Friday, November 26, 2010
Things to Come & Preparing for the Holidays
I had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday with my boyfriend and my sister. I made a brined roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, brussel sprouts, pumpkin pie and pecan pie. More later . . .
Monday, November 8, 2010
Coming Soon, Fiber Preparation and Sampling Savvy
I am almost finished with an original sock pattern that is for the averaged-sized female foot and easily adapted to other sizes. Check back soon for the FREE pattern and a picture! Also coming your way: An Amigurumi fan doll. I am in the process of creating a doll in the amigurumi style that is an excellent likeness of a certain tall "skeletal" figure of a beloved animated movie. Check back for details, FREE pattern and pictures.
In other news, I am creating a website that will be a central "hub". It will have a bit about me and what I do in general and then pages featuring my other web links and an introduction on their contents. This will make it easier for someone to travel between my blog, Facebook page, Etsy store, and deviantART gallery.
Ryan's sister has given me an opportunity to help scan medical records onto computer for her. I assured her that I am knowledgeable on HIPAA in specific and the importance of the privacy of Privileged Health Information because I used to work as a Release of Information Clerk in the medical records dept of a large hospital in Indiana. I am excited to help out and it will mean a little extra bit of pocket change for Christmas gifts.
I have received a lot of neat samples, freebies and sweeps prizes lately. I have taken pictures of them with a new camera and still have to learn how to take them off but I will soon post a few of some of my latest samples and freebies. Of particular note, my coupon for a free box of Smuckers Uncrustables came today as well as a coupon for a free box of Barilla plus pasta (and more bogo free coupons for their product).
I like trying food products we haven't tried before. Sometimes I discover something we truly love and add to our grocery list. Other times we are glad we could try before we buy because we DIDN'T like the sample we got.
When it comes to Sampling, I have a few good words of advice:
1. If you or your family won't use it/don't need it; then don't request it. Why request a sample that is just going to sit around until you either throw it away, put it in some poor soul's Christmas stocking, donate it to Goodwill, etc.? Companies are offering these freebies and samples because they are hoping to gain more consumers' interest. They only have a limited number of samples so you are, conceivably, taking away a chance at a future customer for them.
2. Find a few good sites you trust and stick with them. When I first started out I think I had 15+ freebie/sample sites in my bookmarks. As I began to get familiar with them though I noticed that there were three or four that, between them, had everything those other sites had all together. Less places to navigate. Though I have to admit I still visit the others from time to time and once or twice saw some obscure but interesting freebie that wasn't posted elsewhere.
The sites I picked as my favorites (mentioned in a previous post) were also ones I noticed had few to none of those "offers" promising things like full-sized products if you qualify or chances at large dollar amount gift cards. These offers generally include a lot of very fine print in which you learn you have to complete so many "offers" in able to qualify for your freebie. Invariably you end up spending money and/or giving them way too much personal information.
3. Many of these sites have social network links. For instance, all of my top sites have Facebook pages. This makes it easy to view things in one central location. I STILL check on each individual page at least once a day though to make sure I didn't miss anything.
4. Many of these sites have or link to a list of Sweepstakes and contests. While I personally have not won anything worth a large amount of money, I have won some items. So it does pay to take a few minutes and go through them. So far, in the few months I have been doing sweeps, I have won a Subway Restaurant tote bag, 4 boxes of Pillsbury toaster strudels, a personal massager, a carpet cleaning tool, and a full-sized box of Barilla Pasta with other coupons for bogo free).
5. Make a free (throw-away) e-mail account that you only use for sampling. You WILL start getting e-mails from companies you have requested a sample from. Inevitably as well, some company who promises not too will sell your e-mail address and you will get spam and scams. You don't want all of that in your main e-mail!
As a last note, it is also great to have a friend who also does samples. We help each other keep track of upcoming offers and/or offers one of us might have missed. My good friend and I were both trying to get a 50.00 Target giftcard from a Dr. Oz sponsered giveaway. I told her I'd share if I got it because she didn't think she would have time to get on. Then she had time after all and she managed to get one while my server clogged and I couldn't get through. She shared the win with me and we both came out ahead.
