yarn Archives - Rows And Roses

Tag: yarn

LYS Weekend

Posted on September 20, 2021January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

So much fun!

It isn’t often that I get to go off and do something fun. Last weekend, at the first LYS Weekend event in Charlotte, NC was so much more than fun; it was AMAZING!

Just to catch you up if hadn’t seen my posts about it, last weekend Universal Yarn teamed up with a bunch of other yarn and fiber companies to bring us the first ever LYS Weekend event. Erin and I were invited to attend, and it was not open to the public. While there, we got to meet so many wonderful people in the yarn and fiber industry, talk shop with other yarn store owners, and sample goods from various vendors. Sunday Social hour rounded out the first night, and on Monday I was able to place a couple of orders for the shop before heading back to SC.

ROAD TRIP!

As moms who feel like we rarely get to sit down, much less take time for ourselves, a simple one-night trip to NC felt like a real weekend getaway for Erin and me. We loaded the car full of snacks, picked out a bunch of great music, and made a couple of coffee stops along the way. We took our time and laughed so hard, about everything and nothing, that this trip felt like a true vacation.

Thankfully traffic worked out in our favor. There’s nothing I hate worse than sitting on the interstate, especially with all this coffee… that sometimes makes for an emergency situation! We did not take a wrong exit, and when we did want to stop for something, the places we chose were open. It was good luck all the way.

Once we got there, we discovered that the early check-in I asked for didn’t mean anything, so… even though we were there at noon, we had to wait til 4pm to get our room! Oh well, slightly unfortunate, but no big deal. We went on down to the LYS Weekend vendors area after a quick snack, and decided to go ahead with the show while we waited for our room.

So many amazing vendors

I’ll be honest; neither of us had ever been to anything like this. We didn’t really know what to expect. How many people were going to be in there? Were there going to be presentations? Wait, is this going to be super salesy, where were locked in a conference room for 4 hours like a timeshare presentation but with yarn???

When we got through with registration (and got our super awesome wooden name tags, generously made for everyone by Katrinkles!) we looked at our map and got started visiting with the vendors. We needn’t have worried about anything because we soon discovered that this was just about the most fun you could have as a LYS!

We started with Bryson Distributing, where we met the lovely ladies Julie and Tammi. They made us feel right at home, answered all of our questions, and offered us a few free gifts. These ladies were so warm and eager to get to know us. As two newcomers to the LYS world, we were grateful to them for all of their help.

From there, we visited with Yonca and Heather at Universal Yarn, then Leticia of Malabrigo. The sweet ladies at the Katrinkles table were so nice, and everyone at Tahki and Trendsetter Yarns were so knowledgeable and ready to help answer all of our questions.

But the YARN!! I mean, let’s not forget why we came, yeah? My very favorite setup was Skacel. In fact, they so impressed me that, even though I did not currently carry any of their wares, I placed an order for a whole new yarn line! All of the vendors were set up beautifully, and every single one had gift bags of freebies to give to us to thank us for coming out. We made off with a huge haul, and thanks to these amazingly wonderful yarny folks, we now have two new yarn lines on the way to shop right now. Take a look at more pics below. Click on each for the caption.

I wore my Gradiate top on day 1, and got tons of compliments :)

Sueno Tweed, by Skacel, was far and away my favorite yarn. i loved it so much, I've ordered the whole line and it's on its way to the shop.

I adored these "insta-gradients" and I think everyone else did, too! They're on my list of new lines for Spring.

Katrinkles made me swoooooon. I'm planning a big order right now!

And.... more Katrinkles. Can you tell I love them? haha

Cobblestone by Universal is such a super fun yarn!

There were really just too many yarns to even try to list.

Suffice it to say, everyone brought only the best of their best.

As always, nobody can top a Panera breakfast.

Sati Glenn of Rows & Roses and Yonca Ozbelli of Universal Yarns

Best Trip EVER!

In case you hadn’t gathered as much, this LYS Weekend trip was positively delightful. I can’t wait for next year! Erin and I will be better prepared to make the most out of it.

