Art Batts--I Finally Broke Down

I really like planning. Maybe sometimes I'm not very good at executing, but planning I'm good at. I like research, and I like thinking. When it comes to art, I've always approached projects with a plan, once I'm comforatble with a plan, then I can let go a little, but I at least start with a plan.

That quirk is very evident in my batts. Tidy, well planned, I keep detailed notes about color weight and order so that both batts in a set match, and I know what will happen when a spinner drafts them out.

Dappled Sunshine--Shepherds' Friend Romney BattThis one will stripe if you pull strips from the side and are careful to draft them in order. OR, you can roll the whole thing and pull to blend the colors in one roving. My notes read: red: 5 oz, orange, 5 oz., gold, 5 oz., teal, 2 oz., brown, 1 oz. Batt order: r, b, o, t, g, o, r, t, g, r, t, o, r, g.

Tidy Dappled Sunshine Batts

Planning: it's fun. But I have to face the harsh reality that it's not always appealing to everyone. Spinners are a crazy, wild bunch!

Art batts are the thing. I admit, I love looking at them, I love touching them, I love spinning them. I even love making them. So why have I waited so long to start making them for my shop? Because you just can't always make much out of them. I really like offering enough wool for a complete small project to my customers. My carder can only make about a 2 oz. batt, and art batts are impossible to make identical.

They're also always full of lots of different breeds and non-animal fibers, while my goal is to help spinners learn the characteristics of each breed. And I'm just not a sparkly kind of girl; I'm not sure if I'll ever do bling in my batts. I may break down there too, but not for a while.

And, there's something else I have to admit. They kinda feel like cheating. I mean, they're not completely a no-brainer to make; I chose colors within the same family and add a pop here and there of something else, but they just feel too easy. And, I really can't tell a spinner what they'll produce.

But I broke down and did it! I've made a set of four art batts from my studio scraps and they're getting posted over the next few days. Here's a sample:

Sloppy,fun art batt named Anita

Another view of the anarchyOf course, I had to have some plan, so I gave them a new name. They're Sassy Batts in my shop. And I'm naming each one after a sassy lady in literature, history, film or pop culture. Anita is after Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter; it's a book series by Laurell K. Hamilton. One of my secret pleasures.

I may even loosen up and extend this new approach to my Shepherds' Friend batts. I think I could simply weight some dyed locks and throw them into the carder willy nilly.

Maybe.

If I think about it really hard first.

It's Fiber Arts Friday and Crafty Friday, so have fun checking out everyone else's blogs for some great inspiration!

The Big Picture--Being a Shepherd's Friend

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my business and the art I produce for spinners, knitter and fiber artists. Bear with me as I delve into the how's and why's of my business, Inspiration Fibers.

As a "mission statement", my shop has a purpose of educating fiber artists about the different characteristics of breeds of sheep while using a method that supports small farming in America.

All across the nation, there has been a snow-balling movement to focus on "local", or at least American. There are groups of thought ranging from buying only American-made products to buying only products made/grown within 100 miles of where you live.

"Sparkles" from Whispering Pines Shetland Farm. Her fleece will be featured in October!

As a business owner, I decided I needed to find my place within this movement to base my shop on. And, as a soon-to-be shepherd, it only makes sense for me to support small farming in America. I think spinners and knitters want to support these small farms, as evidenced by the huge turn-out at fiber festivals over the past few years, but not all are up for the labor-intensive wool washing process or have the equipment for carding large quantities.

When I originally began my Etsy shop, I purchased wholesale roving and yarn from a large wholesaler that imports from England. I was able to provide high-quality wool at reasonable prices. Great business model, but I found I was excluding myself from a group of artists and consumers that were more focused on the big picture. And I wanted to be a part of that group! These are things I truly believe in and needed my lifestyle and art to reflect those beliefs.

Romney batts from "Honey Bear" of Long Meadow Farm

Now I purchase, at retail price, fleeces from small farms that focus on a single breed of sheep. Beyond supporting the shepherds, by focusing on a single breed, I can provide a monthly breed study for spinners and knitters. All my "Sherpherds' Friend" products come with information about the farm (and sometimes the actual sheep) and the breed. I wash, dye, pick and card all the wool myself. Every lock of wool had passed through my hands at least four times, and sometimes it's hard for me to let go of the finished batts!

All Shepherds' Friend products come with educational and informational material

Feel free to click around my blog to learn more about the Shepherds' Friend program, and see the first month's pages dedicated to Corriedale sheep, Argvarden and their sheep, Elsa. Romney from Long Meadow Farm will be up soon.

I have a logo!

I've been working with Madeleine from Madeleine R Designs on an official logo. Here it is!!!

I can't wait to use it in a new banner and avatar! That's how I'll be spending my day!

Eureeeeeka!!!

I know I've been promising a great little tutorial on kids and dyeing, but it's going to wait until Wed. I've been completely immersed in photos. Actually, I've been struggling with photos for a long while now. I have a light box. I have a great digital camera. I have cruddy photos.

So last night I bonded with my camera. I downloaded the user guide (the original is long gone--if you've ever visited my house, you'd understand) and read about every setting possible. I bought new bulbs for my lights that are brighter and truer white. I read tutorial after tutorial on product pictures.

Here's what I've accomplished today:

"Waves" Corriedale battA clear, bright, not-discolored photo!!! You have no idea what I've been through. I was about to buy a new camera (it couldn't have been me!). But I learned all about white balance and how to set it myself with a white sheet of paper.

Here's my little studio:

Do you like my antique washboard as a prop? I thought it added a rustic touch.

I'll be in the process of photographing new and old listings for my etsy shop over the next few days, but my brain is racing to get a few tutorials up: one on the kiddos dyeing, one on batt preparation for spinners, one on pulling batts into roving and one on blending different batts for complex colors. When am I going to find time for all that? Keep checking back over the next month. And say a little prayer that I can get to it all!