molly miller by appointment

2011-10-18T15:03:00.000-04:00

Check it out!! molly miller by appointment was featured in the Alexandria Patch today: http://oldtownalexandria.patch.com/articles/shop-local-handspun-and-knitted-goodies-from-molly-miller-by-appointment

Shop Local: Handspun Goodies from Molly Miller by Appointment

Old Town resident Molly Miller turns out beautiful creations from her Prince Street home.

By Tara Maglio

Molly models one of her creations.

Molly Miller has been knitting since college and comes from a long line of crafty ladies.

With a mother who knits and a grandmother who weaves, Molly was exposed to the artistry of working with fiber and yarn from an early age. She began knitting in college and eventually took a class to learn how to spin her own yarn. Her fascination with the fiber universe and creating both yarn and finished knitted accessories continued to grow and after years of giving her handmade creations as gifts, she was inspired to launch her own line.

Molly miller by appointment was born in 2005, and Molly creates her yarn and knitted goods right in her Prince Street home. Her business not only provides a creative outlet, but also an opportunity to give back. A portion of all molly miller by appointment sales go to aid organizations helping to rebuild Southern Sudan after two decades of civil war. Molly has lived and traveled in Sudan and has a passion for using her artwork to support the people there. Molly also strives to include materials in her unique pieces that support other fiber artists, are friendly to the environment, and sustain social justice programs in developing countries.

The Goods
If the words “hand knit scarf” conjure an image of an itchy holiday gift from your great aunt, think again. Molly makes scarves, cowls, ponchos, shrugs, shawls, wrist warmers, and hats in stunning color combinations and textures. All of the pieces are chic and could easily be worked into the most conservative or bohemian wardrobes.

Her collection includes neck wraps that button at the neck and look like something you might see with a wool coat and high heels on K street as well as chunky scarves would be perfect with jeans and a t-shirt. Best of all, each piece is unique and handmade by Molly right here in Old Town.

If you are a crafty type, you may also be interested in purchasing her hand spun yarn. Molly sells her knitted creations in her Etsy shop, local trunk shoes, and local festivals such as Art on the Avenue in Del Ray. Her yarn is also available at fibre space, where she also teaches a class about how to work with hand spun yarn. Her finished pieces range from $60 - $250.

The Process

Molly gave me a demonstration of her creative process, and I was astounded by the craftsmanship that goes into each piece. A scarf, for example, takes Molly six to eight hours to make from beginning to end. Prior to meeting Molly, I could not have told you how yarn was made but Molly showed me the process from beginning to end. I learned that yarn is created by twisting and blending fibers.

Molly begins by dying the fiber and then uses a wheel to spin the fiber into yarn. She knits the finished yarn into exquisite pieces that will make you wish for cold weather. In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time before a retail chain such as Anthropologie gives Molly a call!

You can view Molly’s products at mollymillerbyappointment.

Photos

Dorean Photography!

2011-10-17T18:08:00.000-04:00

Hi there! I've uploaded a new cache of photos on Flickr, taken by the talented Carrie Dorean of Dorean Photography -- go check it out! www.flickr.com/photos/mollymillerbyappt. Carrie does amaaazing work, and you should check her site out too! http://www.doreanphotography.com/.

web update complete!

2011-10-13T20:53:00.000-04:00

Web update complete -- check out my Etsy store for the new fall line!! I'll be adding to it throughout the season, and I'll also be posting a show schedule for the fall and winter shortly. Check back soon!
xo,
molly

Art on the Avenue coverage

2011-10-05T22:33:00.000-04:00

Check it out! molly miller by appointment was featured in Alexandria News: http://www.alexandrianews.org/2011/10/rain-on-the-avenue/ There are some great pictures of me and my booth at Art on the Avenue (which survived, despite the horrid weather!).

For those who didn't make it, I'm doing an expansive shop update on Etsy this week -- check out the fall line! http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/.

Art on the Avenue!

