The June Phat Fiber box goes on sale tomorrow and the preview videos are up! The theme for June is Oceanic and I swear I want one of everything. I can't wait to see what goodies end up in my box. The box is getting bigger and better every month and it's really becoming well known. The latest issue of Spin Off has a blurb on the box on the "Get This!" page. Between that and the write-up on Knitty.com, interest in the box has skyrocketed. I am so happy to be a part of this group.
Ambrosia and Bliss is at about the 6:25 mark on the second video. Jessie said such nice things about my yarn.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Am I getting enough fiber?
You tell me.
This is the last of the Romney fleece spread out on my office floor for skirting. All of the bags contain four different alpaca fleeces. Each fleece came sorted into either two or three bags depending on the farm they came from. Since I took that photo, the Romney is totally scoured and I've finished washing the seconds from two of the alpacas. With the alpaca, I'm starting with the "worst" fiber first so I can fine tune my washing regime. All four fleeces are cria fleeces, so even the neck fiber is baby soft in many places. I'm discarding more for short staple length than because of coarseness. There are two schools of thought regarding washing alpaca, but all I know is I hate getting dirty black fingertips when I spin it raw. That dusty feeling gives me goosebumps and takes away from the sheer bliss that is spinning alpaca. Thus, I wash.
My June samples for Phat Fiber were sent out yesterday. The theme is "Oceanic". I spun up a merino/tencel roving from Frabjous Fibers into a yarn I called "Clearwater" after the beach in Florida. Then I spun a 4oz wool/mohair roving and plied it with a 4oz hand-dyed Finn roving, both from the Door County Shepherd's Market (see bottom of the previous post for a photo). I ended up with a huge skein I named "Mavericks" after a really wild surfing spot off the California coast. It's surrounded by cliffs and an underwater shelf creates huge waves. It's rocky and dangerous and somehow the dark ripples in that yarn made me think of it. (Click any of the pictures to see them larger)
Unfortunately, I had to cut them up into mini-skeins so they could go into the box. I love getting samples of my work out into the world, but it's always a little wrenching to cut up something I worked so hard on. That Mavericks skein was almost eight ounces of bliss and the Clearwater singles were so silky soft, I wanted to knit something with them right away. I plan to track down some more of that fiber since it was so wonderful to spin.
I did also manage to spin a couple things for the shop. It keeps getting harder to let these go, since I am learning to spin what I love. This is "Mango Pomegranate Smoothie" - merino 2-ply with long color runs. The colors are shockingly bright in person, but somehow, it's wonderful. If it doesn't sell, I'm going to knit a lace scarf with it.
This is the last of the Romney fleece spread out on my office floor for skirting. All of the bags contain four different alpaca fleeces. Each fleece came sorted into either two or three bags depending on the farm they came from. Since I took that photo, the Romney is totally scoured and I've finished washing the seconds from two of the alpacas. With the alpaca, I'm starting with the "worst" fiber first so I can fine tune my washing regime. All four fleeces are cria fleeces, so even the neck fiber is baby soft in many places. I'm discarding more for short staple length than because of coarseness. There are two schools of thought regarding washing alpaca, but all I know is I hate getting dirty black fingertips when I spin it raw. That dusty feeling gives me goosebumps and takes away from the sheer bliss that is spinning alpaca. Thus, I wash.
My June samples for Phat Fiber were sent out yesterday. The theme is "Oceanic". I spun up a merino/tencel roving from Frabjous Fibers into a yarn I called "Clearwater" after the beach in Florida. Then I spun a 4oz wool/mohair roving and plied it with a 4oz hand-dyed Finn roving, both from the Door County Shepherd's Market (see bottom of the previous post for a photo). I ended up with a huge skein I named "Mavericks" after a really wild surfing spot off the California coast. It's surrounded by cliffs and an underwater shelf creates huge waves. It's rocky and dangerous and somehow the dark ripples in that yarn made me think of it. (Click any of the pictures to see them larger)
Unfortunately, I had to cut them up into mini-skeins so they could go into the box. I love getting samples of my work out into the world, but it's always a little wrenching to cut up something I worked so hard on. That Mavericks skein was almost eight ounces of bliss and the Clearwater singles were so silky soft, I wanted to knit something with them right away. I plan to track down some more of that fiber since it was so wonderful to spin.
I did also manage to spin a couple things for the shop. It keeps getting harder to let these go, since I am learning to spin what I love. This is "Mango Pomegranate Smoothie" - merino 2-ply with long color runs. The colors are shockingly bright in person, but somehow, it's wonderful. If it doesn't sell, I'm going to knit a lace scarf with it.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Crabapples
May has been a busy month, between gardening, spinning for PhatFiber/my shop and the aftermath of several fiber festivals.
The May boxes have been sold and gone out and so far, I'm hearing good reviews of my handspun. I was really worried I would see a bunch of people on Ravelry trying to dump off my yarn for other samples they liked, but the only time mine has popped up in a trade situation was as "I want more of this". It really made my day to see that. Jessie was also kind enough to do a write-up of my shop on the Phat Fiber blog. It was enlightening to see what people really liked since it didn't match my favorites. The good news is, the top picks were all the colorways I sent in for the May box.
In my haste to send my samples in on time, I forgot to take photos of the finished mini-skeins. I had a mix of my "Sprinkles" yarn, some of the "Pastel Garden" from ArtemisArtemis, and then two of the three versions of "Crabapple" that Extreme Spinning hand-dyed and blended for me.
Before:
After:
My May box has arrived, but I've barely had time to go through it yet. Instead, I've been cleaning fleeces. The Door County Shepherd's Market was a big success this year. My mom and I got there before it opened on Saturday and split up to hunt for fleeces. She found them first and sent me upstairs to stake my claim. I found three amazing gems. They are all from Homestead Sheep and Fiber Products (no website). I bought the yarn for the Purple Bliss Baby Surprise Jacket from them last year. This year, I went wild for the fleeces.
Two are from Romney/Wensleydale/Cotswold crosses and the third is Romney. All are shades of grey, although two of them are closer to white than the third. The smallest is a darker grey that looks like blued steel. I've scoured the two cross fleeces already and will be working on the Romney for a while tonight. They require no skirting since they all have almost no VM or second cuts. Honestly, on the larger of the two cross fleeces, I found enough VM to fit in a teaspoon. I think these sheep live inside the house.
From the same booth, I also picked up about six ounces of Wensleydale locks. I've been looking for Wensleydale fiber since I'd like to work with the lustrous longwools and those locks are what drew me in. The fact that I now have three longwool fleeces makes me really happy. I also bought some gorgeous batts, some "Ocean" Finn roving, a wool/mohair mix roving and a beautiful lilac wood nostepinne. It was a great day, full of fiber-related goodies. We followed up with beer and brats at Shipwrecked in Egg Harbor, dishes of ice cream and browsing through gift shops and a few antique stores. I don't think a spring road-trip can get any better than that.
