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Author Archives: Rebekah

February Dyeing

Written on February 3, 2012 by Rebekah in Dyeing, Fiber

It’s been a busy week on the dyeing front around here – as evidenced by the growing pile of yarns and fibers to be photographed, the rapidly filling drying racks, and the ever-changing splotches of color on my hands. It’s not every profession that allows you to get away with blue and yellow streaks on your fingers. (Yes, I love my job, why do you ask?)

The biggest project has been a twenty-skein order from a local yarn store. Remember, the one that carries my merino/silk laceweights? We’re swapping out some current colorways and renewing some old favorites.

I’m a little concerned though. My supplier might be hiking the price on the laceweight yarn base, and that would mean hunting for a new yarn blend. I have a potential source in mind as backup, but we’ll wait and see.

And, in and around those twenty skeins, I’ve been doing a lot of fiber dyeing. I’ve got at least five batches of rovings ready to be photographed, and listed in the near future. I’m rather tickled about that. It’s been awhile since I brought in some new fibers.

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Sparkle Cards

Written on January 25, 2012 by Rebekah in Finished Project

In which leftover confetti and a brand new set of colored ink pens meet an urgent need for some nice “Thank You” cards.

I think I’m going to have to make more of these.

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Exciting New Things

Written on January 24, 2012 by Rebekah in Personal Thoughts

Well, it’s finally time for me to reveal some wonderful changes that will be taking place in Maiden Yarn and Fiber. Yay!

The first big one will be that Laceweight Yarns will be re-merging with Maiden Yarn. It’s been lots of fun having them separate, but the time has come to pull it all together and let the creative fusion begin.

The second big one will be that my business is changing names. (Yes, I know, I like Maiden Yarn and Fiber as a name, but wait until you hear the new one.) The name for new company will be Wildwood Fibers, and it will be amazing.

Wildwood Fibers will focus on having gorgeous, repeatable colorways that are in good supply instead of just the occasional one-up skein. The over-all feel will be magical and imaginative, and the products will reflect that. Who knows? There might even be more than spinning fibers and yarns.

On a practical level, I will be keeping the Maiden Yarn store on Etsy and simply re-naming it for Wildwood Fibers. And even then, the re-naming won’t be happening for at least another month or so. I’ve got to get the new store inventory developed and ready to roll.

Some favorite colorways will definitely be traveling over to Wildwood Fibers, although they might appear under other names. Dawn Treader is coming, as are Ink, Blackberry Jam, Butterfly in Shadow, Eye of the Peacock, and Nightshade.

This is very exciting. I can hardly wait to see what Wildwood Fibers becomes. But, meanwhile, keep on the lookout for “cleaning out current inventory” sales. Good places to watch for info are on Twitter (@MaidenYarn), here, or Maiden Yarn’s facebook page.

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Disappointment and Fiber

Written on January 21, 2012 by Rebekah in Dyeing, Fiber

I have once again been reminded that dyeing is a ridiculously emotional art-form for some of us. Maybe it’s the chemicals. Maybe its the wet wool fumes or knowing we eventually have to stop and make supper. Or maybe (like today) it’s because almost everything you touch goes wrong.

Notice I say “wrong”, not “hideous.” I have to admit that some of the colorways I came up with are not at all horrible. (Like the one pictured above. It’s beautiful!) They’re just not what I expected.

I’m sure overloading the schedule had a lot to do with the inevitable break down. Now that I’m using a shiny new method for measuring the dyes, (which lets me make things more than once!) developing a new set of colors is a very time consuming process. As much of a bother as it is to haul all the dye equipment out and put it away, I really need to start breaking a typical dye session into two days or more. One day for developing the colorways on a few select skeins, and then the next in actually dyeing the bulk of products.

Hey, anything that will keep me from trying to get through three or four pounds worth of dyeing in one afternoon. All new combinations, or trying to recreate non-documented colors. Yep. Stick a fork in me, I’m done. I didn’t make it past the first pound or so.

Ah well. Tomorrow is another day. And I rather like how this one turned out, even thought it was supposed to be blue with green hints. (Too much yellow, you think?)

