Light Brown Hare

Are you all familiar with the shop Light Brown Hare?  If you're not, you should be. 

She sells beautiful hand dyed yarns, stitch markers and spinning fibers.  The yarns are dyed in very small batches and no skein is ever exactly alike so you can always have one of a kind pieces to give to your friends, family or yourself :D

Visit her blog for giveaways, updates and chit chat with her on Twitter.

And, she sent me some wonderful, very unique stitch markers last week!  I cannot WAIT to use them!

Another Collaboration!

I am so excited to announce to you all that I am in the works of another collaboration with another Etsy seller!  This time, the wonderful yarnie is lylianmae, a yarn and fiber dyer, spinner and knitter.

(This picture sssoooo does not do the yarn justice)*

I will keep you all abreast of the collaboration and let you know how the pattern is coming, in the mean time, check out her shop and don't forget that you can request for fiber to be spun into yarn if you love the colorway but don't spin yourself ;)

 Evergreen - 400 yds

Gobstopper 4.1 oz SW Merino

*My camera has died and I'm in the process of upgrading, more on this to come!

Yarn Shop

Now, of course I can't come to another country and not check out their fiber goods.  I looked online and found one fairly close to me, within walking distance, that had all kinds of good reviews, and that's where I went on Monday.

Its called La Droguerie and some of the highest quality yarns line the walls when you first walk in.  Alpaca, cashmere, wool, angora, kid mohair, baby alpaca, linen, bamboo, cotton, and blends of each in all sorts of colors, weights and textures!

 There were completed projects made out of the yarns lining the walls as well, and each section of yarn had at least one swatch that had been knitted up so that shoppers can see what the yarn looks like knit up.

Beyond the yarn, there is a plethora of buttons, toggles, patches and embellishments for knitwear or sewn goods, then around the corner lie shelves teeming with jars of beads.

Big beads, small beads, all different shapes, sizes, colors, materials, and purposes.

Not to mention the spools of ribbon!  Ribbons and trims of every color, width and design, what would you possibly do with them all!

And of course, a section for faux flowers, butterflies, birds, vines and the like.

La Droguerie really does have something for everyone, but each customer shares one thing in common: how to get the things they want.  It took me some time to figure this out, and I had to ask a few other customers to find one who spoke english well enough to explain it to me.

Basically, you look around, find exactly what you want, then you wait in a line (the line for yarn, buttons, beads, or ribbons and faux foliage).  The line takes up the most time, but once you reach the front of it, you get the sole attention of the salesperson there to help you.  You tell them what you want (or show them) and they get it for you.  In the case of my yarns, I told her which I wanted and she asked how much, they sell yarn by weight, not necessarily by yardage or straight skeins or balls.  I got 50g each of the two shown below.

(More to come on these goodies later)

After they get you your desired merchandise, they take the goods and the receipt to the checkout counter, you pay and you're on your way.

I've never been to a shop quite like that before, but it was a great first, lone adventure :)

Citron

I used Southwest Trading Company's Bamboo for this project and have had the yarn in my stash for a long long time.  It was given to me (taken from?) my mother a long time ago and I wasn't quite sure what to do with it but when Citron came out, I knew. 

The project took my a little less than a week to complete, working on it in my off time (not plentiful during finals week) and I blocked it for a day before taking these pictures. 

Sorry no WIP photos, I'm very bad at taking those, but I think that since it was such a quick project, it can be forgiven this time.

It was nice to work on and complete a project that was just for me :)  Ravelry details here.

Cabled Tie-Front Bolero Pattern

Remember back in this post where I asked for sleeve suggestions for a coming design?

The most votes went toward short flutter sleeves so that's what I did!  What do you think?

The pattern can also be knit up without sleeves, which looks just as adorable, so you can personalize it however you prefer. 

The pattern can be found in my shop and Ravelry details are here.

My Huge Thrift Store Score!

So if you follow me on Twitter, you may have noticed that a week or so ago, I made a humongous score at the thrift store!  I got a literal MOUNTAIN of yarn for quite a deal :D  Aren't you proud?

You can see there where I kind of nested myself in the middle while looking at each and every ball.

I found all kinds of goodies that by themselves would've cost more than than I spent on the whole lot!  So many vintage wools, Tahki Donegal Tweeds, handspun silk, handspun Camel (that's right. Camel) along with rovings of wool, silk, camel and others that I can't definitely place.  I got so many wonderful yarns!

Now, of course, I can't keep them all for myself, my studio would explode.  Speaking of which, I have to move my studio, right when I was finally getting it all set up too! Isn't that sad?  But its ok, I'll get it all set up again and show you all the final results :)  Ok, back to the score at hand, I can't possibly keep it all for myself so I will be periodically destashing some of the goodies in my shop, like this little collection:

Now don't you want to go scoop that up for yourself and make something wonderful with it?  I definitely want to see what comes of the destash, so if you wouldn't mind, let me know what you create with it!

