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Posts from the ‘depravedDyer’ Category

Jan 12

Eclipsing Wolf Moon in Cancer

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Friday was the first full moon of the decade and also a penumbral lunar eclipse. I think it’s the first of  six eclipses, three of which are penumbral this year. What a great way to ring in the new decade and…to start the beginning of our 20 year Anniversary Celebration year.

20 years old in the year 2020 and… because all the things are lining up ~Pantone made the color of the year blue just for us!!

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I am predicting a very Blue Moon year!

Karen was here this week for a visit and we made all the creative plans for the year. Well not all but quite a few. We even put it in a weekly calendar spread sheet which made us both very happy. Karen because she loves nothing more that creating spreadsheets and me because I do not and well…you get it.

I loved creating the monthly full moon colors last year so we are going to continue with those, along with whatever over celestial events that happen this year. In order to spice things up and to distinguish our 2020 full moon colorways from 2019 we are looking at the astrology of each full moon. Yes we are ! And… we have a plan for all of these colorways that I have been stewing over for awhile now so am pretty excited that we are making it happen. I am not going to mention again until next week since I promised. And the picture below is not a hint at all. ;0)

So stay tuned!

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Hey did you see Thea Colman’s newest cardigan, Gin and Juice? I think she released it last weekend. It’s stunning and a perfect design for our beloved Targhee Worsted. One could also use our CAKE Worsted but I think Targhee would be divine!

Photo credit: Thea Colman

Look at that cable pattern!! Such a classic silhouette and I so love that wide collar. A design that is going to look good on all shapes and sizes. That collar though…so sexy. Thank you Thea for such a stunning sweater for us to knit and wear.

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Over the holidays besides other year end work I spent some time cleaning out my spinning bag and stash. I finished some yarns in progress and when I went to store them came across this beauty. My fist ever handspun. Yup, I still have it. I really should make something out of it. Maybe weave some chair pads. Hmm… . Anyway we just wrapped up the 2019 Rockin’ Whorl  and I was feeling a little sad about that so all of this inspired me to put up the next trio and to switch it up a bit with more texture and a lot more creativity.

I think most of us tend to keep spinning the same yarn and while it is relaxing and meditative it does not challenge us so…we are going to add some twists, and coils and loops and whatever we can dream up to our yarn making. The first shipment will leave here the first week in February. I have help this year with the lovely Michael Kelson who teaches spinning here in the Pacific Northwest and is as talented in yarn making as he is a lovely human being!

I do hope you will join us. I’m wanna see what yarn making mojo we can create together!!

the Rockin’ Whorl Club 2020 is live!!

It’s supposed to snow here this week which I am not really looking forward to. There’s been a lot of hype about it and everyone is stocking up. Anyway fingers crossed everyone stays safe.

I am working on some neutrals that I am pretty thrilled with but am having trouble naming them. Here are the first three. I was going to ad them to the coven series since they are kind of tinted greys but it does not feel right. Maybe you have some thoughts on what they should be. There will be at least 8 in total so… a theme would be nice. Maybe after women in science.

I am in love with these and they look especially wonderful on Soft Rock. Anyway I would love your feedback.

2019 sock club is wrapped up! yay!!!!  2020 will go up for sale in a few weeks so look for that. If you are not on our mailing list email me and we will put you on. info@bluemoonfiberarts.com

Silk School of Yarn notes are going out this week. Karen had a family thing which has slowed this part of the process down.

Socks that Rock that Rock Stars ship at end of week!

If you have a FO you would like to share. If you could post it to instagram we will repost and share with the world! If you are not on instagram and still want to share email it to me and I will post and share your creations. info@bluemoonfiberarts.com

Okay my friends I am off and running today there is much to do. I am celebrating 5 years since my last chemo treatment with my dear friend Gail who quite honestly I would not have made it through without. I think it is important to honor and celebrate these milestones. A good day!

 

I am going to leave you with this pretty which shows a bit of all the color that came from our instagram pics this year.

Have a great day!

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Dec 24

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Winter is here!!

Merry MidWinter!

