A new adventure

I just wanted to let you all know about my new business- gemmagild.com I will be selling arm party sets, watches, and bracelets! And if you're so inclined you can follow me on instagram.

I'm really excited about this new endeavor and can't wait to keep rolling out new arm candy for you! Take a peek at the shop now :)

Sale!

Just thought I would let you guys know that I currently have a 50% off sale going on in my Etsy shop! All vintage items are on sale because I'm not going to sell vintage items any more- while it is super fun, it is very time consuming and storing all those fabulous clothes takes a lot of space that I don't have.

So hop on over to the shop and see what you can see!

A fun little WIP

Hello everyone! I thought I would pop in and show you something I'm currently working on. The finished sock pictured has been done for quite a while now, and I have finally gotten around to starting the other pair.

This isn't the only pair of socks I'm working on... the fishies are still in progress, although they have fallen to the wayside because this pair is so much easier to work on and I can knit these while watching TV.

I have a couple more stripes to go and I will be done! Then you guys will get to see a photo of them modeled. How fun! :) In other news, I've been busy updating the spinning supplies shop, so stop by and check it out!

So what's the difference? Top vs. bottom whorl spindles.

The question I get often from beginning spinners is...

What's the difference between a top and bottom whorl spindle?

Top whorl spindles have the whorl closer to the top of the shaft, and bottom whorl spindles have the whorl near the bottom of the shaft.

Top whorl spindles generally spin faster, but for shorter amounts of time.
Bottom whorl spindles spin slower, but longer. Also, bottom whorl spindles tend to be more steady and less wobbly than top whorl spindles.

Top whorls spindles are better suited for spinning thinner yarns, while bottom whorls flourish with thicker yarns. However, it is perfectly possible to spin thick yarn on top whorls and thin yarn on bottom whorls.

So which one should I get?

My advice to you would be to get both. There are some people whose favorite spindle is a top whorl, and some people who swear by bottom whorls. It really comes down to your personal preference. Some beginners like that the bottom whorls spin longer, allowing for more time to draft the wool. If you will be using the park-and-draft method (as some beginners do), a top whorl spindle might be the better choice for you. Since they spin faster, twist builds up faster than it would on a bottom whorl spindle.

Sorbet & Yarn

It's been really hot around where I live recently. Way too hot for March/April anyway.
So I decided to make some sorbet with the handy dandy ice cream maker that we use maybe once every month. I used this recipe except I used cherries instead of blueberries and didn't make the macarons. Macarons are still on my to-do list, though.
Anyway, it came out delicious and I'm going to make more today. :)

In other news, I added some handspun yarn to my shop! Check it out.

I'll leave you with some photos of my morning walk. :)

The picture on the left is my dog, Fluffy. We have 3 dogs, but the other 2 were further down the hill with my mom. Photos above were taken with Hipstamatic- I love that app!

P.S. Have you heard of Heartsy? You need to check it out! It's like groupon for Etsy, and today they are featuring dennisanderson!

Wednesday Wishes

My number 1 wish this week is for more time! It seems like this week is just flying by...

Aren't these bracelets fabulous?

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This tiny lace spindle is just so cute! And I bet it spins wicked fast. Yes, I just said "wicked fast."

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I admire people who can embroider well... I'm not very good at it.

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This wallet tutorial is pretty awesome. I'm going to make it out of a thrifted wool skirt for Project Restyle. I'm thinking I want to add a special pocket for my iPhone... should be easy to do, right?

Hope you are having a great week. :)

Thrifty Thursday: Preparing for spring...

Whew! I haven't done a Thrifty Thursday post in quite a while!

A couple of days ago I went to the thrift store and realized I only had 30 minutes until the store closed. So I decided to head to the dress section to find some pieces to restyle after quickly scanning the shoe section.

I found both of these dresses for 1 dollar! They are perfect for spring, which is right around the corner. I probably won't do anything too fancy- just some hemming and taking in is all these beauties need.

P.S. Check out my guest post over at Jeanette the Jongleur!
P.P.S. Take a look-see at my cousin's blog: cmoRACEDRIVER. He's an aspiring race car driver and he recently volunteered at a local speedway. He has some awesome photos!

Some doodling...

...from a month ago. Found these in my room and thought I'd share. :)