Shop Update Monday (barley)

Just a quick update to say that the Destination Yarn Etsy shop is up and running again! I’m a bit low on inventory after an extremely successful show at River Colors but I listed what I have left.  There’s still some delicious yarn to be had.  Including for the first time on Etsy both new travel experiences:

Day at the Spa:


And Surfing Lesson:

Also there is one skein of Chartes Cathedral – I know a few of you were interested in that!  I’ve got a huge dye day planned for later this week so hopefully next week’s update will be more fun.

In other news this update is late b/c I spent the evening attempting to recreate her favorite sparkly skirt:

Rocking her tulle at the zoo. 


The wallaby was impressed with her fashion prowess.

It’s so cute! And it has to be simple, right? Jennifer helped me pick out the fabric:


I even found a very, very similar online tutorial here....

Yeah. Sewing with knit fabric? COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than sewing with woven. I kindof knew it would be but the string of cursing that this project has elicited makes me happy that my child was in bed before I attempted it. Also I probably shouldn’t have been surprised when the cheap fabric I was working with melted the second I plugged in the iron. I’ve given up the dream for now but they can’t all be successes. This is a learning process.

Bah.

Dancing Queen

So I have lots to blog about. Sewing projects and knitting projects and nights out at trendy new Cleveland bars… but… instead:


Yeah. Normal blogging will resume once spinning around until we’re so dizzy we fall down go BOOM is no longer the most hilarious thing in the world.


It might be awhile.

Destination Yarn Shop Update Monday – Trunk Show!

So there’s no shop update today because all of my inventory is at River Colors. It looks a little something like this:

So. Much. Yarn!

The show on Saturday was great. I had a super fun time, met some wonderful people, and ate a delicious chocolate chip and sea salt cookie from Blackbird Baking Company.


Thanks to everyone who came! It was so nice to meet all of you – even the stalkers out there (HI! Waves!). I wish I had thought to take pictures of actual people but I was too busy giving my schilling yarn:


It’s fun at a show like this because every one of my colorways has a story behind it.  So there’s lots to talk about.


The Cleveland Craft Coalition’s show was pretty awesome, too. So much creativity in the area! It’s inspiring.


Shannon Okey was also there Sat signing copies of her new book.   Really a great day all around.



But – the Destination Yarn Trunk Show isn’t quite over yet! The display will be at River Colors through Saturday July 24. Here’s 3 reasons to check it out...

Day At the Spa – a new kettle dye from the Travel Experiences Series:


Surfing Lesson – another new kettle dye from the Travel Experiences Series


Annie Oakley – I dyed this specifically for a store. They no longer carry knitting supplies so I’m free to sell the colorway wherever. It’s available for the first time outside of that store now at River Colors!

All three of those will eventually make it up on the Etsy site so if you aren’t local don’t dispair!

The etsy shop will be down until next Monday when there will be a giant huge mega update. Until then I’m enjoying some serious knitting time!

Excuse me?  Knitting time? Aren't you forgetting someone here?

Or... toddler / puppy time. They are quite the pair.  My child’s latest word is OUT. So she goes to the back door, stamps her feet, and screams OUT OUT OUT OUT.  Because there’s nothing more fun than playing outside with your doggie.

You're not supposed to drink the water!  You're supposed to splash it.  Like this.


Yeah I didn't really want to get in there either.


What should we do now?

Destination Yarn Trunk Show... TOMORROW!

Just a brief reminder…

THE DESTINATION YARN TRUNK SHOW AT RIVER COLORS STARTS TOMORROW!!!!

Are you excited? Because I am. Super excited. And in case my fabulous yarns weren’t enough to entice you… You can see the list of vendors that the Cleveland Craft Coalition is featuring here:

True Colors: Exposed

I can’t wait to be a part of all of that creativity!

Hope to see you there!

Shop Update Monday – Travel Experiences.

This week’s update introduces something that’s been batting around in my mind for a long time now.  The thought that travel can be just as experience based as it is place based.

Sometimes it’s not where you’re going it’s what you’re going to do.

