settling in and getting back to work

Quite a lot has happened since the last time you heard from me. Lots of unpacking, moving boxes around, putting things away and then moving them over and over. It's a long and slow process - settling into a new home and making things comfortable - but at last I can see it all coming together! There is still yarn everywhere, knitting projects teetering on the arms of chairs and Viola stickers all over the kitchen counter, but settling in progress is being made every day.

 At the beginning of the month, I hosted the first ever Viola dyeing workshops (a kickstarter reward) I had such a fun time sharing the studio, wonky old general store and new home of Viola with these two lovely women. Sherry and Jenny, you are delightful - thank you for your support and for the very fun day!

Sherry and Jenny's finished colours. They each tested out a few different bases and the results were great (if you ask me). Looking forward to seeing these beauties knit into things!

Dyeing workshops are not the only kickstarter rewards that have been filled this month. My new studio is up and running (at last) and the first yarn I dyed was Mooresburg DK for the secret surprise Leeleetea kit rewards. Natalie is a fellow Torontonian currently living in London. I've known all about her serious knitting skills for a long time now, so I was delighted when she offered to design two secret patterns for Viola meets Mooresburg. Some folks out there may have already received their kits, and the rest of you won't have to wait much longer. We're keeping the design a secret for a little while longer (or else it would be a pretty bad surprise!) but I cannot wait to see these hats and mitts being knit up. My own set is not far off. So please share photos of your kits as they are being knitted and when they are done too - I can't wait to see!

the kit colourways were the very first skeins that I dyed in the new studio, and I think it was the perfect yarn to start out with. Mooresburg DK and Mooresburg colourway being made in Mooresburg at last!

 Next up, I moved to the Mooresburg DK yarn club. Packing and moving took up much of the spring, and then it was battling water issues in the new studio (mostly sorted, more on that in a minute), which left the spring colourway quite neglected. These delays gave me lots of time to think about both the spring and summer colourways, so I made the most of it with lots of research and exploring...

 The colourway for spring came to me on an early morning run in April; the roadside was full of these pussy willow plants, just starting to bloom (or puff, what is the correct term?) It seemed to me that the young plants had a core of bright lime and yellow that showed through their thin bark, giving the effect of glowing from inside the stalk. On that cloudy, spring day they looked like they were softly glowing along the roadside. Quite magical!

Summer's colour was an easy choice for me. I came across these wild Columbine plants on a walk in the woods. They're pretty much my favourite colour, and it took some restraint to keep this photo (and my yarn colour plans) a secret while I was waiting to get back to work.

I cannot say how good it feels to be dyeing in the new space. While I still have lots of work to do before it is 'finished', it already feels like home. There will be quite a steep learning curve - I still have a lot of experimenting to do and fine tuning the new system. I am not planning to change anyone's favourite colourway, only iron out some of the kinks at my end. I am so happy to have the opportunity to do this overhaul!
Thankfully, the water woes I mentioned in my last post are not nearly so bad as I had thought. Many of the colours I've dyed so far are...just not the same...the space is not the same either so it's unreasonable of me to expect the yarn to do all the adjusting. I'll be spending the next few weeks bent over a dyebath pondering and stirring until I have what I want. So just a bit of growing pains over here, and that was certainly to be expected from the beginning!

There is still more news, if you can believe it. At last, I have started working on something that has been on my list for longer than I care to mention. I'm making a real WEBSITE!!!! Slowly, but surely (that's my only pace) I've been plodding away on scary internet things that I don't really understand. Learning lots along the way, of course, and so excited at the prospect of having a store, blog and lots more stuff under the same digital roof.

...SO, this will be my last post here on blogger. For more news and future blog updates, please click over too...

violaandthemoon.com

I will be adding and changing things for a little while still, but feel free to click over and take a peek at the progress. I will keep you up to date on Ravelry, Instagram and the new blog too!

Righto, more news very soon 😊 

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!

a Knitting Party Success!

Oh my, it has been one heck of a busy time in the world of Viola these days. I can easily fill 7 days a week with full-time dyeing, but recently have been adding on studio work and planning, packing for my big move and a little yoga...just to keep me from going mad. It's all great fun, but most of the time I have no idea what day it is! This past Monday was a delightful highlight in my action packed life. It was the most heart-warming knitting party I've ever attended (and certainly, the only knitting party that I've ever thrown). 

