introducing *handicraftkate

Here is my first ode to a designer/business owner. If you know me, you know that I am very interested in people and fashion. Several months ago, before leaving Kentucky, I interviewed kate of handicraftkate. I would like to feature her craft of throwing wool and roving. She is such an amazing and really funny person.  I miss our fashion shoot collaborations and dinners.

 *please note the pictures below are from the spring collection and may no longer be available.

*features model: Heather Allen

How long have you been throwing felt?

About two years.

How did you get into this art form?

I’ve always been an artist. I used to paint, draw and work with clay on a wheel. Then I started into paper making, which lead into working with wool, which lead into working with raw wool. From there I started making things out of roving and started making hats and bags and then scarves. And then I got into Nuno felting, which is the combing of silk with felts with an open weave. I am still looking for new ways to make scarves and I am always trying to find the next new style.

What are your favorite parts?

I love selecting colors and getting colors to blend. I’m known for my gradient scarves, which is made by breaking down the roving and blending the colors seamlessly.

I love the quest of finding and understanding new techniques. I continue to try new things. I am currently working with Shabori.

How do you manage your time being a small business owner and working outside the studio?

Most of the time, I generally do my work in non-stop weekends. If I’m not crafting, I’m online posting and social networking. I also do a lot of it at night and any days off.

Do you have anything that helps with your time management?

My husband. He does all the work around the house, so I have time to work.

What is your biggest challenge?

Marketing, I still don’t really have that down. Trying to reach my audience and get my product out there. Exposure is always a challenge.

How do you choose what you will make out of the product?

I generally purchase roving with a design already in mind.

Where do you want to take your business?

I would like to be a full time crafter with most business on etsy, but I also want to have a studio where I can teach classes and show my work in the local craft fair circuit.

What is the most exciting thing that has happen since you started your business?

When I make a custom item for someone in a far off country and I know that it will a part of their daily life. I love knowing that the item is going half way around the world to be used by someone who likes my style.

I also enjoy when I made a custom item for a good friend and then I can put a lot myself into it and make it extra special for them.

What are your best sellers?

Rainbows are king… for some reason people love color.

What is your favorite scarf?

The crater scarf.

summer {part four}

this was one of my favorite hikes this summer.

ben and i decided to take an overnight trip, just the three of us.

only one percent of alaska's land is privately owned,

which leaves a lot of land open for adventure and public use.

the state and federal government owns the other ninety nine percent of alaska, 

the state has built cabins all around alaska for public use, some have to be reserved ahead of time

 and some, like the shelter we went to, are first come, first serve (or share).

we also went blueberry picking on our hike. the blueberries are out.of.control this summer. 

alaskan's are serious about their blueberries. we have an entire season dedicated to wild blueberry picking.

we discovered on our trip that hope loves blueberries. she even picks bites them off the bush by herself.

we have the cutest dog!

please note* we started our hike at 8 pm. and this was the first night in months that i saw the moon.

summer {part three}

we were able to make it down to anchorage to visit our friends at the beginning of august. 

we had so much fun. ms amy can make me laugh like no other. she is such an amazing mom and person. 

thanks for letting us crash at your house!

we found all of our old youth group kids grown up {one engaged*} and i could not be prouder. 

they are all such amazing people and most importantly they love and serve the lord.

this year we celebrated our fifth annual kayaking adventure in witter, ak. 

it's such a wonderful time to catch up on life with our kids*. 

this weekend was light on pictures. i decided i was young again and what was a photoshoot turned into me jumping a kids bike. i made several successful jumps and then my coach {7 year old, lets call him mr. k) decided i should make a bigger jump. so, with my husbands help they created a much larger jump for me.

my husband assured me that i could make the jump and so i went ahead while ben videoed the entire stunt.

the best part is when we got to the hospital and the doctor asked what happen we had video documentation to show. the doctor came in so serious, but as soon as he saw the video he started laughing and then said 

 "i'm not laughing, can i watch that again". i don't think i've ever had such a funny hospital visit. 

i came out with minimal damage, a separated collar bone,... it will heal...

but most importantly the video will live on.

apparently storm troopers live in alaska and they show up at most local functions.

this is the best place to eat in talkeetna, ak. we go out of our way just to get breakfast here on our way down.

summer {part two}

this post is not for the faint of heart squeamish.

it's salmon fishing time!

ben went salmon fishing with the boys and came back with over thirty fish for us.

he decided to can them all. he also canned the parts we don't eat for hope.

hope loves her salmon eyeballs. sounds delicious, right...

ben transformed our kitchen into a fish processing center, with double caners and a giant cutting board.

 ben also heated up our house on this 90 degree day.

side note -  very few buildings have air conditioning in them up here, so when it heats up...it really does.

a huge part of living on the north side of the planet is substance living.

alaskans are serious about hunting, fishing, and gardening.

with that comes delicious food that has a story of it's own.

even if your squeamish, skip to the bottom pick and check out the giant pink salmon ben caught.