It Has Begun

Remember that custom order I told you about? Well, I'm here to tell you that its being undertaken as we speak! I have it in my lap and wanted to share with you some of the progress.

I ordered a plethora of Berroco Vintage yarn (more than shown in the picture) in a cream color to create this amazing, one-of-a-kind piece and have started winding a few of the hanks into balls.

I started knitting the suit from the top down, so far the hood, shoulders and a few inches of the chest area are complete, the photo below was taken yesterday and I have increased a few more inches since, but it still basically looks the same.

I know its not much to look at right now, but this is the beginning! And I'm excited! Aren't you?

Tuesday Learn to Knit Day 1 - Materials

Welcome to the first installment of the knitting lessons on my blog!

This week I will tell you which materials to collect so that next week we can begin our first project: dishcloths! I decided to go with dishcloths because it is a nice short little project that will teach you the basics of knitting while still giving you a usable finished product.

Ok so the materials you will need:

Yarn: Sugar n' Cream Cotton (or some other 100% cotton) - any color you like, and you'll only need one skein for a washcloth or two, but these make great gifts and are wonderful ecofriendly additions to your kitchen so you may want to make more ;)

Needles: Size 8 - either straight or circular (for your first project, I recommend straight) and it doesn't matter whether they are metal, plastic, bamboo or some other material.

You can find both of these at JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, just about anywhere really, which is another reason why I picked them ;)

Now go and collect your materials and meet me back here next week to learn how to make an easy dishcloth or washcloth!

Oooh New Yarns and Coming Projects

I have a big idea for a project that I am going to create (hopefully during this winter break) and share the pattern with you all in my blog. Wanna see the luxurious yarn that its going to be made out of?

I got twelve (I think?) skeins of Berroco Vintage (above) in a very gorgeous, deep, rich, teal color (ok, super side-note - do you see whats behind the yarn above? My new toy! A skein winder! Thank you to my momma for an early Christmas present) and two skeins of Misti Alpaca Lace in the Jazz colorway (below).

What do you think? I'm going to use the two together throughout the entire piece and I am so excited to see the finished result!

What would you make with this yarn? Or, if you don't knit, crochet or otherwise play with fiber, what would you do with these colors?

I want to be Cozy

It has been getting chilly down here lately and I like to be cozy. Chilly weather is prime cozy-ing time! Cuddling up with my laptop, knitting, a blanket, the pup and the boyfriend sounds like a perfect way to spend this Saturday. Alas, it won't happen like that because with classes and homework and all kinds of other things going on, sitting still is impossible. But its nice to dream isn't it?

Here are some super cozy finds I came across this morning trying to flesh out my dreams :)

Chocolate boyfriend sweater from miscusi

Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate from tetoncocoacompany

And Slubba-Bubba Yarn from Fabulosity


*and on a side note, I have a surprise for you! I'll probably show you on Monday, so be sure to check back then! ;)

Queen of the Froggers

If you are a fiber artist and don't read Linda's blog, Queen of the Froggers, you really should. I can't remember how I first stumbled upon it, but I now read it diligently. She has the most fantastic photos, wonderful knits and she spins up yarns that put mine to shame. I asked if she would be willing to talk to us a little bit and let us in on her life some and to my glee, she graciously accepted. So read on to learn a little more about this incredible woman and her fiber story

Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am an obssesive knitter, and am also really getting into spinning yarn too now. I love coffee, chocolate, countryside walks, cycling, my little family and Fall/Autumn.

I am self employed as a cleaner (I used to be a nurse) so that I can be around for my son after school and fit in study for my degree. I am poor but happy and spend money on yarn and fibre when I shouldn't! One day I would love to work in a museum or library. Of course I would really like to own my own yarn store.

I believe in never looking back at the past, living and enjoying the present moment, noticing the little things that give us pleasure and being nice to everybody because its easy to do!

How old were you when you first started knitting? And who taught you?

My Mum taught me to knit and my Aunt to crochet when I was 6

And spinning?

I have only been dabbling in spinning for the last year or so but am really determined to get better at it this year. I would love to spin British breed yarns and knit luxury cabled throws.

Do you do any other crafts?

I tried weaving but found it took up too much space. I sew when I get the urge. I did once make a macrame owl in the 70's too! I crochet on and off.

What is your favorite room in your house? Why?

My bedroom. Its a lovely green and is the only part of the house where crafts, toys and my husbands mountain bicycles don't seem to take over. Its spacious and light. And the yarn is hidden under the bed very neatly in boxes so no one knows.

What are the best ways you have found to organize your life and your hobbies so that you don't get too busy and quit everything?

I have learnt that I have to stick to only yarny pursuits. There is only so much I can do and yarn is easy to hide so I can have loads of it.

