Four New Color Blends

I finally broke through my new color combo slump. I had a severe case of carders block...I just couldn't come up with anything new. But at last I have had a break through!

Here are my 4 newbies...

Feelin' Peachy



Rain Puddles n Rubber Ducks


Tulsa


and Candy Clouds


More are on the way!

I had the best swap partner ever!

I joined the Holiday Swap 2007 on Ravelry a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited to participate in my first swap. I was anxious about sending out my gift to some one. Especially since my partner was in another country and I was limited on what I was able to send to her with out it getting delayed in customs. But I found lots of goodies to send out to a fellow yarnie nut.

I was so excited today when my package arrived. All I can say is WOW! I had the best swap partner ever! Not only a fellow yarn lover but she's a fellow horse-a holic too!

Look at all the goodies....



There is a Fiber Trends Kit for the cutest sheep (I love it), a ball of Crystal Palace's Merino Stripes in my fav color, some very nice goat's milk soap, a super cool key chain with a horse on it, a bar of soap that looks like a rock (also my fav color), some dark chocolate espresso cookie mix, and this is the neatest item of all a morning blend coffee from Equus Fine Coffees. Horses and coffee...it doesn't get much better than that! You throw yarn in the mix and it is just a super wonderful terrific day!



And the cookie mix...



I'll let you know who won the battle. LOL!

Thanks Ellen! You went above and beyond the call of duty.
But you know what the best part is...I have a new friend. :O)

Business Politics SUCK! Yes, I'm mad!

I have been crazy lately with all of my suppliers price hikes! This year I have had to eat three price hikes from one supplier. Two were just across the board hikes on supplies and the third was a major hike on my incoming UPS shipments. I have ate all of these price hikes out of my profits and have only increased my prices once in the past two years. That increase was just made a couple of weeks ago. (From $9/4oz to $10) I have had no complaints and business has stayed about the same...THANK YOU! But I have just received another letter about yet another price hike.

Here's a quote from the letter: "The price of wool started to increase in January of 2007 and has continued to do so all year; the finer the wool, the greater the increase. there is no way to tell you this will be the only increase for 2008."

I hate hiking my prices but I just did the math....it's not good. I know that others are getting more for their fiber and I know that I am one of the lower priced "creators" but I still hate the idea of taking my prices any higher. I'm a frugal person and try to pass on great deals. But I may be forced to raise my prices if I want to continue doing what I do. I love what I do! So what do you as my customers and other fiber creators think? I'm not talking about a huge hike. But it would put my prices up there with most of the other sellers. Actually, it would be just squeaking below. I am looking at $11 or $12 per 4oz ball of my Custom Blended Roving. I use only top quality commercial grade fiber in my work. And my hand dyes are all from top quality commercial dyes. No mill ends or unknown fibers. They are veggie matter free and smooth in texture. And I do believe that they are worth every bit of what my price increase would be...otherwise I wouldn't consider uping the prices. I have started to import large quantities of wool from other suppliers but they are doing the same thing.

AHHHHHH! I hate business politics! I could really really use some feedback here.

Thanks everyone....I appreciate it.

Subscribe to the Newsletter

I have been working on a newsletter for my shop and really really wanted to get my first issue out to my subscribers the end of October. But in my research for a provider for the emailing service I have found some bumps in the road. I have finally found a provider that has everything I need to provide a great newsletter for my subscribers. And I will have the first issue out very very soon.

Send me an email at newsletter@cjkopec-creations.com to sign up. Please put the words "add me" in the subject line so I see it right away. Your email address is secure with this provider and you will not receive spam emails from them or any other company as a result of signing up. I keep you emails in my files and they are not shared with anyone.

What is in the issues?
Great info on upcoming items for my store, pattern resources, contests, special color blends and coupons that will be available only to my subscribers and I'm even working on a classifieds section for those of you who want to sell or purchase used equipment.

So feel free to drop me a line and sign up.

Take care all!
~Coby

I have gone BATTY!