A good friend also means you have someone to brag too when you win/find something really "cool" and everyone else is sick and tired of hearing about your samples and freebies :-P
On the Wooly side, I have washed up a batch of creamy colored wool. I am going to spin this separate from the brown and then ply the two together to get a candy cane-like stripe. It is going to make a beautiful, sturdy yet relatively soft, yarn.
My adventures in fiber preparation have taught me a few things:
1. Wash twice, rinse thrice. It makes for a cleaner fiber, especially important if you are going to dye it. I fill up the tub with hot water and wool wash and then drop the wool in. Pressing it down gently to make sure it is fully saturated with soapy water, I leave it to sit for at least half an hour. DO NOT AGITATE or you will partially felt it. This makes the fiber harder to work with both when dyeing and spinning.
After the wash, I pile the wool toward the back of the tub as I drain the dirty water out (move the wool gently, again you don't want to partially felt it). I then begin to slowly put water back into the tub (better to go slow, remember) that is nearly the same temperature (I like it just a tiny bit cooler than the wash). Let the wool soak about 5 to 10 minutes in the rinse water and then slowly drain. (I have a fellow spinner who swears by putting a bit of vinegar in the first rinse water to help balance the pH.)
Repeat the wash and give it two rinses afterwards. This is to make absolutely certain you have the cleanest wool for use. This helps assure even color dye, spinner satisfaction, and beautiful yarn.
2. Don't be so "thrifty" that you keep truly sub par fiber. Second cuts, dirty skirting, stained, and matted partially felted fiber is difficult to deal with if you are going to spin the end product. And, even if you are going to felt the fiber before spinning, you will notice a better quality to your felt if you get rid of the sub par fiber.
My boyfriend and I are very thrifty. We try to save wherever we can. I had to teach myself not to try to save every bit of fiber. Your end product will be of a much higher quality. This is important for yourself and gifting, but especially for sellers! If you are truly hate to throw out the bad bits, scatter some in your yard and the wild things will use it to makes nests or line burrows. Throw it in the compost pile. Use it as mulch.
3. Patience, patience, patience. This can be a hard one for me. Especially when I am already seeing the finished product, through my rose-colored glasses, in the dirty wool before me. Focus more on the individual steps and don't rush to the goal. You will save yourself time in the end because going too fast can mean having to redo some steps and/or ending up with something you aren't as pleased with as you thought you would be.
In other news, I am creating a website that will be a central "hub". It will have a bit about me and what I do in general and then pages featuring my other web links and an introduction on their contents. This will make it easier for someone to travel between my blog, Facebook page, Etsy store, and deviantART gallery.
Ryan's sister has given me an opportunity to help scan medical records onto computer for her. I assured her that I am knowledgeable on HIPAA in specific and the importance of the privacy of Privileged Health Information because I used to work as a Release of Information Clerk in the medical records dept of a large hospital in Indiana. I am excited to help out and it will mean a little extra bit of pocket change for Christmas gifts.
I have received a lot of neat samples, freebies and sweeps prizes lately. I have taken pictures of them with a new camera and still have to learn how to take them off but I will soon post a few of some of my latest samples and freebies. Of particular note, my coupon for a free box of Smuckers Uncrustables came today as well as a coupon for a free box of Barilla plus pasta (and more bogo free coupons for their product).
I like trying food products we haven't tried before. Sometimes I discover something we truly love and add to our grocery list. Other times we are glad we could try before we buy because we DIDN'T like the sample we got.
When it comes to Sampling, I have a few good words of advice:
1. If you or your family won't use it/don't need it; then don't request it. Why request a sample that is just going to sit around until you either throw it away, put it in some poor soul's Christmas stocking, donate it to Goodwill, etc.? Companies are offering these freebies and samples because they are hoping to gain more consumers' interest. They only have a limited number of samples so you are, conceivably, taking away a chance at a future customer for them.
2. Find a few good sites you trust and stick with them. When I first started out I think I had 15+ freebie/sample sites in my bookmarks. As I began to get familiar with them though I noticed that there were three or four that, between them, had everything those other sites had all together. Less places to navigate. Though I have to admit I still visit the others from time to time and once or twice saw some obscure but interesting freebie that wasn't posted elsewhere.
