Saturday, July 17, 2010

Evermore

Evermore is a richly textured, cabled scarf that I've recently re-released. It is available as a free ravelry download, just in time for fall knitting.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Yarn Talk

I'd like to talk a bit about my process, using some of my latest yarns as examples.

I've wanted to create a series of Firefly-inspired colorways for some time, now, and I thought it would be most interesting to choose a memorable moment of each episode as my muse for each colorway. This project has been so much fun for me, as it has "forced" me to watch all the Firefly episodes again and really consider them in a new light. Below are a few of my favorites.


This is the Bushwhacked colorway. I wanted to interpret the sky as yarn, so I thought about how I could create a dimensional starry effect, that was more than just stark white on black. My answer was to tie the skein in different ways, with some ties looser than others, so that some of the dye would seep into those looser parts. It was scary to put that skein into a concentrated black dye solution and hope that my plan was solid! Fortunately, it was, and I was able to achieve the dimensional look I wanted.


When I remembered that The Train Job was the first episode in which River mentioned the "hands of blue," I knew I wanted to recreate that blue. I will admit my first thought was that a pair of plain stockinette gloves knitted from this yarn would be a fantastically geeky, yet subtle tribute to the show.

I knew that creating the perfect shade of blue would require some mixing and dye magic, but I had no idea that it would be the most difficult and labor intensive shade to achieve! This yarn went through at least four processes to become just right. Part of my challenge was to make the color solid enough to be true to the look I wanted, while maintaining a hand-dyed feel. I'll call it a semi-semi-solid.


As a proud lover of all things pink, Shindig was a no-brainer for me. The trick was to get soft washes of color with subtle transitions to really mimic the effect of chiffon. The entire skein went into the palest pink imaginable to give the whole colorway a cohesive look. Then, the darker blush and peach shades were gradually added and carefully manipulated to create a yarn as frothy and dreamy as Kaylee's dress.

I enjoyed making these colorways so much, and I hope that knowing more about the process enables you to feel a stronger connection to the yarn you're knitting.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Introducing Thistledown Aran

It may seem an odd time of year to bring about the softest, coziest yarn imaginable, but here it is:




This is pure superwash merino, and it is incredible. The stitch definition is lovely, and it has such a nice roundness. Think seriously wonderful gift knitting... mitts, hats, sweaters for sweet babies. Or just get a head start for yourself.


Friday, April 2, 2010

For the Love of Yarn

Today, I had the opportunity to share my love of knitting and spinning with people in two highly unlikely places.

First was the gas station. After having lunch with my mom and daughter, we stopped to fill the tank. At the pump next to us was a former student of Mom's with his fiancee, who noticed me spinning. Mom called to me, introduced me, and we proceeded to have a nice chat. She's a knitter who wants to learn to spin, and it was convenient that I had my WIP handspun Traveling Woman shawl (as well as my Bosworth Mini with tussah silk I was working on when she saw me spinning).

Later, I was on my front porch, photographing some new yarns for the shop, when my Farm Fresh Delivery guy came up with my bin. (For the uninitiated, Farm Fresh Delivery brings organic produce, milk, meat, and other food right to my door and it is awesome.) He noticed what I was doing and commented on how much he loved my colors. I took this as a serious compliment, coming from a guy. He seemed very cool, and talked to me for a few minutes about my work.

Today was a great reminder of why I started Imbued Fibers, and why I look forward to creating new and wonderful things with fiber every day.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Just Keep Spinning...

I am infatuated with my spinning wheel right now. I just finished making a lovely Navajo plied alpaca yarn, and I'm currently working on this scrumptious confection:


Hand-dyed fiber will be in the shop soon, and it will, too, be delectable!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

More Yarn, Of Course

I am so pleased with these three colorways. They are inspired by the Three Graces, and so are aptly named (from back to front) Aglaia, Ephrosyne, and Thalia. I love them all, but Thalia is so positively sunny, isn't she?

Sunday, January 31, 2010

New Blog, New Yarn

As I begin my journey as an indie dyer, I am excited about the opportunities I'm creating for myself and hopeful for what they may bring. But I'll keep my speech short and show the new yarn, instead:


These colorways comprise my steampunk series. From left to right, they are: hot air balloon, victorian gothic, rose-colored goggles, antique corset, and pipeworks. Of course, they are available in my shop.