The May boxes have been sold and gone out and so far, I'm hearing good reviews of my handspun. I was really worried I would see a bunch of people on Ravelry trying to dump off my yarn for other samples they liked, but the only time mine has popped up in a trade situation was as "I want more of this". It really made my day to see that. Jessie was also kind enough to do a write-up of my shop on the Phat Fiber blog. It was enlightening to see what people really liked since it didn't match my favorites. The good news is, the top picks were all the colorways I sent in for the May box.
In my haste to send my samples in on time, I forgot to take photos of the finished mini-skeins. I had a mix of my "Sprinkles" yarn, some of the "Pastel Garden" from ArtemisArtemis, and then two of the three versions of "Crabapple" that Extreme Spinning hand-dyed and blended for me.
Before:
After:
My May box has arrived, but I've barely had time to go through it yet. Instead, I've been cleaning fleeces. The Door County Shepherd's Market was a big success this year. My mom and I got there before it opened on Saturday and split up to hunt for fleeces. She found them first and sent me upstairs to stake my claim. I found three amazing gems. They are all from Homestead Sheep and Fiber Products (no website). I bought the yarn for the Purple Bliss Baby Surprise Jacket from them last year. This year, I went wild for the fleeces.
Two are from Romney/Wensleydale/Cotswold crosses and the third is Romney. All are shades of grey, although two of them are closer to white than the third. The smallest is a darker grey that looks like blued steel. I've scoured the two cross fleeces already and will be working on the Romney for a while tonight. They require no skirting since they all have almost no VM or second cuts. Honestly, on the larger of the two cross fleeces, I found enough VM to fit in a teaspoon. I think these sheep live inside the house.
From the same booth, I also picked up about six ounces of Wensleydale locks. I've been looking for Wensleydale fiber since I'd like to work with the lustrous longwools and those locks are what drew me in. The fact that I now have three longwool fleeces makes me really happy. I also bought some gorgeous batts, some "Ocean" Finn roving, a wool/mohair mix roving and a beautiful lilac wood nostepinne. It was a great day, full of fiber-related goodies. We followed up with beer and brats at Shipwrecked in Egg Harbor, dishes of ice cream and browsing through gift shops and a few antique stores. I don't think a spring road-trip can get any better than that.
Monday, May 4, 2009
April Phat Fiber!
I'm a little late posting this, but I've been busy spinning up my May samples. My April Phat Fiber box arrived about two weeks ago and it was a little different than the previous ones. A few of the contributors got boxes with all fiber and no yarn, probably because of the ratio of samples that were sent in. I don't mind, since I've been on a fiber bender and haven't bought yarn in ages. Those yarn samples belong in homes that will love and cherish them.
Here's the entire box (click to see larger):
From left to right, top to bottom:
* "Spinning Fixins" from Farmgirl Chic - This is a little handful of various fiber and fabric scraps in blue and white to add to make an art yarn. I was really excited to get this sample!
* Gift tags with wildflower seeds embedded in the paper from Winemaker's Sister - These came in a cute little box too. She's a special contributor after nominating me for a Sneak Attack.
* Very deep teal yearling mohair roving from WC Mercantile - this is silky soft and such a pretty color!
* Hand-sewn notions bag from Phat Fiber - Jessie commissioned a local artist who is legally blind to sew these for the box. Everyone got different colors and styles and they are all lovely!
* Stamped knitting stationary from Becky's Paper Creations
* Very richly colored hand-dyed merino roving in color "Autumn" from Abstract Fiber.
* A luscious silky purple and green batt in a muslin bag from Zebisis Designs - this is bamboo, merino, silk, cashmere and glitz and it was packaged like a little gift inside the bag. I wasn't the lucky recipient of one of her spindles, but I'm sure they went to great homes.
* Cream de Mint Biscotti from Matilda's Italian Cookies - Her online cookie menu is to die for!
* Hand-dyed green and yellow Border Leicester locks from Altered Visions - There's a great thread on Ravelry showing spinning ideas for locks that has really inspired me.
* A "Greener Pastures" bumpy spinning batt from Moonwood Farm - This has a really nice rustic texture and should be fun to spin.
* Handpainted merino roving "Calypso" from Greenwood Fiber Works - The color progression in this is really pretty from browns, to blues, to purples.
* Gorgeous amber bamboo roving from Polyartgirl - I thought this was silk when I first pulled it out. It's heavy, dense and has a beautiful shimmer to it.
* "Earth Day" dark blue, green and natural Jacob wool and firestar batt from Desert Garden Farms - This also came with a very yummy smelling sample of "Oh My Aching Salve".
* "Daffodils" wool, mohair, alpaca, and bamboo batt from Silver Sun Alpacas - I seriously coveted this batt when I saw it on the April YouTube video and I was so happy to see one in my box.
* Bright yellow hand-dyed silk hankies from Serendipity Fiber Arts - silk hankies are one of those fibers I've been wanting to try but haven't bought yet. I'm looking forward to giving these a try, but my hands are a bit rough from gardening.
* "Ofelia" merino from Maude & Me - This wins the prize for the biggest sample at over an ounce! I absolutely love this colorway too (and all the other ones in the shop!). I keep petting this one and I'm trying to decide how I'd like to spin it.
* Natural Icelandic wool from Cedarland Farm - I haven't spun Icelandic yet and the natural colors in this sample are lovely.
Like Lucy (shown snorgling the new samples), I've discovered there really isn't a fiber I don't like. I'll happily go from a glittery dyed batt to natural, raw, unwashed wool. I am looking forward to spinning all of these samples, just as soon as I finish spinning my May samples. They need to be shipped out this week so I'm on a deadline. Right now I have fuzzies and pink sparkling angelina all over my apartment and my clothes. It looks like spring!
Here's the entire box (click to see larger):
From left to right, top to bottom:
* "Spinning Fixins" from Farmgirl Chic - This is a little handful of various fiber and fabric scraps in blue and white to add to make an art yarn. I was really excited to get this sample!
* Gift tags with wildflower seeds embedded in the paper from Winemaker's Sister - These came in a cute little box too. She's a special contributor after nominating me for a Sneak Attack.
* Very deep teal yearling mohair roving from WC Mercantile - this is silky soft and such a pretty color!
* Hand-sewn notions bag from Phat Fiber - Jessie commissioned a local artist who is legally blind to sew these for the box. Everyone got different colors and styles and they are all lovely!
* Stamped knitting stationary from Becky's Paper Creations
* Very richly colored hand-dyed merino roving in color "Autumn" from Abstract Fiber.
* A luscious silky purple and green batt in a muslin bag from Zebisis Designs - this is bamboo, merino, silk, cashmere and glitz and it was packaged like a little gift inside the bag. I wasn't the lucky recipient of one of her spindles, but I'm sure they went to great homes.
* Cream de Mint Biscotti from Matilda's Italian Cookies - Her online cookie menu is to die for!
* Hand-dyed green and yellow Border Leicester locks from Altered Visions - There's a great thread on Ravelry showing spinning ideas for locks that has really inspired me.
* A "Greener Pastures" bumpy spinning batt from Moonwood Farm - This has a really nice rustic texture and should be fun to spin.
