Posts from the ‘Rockin’ Sock Club’ Category

Winter Solstice

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

 

 

 

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…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take care of your dear selves!

obsession

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a wonderful day!!

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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?

 

 

 

 

 

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!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo Credit: Ply Magazine

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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!

New!!!!

Hello!!

I know it’s been awhile. I really had nothing new to report and had my head, heart and soul in the dye pot getting all the things dyed so we could get you your yarn.

Also we’ve been interviewing for new dyers. And…are you ready? It’s good!! We hired one this week and probably will hire another next week. I know!!!! So much happy dancing in the barn I will tell you.

We are over the moon thrilled.

I will share more as we get to know our new team members. I can’t tell you how happy I am. It most definitely has been a summer.

Okay so we have new colorways!! The end if Summer moving into Autumn is my all time favorite time of the year. So much color and some of my favorite types of color. So rich and with layers upon layers and then there is all of those down and dirty colors. My color happy place for sure so look for more and more new colors as we move into Autumn.

Some of the new colors I made are for the winners of the instagram contest we held. So much fun making color based on an image or someone else’s inspiration. I think I did pretty well. I still have one more to go. I made it but am unhappy with it so it is back to the dye pot. Here are the ones I did and they are up on the website right now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few other new colorways also!

It is also time for our seasonal color shift!

So I am in the process of taking some of our brighter summer hues down and adding in our Autumn ones. If there is one of our colorways you would like to see make a come back please do let us know!

Shipping updates:

We are getting seriously close to being caught up to our 15 business day promise on web orders!

Knock on wood. Goddess forbid we to tempt fate in any way whatsoever!!

We will be shipping out the 2nd installment of the silk School of Yarn. The last installment of the color club will follow right behind that as will the next sock club shipment which will have us all caught up there.

We are waiting on a few things from the mill like our Superfoot roving and Single Silk Targhee.

Soft Rock is back in stock. Yay!!!

Please do email info@bluemoonfiberarts.com if you have any questions or concerns. We have sent out bulk emails but we do get fire-walled and spammed out when we do that.

okay I think that is all for now.

On a personal note my little Bruce friend is no longer with us. Since I have shared with you our experiences together I thought I would share this too.

Bruce and I had a very special bond. Except for my dog Luna that I had in my twentys I have not experienced one like this since then so I am pretty bereft. I will miss her tons and so appreciate all the support I have been given!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a great weekend my fiber loving, stitch making friends!

You are all so very wonderful!

Strawberry Moon!

Another full moon is upon us. Oh my goodness how is it already the middle of June already. My how time flies when you are down a dyer or two? Okay our new worker bee waltzes in the door on Monday so I am one happy camper. I can’t tell you how excited I am. Juggling too many yarn balls at the moment!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June’s full moon is called the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time when the strawberries were ripe for picking.  So…of course,  I went with a nice strawberry red with a touch of spearmint green amid a dusky dark sky. i had fun creating this colorway. I made a brand new red and green to make this one happen! So look for those soon. I am working on some new shaded solids that I am pretty excited about. I made this new green that just makes my green loving heart overjoyed.

I’ve been wanting to add to our shaded solid colors for awhile now. Sometimes we need a little push and the Cara’s Susurrate Shawl is just the push I needed. When I was putting color combo’s together I found that there was colors I was missing so… of to the dye pot to make that happen.

Here are a few of the color combo’s I have put together so far for Susurrate. If you need help choosing please do email me. I will remind everyone to order sooner than later. Also contrast on these is important otherwise that stunning pattern will no be visible and you want to see all of that leafy/vine brioche goodness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Garden Armwarmers By Angela Westover

Have you seen this wonderful mitts? I saw them on instagram and then Angela contacted me with the link to the pattern. As someone who fluctuates in body temperature I love the long arms on these.  Also they really show off the colorways, especially the speckles. She used Sock that Rock Lightweight.

So pretty. If you are starting your holiday knitting I think these would be all kinds of an awesome gift. I think these are one of those patterns we knit over and over again!

Okay remember that there is a 15% percent discount for the Susurrate Shawl . The code is: susurrate19

Also… our mill has found more of our beloved BFL Sport so I have made it available on the website again. I think there are a hundred or so skeins so if you missed out the first time now is your absolutely last shot and we are lucky to have it!

 

 

 

 

 

Okay dear ones I am off to send you a newsletter and then off to my sons for the first evening off in quite awhile.

We shipped lots and lots of yarn out this week. Color club will go out next week. The color club is the most time consuming to prep and dye and being short staffed has extended that. We shipped more of the sock club and will get more out this week.

As I have mentioned if you have a deadline please do let us know so we can best serve everyone. Thank you for your patience!! Love you all!!

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY to all you wonderful dads!! We have a 15% discount for all of you fiber loving dads!!

Coupon code: dadsrock19