If you haven’t been into the shop lately, you’ll want to come in sometime in the next week or two to check out the new yarns which are due to arrive any day now. Big plans, big growth, and a really big deal: that’s our Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber. Swing by and see what’s happening!

Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber

Posted on September 23, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

We are open for business!

Finally! After two months of hard work, Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber is finally ready, and we are open for business!

The Grand Opening was a smashing success. No fire, no injuries, no explosions. Can’t ask for much more than that, amiright? We had an excellent turn out. Ethel Mae’s Bake Shop made us some gorgeous hand-painted citrus cookies. In addition to the cookies, we had plenty of hot coffee. The free mini-skeins were a hit, as well. All of our initial orders were here on time, labeled and stocked and ready for purchase. In fact, we sold so much that first day, I had to come home that night and place more orders!

Just in case you missed it, I want to share some pictures with you so you can really get an idea of what this little place is like. We’ve got the yarn shop on the right, and the workshop on the left, compete with winding station, work table, in-house library, and a sitting area that is very well lit. This place isn’t just for shopping, it’s for working too!

If you haven’t quite made it in just yet, please come check us out! Bring your current project and sit and stitch on one of our comfy couches. If you have a repair to make, or a skein of yarn to wind, or even a shawl to block, bring it and do it here so you won’t have to clear out an area big enough at home (and then try to keep your cats off it, if your house is anything like mine.)

If you DID come hang out with us already, be sure to come back soon so you can watch us grow. We’ve got new stuff coming in all the time, as well as a wishlist at the door where you can let me know exactly what you’re looking for.

Our two classes we have planned so far have both almost sold out already! If you are looking for a class to learn to crochet or learn to spin on a drop spindle, come on over and buy your spot before they’re gone. More classes coming soon!

Thank you all for being here and supporting my little business. I know it’s small for now, but my passion for yarn and plans for the future are MASSIVE, and there is soooooo much more on the way. Our local community needs a place like this ♥
In the meantime, check out my pattern shop on Ravelry and let me know which of my patterns you’d like to see as a kit of the month! (Psssst… Tilted is the kit for September, and it’s almost sold out. Come grab yours!)

Darn Good Yarn

Posted on August 17, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

It is DARN GOOD!

(This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through them, it won’t cost you an extra dime but it will throw a dollar or two my way, so thank you!)

I have discovered something amazing, and you NEED to know about it. There is a company called Darn Good Yarn (DGY) and they sell some crazy amazing yarns that are hand-dyed and hand-spun in India. They offer fair wages to Indian women to make these amazing yarns, and listen: they are made out of the coolest stuff!! Banana fiber, sari silk strips, some of their yarns even come with beads and sequins actually spun into it so you don’t have to do it as you work!

I decided to take a chance on this company as they seem like they really know how to have some fun with yarn, and any company offering fair wages in poor regions for women to be able to work and support their families is pretty amazing in my book. Let’s take a look at some of this stuff!

The Black Box

After spending hours (seriously) clicking around the Darn Good Yarn website, I had found sooooooo much stuff that I wanted to get. But wow, after tallying it all up, it was, well… not quite doable at the moment. I found out, however, that they offer this really awesome item called the Mystery Black Box. Now, I’m not always keen on surprises. I have been burned before, getting all excited and then getting something I didn’t like and wouldn’t use. But I took a chance and this is the best chance I’ve ever taken with a yarn company!

It came with the most amazing stuff, I am seriously so impressed. Let me tell you what all this awesome haul included:

2 skeins 100% silk yarn, hand-dyed in ocean colors
1 skein Noro Downtown
2 Indigo Quail sock-of-the-month kits
3 skeins of pure Superwash Merino

And that’s just some of it! There was more yarn, a book, and a really cool pamphlet telling all about their company and what they do. Altogether, over $200 worth of awesome stuff.

In addition to the Black Box, I also snagged a couple of skeins of their Banana Fiber handspun yarn in “Light Sage” (shown above.) I couldn’t be sure that banana yarn would be included and I just HAD to try it. Another great score, because it is soft, strong, shiny, and so far I’ve made a wallet out of one of the skeins.