2011-09-23T15:09:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! On Saturday, October 1, from 10:00-6:00, molly miller by appointment handspun and knitted goodies will be for sale at Art on the Avenue! I will be in booth #W13 near the intersection of Mt. Vernon Ave. and Howell Ave. Every year, over 300 artists, musicians, and food vendors line Mt. Vernon Ave. in Del Ray for a wonderful day of celebrating our community's diversity through the arts in the Del Ray neighborhood in Alexandria, Virginia. Visit www.artontheavenue.org for more information about the event. Hope to see you there!

Fall kick-off trunk show this Sunday!!

2011-09-16T09:19:00.002-04:00

Hiya fiber friends! Please join us for the fall kick-off trunk show this Sunday from 1-5! We're finally approaching fall after another hot DC summer, and that means cooler weather -- which means you need some new scarves! :) Dozens of lovely knitted goodies -- scarves, hats, wrist warmers, wraps, and ponchos -- are ready to make their debut, and I'll also have plenty of hors d'oeuvres and champagne on hand. Email mollymillerbyappt@yahoo.com for directions. Hope to see you there!

new handspuns!

2011-05-09T14:30:00.000-04:00

Check out the new Molly Miller handspuns that just landed at Fibre Space in Old Town Alexandria!!

On being friends with the mailman

2011-02-10T12:02:00.001-05:00

So, yes. My wheel is still broken. *sigh* After the front of the maiden literally snapped off and the flyer fell into my lap while spinning, I called Paradise Fibers (from whom I bought the wheel) and they went to bat for me with Lendrum. After 3 weeks of waiting for replacement parts to ship from Lendrum in Canada, Paradise very kindly offered to send me replacement parts from their own stash and then re-stock with Lendrum's shipment so that I could get back in the game. What great customer service! I was thrilled.

But the funny part was when Paradise's shipment accidentally went to an old address of mine in their system. As soon as I received the shipping notice via email, I called to notify them that the address was incorrect. The family-run business's reply was, "Not to worry, we're going bowling with our mailman tonight, and I've just called him on his cell to let him know what happened -- he's bringing the package with him to the bowling alley and we'll re-send it to the correct address in the morning."

Wow.

I've never been bowling with my mailman. But I kinda wish I could -- it would save me a lot of headaches receiving shipments at my subdivided townhouse!!

All ye fiberistas, check out Paradise Fiber at http://www.paradisefibers.net/. You won't be disappointed with their wonderful products or their stellar customer service! :)

winter sale!

2011-01-25T11:59:00.000-05:00

For anyone who missed the winter trunk show on Saturday, stop by the online store for sale prices on remaining knitted items through Valentine's Day!! http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/

Keep your eyes peeled for new items coming online for 2011, too -- I have some fun things planned! First things first, though; my wheel literally came apart the other day while I was spinning, so it's in the process of being repaired. :( Meanwhile, I've been occupying my time dyeing up tons of new fiber and am going to start carding some lovely new batts for spinning!

fall trunk show on November 14!

2010-11-03T13:14:00.000-04:00

Come on by the fall trunk show on Sunday, November 14th, between 1:00 and 5:00 at the studio of molly miller by appointment! Oodles of fun knitted pieces will be available for purchase to keep you snuggly and warm on these chilly days. And it's not too early to start shopping for all those holiday gifts! Champagne and hors d'ouevres will be served. Send an email to mollymillerbyappt@yahoo.com to RSVP and to get directions to the venue. Hope to see you there!!

Also, the 100th person to "like" the molly miller by appointment Facebook Fan Page will receive a 10% off coupon for their next molly miller by appointment purchase, so swing on by and become a fan!!

molly miller by appointment's Facebook Fan Page

molly miller by appointment accepts Visa and MasterCard.

For more information about molly miller by appointment, visit:molly miller by appointment's Etsy storefront

molly miller by appointment's Flickr page

Fibre Space class

2010-10-18T16:53:00.001-04:00

So, after finishing my shop update with the fall line, I've been spinning my fingers to the bone getting ready for the Fibre Space workshop in Old Town Alexandria on the 30th! I have tons of fun yarns to share with my students -- everything from funky, bulky art yarns to finer gauge bamboo autostriped with sparkly Lurex threads. Super fun! Now it's time to start setting the twist...and with this many yarns I really should get started now...

I think there might still be a space or two open, so if you're interested, give Fibre Space a call at 703-664-0944!

