just because i'm so proud of the selection of stuff we're stocking today at the leaf shoppe, here's a pretty preview of about half the goodies. :) not all of them are mine (obviously).

okay yarnies, anyone else out there have this one colorway they made that was a happy accident, and ever since that time have been unable to recreate the perfect vision like that first one? i'm dealing with one of those right now and GAAAAH! it is so frustrating. i know what my problem is... i'm too attached to creating it the same way as the first time. if i just would mix the dyes to match the end product and handpaint it, there would probaby be no problem. but of course i take the hard way (that is true to the process i followed the first time), and handpaint it first, look at it in horror and say "ack, that looks like butt!"... then overdye it, and magic happens and makes it into something gorgeous -- except there's been no magic lately, oh no. the overdye is where things seem to go horribly wrong -- too dark, too yellow, too red, too dark *and* too red... on and on. at least i can sell the rejected skeins, but i'd rather be creating new intentional colorways, not "oops, what happened here" skeins, yannow?

so, for about the 3rd or 4th time now, i'm setting aside this custom for another day when i feel i can handle trying it get again (thank goodness the customer is a friend and exceedingly patient with me... not like she's hurting for yarn *cough* but that's beside the point -- hi, m! :) ).

well i said i would be putting previews up this past weekend and had intended to, but i really only got a bit done and didn't bother taking pictures till yesterday. so instead i'll just say go check out the leaf shoppe tomorrow late morning for all my previews and then everything stocks at 2pm eastern. for right now, it's back to one yarn waiting for the dye to exhaust on the stove, 2 shirts i just boiled getting washed in the laundry room, a shirt in the dining room waiting for me to iron and heat set the paint, and several descriptions that need writing on the cart. hmm, and it's midnight so i'm guessing some of the descriptions are going to wait till morning. i have the wax heated and ready to go as well, but neglected to sketch anything up in advance, so that will have to wait as well.

custom updates and all that coming (probably) tomorrow, once this stocking is out of the way and i can breathe again (at least for a few hours).

lots of countdowns starting right now... countdown to christmas, countdown till the end of the year, countdown till my stuff is due for january's spotted box, countdown till my first stocking with my new congo... and of course counting down as i wrap up each custom and hopefully have a clear list by the holidays. the custom list as it stands today:

just wrapped up:
the newborn set for little ava, painting now complete as well -- shipped today and can't wait till she gets it!


in progress:
michelle's custom yarn - beach pebbles on peace fleece
-- dyeing this weekend, shipping next week
kayleigh's shirt - dyeing done, painting jolly roger in flag on babydoll top
-- painting this weekend, shipping next week
dye leanne's yarn - berry blast with a slice of lemon, 7-8oz bfl
-- dyeing this weekend, shipping next week
liz - neopolitan sock yarn
-- dyeing this weekend, bringing to borders meetup first week of december
carmela - pear shirt and matching yarn
-- might dye yarn this weekend, start batiking shirt

and after that:
melanie - custom shirt(s) - passing?
sarah - 2 blue/black jolly roger shirts, first color dyed
andrea - shirt (car? otherwise lizard or treefrog) and yarn tbd - working on design
terra - contacting this weekend to work out details
alison - contacting this weekend to work out details
jennifer - fairy or butterfly shirt (tbd) - contacting this weekend to work out details
steph - yarn tbd
debi - swap yarn tbd

i'm also going to be working on a few things to stock this coming wednesday at the leaf shoppe... i'll probably post some work in progress or preview pics over the weekend, depending how things are going!

got those 3 shirts done! i love productive weekends... am hoping to knock out some yarn today too, if the current queasies (leftover stomach bug???) subside by this evening.

here's both of kim's shirts, finished and ready to ship out in the next few days! hope you love them!


here's a quickie shirt to coordinate with an adorable woolie set from Quintessential Baby on hyenacart. i might still paint a little button in the center of the flower, i haven't decided yet. this is for a friends sweet little newborn named ava. i can't wait to meet her!


and finally, the second shirt headed to debi in a few days for our trade! i love how the tone-on-tone looks on this one, i think millie needs one when i have the chance to make another like it.

custom updates as of nov 15
i've been trying to work on waxing things up in the evenings and waiting on the yarn because yarn is something i can theoretically work on when the kids are home/hovering... there's no way i can do this with hot wax around, so the order of things might be a little bit goofy while i'm playing catchup from my bout without water in the house and a mysterious stomach bug yesterday and today (kids, not me. oh wait, i take that back, it's apparently now my turn, blegh). i apologize to those just waiting on yarn, but i will be trying to wrap those orders up this weekend when dh can do some kid-wrangling and i can hopefully do some work in the mornings or afternoon for a change!

in progress & up next:
kim's little birdie shirt - 2nd round batik done, dyeing tomorrow

debi's 2nd shirt - 1st round batik done, 1st round dyeing tomorrow

carrie - congrats it's a girlie!!! batiking done, dyeing tomorrow

michelle's custom yarn - beach pebbles on peace fleece
kayleigh's shirt - dyeing done, painting jolly roger in flag on babydoll top
dye leanne's yarn - berry blast with a slice of lemon, 7-8oz bfl

and after that:
melanie - custom shirt(s) - passing?
liz - neopolitan sock yarn (yarn is here!)
sarah - 2 blue/black jolly roger shirts, first color dyed
andrea - shirt (car? otherwise lizard or treefrog) and yarn tbd
carmela - pear shirt and matching yarn
terra -
alison -
jennifer - fairy or butterfly shirt (tbd)
steph - yarn tbd
debi - swap yarn tbd

we have it again, thank goodness. $2400 to replace a burnt out well pump, omigosh. that hurt a ton, but oh for the joy of being able to turn on a faucet and flush a toilet again.

i'm ready to get back to dyeing!!!

customs status as of november 6th... and 9th

just wrapped up:
diane's 2nd shirt - shipped nov. 6

kim's pink/orange funny little birdie shirt -- waiting to hear on colors/contrast

debi's first shirt (crummy picture but here it is), shipped nov. 9


*** right this second we don't have water in the house because our well pump or pressure tank is toast. hopefully this will be fixed this weekend or early next week... but till then i can't do any dyeing so yarns and shirts are unfortunately on hold a few days. ***

in progress & up next:
michelle's custom yarn - beach pebbles on peace fleece
kayleigh's shirt - dyeing done, painting jolly roger in flag on babydoll top
dye leanne's yarn - berry blast with a slice of lemon, 7-8oz bfl
debi's 2nd shirt and yarns for swap

and after that:
melanie - custom shirt(s)
steph - yarn tbd
liz - neopolitan sock yarn (pending yarn arrival)
sarah - 2 blue/black jolly roger shirts, first color dyed
andrea - shirt and yarn tbd
terra -
alison -
jennifer - fairy or butterfly shirt (tbd)
carmela - pear shirt and matching yarn

i just restocked the ::: funny little birdie ::: shirt and matching peace fleece yarn as 2 separate items on the leaf shoppe today. they don't seem to be getting any action as a set and i'm anxious to clear things out and make a fresh start of sorts, since we're officially disbanding the congo by end of year and i think this last one was pretty much the last stocking anyone is going to do there. moving on is a good thing and i know it's giving me some renewed energy for alfabette zoope!