Shetland Gradients

Shetland Gradients are coming soon!

They should be ready just in time for Knot Another Hat's Knit Night, next Wednesday, April 28th, 5pm - 8pm. Come and check them out!

Mini Skein Rainbow

I have wanted to put together a full spectrum of my yarn for sometime. Thanks to a rather large order from Knot Another Hat, I can do it in Mini Skeins. All of these and many many more will be delivered to Knot Another Hat this afternoon!

New Colorway: Wasco

This yarn is named Wasco. Little more than 10 miles to the east of Hood River is Wasco County. Due to something called a rain shadow, this marks the beginning of more arid country. It's beauty is held in fields of wheat and other grains, which glow golden and brown in the summer sun.

It is shown in MIU Superwash Sock Yarn. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Colorway: Tartan

This yarn is named Tartan. When I was a child my family annually attended the Scottish Games. I loved the bagpipes, kilts and different woollen tartans representing each clan. Today we can cheat a little and use this yarn to make our own tartan. Just one skein and you can weave your own faux tartan scarf!

It is shown in MIU Superwash Sock Yarn. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Colorway: Kite Boarder

This yarn is named Kite Boarder. It is named after the kiteboarders who frequent the Columbia River at the port of Hood River. Every summer they are on the river with their bright colored designs and billowing sails

It is shown in MIO Columbia Aran Yarn. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Colorway: Lupine

This yarn is named Lupine. It is named after one of my favorite native Oregon flowers, the lupine. I love the beautiful purples and blues this flower produces, often against a darker background of woods and wildlife.

It is shown in Silky Sock Yarn. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Color: Crazy Quilt

This yarn is named Crazy Quilt. I love the look of Crazy Quilts. How they have all sorts of different colored cloth together with embroidery stitches over the top. When I dyed this yarn I knew it had to be called Crazy Quilt.

It is shown in Tencel Sock Yarn. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Colorway: Bluebird

This yarn is named Bluebird. It is short for Bluebird of Happiness. Every time I see it I smile and it makes me happy.

It is shown in MIO Columbia Pencil Roving. It is part of the 2015 Color Collection. Find the rest of the new colors on the website!

New Colorways 2015!

All the new colorways for 2015! I plan on doing individual posts for each of the new colors over the next few weeks. http://www.lavendersheep.com

New Colorway Sneak Peek!

BW: Lichen Shawl

When I created the 5 colorways for Beautiful Wreck I never thought that I would fall so in love with one particular color. That colorway being Betta. As you may have noticed, I am a purple sort of girl. I also love a lot of greens and blues. Oranges, browns, and golds usually not much at all. However, that changed when I made this colorway. It just is so earthy and breathtaking. I want to knit everything out of it!

So, when Larissa Brown suggested we knit up a few of her shawls inspired by the book out of my new colorways, I instantly knew I needed to have a Lichen Shawl out of Betta. After all, different lichens are just what Betta used to dye with. 

I also couldn't help draping said shawl around the beautiful oak tree in my yard. Doesn't it look like it just belongs there?

The yarn I chose for this project is the new MIO Columbia Sport. Grown right here in Oregon and then dyed by me. It makes for a gorgeous combination. It reminds me of the golden hills of Eastern Oregon, much like the area where this wool was grown. Best of all, it only takes a single skein!

I also decided not to block the shawl as vigorously as the pattern shows. I liked the slight curl of the edges, because it looked more like lichen to me. As you can see it can be worn a variety of different ways. Kits are available in the shop and are ready to ship out today!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! I plan on spending mine knitting and getting ready for the holidays! Don't forget: Luxury Yarn Sale ends on Sunday!

Epic Saga Hat

It all started with Larissa Brown's wonderful book Beautiful Wreck. I was inspired to dye colorways based on the characters from her books. Then I made little mini skein sets of 5 colorways. I got to thinking, what is a project that would use up all 5 mini skeins? This is what I came up with:

The Epic Saga Hat. It starts at the ocean, then goes through fields of wheat, and then on through mountain peaks. The motifs I used are based off of traditional Icelandic sweaters. It was a joy to design and an adventure to knit!