Did you catch the LIVE unboxing?

If you aren’t a member of the facebook group, you weren’t able to join us for the live unboxing. YouTube has the replay if you want to go watch (and subscribe, maybe? I’d love it if you did!) This has been just the most amazing little adventure with such a fun yarn company, that I decided to open a wholesale account with them. That’s right, Darn Good Yarn will be available in the new yarn shop, Rows & Roses Yarn & Fiber! Grand Opening is tentatively set for mid-September, so like the facebook page, subscribe to my newsletter, and keep checking this site for all the upcoming news.
In the meantime, why not check out some of my free patterns, such as the Reflect dishcloth designed to match my Blue Willow dishes, or the ever-popular Felici on the Double cowl? I bet you’ll love them 🙂

As always, thanks so much for coming. Rows and Roses would be nothing without all you wonderful yarny people lifting me up and cheering me on ♥

Weaving in Ends

Posted on July 20, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Taming the squiggles

We’ve all been there. You finish a project and you just can’t WAIT to wear it! But…… before you do, you need to weave in all those yarn ends. If your project just so happens to be made in multiple colors, you may have A LOT of those little squiggles hanging off every which way. How many of us sometimes just say, “I’ll do it later” and toss the project somewhere, where it sits…. and sits…. and sits?
Sometimes weaving in ends seems like such an insurmountable task. Today I’m going to show you how I do it, in hopes that maybe I can offer some help.

Joining a New Strand

I always try to use the 1-2-3 method of weaving in ends. This means having the yarn end go underneath the stitches first forward, then backward, then finally forward again before cutting. When joining a new strand of yarn, I can actually work the 1 in when the joining happens, so I only have to do the 2-3 when the project is done! Let me explain.

This picture is taken from the back side, and shows you the blue strand of yarn, which is the new strand just joined. After I joined it in the last stitch, I crocheted OVER TOP of it for about 6 stitches, holding the strand against the back. This secured the end for about 2 inches.

Once I have finished the project and am ready to weave in the ends, I got back to where my ends are. I thread the end through a tapestry needle, skip one “strand” or “leg” of the last stitch that secured it, and run back the other way, under all stitches for about an inch.

Don’t pull too tightly here! Just pull enough so that you don’t have a big loop hanging out. We’re going to snug everything up in our very final step, so if you pull too tightly during this step, you may have puckering in your fabric at the end.

Finally, we finish up with step 3 and a tug.

Going forward once again, I skip one “strand” or “leg” just like in step 2, and slide the needle underneath four or five strands, giving a slight tug (but again, not too much!) Time to cut!

Cut the yarn close to the fabric, being careful not to cut the fabric itself! Now take it in your hands and, with one hand on either side of the area you’ve woven into, pull. Just give the whole a good tug. This will simultaneously pull ALL of the back-and-forths at the same time, securing everything very well.

Bulky

Bulky yarn, however, is usually a whole ‘nother story. Whether single ply or multi-plies, it is a rare occurrence that a great big strand of bulky-weight yarn can be woven in one whole piece without making a lump in the fabric.

When weaving in bulky weight yarns, I will split the plies (assuming it’s a multi-ply) and weave them in opposite directions. This alleviates the risk of lumping up the fabric. I like to use a needle threader to make it easy.

If your bulky yarn is a single ply….. well, we’re giving it to God. Just do the best you can, making sure to go in each direction even farther than you would normally go. If you only weave under two or three stitches, you will most assuredly have a lump, but if you weave under 10 stitches, then it’s much less noticeable.

Extra Help

I hope this post has been helpful to you. If so, I have other posts in the “Tricks of the Trade” category that may also help you when it comes to blocking your finished items, choosing the right hook, how to get started spinning yarn, and so much more. Furthermore, if you’ve found value in this post, please consider sharing, giving it a like, or leaving a comment. Everything you do for Rows and Roses is so appreciated ♥

SUNday FREE PATTERN!