Nature remembers what we humans have forgotten:

Every cycle must return to stillness, silence, the dark;

Every out-breath requires an in-breath;

Every outreach turns back inward to  source and begins again;

From endings come beginnings and from

the darkest night a new dawn.

Happy Winter Solstice!!!

Dec 24

Holiday Wishes

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Nothing says Merry and Joyful like chickens in the snow!! Whenever I am thinking a sending out a holiday message and am looking for a photo I always seem to be drawn to this one. If you have ever seen chickens in the snow you would understand.

So…how’s that holiday knitting going. If you are like me it goes until the very last minute!

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I do love this time of year! I feel like I have not been able to enjoy some of my family rituals this year so it’s a little more challenging to find that light. When you do though it’s pretty magical and often not where you expect to find it.

So my dear ones wherever you are on on our wonderful planet and however you celebrate my flock of lovelies and I wish you so much love and peace!

Remember to be kind and patient with one another. (Family is great but can also be trying.) Spread the love. A kind word, nod or gesture goes a long way. There are miracles and magic everywhere you just have to pay attention! And always remember that your life has worth!!

Thank you so much for being a part of our lives! You are our joy!

Blessings!!

Dec 22

Winter Solstice

Yesterday was Winter Solstice here in the Northern Hemisphere which means Winter is in fact officially here!

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I was going to write this yesterday but I’ve been limiting my screen time the past week since I fell and hit my head. I know…such a klutz. I’m fine so no worries. I have fallen a lot in my life so I am used to the aftermath and this one was not too bad.  I do not have the best balance and I move way too fast for my own good. Winter is here which means rain (which makes slippery mud).

Lots and lots of rain!

They’re calling the storm currently blowing through the PNW right now an “atmospheric river”. Really?! When did this current trend of giving weather systems dramatic tag lines happen. As one who names things I totally get the appeal and it’s a hell of a lot of rain for sure and in a short amount of time. However, let’s be real, it is not a flippin’ river and dramatizing just makes everyone nervous. I think maybe the fact that I find this irritating is either a sign on my age or that I have not had enough coffee.

All of this rain is filling all of the creeks and rivers so do be careful and maybe some of us should slow down.

On Winter Solstice I built a fire , made a big pot of soup, lit all the candles and I spun some lovely BFL Tussah in our Super Worm Moon colorway which is one of my favorites. You can see why…

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I am mesmerized by the color combinations and as you can see here I am also knitting some Ripple in it along with the spinning of it. Look at it in these different fibers. There’s BFL Mix roving and BFL Tussah and Silk hankies. I am going to spin all three and ply then together making a stunning yarn!

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When I am all done I will make sure to post pictures. I’m so excited!! My girls can’t be here for the holidays this year which is a bit hard for me so the time I am not spending with my son and daughter-in-law I am filling my time with creative joy.

I know from my own experience that this can be a hard time of year for a lot us. Please know that you are not alone in this and that there is love and light for us all. If you need to reach out I am here please do! I would love to hear from you. tina@bluemoonfiberarts.com

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Of course I made a Winter Solstice colorway! It’s a grey that grades from dark to white with shades of blue speckles. I’m pretty tickled with it. I hope you like it. So many celestial colorways this year. It’s going to be hard to top in 2020 but do not worry for I have a plan ( gleefully rubs hands together). After all 2020 is our year. We turn 20 so it’s 20:20:20 for us which has to hold all sorts of magic.

I am going to leave you with some Solstice thoughts and work on my to do list for the day. I hope you all have a lovely Sunday. I will post again during this week!!

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Nature remembers what we humans have forgotten:

Every cycle must return to stillness, silence, the dark;

Every out-breath requires an in-breath;

Every outreach turns back inward to  source and begins again;

From endings come beginnings and from

the darkest night a new dawn.

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Take care of your dear selves!

Dec 7

Yarn crush!

Okay so I know I have been on and on about this yarn but seriously it’s the bomb!! It’s on my mind today because there’s loads of it drying in the barn.

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And yes…it’s Ripple!! Look at that!! Click on the photo to make it bigger and look at all of that color and textural wooly wonder. Just stunning!! Every time one of us walks by the skeins drying we stop and pet and oogle and some of us ( and we all know who) even bury their faces in it for a good wool whiff.

