What are you working on this week? Mostly I'm doing research on my website, trying to figure out if there's a way to make it do what I want, and worrying about my kiln, which needs its first repair work!
In ceramics, I just had a great kiln firing in spite of a mishap, but my kiln needs a little TLC now... an alarm went off about seven hours into an eight-hour firing, the firing then dragging out about another hour or so (I did get the alarm to stop buzzing, so at least my head wasn't filled with noise as well as with worry)... then began the sixteen hour wait to be able to open the kiln to see if everything over-fired, under-fired, or what.... Sigh. Patience: something I am low on. Fortunately the firing was good - maybe a titch over-fired, but just enough to get some of the glazes really nice and flowy, not enough to burn everything. WHEW.
Joe and Cetty took a look at the kiln, Joe doing his electrician magic, and determining that it's a bad relay... so now I have a new relay on order, and as soon as it gets here, Joe can switch it out and I'll be back to firing. Again - WHEW.
Let's see... what else? Plans are coming together well for that one-pound butter dish I mentioned. I made a mock-up/prototype to make sure I had the dimensions correct and could account for shrinkage in the kiln, and everything looks good to go... so I'll start making a few of them next week, to fire when the kiln is healthy again!
In soap, I've finished the guest soap set for earthy fragrances, and am thinking of another. I have my eye on herbal fragrances, mostly because... I'm bringing in a new herbal fragrance soon! Called "Wild Mint & Ivy", it's a green, green, green fragrance. I've had more than a couple people ask me for a kudzu fragrance, and I can't tell you how impossible that is to find... but I'm hoping that this will be a good substitution. A few people who have come by my studio have smelled the fragrance in the bottle, which has resulted in a few people asking me how soon it will be ready. Stay tuned....!
In yarn, it's time to get February's yarn club in the mail (actually a few days past time, and I'm running late, for which I'm sorry...!). It's all wound up, International went in the mail yesterday, and yesterday I started on packing up Domestic. I'll finish that up today, and hopefully get it in the mail tomorrow or Thursday. Keep an eye on Ravelry for a spoiler post if you're interested in seeing more of the adjusted/black-and-white teaser in my collage up there.
Speaking of yarn club, you probably know that the next round of club - May through July - is also going to be inspired by Star Wars. I have two really strong ideas for clubs for the September through November clubs, also (yes, already! My brain never stops!). One idea is to revisit obscure fairy tales... and one idea is for colors inspired by David Bowie songs, because ... well, because David Bowie, that's why. Ever since he passed away, his music has been on heavy rotation in my studio, and songs like "Blue Jean" and "Golden Years" are really just ripe for colorways, aren't they?! But then I think that I like the colorway ideas I'm coming up with so much that I'd like to make them permanent colorways instead of just club, so.... well, anyway. It's an idea that needs more rumination before I decide anything permanent.
Oh! One more thing about yarn! I'm still having that yarn sale; four discontinued base yarns, 20% off, no coupon necessary - the yarn is already marked down. I'll be running this sale through the end of March, and then I'm going to pull anything that hasn't sold off the website. Will I add it to my own stash? Will I bring it, marked back to full price, to craft shows? Don't make me decide! Buy this yarn before it comes to that!
In knitting, I've got the yarn dyed for my sky and temperature pillows... now I just need time to get it wound, and then find the right needles for knitting. Then I can start crossing off all the sky colors and temperature averages I've been keeping track of since the beginning of January, as I start knitting! Don't worry, I'll be posting in-progress photos of this year-long endeavor.
Whew. That's me! What about you? What are you working on this week?