* Handpainted merino roving "Calypso" from Greenwood Fiber Works - The color progression in this is really pretty from browns, to blues, to purples.
* Gorgeous amber bamboo roving from Polyartgirl - I thought this was silk when I first pulled it out. It's heavy, dense and has a beautiful shimmer to it.
* "Earth Day" dark blue, green and natural Jacob wool and firestar batt from Desert Garden Farms - This also came with a very yummy smelling sample of "Oh My Aching Salve".
* "Daffodils" wool, mohair, alpaca, and bamboo batt from Silver Sun Alpacas - I seriously coveted this batt when I saw it on the April YouTube video and I was so happy to see one in my box.
* Bright yellow hand-dyed silk hankies from Serendipity Fiber Arts - silk hankies are one of those fibers I've been wanting to try but haven't bought yet. I'm looking forward to giving these a try, but my hands are a bit rough from gardening.
* "Ofelia" merino from Maude & Me - This wins the prize for the biggest sample at over an ounce! I absolutely love this colorway too (and all the other ones in the shop!). I keep petting this one and I'm trying to decide how I'd like to spin it.
* Natural Icelandic wool from Cedarland Farm - I haven't spun Icelandic yet and the natural colors in this sample are lovely.
Like Lucy (shown snorgling the new samples), I've discovered there really isn't a fiber I don't like. I'll happily go from a glittery dyed batt to natural, raw, unwashed wool. I am looking forward to spinning all of these samples, just as soon as I finish spinning my May samples. They need to be shipped out this week so I'm on a deadline. Right now I have fuzzies and pink sparkling angelina all over my apartment and my clothes. It looks like spring!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sneak Attack!
My Monday was actually a little bit more manic than I wrote previously. I was checking my email that evening, as I am wont to do, when I saw a fellow Phat Fiber contributor's name pop up on an Etsy email. I thought it was odd since I haven't ordered anything lately. Suddenly I noticed a whole slew of Etsy emails. They were orders! Payments! Convos! I was quite honestly shocked and couldn't understand why I had so many orders in such a short time. I hadn't recently listed the crown jewels or anything. In fact, my shop had never had a sale.
When I read one of the Etsy conversations, I learned that Winemaker's Sister was in charge of that night's Sneak Attack from the Handmade Movement. I hadn't heard of Sneak Attacks before, so I went to check it out. Basically, it's a group of completely angelic people who decided to get together and surprise Etsy shops who have very few or no sales by pouncing and ordering all at once. Someone is in charge of picking out one or two shops and then they post the link for everyone to see at a designated time. In a way, it reminds me of the Phat Fiber box drops because the anticipation is high. As soon as the link is up, everyone runs over to that shop, looks around and buys if something strikes their fancy. Then they post about it on the Etsy forums. I was able to read what they were saying and it really made me happy to see the kind comments.
In about ten minutes, I sold the skein of Hellebore yarn, a pair of lapis lazuli earrings, a pendant and all of my Serenity Sax. I was actually quite overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who bought from me and I had to take a moment to hug Lucy and collect my wits. I know they were buying my things, but it felt like a gift. A really big surprise gift for no reason other than someone out there likes me. I've been struggling at work and that really brightened my day when I needed it most.
I'm going to be joining in on future Sneak Attacks because it's such a great idea. Even with my participation in Phat Fiber, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever sell anything. I'm not doing it for the money, other than to help subsidize my art supply and fiber habits. I know there are so many shops out there that it's easy to get lost without frequent updates and return customers, and I also know that things like handspun yarn and jewelry are the first to go in our bad economy. Even though this isn't my living, there was a special thrill when I made that first sale. It was quickly followed by seven more, but that first one (the Hellebore skein) is always going to be an extra-special memory.
I figured out PayPal shipping labels, tracked down enough envelopes to package everything and then spent the evening gift-wrapping all of the items before mailing them out. For a minute I thought I wasn't going to be able to get everything out without a shopping trip for more supplies, but I was able to find some other envelopes. I like thinking of my little things heading out to new homes.
My little economic boost is already spoken for and will go towards paying it forward in future Sneak Attacks and in part to buy an alpaca fleece. I fell in love with a female alpaca at the Midwest Alpaca Festival this past weekend and asked her owners if they would sell her fleece. I definitely couldn't afford the actual alpaca and I doubt my landlord would believe she's just a big cat. She's a rose grey huacaya and it's her cria (first) fleece so it's exceptionally soft. I found out today that I can buy it and I'll hopefully be able to pick it up in a couple of weeks. The farm is about an hour and a half from here, so I'll swing by on one of my visits to my parents in May. There's something extra special about spinning fiber from a specific animal instead of anonymous roving. This will be the first time I've had fiber from an animal I've actually touched. When I stuck my hand into her fleece and petted her on Saturday, it was heavenly.
When I read one of the Etsy conversations, I learned that Winemaker's Sister was in charge of that night's Sneak Attack from the Handmade Movement. I hadn't heard of Sneak Attacks before, so I went to check it out. Basically, it's a group of completely angelic people who decided to get together and surprise Etsy shops who have very few or no sales by pouncing and ordering all at once. Someone is in charge of picking out one or two shops and then they post the link for everyone to see at a designated time. In a way, it reminds me of the Phat Fiber box drops because the anticipation is high. As soon as the link is up, everyone runs over to that shop, looks around and buys if something strikes their fancy. Then they post about it on the Etsy forums. I was able to read what they were saying and it really made me happy to see the kind comments.
In about ten minutes, I sold the skein of Hellebore yarn, a pair of lapis lazuli earrings, a pendant and all of my Serenity Sax. I was actually quite overwhelmed by the generosity of everyone who bought from me and I had to take a moment to hug Lucy and collect my wits. I know they were buying my things, but it felt like a gift. A really big surprise gift for no reason other than someone out there likes me. I've been struggling at work and that really brightened my day when I needed it most.
I'm going to be joining in on future Sneak Attacks because it's such a great idea. Even with my participation in Phat Fiber, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever sell anything. I'm not doing it for the money, other than to help subsidize my art supply and fiber habits. I know there are so many shops out there that it's easy to get lost without frequent updates and return customers, and I also know that things like handspun yarn and jewelry are the first to go in our bad economy. Even though this isn't my living, there was a special thrill when I made that first sale. It was quickly followed by seven more, but that first one (the Hellebore skein) is always going to be an extra-special memory.
I figured out PayPal shipping labels, tracked down enough envelopes to package everything and then spent the evening gift-wrapping all of the items before mailing them out. For a minute I thought I wasn't going to be able to get everything out without a shopping trip for more supplies, but I was able to find some other envelopes. I like thinking of my little things heading out to new homes.
