Yay, vampy awesome yarnie goodness!!! :D

So.... Today I got my package from the amazing Miss Chrissy and it was chuck full of awesome! :D She was able to score a luscious custom OOAK skein of The Fabulous Miss Krysten's (aka Gherkin) 2-ply handspun in a sinfully vicious vampy red, called "Velvet Pulse." Srsly you guys, this is some gorgeous stuff, and sooooooo soft!! It's my very first handspun too, so it's that much more special! ^_^ And since it was a joint effort from two buds, I'm beyond squeeness! ;) I also got some sinfully yum lip gloss with a Twilight theme-- Edward! ;) and an adorable handmade bracelet that her sister made for me in Edward colors!!! LOVE! --hasn't left my wrist folks, I plan to be buried with it! ;) I got a vampire stitch marker, and bookmark, some soaks, and a Twilight magnet, too! The magnet and stitch marker were hidden in a mystery ball. I'd never heard of this concept before, and it is frickin adoramous! ^_^ (unwind, unwind, unwind, SURPRISE! ) I'm so excited about all my new goodies, now!! :D Thanks so much, Chrissy! 

coming Soon: New Colorways

 I will be debuting a new limited series, soon: Twilight. Each colorway will be inspired by characters/locales from the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. 

New limited colorways!

I will be releasing a couple hanks of my new Silver Sock base in two True Blood series colorways. Quantities are very limited, and I'm not sure when I'll get more of the base in stock. The two colorways to be released are "Fangtasia" and "Lafayette." I will be releasing these hanks to my Etsy shop over the next couple days. Below are pics of each of the respective colorways:

New limited colorways!

You can find new FFTC colorways at the Sip & Knit! These colorways are exclusive, shop-colorways and are only available in limited quantities at the Sip & Knit LYS. Click on the linked text for shop info. Please feel free to contact Ms. Doni at the shop for further details! :)

true blood funnies!!!

Anyone who watches HBO's series True Blood (based on Charlaine Harris' "Sookie Stackhouse" novels, has got to check out Cleoland. Her recaps of the episodes are complete hilarity! As an avid fan, (more like fan-atic, to be completely honest) these have me ROFL each time I read them! ^_^ Enjoy!: Cleoland

shop update

New True Blood colorways will list tomorrow!!

I will be listing 

2 hanks of "Pam" in the silk sock base (anyone know her last name?)

1 hank of "Alcide Herveaux" in the silk sock base

3 hanks of "Eric Northman" in the silk sock base. (2 have now been reserved; one left until the end of the month!)

1 hank OOAK surprise colorway. ;)

Please convo me/comment here if you would like to have one reserved, would like a custom order in any of the past listed True Blood colorways, and/or would like one or more of these colorways on the 100% merino lace weight. The merino lace is 1000 yds at $22 per skein plus shipping. 

shop update

I will be listing tomorrow these colorways sometime between noon and 2 pm EDT:

• 2 sets of the "Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch" colorway
• 1 hank of "Sookie Stackhouse"
• 1 hank of "Sam Merlotte"
• 1 hank of "Bill Compton"

Shop update: new colorways coming soon

Coming in the next few days to the shop:

• 2 hanks of the "Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch" colorway in the SW Sock base.
• 1 hank custom order of "Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch" for Skeinqueen7.
• 1 hank custom order of "A Little Priest" for Jhankie.
• 1 hank:"The Brazen Bull" colorway from the "Horrors of History..." series.
• 1 hank:"The Judas Pyramid" colorway from the "Horrors of History..." series.

Coming in the next couple weeks:

• 1 hank of "Sookie Stackhouse" in the Merino/silk base
• 1 hank of "Bill Compton" in the Merino/silk base
• 1 hank of "Sam Merlotte" in the Meirno/silk base

New Colorway

The "Cherry Streusel" colorway has been listed to my Etsy shop. :)

New Colorway

One hank of "Cherry Streusel" will debut tomorrow on my shop. :)

shop update

AS POSTED ON RAVELRY:

Ok, hi everybody-- sorry about the product hiatus of late; things have been busy (and continue to be) on both a personal and business level. My DH had been on a business trip since July 18th and has returned home recently for a brief 2-3 weeks. So unfortunately, I do not foresee many shop updates 

in the immediate future. 

