HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! I thought I'd share a photo of my new toy!

SO YUMMY ..... APPLE PIE!

Here is a super recipe I used to make an delicious apple pie, try it... I promise this dessert won't hand around long!

Pastry Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter, chilled and chopped
1/2 cup ice water

Directions

1. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl
2. Cut in the butter until the dough is crumbly
3. Stir in the ice water, a little bit at a time until the mixture forms a ball
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour
5. Flour your rolling surface, roll dough and divide in half. Roll each half to fit a 9" pie plate
6. Place one crust in plate and press evenly on bottoms and sides.

Pie Filling

6-7 large baking apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3/4 sugar
1/4 brown sugar
1/4 flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples in lemon juice
2. Combine sugars, flour, spices and add to the apples.. coat well
3. Fill pastry lined plate with the apple mixture
4. Place the second pastry on top of pie filling and fold edges with your fingers or press with a fork. Be sure to cut vents!
5. In a small bowl, beat egg and water together, brush this mixture over the crust
6. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes
7. Reduce heat to 350, bake for an additional 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Shop Update!

We've been busy trying to prepare for the shopping season. New batts and yarns are in the works! Check out our newest listings on Etsy!

Interview with Etsy Seller ThiefJamie!

1. When and how did you fall in love with yarn?

My mom was a dabbler in the yarn arts when I was young, for cheaper and handmade gifts when there were more kids than spending money to go around. I’ve always been encouraged in art projects and yarn was another tool to explore and a couple friends and I would hang out with each other’s moms and learn different tricks and things. I became a dabbler myself for a few years in there!

Then in the last couple years I fell in love with it all over again when I was introduced to the world of handspun and art yarns, especially through Etsy. I love that there’s so many unique pieces, infused with so much personality!



2. What is your favorite material?

I really love merino and alpaca, the slidy, squishy feeling of sinking my hands into it. And especially after learning to spin this summer, I’ve gotten more picky about the fiber I spend my time with. I am always willing to try new ones though! I’ve done upcycled t-shirts, glow-in-the-dark, banana silk and other fun stuff. I’d like to try hemp yarn and camel next, I think…

3. Where can people find your handmade goodies?

ThiefJamie.etsy.com

4. Why do you do what you do?

I kept seeing all these cute and amazing things: hats in boutiques and online, adorable characters in shows and books and thinking, “I want to touch it and hold it and I could totally make that!” And then it was a personal challenge to see if I really could. And I’ve finally gotten to the point of being able to make things that are wholly my own and bring my imagination into 3-D creations!



5. What other hobbies or interests do you have?

Adventuring! Washington is a beautiful state and there’s so much to see! Fairs and forests and shows, let’s hit the road and see where we end up! And when the weather’s too blustery, you’ll find me with my friends and my super loud family, watching the Mighty Boosh and drinking tea.

6. Name a few of your favorite websites for others to check out.

For all my crafty needs, I love Ravelry, but when I get online I like to laugh, so you’ll usually find me wasting time with Dooce, Cracked or xkcd.com. And then my Etsy favorites are too many to count!

A Real Country Spinner..

We took a drive to the Finger Lakes Fiber Arts Festival a few weekends ago and saw some amazing creatures, textures, colors and tools. A new wheel followed me home and I'm totally hooked on it. These are the latest yarns from my new Country Spinner!

One of our favorite vendors was Sheepish Grin Farms, which is located in Lodi, New York. We found some really great angora fibers there. As mentioned in an earlier post we'll be incorporating new fibers in our yarns and the English Angora Rabbit is one of those. It is super soft and fluffy, nothing else like it! Here are some of the new listings in our Etsy shop that have this blend.

Some Q and A with DaidaLOrange!

I recently did a short interview with  DaidaLOrange, a fabulous Etsy seller who offers unique

hand knit newborn photography props made from handspun yarns. Check out her store for some amazing pieces of work! 

1. What got you interested in knitting?

  

  My interest in knitting started in high school when I wanted to make myself a sweater. I went to a knitting shop where I purchased my Clover bamboo single point needles, several skeins of wool yarn in two colors - a beautiful deep hunter green and gray, and a book where I found a very challenging and intricate pattern for a two-color sweater. I was very proud of this sweater and still have it. I didn't choose an easy project as my first knitting project because I love the challenges of more difficult endeavors. 

I now create my own patterns for my unique hand knit baby items and use handspun yarns exclusively. I believe that the texture of handspun yarns brings a different and unique look in newborn photography and makes those photographs stand out from the crowd. Besides texture, I believe that color has a great impact on the look in photographs which is why I prefer interesting color combinations when selecting my yarns. 

2. What is your favorite material?

 My favorite material is merino wool. It is so soft and perfect for baby hats and anything against the skin. I prefer a variety of textures in my choice of handspun yarns ranging from thin and thready to super bulky and slubby. I find that different yarns let me have a greater choice in the final outcome of my handknit items. 

3. Where do you sell your work?

 Currently, you can find my creations on http://www.daidalorange.com 

4. What are your favorite websites (blogs,social networks, etc.)?

 I like the diversity of groups on Flickr such as the Natural Light Child Photography group. I also participate in a few photography groups on Facebook. 

5. Lastly, what other hobbies or interests do you have?

 Photography has been my main interest for several years now and I have recently started to venture into storytelling video clips as a transition from still photography to moving photography. Writing is another interest I've had ever since I was a small child learning to write.

We're Back!

Hello everyone, sorry that it has been so long since our last post but things have been busy on the home front.  We recently moved into a wonderful farm house which has kept us from being connected lately. Our goal over the next few months is to provide our customers with new blends of fibers such as alpaca, angora and mohair along with our regular soft merino wools. We have been busy dyeing new lots and working on super bulky and novelty yarns. Keep checking back, we are up and running regularly again! 

Bloggers Rule!

The fabulous Etsy seller Lotus Julie has done a really great profile on her blog today about Spun Right Round. I love the polaroids!!! She is spinning yarn for the Tour de Fleece, wanna know more? Go HERE!

Customer Gallery!

1. Hat Diva!, 2. Talija!, 3. Spinup's Handspun Yarn, 4. Spinup's Handspun Yarn, 5. Spinup's Handspun Yarn, 6. Ginny Huber's Brooch!

Here is another link directory to these fabulous Etsy shops!

Spinup

Ginny Huber

Atomic Blue

Etsy's Front Page!

Spun Right Round has made it to the front page of Etsy! Whoop! Sugar Daddy was the item and Monatelier was the fabulous seller who created the treasury to win the big spot! Thanks so much!