 

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One of you you creative souls ( you know who you are ) is making blankets ( a lot of them) with our Ripple friend so we are having a good dye time! And now I totally want to knit a blanket for myself our of some of our moon colors from this year. Wouldn’t that be stunning?!! It’s super cold so what better time to knit a warm, soft and cozy blanket? And soon it is January, where we knit for ourselves,  is quickly approaching so look at that.

Maybe we should have a January BKAL Blanket Knit-along.  What do you think?

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Anyway…Ripple is stunning and I am feeling blessed and pretty thrilled that I have a nice big stash of it in the dye barn! lol

Thanks to our lovely Karen our yarn sat in  the same room this week with Natalie Chanin ( Alabama Chanin) so… that happened!!

It’s Saturday morning and I have 2 sets of dyer’s notes to get out along with my other weekend catch-up tasks. So my fiber loving friends I am off to the barn to take yarn pics and then it’s all the writing! I’m gonna make a bunch of tea and build a fire in the fireplace and curl up with my laptop and write all about color, yarn, knitting, socks and… .

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Nov 29

New Color!!

Happy Friday!!

I am writing to you from my son’s house with a pup cuddled up beside me!! Can’t get better than that. The past two weeks has been a whirlwind of filling orders and making new colors.  When inspiration hits I do with it, mostly because I don’t really have a choice. I am usually consumed until I get it all down on the yarn.

I am working right now with a lot of subtle hues and expanding our Shaded Solid range. Some of those will not be up for a little bit longer. I need to finesse the photography. I have added a few though as you can see below. Also a few new colorways for this Christmas season.  I do love this time of the year and the holidays with it. My favorite aspect of the holiday at this time of year is being with my family and friends and spreading the love.

For me gratitude is a daily practice, it’s not an easy one some days but it is one that is expansive and enlightening and enriches my life in ways I probably am not even aware of.

Today I would like to thank all of you for being a part of our Blue Moon family and our fiber community at large. All of the beautiful and diverse souls that are who we are. One of my favorite parts about the world we live in is how different we are all and yet the same on so many levels!! Thank you for sharing all you with us!!  We see  and appreciate you!

Okay….here we are!!!

So… my favorites are ALL of the plummy ones. I just love them!! And they would make a stunning fade of some sort! I’m pretty tickled with Snow Cone. Pine cone colors with white and a wee bit of grey for the snowy sparkle. I am in the process of adding these so if a few do not show yet they will be there this weekend!

And coming soon to our Coven Collection!!

These three do not have names yet and I need to do the photography over so you can see the subtle shading better but here they are in all of the neutral beauty!!

Okay so the family is awake and this a family morning for me so I am going go have coffee!!!

We are running offering a 15% off Special code this weekend as a THANK YOU for you patience and support this year. Starts now and is good until Tuesday! Oh and we are well stocked with yarn!!!!!!!!!!!!

That code is: thankewe19

Sock Club we are shipping next week!!!

Happy Friday!!

 

Nov 15

obsession

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It’s very early in the morning and instead of tossing and turning I’m decided I would make use of this time to write this post. I have a hard time with the whole fall back and gain an hour time change. I never really adjust to it. Luckily for me in 2020 Oregon goes to constant daylight savings time so this is the last shift. I am thrilled!

It’s been a very busy week in Blue Moonland with the Full Beaver moon in all of it’s glory starting the week off.

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Our new dyers Kelsie and Karen are catching on so very fast and we are getting caught up on all the things.  I actually had tie this week to make new colors! I know!!! And get this…to knit. I mean in al honesty I should be putting more time in on getting the new website tested so we can get it up. However there is only so many hours at a stretch that I can stare at a computer screen without my brain melting and my eyes hurting.

Anyway I am knitting a very simple infinity scarf for myself. Yup for me!! I am knitting it in our Ripple and I am seriously possessed with this yarn. I am not usually a fan of bulky knitting but I’m telling you the texture and color on this is addicting. I know I am driving team Blue Moon a little crazy with my constant delight. I am one of those knitters that talks to their knitting praising it for it’s beauty, complimenting it on how it feels at it slips through my fingers and onto the needles and then how each stitch display into  a stunning fabric.

