I took some time out the other day to dye up a few more rovings for Maiden Yarn. Unfortunately, I didn’t think ahead enough, and I found myself with pre-soaked four ounce bundles of roving, and no foil pans big enough to hold them.
I did have one non-disposable tray left, so I used it for one of the batches: this lovely repeat colorway. (You may recognize the color pattern from way back when. I dyed it first on some of the silver-gray Romney roving I bought at the Yellow Daisy Festival.) The fun thing about the repeats was that it braided up with colors to colors, as you can see. I’m really happy with the way that one turned out. Continue reading →
Posted in Dyeing, Etsy, Fiber, Yarn
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Tagged corriedale cross, dragonfly wings, hand-dyed, hawthorn, kettle dye, merino, paintbox, pan dye, roving, tempest
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My spinning has finally picked up again, and I’ve had a few minor victories that put me well on the road to happy spinning again.
I finished the silk laceweight for my sister.
And, while I was at it, I almost finished up the Willow fingering weight. (That’s due to be finished as soon as possible so I can dive into some lovely merino.) Continue reading →
Announcing the grand opening of my second Etsy store — Filigree Willow Laceweights
Come on over and take a peek. I’m so, so excited!
And, on that note, I am so, so loving custom orders. You probably remember my first custom yarn (Raven’s Wing) and the gorgeous yarn that came out of that. Well, prepare for custom order number two.
Absolutely gorgeous emerald yarn. This green took forever to achieve (no less than three times in the dye pot) but it was so worth it. The yarn practically glows from within. And it’s superwash, which means it is very soft.
I can’t wait for the next custom challenge, whatever it may be.
I have a total of three laceweight spinning projects going on right now. The alpaca and silk you’ve seen, so here’s the new baby.
Angora cobweb fluffy laceweight. Ahhhhhhhh. You cannot believe how soft this yarn is when it’s plied. It’s like the tactile rendition of feeling warm and fuzzy inside!
I’m actually spinning this on a nifty contraption that a friend of mine plans to make available on Etsy. I’m not at liberty to divulge many of the juicy details, but I will say that I could not spin this delicate of a yarn on any of the other tools I have in the house.
The grand Etsy store updates continue! I just listed a couple more yarns, and soon a nice big order of fiber will come in, and I can start all over again. Hooray! Continue reading →
I’m so, so excited! Have you ever heard of Phat Fiber boxes? They’re these fabulous little things that put a whole world of fibery samples at your fingertips. (You can fully investigate them here. )
The idea is that us yarn and fiber dealers send in samples of our work, and the samples are then combined in themed boxes for people to buy. Lovely stuff! I sent in some yarn for the July box, which has the theme of “Seaweed, Ships, and Scallywags.” I wasn’t able to send in quite enough samples to score my own box, but I fully intend to get one in August.
Here’s a little preview of the mini-skeins I sent in as samples. They’re tweedy fingering weights that will be appearing in my Etsy store soon. So cute!
Posted in Yarn
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Tagged phat fiber, sample
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As you have no doubt already noticed, Maiden Yarn has a spiffy new theme! Do let me know what you think.
I just rediscovered my spinning wheels. *insert big mushy heart and ecstatic arm waving here* It’s been so long since I’ve spun just for “pleasure” or on a spur of the moment thing. After working on some silk laceweight, I have Bing Crosby in my head singing, “Once and for always, let’s say that it’s agreed. . .” He sings it to his lady love in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, and it pretty much sums up my feelings toward the wheels at this point.
On the one wheel I have this gorgeous stuff. It’s the laceweight silk I promised my sister a year ago.
And on the other I have this. Cinnamon alpaca laceweight that will probably wind up in Filigree Willow Laceweights. (Sorry about the nasty photo. I have concluded that TV rooms are out to sabotage photography everywhere.)
Continue reading →
Especially when you’ve got two. . .
That’s right. I’m going to open a second Etsy store. Filigree Willow Laceweights. This one is designed specifically with lace knitters in mind and will carry only higher-end laceweight yarns that have been hand dyed or handspun. I’m so excited! Imagine a place where you can go revel in skein after skein of gorgeous yarn and not worry about it being the wrong weight. Plus, I’m documenting how I achieve certain colorways, so I can recreate yarns in whatever amount is needed.
Right now I’m focusing on building inventory, so it’s not quite ready to open yet, but if you’d like to take a quick peek at the space it’s www.laceweightyarns.etsy.com.
And what about MaidenYarn? Oh, it’s not going away at all. I have more fingering weight yarns and batts all ready to go. See what I’ve been working on the last couple days? Some are for MaidenYarn, and some are for Filigree Willow. I can enjoy dyeing twice the amount of yarn now!
Hello, everyone. I wish I could say I’ve been spending these last months in darkest Peru, learning the secret arts of cochineal dyeing, but that would be far from the truth. The truth of the matter is that . . . (are you sitting down?) I’ve not been knitting or spinning much, if at all.
There. The painful bit is over. And so is the silence of the blogger! I didn’t have many projects of a fibery nature going, therefore I had nothing to blog about, therefore I didn’t blog, which led to more ventures into non-fiber hobbies, and you get the idea. It really was the Bermuda Triangle there for a bit. But, everyone needs a little lull from life-consuming hobbies at least once in a while, and I’ve had my lull. Now clear the pool, I’m coming in!
Continue reading →
To lots of people garbage bags carry negative connotations. They symbolize things thrown away, things unwanted, smashed cereal boxes, banana peels, yesterday’s bacon grease, and other smelly things.
But, for spinners there is a magic about garbage bags because, when found in the right places, they usually contain fiber in vast quantities. Quantities so large, your ordinary bag won’t hold them. Sound exciting?
Well, while in Texas I was given an early birthday present. Two garbage bags full of cinnamon colored alpaca. Oh my goodness. Major fluffy soft.
And I even have a project idea for it! But, before I get to new project time, I have to overcome another project. Remember the indigo dyed merino? It’s decided to haunt me for some reason. Continue reading →