I can say with some certainty that it appears that the "All Hallows 

Eve" sock kits were a success. I look forward very much to seeing what everyone makes with them. It was also a treat for me to make the little notion pouches; I had been an avid quilter before starting FFtC, and it was a "warm fuzzy" to revisit my sewing machine. ;) 

Here's a look at the upcoming events for FFtC:

• I have invoiced the "Socks of the Bard" and "Time Machine" club members today for their October shipments. It's time to get the ball rolling on the next set of colorways, already! :)
• I have recently filled all outstanding custom order requests, so if you have made a custom order please check my Etsy shop or convo me with further questions. 
• I have 4 more colorways to release for the limited series: "Horrors of History: Torture Through the Ages." I want to get these out fairly soon in time for October, so keep an eye out if you are interested. Again, these colorways are 1 hank, OOAKs and they'll be listed unannounced, first-come-first-serve. Still to be released are: "Scold's Bridel," "Brazen Bull," Heretic's Fork," and "Judas Pyramid."

• I will be adding two new original colorways to the shop soon. These are "Cherry Streusel" (gearing up for fall yummies!), and "Hagrid's Pumpkin Patch." The latter will be a primary/complimentary combo so that there will be a majority of yardage in the rich pumpkin colors, and a mini hank in the contrasting dark greens used for contrasting heels and toes, or whatever. Please convo me if you are interested in either colorway as I only plan to make one of each as I normally do. :)
• And for the big announcement-- I have TWO NEW ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES TO DEBUT!!!

1. "The Feminine Mystique" will be a set of nine self-striping colorways based on female traits/wiles. ;) Colorways will be "Flirtatious," "Virtuous," Dignified," "Romantic," etc. Unless I receive requests for theses, I only plan to make one of each, so grab them quick! ;) I will post again when they are ready.
2. "True Blood"--this one I'm over the moon about! :) I've recently started watching the new HBO series based on the "Southern Vampire" series by Charlaine Harris, and reading the "Sookie Stackhouse" books, too, and I am HOOKED! I actually read both of the first two books in a 30 hour marathon read last week!! I will be releasing colorways inspired by the characters from this mythology in the merino/silk base and lace weights. So there will be approximately 440 yds of fingering weight yarn per character in the merino silk. I'm still working on the lace weight stats. I, myself, am planning to make a "Shetland Triangle" shawl in the "Sookie Stackhouse" colorway in the merino/silk as a knit-along with my friend Chrissy, who is also test knitting the colorway. I also want to make an "Icarus Shawl" with the "Bill Compton" colorway in lace weight. Again, I will base yarn production on interest for these colorways. Here's a picture collage of the first colorway, "Sookie Stackhouse":

Birthday Swap box Arrived!...

My buddy Erica and I agreed months ago that it would a lot of fun to make birthday swap packages for each other. Our birthdays are exactly one week apart, and we met on Ravelry, so we thought that it would be tons of fun to knit a pair of socks for each other and throw in some other goodies! This is what she sent me-- and look, they're all wrapped to look like HP owl-post! Squee!

• My purdy socks. This is her original pattern and she used the Sunshine yarns soft sock yarn in the "Green With Envy" colorway:
  
• 
  
• "101 One Skein Wonders" book:
  
• 
  
• Some groovy stitchmarkers:
  
• 
  
• A handknit felted Hufflepuff bowl, 1 hank of Dreamsinfiber sock yarn in the "Ghoulish Goodies" colorway, 1 hank of Sunshine Yarns soft sock yarn in the "Hedwig" colorway:
  
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• And a bunch of other goodies include piggy bowl (because I LURVE piggies), an Iowa shot glass with none other than pigs on it, a hilarious book about... well... weird stuff people think about, a lavender sachet, some charms, and a Sock Soak mini.  :D 
  

Back to School Blues...

Coming Soon: New Colorways

Coming to the shop soon, three new "On Broadway" colorways.

• "All That Jazz" (Chicago)
• "Memory" (CATS)
• "Les Misèrables" 

"We're Going on a Gore Hunt..."

