to, please, use the comments link to tell me what you think. I've always been one to do things a bit different, let's see how it goes....

Just a quickie!

2009-06-11T23:21:00.002-04:00

I will be writing more in the very near future but I just wanted to pop on and say that I am doing my first stand at the Village of Montgomery Farmers Market tomorrow. I will be sure to take pictures to post. I will also be a vendor at the PA Endless Mountains Fiber Festival this September. More about that tomorrow!

Some quick shop talk....

2009-04-20T17:55:00.004-04:00

Some quick news about the Etsy Shop:
The shop was featured on the showcase blog Best of Etsy and I have added a 10% off coupon code (just type "best of etsy" in notes to seller at checkout). The blog is a new showcase every week with items from Etsy that are spectacular but have little or no sales, please go check it out.
The shop was also featured in a Treasury West. Big thank you's to both for including us!
I was very excited to open those emails!
With all this excitement, I went ahead and extended free shipping through April 30th, as well. So please go check it out and let me know if there's something you like, or don't like. I can't improve without critcism (be gentle!). I will be ordering more yarn this week to dye so let me know if there is a color you would like to see as well.
More funness: We were able to go over and see the new kids at Hudson Valley Fiber Farm last Thursday. I was able to hold a few of the new baby goats (so, so sweet). There have been many more born since then. The kids (mine) loved it as well. The oldest wants chickens and the younger was chasing the goats and gathering them around like a border collie. We all can't wait to go back.
That's about it for today, not much substance but lots of info.

Easter Eve

2009-04-11T20:21:00.004-04:00

Not quite used to posting yet, I have to remember to take pictures as I'm doing things I guess. Anyway, I spent sometime in the dye pots the other day and when they were dry today we had this:

Some are a yummy alpaca/wool blend and the others are 100% alpaca and some superwash wool for socks. I should have them reskeined by Monday so they can be listed in the shop this week. I dyed more last night as well so those are hanging to dry. Will post pics soon.

Today was a very busy day running out to the store, etc. so no new progress knitting wise unfortunately. I feel like I haven't knitted in a million years since I started dyeing yarn. It's funny though the other night I picked up my needles on the socks I'm working on and I realized how nice it felt! I'm not sure if it was because I was taking time for myself or what but, I really LOVE knitting! I'm not by any means a method knitter because I like to really accomplish something and the idea of ripping things out drives me crazy. I'm of the belief that it WILL fit SOMEBODY. However, there's something so calming about it at the same time. I knit to relieve stress since I have fibromyalgia and need to find ways to relax. So in the coming weeks I am going to try and set a goal to knit a bit daily, we shall see how it goes ( I wouldn't hold my breath if I was you).

A fun thing to mention: We have shares of the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm in Hopewell Junction, NY and I along with many, many others have been watching the lambcam on Ravelry eagerly awaiting the birth of the many goat kids. Today the first was born! I missed it but it was apparently very exciting. I was planning on heading over there today but decided against it since it was raining until the mid-afternoon. Hopefully, we will get over there this week and see some babies! I will post pictures, if I can remember to bring the camera!

Tomorrow is Easter so I have to go and spend the night baking pies now (Chocolate Cream for the kids and Maple Pecan for my Momma). Will try to blog more in the future. Happy Easter!

To firsts!

2009-04-05T22:53:00.005-04:00

Well, I never really understood the whole blogging thing but here I find myself typing away to no one and everyone all at once! I just opened a shop on etsy.com (another first) and found time and again the suggestion to have a blog, so here I am. I will post mostly stuff for the shop, hand-dyeing & hand-painting yarn & roving and maybe some of my knitting. I will try not to be too boring and will write when my very crazy life allows. I'm a stay-at-home momma so you would think life would be boring but not so much. I actually dream of a day when everything would just be relaxing and go as planned, again....not so much. So, until next time....