My little economic boost is already spoken for and will go towards paying it forward in future Sneak Attacks and in part to buy an alpaca fleece. I fell in love with a female alpaca at the Midwest Alpaca Festival this past weekend and asked her owners if they would sell her fleece. I definitely couldn't afford the actual alpaca and I doubt my landlord would believe she's just a big cat. She's a rose grey huacaya and it's her cria (first) fleece so it's exceptionally soft. I found out today that I can buy it and I'll hopefully be able to pick it up in a couple of weeks. The farm is about an hour and a half from here, so I'll swing by on one of my visits to my parents in May. There's something extra special about spinning fiber from a specific animal instead of anonymous roving. This will be the first time I've had fiber from an animal I've actually touched. When I stuck my hand into her fleece and petted her on Saturday, it was heavenly.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Manic Monday
I've been able to do a little spinning tonight. I'm still a ways away from filling a bobbin and I love this "Crabapple" sock fiber more and more every minute I spin. Look at these lovely singles!
I'm planning to spin a two ply yarn. It came in two huge (like basketball-sized) balls of roving, so I'm spinning each roving on a separate bobbin. If there is any difference in the colorway, it'll all blend together. I'm hoping to get areas of all pink, all green, and mixed. The brown is in spots here and there and I think there's just the right amount.
My filigree class is over, but I still have access to the craft shop. I finished two of my orifice hooks - one flower and one martini glass. I really love how the flower turned out. It has a few blobs here and there, but it's so pretty and delicate. I'm on the fence about the martini glass. I like it, but the silver has a melting point close to the solder and one edge of the glass has a little extra character, thanks to the flame beginning to melt the frame. I had hoped to sell this one, but I think I'll keep it since it's not up to snuff. Filigree is a lot of fun and I hope I have the time to keep playing with it. I have another orifice hook in the shape of a wine glass, but I haven't figured out how I'd like to fill it in. I'm going back to the craft shop on Wednesday and hopefully I'll have the perfect idea by then.
I'm planning to spin a two ply yarn. It came in two huge (like basketball-sized) balls of roving, so I'm spinning each roving on a separate bobbin. If there is any difference in the colorway, it'll all blend together. I'm hoping to get areas of all pink, all green, and mixed. The brown is in spots here and there and I think there's just the right amount.
My filigree class is over, but I still have access to the craft shop. I finished two of my orifice hooks - one flower and one martini glass. I really love how the flower turned out. It has a few blobs here and there, but it's so pretty and delicate. I'm on the fence about the martini glass. I like it, but the silver has a melting point close to the solder and one edge of the glass has a little extra character, thanks to the flame beginning to melt the frame. I had hoped to sell this one, but I think I'll keep it since it's not up to snuff. Filigree is a lot of fun and I hope I have the time to keep playing with it. I have another orifice hook in the shape of a wine glass, but I haven't figured out how I'd like to fill it in. I'm going back to the craft shop on Wednesday and hopefully I'll have the perfect idea by then.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
What happened to April?
I swear I had no idea I went so long without an update. I did have a vacation somewhere in there, but it's been a busy month.
My April PhatFiber box arrived last week! I still have to do a write-up of all the goodies, but here's a preview. This month I got all fiber and no yarn. A few of the contributors got boxes like this instead of the usual mixed yarn/fiber style. I suppose it all depends on how many of each kind of sample show up. I don't mind since I've been a spinning maniac lately and haven't been knitting at all. I'd rather see the pretty yarn samples end up with people that may actually go on to purchase more from those talented sellers.
I haven't touched my box since opening it because I've been busy working on my May samples. I worked again with CJ at Extreme Spinning to develop a custom colorway for the "Flowers and Showers" theme. It's called "Crabapple" and is a lovely blend of pinks, green and brown inspired by spring-blooming crabapple trees. I'm getting it in several fibers, but the Suffolk/Hampshire sock roving arrived first. I've written before about how much I love this fiber. It's a dream to spin, especially with my new Jumbo Sliding Hook Flyer. I can get a LOT of yarn on a jumbo bobbin. They'll handle 4oz no problem and I'm working on filling one bobbin with as much as it will hold.
This fiber looks very bright in the roving, but it's more subtle when spun. I can't wait to see how it looks once it's plied. Green and pink is one of my favorite combinations.
I also had a wild, fiber-filled weekend. I went to the Great Midwest Alpaca Festival and volunteered to demonstrate drop spindle spinning. My cousin's wife and my new fiber co-addict came along to demonstrate needle felting. I met a bunch of women from the local spinning group and recruited several vendors to hopefully become future Phat Fiber contributors. I also fell in love with an alpaca and am keeping my fingers crossed that I can buy her fleece. After she's shorn in a couple of weeks, I should get notification on the weight and price of her fiber. It's lovely stuff and I hope I'll have some swoon-worthy pictures to share by late May. I LOVED being around alpacas again. I used to work with them as a vet tech and the first time I heard one hum yesterday, it brought it all back. I've also volunteered to help with a shearing day in May. I'm not sure yet if I'll be needed, but if I am, I'll get to see first hand how shearing works and I'll be able to refresh my alpaca handling skills.
My April PhatFiber box arrived last week! I still have to do a write-up of all the goodies, but here's a preview. This month I got all fiber and no yarn. A few of the contributors got boxes like this instead of the usual mixed yarn/fiber style. I suppose it all depends on how many of each kind of sample show up. I don't mind since I've been a spinning maniac lately and haven't been knitting at all. I'd rather see the pretty yarn samples end up with people that may actually go on to purchase more from those talented sellers.
I haven't touched my box since opening it because I've been busy working on my May samples. I worked again with CJ at Extreme Spinning to develop a custom colorway for the "Flowers and Showers" theme. It's called "Crabapple" and is a lovely blend of pinks, green and brown inspired by spring-blooming crabapple trees. I'm getting it in several fibers, but the Suffolk/Hampshire sock roving arrived first. I've written before about how much I love this fiber. It's a dream to spin, especially with my new Jumbo Sliding Hook Flyer. I can get a LOT of yarn on a jumbo bobbin. They'll handle 4oz no problem and I'm working on filling one bobbin with as much as it will hold.
This fiber looks very bright in the roving, but it's more subtle when spun. I can't wait to see how it looks once it's plied. Green and pink is one of my favorite combinations.
I also had a wild, fiber-filled weekend. I went to the Great Midwest Alpaca Festival and volunteered to demonstrate drop spindle spinning. My cousin's wife and my new fiber co-addict came along to demonstrate needle felting. I met a bunch of women from the local spinning group and recruited several vendors to hopefully become future Phat Fiber contributors. I also fell in love with an alpaca and am keeping my fingers crossed that I can buy her fleece. After she's shorn in a couple of weeks, I should get notification on the weight and price of her fiber. It's lovely stuff and I hope I'll have some swoon-worthy pictures to share by late May. I LOVED being around alpacas again. I used to work with them as a vet tech and the first time I heard one hum yesterday, it brought it all back. I've also volunteered to help with a shearing day in May. I'm not sure yet if I'll be needed, but if I am, I'll get to see first hand how shearing works and I'll be able to refresh my alpaca handling skills.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Beginning Filigree
I've been having a lot of fun lately exploring my creativity. Last week I began a silver filigree class and last night I soldered my first piece. It was a little terrifying to learn to use the acetylene torch. I heard "soldering" and imagined we'd be using little soldering irons like I did with stained glass. Instead, we use much higher heat and flame little bits of soldering wire onto our pieces. I've become more comfortable using the torch to anneal (soften) my wire and I've learned to twist it. Last night I shaped the frame for a filigree orifice hook (for my spinning wheel) and soldered the joint. It was really exciting to watch the flux melting away and to see the solder liquify and leap into the joint.
