Monday, May 23, 2011

How I Spent The Rapture

In addition to being the Victoria Day Holiday weekend, and a rather bizarre circus in the weather department, this weekend was SUPPOSED to be some big event, according to west-coast radio preacher Harold Camping. Well, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to bodily ascend into the arms of Jesus anyway, and if everyone else did, well, I might need some more yarn to keep me entertained while waiting for the End of Days. So... on we went to the dyepots.

Here's my little, quick-snappish, not incredibly well lit slideshow. Tell ya what I'll work for ya this time. All my available stock has to go to a class with me on Saturday, and a small show in Burlington (Halton Waldorf School's MayFair, if you're around those parts) on Sunday. But, until Friday, if there's anything here you'd like to scoop, send me a note to LoftyFibres AT Gmail dot you know the rest. Tell me what you'd like & I'll set it aside and we'll discuss how to get it to you.

First up: Some batty-ness. These are Juniper Moon Cormo, an absolutely divine fibre from the 2009 CSA share. There was a mishap that resulted in the top felting on me - still not sure what it was. So, they've been carefully combed back out and carded into batts. This make the fibre a little more "woollen" in character than it was, but it is still yummy and you could spin a nice semi-worsted. Batts are all ~ 50 grams, $10/each.





Something new I am playing with, thanks to Flanneberry Fibres (who is marketing it) and WaterlooWools for letting me get in on an order - Lofty Fibres Canadiana. All-Canadian specific breed wools. These ones are ~ 100 gm each of Canadian raised, sheared, milled and now dyed Corriedale wool. They are each unique dye lots, but the pairs are complementary. Each braid is ~ 4oz/100+ grams, $20


Everybody's favourite, a 4-in-1 shot: The Seawool! As usual - 100 gram or 4 oz approx. The pink is Cochineal dyed, the purple is Logwood, the red is a handpaint of 3 different reds, and the blue-green is a semisolid pot dyed. Seawool is $22 for this week.

LoftySocks BFL Yarn: 100 gm skeins, 387 m/420 yards approx. This is the last of a lovely, tightly spun, British-raised BFL sock yarn I have. It is "light fingering" weight and makes a fine sock, or excellent lace. I've dyed some of it in pairs, so same dye lot, to accomodate lace knitters. $25/skein.

1) dye lot matched


2) not same dye lot, same dyes - coordinated:

Finally, LoftySocks+ Merino/nylon blend, a really "boingy" sock yarn with lots of loft. Socks, light accessories, or lace too, if you want a warmer, springier fabric. $20/skein, each is ~ 387 m/420 yards also.

1) Single red handpaint
2) Dye lot matched, very similar to the wine colour in the BFL above.
3) One-off handpaint, but coordinates with the wine colour

4) And, these two skeins match the Seawools in pink and purple above. Pink is cochineal, purple is logwood.


Stay tuned a bit later this week for the 2nd dye day (because there was no rapture, I was bored) and check out the California Red roving, and some more BFL pairs in lace-sufficient quantities. I'll post 'em when dry.