What do "The Halifax Gibbet," "The Rack," and "The Iron Maiden" all have in common?-- They'd all make gruesomely great colorways for Halloween! 

"Horrors of History: Torture Through the Ages" --A special, limited edition of One-of-Kind colorways for Halloween. Each colorway will only be made into one skein of superwash sock yarn. That means 10 hanks; 1 each, inspired by historical devices of the macabre. Grab the gorey goods while the gettin's good! ;) Each hank will be listed unannounced, at random intervals, on my Etsy shop.  

• The Halifax Gibbet
• The Iron Maiden
• The Rack
• The Iron Boot
• The Pear of Anguish
• The Garrotte
• Heretic's Fork
• The Judas Pyramid
• The Brazen Bull
• (final selection TBA)

Coming Soon

Hi Everyone :) Just a quick heads-up about some upcoming shop events. I will be dyeing a new batch of colorways over the weekend of July 18th. I plan to post those hanks on my Etsy shop on Tuesday, the July 22nd. All the customs orders that I have received will be filled in that order, as well. 

Just so that everyone knows, if you see a colorway that you like, that is not currently listed for sale, please let me know and I will be more than happy to do a custom dye job! I encourage custom orders; I typically do not list more than one hank of any given colorway at a time unless there have been requests for it, so I prefer to receive a custom order. :) 

Also, I am now taking orders for Halloween sock kits!! Please email me at  jenpyg@aol.com or leave me a personal message on Ravelry (I'm squibstitcher) if you are interested. Listed below are the details of the kits:

"All Hallows Eve Sock Kits":

• I'm planning on listing these reserved kits on October 1st. If I receive enough feedback requesting to move it up (that that's too late) I'm sure I can get them out by Mid. September.
• Please email/Ravelry message me letting me know which fall colorway(s) that you would like you kit(s) built around. I.e. an "Ichabod Crane kit," a "Harvest Moon kit," etc.
• I'm taking orders now and PayPal payment is due when you check out at my Etsy shop.
• Your kit(s) will be reserved in your name on my Etsy shop.
• Please contact me if you would like to know the color schemes of each colorway.
• Kits include 400 yards of sock yarn, a set of themed stitch markers, an original pattern with limited exclusivity, and a "surprise" that is both cute and functional!
• Price per kit is $35 USD for the U.S. and Canada, and it includes priority USPS shipping. $40 per kit for international orders to cover additional shipping costs.
• Discount for multiple orders; after the first kit, each additional kit is 15% off and a reduced shipping rate.
• Please message me if you have any allergies or sensitivity to fragrances.
• The available colorways for the kits include:

1. "Pennywise" inspired by the iconic character from the Steven King novel, "It."
2. "Ichabod Crane" inspired by the lead character from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."
3. "Harvest Moon"
4. "Appalachian Autumnals" think: fall leaves in the Smokey Mountains.

Shop update: new colorways coming soon

Ginormous order has kept me a busy dyeing bee! I've got custome orders going out and some new colorways coming to the shop Thursday, July 3! Colorways to come:

• Tooms  (Inspired by the classic villain from the X-Files series) 
• St. Maarten
• St. Thomas
• Music Sets My Soul on Fire
• Scarlet O'Hara
• Fruit Basket
• Wicked

--coming soon: "Secret Garden" & "Tellico"

My Piggy Punky Pouch!

Here are some pics courtesy of Punkypurls, of my new custom Punky Pouch! Ms. Heather just finished mine, and it's on its way! I'm so excited to use it and show it off. I think it turned out awesome :D I encourage everyone to convo Heather for their own custom order, or purchase a ready made version from her Etsy shop!

Oooooh!... More Internash mail! :D

Lookey what the postperson brought me today! I got more international mail! I don't know why I find it so exciting, I just find it to be super cool... The adoramous piggy fabric will soon be transformed into a custom Punky Pouch! Yay! So after traveling all the way from Taipei, these poor little piggies can't rest their little hooves, yet-- they're off to Washington state, now ;) The Russian nesting dolls fabric, creepy folk-goats fabric, and the trippy moles & 'shrooms fabric will most likely be made into throw pillows for my craft room. :)

Squee!, Sweet...

