yarn dyeing - Knitting Notions

Miscellaneous updates

I am very excited about the new drying lines. We ended up with 7 which is almost double what we had before. But that’s not the best part; the proximity to our work area is going to be awesome. I can even see it from in the house looking out any back window. That’s a big help when rain is threatening or if it’s windy, for checking on things.

This was taken from under the cover where we set out the dye pots. Our old lines were way over on the other side of the work shop (the green sided building). This location cuts the distance in half at least, and that’s just our lines. Our neighbor’s that we used are even farther. We will be putting these new lines to use in just a few weeks. We have an order of new yarn arriving very soon to restock for the second half of the festival season.

Now on to knitting updates. I finished the first Gridiron sock.

I cast on Midlothian with my Classic Merino Superwash Sport in Cerulean. It doesn’t look like much yet. It’s just a wee baby shawl still.

Because I was asked to share booth pictures from the Great Lakes Fiber Show, here ya go. The weather was pretty nice and we had a good turn out, especially on Saturday.

I have today and tomorrow at home and then I am off to Franklin, IN for Hoosier Hills Fiber Festival. I got some house cleaning, and school work with my youngest son done today. I also made a pot of spaghetti sauce for dinner. It’s actually good to be able to slow down for a couple days and reconnect with my home and family. It’s nice to travel and meet with the knitters at festivals but it’s even better to come home.

Speaking of home and good things, I want to share one last set of pictures of our garden. I can take absolutely no credit for it. It’s all Jerry’s doing and he is pretty good at it. I can’t wait for fresh veggies. 🙂

Posted on May 31, 2022May 31, 2022 by yarnmama — 5 Comments

Busy time of the year

Not much knitting going on I am disappointed to report, but that is because we are super busy around these parts on many other things.

It’s not unusual for the start of the new year to be hectic. Even if we weren’t adding new products and re-doing the website, there is inventory counting, taxes, end-of-the-year record keeping, and the list goes on. I don’t know why I think every year as we close out the show season that I will have months of time to knit. Sheesh! You would think I would have more sense than that by now, but a knitter can hope right?

Anyway, I am very excited about how the new website is coming along and can’t wait to unveil it. It’s not quite ready for prime time yet but believe me you all will be the first to hear about it when it is live. :-)

Here’s some of the other stuff we are doing in the product creation line of the business. This is the time of year that we dye up the yarn for the spring show season so that has been happen as the weather allows. We have a few days of chilly but dry weather so we got all the solids dyed. The rain returned before we could get it all dry so we have been praying for a window of dry weather. Today is that day, since we are expecting partly cloudy skies and a high of 73 degrees, so out went the last two-thirds of it on the lines today. We are hoping that will do it since the cold and rain are returning tomorrow or the next day.

Meredith has been working full tilt on the new leather shawl pin rings and I believe ya’ll are going to flip for these. They are so cool!

Just before Thanksgiving we gave the workshop a MUCH needed facelift

and Jerry has been back at work in the newly perked up space making some new yarn bowls.

We have been out of stock on these for awhile but never fear, he has plenty planned. We are also learning some new embellishing techniques to add to many of them. I think they are going to be well received too. :-)

Okay I have GOT to get to work so here’s a few more parting shots of yarn and the little ones. :-)

Posted on January 11, 2013January 11, 2013 by yarnmama — Leave a comment

Another hot day in the sun

Today was pinks, reds, violets, and oranges. It figures that we ended up dyeing yarn on the two hottest days of the summer.

Now y’all can see what a glamorous life it is to be a dyer.

Here’s the view looking in the door from the outside.

Yarn soaking

Here’s where I do all my figuring and I may have checked Twitter and my email a few time too.

Taking a break in the shade while waiting for pots to cook.

She’ll probably kill me for this one. It is her back though, right? To be fair I DID put that one of me up there, so we are even I figure.

I thought this one looked pretty cool. The pot was partly in the shade of the trees at the time and the sun was peeking through and reflecting off of the water.

Okay a few drying on the line shots and that’s it for today.