Russell Yarn

I've Been to the Promised Land!

Happy Belated Fourth of July to everyone!  As I do every year, I made the road trip down to my parents' home in Kentucky...but unlike every single other year I didn't bring the Russells!  I can't even begin to tell you what a wonderful restful relaxing vacation has resulted, since JP (who had to work, of course) agreed that Mama had earned a vacation away from the furballs.  Result: I got to visit with friends in Lexington!  I got to take a leisurely tour of the Liquor Barn on Harrodsburg Road!  (Seriously, I LOOOOOVE Liquor Barn for their wine selection AND liquor is MUCH cheaper than in Michigan!)  I got to have father-daughter bonding time at the shooting range!  And best of all...I got to go here:

The Woolery.  Y'know, Mecca for spinners and weavers?  They who I bought Furthur the Hitchhiker from a few years ago?  They moved to Frankfort, KY earlier this year, which placed them within an hour's road trip of my parents' home!  So today, off my mom and I went, and YES, it was everything it's made out to be!!!  I haven't bought fiber since I don't know when, but today I definitely fell off the wagon.

My mom checking out a Dorothy Loom.

Spindles ahoy!

Oooooooh.......

One of the loom corners.  Weaving is one fiber art that I don't enjoy, but I get the feeling my mom will have a floor loom before I come back down here again.  My dad is resigned to this fact (as he should be).

Kinda makes you want to rip off your clothes and run frolicking through the aisles, doesn't it?  Or is that just me?

The end of the Fiber Mile and beginning of Dyes 'R Us.  So. Much. Pretty.

So what did I bring home?  (Not a wheel, sadly.  Three plus a spindle is enough for now.)

These names absolutely cracked me up, but are super-soft...50% angora, 20% merino, 20% tussah silk, and 10% alpaca. 

It doesn't get much softer than this!  Although...can someone explain to me how a Russell hair got in there five seconds after I opened it when they're over 400 miles away?  Gah!

Camel down, which I had to have because I've never spun it before (I love exotic stuff!).  It's very fluffy.

100% soy silk, of which I own some and have spun a little.  But really, I bought it for the label...it's called Happy Hippie in the Haight Ashbury colorway.  Gotta have it!!!

And because I love a challenge...one pound of stinky raw merino.  And I do mean STINKY...fresh off the sheep!  Looks like I'll put those long-neglected hand cards to use!

My only disappointment was that I was looking specifically for local fiber, something I love to do on any roadtrip...it's my favorite souvenir.  None of the super-crunchy-looking fiber was labeled with where it came from (as opposed to Heritage Spinning and Weaving, which tells you not only the farm but oftentimes the name of the sheep!).  Some of them had blue ribbons from Maryland Sheep and Wool...but still, no farm names or anything like that.  There is really only a token amount of straight knitting stuff (needles, commercial yarn, etc.), but there are a TON of books (including damaged books on sale), and spinning and weaving supplies out the wazoo.

All in all, however, the employees were super-friendly and helpful, wanted to hear all about my drive down from Michigan, what I like to spin and knit, etc.  Definitely worth the roadtrip...if you're coming down I-75, it's a quick side-trip down I-64 just north of Lexington. Definitely check it out!!!

Although...to my shame I did not think to take a "Roaming Julip Bags" picture out front.  This may necessitate a return trip.

In Which I Get Boss of the Year...

How many times, while hunched over my desk at work through summer after endless summer, did I loudly declare that I WAS MOVING MY DESK OUTSIDE! (although I never did)?  Plenty of times.  But being that I'm angling for Boss of the Year now...

And YES, I am actually working!  On setting up the Julip Bags Rav group (because you all empowered me! - ETA you can find it here!) and also doing the finishing touches on what will be the Online Julip Outlet.  Basically, I've decided to change what I've always called The Julip Store into an outlet store.  Every once in a while I finish a bag only to discover that there's a pull or other flaw in the fabric (grrrrr), and although some people might not notice it, I definitely do, and I can't bring myself to sell it for full price.  Hence, the Online Julip Outlet, where "Ooops" bags (as I call them) will be available at a discount. 

So far, being my own boss is wonderful...but all the downsides I'd heard about before are definitely true.  I don't have sick days, so even if I'm not feeling well (like yesterday), I still have to work.  When JP gets an unexpected day off (like last Sunday), I still have to work.  If I'm behind on stuff, I have to work on my (quasi) days off.  I wouldn't say it's lonely, but it is a bit isolating, so I'm making sure to schedule regular fun time with my friends and family.  But all in all?  TOTALLY worth it.

Jerry is disgruntled because he thought we were going outside to play B-A-L-L.

Ok, just discovered a downside to the outdoor office when I felt a daddy long legs crawling up MY bare leg.  And don't tell me they're harmless...I DON'T CARE.  *shudder*

So obviously yesterday everything on tv was all about Michael Jackson dying...I found it very sad, in that he was truly an enormously talented musician and gifted performer, but it will always be tempered by the way he allowed his personal life and decisions to overshadow that.  I was a huge MJ fan up until the first accusations came out in the 90's...my musical tastes were already moving in a different direction anyway, but I am sad that the genius behind Thriller is gone before we could see if he could come anywhere close to that kind of phenomenon again.

Now I'm Blushing...

