shop update!

At long last it is time for a SHOP UPDATE! 

Click over the the VIOLA etsy shop next TUESDAY, FEBRUARY the 2nd @ 3pm EST for the latest and greatest!

I know, it's been a while. The past few months at Viola HQ have been action packed, and the time has flown by since the last shop update. I'm really excited about the yarns and colours that are lined up for next Tuesday. I think They're well worth the wait, hope you do too...

Polwarth + Alpaca is back at last! It's been away for a while, so for those of you who do not remember, Powarth + Alpaca is spun by my lovely friends at John Arbon Textiles. It's a blend of 70% Polwarth 15% Brown Alpaca and 15% White Alpaca. The natural hint of colour in the undyed yarn gives the finished colours such richness and depth. The yarn itself is light as air, soft, squishy and warm. It's good stuff!

I knit myself a Quill shawl in Polwarth + Alpaca and it has seen a LOT of action this autumn/winter. It was a perfect yarn and project pairing! Recently, I've been dreaming of a fair isle garment knit in this delightful stuff. Still in the dreaming/planning stages with that project...

 
Perhaps the best bit of news, however, is that MOHAIR LACE is returning! In the olden days of Viola (pre England) I dyed a very similar base, and it was so dreamy. When I took up dyeing again last year, I struggled to get the same base again. Just when I thought all hope was lost, this stunningly beautiful yarn appeared! Talk about good fortune, I'm still jumping for joy! 

The new Mohair Lace is almost exactly the same yarn as it's predecessor. It is a blend of 72% Kid Mohair and 28% Silk. Each 50g skein is 420 meters long.

I've just finished up a shawl (a very late birthday present for my mum) using Mohair Lace doubled with Merino Lace. The Mohair is in Twig (light golden brown) and Merino is in Ghost. I cannot even say how pleased I am with this project. I often find it really difficult to knit something so simple...always wanting to throw in some crazy detail, cable, stripe, lace, all of the above. Keeping it simple really paid off this time round!

It's a standard garter stitch triangle with this picot bind off. I'm going to be borrowing this shawl ALL THE TIME...I'll have to knit another one...that's ok. For anyone interested in knitting their own Mohair Cloud Shawl (that's what I'm calling it) I'll have lots of Mohair Lace coming up in the update, as well as Merino Lace to team it up with.

I used a 5mm needle, 2 full skeins of Mohair Lace and just over 1 skein of Merino Lace. It's big enough to wrap every which way, and light soft and cozy to boot! I wore it the other day layered over my favourite Mohair sweater (knit a very long time ago, and worn all the time!) Wearing all those layers of Mohair, whilst sorting Mohair Lace was a great treat.

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!

DEVON

As promised, here are some of my favourite photos from my recent visit to Lynton....I love them all really, but I've narrowed it down as much as possible.  I took advantage of every walking opportunity, walking is certainly my favourite thing to do in Devon! Hollerday Hill is a lovely little spot to walk, right in Lynton and I have spent lots of time stomping about up there. It's a beautiful big hill, with an Iron Age hill fort site at the tip top as well as the ruins of a Victorian mansion part way up. Trails curl around steep cliffs with beautiful views of the Bristol Channel. It's fab!

Many of these photos were taken on a day when the hill was covered in a giant cloud. Lynton below was clear and sunny, but at the top of the hill, everything was shrouded in a thick mist. It was beautiful!

Countisbury Hill, to the right, was under a similar shroud...

Whilst Valley of the Rocks to the left was snuggled into a pocket of sunshine. Pretty cool.

...and then there was YARNDALE! An unplanned adventure portion of my trip (not in Devon...but I'm moving chronologically here). How could I say no to a yarn-filled trip to Yorkshire?!

What a lovely time! Of course, I bought yarn...that I need so desperately (ahem). 3 skeins of Little Grey Sheep's new gotland lace, spun by the lovely John Arbon himself! I cannot remember the colour name because I tore the label off in a great haste to cast on a square shawl pattern that my lovely friend Frankie is working on...so far, it looks like this...

The lace is addictive and looking really great. Once I'm done with the center square, I'll be picking up stitches all the way round the edge to knit a seriously lovely border. Here she is, wearing her original shawl. I love it!!

More of my most favourite people ever, the lovely John and Juliet in their stand.

I had lots of fun doodling in the chalk boards on the John Arbon stand...

And the most beautiful surprise awaited us in the morning...a fence full of dewy webs. Beautiful!

That's about it. I will leave you with the Valley of the Rocks hotel roof. A very pretty sight.