Hand-Painted Thread and the Social Network

A gift from a new friend.

Greetings friends!  Oh, what a busy month it's been!  No matter how early I get up or how late into the wee hours I toil there never seem to be enough hours in the day to get it all done! Honestly I'm not sure how you do it.  I suppose the up side of all of this activity is that I have plenty of projects to share with you!

If you've been visiting for a while you know that recently I've been working with thread.  I absolutely love this medium.  The delicate detail, the feel of the fabric, the sense of accomplishment when I've finished a piece.  Today I want to share a story of crochet,  kindness and social networking with you.

Like so many new bloggers, when I started this adventure I thought all I had to do was publish my posts and readers would flock to my site making me an internet sensation and overnight success (well, not quite...). But the reality is if you want people to visit you have to network.  That means visiting others on a regular basis and sharing thoughtful comments.  Taking part in on-line activities like CALs, a Year of Projects, and Blogtoberfest. Participating in some of the many groups and forums you find on Ravelry.  Creating boards of your favorite things on Pinterest, and following people you find interesting.  Tweeting your activities and posts.  And of course the big one, the one that I avoided like the plague - joining the world of Facebook.

Most of these have proven easy and fun to do.  I've met some of the nicest, most talented people you could ever imagine.  And while I admit that I don't really understand the whole Twitter craze I can say that I have come to enjoy my time on Facebook.  In fact, that's how I met Bonnier Reiner.  Bonnie is a fiber artist from California where she creates this beautiful hand-painted thread.  We don't know each other well at all, but Bonnie sent me a message asking if I would be interested in giving her thread a try.  Naturally  I said yes and about 10 days later a small package arrived.  To my delight there were (2) 50 yard skeins of a bright blue, purple, teal, and green thread, plus one with pastel shades of pink, green and yellow.  She calls them Rainbow Threads and you can reach her at [email protected] if you'd like to know about availability and pricing.  What I can tell you about is appearance and quality.  I tried the #10 thread (but she has others).  The colors are rich and vibrant (please excuse my pictures, it was too sunny and the color washed out).  The thread is mercerized (I think) and has a nice sheen.  It is easy to handle and flows smoothly on the hook.  It doesn't snarl or get knotted while you're using it.  The only thing I had trouble with was winding the skein onto my bobbin.  I think that's more from my inexperience though because I always buy my thread in balls or cones.  Once I had it wound into a useable form I set to work making these coasters.  They are about 4 inches in diameter.  The one on the right is finished.  It's 2 pieces that are joined on the final round.  From the one 50 yard skein there is enough thread to make at least 3 and maybe 4 coasters this size.  It really does go a long way as long as you use a second color for the back piece. In case you're interested the pattern is Safari Coasters and is available online from Leisure Arts.   I found it in the October 2001 issue of Crochet with Heart magazine. I'm always on the lookout for old magazines and I bought a stack of these at the thrift shop a few years ago!

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I don't have any experience hand painting fiber, no doubt it takes time and talent.  I'm pleased to have had the chance to give Bonnie's thread a try,  and thankful that she sought me out and offered to send a gift to a stranger across the country.  For a long time Facebook felt like a cross between a high school cafeteria and a seedy bar after last call.  I was really hesitant to create an account.  As it turns out, there's a bounty of great folks looking to share their talents, ideas and knowledge. Who knew?? 

Beautiful Ornament Greeting Cards by Bonnie

This has been a terrific experience.  I wish that I had more details on Rainbow Threads to share with you.  It's good stuff and if I've peaked your interest at all, please get in touch with Bonnie. 

I can't write a post on a Wednesday without telling you the latest book chat now can I?? Of course not!  Last week I read the new book by Kaya McLaren called How I Came to Sparkle Again.  It's been a long time since a book hit me the way this one did, and I hope that you'll check out my review to find out why!

Earlier today I finished the Bone Bed by Patricia Cornwell.  This is the 20th Scarpetta novel.  I have been a huge fan of these books for years, but the last few just didn't do it for me.  It seemed like the magic was gone.  So I had mixed feelings when I started this one.  If you want to know what I thought, drop by Robin Reads & Writes later in the week for my review.

Allrighty folks,  time to say goodbye for another day.  I can't believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone and that we're on the countdown to Christmas!  I miss having the time to write and I'm looking forward to that quiet time that comes during our New England winters.  A cup of tea and my favorite projects equal lots of stories to share!  And speaking of sharing, today I'll be linking up with a few of my favorite.  Please stop by and add yours to the mix.  The more the merrier!

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Thanks so much for stopping by and spending a bit of your day with me!
Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!