Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Gallery

This will be an ever growing gallery of Fiber Findings, Fabrications, Friends, and my work. Hope you enjoy my collections! Some of these works are for sale, and can be found and purchased on my Etsy page, in the links section of my blog. All people in these pictures agreed to be in them.
the fiber muncher

my dear dad learning to weave, we were having fun teaching ourselves :)

 womens woven cable hat
 red mobius dropstitch cowl
 black lace and lotus hat
 red lace and lotus hat
 seaweed and silk yarn-spun by none other than myself(all yarns pictured will be as well)
 woah overtwist! beautifully overtwisted polworth thick and thin yarn
 reversible cables not-quite-infinity scarf, it comes apart still you can wrap it if you like. modeled by me!
 jess wyman of jess wyman photography and hemp happy jewelry(see links section for website) models my fern leaf hat!
 a hat made for the rich and casual headwear line
 my chevron mitts
 sock display knit for Annes Fiber Expressions in Wisconsin! Slinky Socks!
 Fog yarn, as always spun and dyed by me
 jess in my cardigan!
 jess in the mohair lace bolero top! my own design!
 sunny days prayer shawl
 some rust and rustic roving, just dyed, from a falkland pound
 some of my yarns and me spinning on my Kromski Minstrel
 jess modeling my green vest
 jess in a wonderful short row shrug, she closed her eyes, oopS! I am NOT  a professional photographer
 jess with my alpaca honeycomb pillow!
 jess in a womens green cable cloche
 a nice brown lace headband and earwarmer
 the shawl as its worn! 100% electric blue mohair!

some new thick and thin glitzy yarns !
 the white version of the dropstitch mobius cowl
and some thin and thick white glitz!
I was knitting for like ten hours on this mohair lace shawl, for betty todds mohair in motion in white cloud michigan, but it turned out great! I had a glass of wine(or two) in and lots of hours in this project!

the shawl the long way, it was all leaves, very cool and simple lace pattern!

new secret surprise yarn!

New Year and New Knitting!!

Its now a few weeks into the new year and I have to say, this year is already looking pretty interesting. So far, we've lost a few close people, and regained a few lost friends. Also, there of course is new knitting to be done and some new fibers getting spun! So much fun! So now that we have all this going on, why not add a SALE!!!! ALL MY ETSY ITEMS ARE 15 % OFF RIGHT NOW!!! If you don't already know, my etsy page is listed in my links at the bottom of my blog and the shop name is ShanahanFibers. I am posting new items to it today as well,  and this of course means new knitting to come and new fiber fun to be had! Also I have been teaching lessons recently, and I just wanted to say to all my students, you are doing beautifully! I am so excited for you!!! Knitting From Row 1:KNIT101, has been a huge success so far, and our sampler scarves are just swell! If anyone is interested in joining our class, please email me, at shanahanfibers@gmail.com. We would love to have you!

Well my work is calling me, and I love to respond! So Ill be posting soon!
Happy Knitting!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

I'm SOOOOO Excited! First blog post!
Not quite sure what to do yet but here goes nothin......

My name is Kaileen Shanahan, and I'm the owner at designer of Shanahan Fibers, a small fiber processing business which also deals in and produces locally made garments and home decor. I have to say, I LOVE MY JOB!!! It can be alot of fun to work at home and get to put your heart into everything you make. Its about a connection with the Earth and people that cannot be matched by having a commercial job. So what do I do?

I wash, pick, sort, card, spin and dye natural fibers, lambs wool, alpaca fleeces, cotton, etc. Once spun into beautiful yarns, I knit them by hand into wonderous items, sweaters, socks, pillows........

Where do I work?
Northern Illinois. I'm based out of my home, but also display in the Wilmot Artisan Market in Wilmot Wisconsin, just over the Wisconsin border. It is a co-op art gallery, meaning all the artists who display there also work the desk and register. I also have a shop on etsy under the shop name, ShanahanFibers.
MY work is also displayed in fiber shops around the US. Anne's Fiber Expressions in Wisconsin, Mohair in Motion in White Cloud Michigan, and The Fold in Marengo Illinois are a few of my clients. I also do some work for Rich and Casual Clothing of Chicago Illinois.

When do I work?
I have posted hours at my home in which customers can come by and see my work. They are from 9am to 9pm, and encourage people to call or email me before coming by, because sometimes I have to run out for supplies.

So, thats a little about me and what I do, be sure to check me out on Facebook-ShanahanFibers, and Etsy.com- shop name: ShanahanFibers. I will be uploading some pictures when I get home, and can't wait for you guys to see them!

Kaileen Shanahan
Owner/Designer 
SHANAHAN FIBERS
shanahanfibers@gmail.com