Ok, so this is something that some of my loyal repeat customers have been asking about for a while, but it's something I haven't been able to think about until I was All Julip Bags, All the Time.  So please, let me know what you think in the comments, I'll be posting about this over on my Facebook page too. 

1. Should I create a Julip Bags group on Ravelry?
2. And if so, what topics would you like to see posted (updates? open suggestions for new designs? super-secret Rav-fan discounts? anything else...)?
3. Will someone come drag me out from under the bed after I die of embarassment if no one joins?  ;-)

Let me know what you think!

P.S. - I've got to give mad props to my friend and professional buddy Annie at RoseKnits for showing me it can be done (her Rav group here, her shop here).

Buffy vs. Edward

Ok, I found this through my regular source of all Twilighted-related-hilarity, Cleolinda, and had to share...any guesses on who will win this one?

Happiness is...

A big box of brand new fabric delivered today!  Brand new as in never-made-into-a-Julip-Bag-before!

It's like Christmas in June!

Aaaaand...She's Free

Today was the last day at the EDJ.  I am elated, I am excited, and yeah there's some fear mixed in there too.  Cutting the tie to the EDJ means cutting a tie to what I went to school for, what I'm licensed for, what I've been doing for the past nine years, a very large part of my identity.  NO I'm not having regret, just reflection on what I've done and what I will do.  But as the wise and wonderful Dana pointed out to me today, "You're moving forward.  All of that education, experience, and life changes will determine who you become in the next chapter of your career.  No sadness, just be grateful for all you get to take with you."  Yes, that is a verbatim quote.  Doesn't she rock?  I'm thinking about printing that out and framing it, myself.

We won't go into how much COBRA will cost us, that little factoid was just casually sprung on me during the exit interview.  Suffice to say, we're looking at other options.

Today as I was listening to my "Bubblegum Oldies" station on Pandora, "5 O'Clock World" by The Vogues came on, and for some bizarre reason the lyrics really struck me as Prophetic and Appropriate ("But its a five oclock world when the whistle blows/No one owns a piece of my time/And theres a five oclock me inside my clothes/Thinkin that the world looks fine, yeah") so I ended up singing/howling it very loudly.  My belated apologies to my (former) coworkers. 

Finally, for those of you who've been around since then, remember this?  (Oh, and I had to check my archives to get the exact post, which reminded me that I've been blogging since August '05!  Damn!)  Well, let me just say this.  Screw me, you will face my wrath.  Screw someone I love, and I will quite seriously cut your balls off whilst smiling and singing Bubblegum Oldies.  And although I may not have more "free time" after today, I do have a more "flexible schedule."  Consider yourself forewarned, I still have many many pointy needles.

You Can Make a Loony Bin in The Sims?!?

Ok, so anyone who knows me and understands why I'm known as The Killer of the Sim Child will probably get a kick out of this:

Exploring the Mysteries of the Mind with the Sims 3

Anyone who has ever played the Sims would probably get a kick out of it too.  Because don't we all really want to play God at some point?

Sweeeeet!

Hot damn!  Julip Bags is in the new Knitty!  (scroll almost to the bottom of the page)

What Do You Get...

...when you have Sock Summit + Julip Bags?

A letter of resignation from the EDJ on my boss's desk today.

Deets to come.

Here Be the Big Reveal...

Okey-doke, I can finally tell you all what the big secret has been for the past few months...although I have to warn you that if you are a member of a yarn kit club...one that you know just shipped...one that has to do with lace...and you think this may spoil the surprise for you if you haven't received your package yet...don't read past the ninja pic (at least until you get your kit in the mail).

Actually, this is my EDJ officemate Jess, and she'd kill me if she knew this pic was up here, so I'll be nice and just not tell her!

K, if you're a member of Ravelry you can just head over to this thread, but here's the long and short of it...a little while back, Jen from Woolgirl contacted me about contributing to her Embrace the Lace club.  This is a year-long lace club that involves getting fabulous kits in the mail every other month...yarn from talented indie dyers, patterns from incredible designers, and other fun miscellaneous knitting items.  Jen asked if I'd like to make Gabrielle Lace Keepers for May's kit.  My response (after asking myself if I could honestly do it) was HECK YEAH!

Since I was so wrapped up in keeping this UNDER wraps, I completed neglected to take pics of the stacks (and stacks and stacks and stacks) of bags (this club has about 260 members! which means I made 260 bags! while still running Julip Bags and showing up at the EDJ!), but this is the fabric:

...Amy Butler's Clematis in Forest, which perfectly matches the GORGEOUS aqua Mama Llama cashmere yarn and doesn't look too shabby next to the SIVIA HARDING PATTERN that was part of the kit.  I'm in a kit with Sivia Harding!  Many thanks to one of my favorite customers, Lynn, who let me know that members had started receiving their kits, so I knew it was okay to blab here now! 

So Big Step #2 in Project Secret Squirrel is complete, I'm thismuchcloser to quitting the EDJ!  Much like a car nearing the end of its warranty period, I'm getting "tune-ups" at the eye doctor and dentist while I've still got full insurance, I'm squirrelling away money like it's going out of print, and stocking up on the luxury items while I've got a regular paycheck.  Here's to hoarding Maker's Mark, y'all!