quiet colors

Spring is in full swing, but I'm still loving the soft and quiet colors

One of these days, I'm going to knit a sweater out of Par Avion (shown above). I'd love to knit the Classic Cardigan by Sandi Prosser from Vogue Spring/Summer 2015, but it calls for a DK weight, and I'd like to knit it out of fingering. Maybe a little math in my future:)

Of course, there are a few colors I think would look great in a sweater:

Wind that Shakes the Barley

Blithe Spirit

But before I get ahead of myself, I'd better finish up the sweater on my needles.

end of year sale

don't miss our first annual Year-End Sale...happening now over on the website!

holding my attention

Here are a few things that are holding my attention this week.

Knitting on this very calm and peaceful (yet addictive) sock makes me darn happy:

Still stitching along on this WIP, Little House Neighborhood. Along with this little peek at one of my own designs:

There's even some quilting happening - just a little bit each day, it wears my arms out!

And doing some very summer-y yarn dyeing:

Sock Club

One of my favorite projects each month is coming up with a new colorway for the Sock Club members. It's always fun to just play around and see what comes out. Some months I have a definite idea of what I want, and other months I jump in and see what happens!

Sock Club colorways are exclusive for three months, and after that you may see a few of them become regular colorways. A few popular examples of colors that started in the Sock Club are Madeleine, Poet, Spiced Plum, Water Lilies, Seashells and Velvet.

A new one that I'm excited to add to the regular colorways list is Hopskotch.

This was one of those colors that was a complete surprise. I was just playing around with a couple of skeins and whammo! After I added the last layer, I loved it.

To get your own subscription to the Sock Club, click here. There are 3 and 6 month options available. That's 3 or 6 months of yummy yarny surprises! :)

Finished Object: Wintermint Party

I realized I never shared pictures of my finished shawl, Wintermint Party. Which I love and have worn to death already.

It makes a perfect scarf, since you can wind it around your neck a few times and then tuck in the little ends. That's how I wear it almost every day.

The pattern, of course, is the very popular Party on My Needles by Joji Locatelli. I made a couple of modifications:

Instead of using one color for the stripes and a third for the bind off, I used a Mini-Skein set...this one. (I'm sold out right now, but more should be coming in a couple of months.) That worked perfectly. I used one color for each stripe, and then used my two favorites for the last row and the bind off.

I knit the bottom repeat just before the bind off in the main color, instead of a contrasting color. I just liked the continuity of it better.

This had been one of my favorite knits this year. I love the pattern, I love the yarn, and I especially love the color. It still makes me happy just to look at it.

Sketchbook Series

Tomorrow's shop update will include a new series of hand dyed yarns that I'm calling the Sketchbook Series. These are handpainted colorways that are directly inspired from my sketchbooks and watercolor sketches.

One of the great things about yarn dyes is they behave a lot like watercolors, in that they are transparent or semi-transparent colors that you can layer and mix. I get quite a few ideas from playing with my watercolors and drawing in my sketchbook, so it seemed appropriate to have a special series of colors directly inspired from them.

We're starting with 3 colors, but I'll be adding more in the months to come!

The colorway shown is Sketchbook - sort of the namesake of the series - inspired by my many, many pages of sketches in pencil, black ink, sepia and payne's gray watercolor washes.

Stocking the Shop

Now that our travel responsibilities are over for the rest of the year, I've been able to concentrate on getting some yarn and fiber into the shop!

So, I've been adding yarn, fiber, and mini-skeins to the shop each day this week. It's starting to add up! Here's a peek:

There will be more to come in the weeks ahead, so check back each week to see what's new!

Finished Object: Hitofude Cardigan

I finished my Hitofude Cardigan this week, and I do love it. 

I can foresee this sweater getting a lot of wear, especially around here. If this winter is anything like last winter (I hope not, since we didn't really have one), there will be plenty of mild days where a sweater like this will be the perfect choice.

I especially love the sleeve length. I've learned that except for really, really cold days - I prefer a 3/4 length sleeve to full length sleeves. I'm usually working in the dye kitchen during the week, and if I wear full length sleeves, I constantly have to push them up out of my way. With a 3/4 sleeve, my arms stay warm enough, but I can still plunge my hands in water and mix dyes and whatnot without thinking about it.