The next step is to shape all of my filigree and solder it into the frame. I can do most of the shaping and layout work at home and save my time at the workshop for the parts that need the torch. If I'm not allowed to have a gas grill at my apartment, I think my landlords would really frown upon an acetylene torch in the second bedroom. This is a blessing in disguise, because it will keep my love of filigree work at least slightly under control. I can get a pass to the workshop that lets me use it whenever it's not in use for a class. Even better, the workshop pass gives me access to the pottery studio. I learned how to do wheel pottery once upon a time and I may look into a refresher class in the fall.
For now though, I'm going to see how this orifice hook turns out and then try to make either more hooks or a couple of pendants. The teacher has agreed to expand the class and we'll also learn how to make bezel settings and bails for custom pendants. I've always wanted to know how and I'm excited to get the chance to try.
It doesn't look like much yet, but it's a start! (Click to see bigger)
The next step is to shape all of my filigree and solder it into the frame. I can do most of the shaping and layout work at home and save my time at the workshop for the parts that need the torch. If I'm not allowed to have a gas grill at my apartment, I think my landlords would really frown upon an acetylene torch in the second bedroom. This is a blessing in disguise, because it will keep my love of filigree work at least slightly under control. I can get a pass to the workshop that lets me use it whenever it's not in use for a class. Even better, the workshop pass gives me access to the pottery studio. I learned how to do wheel pottery once upon a time and I may look into a refresher class in the fall.
For now though, I'm going to see how this orifice hook turns out and then try to make either more hooks or a couple of pendants. The teacher has agreed to expand the class and we'll also learn how to make bezel settings and bails for custom pendants. I've always wanted to know how and I'm excited to get the chance to try.
It doesn't look like much yet, but it's a start! (Click to see bigger)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Spring Fiber Jubilee
This past weekend, I went to my first fiber festival of the year with my cousin's wife aka my new fiber co-addict. She's a felter and learning how to spin, so we were both giddy about the chance to get out and breathe wool fumes. It was fun going shopping for fiber this time. I went to one last year when I was only a knitter but there's so much more to see when fiber is on my radar.
My first purchase of the day was 4oz of llama roving. I had a hard time picking a color, but this creamy roving is softer than alpaca. It's softer than almost anything else I've ever touched. Seriously, it's amazing. Silky, fine, shiny.. it's wonderful and I keep petting it instead of spinning. (click pictures to view larger)
We browsed some more booths, one of which had gorgeous baskets. I also squeezed some mohair, but resisted since I already have several bags of 100% kid mohair in the stash. We saw Angora goats being shorn. One of the outbuildings had raw corriedale fleeces and lovely roving. I bought 4 oz each of two colors because I'm on a natural fiber kick lately. It's nice to alternate gorgeous batts and natural roving and locks since it keeps me on my toes. All of these different fibers and preps keep my fingers from getting in the habit of any one technique.
They're seen posing here with the llama roving.
And what was that burst of bright orange in the photo? I found a booth selling lovely dyed and combed wool by the pound plus these gorgeous hand-dyed Cotswold locks. After the orange batts, I am madly in love with this shade of clear yellow-orange. I have no idea what I'll do with these, but the color was practically screaming to come home with me. It's just a little 2 oz baggie, so maybe I'll mix them in with something else as an accent.
In the middle of all of this, I saw a familiar face. It took me a moment and realized it was someone I knew from her blog, Feather and Fan. We've emailed back and forth a few times, but never managed to meet until we just happened to be at the same fiber festival. We'll also be spinning together at the Great Midwest Alpaca Festival in a couple of weeks. It's such a small world!
Speaking of alternating fibers, I finished the rustic, plant-dyed, lanolin-rich Shetland locks and moved on to one of the sparkling merino/alpaca "Fairy Dust" batts. I am spinning thicker singles and loving the soft colors and copious twinkles. There is clear pink and blue angelina all over everything in my apartment. I seem to leave a trail of it wherever I go. It may have something to do with wearing a fleece pullover while I spin, but it's still cold here and I can't help it. I don't mind. It makes my place look extra fancy.
My first purchase of the day was 4oz of llama roving. I had a hard time picking a color, but this creamy roving is softer than alpaca. It's softer than almost anything else I've ever touched. Seriously, it's amazing. Silky, fine, shiny.. it's wonderful and I keep petting it instead of spinning. (click pictures to view larger)
We browsed some more booths, one of which had gorgeous baskets. I also squeezed some mohair, but resisted since I already have several bags of 100% kid mohair in the stash. We saw Angora goats being shorn. One of the outbuildings had raw corriedale fleeces and lovely roving. I bought 4 oz each of two colors because I'm on a natural fiber kick lately. It's nice to alternate gorgeous batts and natural roving and locks since it keeps me on my toes. All of these different fibers and preps keep my fingers from getting in the habit of any one technique.
They're seen posing here with the llama roving.
And what was that burst of bright orange in the photo? I found a booth selling lovely dyed and combed wool by the pound plus these gorgeous hand-dyed Cotswold locks. After the orange batts, I am madly in love with this shade of clear yellow-orange. I have no idea what I'll do with these, but the color was practically screaming to come home with me. It's just a little 2 oz baggie, so maybe I'll mix them in with something else as an accent.
In the middle of all of this, I saw a familiar face. It took me a moment and realized it was someone I knew from her blog, Feather and Fan. We've emailed back and forth a few times, but never managed to meet until we just happened to be at the same fiber festival. We'll also be spinning together at the Great Midwest Alpaca Festival in a couple of weeks. It's such a small world!
Speaking of alternating fibers, I finished the rustic, plant-dyed, lanolin-rich Shetland locks and moved on to one of the sparkling merino/alpaca "Fairy Dust" batts. I am spinning thicker singles and loving the soft colors and copious twinkles. There is clear pink and blue angelina all over everything in my apartment. I seem to leave a trail of it wherever I go. It may have something to do with wearing a fleece pullover while I spin, but it's still cold here and I can't help it. I don't mind. It makes my place look extra fancy.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Spinning Before and After - "Hellebore"
I think I've really reached a turning point with my spinning. I am much more comfortable with raw fibers, locks, fiber prep and color blending after this latest project. I went into this with a clear idea of what I wanted, and I was able to spin to get that result.
I started with two colors of plant-dyed Shetland locks from Natchwoolie. I had about twice as much of the darker cranberry purple "Lambrusco" than the lighter pinkish "mauve". I recently bought a scale and I don't know how I lived without it before this. I split the two colors into two equal piles each. Each one was destined to become a skein.
