To Stitches to Stitches

       I'm winging off to Stitches West at the crack of dark tomorrow.  Always so exciting for me to be getting to participate in these great events.  Do come by Booth #720-722 to say hello if you are joining us this weekend in Santa Clara, CA.  I've got new one-skein shawl patterns, loads of hand-dyed yarns and yummy natural alpaca to show you.

 And just off the wheel!  My new Twist hand-dyed roving spun into this 300 yard DK weight skein.

 After experimenting for the last few months, I've established a dyeing process for Twist that I'm pretty excited about.   It's a careful process, good for the 100% wool roving and for the environment, but it is time intensive so I will be creating only small batches, about a pound each, and just a few of those each week.  The colors are pretty amazing, saturated and rich,  and worth the time it will take to produce them.   I've been told by my "test spinners" that Twist drafts and spins like a dream, with none of the felting that can happen when dyeing with a fine top preparation.  That's good news to my dyer's and spinner's ears!   I certainly enjoyed spinning with it myself.   This hank was spun with a semi-worsted long (ish) draw draft.  It has energy and spring to the yarn.

 Twist,  a Columbia/ Rambouillet blend, will be available at Stitches West (that's right,  booth #720-722) and I'll be producing it throughout the year, along with my regular hand-dyed yarns.  It may have to have it's own page on the new website that is being built.  So far everything I've dyed has been snapped up by local spinners so I haven't had to even think about all that.   Happy spinners, happy me.

Hope to see happy you at Stitches West  this weekend.

A Lovely Reminder

In the midst of winter it's  always nice to be reminded of joys to come with warmer days.  Somewhere the butterflies, in their silken spun cocoons, are dreaming of  summer, too.

Wild Yarns!

   

     Please join me this Saturday, February 11th, at the charming Wild Yarns for a trunk show of the latest OM organic merino yarn to have emerged from my dye pots.  Anna and Kelly, the proprietors, have a great collection of prime one of a kind OM hanks waiting for that perfect project.  And with 560 yards in a hank you'll find many projects that will work with these beauties. 

     You won't ever see a sweeter shop, loaded with creative atmosphere and fiber-y treats from many local and indie artisans.  Show hours are 10 -5 on Saturday.  I'll be there most of the day to sign books or help you decide on a project for your OM. 

       Maybe you'd like a hank of OM (it only takes one!) for Carol's Clever Little Shawl.   I'm teaching a class on this great project at Wild Yarns in March.   Ask Kelly or Anna for details.

       I love this shop!  Feels just like home.  A very hip, fiber filled home.   Come on over for a visit.              

KAL alert!

Fundamentally Faroese Shawl #3

I've been asked to announce when Knit Alongs are happening on Ravelry.  I'm happy to say we've got two KALs starting soon.  In the Folk Shawls group we're starting a Fundamentally Faroese Shawl KAL on the 8th of February and the Knitted Jackets group starts an Edo Jacket KAL on the 12th.  Hope you can Knit Along!

Edo Jackets from Knitted Jackets

Little Edo Jacket from Knitted Jackets

New Shawl and friends

Here's a quick look at the new Mountain and Plains Shawl that will be with me at the Sew Expo market booth today.  It just takes one skein of Dancing Colors yarn so it's a quick and satisfying knit.   The pattern is quickly approaching readiness.  Just a few polishes to do.  Look for it in the Ravelry shop in the next days.  I promise I will get some sleep after market before I do the final edit.

Mountain and Plains Shawl

If you  get to drop in at the booth this weekend you 'll also see  the Hanten Jacket  and Fundamentally Faroese Shawl #3, both patterns new in the Ravelry shop  this week.  I'll have them all with me at Stitches West later this month, too.

Hanten Jacket

We're starting a KAL on the Fundamentally Faroese shawls on February 8th in the Folk Shawls group on Ravelry.  Join us if you can.  I find Faroese shawls most intriguing.

 

Fundamentally Faroese Shawl #3

Now off to market with me.  I love a whole weekend with knitters!