Last weekend was supposed to be our open studio, but alas we had lots of snow instead!
I’ve been dyeing up lots of new colorways. First up is some new Zephyrette colors. Our zephyrette is a light sport weight blend of baby alpaca (cria), cashmere and silk. It is OH SO lovely!!
And finally, since we weren’t open this weekend, here is my special yarn that was inspired by Peonies, which are my favorite flower. It is dyed on our Chinook base which is Superwash Merino, cashmere and nylon.
If you’ve been reading this blog you know that I am starting a KNIT ALONG this Friday, in just 4 days. This is in honor of the Winter Olympics and the Ravellenics event. The objective of Ravellenics is to start and finish at least one item in your preferred craft whether that is spinning, knitting, felting, etc. So what could I actually start and finish in 3 weeks? Well a hat. So I’m inviting you to join me in this KAL. There is still time to stop by and get a kit in you are local. And of course with priority mail you can get it pretty quickly if you aren’t local to us.
So that got me thinking.., What are my favorite Winter Olympic events? I like the ice dancing and really all figure skating. I do like the snowboarding and I like the event where they cross country ski and shoot rifles too. What is that called? Biathlon, maybe? I think that is fascinating. Oh and speed skating. I think speed skaters are so graceful and they are so cunning too. What are your favorite events to watch?
Cabla Hat You can find this pattern on Ravelry here too.
I must decide on my own hat to make this time. Maybe I will do my own pattern (the Cabla hat) and I will make it longer than I think I should. And I’ll make it a Fibershed hat as well. So what will I chose to use? I can chose a madder one or walnut or a natural color. Maybe I make a white hat and then dye it in something local after it’s knit? As I sit here working in my studio store, I look at all my choices. I think I’ll use my Cacao yarn. It’s a mohair yarn that is a lovely brown color, the color of weathered driftwood. I have a sweater made a similar mohair but in a more grey rather than brown tone. And I do think that will go well together. And I can always natural dye the hat after it is knit.
So that’s my choice! Now just to cake it up and be ready to cast on Friday. Oh and if you join our group we’ll be having a cast on party Friday cocktail hour. You can find the kits here.
This is the third and last kit option for the Winter hat KAL. It is a simple cable hat that I designed for my Livily or Trasna yarn. Each kit comes with a skein of yarn, the pattern and a cute pompom.
Our Winter Hat KAL starts on February 4th. It coincides with the Winter Olympics. One of the most popular patterns this time is the Correlation Hat.
Correlataion Hat
This hat is made with one skein of our Synergy yarn. You can find it here. This is a merino farm yarn that is marled and when knit gives a gradient look as well. It looks handspun without all the work.
I’ve just added a beautiful wool farm yarn. It’s called Fingal. Well it’s not really new, but I just realized that I still have a lot of this lovely yarn. This yarn is made from BFL (Blue Faced Leicester) wool from our farm and Grindstone Ridge Farm. I had this in the back of other yarn and I forgot about it.
Let me tell you about this yarn. It’s oh-so soft! It has a lot of luster from the BFL. This is a 2 ply worsted weight yarn. Each skein has 200 yards. And there are so many wonderful color choices right now. More colors to come as well.
This yarn will make lovely hats, mittens, cowls, and sweaters.
I have many patterns available and some kits for quick holiday gifts. I also show you a couple of patterns that I didn’t design. They are available on Ravelry and you can buy your yarn from us. Watch this video for some suggestions:
Want the links? Click here for the PDF with links that you can download!!
Today, I thought I would highlight some of my naturally dyed yarn. This yarn is our PolyPay worsted weight yarn. It was grown in Virginia on a partner farm. I had it clean, carded and spun into this wonderful 2 ply.
Each set has four 50 yard mini skeins. Some are gradients and others are just colors that look great together.
Do you print out your patterns? I have some I have printed and some I have bought. And I needed a way to organize these and keep track of them. I borrowed my system from a customer. She always carries her notebook to shows or to stores so she has all the information about the patterns she wants to make next.
Watch this video to see the system….. Click here to download the dividers for your own pattern notebook
I took a hiatus from the podcast so that I could really get my head around this new season. In this season, I will be talking about creativity. And not just talking about it, but also giving you an exercise with each episode that you can complete to feed your creative spirit and to let it rise within you!!
I love fall. I love fall full moons. This year, our Rhinebeck colorway is “Moon over the Hudson”.
You will find fall colors and the gold of a Harvest moon too.
Non-Superwash Cormo Farm Yarn
I have 2 fingering weight yarns, one is our MCN base and the other is our non-superwash Cormo Farm yarn.
On the superwash merino, cashmere and nylon base
Stop by our booth in Building A and snag some…it may not stay on the shelf very long!!
Where to find us
We are located in Frederick MD. You can stop by during our open studios. Or buy online and stop by to pick up…I’ll run your purchases out to you in your car.
