There is so much going on, most of it positive, thank the gods! 3xcept the coffee thing….coffee (I absolutely love coffee) has been giving me horrendous heartburn lately, so for the last few weeks I’ve been drinking to tea. I so miss my coffee, but I dont miss the heartburn, so a win i guess.

I’ve been knitting, still on the v-neck boxy, love it, but ordered another skein of yarn to make absolutely sure I don’t run out. I’ve decided to modify by making it long sleeve, and a little longer in the body than the pattern calls for.

I have also been slowly writing up several sock patterns. I now have a basic pattern written up for both fingering and dk, my patterns charted. Just a little more work and I should have them ready for publication. Of course, I’m kind of scared to take that step, so it may be a little while yet.

Returning to work was stressful. I was very worried business would be slow, that I couldn’t meet my financial obligations. I do believe I will be okay, given how busy we were this past week. My boss also gave me a 2$ an hour raise, and has already asked that I work more hours. I think I’ll be alright.

My yarn dyeing is slow right now, I had to wait for my last 4 weeks of unemployment; since my year was up in the beginning of April I had to recertify. Thay finally came through, paid all the bills and ordered more yarn. This time around I’ll be dyeing some ultra sparkly sock, and some non superwash merino fingering. I’m excited to try out some different bases. I want to do some sock blanks with this batch, also. I’m thinking gradients. I also had to replace a few dye colors.

I have big plans for the future of my shop, with different items I’d like to add to my inventory, but that will take some time.

Oh, and I decided to trade my phone in! I always wait until my phone has absolutely gasped it’s last and settle for whatever the insurance sends me. Not this time! I have ordered the galaxy s21 ultra, and gotten a fabulous trade in for my s9. Eric talked me into treating myself, mostly because the average on the s21 is drool worthy, and thays what I wanted. It will be here tomorrow! I do believe Eric has ulterior motives. For the past 8 months he has been buying boas and ball pythons to begin a breeding project. Snakes are not my favorite, but he loves them, so I deal. And don’t worry, we won’t be discussing them very often in here! We just have alot of future plans that are shaping up well, and I am excited!

No pics today, I am currently trying to get all the pics and videos backed up from my phone , and its taking forever!

Happy day,

Shannon

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Twisted

I am finally on the bottom ribbing of my vee neck boxy, I love it, its super pretty. I made a small modification…I started the ribbing 2 inches early, so I’ll have a full 3 inches of ribbing instead of one. Ribbing is SLOW for me now, kinda tedious. Add to that my choice of a twisted rib and it gets even more tedious…21 rows by over 300 stitches per row. I am currently on row 9. It looks very pretty, though,and I know I’ll love it. Of course, along with the extended ribbing I plan on long sleeves instead of 3/4 length, and (get ready for it!) 6 inches of ribbing so I can fold the cuffs. Sometimes I think I’m a crazy person! I am hoping I can get both sleeves on the needles at the same time, so I know just how much wool I have to work with…maybe I’ll be saved from 6 inches of cuff!

I am also waiting on these skeins to dry so I can do a shop update. Its kinda like watching paint dry! There are some pretty things happening here!

How do you feel about a merino/mohair/nylon blend sock yarn? I’m kind of intrigued and want to try some.

Happy day,

Shannon

Busy!

I just realized I got a huge project off my needles yesterday. I did the the hooded monk poncho (on ravelry) in cascade 220 superwash merino (black, people, knit in jet, can’t see it for the life of me black) for my best friend. Woo-hoo!

awful pic, but we will all survive it. And don’t mind the broken mirror, Kate broke that awhile ago. The kid has her mother’s temper!

I just have to cut my yarn ends(I always weave in, wash, block, THEN cut) and run the icord drawstring through the little tube thing you can see in there. The front panel and a huge chunk of the hood are seed stitch, the rest stockinette. In all, a pleasant and easy knit, even if I couldn’t actually see what the heck I was doing half the time!

I’ve got socks on the needles, with my yarn. And some shorties, and a scrappy pair. I’m still working on my vneck boxy (I feel like I will be living in this one!) Also a 2×2 allover rib sweater. There’s probably more WIPs that I’ve hidden from myself, too.

I have an idea for a yoked sweater in my head, if I can just figure out the math. I know I want to dye the wool for it myself, and for it to be fingering weight.

I have a few things I’ll be loading into my shop sometime in the next few days, but I’ve had it with technology for the moment!

Happy day,

Shannon

I did it!

I opened up my etsy shop this morning. Crossing my fingers, with the exception of the nub, and hoping for good things!

http://etsy.com/shop/eweturndyeworks

There’s my link. I also started an Instagram page, @eweturndyeworks.

I named my business ewe turn dyeworks, Eric came up with it.