Ha Ha...I know what your thinkin'. You already know that. But now you can see my batt-yness in all of it's colorful glory.

Introducing: COLOR TEXTURE BATTS









Each tremendously huge batt is chuck full of chunky texture and wonderful color. (Mostly all hand dyed!!!!) These batts are carded on a coarse cloth hand crank carder. (Oh, my aching back!) So they will spin up to have lots of great slubs and other novelty like qualities. They include fibers like, super soft corrie wool, merino, tencel, silk, bamboo, firestar and lots of other goodies. Each one is a one of a kind work in itself!

So stop by and check them out!

And I know....two posts in one day. I have gone batty. Actually my previous post about my Trent Willmon group was spammed by some advertiser and I couldn't get it removed without deleting the entire post. So actually, that one was posted yesterday. I just can't believe people don't have better things to do than sit around at spam peoples posts. Good gravy...I know I do.

Ravelry...and my love for country music. They unite!

I got my invite Mid october to join Ravelry. I was so excited! Yet another online place to make some great new friends! I have yet to upload my stash...I'm sure it will take some determination to get it all posted there but I'm going to get it done...eventually.

(What is Ravelry find out here. There's a sign up link in the upper right corner to get on the waiting list. just fill out the info and watch you email box.)

But I did find the time to start my own group there. It's the "Trent Willmon's Knittin' Fans". I figure I might as well combine two of my favorite things...Country Music and Fabulous Fiber!



So feel free to join up. And add me as your friend. My id is: cjkopec

I have had a couple people send me messages and ask why I had started this group and if I was employed by Trent or did I have some affiliation with his fan club. So I thought I'd take a minute and write a little note about why I decided to start this group on Ravelry.
No, I'm not employed by him nor am I an "official" anything for that matter...well, except an "official die hard fan". This group was started by me to help spread the word about him and his music.

So why Trent..... Well, hang with me. I'll explain.

I have spent several years of my life traveling the country (and other countries for that matter) working as a professional Cowgirl. Training horses, guiding trips through the mountains for campers and hunters, working feed lots, and driving cattle were just a few of the many hats I wore. Living on the road with nothing but my faithful canine companion (Dually an Aussie), truck, horse trailer, horse and a footlocker with my clothes and gear, my life was very simple but very satisfying. I traveled from ranch to ranch with only a small guarantee that someone at the next spread just might need some help. And when there wasn't anything lined up for the next job I would literally throw a quarter on the map and head off for a new adventure. Now, some of you may not think that a life on the road such as that was full of possibilities for the future...well, I guess you may be right to some point. The true working cowboy/cowgirl is a dying breed. And we all know that life as it was in the big screen westerns is a thing of the past. But I grew up a lot on road and learned things about life and people which no college could ever teach me. (And yes, I did go to college.) I may not have the financial backing that I may have had if I had pursued my college dreams like my classmates. But I have one thing that they may never have...memories of a life time. I have seen the beauty and splendor that this wonderful country has to offer. I have woke in the morning to have elk grazing within an arms length of me. I have witnessed a bald eagle fishing in the river. (Boy o boy, do I wish I had owned a camera.) And it wasn't all warm and cozy. I have been woke by grizzlies in the middle of the night and I have been joined by rattlers in my bed roll. But for the most part the friends and experiences of my life as a "Tumbleweed" was more than I could ever asked for.

About 6 years ago I moved back to my home state of Michigan to be closer to my Father who's kidneys were failing. I started a family of my own and after 3 to 4 years of doctors appointments for my father, all is fine now. (He received his transplant 3 years ago.) My days of cowgirlin' have been put on indefinite hold...And I must admit that I do miss them dearly. I kind of feel like I lost a part of myself along the way. Although watching my son grow and learn is very satisfying. And there is no way, shape or form that I regret any of my decisions I have made. I don't feel it's right to move him away from family just to re-pursue my Cowgirlin' dreams and passions. And I look forward to sharing my experiences with him as he grows older. I hope you all understand what I mean here.