Next, I started on the first skein. I split the piles again into two equal halves so I could spin a two-ply yarn. I have more purple than mauve, so I wanted to be sure I was able to blend it effectively. For the first ply, I flicked open the locks with a cat brush and left the two colors in separate piles. Flicking the locks really opened them up and made them easier to draft.
When I spun the first ply, I alternated grabbing from each pile and spun from the cloud. I ended up with a rustic, textured single with occasional slubs and thick and thin spots. I didn't want to card all of the personality out of this fiber, and I like how the singles turned out.
Then I started on the second pile of fiber. I flicked the locks open again. I added an extra step and roughly carded the two colors together by grabbing random combinations of locks and flicking them together. They all went into one big pile.
I spun this pile from the cloud, pretty much as it looked there and didn't pay attention to what was happening with the colors. The singles still varied a bit, but the changes between purple and pink were much less dramatic.
The final step was plying the two back together. I ended up with 2.5 oz, 110 yards and a bit of variation between sport and worsted weight. There are sections that are all purple or all mauve, but the rest is varying blends of the two colors. It's heathered with a bit of added excitement and I love it.
I swatched it on US5's and I love how this fabric shows the texture and variation in color. It's not stark stripes, but it's more interesting than a well-blended heather.
I started with two colors of plant-dyed Shetland locks from Natchwoolie. I had about twice as much of the darker cranberry purple "Lambrusco" than the lighter pinkish "mauve". I recently bought a scale and I don't know how I lived without it before this. I split the two colors into two equal piles each. Each one was destined to become a skein.
Next, I started on the first skein. I split the piles again into two equal halves so I could spin a two-ply yarn. I have more purple than mauve, so I wanted to be sure I was able to blend it effectively. For the first ply, I flicked open the locks with a cat brush and left the two colors in separate piles. Flicking the locks really opened them up and made them easier to draft.
When I spun the first ply, I alternated grabbing from each pile and spun from the cloud. I ended up with a rustic, textured single with occasional slubs and thick and thin spots. I didn't want to card all of the personality out of this fiber, and I like how the singles turned out.
Then I started on the second pile of fiber. I flicked the locks open again. I added an extra step and roughly carded the two colors together by grabbing random combinations of locks and flicking them together. They all went into one big pile.
I spun this pile from the cloud, pretty much as it looked there and didn't pay attention to what was happening with the colors. The singles still varied a bit, but the changes between purple and pink were much less dramatic.
The final step was plying the two back together. I ended up with 2.5 oz, 110 yards and a bit of variation between sport and worsted weight. There are sections that are all purple or all mauve, but the rest is varying blends of the two colors. It's heathered with a bit of added excitement and I love it.
I swatched it on US5's and I love how this fabric shows the texture and variation in color. It's not stark stripes, but it's more interesting than a well-blended heather.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Spinning Before and After - Orange You Excited
I ordered these gorgeous cheerful batts from Extreme Spinning last month. I originally saw them and commented on them when PhatFiber did a special post about her shop. I coveted them for a while and finally caved in. I'm so glad I did! Each was 2.5 oz of superwash wool and angelina in shockingly happy orange and yellow.
This past week, I pulled them out of the fiber stash and got to spinning on the wheel. I split each one in half, spun two bobbins of singles and then made 2-ply yarn. I made a conscious effort to "overply" this time since my 2-plies tend to be a little loose. It worked! After washing, the yarn was balanced and the twist didn't unwind itself. I've been squooshing the skeins ever since. I got 255 yards total out of both batts.
My favorite part, other than the orange, is the subtle gold twinkle peeking out here and there. It's wonderful! (Click images to see them larger, especially the finished yarn).
This past week, I pulled them out of the fiber stash and got to spinning on the wheel. I split each one in half, spun two bobbins of singles and then made 2-ply yarn. I made a conscious effort to "overply" this time since my 2-plies tend to be a little loose. It worked! After washing, the yarn was balanced and the twist didn't unwind itself. I've been squooshing the skeins ever since. I got 255 yards total out of both batts.
My favorite part, other than the orange, is the subtle gold twinkle peeking out here and there. It's wonderful! (Click images to see them larger, especially the finished yarn).
Monday, March 23, 2009
Spinning before and after - "Sprinkles"
Back in January, I got a sample of rainbow dyed wool top from the Painted Tiger. Not long ago, was reading through "Intertwined" by Lexi Boeger. I had a brainstorm and decided to try nubs with the top. I pulled some white corriedale roving out of my fiber stash and got down to it.
This was really time consuming and messy while it was in progress. I ripped the top into tiny little shreds based on color and lined them up next to me. Then I had to spin, stopping every so often to wind another nub into the single. I kept going until I ran out of rainbow top. The singles were thick and thin and really fun. If I had been planning to knit this right up into something to felt, I might have spun a little thicker and kept it as singles.
Next I spun about the same amount of white corriedale, but without the nubs. The singles were a little thinner and consistent. When that was done, I plied both together on the drop spindle. Plying on the spindle worked really well since I had more control over the twist with these two dissimilar singles. Parts of it came out looking like regular two-ply fingering to sport-weight yarn. Other parts are bulky and look thread-plied because of the big difference in diameter between the two singles. It makes a sort of bubbly effect.
End result is 67 yards, 1.9oz, thick and thin, 2-ply that I've named "Sprinkles".
This was really time consuming and messy while it was in progress. I ripped the top into tiny little shreds based on color and lined them up next to me. Then I had to spin, stopping every so often to wind another nub into the single. I kept going until I ran out of rainbow top. The singles were thick and thin and really fun. If I had been planning to knit this right up into something to felt, I might have spun a little thicker and kept it as singles.
Next I spun about the same amount of white corriedale, but without the nubs. The singles were a little thinner and consistent. When that was done, I plied both together on the drop spindle. Plying on the spindle worked really well since I had more control over the twist with these two dissimilar singles. Parts of it came out looking like regular two-ply fingering to sport-weight yarn. Other parts are bulky and look thread-plied because of the big difference in diameter between the two singles. It makes a sort of bubbly effect.
End result is 67 yards, 1.9oz, thick and thin, 2-ply that I've named "Sprinkles".
Spinning before and after - ArtemisArtemis
I hauled out my wheel today and spun up the 2.5oz batt from ArtemisArtemis. It's called "Pastel Garden" and it's a mix of angora, silk, merino and a sprinkling of angelina. Does it sound decadent? It totally was. Spinning this was so much fun, I finished the entire batt this afternoon. I didn't use the mohair locks for this project. (Click photos to enlarge)
As the colors mixed, the singles were much more muted than the batt, but there were big chunks of robin's egg blue, yellow and a shot of orange. I pulled the batt into lengthwise strips and spun them like roving. The strips drafted very easily and I was able to control the colors to a certain degree.
I was so smitten with the singles that I had to ply right away. I found another empty bobbin and Navajo plied on the wheel. I don't know how many yards I got, but it's the thinnest yarn I've spun yet. It's maybe sport weight and pretty darn consistent. I soaked it and it's hanging to dry now, but I was too excited to wait for finished yarn photos. I'll add the last picture tomorrow when the yarn is dry.