Now I’m nervous, and babbling, lol. Anyway, go check it out, and if you like it, share with your friends! Please, thank you.

Ok, I’m done the restless yammering for now…there is wool to dye today, and I have to get to the post office, and get cat food…

Happy day,

Shannon

I hate waiting…

For anything!

I have a few more steps until I can start loading my new etsy shop with the yarn I’ve been dyeing. Pesky things like another swift to help me rewind the skeins, the supplies I need for my uarn labels, and the nerve to take that step!

I get all silly when I’m putting myself “out there”, which is ridiculous, but there ya go! I start second guessing myself, doubting that what I’m doing is good enough.

Here are some that I dyed the other day.

Happy day,

Shannon

A few more steps

I spent a good part of the day on Thursday with my dyepots, playing with color and techniques.

I’m happy with the results so far, and even happier with what I’m learning. I plan to dye a few more skeins today to satisfy an idea knocking around in my head.

I’m hoping to open my etsy shop by the end of next week

I have also caked one of my DK skeins to make sure I like how it knits up into socks

Pleaseshare your thoughts and opinions!

Happy day

Shannon

Baby steps

Other than my dye ratios being off (because I didn’t take a look at my scale to make sure it was set for grams!), this wasn’t a bad first step into this venture!

Happy day,

Shannon

I tried…

I really did. I really really tried to like the Nina sweater, and I just can’t. I’m not sure if its the color, which I like, but maybe is a little too yellow for me, or if it’s the shape. Maybe the construction. Perhaps the size 13 needles it was knit on. I just don’t know, but it will definitely be frogged soon.

I may even attempt to overdye the yarn, I feel like anything I knit in this is just going to be too yellow for me.

I may leave the color alone, but add this gorgeous mohair I have to it, and make something light and airy.

I just don’t know…and I rarely waffle on my knitting. I know what I like, hell, at 50 I ought to! And this sweater just isn’t it!

Happy day,

Shannon

An idea

So, I have a kinda cobbled together half asked plan kicking around, and I want to bounce it off of all of you.

Two years ago I did some experimenting with dyeing, and I loved it. I use wiltons food dye, which was great for myself, but some of the colors faded rather quickly. I want to experiment more, with acid dyes and a higher quality bare yarn.

I also would like to get a (an inexpensive, to start) sock machine to start cranking out sock tubes with my roughly 800 pounds of leftover yarn. I have hand-knotted one for myself, and started a second

This is disjointed, I know, but I’m thinking I can provide a tube knitting service, and hand dyed sock yarn.

Is this a service anyone would consider? Honestly, if I had the means to send out all my scraps to be knit into a giant tube, I’d jump on it!

Please, let me know your thoughts!

Happy day,

Shannon

Undecided

This is the Nina sweater, and I really don’t know how I feel about it. It’s pretty. It’s wool, but on on big needles and lacy. I do not like how the pattern is written, but that could be my own distractions. I was stitching up the sides and decided I didn’t like it and was going to pull it out. As I undid my mattress stitch I decided maybe I do like it. *sigh* it is now unseamed and soaking. I’m going to block it. Then decide if I like it enough to finish or if I’ll pull it out. If I do finish, I’m going to crochet round the edges, then crochet the side seams. Sleeves will be done in the round, and probably done slimmer than the pattern calls for.

Next up! Socks….it’s always socks, isn’t it? I decided to just knit a tube, using the helical method, to get ride of some scraps. I planned my heels, and toes, and threw in some scrap yarn to denote that. I’ll use other colored scraps for the heels, toes and cuffs.

I have to say, helical knitting breathes new life into yarn! I absolutely hate the pink/purple/blue ball alone, but throw in that tonal lavender and look how pretty it is! I’m tempted to just knit a huge tube to use all my scraps, but probably won’t. I’ll make individual tubes to get matching pairs.

Also new to me are those needles. Right before I left for Florida I cracked the cable of my favorite Kollage square needles (oh, disaster!). So I ordered a 47 inch size 1 US knitters pride zings, and a 40 inch, size 1 chiagoo fixed circular. I love the zings! Nice long needle, sharp points, and that cable is a delight! Long and soooo flexible! I haven’t used the chiagoo needles yet, but can not wait!

While in Florida, I found a fabulous wool shop in Cocoa Village. If ever on the space coast look it up, only shop in the area! There i bought a 40 inch size 2 Addi Rockets fixed circular, and I find the needle very sticky. The cable is great, they’re sharp, but not super sharp, and long enough, but my yarn just doesn’t glide along the needle. I got those for my leggings, which are finally showing some progress!

I’ll let you know how the Nina fairs, and update on recent yarn acquisitions.

Happy day,

Shannon