I'm on Fire!

I've found a new site on which to sell my 'stuff'.

Artfire.com is a new site, still in its beta stage, where artist list artwork for sale. In some ways, it's much like Etsy, but in others, the feel is different. Artfire has a more artistic vibe (at least right now) whereas, to me, Etsy is more 'crafty'. At any rate, I decided it couldn't hurt to explore my options, and I will slowly begin listing a few items on Artfire. I encourage you to check the site out, as well as my shop, which is still a Six Degrees Arts enterprise. I encourage you to go and sign up. It's free, and so is selling, if you so choose. You can just follow the link:

Register on ArtFire.com

Happy Holidays!

Tis the Season for More Fiber!

More fiber and yarn is up at the shop! I hope to get some more diverse things up soon, and hopefully that will be reflected here as well. But, for now, here's something to feast your eyes upon.

It's Not All About the Fiber

Believe it or not, Six Degrees really is more than just fiber, yarn, dyeing and knitting. I've been a bit obsessive about my fiber fix lately, and that's been the focus, but I am working expand into the true vision I set for myself.

In my Etsy shop, I've added a couple of items that aren't fiber related. This gets into my recycled/reclaimed area (read: pack rat). I have had these bits and pieces lying around for a bit and took time over the past week to get them ready.

These are small magnets I created using rescued wooden game pieces from one of The Things abandoned games. I think it was originally a checkers game.

As you can see, I also have a set of Coke bottletops from glass bottles. There are miscellaneous beer type bottletops waiting to be listed as well, and they'll show up in the shop in the next few days.

Plans are underway for even more, so keep looking to see what happens next at Six Degrees!

Build a Better Mousetrap...

and the world will beat a path to your door.

~~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

There has been some talk on the Love to Dye board on Ravelry regarding powdered dyes and their unwillingness to stay in solution (not get all gritty and nasty when the liquid cools down). One of my friends, who just so happens to be a biochemist, gave a long, very involved reason as to why this happens, and if you're so inclined, you can read about it here.

Me, I like the science, but I'm more interested in bulding a better mousetrap. So, I set out to figure how to basically create a supersaturated dye liquid (or liquor). Me, my powder dyes, all my little recycled containers, and a pint of Everclear. Yeah, you read that right, Everclear grain alcohol. My initial idea was to get denatured alcohol, which is grain alcohol with an additive to make it undrinkable. I read the label while at the store, and quickly put it back on the shelf. It's not only undrinkable, it's unbreathable, unsafe, and plain unwise in my house.

I went to the liquor store and bought a pint of Everclear. Even had a nice little chat with the guy behind the counter about the whats and wherefores and what I anticipated doing.

My initial goal was to see if I could 'trick' the dye into staying in solution in the alcohol better than it would in water. That was quickly a bust. Not to mention I spent a lot of time cleaning up alcohol and yellow dye all over my kitchen. (Also, did you know you could make Everclear EXPLODE in your microwave? Me, neither)

So, I decided to try Plan B. If not a supersaturated, how about a super clean dye liquor, with no sediment? That requires time, and patience, and another trip to the liquor store, but it's in progress now, and I've even expanded to include pink dye, just to see what will happen.

But, I'll never make it as a research scientist.

Let's Go Shopping!

New items listed on the ETSY SHOP!

WOO HOO!

Some sample pics to get things going. AND, just a note, I'll be trying to be more faithful to the fiberness of this blog really soon.