Posted on March 14, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

FREE crochet pattern

SUNday is a cheerful sunny scarf, and just what we all need to hurry Spring on her way. Crocheted lace is one of my favorite springtime indulgences. This stitch pattern, worked on the bias, offers interest during crocheting and produces a naturally scalloped edge. Worked in WeCrochet’s Upcycle Alpaca, a drapey DK weight, the alpaca makes it nice and soft, while the silk and Tencel give it a gorgeous sheen. This one-skein scarf is a quick project, so why not make two and gift the second to a very special person in your life!

You can get a .pdf version of this pattern for just $1.99 on Ravelry. This makes it easily printable so you can take it with you, and it helps support me in the writing of even more patterns. Even if you don’t purchase the .pdf, please go rate it for me!

If you love this pattern, check out some of my other FREE patterns, as well as my Ravelry shop.

A little info

Stitches: Ch, sl st, beg V-st (ch 4, DC) V-st (DC, ch 1, DC) W-st (DC, ch 1, DC ch 1, DC)

Yarn: 200 yards DK (WeCrochet’s Upcycle Alpaca, alpaca/silk/Tencel, 1 skein)

Hook: H

Sizes: Approx. 5” wide x 62” long, unblocked (if you use a whole skein of Upcycle Aplaca)

Gauge: 3 V-sts x 3 rows = 2” approx.

Notes: Ch 4 in beg V-st counts as (DC, ch1) and ch 3 at the beginning for row 3 counts as a DC.

Let's get hookin'!

Pattern:

Ch 32

Row 1) V-st in 5th ch from hook, *sk 2 chs, V-st in next ch* eight times, sk 2 chs, W-st in last ch. Ch 1. Turn. = 9 V-sts

Row 2) Sl in 1st ch-1 sp, beg V-st in same ch-1 sp, V-st in each ch-1 sp to end. Ch 1. Turn. = 11 V-sts

Row 3) Sl in 1st ch-1 sp, ch 3, *V-st in next ch-1 sp* to last ch-1 sp, W-st in last ch-1 sp. Ch 1. Turn. = 9 V-sts

Repeat rows 2-3 until desired length or until you run out of yarn. Finish off. Weave in ends.

Yup, that’s literally the whole entire thing. Wasn’t that the most enjoyable and stress-free little piece of crochet you’ve ever done? Now you’re ready to spring in style! I hope you’ve enjoyed this pattern. I’d love to see your finished scarf! Share your project on social media with the hashtag #RowsAndRosesSUNday so we can all see how you’ve made it your own! As always, if you have any questions, just ask. I’m easy to find 🙂

Blocking Finished Items

Posted on March 5, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

The whys and the hows

I’m sure that we’ve all seen some handmade items that, well… left much to be desired. It’s not the yarn. The yarn is gorgeous! And it’s not the pattern. We can see pictures of other items made by different people using the same pattern, and they are remarkable. However, perhaps the one in front of us just doesn’t seem right. Sloppy? Is that the right word? Could it be that the gauge is off? Or maybe it looks more like what you would consider a “rough draft” would look like.

I bet I know why this beautiful item, knitted or crocheted by a talented fiberartist who knows what they’re doing, in the most scrumptious yarn, fails to impress. I bet it’s due to a shoddy blocking job, or perhaps it hasn’t been blocked at all! So we’re going to talk about blocking today. See that picture above, with the colorful top next to the black top? That is the exact same top. Same yarn, same size. The colorful one has been blocked, and the black one has not (yet.)

A Big Difference

Take a look at the picture on the left. This gorgeous doily was crocheted by a very talented fiber artist on Ravelry (click the pic to see her project.) She did an amazing job crocheting it, and then lovingly and painstakingly blocked it, pinning all the little points and scallops. Isn’t it amazing?!

But look at the difference between the top slice and the bottom slice. See how the top slice looks bunched up? That’s before blocking. And the lacy and open bottom slice is after.

Just imagine if they had left this gorgeous doily unblocked. Would it ever have laid flat? Could you even see all the special stitches and lacy spaces there toward the center? The points and loops on the outer edge wouldn’t even be noticeable! The stitches for them are, but you can’t see them. THIS is why we block. Maybe not so much for things like dish cloths or mittens, but for anything with a stitch pattern, yes, you really should block it.