The sites I picked as my favorites (mentioned in a previous post) were also ones I noticed had few to none of those "offers" promising things like full-sized products if you qualify or chances at large dollar amount gift cards. These offers generally include a lot of very fine print in which you learn you have to complete so many "offers" in able to qualify for your freebie. Invariably you end up spending money and/or giving them way too much personal information.
3. Many of these sites have social network links. For instance, all of my top sites have Facebook pages. This makes it easy to view things in one central location. I STILL check on each individual page at least once a day though to make sure I didn't miss anything.
4. Many of these sites have or link to a list of Sweepstakes and contests. While I personally have not won anything worth a large amount of money, I have won some items. So it does pay to take a few minutes and go through them. So far, in the few months I have been doing sweeps, I have won a Subway Restaurant tote bag, 4 boxes of Pillsbury toaster strudels, a personal massager, a carpet cleaning tool, and a full-sized box of Barilla Pasta with other coupons for bogo free).
5. Make a free (throw-away) e-mail account that you only use for sampling. You WILL start getting e-mails from companies you have requested a sample from. Inevitably as well, some company who promises not too will sell your e-mail address and you will get spam and scams. You don't want all of that in your main e-mail!
As a last note, it is also great to have a friend who also does samples. We help each other keep track of upcoming offers and/or offers one of us might have missed. My good friend and I were both trying to get a 50.00 Target giftcard from a Dr. Oz sponsered giveaway. I told her I'd share if I got it because she didn't think she would have time to get on. Then she had time after all and she managed to get one while my server clogged and I couldn't get through. She shared the win with me and we both came out ahead.
A good friend also means you have someone to brag too when you win/find something really "cool" and everyone else is sick and tired of hearing about your samples and freebies :-P
On the Wooly side, I have washed up a batch of creamy colored wool. I am going to spin this separate from the brown and then ply the two together to get a candy cane-like stripe. It is going to make a beautiful, sturdy yet relatively soft, yarn.
My adventures in fiber preparation have taught me a few things:
1. Wash twice, rinse thrice. It makes for a cleaner fiber, especially important if you are going to dye it. I fill up the tub with hot water and wool wash and then drop the wool in. Pressing it down gently to make sure it is fully saturated with soapy water, I leave it to sit for at least half an hour. DO NOT AGITATE or you will partially felt it. This makes the fiber harder to work with both when dyeing and spinning.
After the wash, I pile the wool toward the back of the tub as I drain the dirty water out (move the wool gently, again you don't want to partially felt it). I then begin to slowly put water back into the tub (better to go slow, remember) that is nearly the same temperature (I like it just a tiny bit cooler than the wash). Let the wool soak about 5 to 10 minutes in the rinse water and then slowly drain. (I have a fellow spinner who swears by putting a bit of vinegar in the first rinse water to help balance the pH.)
Repeat the wash and give it two rinses afterwards. This is to make absolutely certain you have the cleanest wool for use. This helps assure even color dye, spinner satisfaction, and beautiful yarn.
2. Don't be so "thrifty" that you keep truly sub par fiber. Second cuts, dirty skirting, stained, and matted partially felted fiber is difficult to deal with if you are going to spin the end product. And, even if you are going to felt the fiber before spinning, you will notice a better quality to your felt if you get rid of the sub par fiber.
My boyfriend and I are very thrifty. We try to save wherever we can. I had to teach myself not to try to save every bit of fiber. Your end product will be of a much higher quality. This is important for yourself and gifting, but especially for sellers! If you are truly hate to throw out the bad bits, scatter some in your yard and the wild things will use it to makes nests or line burrows. Throw it in the compost pile. Use it as mulch.
3. Patience, patience, patience. This can be a hard one for me. Especially when I am already seeing the finished product, through my rose-colored glasses, in the dirty wool before me. Focus more on the individual steps and don't rush to the goal. You will save yourself time in the end because going too fast can mean having to redo some steps and/or ending up with something you aren't as pleased with as you thought you would be.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)