#handmade

Feb 28, 2019
1 min

Hosting My First Handmade Market

Last weekend was my first market that I ever put together. I found a venue and vendors, I promoted and strong armed friends into getting the word out. It was definitely waaaaaay outside of my comfort zone, but it ended up being a success. I have attended all kinds of markets and craft shows as a vendor. I have acted as assistant to my mom when she put on a series of Barn Sales full of vintage and handmade dealers. In 2018 I even held 2 pop ups in my home. So creating a market

Jun 30, 2018
5 min

Beginner Knitting: Getting Started vol. 2

Welcome to part 2 of our beginner knitting series. If you haven't read vol. 1 yet, I definitely suggest starting there. We are going to touch on a few things left hanging in that post. Today we're going to talk about choosing your knitting needles, along with a few other tools. If you have picked out a pattern for your project, you probably already have an idea of what size needle you need. Most patterns will suggest a specific yarn and needle and then say something like "or

Jun 23, 2018
2 min

Finished Object Friday (late)

I know. It is Saturday. But I actually had a few things to post for FO Friday this week. Problem is, I sat up to watch the first episode (second season) of Luke Cage with my husband, and sitting that long wore me out. My neck still isn't quite up to the task of supporting my head for more than 30 minutes. So I pretty much just went to sleep after that, completely forgetting about my blog post. For this one time exception I bring you Finished Object Friday on a Saturday. We ar

Jun 19, 2018
2 min

Review of Kim Dyes Yarn

I promised more yarn reviews, and considering how many skeins I have of Kim Dyes Yarn, I thought this was a good indie dyer to start with. But first - I will give you a very quick update on me. You probably noticed I missed a few of my regular posting days. My surgery was a week ago and was a complete success, not that there were any concerns. If you haven't been keeping up, I had a cervical fusion to remove a badly herniated disc in my neck. It really had gotten to the point

Jun 5, 2018
2 min

Knitter's Panic (aka blogger's panic)

Let's be honest - I had no plan for today's post. I frankly forgot it was even Tuesday. I am just shy of 1 week away from my cervical fusion surgery and that is pretty much all that is on my mind. What little things I need to buy, what I need to pack for my stay in the hospital, the cleaning I want to accomplish... my husband is wonderful and helpful, but he just doesn't see dirt and clutter in the same way I do. I have 4-6 weeks of cabin fever ahead of me, I want to at least

Jun 2, 2018
2 min

Finished Object Friday (volume 3)

Can I drink a red bull at 10 o'clock at night? Asking for a friend. I am seriously exhausted. I keep thinking I will just get through this week and then I will get a break...and then I find myself filling up that time too. When I was shopping at all those wonderful yarn shops last weekend, I kept getting asked what I liked to knit. My answer - things that knit quickly. I do not have the time or the patience to knit a fair isle sweater. They are gorgeous and I am thankful for

May 29, 2018
2 min

Virginia Yarn Crawl 2018

Happy Tuesday! Sorry for missing Friday's post, but there was no way for me to get the blog post published while traveling. That just means there will be more finished objects for this Friday! As for how my husband and I spent our Memorial Day weekend, we traveled through the mountains of Virginia, stopping at every yarn shop along the way. All in all, there were 12 shops participating in this year's yarn crawl and we hit all 12 in 3 days. I believe we were some of the first

May 22, 2018
3 min

Travel Knitting Tips

The last year or so has seen my traveling continue to increase to the levels of my college days. Happily, I can say that I stay in better hotels now than I did then! But it does mean I have learned how make sure my knitting makes the trip successfully with me. Things like TSA rules are always changing, but hopefully these ideas will help you enjoy your hobby on the go. First step, figuring what to take. Now I not only knit for pleasure, I do it as a business as well. So I bri

May 18, 2018
2 min

Finished Object Friday (volume 2)

We made it to the weekend! Phew. Let me start with a little personal oversharing. I have a badly herniated disc in my neck that is compressing my spinal cord. Yup, that is as painful as it sounds. And because I am stubborn, I put off surgery longer than I should. But it is finally scheduled for June 12, and let me tell you, I am counting down the minutes. I have never been so happy to watch the days pass quickly! So another Friday is a win for me. I'm probably not unique in t