I love the way the colors blended in this. The yellow and orange pop here and there, and there's a hint of twinkle, but the colors generally complement each other. It's one of those that gets prettier and prettier as you look closer.
I swatched this up on US7's and it is gorgeous! As I knit, the angora bloomed across the surface and created a cohesive looking fabric. This is before blocking. I love the way the colors blend together.
As the colors mixed, the singles were much more muted than the batt, but there were big chunks of robin's egg blue, yellow and a shot of orange. I pulled the batt into lengthwise strips and spun them like roving. The strips drafted very easily and I was able to control the colors to a certain degree.
I was so smitten with the singles that I had to ply right away. I found another empty bobbin and Navajo plied on the wheel. I don't know how many yards I got, but it's the thinnest yarn I've spun yet. It's maybe sport weight and pretty darn consistent. I soaked it and it's hanging to dry now, but I was too excited to wait for finished yarn photos. I'll add the last picture tomorrow when the yarn is dry.
I love the way the colors blended in this. The yellow and orange pop here and there, and there's a hint of twinkle, but the colors generally complement each other. It's one of those that gets prettier and prettier as you look closer.
I swatched this up on US7's and it is gorgeous! As I knit, the angora bloomed across the surface and created a cohesive looking fabric. This is before blocking. I love the way the colors blend together.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Please Mister Postman, look and see if there's some fiber in your bag for me
This was a really good day for mail. First, I ordered some fiber from Extreme Spinning. (Click pictures to see them bigger)
On the left are two "Fairy Dust" batts totaling 5 oz. They're merino, alpaca and angelina in pale pink and lavender. The angelina is the same color as the fiber, so the whole thing twinkles like a princess dress. Each one is about as big as my head and I can't wait to spin them. They're begging to be made into something for a lucky little girl.
On the right are two custom batts also totaling 5 oz. I sent a convo explaining that I wanted fiber that looked like the bishop's robes in the Princess Bride. I've bought some of her other fibers in the Princess Bride theme already and they gave me the idea. The "wuv.. twooo wuv" (love, true love) line is my favorite in the whole movie. His robes are pale brocade with deeper burgundy scrollwork patterns sewn in. She came up with this amazing blend of plum custom-dyed organic wool, creme brulee BFL, yellow top, ivory merino/seacell and pink alpaca. There's also pale angelina and big streaks of gold angelina to accent the purple and bring to mind metallic threadwork. It's exactly what I asked for and she gave it to me on the first attempt. I'm so impressed and it was a lot of fun working together to find the colors I was envisioning. I want to use these somehow in the Phat Fiber Spring Competition, but right now I keep petting them and admiring the sparkles.
As a fun bonus, there's a generous sample of icelandic/angora roving in a green that makes me think of spring grass. I love getting surprise fibers when I place orders. This one is so soft and green is my favorite color.
My March Phat Fiber box also came today! This month's theme was "Celtic", so there's a lot of green.
My fiber samples were a fun mix this month. Clockwise from left:
* Romney locks from Marajane Creations - a very nice pastel mix of loose locks. I pulled one out to feel it and it just kept coming. I looked it up in In Sheep's Clothing and the staple length is 5-7 inches! These should be fun to add some texture while spinning another yarn. I haven't tried spinning with locks yet, but it's on my list
* Merino roving from Nerdclub 2000 - "Elinor Dashwood" colorway is a really pretty mix of pinks and purples with a little olive green at one end. It makes me think of tulips.
* Border Leicester locks from Altered Visions - a nice half ounce sample about the size of a double-handful and the locks are space dyed within each individual lock. For example, one is bright pink with pale blue tips. These are really cool.
* 25% merino and 75% alpaca from NorthStarAlpacas - This is a really big 0.4oz sample and it's a gorgeous chocolate color. It's called "Sonata", because the alpaca portion came from a beautiful brown female alpaca named Sonata. The fiber listings from this shop show the animal the fiber came from and there's even a picture on the tag. It feels like adopting an alpaca. The fiber is so soft and the color is really rich. I got a blended alpaca batt I had last month, so it'll be interesting to spin this one and see how the two preps differ.
* (center) 100% silk with noil "Peacock" roving from Mad Angel Creations - This is really scrumptious teal kettle-dyed silk with a dry, papery feel and an amazing shine. The photo is taken without a flash and it's reflecting ambient light. The color is very saturated.
The yarn samples from left to right:
* (top row) 100% undyed black Shetland handspun from Haley Studio - This is a really nice sample and gives me an idea of how the Shetland fiber I recently ordered might spin up. It's not a super soft wool, but it reminds me of the sock roving in that it feels durable and elastic. We live in the same city and I never would have known without the box.
* "Eire" Fireweed Worsted Merino wool from Aurora Fiber Arts - I got a January sample from Aurora and loved it. This is a great colorway with the little pops of orange among the green.
* "Horned God" merino yarn from the Yarn Side - This is a 75% SW merino, 25% nylon fine sock yarn in a nice mix of greens and browns.
* "Cordelia" merino yarn from Knit It Up - This is hand-dyed yarn in their "curvy" collection and it's a nice bulky, bumpy fun yarn in my favorite colors. It's really pretty and one of the ones I keep coming back to squish.
* (bottom row) three yarn samples from Sheeps of Egyptian Cotton - There's "Isis" (lighter green) cotton 2 ply fingering weight, "Nile" (wrapped around the card) 3 ply mercerized cotton and "Ankh" (brighter green) 4 ply merino. She also included an Irish Breakfast Tea packet and a lesson on celtic knitting terminology.
* Hand-dyed merino laceweight from Jen Hintz - This is a lovely mix of various shades of pale green that has a lot of depth and interest. It's subtle, but on closer look, this is one of my favorites because of the blend of colors.
* "Ireland" Hand-spun yarn from Cool Climates - This is a bulky singles yarn of mixed wool, mohair, angora and merino. It's a very pretty deep rich color.
* (not pictured) "Fjord" worsted singles yarn from Katsara Luxury Yarns - This is a really pretty pale pink, purple and green singles yarn that missed the photo op because I carried it around with me before I started taking pictures and accidentally left it in another room. I have a weakness for singles yarns.
The various other loot in my box includes:
* "Stargyle" by Michelle Miller the Fickleknitter - This is a pattern for a stockinette scarf with argyle details. This could actually be really fun with handspun.
* Purple beaded stitch marker from Vickie's Knitted Things
* Silver shamrock stitch markers from Princess Emma's
* Green bubble magnet and a cute pompom from Bananamigraine Designs - I love this shop name! Since my kitchen is painted green, this magnet is going right on my fridge.
* Two green and gold stitch markers from Winemakers Sister - This shop also makes rubber stamps!
* A KIP bag from Ruddawg - I got one of these in February too and they're such a nice size for trucking smaller projects around. I don't know how she does it, but both have colors that are perfect for me.
