I almost kept this...

Yay, hooray, update day is almost here! As I know I have said already, it's a big one, and I am not exaggerating! Being such a big update, I have been busily preparing for a long time now, and am very much looking forward to Saturday. Mainly because it means that the yarn mountains all around the house will go to new, loving homes. Because I can't fit even one more skein of yarn in this house! (I know, this is totally NOT a bad problem to have)

Without a doubt, the highlight of this update for me is the debut of Mooresburg DK! Until now, only Kickstarter backers have had their hands on this lovely yarn. So it is an exciting moment indeed, because Mooresburg DK is spun locally to me, from the fleeces of local sheep to boot! It's 100% Cotswold/Dorset cross fleece spun into a bouncy 2-fold yarn in a Double Knit weight. Rustic, soft and lustrous all at the same time. It's good stuff!

Mineral

 Sea Storm

 Soft

Each 100g skein is 238 meters (260 yards) and $25 USD. I cannot wait to cast on another sweater in this yarn, but haven't been able to settle on the perfect pattern. Think I'm getting close though!

I recently finished knitting this Humboldt Sweater by the brilliant and lovely Anna Maltz. It calls for 2 yarns held double throughout, and I jumped at the chance to use Mooresburg as the main yarn (I used Giant Peach with a natural grey Wensleydale yarn) 

Just about every Viola yarn is going to be represented in this update, so I am working hard to narrow my favourites down for this list...and here they are...

Golden Oak

Sock yarn was especially tough to choose, as I am really into mixing heel and toe and contrasting colours into socks...it's just an excuse to have 3 times the colours!

The highly coveted mauve-ish Eclipse that I have managed to recreate...just this one time.

Surf

 Mooresburg

I just finished up a pair of socks in the Mooresburg colorway and loved it so much I'd be happy to cast on a second pair this minute!

Which leads me straight on into the sock kits that will be also be available. To save you some of the trauma of choosing 3 whole skeins of yarn , I've put together 4 different options for kits! Each kit contains 1 100g skein and 2 25g skeins of sock yarn! When you purchase the kit, I will also send a download code for Emily's Favourite Socks. Everything you need!

from left to right: Surf (MC) with Titus and Eclipse, Graffiti (MC) with Amaranth and Soft

Mustard Seed (MC) with Bronte and Eclipse, Golden Oak with Bronte and Blot.

I'll be sharing more previews as Saturday draws nearer. Still to come is Mohair Lace, MCN Worsted, Polwarth and Alpaca, Merino Lace, Merino Fingering and Merino Singles 4 ply. How exciting!

the big move approaches

 If you followed along with the Kickstarter campaign this winter, you already know that my current (soon to be former) dye studio is not so much of a studio, but a dark corner of a basement. Not ideal. I've made it work for a long time, developing a work routine that involves dodging paint cans, laundry hampers and stored Christmas decorations. Perhaps not what you would expect out of a work space, but I'm used to it. I'd like to think that I am pretty good at adjusting to strange situations and environments, sometimes I even think that I work better in them. So you can imagine the peculiar feeling I have about moving into a proper work space. One that I have designed to suit my needs...with light, storage space, work surfaces and drying areas that are not obscured by the Halloween mobile made of old turkey bones (I actually love this mobile) I know I'm going to get used to the new space. More than that, I'm sure that I will LOVE the new space...so long as I bring that mobile with me...

As the moving date draws near, I am scrambling to finish up lots of little jobs, clear out all the corners and generally get sorted. Starting fresh in a new space is just around the corner...

 Top priority is to move as little yarn as possible! I'll be dyeing up almost all of the yarn I have in stock for this update, which means big quantities in lots of bases. Sweaters for all (who want them, that is) I've been dyeing non stop for the past couple of weeks in preparation and yarn mountains are already forming on many surfaces about the house. These have become a common feature, but won't be around either once I'm into the new space.

 I'm hoping that this big update will tide everyone over for a wee while, as I will be taking a short break from dyeing once I make the move to Mooresburg - another reason for my frenzied prep. Not long, just a month or so.

 I will announce the date and time of this momentous and extra-large shop update very soon, along with some previews and my favourites (as always!) I haven't been able to share many pics just yet, but that hasn't stopped me from my usual project day dreaming and imaginary shopping. So stay tuned for more details...

For now, I am very excited to tell you that I will be offering a few items that are new to the etsy store...

...including NEW COLOURWAYS in sock kits, Mooresburg DK (woo hoo) and Viola meets Mooresburg totes for a start!  

In the mean while, the Sock KAL over in the Ravelry group is about to finish up. Just three days left to complete your Viola socks, which is lots of time! I have loved seeing the socks popping up over the course of this KAL, and am seriously excited about all of the sock kits that were knit over the course of the KAL as well. Thanks to everyone who has participated and shared their socks! I will be announcing the winner (chosen by random draw) in the Ravelry group on April 1st, so check in then!

Because I am obsessed, I decided to knit just one more pair for the KAL, so here's a peek at the first sock...