Sometimes that’s linked to a place, sometimes not. Some are universal – like the long trip home while others are random and unique – like the Canadian couple we hung out with in France.

But travel experiences aren’t as solid as a place. Although places change over time they will always have a distinct look – what I try to capture in their colorway:

Chartes Cathedral - available here.

An experience is much more abstract than that. So my precise, repeatable colorways dyed to match photographs of a place didn’t really fit into that concept.

London (currently sold out online but will be at the trunk show on Sat). Colorway is perfect for the place but doesn’t quite describe the experience of blowing off our midterm critiques to fly to London for a long weekend.  I think I’d need a color called “smooth” for that one b/c we did it with our professor’s blessing.

Then I started experimenting with wet kettle dying. This technique gets great results – America the Beautiful, which sold out immediately, was dyed this way. But it’s tricky to control. You never know quite how things are going to come out.

Exactly like a travel experience.

So after that lengthy explanation I am pleased to announce a new series from Destination Yarn.

Travel Experiences Series –
Based on travel experiences and not specific places, these colorways are wet kettle dyed. Colors are allowed to bleed and mix creating new, deeper shades and tones. With this technique colorways are unique and non-repeatable. Just like a travel experience!

The first 3 in this series are all clearly inspired by summer.

Grilling Out:




Girl Scout Camp:



And my personal favorite – 
Sunburn:


More are going to be coming soon. In fact 2 additional colorways will debut at the Destination Yarn Trunk Show this Saturday, July 17 at River Colors Studio. You have to stop by and see them – they are even prettier than the ones I’m listing on Etsy. Really.

Yay for a new technique and new concept!

Wanida

So… I do still knit.. sometimes.. .knidof. Remember when I was going to knit a Monkey out of Berlin?

Yeah… not so much.

I just didn’t like the way the yarn was knitting up with that pattern at that gauge… and I was on a plane to San Francisco with no other needles with me to try. Luckily had thrown my copy of Sock Innovation into my carryon. Hence Wanida:



It actually worked out well because I wanted to play along with the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry. Their knit along rules for that month dictated that if I had knit a Monkey I had to do another Cookie A pattern instead.

Also this yarn (Destination Yarn colorway Berlin) looks fantastic in this pattern:

Seriously. Love.

The light on the photos is a little wonky since they were taken post bedtime and with a cranky photographer who just wanted to kill some people on the X box.

But you get the idea.

The only problem with these socks is that I kindof hated knitting them after awhile. I don’t even know why. Just a serious case of Second Sock Syndrome combined with the itch to sew instead of knit.

Plus they were complicated enough that I had to think about them. I think the next socks I knit need to be just some basic stockinette jobbies. Nothing complicated. Perhaps then it won’t take me 4 months to knit a pair of socks.

No promises, though.

The Specs:
On Ravelry: Not-A-Monkey
Pattern: Wanida from Cookie A's Sock Innovations
Yarn: Destination Yarn Sock Yarn Postcard – a super-soft blend of Merino and Nylon.
Colorway:  “Berlin”
Mods: None whatesover
If I could do it again: Would knit it exactly the same only would actually work on it so it didn't take me for-ev-er.
Verdict: WIN.

Also a win?  Whiskey Island on the 4th of July:


Goodtimes, Indeed.

Shop Update Monday (on a Wed.)

So the holiday weekend kindof threw me with this week’s shop update… but believe me it was worth the wait. And while it seems slightly crazy to be rolling out a thicker yarn base on one of the hottest days of the year I’m going for it…

Introducing for the first time ever on Etsy (drumroll please):


Souvenir – a squishy DK weight Superwash Merino:


This is a 4 ply yarn of soft and squishy superwash merino wool. Perfect for thicker socks or easy to care for baby garments as well as hats, sweaters, or any fine garment. This is a very versatile weight!


I can’t even describe how squishy this yarn is. It’s simply beautiful. Perfect for baby garments:


Or scarves:

Vintage Pull Through Scarf

Or even thicker socks.

