Lab continues to eat my brain, but it’s also progressing, albeit slowly.

And, of course, as per usual, it’s made me way behind on keeping things updated.

First, I got another shipment of fiber. Mmm fiber. Finn, Wensleydale, and Corriedale combed top, and Romney roving. Yummy. Douglas (though, he’s an alpaca, maybe he’s really Diego?) is using it as a bed.

The finn and wensleydale are weighed out for dyeing.

Sent out a bunch of fiber last week, including a larger order, which as I mentioned before gets an added bonus. The order has arrived, so I can post them now. The order was pink, so I provided a pair of orphan stitch markers, in pink. These are orphan from the stars and moons beads, which I got a while ago from a place that no longer exists.

Rhodonite – Metal – Sodalite

Let’s see, what else? Well, I’ve actually got almost enough photos to finally open the Gnomespun in the Wild gallery. Just need permission from one person to post a photo.

Oh right, dyeing.

Been doing quite a bit. Two, sadly, I didn’t get photos of. But my friends at knit night seemed to enjoy them. A Soft Corundum and a new colorway, Lavender Fields, disappeared. Not that I’m complaining, as the money went into a project I’m working on.

Before the new stuff, here’s the Brick I mentioned earlier, actually braided up.

9.5 oz of Border Liecester, carded roving. In a MONSTER BRAID OF DOOOOOOM.

Ahem. Yay.

More of the alpaca/merino/silk fiber. Oh the semi-solids are such fun in this fiber! Spring colors!

First, early in spring, bloom the daylillies. Orange bursts of sunshine and green in a world still waking up from winter.

Daylillies. 6oz of Alpaca/Merino/Silk 50/30/20 Combed Top

As summer bursts upon the scene, so do the poppies. I didn’t manage to catch the soft shine of this fiber well. It really does remind me of the slight gleam of a poppy petal in both shade and shine.

Poppies. 8oz Alpaca/Merino/Silk 50/30/20 Combed Top

Finally, later in the summer, the Rose of Sharon blooms. Softly variegated roses with a tinge of blue (unless you have more basic soil, when they’ll be bluer).

Rose of Sharon. 4oz BFL Combed Top

And there’s nothing like watching the summer sun set, late in the warm evenings…

As the Sun Sets. 3oz BFL Combed Top

And two colorways which aren’t new.

Soft Corundum, a slightly less intense version of Corundum. 6oz Alpaca/Merino/Silk 50/30/20 Combed Top.

And Amethyst Dreams, which didn’t make it to the shop last time. 8oz Alpaca/Merino/Silk 50/30/20 Combed Top.

Also a small blob of unnamed blending silk.

Mmmm… fiber. Essentially out of this fiber for now. But plenty of others on the way.

Currently have a big bunch of New Mown Hay in the dyepot for a friend.

Ok, time for bed. Past, in fact, by over an hour.

Night everyone. I’ll get these up on the shop tomorrow or Monday.

~The Gnome

So you remember the squeeing? Well, the squeeing became dyeing, and here are the results.

First I let Self have control of the dyepot to play with his cool greens and blues.

He started with one of my few repeated colorways, War for the Oaks, but in a new fiber for that mix, BFL. Mmm BFL. The effect is very different in BFL, because the colors don’t spread the same within the fiber. Going to try it in still another fiber sometime this week. Named after the book by Emma Bull

Then, he did this one, another repeat, but not one you really got to see before, Deep Forest Shadows, a slightly lighter more dappled version. Also in BFL. Deep in the forest, the shadows play, flitting and dancing. Which shadows are simply the moving of leaves, and which are something darker… stranger?

Then Self and I came up with a slightly new dyeing method. First he had a go with it and got a new Into the Green. More BFL. On the edge of the forest, light plays through the leaves as a soft breeze blows, throwing dappled green shadows on the world. Come, join me and explore its cool mysteries.

And a darker, richer one, dubbed Phouka, after the male lead in War for the Oaks. A dark, earthy fae, rich with depth, color, and masculine energy, at once wise and powerful and naive and vulnerable. 50% Alpaca / 30% Merino/ 20% Silk

Finally Self managed this one, The Storm Clears. Cool, whispy, clouds clearing to reveal a startling blue sky behind. More of the Alpaca/Merino/Silk blend

Before Self completely relinquished the pot, we collaborated on one of my favorites of the bunch. Corundum. Deep oxblood and blue/purple. A mix of the stone which becomes ruby and sapphire. Deep and saturated and rich. Also, already gone. Going to dye some more of this one though. More of the Alpaca/Merino/Silk. Mmm shiny.

Apparently, once I got control of the dyepot, I was in an odd mood. Because I kept dyeing things out of my norm.