Etsy updates

2010-10-03T20:05:00.000-04:00

Oh hai!
Watch my Etsy storefront for post-trunk show updates over the next several days....each day I'll be adding new pieces until everything I have on hand is in the online store! Enjoy browsing!!
xo,
molly

http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/

2010-09-27T10:32:00.001-04:00

Hiya, fiber friends! We are finally approaching fall after a sweltering summer in DC, and that means cooler weather -- which means you need some new scarves! :)

The molly miller by appointment fall kick-off trunk show will be Sunday, October 3, from 2:00-5:00 at the molly miller by appointment studio. Dozens of beautiful scarves, hats, wrist warmers, shrugs, and ponchos are ready to make their debut, and I'll also have plenty of hors d'oeuvres and champagne on hand. Send an email to mollymillerbyappt@yahoo.com to RSVP and to get directions to the venue.

Hope to see you there!!

molly miller by appointment accepts Visa and MasterCard.

For more information about molly miller by appointment, visit:

molly miller by appointment's Etsy storefront
molly miller by appointment's Facebook Fan Page
molly miller by appointment's Flickr page

"Like" the molly miller by appointment Facebook Fan Page!

2010-09-21T13:50:00.002-04:00

Hiya folks!

Check out the molly miller by appointment Facebook Fan page -- the 50th and 100th persons who "like" the page will each receive a coupon for 10% off their next molly miller by appointment purchase!!

xo
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alexandria-VA/Molly-Miller-by-Appointment/159990564016066?ref=sgm

photo shoot!

2010-09-15T10:49:00.001-04:00

We had a fantastic photo shoot on Sunday -- it was raining all morning, which had me worried, but it stopped just in time, and was the just the right level of overcast-ness for capturing all the beautiful, vibrant colors in my pieces. (Especially the pieces made from Loop batts! WOW!) After months of working on my pieces, it was fun to see them come to life on real human beans.

I was especially stoked at all of the great backdrops in Old Town. The c. 1700s rowhouses with their interesting doors and wrought iron gates provided a perfect setting for the shoot. And my wonderful beau Mark did the honors with a little good ol' fashioned bubbly, settling everyone's pre-shoot jitters!

Carrie is hard at work getting the pix ready for their debut, and I should have them up on Flickr in no time. I'll also be uploading them to Etsy for the kick-off of the fall season once I have my Fall Frequent Flyers trunk show on Oct. 3, so stay tuned....

And feel free to send me an email at mollymillerbyappt@yahoo.com if you would like to be added to the mailing list for the 2010 fall and winter shows!!

Colicoco: Local Style, Globally

2010-09-08T16:24:00.000-04:00

For all those fashion lovers out there, you should check out Colicoco, a community of people seeking unique and authentic fashion experiences. The esteemed and oh-so-fashionable Nicole Nucelli leads the charge with this great forum featuring fashion news from all over the world -- and not just news from Madison Avenue, but from local designers tucked away in every nook and cranny, offering beautiful, one-of-a-kind products. And since we all like local designers (*ahem*), visit www.colicoco.com to browse the latest fashion news and send an email to info@colicoco.com to sign up for Colicoco's monthly newsletter!

finishing

2010-09-05T19:31:00.000-04:00

There are very few things about my fiber crafts that I dislike -- in fact, I can only think of one: finishing! Weaving in ends, sewing on buttons, joining seams, all make me want to claw my eyes out with boredom. As a result, I've developed this bad habit of getting to the end of a knitting project and then leaving the pieces unfinished till the 11th hour. So guess how I've been spending my weekend? ;) Finishing 21 pieces that had accumulated in my stash of fall items!! *whew* But the good news is that I did actually finish all of them, and am now determined to finish each piece when I'm done knitting instead of letting them pile up....

Back in the saddle

2010-09-02T21:41:00.000-04:00

Alrighty, folks. Time to get my act in gear, dust off the ol' blog, and re-enter the world of fibery cybery musings.

So it's been a pretty crazy year or two for me, having survived an unexpected and traumatic divorce and three moves on top of it, but things have finally settled down and I am in *such* a better place in my life. I'm happy and healthy and surrounded by loving, wonderful friends and family, including my loyal beagle Tucker, patron saint of all fibery creations!