Right now it’s available in all of the America the Beautiful Semi-Solids:

Spacious Skies, Amber Waves of Grain, Purple Mountain Majesties, Fruited Plain, Sea, Shining Sea

However all of my semi solids will be available with this yarn base at the Trunk Show at River Colors on July 17:

I do have plans to dye some variegated colors with this base but I’m still working out dye sequence. Hopefully by the end of summer!  In the meantime I love the potential in these semi-solids.  They just knit up so beautifully:

I’m not capable at this time of stocking sweater quantities of any one color but I’d be happy to do a custom order! I think any one of these would make a great Coraline or Tangled Yolk Cardigan, or even a Neiman. Oh the colorwork on that would be spectacular. I’m also picturing complicated mittens and hats such as Porom or the Inga Hat.  So many possibilities!

Yay for a new yarn base!

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!!!

Introducing…

Dorothy Jane:
 
Dorothy (Dottie for short) is a 1 year old Jack Russell Terrier / Basset Hound Mix.  We adopted her through the Multiple Breed / Jack Russell Rescue in Elyria, Ohio.

They had a really cool place for the dogs with a great big fenced in area that looked a little something like this:

So. Many. Terriers!

Honestly, though, the terrier thing was pretty hard on both of us. It was like seeing a field full of almost-Dexters. Very heart-wrenching. One little guy in particular really did us in:

The one on the left. His name is Romeo and he’s still up for adoption if you’re interested in bringing a super fun lapdog into your lives. I can speak from experience here: Rat terriers are the best.

But we didn’t want a Rat Terrier this time. Because then the comparisons would be inevitable. They already sortof are. But we’re not going to be able to replace Dexter.  He was too big a part of our lives and our story to even attempt that. Instead we needed to find a different type of dog that will fit our situation now:

Like me!

The hound in her means she’s a very different type of animal than we’re used to. She’s all nose:

Where’s the bunny. I smell a bunny.

Yes.  Her ears are lopsided.  I have a feeling that's one of those Velveteen Rabbit things that once we love her will destroy us with the cute.

It already kindof does.

The big thing – the most important thing – is that our daughter loves her. The first time we met Dorothy she immediately went for her and licked her face. Giggles all around. The ride home was hilarious, too…

SEE! DOGGIE!


Where did my doggie go?! BRING BACK MY DOGGIE!!!!


Ooooh there’s my doggie. Want a hairclip?

She won Matt over, too:

Let’s just walk awhile and get to know each other before we make any decisions…

I kindof get the feeling that she’s going to be his dog. She definitely thinks he’s the alpha in our little herd.

She’s such a chill dog.  Perfect for a family.  I love this series of pictures where Dorothy is in exactly the same place while the little girl is all flailing about:

This is my doggie.



I be nice to doggie.


Pet Pet Pet.

Her backstory is that she was a puppy in a household with two other dogs. One of the dogs beat up on her. So she wound up in the pound. Luckily she’s awesome and the people at the pound loved her. So she stayed alive long past her time. Then she was rescued which lead her to us. Her only apparent issue from her past is that she’s a bit skittish around her food. If you get near her when she’s eating she RUNS AWAY GAH GAH GAH. But I’m sure she’ll get over that now that she’s an only dog.

So far what we know about her is that she’s super playful – but not obnoxious. She’s very agile for being so squat. You wouldn’t think it to look at her but she’s got mad hops. Definitely half terrier. She loves playing fetch with either a stick or a tennis ball. She disembowels stuffed things fairly quickly:


And she’s incredibly food motivated:

What. The kid wasn’t eating her breakfast so I thought I’d try to sneak in her place.

Also she matches our child.

Yeah. I know that I unconsciously match myself to the kid pretty frequently – I’ve been doing it since the beginning and I’ve finally just accepted that I’m a color driven person. Some days I feel like purple, others green or whatever so we both end up in that color. I didn’t think that extended to matching our pet to our child, though:

Yay Redheads!!!


We are going to be the best of friends.

I think we’ve found our dog.