I almost kept this

Things are busy around Viola headquarters today. Getting all the last minute bits and bobs in order for tomorrow evening's update (weee!)

So here's a little sneak peek of my favourite colours, because there are always a few that I almost keep...

 First up is a new colourway that I am rather excited about, Giant Peach in MCN Worsted. I keep having visions of a great big cozy pullover knit in this. I suppose it's the soft and warm colour itself that makes me want to bundle up on an autumn day...premature considering the weather at the moment, but it never hurts to be prepared!

 

And Garden Ghost in MCN Worsted. I'm still perfecting this colourway, but it is certainly one that will be sticking around as I seem to have planned an entire wardrobe knit in it... A variation of the Ghost colourway, I've added more speckles of all my favourite colours. If ever a ghost lived in a flower garden, this is the colour it would be!

While I often do not choose greens for myself, I love how light and fresh this batch of Lettuce Merino Singles 4 Ply is. I feel cooler just looking at it (and that's saying something because Toronto is a stinking hot mess at the moment!)

 Winterwood Merino Singles 4 Ply. I can't do anything about it, I just love brown. Especially cool, dark browns. This is another colourway that is still 'in development'. But there was something very lovely about this batch that meant it almost missed the update. It reminds me of dark tree bark after lots of rain.

And lastly, there are so many Eclipse colourways in Merino Fingering this time around that I am numbering them! Here is Eclipse # 4. I can't help but see a unicorn standing next to a pond with Monet somewhere near by. But that's a far too complicated name I'm afraid. 

All this and more is going to be in tomorrow's etsy update at 4 pm EST. 

Hope to see you there!

Shop Update!

The next shop update is scheduled for...

Tuesday, July the 28th at 4pm EST

...I'm really excited about this update, mostly because there is a lot of stuff that I reeeeally want to keep in here! But I'm being strong, and sharing my favourites. Hope you like them as much as me!

My main source of excitement is the fact that there are lots of big jumper quantities of ECLIPSE colourways, on my Merino Fingering base. Truth be told, there was a point this week when I had convinced myself that it was possible to knit a few dresses out of these 4 ply lovelies...I have since reconsidered.

You'll also find Merino Singles 4 ply as well as jumper loads of MCN worsted.

Hope you enjoy!

Regarding shipping charges, I am changing the way that I combine and charge shipping. The charges on Etsy have been updated - making single skein cost less! As many of you must be aware of already, etsy does not allow for very accurate shipping estimates. I have done the best I can with the changes I made. Going forward I will be combining shipping on all multiple orders from the same update. If you have been overcharged on shipping, I will send refunds based on the totals from the post office receipts and not the etsy estimate. If this sounds complicated to you, it is! This will only be a short term solution, as I am sorting out a better shipping calculator. If you have questions / concerns please send me an e mail at violafibers@gmail.com

In other news, Construction is finally beginning on the new (but very old!) dye studio. Within the year, Viola is going to be making a big move from Toronto to Mooresburg. This weekend, conversion of a little shed is beginning! I can't wait to see it all take shape, and build a more spacious and efficient workspace!

First off was clearing out all the bits and bobs that previous owners have distribulted (we've found some real treasures so far!) The best, obviously, are a selection of deer bones that were swept into a corner, sadly they have been trampled a little bit.

Now we're moving along to digging out the old earth floor (looking forward to unearthing a few more treasures!), filling in with gravel and preparing for concrete to be poured.

More updates to come when I return from my week of digging. Feels nice to be putting in some hard work...

the time I was utterly lost in the forest

 Seriously. Last week I set out for a hike with my little sister's little dog. The plan was to walk from Owen Sound to nearby Inglis Falls along the well worn Bruce Trail. Well, I don't know whether it was me or the trail, but something went awry. I have already visited the falls, so I knew they were seriously beautiful and not too far away from Owen Sound. It was supposed to be about 10 kilometers there and back. I'm sure it would have been for a person who had thought to bring a map or a compass. I did not consider any of these things in my excitement to get going...

 All the trails are marked with these little paint splodges on trees. Different colours indicate which trail you're on.

Violet (she's pretty cute, isn't she?!) and I made it to the falls safely. They were even more beautiful than I remembered and we stayed there for a long while exploring and climbing rocks in the sunshine.

 

 

It was the journey home that got us turned around. Actually, I'm sure that Violet the dog knew exactly where she was going the entire time. It was likely only me that went the wrong way. Even though I reached a point where markings on trees seemed to want me to go either all directions at once or they would simply disappear altogether, I managed to enjoy the beautiful walk and amazing life in the forest that day.

These tiny little guys were no bigger than a pomegranate seed!

 

 

 

Even though I was cursing the Bruce trail at the time for sending me on a wild hunt for the next white rectangle painted on a tree, the walk was still utterly fabulous! Violet and I took 2 hours longer than we should have to find our way back (and were spit out on the motorway with a long walk home) but I put that all down to my complete lack of navigational skills. We spent the last hour or so of the walk scaling steep craggy rock up and down endless slopes - serious adventure time! Even the energetic little pup was knackered by the time we emerged from the forest, covered in bug bites and mud, twigs in my hair. Can't wait to get lost in there again very soon, although, I think I will bring along a map next time!