I have some great pieces lined up for the fall, and can hardly wait to get them rolled out on Etsy. I'm having a photo shoot on the 12th and should be able to start listing new items just in time for the cooler weather! Right now it doesn't feel like it is EVER going to cool off in DC - this has been one of the most sweltering summers I can remember in the 9 years I've been here - but I'm starting to get excited about pulling out my sweaters and jeans and....you guessed it! Scarves!! I guess it's the Michigander in me. :)

So stay tuned and follow me through my fall fiber adventures over the coming months!
xo, molly

Corespinning

2008-08-06T19:43:00.001-04:00

I am totally addicted to corespinning. It took me a couple of weeks to figure out whether it was more comfortable for me to spin over the core or under the core, but once I settled on spinning over the core it started going like a breeze! I love how lofty and cloud-like the yarn turns out. Here are a couple of my experiments from last weekend (courtesy of some lurrrvely Loop Spontaneous Spinning Batts!!):

Insubordiknit workshop

2008-07-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

I had the distinct honor of learning some serious fiber skillz from the amazing Jacey of Insubordiknit last weekend! We covered a TON of techniques over two full days in Baltimore - twists/loops, knots/stacks, coils, supercoils, racing stripes, autowrap, tornado, strung/trapped/integrated/wrapped foreign objects, cocoons, halos, corespinning, and tiny circles. WOW!! My favorites were cocoons, halos, and tiny circles. I took the workshop with Abby of Folktale (http://folktale.etsy.com) - it was so fun to see the lovely yarns this talented fiber artist made! Check out her blog on the workshop at http://folktalefibers.blogspot.com/.

Below are a few pix from the workshop - one of Jacey demonstrating a spinning technique, and two of some yarns I made. For more pix visit my Flickr site (www.flickr.com/mollymillerbyappt.com).

crocheted necklaces

2008-07-01T21:54:00.000-04:00

I'm new to crocheting, but I love how this necklace turned out! I think I'll make more of these for the fall. With Colinette Tao silk, I crocheted the band first, then crocheted the motifs and attached them to the band. It was surprisingly simple, and so lovely!!

Diggity dog

2008-06-29T15:06:00.000-04:00

How can this be comfortable??

supercoils

2008-06-28T12:33:00.000-04:00

I'm totally obsessed with supercoils! I've been spinning this pool and chocolate merino into one super long super coil....9 ounces of fiber turned into a mere 31 yards of supercoils!!!

Bamboo Finale!

2008-06-22T17:59:00.000-04:00

FINALLY - the dye is completely washed out of this bamboo. Abby from Folktale recommended using some Synthrapol and that really helped speed up the rinsing process. Although I have to say I think I'm going to buy plant fibers dyed by others rather than dyeing them myself! Definitely more time consuming than my kettle dyed merino.

Here's how the bamboo turned out all spun up - the firey orange one is so bright it was hard to capture on my camera!

Summer Sale!!

2008-05-27T10:55:00.000-04:00

From now through the end of June, any piece in my shop that has "bamboo" listed as one of the ingredients is 15% off!! Use the code "SUMSALE" in the note to seller when you check out, and wait for a revised Paypal invoice before paying. See you 'round! :)

Here's how my bamboo turned out!

2008-05-24T18:06:00.001-04:00

I had a really tough time capturing on camera the color of the bamboo I dyed last weekend with the girls - the fiery red one literally looked like it was on fire in my photographs!! So I photo'd that one indoors with the flash off....doesn't do the color justice at all but you can get a little glimpse! The red with black turned out well, although more fuscia-like than I expected. My favorite is the fiery red one, which was red with some yellow drizzled over the roving, and then some charcoal that Carissa had mixed up, which I hand-painted on here and there. The parts where the red met the charcoal turned this cool muted yellow-green color. This is going to be so fun to spin up!

Bamboo dyeing party!

2008-05-22T20:55:00.001-04:00

This weekend, Steph, Abby and Carissa came over and we dyed loads of plant fibers -- Abby is the plant fiber whiz, so we all learned lots from her! The funniest part was when we all had to don masks and rubber gloves while we worked with the soda ash. We looked SO ridiculous!! For a more complete array of photos of our dyeing party, visit my flickr site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mollymillerbyappt.

super coils!

