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Home » Blue Moon Blog
On December 31st, New Years Eve, there is a blue moon. For those of you unaware of this magical phenomenon, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. Cool, yes? We think so (hence the whole Blue Moon Fiber Arts thing), Since we are all about blue moons and believe that one falling on New Years Eve might be a bit of magic that we are more than happy to honor in kind. But wait it gets even better yet. It is also a lunar eclipse. Powerful moon mojo indeed. In celebration we are doing something very special, rare even. We are doing something we have never done before. We are taking some of your recommendations and few thoughts of our own and are having, first, an online RARE GEM sale. (And not just any rare gems either these are rare gem mill ends.) Second, an open house here at Blue Moon all day December 31st. And, third, a worldwide blue moon cast on. Our offering to the moon that is eclipsed in blue. So here is how we see all of this fun working.
On December 31st Blue Moon Thursday at 2:13pm EST (11:13am PST) we are offering Lightweight and Mediumweight Mill End Rare Gems in 4 color categories. Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. I"ll put the descriptions below along with the cost.
We will keep these up for as long as supplies last. So if you go to the website and they are no longer there, then we ran out. Sorry. We are also limiting the number you can purchase so everyone has a chance to buy some. The limit is 2 per color category and weight for a grand total of 16 so really not too limiting after all. These are non-returnable. We have not offered the rare gems online before because they are very hard to put in a color grouping. These are one of a kind non repeatable colorways. We are doing our best to categorize them but make no promises. We cannot exchange them so if you are unhappy with a the color you got we suggest you trade amongst yourselves. I don’t think it will. I have yet to meet a rare gem I did not like or love. (I might have a small rare gem problem.) Also keep in mind these are mill ends—they cost a lot less because they have a knot or two or a loosely plied section, etc. For those of you who have purchased mill ends before, yes these are $1.00 more than usual because they are rare gems. Open House When: 10:00am to 10:00pm Where: Here at Blue Moon What and How and Why: Bring knitting or spinning and yourselves. Carpool if you can as there are not a lot of parking options. Bring a snack and yes we will have yarn for sale. Kind of like a very very small barn sale. And you can shop the wall of sock. And we can all cast on together and visit and watch the moon rise (Of course it will be clear! Seriously? It’s going to go to all of this trouble to show us its power and not be visible. I think not.)
Eclipsing Blue Moon Cast On My new bf Steve had the following suggestion, which I like a whole lot. “To celebrate the Blue Moon this month I am going to cast on a pair of socks on the 31st using the yarn I dyed in Port Ludlow. I plan to finish the pair before the next Blue Moon (which looks like it is in August 2012).” I love this idea and considered complicating the hell out it with a special project we would all do and a special colorway...and on and on and yet on again. It was exhausting and was while it was still little yarn thoughts so… Instead I say we just all cast on something on the same day. (I see a Guinness record don’t you?) It can be something you knit until the next blue moon or something you finish in a week. It can be socks or a shawl or a sweater in blue or green or orange...really whatever our woolley hearts desire. Here is what I am doing: I am casting on a pair of sock for my friend Meg and am going to give them to her on August 9th. I think I can finish then by then, right? Shh… do not tell her. So I think that covers everything. If you have any questions email us or put them in the comments here. Our address is on the website and google maps will get you here. Whatever you do, do not (really) turn on Chapman Grange Road. Big Mistake!
Once in a Blue Moon Rare Gems Mill End Sale
Rare Gems are one of a kind colorways created by overdyeing existing colorways. This process creates a many hued skein of color wonder. This are non repeatable colors. Because of this we have them grouped in four general color schemes that cover a broad spectrum and describe the predominant colors in that skein of yarn. Say you order from the Earth category you will see mostly brown-type hues but there also might be a pop in pink or green. That is the joy of these. Please look at each one carefully before ordering. There are no returns on Rare Gems for color selection. And this batch that we are offering you now are also Mill Ends so please keep that in mind. Earth Picture a big pile of fallen leaves. There are as many earthy hues as plants and leaves have returned to the soil. All shades of browns speckled with green and gold and a spot or two of red maybe and maybe some muddiness as it all breaks down.These rare gems are created by overdyeing from the earthy brown end of things.
Fire Red hot warmth. All shades of fire here from rich and warm reds and oranges to bright hot in your face ones. Be careful when you open these...we would not want you to get a color burn.
Air Sky blue pink, silvery greens, overcast yellow...all those hazy colors that are muted in any way. A hazy lazy summer day of color. Water When light hits water, it reflects and shimmers. It creates jewels. These water colors are overdyed with blues or greens, which gives us our jewelish sea tones. You will find some of the red end of the spectrum here but it will be a cool jewel red. Azure… emerald… amethyst.... The world most certainly is our color oyster. Pricing Lightweight $15.00 Mediumweight $17.00
A merry and magical Blue Moon and New Year to all!