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The Year of Finishing

Written on January 18, 2012 by Rebekah in Project Progress

After a lot of consideration and prayer, I’ve decided to make 2012 the year of finishing and finding new homes for the massive accumulation of un-finished projects I have laying around. And that is going to be a huge undertaking. Please pray for me.

I sort of “got started” the other day by pulling my fiber and yarn stash out of its closet and taking a general inventory. To put it bluntly, I sat on the floor next to the giant pile with a quivering lip and sincere doubts as to my ever using it all – not to mention all the other kinds of crafts that I haven’t even reviewed yet.

Suffice it to say, things are going to be either crazy, or very very accomplished. Anyone have suggestions for places to donate or giveaway finished knitted or crochet items? Preferably ones that will take wool based yarns, because that’s what I have most of.

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And. . . .

Written on January 1, 2012 by Rebekah in Uncategorized

. . . A Happy New Year!

I’m excited.

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Merry Christmas!

Written on December 26, 2011 by Rebekah in Personal Thoughts

Merry Christmas, everyone. =D (Yes, a text smily face just snuck into my blog post.)

I hope your celebrations were festive and highly enjoyable.

And I totally just stayed up until the day after Christmas, scrounging around on Amazon for used price books (and a DVD) to snag with a gift card.

Did you know some used products (with the snazzy used product pricing) are eligible for Prime? I didn’t know that! My world got very much more exciting, and there’s a box on its way to my doorstep.

This Christmas has been a very special one in many ways. God has let me see Him in new ways all over it – from a little over three weeks ago when I totaled my parents’ car on a slick exit ramp, to knowing that I am very much alive and happy with what He has given me.

Again, a Merry Christmas to you all.

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Spring Scarf

Written on December 24, 2011 by Rebekah in Dyeing

While I was getting ready to make the previous scarf, I had an idea for a fun spring/summer design to create on a chiffon. The idea was vaguely inspired by cherry blossoms and tiny spring flowers, and involved having tiny white circles dotting one end of the scarf. As you can see, it worked.

I’m thinking I might offer these for sale for this coming spring. Any idea on what colors? I’m liking the green, although I might go a bit softer with it. A nice, distinctive pink would be pretty. Something between peach and petal. And a soft, French blue-grey would be gorgeous. Maybe a golden-yellow, like a mango? Does anyone even wear mango?

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Another Scarf

Written on December 23, 2011 by Rebekah in Dyeing

I read about a really interesting technique of shibori that involved pleating, so here’s my take on that. I couldn’t just follow the basics, so I tossed in some tying and came up with what I will call “Rebekah’s attempt at making as complicated and amazing a scarf as possible.”

For this project I used a different kind of silk scarf. One that is called “Habotai” and has a slicker, shinier surface than the chiffon. (Now there’s a tongue twister for you.) I figured it would hold the pleating better than the filmy chiffon kind.

I decided to start off with ironing the fabric into some fan shaped pleats, in the hope that I’d get some fracture-looking lines from the dye running along them.

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On The Prowl

Written on December 22, 2011 by Rebekah in Personal Thoughts

The ridiculous thing about being such a crafts oriented person is that you don’t know when enough is enough. When are too many crafts too many? Why can’t I have time and resources to do it all? These (and other deep questions of the universe) have been on my mind lately. Between starting the silk scarf dyeing, and getting sidetracked into metal stamping if you can believe that, things are close to being out of hand.

(No, I didn’t order the metal stamping stuff. But I’m looking for a good excuse to get my hands on some.)

Suffice it to say, I love making things. Period. I already sew, quilt, make costumes, spin, dye, bead, bookbind, crochet, knit, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few. Basket weaving and pottery are on the “someday maybe” list. While stuff like glassblowing and blacksmithing are sort of hovering on the fringe. (I love the way the finished projects look, I’m just not a “hand me a glowing hot glob of metal or glass” kind of gal.) And I’m really starting to wonder if that’s a good idea. The plethora of crafts – not the glowing hot glass.

I can say, however, that I rarely have more than one of my hobbies going on at the same time. It goes in spurts, and all I have to do to get back into something is walk to the appropriate part of the house, open up a magic stash pile, and bing bang boom! Back in business.

All that’s well and good, but someday I might move out. Can you imagine stuffing all those crafting supplies into an apartment or tiny house? Yipes.

So what are your thoughts? When is it too much?

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