So, start an epic journey of your own and knit this hat today! It will be an adventure you never forget!

Beautiful Wreck Mini Skeins

One of the new things I am doing with the Beautiful Wreck Collection is Mini Skeins. I love these little bitty skeins of joy!

See what I mean? These are out of MIU Superwash Sock. I have a few sets ready to ship. So if you order them today, they should ship out today! I'll also have them at Oregon Flock & Fiber if you want to see them in person. 

BW: Brosa

Brosa is Heirik's brother. He is blond haired blue eyed, typical sexy Viking. His calling is for the sea. For his colors I brought in the blues in the sea, but went lighter to go with his fair coloring.

You can find his yarn and those of the other characters from Beautiful Wreck here: http://www.lavendersheep.com/shop/bwreck.html

BW: Betta

Betta is Ginn's best friend. She is a natural dyer. She is depicted gathering materials and dyeing yarn for the community. I felt a combination of natural tones was what fit her best.

I also admit that Betta is my favorite character or at least the one I identify with the most. Of course it probably helps that she is a dyer like me!

You can find her yarn and those of the other characters from Beautiful Wreck here: http://www.lavendersheep.com/shop/bwreck.html

BW: Har

Har is Heirik's uncle and right hand man. The imagery around him in the book is wine, sunset, and copper. I don't want to give away much more than that from the story. Those colors inspired me to make this yarn.

You can find his yarn and those of the other characters from Beautiful Wreck here: http://www.lavendersheep.com/shop/bwreck.html

BW: Heirik

Heirik is the hero of the story. He is dark and mysterious. Black is definitely his color. I felt it needed a touch of Ginn and Brosa, as he is connected to both of them. So I added the blues from both of them. A little touch of the whale and a touch of the sea.

You can find his yarn and those of the other characters from Beautiful Wreck here: http://www.lavendersheep.com/shop/bwreck.html

MIU SW Sock

I'm so happy to introduce my new yarn: MIU Superwash Merino Sock:

What makes this yarn super special to me is that it is all made in the US, hence MIU = Made in USA. It is grown and milled in North Dakota. How cool is that? It was really hard for me to part with my old sock yarn base, which was from the UK. However, I couldn't pass up the chance of making an all American yarn for, honestly not that much more money than the original. The yarn is a tiny bit bigger and fluffier than the previous yarn, so I increased skein size to 4oz (114 grams) instead of 100 grams, so you get at least 400 yards per skein. The new yarn retails for $22 per skein, which I think is very reasonable. 

I have a new project in the works for this yarn, which I can't wait to share with you! It's super secret, so that's all I can say for now! =)

If you are looking for my previous Superwash Sock base, there are still a few skeins on the sale page!

Merino / Black Tussah Silk Roving

Introducing Merino / Black Tussah Silk Roving! It is 80% merino wool and 20% Black Tussah Silk. I had the joy of spinning some of it up while I was at Black Sheep and it was simply gorgeous. It is so soft and silky. Simply a joy to spin. I love how it takes dye too! The black silk makes the yarn sort of shadowy and mysterious. I definitely plan on spinning up more!

New! Yakkity Yak Sock

I am gearing up for Black Sheep Gathering June 20-22 in Eugene, OR. For me that means lots of new yarn and fiber! So much still to do and dye!

I finished this up this week! It is my new Yakkity Yak Sock. It is 60% Superwash Wool 20% Yak 20% Silk. Just let that sink in a bit! It is so soft and luxurious! The bit of silk gives it a subtle luster and the yak gives it a soft heather color without even trying. I am in love! I think it would be great for treat-yourself socks or a scarf or shawl to keep you cozy. This yarn is unbelievable how wonderful it is! It is even machine washable! Though, I still would suggest handwashing. I have already had people trying to scoop up this yarn before I even had a chance to post it! It is in the shop and will be in my booth at Black Sheep too!