Come ‘n Get Your Love!
30 Sep 2011 1 Comment
There’s a fresh batch of goodies up and ready for your perusal….and this time around, I’m really, REALLY pleased with the results of my work. The twenty-three hanks that I dyed up over the weekend are simply gorgeous, and I think you’re gonna like them alot.
All hanks are Trolley Trail Sock, which is 510m/560yds, 4 ounces/113g of fingering/sock weight superwash Australian merino. That’s plenty of yardage for men’s socks, shoulder shawls, etc., and maybe even a “Mommy-n-Me” socks pair, all for only $24 (plus shipping, which is $3 for the first, $5 for two, and $6 for three…domestically, of course). So let’s get some shoppin’ in!
I’m just going to post a series of photos, sans commentary, for you to look over, pick out, and then enjoy your new goodies! Here we go!<BR
and
Should you want any of what you see in the above photos, just slip me an e-mail and we’ll get the conversation rolling! MUCH thanks for tunin’ in….but THANKS!
Catching Up!
22 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
So I start out with thanking everyone who purchased skeins over the past couple weeks, and I hope that you’re enjoying your works of art and have either an amazing project planned out or already on your needles. You really have a great eye and jumped on some pretty hanks! But not all of them!
Let’s take a look at the nine hanks that are on hand as of this evening, just waiting for you to embrace and then find in your mailbox. First off, there’s this cluster of three
On top, 16 is a great nearly-solid hank of lovely berry-type shades that would be great for patterned or lace socks or even a shoulder shawl where the stitch emphasis would shine. In the middle, 13 is a great rainbow combination and tons of fun! And on the bottom, you’ll find 11, which is a rich mix of light and dark purples, some berry shades, and hints of blues.
This next group
starts with 5, which reminds me of a big slab of watermelon, in a nearly-solid hank. In the middle, 20 is royal purple, rich violets, and other lighter shades of lavender and lilac. On the bottom, 2 is a crazy-bright blend of lemons and limes and little bits of deeper tones for interest.
Last, we’ll see
First, we see 4, a great blend of teals, burgundies, and some softer pinks. In the middle is 6, which is a stunning blend of royal blues, royal purples, and some touches of violet. And on the bottom is 19, another nearly-solid hanks that are great for stitch work….and an amazing combination of tomato reds.
Please be in touch and we’ll start the conversation about making that skein (or skeins) your, all yours!
Truly Inspired!
10 Sep 2011 Leave a Comment
I don’t know what hit me, but when I dyed yarn last week, there was some serious inspiration in the air. I’m really, REALLY pleased with the results, and I hope you like them, too. So let’s take a peek at what I feel is some of my better work so far this summer/fall….
In this group,
I’m rather partial to 1 (a great pinkish-burgundy with pops of purples and goldenrod) and 3 (autumnal shades, with some royal purple and light cranberry).
Next, there’s
with pretty from side to side. My only complaint is that 6 is really a beautiful mix of purples, and not royal blues, as it might appear. And that orange mix in 7 is just too much fun.
Don’t miss out on these
where 10 is every bit as flourescent lime as it appears, and 12 is another stunning autumnal mix, on the lighter side of things. YUM!
And next,
where 13 is one of those amazing rainbow combinations that I love to create, 14 is a rich and ruddy brown with bits of color for highlights, 15 is a green combo that has amazing depth, and 16 is another nearly solid that would stand up well to lace or stitch patterning (particularly in something like Haruni, found on Ravelry).
And last,
where 17 is like a grove of maple trees in fall, 18 I want to call mermaid due to the rich greens and purpdes and blues, and 19 and 20 are beautiful mixes of tonal shades.
Curious how things work up in these yarns? Here’s the start of a sock I’m making right now
where you can see no puddling or pooling or flashing (part of the reason I dye the way I do–I hate that!) and here is the start of a shawl
that is a simple leaf lace design that is also working up nicely.