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I’m smitten! I am knitting it in our Super Worm Moon colorway and just having the best time. I am challenged enough in life right now that my knitting needs to be the mindless kind that soothes and comforts and this sure is doing the trick.

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I am farther along than this picture shows but it is shows off the color and it’s dark out still so I can’t take a picture yet this morning to show it off more! Don’t worry I will! If you have not yet ordered this I highly recommend that you do. It’s soooo good!

It’s time for a color change so we’ve sent some of the more Autumn colors off to the spa and added in some of our Holiday ones as promised. As I mentioned I’ve been making new colorways so we will be adding those in also in the next few weeks. If there are any Holiday or Winter type colorways of ours you’d liek to see please do let us know.

Also if you have any color wishes for new colors. I’m feeling super inspired at the moment working on some crazy cool neutrals and complex shaded solids along with some other fun  color ideas I have had floating around in my little color brain.

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Okay well it’s time to go out and get things prepped for the day. We’ve been blessed with extraordinarily beautiful mornings as of late so my walk morning walk to the dye barn has been quite magical. I had my morning coffee earlier in the week standing in the garden with Phoebe bathed in mystical foggy moonlight!

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Have a wonderful day!!

 

Oct 13

It’s a wonderful night for a moon dance!

“Well, it’s a marvelous night for a moon dance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
‘Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I’m trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
And all the night’s magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
Can I just have one more moon dance with you, my love”
~ Van Morrison

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It’s full moon tonight!! This one is the Hunter’s Moon which is the first full moon after the Autumn Equinox.  I have made so very many full moon colorways this year and while it has been all kinds uf fun and illuminating, (hehe)I’m not gonna lie I am finding it a little challenging at the moment. I mean  colorwise it’s the moon and a night sky if we are being literal. I am not a creatively literal person when it comes to translating and interpretation so phew! Since it’s the Hunter’s Moon I had this grand idea that I would use hunter camo colors. I actually was pretty tickled with myself for this little bit of inspiration. However it proved a little more difficult than I thought. I either got muddiness because, ya know the whole camo thing or it just was not what my vision was. I finally got  something I am happy with and 2 other colors in the process which does often happen.
What do you think?
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There’s my Hunter’s Moon! It was Pond Scum that saved the day on this one. I can’t tell you how often that is true! haha
And then….
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because I loved my muted camo hues I made a colorway with just them. I had a hard time coming up with a name for it other than CamoLITE so I asked our insagram folks and got a ton of wonderful suggestions. I chose Catacomb Mushrooming because they do look like mushroom colors and I had just read the piece about Paris using it’s abandoned catacombs to grow mushrooms and seriously why not!
Our Autumn Moon Glow ( pictured above) is inspired by the warmly wonderful orangeness of the moon this time of year!! I just could not resist. Orange is kind of a thing right now and it’s such a lovely color so I am going to be taking advantage of our orange crush ( get it?!)
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Photo and knit credit on this beauty goes to @mtnstitches
Rhinebeck is next weekend and everyone is heading that way in their stunning sweaters! I love seeing what everyone has been knitting all over social media. Beside the octopus one I think this Weekender in Pond Scum might be my current favorite. It turned out so well and… bear with me while I am going to toot my own horn here. I had to match yarn she bought in  forever ago and it worked perfectly! Don’t you love when that happens. I do my best to make this so but when it has been sooo long and both the yarn and dye has changed it’s just way more of a challenge. I’m over my blue moon self that it worked!
Okay so remember a few weeks ago when I said we were going to be making some price changes? Well that is happening this week. It is mostly on our big hanks of garment yarns. We are going to do our best to hold off on the sock yarns right now. Please know that we do our very best to keep prices affordable for you while being able to make ends meet here.
Thank you as always for your support.
In 2020 we are going into our 20th year which is quite amazing especially after the year we just had and that is because of you!! There is no us without you. Our makers are the heart and soul of who we are and what we do. So my friends we are going to celebrate so very much!!

Okay I need to go wrap up dyer’s notes and send out a few emails and then also go pick up this sweetheart! I might be a little excited.