* A needlefelted Alpaca from My Fair Bag Lady! She made Knickolas the Knitting Gnome for Phat Fiber. He rides around and ends up in a lucky box every month. Whoever finds him gets a free box the next month, as long as they have an adventure with him and send him back. Now I have some of her handiwork of my own. It's tiny (like the size of my thumb) and I can't even imagine having the patience to do this.
I realized I never posted this, but my samples for the March box were hand-painted and stamped lavender sachets. I'll have these up in my shop eventually but I ran out of bags and had to order more. I really love the smell of lavender and I have similar sachets hidden all over my house. I've been seeing photos of them today as people blog about their boxes and it's really surreal seeing them out in the wild.
Now, I have some spinning to do. I'm going to my first ever Spinning Guild meeting tomorrow morning and I have some singles to get off of my spindle. Don't ask me how spinning more will help. This isn't a rational hobby.
On the left are two "Fairy Dust" batts totaling 5 oz. They're merino, alpaca and angelina in pale pink and lavender. The angelina is the same color as the fiber, so the whole thing twinkles like a princess dress. Each one is about as big as my head and I can't wait to spin them. They're begging to be made into something for a lucky little girl.
On the right are two custom batts also totaling 5 oz. I sent a convo explaining that I wanted fiber that looked like the bishop's robes in the Princess Bride. I've bought some of her other fibers in the Princess Bride theme already and they gave me the idea. The "wuv.. twooo wuv" (love, true love) line is my favorite in the whole movie. His robes are pale brocade with deeper burgundy scrollwork patterns sewn in. She came up with this amazing blend of plum custom-dyed organic wool, creme brulee BFL, yellow top, ivory merino/seacell and pink alpaca. There's also pale angelina and big streaks of gold angelina to accent the purple and bring to mind metallic threadwork. It's exactly what I asked for and she gave it to me on the first attempt. I'm so impressed and it was a lot of fun working together to find the colors I was envisioning. I want to use these somehow in the Phat Fiber Spring Competition, but right now I keep petting them and admiring the sparkles.
As a fun bonus, there's a generous sample of icelandic/angora roving in a green that makes me think of spring grass. I love getting surprise fibers when I place orders. This one is so soft and green is my favorite color.
My March Phat Fiber box also came today! This month's theme was "Celtic", so there's a lot of green.
My fiber samples were a fun mix this month. Clockwise from left:
* Romney locks from Marajane Creations - a very nice pastel mix of loose locks. I pulled one out to feel it and it just kept coming. I looked it up in In Sheep's Clothing and the staple length is 5-7 inches! These should be fun to add some texture while spinning another yarn. I haven't tried spinning with locks yet, but it's on my list
* Merino roving from Nerdclub 2000 - "Elinor Dashwood" colorway is a really pretty mix of pinks and purples with a little olive green at one end. It makes me think of tulips.
* Border Leicester locks from Altered Visions - a nice half ounce sample about the size of a double-handful and the locks are space dyed within each individual lock. For example, one is bright pink with pale blue tips. These are really cool.
* 25% merino and 75% alpaca from NorthStarAlpacas - This is a really big 0.4oz sample and it's a gorgeous chocolate color. It's called "Sonata", because the alpaca portion came from a beautiful brown female alpaca named Sonata. The fiber listings from this shop show the animal the fiber came from and there's even a picture on the tag. It feels like adopting an alpaca. The fiber is so soft and the color is really rich. I got a blended alpaca batt I had last month, so it'll be interesting to spin this one and see how the two preps differ.
* (center) 100% silk with noil "Peacock" roving from Mad Angel Creations - This is really scrumptious teal kettle-dyed silk with a dry, papery feel and an amazing shine. The photo is taken without a flash and it's reflecting ambient light. The color is very saturated.
The yarn samples from left to right:
* (top row) 100% undyed black Shetland handspun from Haley Studio - This is a really nice sample and gives me an idea of how the Shetland fiber I recently ordered might spin up. It's not a super soft wool, but it reminds me of the sock roving in that it feels durable and elastic. We live in the same city and I never would have known without the box.
* "Eire" Fireweed Worsted Merino wool from Aurora Fiber Arts - I got a January sample from Aurora and loved it. This is a great colorway with the little pops of orange among the green.
* "Horned God" merino yarn from the Yarn Side - This is a 75% SW merino, 25% nylon fine sock yarn in a nice mix of greens and browns.
* "Cordelia" merino yarn from Knit It Up - This is hand-dyed yarn in their "curvy" collection and it's a nice bulky, bumpy fun yarn in my favorite colors. It's really pretty and one of the ones I keep coming back to squish.
* (bottom row) three yarn samples from Sheeps of Egyptian Cotton - There's "Isis" (lighter green) cotton 2 ply fingering weight, "Nile" (wrapped around the card) 3 ply mercerized cotton and "Ankh" (brighter green) 4 ply merino. She also included an Irish Breakfast Tea packet and a lesson on celtic knitting terminology.
* Hand-dyed merino laceweight from Jen Hintz - This is a lovely mix of various shades of pale green that has a lot of depth and interest. It's subtle, but on closer look, this is one of my favorites because of the blend of colors.
* "Ireland" Hand-spun yarn from Cool Climates - This is a bulky singles yarn of mixed wool, mohair, angora and merino. It's a very pretty deep rich color.
* (not pictured) "Fjord" worsted singles yarn from Katsara Luxury Yarns - This is a really pretty pale pink, purple and green singles yarn that missed the photo op because I carried it around with me before I started taking pictures and accidentally left it in another room. I have a weakness for singles yarns.
The various other loot in my box includes:
* "Stargyle" by Michelle Miller the Fickleknitter - This is a pattern for a stockinette scarf with argyle details. This could actually be really fun with handspun.
* Purple beaded stitch marker from Vickie's Knitted Things
* Silver shamrock stitch markers from Princess Emma's
* Green bubble magnet and a cute pompom from Bananamigraine Designs - I love this shop name! Since my kitchen is painted green, this magnet is going right on my fridge.
* Two green and gold stitch markers from Winemakers Sister - This shop also makes rubber stamps!
* A KIP bag from Ruddawg - I got one of these in February too and they're such a nice size for trucking smaller projects around. I don't know how she does it, but both have colors that are perfect for me.
* A needlefelted Alpaca from My Fair Bag Lady! She made Knickolas the Knitting Gnome for Phat Fiber. He rides around and ends up in a lucky box every month. Whoever finds him gets a free box the next month, as long as they have an adventure with him and send him back. Now I have some of her handiwork of my own. It's tiny (like the size of my thumb) and I can't even imagine having the patience to do this.
I realized I never posted this, but my samples for the March box were hand-painted and stamped lavender sachets. I'll have these up in my shop eventually but I ran out of bags and had to order more. I really love the smell of lavender and I have similar sachets hidden all over my house. I've been seeing photos of them today as people blog about their boxes and it's really surreal seeing them out in the wild.
Now, I have some spinning to do. I'm going to my first ever Spinning Guild meeting tomorrow morning and I have some singles to get off of my spindle. Don't ask me how spinning more will help. This isn't a rational hobby.
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