Interested in any of these for your own stash enhancement? They’re 4-ounce (113g) hanks with 560 yards (510m) of superwash Australian merino, sock/fingering weight, for $24 each. All are unique and one-of-a-kind creations, as I don’t mix dye to stock recipes and I don’t dye the same thing twice, nor will they be recreated (I don’t write things down). And there’s just one of each hank you see here, so the first one to slip me an e-mail and we’ll get the process rolling, via PayPal or personal check.
Thanks so much for taking a peek! Have a great weekend!
Wednesday Inspiration
24 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
Last Wednesday, I had an order of sock yarn blanks arrive early in the day, so I hurried up and got them into their soak. I knew I was leaving town on Thursday around noon, so I wanted to get as much accomplished as possible. I figured I could dye up eight or ten hanks either that night or early on Thursday before leaving, and they could dry while I was away. Well, I got down stairs and playing with color and feeling REALLY inspired, and one skein led to another, and before I realized it, I had dyed ALL TWENTY HANKS! And when I stood back and looked at what I had created, I was amazed at myself. This batch was simply spectacular, evocative of some of the things I used to do over a year ago. Apparently the muse hit me HARD, in a good way, and she guided my hands to make some pretty amazing things. Ready to see them?
All hanks are 560yds/510m, 4oz/113g, sock/fingering weight, 100% Australian superwash merino wool, $24 each, and a single, unique creation. Postage is about $3 on a hank, but when you pick up multiples, it isn’t much more per hank……shop early, shop often! (grin)
I’ll just lay out the seven groups for you to pick from. I do have individual shots of any/all skeins if you need to see it solo, for your perusal. You’ll also notice that 13-16 are not shown. The photo didn’t do them justice, and individual shots just weren’t working for three of the four, so I eliminated them….sadly. One is an AMAZING nearly-solid skein of lots of different shades of beautiful teals (one of my favorites that I made in the entire batch), while another is a vivid acid green with shots of lemon yellow (think flourescent highlighter colors…YUM). Both are worth of your consideration, but they didn’t photo well. Otherwise, shop by number…(and the ones above 20 are from the previous dye run, with a few still available).
Feel free to slip me an e-mail and we’ll start the process of getting things into your hands ASAP. Again, there are not multiples of anything you see here, so it’s first one to claim it……..Thanks for stopping by, and of course thanks for your support and patronage!
And Then There Were Eight
17 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
for sale……these are Trolley Trail Sock, which is 560-yard (510-meter), 4-ounce (113-gram) hanks of 100% superwash Australian merino, for $24 each. Perfect for GENEROUS socks, a scarf, a shoulder shawl, and more, they’re each a unique hank that needs a good home! Let’s take a look.
First off, they are named for trees so when you decide on which is (are!) yours, I know what you’re referring to in the e-mail. So let’s look at Cedar,
which reminds me of summer berries–blues, purples, plums, and more–all mixed up for a delicious finished pair of socks or ???
Next is Cherry,
a nice mix of various leaf and kelly greens, down to some undyed spots (on purpose!). Perfect for Michigan State or Eastern Michigan fans (or any other green/white school) or those who like more tonal combinations instead of high contrast.
Next is Elm,
which is plums and purples and lavender and lilac with slight touches of navy.
I’m a big fan of Oak,
lots and lots of royal purples, a touch of lavender, and some very light sky blue.
Pine is beautiful
and a combination of scarlet, oranges, and a touch of marigold yellow.
Walnut combines some of my favorites together
as it takes lots and lots of royal purple, throws in some deeper greens, and adds some touches of navy and light lavender.
Then there’s Hickory,
more flamingo pink to go with the scarlet and deep pinks (it’s almost a tonal solid, or lots of different light to dark shades of the same color/family).
One escaped accurate capture through my camera, but it is lovely. Poplar, which is deep violet purple, royal purple, and an occasional pop of blues (royal and sky blues).