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Have a great Sunday!

Oct 5

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1 Comment

Autumn!

Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now
how comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of the air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees, especially those with
mossy hollows, are beginning to look for

 

 

the fires that will come—six, a dozen—to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond
stiffens and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its long blue shadows. The wind wags
its many tails. And in the evening
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

A Song for Autumn by Mary Oliver

Oct 5

knit this!!!

It’s a quiet and lovely Saturday morning. I have my coffee, the sun streaming through my window and my knitting! I am knitting a hat for friend out of our Plushy in one of our Rare Gem colorways.

Plushy is such a delight to knit with. I usually do not enjoy knitting with heavier weight yarns but Plushy  just feels so good and the stitch definition is so great. Watching the all those knits and purls situate themselves is just delightful! So…a good morning.

Today I am going to share with you some of my current favorite designs. Some are new and some are just wonderful and today is about the wonderful.

Okay let’s start with a small obsession of mine the Octopus. I love these under the sea creatures. I am fascinated by them but also have a healthy respect for their intelligence. So I am going to love anything related to them but this, oh my… .

Embrace Octopus Sweater by Maia E. Sirnes

Photo Credit: Maia E. Sirnes

If I remember  correctly  Maia’s design came out sometime in 2013. I was entranced and planned on knitting it which to be honest has yet to happen. It is on my list and towards the top so the odds are pretty good!  One of our Eat Sleep Knitters ( Jen aka @tentacularly) has been knitting this beauty out of our Targhee Worsted in; Blue is the New Black and Coral Bells and posting her progress on instagram and well, just look!

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Everyone  knitter on Team Blue Moon wants to make this one. Hell, I am not a huge coral fan and I want to make this one. It’s a great color combination in general but especially for and octopus/water theme.

I knew something was going down when we started getting orders for these starting last week. So of course now my color brain is thinking of others  octo-color combos for Maia’s lovely design. Also… why do I not have a Octopus color series? What is wrong with me?

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Porcini background color and Bluebird of Happiness for our Octopod friend. Oh my… and here I was going to work on new Autumn and Halloween hues this weekend.

And speaking of Bluebird of Happiness ( I swear I did not plan this segueway)

Look at this beauty!!

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Farmers Poncho by Lavanya Patricella

I pretty much love anything Lavanya designs she has such a wonderful design aesthetic. And I do have a soft spot for a poncho and this one is brioche!!! I know!

Also an instagram follow/find. One of Lavanya’s test knitters, Kat ( @katknitz) color and yarn choices which just happen to be our yarns!!

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She used one of our, A Total Eclipse of the Sun  Featherlight gradient kits  as the main color and then for the contrast colors used another Featherlight in Shadow and then Socks that Rock Lightweight in Grasshopper Green and Bluebird of Happiness.

I don’t know about you but I would wear this everywhere. It looks cozy, has wonderful flattering lines and… it leaves room for movement. I love where it hits on the arm too. I’ve already dyed the yarn to cast on for this one!

Okay I do have a few more but this post is getting lengthy. One more…in the latest issue of Ply Magazine is this beauty by Cal Patch.

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Photo Credit: Ply Magazine

I’m pretty sure the pattern is available in the magazine which you can find here.

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Look at that texture! So lovely!

Okay my lovelies I need to send out a few update newsletters before the day gets away from me.

The last color club shipment goes out this coming week all about value! Working on the next sock club and Star Sponsorship and getting the Spinning club notes out this weekend. My spinning wheel broke which kind of messed things up a bit. And of course I have loaned all my others out so…

I will be introducing our new team members to you very soon. We have 2 new dyers Marit and Karen. We love them, especially the me of we!

Because a bunch of you have asked we have about 70 skeins of BFL Sport left and then we are done. I have been assured there is no more hiding away in corners of the mill. I have a selfish request. If you do want some of this BFL before it is no longer, please do order it soon so we do not have to add it to the new website as an option. Thank you!!

Oh and if you have any Autumn or Halloween color theme ideas do let us know. info@bluemoonfiberarts,com

Okay lovelies have a wonderful weekend!

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