I found this very exciting the other day. I received my first package from the UK! I had ordered this adorable little purse on Etsy from Saysie as a notions pouch. It's too cute. It was made with the cute Japanese fabric that is really popular now, in a folk-nursery theme. I was just all giddy to receive a package marked "Royal Mail!" Now all I need is to get another one with the Hogwarts Crest on the letterhead... ;)

Finally, I decided it was time to update pics of my sock stash. I think the last time I did this, I had maybe a fraction of fun fiber-goodness. ;) I probably should've waited a little longer-- I have STR "Chapman Springs", Purlsoup's "Thriller", and three hanks from Dreamsinfber on the way.

In Need of a Good Laugh?!

OMG, i just found these links curtesy of a fellow Raveler's "about me" section. I almost sprayed my monitor and keyboard with coffee-- these are hilarious! All fiber-enthusiasts should appreciate; but steer clear of fluids while you surf.... 

• What Not to Knit
  
• What Not to Crochet
• You Knit What 2

shop update: new colorways coming soon

Okay, 4 new colorways will be added to the shop, tomorrow. I've got new bases and wanted to give 'em a whirl. I have 2 merino/bamboo, and 2 Kona superwashes:

1. The Scooby Doobies, From the Laff-a-Lympics part of the Saturday Morning Cartoon Series. --Kona Superwash 2 ply fingering weight.
2. Thebes of Egypt from the Globe Trekker series --merino/bamboo 3 ply fingering wt.
3. The Burrow, (Harry Potter inspired) from the Flotsam & Jetsam series --Kona superwash 2 ply fingering wt.
4. Queen Mab from the Once Upon a Time series --merino/bamboo 3 ply fingering wt.

*All skeins are 400 yds/each. They'll be listed on my Etsy shop by 2 pm EDT 5-24-08

Shop Update:

3 new colorways will be posted to my Etsy shop tomorrow, May 18th. First come-first serve...

Shop update: new colorways coming soon

     Okay folks, you asked for it, so you're gonna get it! (And then, some!) ;) I have 2 new cones of base yarn on the way and some fun new colorways to go with them! Below is a list of colorways that I will be adding to the shop soon. (Can't really say how soon because I will be leaving for the Caribbean soon for a week--rest assured, yarn, needles, and idea notebook will be in tow! ;P)

     And some groovy new news; I've "Mastered the Black!". Yep, I've discovered the secret to getting "true-black" on the colorways without muddiness! Yay! On another note, there are still 5 colorways available at my Etsy shop that are part of the "All Roads Lead to Rome" series. 

     One last thing, go to the right sidebar of the blog and vote in the OZ poll. Some of you have shown interest in a "Wizard of Oz" theme. Please vote as to whether you want this for next year's sock club (with cool swag!), or as a general shop series that would introduce new colorways here and there over time. Thanks!

• Fraggle Rock (Saturday Morning Cartoon Series)
• Jem and the Holograms (Saturday Morning Cartoon Series)
• Raspberry Cobbler (Raid the Fridge Series)
• Optimus Prime (Saturday Morning Cartoon Series)
• Rapunzel (Once Upon a Time Series)
• Morgan le Fey (Once Upon a Time Series)
• Queen Mab (Once Upon a Time Series)
• Harry Potter: The Burrow (Flotsam and Jetsam Series)

Sock and Yarn Clubs

Sorry I've been MIA for awhile. Let's see, my husband has been traveling globally since the end of March, we've had lots of birthdays, and most recently I live in Palm Bay which is at the heart of all the crazy Central Florida wildfires. The closest fire to me was about a half mile, and my sister's house was one of three-five on her street that were spared. You could see 50 ft flames from her backyard. These fires have even made the 3rd page of USA Today newspaper and a mention on CNN. 