And the color is perfect:)

Details:

Hitofude Cardigan - knit as written, no modifications

Yarn: Sojourn Sock in Reverie, 3 skeins

Needles:  US4 (3.5 mm) circular 

Our Newest Yarn: Introducing Everlasting Sock

I'm excited to announce the addition of a new yarn to the October House lineup! Everlasting Sock.

Our newest sock yarn is a wonderful merino/mohair/nylon blend that is tough and durable, but also beautiful. The addition of mohair gives it a hint of halo and beautiful depth to the colors. While the 4 ply structure makes for a nice round yarn that really resists pilling. 

Everlasting Sock is available in the shop beginning today! Click here to take a look.

Hill Country Yarn Crawl

I'm excited to announce that we will be at Hill Country Weavers for the annual Hill Country Yarn Crawl. The crawl takes place October 7-16, 2016, and this is the 10th year. There are 19 shops in and around the Austin and San Antonio areas of Texas that are participating.

We will be at Hill Country Weavers for the kickoff weekend - Friday & Saturday, October 7 & 8 - as their featured dyer.

So, if you're planning to be in the area, stop by and say hello...we'd love to meet you!

On the Needles: Hitofude Cardigan

I'm working away on my Hitofude Cardigan. And I have to say, I'm thoroughly enjoying the knitting. We've had a busy month around here on several fronts, but I always find knitting lace to be very meditative and rejuvenating.

I've bound off the sleeves and I'm working on the ribbing that becomes the neckline and waist. Then it's onto the lower body and finishing.

I've already got my next sweater cast on. It's from Juju's Loops by Loop London. I rather love their aesthetic and I've had my eye on Cinnamon Girl for a while now.

So, I've dyed up some Sojourn Sport in the Cloud Burst colorway for myself. It'll be next on the needles.

And then it'll be time to cast on a sweater for Jimmy. I've made him a couple of vests, but never a proper sweater. And it's past time. So, we'd better get busy picking out a pattern for him:)

Finished Object: Spindrift Shawl

Well, it's been a little while since I've been able to say this, but I have an actual finished object!

I knit a Spindrift Shawl. I actually cast it off about a month ago, but I just got around to blocking it last week. 

This was a great one skein project, and you end up with a lovely shawl. It's a good size, not too small, not too big. I knit mine out of Linden Sock in the Water Lilies colorway, so it's nice and drapey. Lots of luster, too.

I left off one repeat of the border eyelets. Mostly because I was ready to be done with it, and move on to something else:) I don't think you'd even notice if I didn't mention it.

Now if it will just cool off enough to actually consider wearing a shawl!

Blue and Green

Lately, I've really been drawn to watery blues and olive greens. It probably has a little something to do with the amount of heat we've already endured this summer. It's been hot and muggy...I mean hot and muggy, blech.

But I've also apparently got a fondness for cool, watery colors, as evidenced by the number of colorways I have that include those two colors...who knew?

Row 1: Reverie, Riesling, Clover, Scarborough Fair

Row 2: Picholine, April Showers, Calypso, Rainfall

Row 3: Morning, Bluebird, Monhegan, Sea Glass

Row 4: Mountain Air, Deep Waters, Tidepool, Pacific

Really, I try not to overthink my color choices when it comes to dyeing up yarn and fiber. I just try things I think would be pretty. Then I hope others will think they are pretty, too. Most of the time that works out all right.

But I can tell you, I'm definitely thinking about knitting with a soft, cool blue this summer!

New and Discontinued Yarns

I've got a couple of new yarns in the works. I'm busy testing them out and dyeing up samples. One is a new sock yarn that I'm very excited about, and the other is a replacement for a yarn that my distributor has tragically discontinued.

It pains me to say it, but Arbor has been discontinued and I can't get anymore. I'm still broken-hearted about this...it was my personal favorite. I adored the structure of it, and it created a beautiful fabric with a lovely halo. It always dyed up beautifully, too. I've got a small amount of stock left, and to be honest...I'm still debating on whether to put it in the shop or keep it in my personal stash.