Getting your Block On

Just so that you are aware, blocking is not a difficult thing to do. It does, however, take some supplies, and usually a good bit of time if you’re going to do it right. See these three pictures on the right? They show the transition from a bunched up swatch of yarn, to the blocking mat, and finally to the absolutely stunning shawl that this artist knew they were making all along. I’m sure it took a lot of faith in the magic of blocking to continue on knitting this lace shawl when the whole time it was looking like the top picture!

So let’s get ready to do some blocking!

Then first thing you’ll need is something to block your item on. Some people, like me, have special blocking mats we like to use. They are made of dense foam, and they interlock to form a surface as big as you need. The middle picture here shows interlocking blocking mats. The ones I have are smaller, and I have two sets so that I can put together a mat for unusual designs, such as crescent or asymmetrical shawls

You’ll also need some rust-resistant pins, and if you’re blocking lace, some blocking wires. I just use guitar strings.

You’re going to soak your item in a warm bath for a little while, then squeeze or spin as much of the water out of it as you can. Block damp, not saturated! Lay your item out on the blocking mat in the form it should be when it dries. Pin it liberally, taking care to get all the little points. There are never too many pins when you’re blocking a piece! Once you’ve pulled it out into the correct shape and pinned it, let it dry and you’re good to go!

It's Not Just for Lace!

While blocking is, of course, necessary for lace projects in order to open them up, I am a firm believer that a good blocking equals a better finished, more polished piece of knitting or crochet. This before/after of a sweater shows how even cables can benefit from a good blocking.

Blocking helps any item go from “homemade” to “handmade” and is the final touch that I would encourage you to add to all of your projects.

Are you first time blocker, looking to give it a try? Show us! I’m dying to see how it goes for you. I bet you’ll love it, and will block from now on. Share your before/after pics on social media and hashtag them #RowsAndRosesBlocking so we can all see your masterpiece! And as always, if you have found value in anything set forth in this blog post, please consider sharing, pinning, tweeting, or otherwise helping to get it out there for others to use ♥

Spinning Yarn

Posted on February 8, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Taking a Braid for a Spin

Spinning yarn is one of those things that so many people find to be amazing. Myself included! Lots of people who are into other fiber arts, such as knitting and crocheting, seem to believe that spinning yarn is beyond the realm of reasonable activities to take up. Spinning is something from the olden days, right? Why would I spend time spinning yarn when I can order thousands of different types of yarn, and get whatever I want already made?

Well, let me tell you, spinning is a glorious adventure if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your fiber arts! While there is certainly a learning curve, it isn’t actually “hard” to do. You can find prepared fiber in all kinds of braids or batts, you can purchase different types of fibers and blend your own mix, or you can even take the wool right off a sheep or alpaca and spin it in the grease!

Different put-ups for different spins

My favorite way to spin is from a braid of fiber already prepared for me. Sometimes I purchase a bare braid and dye it myself, and sometimes I get it already dyed by a favorite dyer, such as Kim Russo of Kim Dyes Yarn. When you’re spinning yarn from a braid, you will undo part of the braid and pull off a section, usually splitting the section into two or three narrow strands.

You can find prepared braids in all different types of fibers! My favorite is merino/silk, with pure Polwarth being a close second. I also enjoy alpaca blends (such as alpaca/silk, or alpaca/bamboo.) While I have certainly spun pure Merino before, I don’t enjoy it as much as when it is blended with another fiber, due to Merino’s short staple length. Getting to play with different types of fibers is so much fun!

Batts are another fun option for spinning yarn. Batts are made by carding different fibers together into a fluffy blend, kinda like a “cloud” of fiber. You can then take chunks off the batt and spin them however you wish. I’ve had batts before that were alpaca, mulberry silk, mohair locks, Angora, and stellina (sparkle strands) all mixed together to make an absolutely stunning blend of color and texture. While I have more trouble getting a uniform yarn from batts, I do so enjoy the fun of them! They always make for an interesting spin. As do rolags and p-rolags, but perhaps those are a post for another day…

Wheel vs. Spindle

Honestly, I kinda feel like the wheel vs. spindle is a whole other post by itself, too, so I’m only going to touch on a couple of things here.