2008-04-25T17:19:00.001-04:00

I've been working on my plying skills lately, and my new fave is doing super-duper coils and beehives in my yarn. I love to knit with super coils, too, and I find it challenging to spin with the thought in mind of knitting what I'm spinning. When I knit with super coils, I just yarn over when I get to a super coily patch, and then on the way back I drop the yarn over and let the coil just sproing out. I love the way it looks, and it's so fun to spin super coils, too! I secure them at the beginning and end of the coil by holding the yarn taut instead of the plying thread - this way the coils don't slide around on the yarn. Yay!

New spring pieces are here!!

2008-04-17T22:02:00.000-04:00

YAY! Photos of my spring pieces are ready -- so this weekend I will be adding these new lovelies to my Etsy site (http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/), with additional photos on my Flickr site (www.flickr.com/mollymillerbyappt) and here on my blog! The NEXT TWO CUSTOMERS who use the code APRSALE when checking out at my Etsy store will get 20% off one of these new pieces!! (please wait for an updated Paypal invoice before paying for your purchase)

doggie fashion

2008-04-02T19:14:00.000-04:00

Okay, I just can't resist....I know this blog is about my fibery adventures, but this post I'm going to talk about my doggie!! Tucker the Amazing Beagle was a fashion model at the recent Pet Expo in Chantilly, VA. He sported a lightweight, reversible red rain slicker and trotted down the runway to Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." His best friend, Sam the Daschund, wore a sharp little blue rain coat with a matching blue rain hat! Hilarious!!

In addition to these cute photos, you can see the video of the fashion show -- and rare behind the scenes footage! -- at the following website: http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=mollyjmiller&p=r. Enjoy! :)

ponchos a-comin'

2008-03-30T10:37:00.000-04:00

Keep your eyes peeled for a series of new spring ponchos and shawls on my Etsy site, http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/! They are mostly made of bamboo, although there is one VERY SPECIAL cashmere/silk one that I'm still debating whether to keep for myself!! These beauties will start appearing on my Etsy site in about a week - above is a sample photo of a poncho I currently have available.

March shipping sale!

2008-03-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

THREE CHANCES: During the month of March, three lucky customers will get free shipping for their order -- this deal applies to an *unlimited* quantity of merchandise per order shipped to *anywhere* in the world!!! Visit http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/ and enter the code "FREESHIP" in the message to seller when you make your purchase. Please wait for a revised paypal invoice before paying for your order. Yay!!! :o)

NEW molly miller by appointment spinning kits!!

2008-03-09T15:18:00.000-04:00

Introducing......molly miller by appointment spinning kits!! Each kit includes plenty of merino and special add-ins such as soysilk, seacell and sparkle for a good-sized and super fun spinning project!

Check 'em out at http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/ - plus, there's a promotional sale for the month of March on spinning kits and handspun yarns!!

DC Spin-Off!!

2008-03-08T17:54:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, we had a marathon spin-off with DC area (and one PA rep!) fiber artists! Steph (aka Loop - http://loop.etsy.com/), Liz (aka Hobbledehoy - http://hobbledehoy.etsy.com/), Abby (aka Folktale - http://folktale.etsy.com/) and Jenny all gathered together with our spinning wheels (five wheels and loads of fiber in my living room! so fun!!!!) and set three dye kettles a-boilin' on the stove. Steph also brought her drum carder, so we made batts, too!! What a day....I haven't had that much concentrated fibery-creation in a looooong time. It was such a blast. Each of these talented girls has her own little niche in the fiber universe, and it was so great to learn from each of them!!

See some photos here of the fun fiber times! :)

Spinning Spontaneity

2008-03-06T22:04:00.000-05:00

Oh, how I love to spin and knit spontaneously. I often just start knitting without a clear picture of how where I'm headed. Admittedly, sometimes it ends up being a total disaster and I have to rip it out and start over....but other times it turns out amazingly! :) There's something very satisfying about working without a pattern.