I'm using Mooresburg for the main colour, with, giant peach, dew drop and mustard seed contrasts!

 I've been knitting a lot of secret things recently, but here's one more that I can share....

It's a Garland pullover from Pom Pom magazine, issue 7. I have wanted to knit this thing from the moment the issue landed in my mailbox, and finally have cast it on! Inspired by Lydia and Sophie of the Pom Pom crew, who have both recently knit the pattern as well. I'm up to the armholes now, because I can't seem to put it down! Using Viola Mohair Lace...in an Eclipse colourway that I could not part with. So much fun!

Righto, off to finish up the foot on my second sock. Happy knitting!

socks, stairs and dog love

 Right, so there were lots of other things that started with an 'S' this weekend. Namely SNOW. Lots and lots and lots of beautiful snow. However, it seems that I only took photos of the dogs, so I chose to leave the snow bit out of my collection of 'S' words in the title. Sorry, I do become distracted by the dogs at times...

 

Leading up to Christmas, I was in a sock knitting frenzy. Happily knitting sock after sock whilst working on my favourite socks pattern and dyeing up colours for sock kits. At the end of it all, both my parents benefited from a new pair of socks, and I just got round to photographing them this weekend. Above are my dad's in a Bronte and Mustard Seed combo that I'm quite liking.

And below, if you can see past the dog, are my mum's. These were the inspiration for the Sea Storm/Ghost/Dew Drop colour combination in the kits...and that's just what they are!

After a few minutes of pushing dogs out of the way, I just gave up and clicked away hoping to get a shot of 2 socks in focus...I think there's at least one in there...

There are so many delightful distractions outside the window in Mooresburg; wind, leaves, falling snow, any movement or noise at all...

...and so, the dogs danced around in between the socks and the camera enjoying the little bits of snow falling from the sky.

Oh, here's one of the socks!

legs...

tails...

behinds...

it's all cute really, so I'm not going to complain. Silly dogs. 

So I did manage to get a few decent sock pictures, but I think I like the dog-filled pictures better anyway...

The sock KAL is still going on in the Ravelry group until the end of March, still lots of time to join in! It has been so much fun to see Viola socks popping up, and some really lovely versions of the Favourite Sock pattern as well!

Like these, knit by the lovely traceyrr. She kindly test knit the pattern for me and made these beautiful socks in the process! Tracey's colour combo is Dew Drop (main) with Titus contrast. Thanks Tracey!

I have a pretty great prize in mind for this sock KAL as well, and I'll be dyeing that up this week so that I can share it with you soon. Stay tuned!

As for the second 'S' in the title of today's post, hooray, stairs are in place! my little dye studio now has access directly into the proper house - such a useful thing when there's 4 feet of snow outside the door!

And this seems to be the best photo I managed to take of the stairs over the weekend. I must have been really distracted by the cute dogs. Happily, I also discovered a new vantage of the studio space. It's looking pretty good!

If the weather had been on my side, last weekend would have seen running water in the shed as well. As it was, the brave plumber was rushing about Grey County fixing flooded basements and frozen pipes all over the place. I'll just have to content with my stairs for the moment.

socks socks socks...

With the way I go on about socks these days, I sometimes feel like a broken record. On the other hand, I THINK about socks even more than I mention them...so that's saying something. I have come to refer to my condition as a 'sockness'. Think I'm going to make it an official thing...'sockness'.

Anyhow, the sock news today is that I've been busy assembling sock kits for Viola meets Mooresburg Kickstarter backers. I've loved every minute of it, because making the kits has involved lots of creative problem solving, colour combining, drawing, painting and mini skein making. All things (except problem solving, which is a constant!) I do not get to do enough of. It's been a really fun excercise for me, and this is just the beginning!

All Kickstarter sock kits will be headed to the post office on Monday. I hope they find their way to their new homes swiftly indeed! The new sock pattern accompanying these kits will also be released next week, and will be available on Ravelry. I am really proud of this pattern, it's just a simple sock but it's my favourite sock. I had some excellent help from a friend in editing and test knitting as well, thank you Tracey! I am so pleased that I can share my favourite knitting project, and can't wait to see more pairs of my Favourite Socks cropping up around the interwebs (and in real life too!)

In other sock news, There is a Viola Sock KAL ticking along in the Viola Ravelry group. With all the excitement and frenzy of Kickstartering, I have not been as present as I would like with our lovely sock KAL. I also have been thinking that those sock kits might want a chance to participate in the KAL too...and so I propose that we extend our KAL deadline from the end of January to March 31st. Visit the Ravelry group to join in, I can't wait to see the Viola socks popping up!