I hate not being able to capture them on film, especially the Poplar (purples) one, but I wanted to get this up today before going to bed for your consideration.
Interested in any? Just slip me an e-mail and we can talk about payment types (personal checks, PayPal, or ??) and shipping and more. I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Tuesday Pretties!
03 Aug 2011 2 Comments
I had a rather productive evening in the basement, taking “plain vanilla” (literally–the base is cream colored) and adding color to turn it into anything but plain! I think you’ll like this batch……all are Trolley Trail Sock, so they’re 560yd/510m, 4oz/113g hanks of 100% superwash Australian merino wool for $24 a hank.
So, the first group is a beautiful rainbow, a stunning blend of deep grape and dusty blues and a shot of green (someone called it “Lily Pad” earlier today), along with a lemon yellow with warm orange highlights.
The second group is an interesting cluster of four hanks,
The first one here is rich violet purples, teals, bright greens, and fun highlights; the next one is hot like the weather–oranges, golden yellows, and copper shades; if you’re a purple fan, feast on shades of plum and navys and denimy blue; and last here is flourescent yellows and oranges and so much fun!
Third, “P” is another firey blend of rich coppers, sunny yellows, and reds to rosey pinks; “Q” takes royal purples and blends them with teals and dusty blues; “R” was nicknamed “Lymon” when I was winding it–VIVID lime greens and lemon yellows; “S” is another joyous rainbow blend that leans to the blue-r side than the one above.
Our fourth mix includes another variation on the copper/yellow/red mix, but much deeper tones than the other two shown above; this hank didn’t photograph properly and is really a lemony yellows with hints of lime green (almost an inverse to the above, which is more greens with a little yellow); next is a rosey brown with little highlights of greens with a hint of camo, but not quite; and the fourth hank is dusty purples and teals with leafy greens and some shots of lavender.
And last, these three are interestingly beautiful–the first one is bright greens with shots of teal, red, orange, and yellow; in the middle is another hanks of ruddy browns with some rich greens and some light cranberry highlights; and last we have a hank everyone decided shoul be called “favorite jeans” as it is layers and layers of dusty denim blues and greys.
All eight hanks from the previous entry (A-D and E-H) are still available, also….peruse them, too!
Feast away–they’re each one-of-a-kind individuals, no two alike. So if you see one you like, snatch it up via e-mail and it’s yours….first one to claim a hank is the proud owner!
The Remains of The Day
29 Jul 2011 1 Comment
I had another batch of grey goods arrive yesterday morning–ten pounds/forty hanks of 100% superwash Australian Merino (hence forth to be called “Trolley Trail Sock”), which I quickly set to soak in preparation for dyeing. Last evening, I couldn’t resist, so I went downstairs to my dyeing space and was going to dye ONE hank (a sort of custom order for someone) and then be done with it, since I had a busy evening ahead.
Well, we all know how that ended………..and NINE hanks later, I had a nice little batch of goodies cooked up and drying in the warm evening breezes on the second-story patio area. Given the warm air and gentle breezes, they dried overnight, so I took them with me when I left the house today. One managed to get snatched up by the friend I met for lunch, but the other eight are now ready for your perusal (and purchasing!). Check them out
Colors are almost exactly perfect representations of what they are, so I don’t have to explain them very well, but I’m COMPLETELY ENAMOURED with skein “C”, as it’s an interesting blend of several shades of dusky teal, some oxblood/cordovan, and deep forest green. It was a happy accident I got when working with black, and I think it will make some pretty amazing fabric once it passes through your hands. Skein “D” is very much a hot summer night, filled with reds and oranges and pops of crisp yellow. I like….ALOT
This second batch
is really pretty as well, and I’m completely in love with “E”, as it’s a beautiful combination of purples with shots of green and deep burgundy, and on the far end (skein “H”) is a rich blend of several shades of purple, while “G” is a tonal solid mix of corals and reds and reminds me of summer and watermelon.
