Like so many of you, during this last week, I’m more keenly aware of the many things I have to be grateful which for me includes you, the person reading this page who might also “like” the Spin Artiste facebook page, follow the site on Twitter, subscribe via email, comment, participate in the contests, agree to be featured, or just chat with me behind the scenes. I can’t thank you enough for spending time with me.
Many of you are also small business owners who are either working in other fields or working as full-time artists. You have my tremendous respect because your work is labor intensive and there’s a fair amount of competition for consumer dollars.
As I have gotten deeper into my own fiber artistry, I’ve come to appreciate other artists even more and while some people look at others’ work and say, “I can do that”, I tend to say, “Wow, I understand what that took to produce and it’s amazing. I’m going to support that person.” Writing this blog is an extension of that feeling, too.
I think a lot about how to stimulate more consumer interest in buying hand crafted fiber products and that will be a continuing part of the Spin Artiste mission moving forward. I’m very optimistic about the future of the fiber arts community. I think that the movement towards buying locally and handmade items will continue to gather momentum and bodes well for our community.
To celebrate Small Business Saturday, I’ve put together some Spin Artiste swag for a giveaway — a tee shirt, a bottle of spinning wheel oil, a tote bag and the rarest item of all…a skein of my own yarn — 62 yards of “Mad for Plaid” in the colorway “Kilt”, hand dyed and hand spun in a mix of shetland and alpaca. To enter, leave a comment with what you’d like to see more of on the site over the next six months. For additional entries, link the post on your Facebook page and/or mention on Twitter — leave a comment letting me know you did. I will pick the winner this coming Wednesday.
All the fibery best, Arlene
I am so looking forward to your winter contest and voting on all the winter items that you will post after Dec 4. I would like to see more of these type of contests and you have inspired me to do a contest of my own…. Or several as the idea is growing in my head. I will link this to my Facebook personal page as well as my Alba Ranch Facebook Fan page. I will tweet about it on twitter, I will put a link to it in my Blog posting on http://albaranch.net Thankyou, Melisa Morrison of Alba Ranch.
Maybe it’s a cop-out, but I love everything just as it is! Spin Artiste is my go-to read for inspiration and education, and I think you do a marvelous job!
I love you blog as it is
But what could be a cool thing might be something like a monthly challenge followed by a gallery of what everyone makes – a theme or a technique challenge, I like something to take me out of my own head and thinking and that challenges me to do something I either wouldn’t have thought of myself or something completely new. Its also really cool to see what other people might come up with and how everyone has something unique to offer. I guess this is like the winter contest 
but there doesn’t have to be a prize every time, its enough to see what everyone does!
Oh and I FB’d too
http://www.facebook.com/WoolWenchYarns
I really enjoy your blog; I know how much creativity and inspiration is required to write and keep up with one involves. And I love giveaways and contests, too, but sometimes just the inspiration I see is gift enough!
Thank you for what you do.
I shared on Facebook, also.
I love Spinartiste! It’s wonderful reading about different fiber artists and how they are inspired to create. An idea of something you could add would be a page or link with announcements of upcoming fiber festivals and spinning classes.
Keep doin what you’re doin! Love the articles like the one on Jazz Turtle. Love learning about luxury fibers. Thanks so much.
I love learning about other fiber artists. It’s always interesting hearing about the different ways they got started with fiber as well as where their art has taken them. I think you’ve been doing a great job giving us a way to get to know them a little better. I will be posting a tweet as well.
What would I like to see? More of the same! I’m mostly a knitter & designer, so everything I see on here is inspiring and challenging. It’s great to see a blog that’s really for professional fiber artists as peers.
hi, i love spin artiste and know that it is alot of work to keep up with all of this stuff so i just want to say that i really appreciate reading everyweek and what an amazing way to bring all of us in the fiber arts community together! i think that a monthly gallery would be amamzing…maybe once per month a post on what everyone has been up to and place to show our new things for feedback from our peers! that sounds like it would really foster a sense of community and be something to look forward to sharing and seeing…i love the in depth interviews that you are already doing that really gets deeper into individual artists’ methods and madness, too! thanks for this awesome thing you are doing…i really look forward to it every week! i will share your info for small business weekend shopping and cyber monday on my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rosenectarfibrecouture . blessings!
I like you just the way you are!!!
But I have an idea!
How about introducing spinning themes? Not as a contest, but for fellow fibre artists to get their creative juices flowing? Steampunk yarn, Year of the Rabbit yarn, that sort of thing. I always love to see how others interpret a theme, a book, a movie, a song.
Maybe even introduce other countries and their artists – how would you spin Germany?
I have tweeted as Mackerel_Clouds, too!
I agree with other commenters – keep doing what you do best!
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I like things as they stand now. I do agree with the monthly challenge suggested in another post.
I, too, love your blog the way it is! I think it would be fun to showcase or interveiw with artists who felt and needlefelt as well as spin – for me spinning has led to all things wool
I think your giveaway is a great thing, by the way, and I will share on facebook too.
I think your site is wonderful as it is now… nothing needs changed!
You have such a great blog it’s hard to think of how to improve. But I love the idea of a monthly challenge.
Would love to see some felting, raw
love to see some raw or wet felting
I really get a lot of inspiration from your interviews! I love to see how everyone does things. It is fantastic! I like the idea of a challenge too… that is always fun!
Thanks!!