A few years ago I recognized Trent on Lorriann Crook's cooking show on GAC. I had seen him play at a small bar in Texas and recognized his hard to forget mug. I immediately went out and bought his debut CD. I was instantly a true fan. Not since Chris Ledoux had I felt so in touch with an artists music. His songs took me back to the days of wrangling wild ponies in Nevada and working cattle in West Texas. He was the real deal with true connection to the events in his music. I sat on the couch and closed my eyes and truly in my heart felt like I was on horse back riding through the mountains or hanging with my buddies at the local watering hole.So I guess this is my way of thanking him for giving this old cowgirl a chance to get away and remember the "good ol' days". And bring back images in my mind that I thought I had lost forever due to the lack of a camera.

If I could say anything to him about this I guess it would be... "Thank you for being true to yourself and your fans. Thank you for the sacrifices that you have had to make along the way...the time away from your loved ones, the bad coffee :O), the smelly tour bus, the lack of good movies to watch while on the bus, the long hours and all the "glamour" (or should I say lack of "glamour") that we as fans don't realize that you have to endure for us. I appreciate all of these things you have done."

So there you have it in a rather sizable nutshell. I could go on and on but I think you can get my reasoning from this. Nashville, with all it's new comers, is a very difficult place to be as a country artist. Country music has so many genres and looks within itself that sometimes even the best singer/songwriters get looked over or don't get the recognition they deserve. And I believe that we as fans have to stand up and take part and do what we can to try to help out and make them be heard. So thank you for taking part! You make my voice stronger and we, or should I say he, will be heard.

Stocked for Holiday Gift Giving!!!

Yes, I know it's been awhile since I have last posted here. Thanks go out to everyone for dropping me a line to make sure I was OK...

Let me answer a couple of questions that people keep asking me before I make the "BIG HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING" announcement.

***Yes, I'm feeling much better and all of the health issues are taken care of and under control for the most part

~and~

***No, I wasn't abducted in Mexico by some handsome cowboy....(giggles) But thanks for keeping your fingers crossed. :O)

Alright! Here it is....The GIFT CERTIFICATES and FIBER CLUB MEMBERSHIPS are now available in my Etsy Shop . Here's a little peek at what the listing looks like...





If you don't see the membership you think would work best for you or a gift certificate in the dollar amount you need feel free to drop me a line. I'll get what you need posted!

I would also like to announce that I will be listing "COLOR AND TEXTURE FIBER BATTS" very very soon. These blends will be carded on a coarse cloth drum carder (unlike my already offered "CUSTOM BLENDS" which are carded on a fine cloth carder) These COLOR TEXTURE BATTS will make great art yarns with slubs and bold and definite color separations. They are also great for felting on your foam needle felting forms! KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN! I'll post here when I get them listed!

Also HAND DYED SUPERWASH MERINO SOCK YARNS are now available in my shop....well, if you catch them while they are still available. They are selling as soon as they come out of the dye pot! I am using a beautiful 100% Merino Superwash Sock Yarn measuring approx. 1322 yards per pound. Here's a picture of my first sock yarn dye...It was listed for only 5 min before it sold! I was sooooo happy.



OK...I gotta go work on my new blends and color and texture batts! Please stay tuned....I can't wait to see how they do.

I am now on Ravelry! Check me out. My id is: cjkopec
I'd love to have you as a friend there! I still have to upload my stash...LOL! It will probably bog down the server when I do so. hehehe You know my motto "She who dyes with the most fiber wins!" :OP

And if you really want to help me out join my Ravelry Group "Trent Willmon's Knittin' Fans". There are lots of exciting ideas going on in my head for the group including a few contests and give aways. So please join up! Trent is a very wonderful Singer/Songwriter and person in general! Whether your are a long time fan, new fan, or just enjoy his music come on in and join up. Not a fan yet but want to learn more about his music. That's OK too.
I'll be posting here again about the group also!

Take Care Everyone!
~Coby