Mendhi

I was fortunate to be invited to have Mendhi (henna) done for a friend's wedding this weekend. The marriage ceremony was yesterday, and on Wednesday night they had 2 ladies come to the house to do everyone's hands.

These women were so talented, and quick! Both of my hands took only about 15 minutes, for the backs as well as the palms. They had a tent set up in the yard and close to 50 women came throughout the evening to get their Mendhi done. Luckily I was one of the first ones there, because I had to let it sit without touching anything for at least 2 hours (I ended up leaving it on for about 4). Once the initial paste dried, it was moistened with a lemon juice and sugar mixture, and then warmed by holding our hands over a pan of hot cloves. I spent quite a long time over the cloves - they were so toasty warm! I think that's why mine turned out so dark, especially on the palms.

Some people have told me this means that my mother-in-law will love me a great deal, others have said it's the husband who's love is predicted by dark Mendhi. Either way, I'd say it's a good sign!

End-of-Summer Sale

The cooler days have got me itching to knit! It's time to clean up shop and make room for some warm and snuggly Fall/Winter wear. So, I'm having a sale in my Etsy shop - from now until September 15th, all my cotton fabric headbands are 20% off!

"Brown Sakura"
Although these headbands can be worn year-round, they've been a hot seller mostly throughout the summer. I will still be making them when I have the time, but I am so looking forward to Fall that they'll be going on the back burner for a while. This sale works in conjunction with my existing promotion - buy any 3 items at one shot and receive a free fabric headband! So, if these are your style, now's a great time to stock up!

"Twilight Bloom"

"Dark Chocolate"
Thanks for looking - new Fall items coming soon!

Bitten - Handspun SW Merino yarn

I've just added my newest handspun yarn to my Etsy shop. The colors remind me equally of a venomous snake bite and the plum tree in my yard that is heavy with ripe purple plums.

"Bitten" is 266 yards of squishy SW Merino.

The roving was purchased from Allie of Dyingtoknit on Etsy. This was apparently one of her first dye jobs - she's a pretty talented young lady! And she's only 15 years old! Someone has a promising career in the fiber world ahead of her.

Enchanted - Handspun Merino Alpaca Yarn

I've been away for about a week - camping in beautiful Tofino and Bamfield, BC. I will have pictures to post soon! I had an amazing time, but I sure missed my spinning wheel - I spent more quality time with Goliath than any other member of my multi-species family the first night I got home! Here's my latest handspun, once again a scrumptious SW Merino/Alpaca blend dyed by Kristin of AllSpunUp.

"Enchanted" 182 yards, 3.8 oz

The colors kind of remind me of the ones in "Neptune's Dream" - rich blues, greens and gold. But this time they are over-dyed on heathered grey Alpaca, creating a warm, subdued pallet that I just love.

Castle in the Clouds - BFL Handspun yarn

Well, my newest handspun yarn sold in my Etsy shop in record time. Thanks to a lovely repeat customer, it was snapped up within about 10 minutes! Still, I couldn't resist posting a few pictures of it because I was really pleased with how the shots turned out, as well as with the yarn itself.

"Castle in the Clouds" is 160 yards of the softest BFL around.

I love BFL, and this really was some amazing fiber. The previous rovings I've bought have been smooth and lustrous, but not really fuzzy soft. This one was all that - check out that gorgeous halo. So soft! As soon as I first squished the roving in my hands, I knew it was going to be amazing.

The roving was purchased from Squoosh on Etsy. I was surprised how pale the colors turned out. I wasn't expecting that, but I really love the way it ended up. One of the funnest parts of spinning for me has been seeing the transformation from roving to yarn. Quite often it's a pleasant surprise! Here's the roving:

I've got another one of her rovings on the way. It's Alpaca/Merino/Silk in earth tones. I cannot wait to see it!