So, if you’re interested adding any (all? PLEASE!) of these skeins to your personal stash, be in touch via e-mail as there are only one of each and it’s first one in gets the goodies. Specs on them are 100% superwash Australian merino, 4oz/113g hanks, 560 yards/510 meters, sock/fingering weight, at $24 (plus shipping) per hank. Thanks so much….and there are more to come….I’m headed downstairs to dye some more again right now (but there will never be another like these, so hurry hurry!).
Quick Update
23 Jul 2011 2 Comments
regarding this first batch.he I’m thrilled to say that they’re all somewhat spoken for….what I didn’t sell directly to you wonderful people ended up on the shelves of a wonderful local shop here in KC (I’ll release that info shortly). That’s one of the three retailers I’ll have stocked shortly, so….details to follow.
In the mean time, thanks for your patronage and look for more shortly–the new batch of grey goods arrives on Tuesday and I’ll commence dyeing on Wednesday. WOO-HOO!!!
And Off We Go!
18 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
So my first batch of grey goods (undyed yarn) arrived on Tuesday of this past week (July 12th). I immediately twisted everything into hanks and set them to soak overnight, and started thinking about oclor combinations and/or what I want things to look like on the dye table. Wednesday I spent the day dyeing yarn, and it was an amazing feeling to get back to something that brings me such joy. The 24 hanks turned out beautiful and I was really pleased with the first run
Then it was time to wait for them to dry, and given the local conditions (high humidity and high temps), that took an additional day. I started to re-hank things on Friday and it spread out until today, Sunday (I’m using borrowed equipment). So I present to you my first dye run for Fountain City Fibers, in these four photos below.
The yarn base is 100% superwash Australian merino, and it’s wound into four-ounce hanks that are 560 yards each. This batch is a little “heavy”, so they’re more like 4.5 ounces and like 600+ yards each. Each retails for $24, and shipping in the lower 48 is about $3 (ask me for info about shipping charges outside that range, as I only pass along actual shipping versus crazy amounts of handling and the like). In the spirit of Kansas City, each yarn line will be named for various landmarks and areas, and this first one is called Trolley Trail Sock, after the urban trail that runs right behind the house, that I get to see when I sit on the second-story deck.
So here are the hanks that are up for adoption to good new homes.
One is tentatively spoken for, two is a beautiful primary rainbow, three is a stunning blend of royal purples, and four is an interesting mix of colors dyed in a non-standard method that knits up really nicely!
Five is a stunning blend of grassy and deeper greens, six is medium purples with hints of pinks, seven is a dusty blend of garden flower shades, and eight is really fun and a mix of primary shades with pops of color in an interesting dyed pattern that should knit up nicely.
So, in this batch, nine is a base of deep kelly green and royal blue with other highlights and colors to liven it up, ten is various blues with a hint of purple, eleven is very autumnal and reminds me of a sugar maple grove in the fall, twelve is rich royal purples with bright accents of yellow and red and blue and green, and thirteen is deep greens and blues and teals and a little purple.
Fourteen is where indigo meets purple, blended with deeper and lighter purples, while fifteen is already wrapped and ready to ship out (SOLD), sixteen reminds me of a garden in the heat of summer…..rich greens with purples and blues, while seventeen is a vibrant blend of yellows with a little bit of red orange for heat.
Each will make a pair of socks with plenty left over (probably even an adult female pair with a child’s pair to match). Other ideas are any of several shoulder shawls (Haruni, a free pattern on Ravelry, is perfect, along with a number of choices), or even a substantive scarf or baby sweater.
So, interested in adding any of the above to your personal collection? Please be in touch via e-mail to claim it. There’s just one single and unique hank of each of the above available (I don’t mix dyes to standard recipes, nor do I repeat color combinations (I write nothing down). And thanks for taking a peek!