May 15, 2018
2 min

The Yarns I Love

Happy Tuesday! I thought this would be a good time to talk about some of my favorite yarns to knit with. Let me warn you now. This is no yarn snob here. I do not only use the finest merino, spun by angels, and dyed by a local artist living on a commune. Don't get me wrong, there is some of that in my stash. I am an equal opportunity yarn lover and firmly believe there is a place in any stash for just about any type of yarn. They all have a purpose. So feel no shame if your on

May 12, 2018
1 min

Finished Object Friday (volume 1)

Happy Friday! Welcome to our first Finished Object Friday. I kinda cheated this time. Since this is the first FOF post, I didn't actually knit everything this week. I did finish everything this week, so I feel like that is in the spirit of the post. Especially when you take into account how much I hate the actual finishing process. I let my projects stack up while I keep knitting, hoping elves will sneak into my office and weave in ends while I sleep. It hasn't happened yet,

May 9, 2018
2 min

So Much Yarn at Powhatan's Festival of Fiber

I'm about a week late writing this, but let's be real - I was in a yarn coma. My husband and I have made PFoF our family tradition since it started in 2013. Let me take you back for a bit, to explain how this tradition got started. My husband (boyfriend at the time) has always been supportive of my knitting business, but that didn't mean he had to actually GO with me to buy yarn and do yarny things. So he had no plans on making the trek out to Powhatan to look at skein after

Apr 18, 2018
1 min

Love Found at Carolina Fiber Festival

It has been a few weeks, but I still need to tell you about my trip down to Raleigh, NC for the Carolina Fiber Fest. Until then, I had only been to the Powhatan Fiber Fest and I was really excited to adventure somewhere new. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed! Being in a building versus out in a field did make for more crowded aisles and sometimes led to difficulty getting to the skein of yarn that caught your eye. But the 3 hour drive down was definitely worth the blast

May 16, 2017
2 min

Free Pattern Tuesday

I know. I should do these on Friday. But Friday is supposed to be Finished Object Friday (not that I have been able to post on a Friday yet), so we will just have to figure out a better title together. Also, I want to take a moment to apologize for my absence. My trip to Asheville really set me behind on my schedule! The hubby and I had a blast though, so totally worth it. Now. On to the good stuff. Free knitting pattern!!!! Spring time seems to equal baby time, so here is a

Apr 25, 2017
1 min

Free Pattern Tuesday

I know. I couldn't think up a fancy alliteration title, and I didn't want to wait until Friday. I just finished up a custom order for a cowl/hood and I thought I would share the love and pass on the pattern to you! I know, it is spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, but you never know when you need a little warmth (or plans for fall projects). The pattern is from years ago and until someone dug up an old picture and asked if I could make another one, I hadn't knit this hood

Apr 17, 2017
1 min

Knitter's Block

It hits us all at one time or another. Whether you can't seem to finish a project before moving on to something else, or you just can't seem to figure out what to knit, knitter's block is a nightmare. What's the last project that I actually finished? This shawl below: And while it is great, here is a portion of what I have on the needles currently: A future shawl, cowl, super scarf (all new patterns), and a washcloth (for when you just need to finish something already). Since

Apr 12, 2017
1 min

Powhatan's Festival of Fiber

Good evening, knitting fiends! I wanted to let you know of an upcoming event in Powhatan, Virginia, just outside of Richmond. Saturday, April 29th will be the 5th annual Festival of Fiber and if you are in the area, you should check it out. My husband and I have made the trek out there every year, bar one, and it is one of our favorite events. Be sure to check out the link above to see a list of vendors scheduled for this year, as well as more info. I have included a bunch of

Apr 9, 2017
2 min

Welcome to RamsGirl!

Well hello! As is common, let me introduce myself. My name is Traci and I am an avid knitter. My mother taught me when I was young, and then again when I was an adult. I am SUPER type-A, very logical, love math and numbers, and all of those crazy things. Knitting is the creative hobby for the super type-A. For all intents and purposes, it is symmetrical, contained, orderly, and is created with math. You count your stitches to create geometrical shapes. Wait, I didn't mean to