To fulfill our collective need for fiber creations outside the box, Steph with Loop (http://loop.etsy.com/) has just started a Spontaneous Batts Club!!! You simply MUST check this out - each month for six months you get a one-of-a-kind, spontaneously carded fiber batt, which you then spin and knit in equally spontaneous fashion! Steph's batts are indescribably cool. Here are some photos of pieces I've spun and knit with her Spontaneous Batts. Wahoo!!!

Pluckyfluff's new book, Intertwined!!

2008-03-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Who else is completely in awe of Pluckyfluff's major skillz??? Her new book, Intertwined, is full of spinning instructions, tips, sources of inspiration, patterns, and really cool features like Wooldancer's super-coiled Collier (yay Michelle!!). The book is available at Amazon and is a MUST for anyone who loves fiber and non-traditional spinning techniques. Hooray! :)

Check out Lexi's Pluckyfluff website at http://www.pluckyfluff.com/ for more information.

springtime's a comin'!

2008-02-25T19:48:00.000-05:00

I've been winding down my chunky monkey yarns for the season with the passing of my last winter trunk show (*sigh*). Although I prefer warmer weather for my own balmy comfort, I am in love with knitting for colder weather! I adore my big honkin' knitting needles (my favorites are a size 35, no joke) and super soft bulky merino blends that knit out at a few inches per minute. So this transition is always a little painful for me...

...but now I'm getting all excited about spring apparel!!!

In the words of the immortal Hobbledehoy: [fists of confetti]

I'm envisioning drapey, elegant wraps, shawls and ponchos -- shimmery twists of bamboo, silk, tencel, rayon, and other flowy fibers. I've also been experimenting with shawl pins, which are my latest fave - finally I can get that wrap in the exact position I wanted and make it STAY there!

Watch my store for new pieces that will make you feel like a fairy princess this spring! :o)

SPECIAL SALE!!

2008-02-22T17:59:00.000-05:00

**NO CHANCES LEFT** - Thanks to my lucky three customers who purchased from my shop (http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/) and used the code "SPECSALE" in the message to seller to get 35% off the most expensive item in their order!

Check back soon for similar deals!!!

The shrug trend

2008-02-18T13:19:00.000-05:00

Anyone else like to have their shoulders protected from the wind without feeling like the Pillsbury Doughman? I've been playing around with some shrug patterns to accomplish just that - a bit of warmth where you need it without all the puffiness. They're especially fun with a shawl pin, which can serve as an accent piece or help keep the shrug in place if you're especially small in stature. Here are a couple photos of this experiment - feedback is welcomed!!

Felted baubles!

2008-02-14T20:15:00.000-05:00

Okay, so my new favorite way to use up little scraps of wool, which I save in gallon-sized plastic bags and then obsessively sort by color, is to draft them out a bit and then roll them into little balls. I pop them in a zippered pillowcase, toss 'em in a hot-water load of towels for some agitation, and *poof*!! I have myself a bunch of cute little felted bauble babies! Some of them get a little deformed in the process and look like wee lil' snowmen, which makes me laugh. They're each unique and fun to spin onto yarn. One of my favorite spinner friends, Abby from Folktale (http://folktale.etsy.com/), showed me how to thread them onto a slice of roving with a tapestry needle, and then spin them onto the roving you're working with. Of course, you have to have a bulky flyer for this to work. They spice up any handspun yarn!

February sale

2008-02-10T17:27:00.000-05:00

What better Valentine's Day gift than a soft, squooshy fiber present? For the month of February, anything in my Etsy store with the color red or pink in it is 10% off! Check out many lovely possibilities at http://mollymillerbyappt.etsy.com/.

come on down!

2008-02-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

don't miss the last molly miller by appointment home show of the season!! on saturday, february 16, molly miller by appointment pieces will be on sale at end-of-season prices. hors d'oeuvres and champagne will be served. this is your chance to scoop up some fun, squooshy accessories to battle these windy days! the show will be at molly's studio at 1414 s. barton street, #465, arlington, va.

2008-02-08T20:03:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the brand spankin' new blog for molly miller by appointment! I am an avid fiber artist and I *love* to share my artwork with others.

Watch for frequent updates on my grand fibery adventures!!