Look to the Bulbs for Inspiration

I have a Easter show to get ready for, so I have really been inpired by what I see growing in my garden. Lots of irises and day lillies are popping up, so my mind is completely excited about the possiblities. I decided not just simply create pastel or candy colors, I want spring to be infused into my yarns through nature. So with that said, I need to start working on mixing up some new colors. I prefer to mix my dyes dry, before putting them in water. I know I know some dyers say only mix dilluted colors, but I am a rebel. Fearless in creating the perfect Spring colors.

Thick v. Thin

I love thick & bulky weight yarn! I truly enjoy bulky and super bulky weighted yarns, and at the smallest, I will go for a nice worsted weight. However, it seems at times that I am the only one. This picture shows the same color combo in a sock, dk/sport and worsted weights. Of course I love worsted the most and made a ton of it, however, everyone that purchased this colorway went for the the other two and I still have the worsted left. Why is that?

I think that thicker weight yarns are just as flexible as thinner weights. Also, I love the stitch definition achieved with a great worsted or bulky fiber. Am I totally alone on this. I also did a batch of a beautiful turquoise as part of my "Adobe" Collection. The first and last sale of the collection was the Seacell Sock weight. I still have beautiful big bundles of Irish worsted that are awesome.

So tell me, why the resistance to thicker yarns?

I can't stop dying bulky yarns them because I love them so much. And I figure, what I don't sell, is a perfect excuse to use it for my own personal creations.

What do you all think?

DYE DYE DYE!!!!!

DYE DYE DYE!!!!!

I have been doing a lot of dyeing to build up inventory for my March show and the remaining February shows here in Southern California. Here's one of the new colors and fibers, Black Cherrie. I love this color and the fiber. It is a combination of 70% superwash merino wool and 30% SeaCell. I have put a couple of skeins in my Etsy shop. Getting this rich and intense of a color took a little extra work and time. I used 3 different colors to make this color, and 3 different dippings.

I can't wait to knit or crochet something up with this. Right now, I am working on a new crochet fedora hat pattern. I will be hopefully rolling out a nice colleciton of hats for spring. I really want to do some larger pieces, I have designed a caftan for lounging around in the house, but I don't know how long that will take to do. Here are a couple of other items from the dyeing session this week.

Valentines Day Show

Today I did day one of set up of my booth for the Sugar Plum Festival in Buena Park.  The show will open on Thursday and go until Saturday.  I got the frame of the booth setup and will have to go back tomorrow to finish loading product on the shelves, and hanging all of the skeins of yarn.

I have lots of  new yarn colorways to premier at this show, and hope that a good amount of Southern California and LA area knitters and crocheters come out.  By the way, check out the awesome art work and crochet and knitting from one of my favorite customers Matt NIshii. He made this adorable hat and scarf set with my variegated raw silk for his niece.It uses a combination of finger crochet and double crochet stitches.  How great is that.