Miss Babs Blog

Return from the West Coast & is Spring Coming?

Babs

Jen here: It didn't look good as we came down through a snowstorm at the Charlotte Airport. It didn't look good as we stepped off the shuttle at the long term parking lot into slushy puddles. It didn't look good as the Rav 4 warmed up and the wipers pushed the frozen snow off the windshield. Had we really left ALL signs of spring back in San Jose? We did leave a jolly good time, a great show at Stitches West, and gorgeous green and blooming spring. We left a... Read More

Moisture Matters!

Babs

Jen here! This has been a wet week! This is not a complaint, merely an observation! After 2 years of drought, with our spring running dry, facing the choice of laundry OR showers, and 75% of our foundation plants dying...I will not complain about what has been falling out of the sky! But, that clarified, we have had a little bit of everything! We had ice, rain, fog, sleet, freezing rain, frost, slush, and lots of different snows. I like to look at snow like I look at popcorn...its all very... Read More

Dyeing, Dyeing, Dyeing

Babs

Babs here! Getting ready for shows is always interesting, and this first show of the year is no different. We have Stitches West in 3 weeks! So the Power Dyeing Cycle has started. Yesterday was a super-long day. I woke at 2 a.m. and did emails and sorting and organizing in my office. Then I was in the studio by 7:30 a.m. and worked mostly non-stop until 5:30. Not sure how many skeins got all colored up...but quite a few! Today will be another one of those days, except a... Read More

Changes Coming!!

Babs

Hi Everyone! In case you can't tell, I have a hard time blogging regularly. This is, in part, because I am just so tired at the end of the day, and the other part is that I see that it has been awhile and so it is hard to say something to fill in the space! So...here's the change that is coming! Jen has been working with me for over four years and has seen me through the craziness and the growth and has been instrumental to MissBabs Hand-Dyed Yarns... Read More

SAFF was great! This Afterweek Tough...

Babs

SAFF was a great show and I want to thank everyone for their continued support of me and my yarns and fibers. I always leave SAFF a very grateful and humbled person - amazed by the customers, the vendors, and just the general affection. I came home to having to face putting one of our beloved dogs down. Miss JJ came to us about 6 years ago. My husband picked her up from the side of the road where she had been abandoned. She was terribly frightened of storms and... Read More

We Pack Today....

Babs

Today is the last day before we leave for Asheville. Today, I am listing to one side again with vertigo or more ear infection that didn't quite go away. This has been going on for just a bit too long! Ron had his knee drilled and drained yesterday. What the h...? So I will run to the doctor's again today and get some more medicine so I can do what needs to be done! We have LOTS of sock yarn....LOTS of Yowza.....LOTS of fiber and LOTS of other things. (See... Read More

Last Few Days Before SAFF, 2009

Babs

Well, I promised a few pictures of what we have been doing out in the studio. This doesn't show everything, by any means....but here we go! Piles and stacks of yarn and fiber that haven't been hung up yet on racks. Hanging will start in earnest today. We have to move some stuff out of the studio before we can do that though and iit was just too cold yesterday to open the doors of the studio and let the outside come in and the inside go out. Hopefully today... Read More

Back Home from Sock Summit!

Babs

Back home last night with Jen. We left Portland at 6 a.m. yesterday morning and drove up my driveway about 8:30 after having to circle Charlotte for an hour or thereabouts due to runway construction. Greeted by the furry friends and husband, and collapsed into bed soon thereafter! Slept almost 9 hours (which is incredible for me!) and am still pooped!! Glad to be back in my regular time zone - amazing how difficult it is to accustom yourself to other time zones. Sock Summit was great! Meeting so many... Read More

Winners!! Colorway Naming Contest Winners!!

Babs

We have six winners to announce! We have co-winners at each level: First Place - Grand Prize Winners for "Frog Princess" Debi L. aka FluffyKnitterDeb of Florida and Olivia of Oregon Second Place Winners for "Wildflower Meadow" Marianne W. of Santa Rosa, CA and Kathy V. of Kirkland, WA Third Place Winners for "Hollyhocks" Rachel H. of Indiana and Jenn I. of Battle Creek, MI First Place Winners will each receive 2 skeins of sock yarn in their choice of colorways, plus a goody bag filled with things we all... Read More

MissBabs Makes Big Error!!

Babs

Okay folks, I know you think I am pretty invincible, but I am not!!!! I will admit that I have been dyeing many hours a day and all the other activities that go into getting ready for a show, plus doing just stuff of life...oh yeah, I have a life, too! Husband, dogs, daughter, SIL, grandkids, yard work, gardening....all have been greatly neglected in the readying of yarns and fibers for Sock Summit!, followed by Stitches Midwest, and SAFF. Okay, now I am whining....and I hate whining!! So on to... Read More

Lately....

Babs

I have been getting ready for Sock Summit, filling some wholesale orders, and generally busy as the major show season is ahead of me at this point. We go to Portland in 3 weeks or so, to Chicago a month later, and then Asheville/SAFF five weeks after that. So life has been busy and will only get busier until the middle of November. Lots to do. But thankfully the daylilies are blooming. There are lots of orange daylilies. [caption id="attachment_98" align="aligncenter" width="300" ] [/caption] I especially love this daylily. I... Read More

Sock Summit is Coming!!

Babs

I just realized this morning that not everyone knows about the Sock Summit that is happening in Portland, Oregon this August. It is always amazing when you have something going on in your life (in a consuming type fashion) and you realize that, Oh my Gawd, you don't know about that?!? So here's where I try and let folks know about this very big event that is coming up. This first Sock Summit is being organized by Tina of Blue Moon Fiber Arts fame (Socks that Rock) and Stephanie McPhee of The Yarn Harlot... Read More