The good news is that there's a DK weight version of Arbor still available through my distributor. It has the same lovely halo and soft twist, but in a 3 ply. The picture at the top is a sample of it.

The new sock yarn is a merino/mohair/nylon blend that I'm in love with. Some of Jimmy's favorite socks were knit with Mountain Colors Bearfoot, which has mohair in it. And even though he has worn the crap out of those socks, they are still going strong. So, I've been on the lookout for a sock yarn with mohair...and I think I've found it.

I do have another fingering weight yarn I'm testing out, since I'm apparently drawn to some kind of "natural/rustic yet luxurious" sock weight yarn.

All of these will be showing up in the fall, just in time for serious knitting season:)

Quiet Colors - a small pattern collection

We had a terrific time at DFW Fiber Fest this year, and while we were there, our new pattern collection debuted at the Fiber Fest and on Ravelry.

Quiet Colors is a small pattern collection of accessories. They are sophisticated, yet easy to knit designs that have a classic feel. I've used my favorite yarns to knit these patterns, and they are yarns you want to knit with over and over.

Abella Stole 

Acropolis Socks

Intermezzo Shawl

Cataleen Mitts

You can find the collection in the Ravelry shop, as well as the Etsy Shop.

I'm going to cast on the Abella stole for myself in greens (Picholine & Riesling in Arbor Fingering) once we're back from PLY Away. I figure if I start now, it might be done in time for next winter:)

On the wheel : Pebbles Merino

Next up on the wheel is the Merino from last May's fiber club offering. The colorway is called Pebbles, and I'm really enjoying spinning this. I mean, what's not to love about merino?

I'm spinning this a bit thicker, to hopefully end up with something near a worsted weight 2-ply. I'm thinking mittens or a hat. But we shall see;)

Handspun Yarn : Flannel Shirt Merino/Silk

I finished up my Flannel Shirt handspun (except for soaking it to set the twist) and I just love it! Squishy, soft and bouncy...good stuff. I'm already hunting project ideas to cast on.

Details :

Fiber : October House Merino/Silk
Color: Flannel Shirt
Amount: 4 ounces
Ply : 2 ply
WPI : 13-14
Weight: Fingering to Sport
Yardage : 504 yards

Next up on the wheel:  Merino in the Pebbles colorway (from last May's fiber club).

Sock Yarn Club

I have really enjoyed the Sock Club this year! Maybe because I almost always have a pair of socks on the needles, so I think you always need more sock yarn:)

It's also fun to come up with a new colorway each month. I'm trying very hard not to overthink it, and just go where my whims take me. So far, it's working out well. A couple of the sock club colorways are on their way to becoming regular colors next year. And I'm pretty sure I won't be running out of sock yarn!

Here's a little look at the colorways this year (the club began in April):

Top: Cecily on Trellis Fingering & Madeleine on Linden Sock
Row 2: Brass Locket on Linden Sock & Sea Glass on Sojourn Sock
Row 3: Spiced Plum on Sojourn Sock & Rainforest on Arbor Fingering
Bottom: Mermaid on Sojourn Sock & Buttercup on Linden Sock

December's club will go out this week, and then I'll start planning for next year!

Discontinued Yarns

I've had to discontinue a couple of yarns in the October House yarn line this fall: Damson DK and Fern Lace.

Unfortunately, Damson DK is no longer available. It's a great singles yarn and I'm going to miss it. I'm looking around for a replacement, and I think I've got something I'm interested in. I'm stuck on the idea of having a yarn that has some alpaca in it. The yarn I'm considering is a blend of alpaca and merino, so I'm doing some test dyeing and swatching.

I do have a limited supply of Fern Lace left, so it will be available through the end of the year, or until I run out, whichever is first! :)

I'm a fairly picky yarn buyer for my personal stash, and I apply the same standard to my yarn bases. I can honestly say that I truly love each yarn in the October House line, and I plan to keep it that way.

New Colors for Fall 2015

Meet our newest yarn colors - from left to right - Travertine, Dried Lavender, Riesling and Pacific.