Blogging really helps too because it really gives me an incentive to finish things.

Do you have any other tidbits for us? Hints, tips and tricks?

If you feel that something you are making isn't right then it probably isn't. Undo it and do something else. Instincts are usually correct

You can never have enough knitting needles, circular ones are great for anything.

Don't be seduced into buying yarn or fabric unless you are sure its the right colour for you. I have a lot of orange yarn and bought it as it was cheap. I will never wear it!

I love the phenomenal photos you can see both on her blog and also over on Flickr. If you'd like to catch up with her on Ravelry, she's right here.
Thank you so much Linda for taking time out of your busy schedule to grace us with this interview!

Feature Friday - Downey Fibers

This shop has been in my Favorites for a very long time and I have to wipe the drool every time I pass by it.

The yarns are so wonderfully colorful and fun...

Each skein just speaks volumes!

The amazingly talented woman behind Downeyfibers is a mother of FIVE! and washes, dyes and spins all of her own yarn. Even those who don't knit or crochet would find something they simply must have from this shop :)

Friday Feature - AuthenticFiction

I hearted this shop a while ago and absolutely love drooling over the exquisite yarns! They are inspired by fairy tales, fantasy, voyages, past times and modern reality and they definitely instill the same inspirations in this viewer.
The yarns come from two talented women in Germany and Switzerland who love to try new things and engage in many a fiber craft!
Wouldn't you just love to have one of these pieces of art work for yourself? I don't think I could choose just one!
Follow their blog, become a fan on Facebook, Find them on Twitter and check out their website!

And, of course, clicking on the images above will take you to the listing in their etsy shop ;)

Yarn and Glue and a New Blog Banner

So this morning I was finally getting around to decorating the cover of my sketch and idea book.

I had this idea a few days ago and I finally had some time to get around to it! The hardest part about the whole thing was finding a glue stick...should probably keep some non-dried out ones on hand.

Anyways, here is the finished product! Or finished-ish. I will probably go in and either clean it up, add more or take some stuff off. But what do you think?

I also used it to help make a new banner for the blog, what do you think of that? Yes, no? Here's the old ones I was using:

Please let me know which ones you like best :)

Tuesday Learn Something New Day - Wool

I’ve decided that I’d like to make Tuesdays into Learn Something New Days! As a college student I learn new things all the time. I learn something new every day. And I probably say that at least once a day when I learn something new!

I often learn about math or chemistry being at a Tech school but I don’t want these days to be like that. What I post on Tuesdays will be about some sort of art or crafting, perhaps nutrition, or a new technique.

What would you like to learn on Tuesdays? Please tell me in the comments below! I will do my best to talk about anything and everything that you want to learn :)

And now, on to the first installment of Tuesday Learn Something New Day!

Today I will talk about wool specifically and other animal fibers sometime in the future, this post would be way to long if I tried to squeeze it all into one. Wool for yarn and knitting purposes to be exact. Where does wool yarn come from? What are the differences between yarns? What garments would be best to be made of which fiber??

All fibers from animals are protein fibers. Protein fibers all have one basic thing in common, scales. Even human hair has scales (you can feel them by running your finger along a strand of hair toward the scalp). These scales hold yarn together while also allowing each strand of hair to be separate. They are also the reason wool felts. The fewer number of scales per inch of a fiber, generally yields a rougher feel, the more scales per inch, the softer the yarn. Granted, these are very general statements and do not always hold true.

Moving on. Wool. Wool comes from sheep. There are more sheep varieties than I care to count and therefore as many different types of wool. After the sheep are shorn and the fleece is processed (vegetable matter, dirt, etc removed) the wool may be washed and treated to also remove the lanolin. Lanolin is an oil secreted by the sheep to keep it dry and ward off infections. Some breeds are fairly lanolin free and no washing is needed, as with some Shetlands and Icelandic wools.

The staple length of a fiber is very important in determining what should and should not be made from a particular yarn. Longer fibers spun up together make for a more durable yarn which will create a garment that can be used or worn a great deal longer than those with shorter stable lengths. The longer fibers may not feel as soft as the shorter ones though.

Another contributing factor to the final yarn product is the fineness of the original fiber. Fineness is generally determined by the diameter of the fiber. The finer the yarn (the smaller the diameter) the softer the yarn feels.

Wool is a great all-around fiber for many reasons. One, it can absorb a considerable amount of water (up to 30% its weight) while you still feel dry and warm underneath. Great for snowboarding beanies, scarves, gloves, and the like. Two, naturally flame retardant, wool will pretty much put itself out instead of progressing the flame’s progress. Three, wool bounces back quicker than a post-baby body. You can stretch it dry or wet and it will often return to the shape and size of the original project (unless it has been felted, but that’s another topic).