I finally feel like I'm getting everything unpacked and put to rights after getting home from Dallas. I finished up the last of the custom orders I took while I was there, and I've sorted and repacked the remaining yarn I've got to go back into stock. I got my Texas state taxes paid and did some odds-and-ends paperwork that I needed to get off my desk, so I feel mostly caught up at this point.
I had one sample you may remember I was working on before I left. I did get that sweater in the mail (all the way to the UK!) before I headed out, and that pattern went off to the editor yesterday morning, so I am down to one final magazine project, which luckily is relatively small, and I will have all of the proposals that were accepted this spring completed and deadlines for those met, which feels awfully good.
As one of my quick travel projects, I designed and knit up a super easy, beginning lace-knitting cowl using less than one skein of my Aerten DK (the super soft MCN blend) - I plan to use that for the beginning lace knitting class I'm teaching at my LYS next month, but since I really liked it as a nice, quick and easy accessory, I also plotted out numbers for a larger version, so that's currently being test knit and will also be released into the wild in the next few weeks.
I've been steathily working on a PORBI (project of really big importance - to me anyway!) and by the beginning of next month, I believe I'll be far enough along I can start to share some details with you. I've actually been working on the concept for it since just before the holidays, but the details are finally starting to click into place and I'm very excited about it - I hope ya'll will be too!
All for now.....
Ready!
Hey - at least I can kind of see out the back window, which I could not last year. AND, since I've got the borrowed Thule on top, I actually am taking more stuff. Win!
Just in case you need a little more eye candy....
Kettle Dyes
And Semi-Solids
Likely limited blog-time until I'm home, but I may squeeze in a brief update at some point this weekend!
All for now.....
Did you have a good weekend? I feel like I didn't do much this weekend and at the same time, was insanely busy.
I'm in the process of getting a lot of my older and/or handspun patterns revamped, with some new photos taken, and reformatting. Seems like a fairly straightforward process, but the time involved is crazy! My good friend, Christina, volunteered to find me a model and take some photos for me, so since we all had a bit of time, this weekend was scheduled. We had to dodge some snow squalls; nothing like trying to take pretty lace shawl pictures while it's freezing out, but our model was a trooper and I think we got some pretty nice new shots for the pattern revamp.
We re-shot my MacBeth shawl (which I've only ever had dressmaker form shots of):
We took photos of my Posies shawl, which has been reknit in a shop yarn, rather than handspun:
As well as my Orbspinner Scarf:
I'm also going to be carrying a new base yarn that's a yummy, soft, drapey SW merino singles, and it worked beautifully in my Kelp Garden Cowl.
Despite the chilly temps and spitting snow, I think we got some winners in this group! MANY thanks to Christina and our model for braving the elements to get these shots for me! (All photos, as you might guess, courtesy of and copyrighted to Christina).
All for now.....
I'm introducing two new tidbits here: One of which is my Yarn of the Month sale, and the other of which is a brand-new worsted-weight yarn to kick off 2013.
First up, the new yarn, Eir Worsted. This is a nice basic workhorse yarn, 100% wool, with a singles construction similar to Malabrigo Worsted. It's a medium-grade wool, so not quite as soft as merino, but would be great for any outerwear project, from hats and mittens to sweaters and jackets. It's also nicely feltable. The skeins are a great price as well, normally $18.00/skein for 225 yards, and the yarn works up nicely on US needles 7 to 9.
I've got some great multicolors (non-striping) available currently, but there is also a custom option, where you can order ANY colorway I carry, as many skeins as you need for your project.
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Beginning with this yarn, I'm also introducing my Yarn of the Month Sale. Each month, a different yarn base I carry will be discounted in the shop. You don't need a coupon or anything - the price is already adjusted on the website. Eir will be on sale from now until January 31st at 10% off. (I am reserving the right not to feature a sale yarn on the months I'm heading off to vend at fiber festivals - it makes inventory far too crazy, but most months in 2013 will have a featured yarn on sale in case you have a great project in mind, or just want to add to your yarn stash!).
All for now.....
Introducing the Lady Bathory Shawl.
This elongated crescent-shaped scarf/shawl is knit from one short end to the other using one skein of the shop's Nimue Sock (50/50 silk/merino) fingering-weight yarn. I used the "True Blood" colorway and dark ruby-red seed beads for the sample. Shaping is created using increases/decreases along the upper edge of the jagged, pointy-toothed lace border. Beads are applied using the crochet-hook method. (The pattern requires a total of 416 size-6 seed beads if you choose to use beads).
Suggested skills for this pattern include chart-reading, some basic understanding of lace patterning, knit, purl, M1 increases and K2tog decreases.
My inspiration for this shawl was the Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary (1560-1614), who married into the Transvylanian aristocracy. The Countess, a well-educated, intelligent woman, also had a cruel streak, and the tales of atrocities committed within the walls of the Bathory castle terrified locals. Legend has it that many of the Vlad the Impaler and other vampire tales that exist today are based at least in some part on the bloody rituals that went on inside the castle. Arrested finally in 1611 on a number of charges, she was convicted and spent the last 3 years of her life under house arrest. The locals refused to allow her body to be interred in the local cemetery, and she was finally laid to rest in her girlhood home’s family crypt.
The pattern is available via Ravelry as a PDF download, and I also have kits available (which include the yarn and the pattern, although not the beads) through the online shop.
All for now.......
Originally released as the March 2012 lace shawl kit, the Roses of Avon lace shawl is now available to the public.
This triangular shawl is knit from the top down and features three bands of different rose-related lace motifs. The original was knit from Wooly Wonka Fibers Brigit Laceweight yarn, a 100% bouncy merino yarn, in the Petals (pale pink) and Rosehips (darker pink) colorways. You can, of course, knit the shawl in a single color. It will take approximately 1200 yards of laceweight, or, if you prefer the 2-color project, approximately 875 yards of the light color, and 435 yards of the darker color.
I would recommend this project for a knitter with at least some lace experience. The shaping is not difficult, but the middle section does have lace patterning on both sides, and it takes a bit of concentration to knit.
All for now......
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