First, a spindle (also called a drop-spindle) is basically a dowel threaded through a center hole in a round weight. Like a pencil through a donut, only tightly anchored. The round weight can be wood, stone, Fimo clay, or just about anything else you can think of. You hook your fiber around a hook in the top of the dowel, and you spin the whole thing either between your fingers or by running it down the side of your leg. When you get a long length of yarn spun, you wind it around the shaft. This is my prefered method of spinning, as spindles are inexpensive and easily portable.

I am not quite familiar enough with spinning wheels to talk much about them. I have a small one that doesn’t work, and intend to get a larger one that does sometime in the future. The reason I haven’t made the plunge yet is because A) they’re expensive (the cheapest being at least a few hundred bucks, and I’ve seen some go for upwards of $5,000) and B) they take up a good bit of space. For years, my spindles have served me well, so I’m in no rush. Eventually it’ll happen, when I have the money to spend and can make room in our small home.

Try it, you'll love it!

In summary, if you haven’t yet tried to spin your own yarn, you really should give it a go! There are lots of places online where you can find high-quality hand-dyed spinning fibers, as well as handmade spindles. There are books on spinning, videos to get you started, and I’m always just an email away.

Spinning is relaxing (once you get the hang of it) and it really is so much fun to be able to play with all different types and blends of fibers.

If this post inspires you to try your hand at spinning, I’d love to see your pics! Post in the facebook group, or on instagram, and hashtag them RowsAndRosesSpin so I can see what you’ve got going on!

Craft-alongs

Posted on January 5, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Why community is so important

I’ve always been quick and easy to make friends. All my life, I’ve enjoyed getting to meet up with other humans and hang out and chat. I love getting to know people: their interests, their stories, what makes them tick. Sharing my thoughts and ideas, and interests and plans, is very important to me when connecting with people. If I’m currently feeling the urge to get creative in the kitchen, I seek out others who love to cook. When we’re struggling through a difficult time in our homeschool, I reach out to homeschool communities locally and on facebook to share my frustrations and get new ideas, as well as gain a new perspective. Human beings connecting with other human beings- REALLY connecting and not just smiling and sipping coffee and remarking on the weather- is the single most important thing in life that I can think of. It’s no wonder then that craft-alongs are one of my very favorite things to do.

What are craft-alongs?

When I think of craft-alongs, I think specifically of crochet-alongs (CALs,) knit-alongs (KALs,) spin-alongs (SALs,) and weave-alongs (WALs.) I’m sure there are other craft-alongs out there, but these are what I’m into since I’m a yarny.

In a CAL, for instance, a group of us get together and pick a crochet pattern- or pattern type- and then we all crochet it at the same time. We share our yarn choices, our pictures of our works in progress (WIPs,) and we ask questions and encourage each other. It’s a great way for crocheters to connect with each other and gain inspiration and offer help. Furthermore, it gives us the sense of community and camaraderie that many of us so crave. We laugh and cut up, and just have an all around great time. There is really something to be said for doing the same thing with a bunch of other people, all over the world, at the same time.

Craft-alongs for motivation

Sometimes I just want to make something different. Or sometimes I need to make something custom ordered and just really don’t know about this pattern or design. Possibly, I’m scared of messing it up. Then again, I could just be in a creative rut.

Craft-alongs to the rescue! I love joining into a community of other makers who are making the same thing. I’ve found it especially helpful during a daunting project to be able to chat about our experiences with the pattern. If anyone has questions, they ask in the group and everyone else chimes in with their helpful answers. Errors happen in patterns sometimes, and when someone catches it, posting in the -along helps everyone else who hasn’t made it that far yet.