But anyway, I digress, back to the good stuff! :) My first sock and yarn clubs are well underway. I have closed signups as of May 10th and we have 7 crafters on-board. This season's themes are "Socks or the Bard" (Shakespearean inspired sock yarn colorways), and the "Time Machine yarn club" (various weights and textures based on notorious and famous historical figures from around the globe throughout time). I have also just finished dyeing up the first batches, so the colorways for both clubs, for the June installment, are ready for shipment. Just a reminder to participants, I will be sending out PayPal invoices this Saturday, May 16, 2008 and will thus need your email if I do not already have it. Thanks! :) I'm pleased as punch with how the new colorways have turned out. I look forward to hearing everyones' responses and finding out what you all decide to create with your new yarnie goodies! ;)

Swatch-tastic!

Here's a quick couple pics of the test swatches Erica whipped up for me of the "Wicked" and "Wallachia" colorways from my On Broadway series, and Globe Trekker series. Love it!!

 

I've got a big order coming, so I hope to post the All Roads Lead to Rome series in its entirety on the shop, soon! Also, sock club sign ups will start in the next couple weeks. More info on the details of the sock clubs in the next post. 

Update: I've also added a pic of the sock project Aquaknits is working on with the "Strawberry Shortcake" colorway. It's turning out super cute! :)

shop update

Well, things have been busy in the world of "selling yarn". I received 2300 yds of fingering weight yarn yesterday and dyed it all! :D I made 5 new colorways:

• Leigha: A custom colorway for a Raveler in shades of bright and pale pinks and springy grass greens.
• Poisoned Apple: Originally intended for the shop, but couldn't stand to part with it ;) It's a lot like wicked but with one color change-- It's Black, hot pink, cherry red, and lime It's from the Once Upon a Time Series and based on the tale of "Snow White."
• Boys of Summer: currently for sale at my Etsy shop. Surfer-themed with oceanic blue, and sunset colors.
• Hansel & Gretel: based on the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale. Dark forest greens, woodsy browns, bright golds and flecks of red. Sold today to Zyd! (She also bought Little Mermaid).
• Little Red Riding Hood: Also based on the macabre Grimm Brothers' tales. This one has dark forest greens and deep, rich, reds. Sold to Dreamsinfiber, and special order requested by Zyd. 

I will be adding new colorways soon as well, in varying weights this time. Here's the scoop on the future hues:

1. Odysseus Sails: From the "Globe Trekker" series. Based on the adventures of King Odysseus from Homer's "The Odyssey."
2. The Frog Prince: Brother's Grimm colorway from the "Once Upon a Time Series."
3. Snow Queen: Han's Christian Andersen tale from the "Once Upon a Time Series."
4. Pompeii: From the "Globe Trekker" series.
5. Atia of the Julii: first colorway in the new "All Roads Lead to Rome" series.
6. Rumpelstilzchen: Custom request for Zyd. 
7. Morgan Le Fey: From the "Once Upon a Time Series"

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Well, I just realized that I'd been so busy with dying yarn, test knitting and making swaps, that I haven't posted any of my recent WIPs or FOs! :/ So, here's the 411: I finished my "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes" socks with my Sunshine Yarns in the corresponding colorway. I used the pattern "Mad Color Weave", by Tina Lorin. I also whipped up a pair of socks for little Zach with some scrap yarn today. It's the "Toddler Socks" pattern by Bonnie Franz. Additionally, I worked up a couple test knits (more info in May), and began the birthday swap for Dreamsinfiber. Above is a photo collage of the WWW socks and Zach's pair. 

Inspiration is a beautiful thing!

   So... I was flipping through the channels the other night trying to find something interesting to watch, when I happened to see that HBO was re-airing one of my favorite series-- ROME. I loved that show! Of course, when it originally aired, I had yet to discover the joy of hand-painting my own yarn. But this time... my eyes have been opened to a world of possibility. 

   The series' rich and vivid colors (and characters), have inspired me to introduce a new line of colorways: the "All Roads Lead to Rome" series. I have 10 exciting colorways in mind (so far) for what is sure to be a batch of bright, bold, and vibrant hues. I plan to only make 1 hank per colorway, so if there is a character that catches your eye or intrigue, grab it fast! In the event that there are requests prior to dying, for the same colorway, by more than one person, I can arrange to make accommodations to fill everyones needs. However, once the dying process has begun, and the yarns are posted for sale on my Etsy shop, that will be the only chance to acquire these colorways. These yarns will be Superwash Merino/nylon blend sock yarn at 462 yds per hank.

