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.