Rockstar Ravelry

If you’re looking to join a craft-along or two, my advice to you is the check out Ravelry. This website is FULL of everything yarn. From their massive database of knitting and crochet patterns, to their forums full of groups of every kind of yarn crafting imaginable, Ravelry has it all. I have a group there for Rows and Roses, and we actually have a CAL for my Felici on the Double cowl going on right now! Pictures are being shared and encouragement is being given as we speak. Please come join us, we are having so much fun! It’s free to join, and only takes a second (username and password. Done!) You can create project pages for everything you knit or crochet, find groups of people for just about anything you can think of, and I’ve never seen so many patterns in my life. Many of them are free! Come join our community, cast your voice with the rest, and show us what you’re working with!

Christmas Crunch

Posted on December 15, 2019January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

When blessings meet “curses!”

Welcome to my holiday love affair with insanity, what I like to call the Christmas Crunch. This time of year, I’m reflecting on the year ending and planning the year coming, as well as baking like a madwoman. I’ve got about seven different kinds of cookies to make, a gingerbread cake, a blanket to finish before Santa comes, a pair of socks to knit that I haven’t even started yet….. Pour me a bourbon, okay? I don’t drink anymore, but I’m starting to rethink it.

Wanna see what the 2019 Christmas Crunch is looking like? Let’s start with the blessings, since it’s so important to remember just how lucky we all are.

A gift from a new friend

I might be the luckiest person alive right now. A new friend decided to send me a Christmas present, but when she was asking for my address, she made it sound like it was just a ball of yarn. Therefore, I didn’t think the great big box that arrived yesterday was mine. I had already received all the yarn I had ordered this year, and thought this must be a mistake. Imagine my surprise (and happy tears!)

Inside, I found 4 skeins of the brand new sock yarn from WeCrochet called “Muse,” seven balls of the new Dishie Twist that I have been eyeing enviously since they released it, a bunch of solid Dishie to go with it, and four balls of the super-exclusive Felici colorway “Present.” You can only get Present with a $75 purchase, so this is HUGE! There was also an amazing WeCrochet project bag, a copy of their new magazine (the samples I crocheted for them are in it!) and Sparkles the Unicorn enamel pin. I have never been so overwhelmed with gratitude, and I am so thankful for this chick I can’t even find the words to express myself ♥

Planning a new class

With the new 2020 year on the horizon, there is so much planning to do! One of the more exciting things coming up is thanks to the lovely Melissa at Green Heart Awakening. GHA and R&R have partnered up to offer local crochet classes! These classes are one-on-one, one day available per month, and all materials are included. Each day we do them, there will be 4 slots available on a first come, first served, basis. The class is 90 minutes long, with an optional follow-up and lifetime email support. If you or someone you know is interested in learning to crochet and are local to the Pendleton, SC area, please check out the class listing here.

And now, the curse

Well well well, whatdoyaknow? I have a hooking injury, right in the middle of allllllll this yarn I need to work up. This could not have come at a worse time. Two Christmas presents still to do, the Felici On The Double cowl rage going strong, and I’m laid up with a hurt wrist. How will I get all of this stuff accomplished? I wonder if I can learn to hook with my feet… Oh well, what can you do? I guess I’m just going to try to laugh it off as my luck and have faith that it’ll all work out. There may be a couple of New Year’s presents coming up if they don’t get done before Christmas, but that’s okay. It’ll have to be.

Christmas Crunch will pass

Just like it does every year. This is such a fun and exciting time, and never without it’s wrenches thrown into the gears. I should be used to it by now. I’m going to go fix a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows and a candy cane, take a few deep breaths, and remind myself just how fortunate I am to be able to do this at all. Working from home, for myself and not a boss, homeschooling my kids, enjoying my home and pets, and looking forward to emerging from hibernation in about a month to rejoin the world and all of my wonderful friends. Thank you all so much for being here ♥

Learning to Ice Dye Yarn

Posted on November 7, 2019January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Learning to Ice Dye Yarn: Another adventure in fiber crafts

Today I’m learning to ice dye yarn. This is something I had heard about a while back, but never had the time to try to figure out. I’ve dyed yarn in the past, both hand-painted and kettle dyed, but ice dying is something new to me. Seeing as how I’m on day 2 of a five day streak of staying at home, it looks like today will be the perfect day! No time like the present, am I right?

