For All the Lucky Cats

Robin is one tough kidney cat!

Today is the three year anniversary of Robin's diagnosis of Chronic Renal Failure, so I wanted to do a little something different than my usual FO Friday post to celebrate how we'll he's being doing since we stabilized him after his last crash.

I'd been puzzling on what that might be for a while, but hadn't come up with anything that seemed quite right. Then, I wandered into the Lucky Cat Crafts booth at SOAR and started talking to Kim, the owner. We talked about yarn, fiber, and cats, although at the time, it didn't occur to me to ask if she wanted to be featured on my blog, much less sponsor an awesome giveaway AND provide my readers with a special discount code towards anything in the Lucky Cat Craft Etsy Shop.

After returning home, I emailed Kim and pretty much suggested all of the above to Kim and, clearly, she said yes! Turns out, she has a kitty of her own who has a seizure disorder - so we both have the common bond of a special (lucky) cat in our lives.

Kim being photobombed by Tiger Man.

What drew you to the fiber arts? What craft did you start with? I have a degree in Fashion Design and a minor in Textile Design from Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia. I've loved to make things my whole life, from sewing doll clothes when I was little to making my own clothing in high school. Moore is the last all Women's private art College in the country and I'm the 3rd woman in my family to graduate from there. I fell in love with weaving and textiles and was able to create my own fabric to use for my clothing designs. I actually had enough credits to graduate with a major in both, but the college didn't offer a double major so I had to choose. At the end I went with Fashion and have had a great career as a designer. Professionally I've been a Sweater Designer for 13 years working for companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostale & JCPenney's. I weave, knit, sew, crochet, spin, etc. at home in my free time.

The Lucky Cat Craft booth at SOAR 2013.

Your Etsy Shop has been around for almost 4 years. Do you have any plans for expansion? I've really only been focusing on Lucky Cat Craft in the last year or so. I began doing fiber festivals and trade shows last year and have been working on creating unusual fiber blends and finding unique fibers. I would like to have my own web site within the year, but working full time and running a business takes up a lot of time. Etsy is a great community and offers a lot of support and a one on one shopping experience. It's also got a great group of fiber enthusiasts - I've got great customers who have become friends- we chat and meet at shows when we can! My favorite part is when someone comes by at a show and says they are an etsy customer! I love to meet people in person and hear about what they are doing with their Lucky Cat fiber! It's always inspiring.

What fiber shows are you planning to attend in 2014? 2014 is still up in the air! I'm definitely going to be at DFW in Texas,  A Wool Gathering at Yellowsprings, Ohio and the Kentucky Sheep & Wool Festival. It will be interesting to see what happens with SOAR.

Murray is a pretty kitty!

Tell us about your lucky cat! Our lucky cat is Murray, we found her at a friend's house here in Ohio and she just wouldn't let us leave without her. One day we came home and found her sitting on the floor not moving. We rushed her to the vet and discovered that she has a seizure disorder and probably had a seizure while she was up exploring a shelf and fell, breaking some of the bones in her tail. That was 7 years ago! She can move and feel only about the first 1/4 of her tail, but it sure doesn't slow her down! She has a seizure maybe every 3-6 months, they are quick and they don't seem to get in her way of being a playful, curious, crazy cat. When our other cat, Ozkar, was a kitten, he would sit under Murray's favorite chair and play with her tail hanging over the edge, she had no idea he was doing this because she couldn't feel it!! Murray likes to carry things around the house- mostly shoes & boots. We often wake up to find slippers and shoes moved all around the house. At night you can hear her climbing the stairs with Andrew's big work boots! I don't know how she does it- size 11 1/2 heavy steal toe boots- they are bigger than she is, but she moves them all around. Most mornings begin with one of us asking Murray where a shoe or a slipper might be. She is a unique little being and we just love her, floppy tail and all!

50/50 yak & angora luxury roving

COUPON CODE

Lucky Cat Craft specializes in some truly unique spinning fibers: muga silk, yak, camel, and possum, just to name a few. She also offers a selection of natural and dyed luxury yarns for those who aren't handspinners. Best of all, you can try them out for yourself and save 15% with the coupon code LUCKYCAT now through November 30.

50/50 yak & muga silk luxury roving

GIVEAWAY

Kim has generously donated these excellent prizes to give away to one lucky reader: one 2 oz 50/50 yak & muga silk luxury roving and one 2 oz 50/50 yak & dehaired angora luxury roving. To be eligible, you simply have to click any of the buttons below to connect with each social media channel (and yes, you can gain multiple entries, the more buttons you click!). I'll randomly select one lucky winner from the pool of entries to announce next Friday, November 15. Good luck!