 Kickstarter backers from the GTA area came out to pass a peaceful afternoon sampling Viola yarns, chatting about knitting and enjoying a very posh cupcake or two. Afternoon rolled into evening and even more lovely Torontonian knitters arrived to raise a glass (or two),  join in the knitting chatter and get some shopping in...more posh cupcakes were consumed!

Here, the lovely Natalie Selles (leeleetea) has just finished sharing the hat and mitts she's designing in Mooresburg DK. Can you spot them?

As an internet based business, I can spend great lengths of time staring at a screen, I rarely have the chance to MEET customers and talk to them for real, in person. I had the best time watching everyone shop, peeking at the colours and yarns they were picking up, chatting with them about their choices and generally hanging out. Sure beats the internet, heh?! The only way it could have been better would have been to have ALL the Kickstarter backers there. 

Miko and Jennifer!

As always, Jennifer and Miko of the Purple Purl were the most kind and gracious hosts. Generously providing their shop and services to the cause (thanks ladies!)

The party was a great success in the end. I am feeling very lucky indeed to know such fantastic people, and had so much fun sharing a bit of Viola with everyone who came out.

 Thanks again to all!

it's a PARTY

Seven days from now I will be happily planted in the Purple Purl, sorting and arranging the piles of Viola yarn I've been dyeing the past few weeks. So much yarn! The reason for all this? There is going to be a little party. A SHOPPING PARTY! Kickstarter backers, if you can get yourself to Toronto next week, I hope I'll be seeing you there!

polwarth + alpaca

Mooresburg DK

As I was snapping these pictures the other day, I realized that I've been dyeing some very springy colours. Seems that the seasons always influence me, and I only catch it once I'm staring at the finished product. Any which way, I'm loving the colours I've dyed up!

 I've already posted a few details, but here is the plan for the big day...which is next MONDAY MARCH the 7th...

4pm - 6pm: Backers who pledged $200 or more are invited to drop in for a Viola yarn sampling and knitting circle. Today, I'm gathering together samples of some of my favourite colours and Viola bases for you to knit away on. Test out stitch patterns, combine yarns and colours, change up needles, do what you like! Take your swatches home with you too if you like. It's all up to you!

little cakes, sweets, tea and coffee, and a goody bag to boot. It's going to be a good afternoon! This is a drop in, so you don't have to be there for the entire 2 hours. Bring needles if you have a specific project in mind that you'd like to swatch for, or a selection of needles if you just don't know what you'd like to swatch. I'll be hanging out, knitting and am looking forward to meeting you all!

Everyone who attends the yarn sampling is also invited to the shopping event that follows...

6pm-8pm: Private shopping party party! That's right, it's pretty much my favourite words ever. All backers who pledged $60 or more are invited to the private shopping party. I have been busy indeed dyeing up yarn for the party. I will have Polwarth + Alpaca, Mooresburg DK, Merino Singles 4ply, Merino Lace and even some fab eclipse colourways, there's lots of yarn you guys! 

There will be a complimentary glass of bubbly and more cake for all the shoppers. 

I'm really looking forward to catching up with knitters I haven't seen in ages, and meeting some new faces at the same time. Above all, can't wait to spend the afternoon chatting about all things knitting. Wahoo!

If all goes according to my plan, I'll be sporting a brand new jumper next Monday as well. I've been blasting through Anna Maltz's Humboldt Sweater pattern from her brilliant new book, Penguin Patterns. I can't stop knitting. If I hadn't mucked up the neck shaping THREE TIMES, it would have been finished on Friday. Anyhow, I think I'll get there by next week. I'm using the beautiful Mooresburg DK in Giant Peach and a natural grey Wensleydale spun by my good friends at John Arbon Textiles. Love them, love the yarn, love the sweater! Happily, Anna is having a penguin KAL over in her ravelry group, so I'm joining in there too. Always fun to knit with a group!

This is my first project with Mooresburg DK (brand new for kickstarter backers!) So I'll be doing my best to wear it into the purl next week. Also, it's driving me crazy that I'm not wearing it right now!

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.