Follow along with me here today if you’re interested in learning to ice dye yarn yourself. Not that my newbie self can probably teach you anything other than what NOT to do… but hey, it’ll be fun I bet. Let’s get started trying to figure this thing out.

What is ice dying?

From what I understand, dying yarn using the ice dye method is supposed to be super simple. Ice dying fabric is also a thing, and I’ve seen some gorgeous ice dyed bamboo velour, but since I’m into yarn and not fabric, let’s just stick with the yarn for now, mkay?

Apparently, the gist of it is that you mix up your dye and pour it into ice cube trays. You then freeze it, bust up the cubes (or leave them whole, but not us!) and sprinkle them onto your prepped yarn. Once you have the ice the way you want it, simply bake the yarn in the oven to set it. I’m excited to see if it’s really THAT easy!

The Process

(otherwise known as the adventure)

This is it! The start of our epic adventure. Picking out the dyes is always fun. Since I wanted to do a speckly green, so I went with Jacquard acid dyes in Emerald, Chartreuse, Turquoise, a diluted Sky Blue/Yellow Sun mix, and then as an afterthought, I added Jet Black. I used a 1/8 teaspoon to measure out some dyes into each jar, then added a splash of vinegar, along with some water. Craft sticks make perfect stirrers for something like this. Do you think I made a mess? I mean….. of course.

My yarn has been soaking in a tub of hot water with vinegar all morning, so it should be ready to go. After pouring dye into my one and only ice cube tray, I put it in the freezer to set up. Waiting is going to be the hardest part, for sure!

Adventuring, take 1

Patience: not my virtue

Ice takes a long time to freeze. Like, I was kinda aware of that, but not as aware as I am now. I waited all damn day for this dye to set up and let me tell you, it was the longest day of my life! Knitting happened while waiting. Hanging out with the kids. A friend came by and brought Isaiah his old drum kit, which was awesome. Lots of fun was had while waiting, but still……. waiting sucks.

Considering I was going to have to wait for as long as it decided to take for the dye to freeze anyway, I decided to go ahead and get ready for the pounding. Oh yeah. Demolition’s my THANG! Even if it’s just ice cubes.

And now, we dye

From here on, we’re really getting into our project. After squeezing out a good bit of the water, I spread out my skein of yarn into a roasting pan with parchment laid in it. I want to be able to continue to use this pan with food at some point, and I don’t want to take a chance that the metal may react with the dye. I preheated the oven to 250 degrees. You know I’m flying by the seat of my pants here, right? The ice cubes were dumped into thick freezer bags, after which I smashed them with a hammer. Lots of big pieces, small pieces, and tiny pieces seem just about perfect for what we’re doing, don’t you think?

Smashing is my favorite, so I savored that little task. Then, after making sure all the yarn was spread as thinly as possible without causing a tangled mess, I scattered the ice, one color at a time, in a random fashion over the yarn. Isn’t it so pretty??

Wakey Wakey, yarn gets bakey!

Into the oven it went, much like the witch from Hansel and Gretel. But not as roughly. I was careful. Baking at 250 for about 30 minutes seems right (remember I have no idea what I’m doing, k?) Back to waiting…

Ding!

Oh my very goodness. Looks like all that patience really paid off. This yarn is gorgeous! The greens and blues speckled with the black is exactly what I was thinking when I started on this today. This is my dream yarn, y’all! I can’t believe how amazing it looks. But… what is that? Is that ORANGE? Where did THAT come from?! I wonder if perhaps some of that Sun Yellow didn’t dissolve well. It’s actually quite nice. An unexpected surprise, yes, but I dig it!

Learning to ice dye yarn has been such a fun adventure! I’m so glad we decided to do this, aren’t you? This gorgeous yarn will be listed in my shop soon (if I don’t decide to use it first.) It’s a fingering weight, single-ply wool and will be absolutely perfect for a crocheted shawl. Wanna learn about fingering weight, and all the other weights of yarn? Check out my post here.

Thank you all so much for joining me today. Gorgeous yarn never gets old, does it? If you like what you see, or found value in this post, please share it! There’s lots more to come ♥