December 28, 2009
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We had our Blue Moon Holiday party and I used it as the opportunity to move furniture a bit. I just cannot for the life of me resist the chance to move a chair or two. And surprise, surprise look what we found under a cushion.
Shocking eh?
So we get the chair exactly where I want it. It only took three tries no matter what Debra tells you. And then everyone comes in from the barn and other points around PDX with TONS of food. Our parties are really food heavy. We all live off the leftovers for days.
Seriously food on every surface in my very petite kitchen.
This potluck was potato heavy and Becky’s potato salad Won hands down. Yes, potato salad at a Christmas party in the dead of winter. Whats wrong with that? We had mash potatoes too. No judging.
Sitting and chatting and wondering what that really big box under the tree is. White elephant exchange with $5.00 top. Hmmm… And yes, that is an umbrella in my living room. It rains a lot here.
Aren’t they lovely? I love them all so much and am so blessed by each and every one of them. sniff
Debbi was the lucky recipient of my gift. I think it was a very appropriate match. See it?
ps The tree was resting and is now fully decorated.
December 23, 2009
So… a couple of nights ago as I was knitting away on a present I noticed how far I had yet to go. I proceeded to lament, “oh my gawd I am not making any progress on this at all. It will never be done in time to ship it”. Swift action was called for here so I decided to move the distractions out of the picture. I switched from watching Will and Grace with my girls and moved to another room and put on some holiday type music. I love Will and Grace and when they aren’t bickering or torturing each other, my girls are hysterical and very distracting. I also vowed to just knit (while humming along to the carols of course) and not stop so often (every 3 minutes or so) to love on what I was knitting. No admiring how the colours were playing so nicely with each other and no petting or stroking the lovely soft fibers, which honestly takes a bit of the fun out of it for me. Hey, I was on a mission with a deadline and well, I am pretty serious about my deadlines. Ok, stop laughing. I moved myself, got all cozy settled in for a long winters knit and “got down” to it. Some serious knitting time ensued and you know it did go a wee bit faster. Heavy emphasis on the wee. All of this knit time obsessing I was doing (I am sure we all see the procrastinating fact, that all of that moving and changing are valuable knit minutes) got me thinking and… . At some point the acronym RPM popped into my head. Rows per Minute. Rpms get it? Ha ha… this tickled my funny bone pretty hard. My daughter Rabia says that these moments are only funny to me. Probably true but I don’t let that kind of deatail stop me. I had this whole knit-time measuring system going in seconds right? When it hit me rows per minute? Are you flippin’ insane? The row you are on has 160 stitches in it. Seriously how do think this is working out for you? I was a little (a lot) disappointed. So much so, that I even for a brief moment I entertained the possibility of starting a another very small project. A scarf for the dog maybe? Mittens… or hey socks even. I did not, and I get credit for this, instead I kept eating away my stitches on my big project and as every stitch slipped by it said, “stitch per minute dumb ass?! Seriously what were you thinking? It’s stitches (steeeches) not rows you start with in this unit of time-knit-measuring madness thing you’ve got going. How can you start with rows when it is us you need to make those rows? We are the building blocks and frankly we are little insulted We expected more from you.” I will spare you the gory details of the rest of this tirade from the stitches or the tone they took with me. Just know they sounded suspiciously like my mother. Needless to say I had made a grand error and they were pissed.
Your knitting talks to you right?
In order to appease the stitch I decided that STPM stitch per minute was, of course, the only way to begin this system. I then timed myself and came up with something like 41 stitches per minute on garter using size 5.00mm needles with my BFL sport weight. I assumed that was slow. I have been under the impression that I am a slow knitter. I have been told this by many and I do hang with some pretty fast knitters. So… stands to reason right? My hands are sore from dyeing and do not move as quickly as they used to and I am easily distracted. I know.. duh.
I then decided to work towards a personal best on this project and see if I could get to 60 STPM by the time I was done with it and believe you me I have ample opportunity to reach this goal. As of this morning I am up to 49.5. It does vary depending on what is going on around me. So my question to you is this: Is that fast or slow? I really need to know because I am putting names to the speeds. I was going to be Slo-mo Newton but that won’t work if I am not in fact slow. So what is your STPM? Sounds like a really bad pick up line doesn’t it?
Also all of you speedy knitting friends of mine, and you know who you are… don’t make me send these st(b)itches after you. I know time management. Whatever.
December 16, 2009