For those of you who are still keen to get your hands on some Viola sock yarn (kit or no) you won't have to wait long. The next etsy update is scheduled for the first week of February! I will post more details soon, but there will most certainly be sock yarn in there (and it will reach you with lots of time to join in the KAL)

getting back into the swing of things

 

  This week (is it Friday...I think so) has passed at a remarkable pace. I've been busy doing lots of little things. The sort of things that you think won't take any time at all, and then hours have gone by...there are so many ends to tie up for Kickstarter, whilst trying to carry on with the main task at hand (dyeing yarn!) Needless to say, things have been bonkers. Still a good and exciting type of bonkers, but I truly have no idea what day it is today.

I've started to send out backer surveys. So anyone who pledged in the Kickstarter campaign will be hearing from me soon if you haven't already. It's been so much fun to hear back from you about your colour choices. I always love to know who wants which colour! I forgot to mention in Kickstarter that 'Soft' is listed as the colour option in a few rewards, but I've shown Wild Rose. This is  my fault...there was a time when I was going to switch them, and I FORGOT! So There's a big picture of Soft at the top of this post, on Mooresburg DK. I dyed up lots of Soft yesterday, on Sock too...beginning of the kits! 

There has also been rather a lot of painting and drawing. I am so happy with the way my sticker illustrations have come out. I love stickers, I always want them even if I don't stick them on anything at all. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but here's the original of my favourite sticker design. It's all about the socks around here, don't forget!

I've been running around so much that knitting time has been rather hard to come by. Don't worry, my sock addiction is showing no signs of waning, just paused for a moment. As I am still knitting the last of my test socks, ironing out any kinks in the Favourite Sock Pattern, so all spare time has gone into knitting those guys. When some time frees up though, I'm casting on with the Mooresburg colourway for a pair of socks for me. I simply could not resist a skein of this colour - I love it more every time I look at it!

 There are a couple of other projects waiting in the wings too...

 

I've had my eyes on the Karusellen hat from Pom Pom issue 14 for...well, since it came out. I've seen a few in person. Loved them all. It's time I knit my own! Whilst trying to focus on something less exciting, these 2 skeins of Mooresburg DK announced that they would be the perfect hat and that now was the time to cast on...I cannot argue.

And then there is this...I've kept it quiet because it features something new(ish) and very exciting. A bit of a surprise...MOHAIR! I'm knitting a shawl for my mum. She requested a very plain and simple, no nonsense, Tasha Tudor-like shawl. I'm doubling Ghost Merino Lace with some old Viola Mohair Lace. This is just about the most dreamy thing I've ever met. It is so soft and warm and substantial, but light and delicate all at the same time. I think it's also a great way to use lace weight yarn in a non-scary way. I'm using 5mm needles and the knitting is going by super quick. Anyhow, the big reveal won't be far off...

Last, but not least, here I am in my Speckled Mist creation. It's been neglected of late, due to busyness and indecision. Now that I'm getting back into the knitting groove, I've returned to contemplating my options here...how long should it be? One friend (you know who you are) has suggested that I knit it super long, like to my KNEES. I just have no idea where to stop. Transitioning from rust to purple was lots of fun, although I do not want to think about all the ends in there...

So I've been wearing the partially knit jumper/dress/thing around all afternoon (right now, as a matter of fact) just to get a feel for it. Who knows what it will become...I certainly don't, but I love it all the same!

SNOW in Mooresburg

It's been a week since the launch of Viola meets Mooresburg, and what a week it has been! The number of people who have supported the campaign, and each person's generosity, has been staggering! I think I was a bit delirious...

I cannot say enough 'THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU' !!!!! So thanks a bunch!

My delirium is slowly winding down now, and I've just spent a lovely weekend up at the store working out the best ways to use the unexpected donations, and the first step was simple...insulation!

As Mooresburg and all of Gray Bruce was dumped on by our first big snowfall of the year, winter boots and down coats appeared in every Tim Hortons (non-Canadians, Tim Hortons is a cultural institution in here...you can google it, but you might not get what the big deal is) it became very clear that winter was officially here. With it...COLD. The cold weather is here to stay, and my little shed still has cracks in the walls and doors that I can see through. Not for long!

 When planning this project, we considered a couple of options; the normal, pink stuff...I always loved it just because it's pink. Certainly the most affordable option, but quite time consuming to fit into all the uneven nooks and crannies of my space. The other option was spray foam, certainly more costly but better R value (look at me using the lingo!) way faster, more efficient and critter deterrent! 

The choice is easy now - spray foam all the way! The studio space will retain hear more efficiently (and the reverse in the hot summer, of course). The job of insulating will be completed in just one day, no time to waste with the cold closing in around us. AND, spray foam is apparently like building a fortress against critter invasion! This aspect was very appealing to me, being in such a rural spot I'll take all the help I can get. There are lots mice and bugs up there, but they're not getting into my yarn!

So that's the latest studio news...

back in Toronto, I'm gearing up for a busy week of dyeing, knitting, pattern writing and organizing Kickstarter rewards. The Favourite Sock pattern is coming along very well, and seems to have given me the excuse to cast on even more and more and more socks. Not such a bad thing!

I will leave you with this lovely pile of natural Mooresburg DK, ready to get coloured in this week. I'm so excited to get working on these rewards!