   I anticipate these new colorways to be ready by the middle/end of May. Please let me know if you have a favorite character, not listed, that you would like to see dyed up. Also, please let me know if you would like a different weight other than fingering. Here is the initial list of character colorways:

• Julius Caesar
• Gaius Octavian 
  
• Mark Antony
• Atia of the Julii
• Servilia of the Junii
• Lucius Vorenus
• Niobe
• Titus Pullo
• Eirene
• Gaia

Coming Soon: New Colorways

I have ordered more stock and I have some exciting new colorways coming soon to my Etsy shop! 

• From the Globe Trekker Series:

1. Pompeii
2. Odysseus Sails

• From the Once Upon a Time Series:

1. Little Red Riding Hood
2. Hansel and Gretel
3. The Poisoned Apple (Snow White)

• From the Saturday Morning Cartoon Series:

1. X-Men's Night Crawler
2. Fraggle Rock

• From the Flotsam & Jetsam Series:

1. Boys of Summer ( surf & sun in honor of the coming summer)

Etsy

I'm open! my shop is now open at Etsy.com! Come check it out-- Fresh From the Cauldron here are a few pics to give you an idea of what you'll find; the new colorways are ready!

Wallachia

Okay, so here's one for me! I wanted to try out a new base yarn of 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk to compare textures. The other night I was watching the show "Cities of the Underworld," and they aired an episode on Wallachia. Wallachia is where Prince Vlad the Impaler made his home. This is an excerpt from Wikipedia:

Vladislav II (c. 1390--December 1447), known as Vlad Dracul ("Vlad the Dragon"), was a voivode (duke) of Wallachia. He reigned from 1436 to 1442, and again from 1443 to 1447. He was the father of ...Vlad Tepes.... All four of his sons at one time or the other would rule Wallachia. Vlad Tepes would go on to become one of the most notorious rulers in history, and the inspiration for the novel "Dracula," by Bram Stoker. 

So this colorway was inspired by the landscape and lore of the Dracula legend. I originally envisioned an earthy brown colorway with hints and flecks of blood red to only suggest the region's gruesome past, but the end result was a pleasant surprise. When I went to heat set the dye, the red "bled" over the yarn and created an entirely new color scheme. The final product is 462 yards of deep rich tones in varying shades of red and dark brown. 

One might say that this colorway is more of a depiction of a post-massacre Wallachia at the height of Tepes' rule, as opposed to the current, subtle, mountain terrain with a secret and vicious past... 

Maharaja test knit

here are a few pics that Bindifry graciously supplied to show the progress of her knitted work with the colorway "Maharaja." This colorway is from my exclusive line of hand dyed yarns called "Fresh From the Cauldron" and part of the colorway series: "Globe Trekker". All yarns in this series will showcase colorways inspired by the cultures and landscapes of various locales around the globe. "Maharaja" is based on the the rich colors of India, especially those found in the gorgeous Sari clothing worn by the women there. 

Fresh From the Cauldron--update:

Coming soon: 

I will be offering four new colorways for sale in the next couple weeks! These exciting new hand-dyed yarns are all 462 yds of fingering weight superwash wool, and are each a part of the various Fresh From the Cauldron original colorway series. I will be making the following yarns:

1. "Strawberry Shortcake" from the Saturday Morning Cartoon Series
2. "Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid" from the Once Upon a Time Series
3. "Wicked" from the On Broadway series
4. "Ginger Kitties" from the Flotsam and Jetsam series, inspired by my three favorite fictional cats: Crookshanks, Garfield, and Azriel

*If multiple requests are received for the same colorway(s), I will make arrangements to make a "batch" of that/those colorway(s).  Yarns will be listed at $20 USD + shipping each 

To see things in a different light

The pun was definitely intended in this title. ;)   I wound the four "Fresh From the Cauldron" cakes today at Lambyknits' house, and she graciously offered to take some pictures with her wonderful camera. The natural lighting, and high resolution produced stunning results  that showcased each colorway beautifully! Thank you so much Shawna for all your help, and just for being a great friend! :)