First, fruit salad. Mmm summery. Peach and orange and grapes and plum. Mmm. Alpaca/Merino/Silk

Then, more fruit. Crushed Berries, a color I’ve done and spun into yarn before. BFL

Then, somehow, I dyed this. A repeat, but not one I planned. Munstead, a softer flowered lavender. A pretty flower. Alpaca/Merino/Silk

And finally… Robins and Rabbits. Yeah… I don’t know where it came from. It snuck up and assaulted my dyepot. When spring has sprung… BFL

These will all be up in the store (except Corundum) shortly.

More dyeing to be done this week. Halfway through the latest spinning commission. Then I have to finally sit down and spin for the swap I’m falling behind on. Then, maybe I’ll spin something for myself… ::laughs:: who’m I kidding?

~The Gnome

Look what I got in the mail!

Doesn’t look so impressive, does it? 18 inch box with some fiber in it.

Looks a little bigger now, with Steve sitting on it for scale? doesn’t it? And that’s BEFORE it expanded. Each of the two bags is now bigger than the box. I’ll take an “expanded” photo tonight with Douglas for larger scale.

Ten pounds! SQUEEE!

Ahem. Ok. I’m ok now.

SQUEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Ok, maybe not. The fumes are still getting to me. ::sticks head in bag:: Ahem, maybe that’s not helping. ::swoons::

5 pounds of BFL and 5 pounds of Alpaca/Merino/Silk. Both are luscious.

Let the dyeing commence.

Lessee… what else? Oh right, Gnomespun has gone global with shipments to countries across that big puddle (or several big puddles).

Ah, right, an addition to store policy. If you order more than 50$ worth of stuff, I’ll stick something extra in. It won’t be big, but it’ll be something. An extra bit of handspun, or some stitch markers or the like. For the latest large order, I added some orphan stitch markers I made.

Um… oh, I never posted that did I? Sorry, science ate my brain.

Remember the experiment I was mentioning? Right. So it pretty much worked.

14oz of border leicester, semi-solid, dyed in my one pot. Woot.

The only flaw was this bit at the bottom of the pot. Caused by forgetting that dye doesn’t really go into room temperature water very well. Easily fixed.

This will be divided into an 8oz semi-solid and a 6oz (back to the dye pot first) non-solid for the store.

In the process of plying another commission yarn (not pink). About 1/4 done.

So, lots of upcoming fiber. And a couple projects in the planning stages upcoming. ::crosses fingers::

Whee! And more fae seem to be creeping out of my sketchbook again. I’m sure they’ll sneak into my computer soon enough.

Excuse me, I think I need another BFL hit. ::runs off::

~The Gnome

Work has been… interesting. Got home at 8:45 last night.

But, I have finished some things. Will try to get updates this week.

First, we have Pink Spinel. This was a commissioned yarn (no surprise, I don’t make pink unless I’m specifically paid for it).

2-ply, 100% merino, 190yds, aran weight

Next, two sets of stitch markers. Later, I’ll post some experimental ones.

First, the set of white howlite ones I showed the demo of before.
Rose Quartz – White Howlite – 4x Tree Agate

Then, a set slightly different than past sets.

Rhodonite – Pewter – Lapis – Tree Agate

Finally, some fiber.

Some more blending silk for carding.

River Rapid.

That’s all I have time for right now. Will put up more later.

For our fairy today, we have something of an oddball. He’s very self-important, but is rarely listened to on account of his having three minds that never really agree on anything.

~The Gnome

It’s all snowy and blizzarding here. As it did much of Sunday (while I was driving to and from my Parents’ house). Yay for good truck with good tires.

I finally got to sit down at my baby this weekend. Finished off a skein of Queen Mab. Oy, every time I do one of these I remember again what a huge pain beading is. But it is pretty.

190yds, dk weight with a bit of thick/thin character.
100% Alpaca plied with icey beads befitting the Queen’s ice cold fae heart.

With that done, I got to get to work on the Pink Spinel commissioned yarn, which is now 1.3 bobbins in, two thirds of a bobbin left and that will be ready for dyeing. Whee!

Of course, I also spent quite a bit of time dyeing. Look, Bug Girl, no superwash! And Marcy? Lots of non-merino for you! Don’t say I never did anything for ya.

Fire in the Greenwood:
Self and I collaborated on this one to get a pair of complimentary colors working. I like it. The green isn’t overpowering or christmas-y, it really is the green of new branches. Unfortunately those branches are being consumed by fire, but we can’t have everything now can we? 80% Merino, 20% Alpaca

Rosewood:
A warm red, almost pink wood, with texture and variation of grain. Warm and cozy. 100% Bluefaced Leicester

Then I decided I was enjoying this wood theme.

Hardwood:
Dark, rich, and strong, in a deep grained, heathered brown. 100% Shetland

Then, I decided I liked deep, but needed to get away from the browns and woods a little, and let Self play with his blue.

Midnight Magic:
Deep in midnight shadows magic twists and swirls, lighting the world of imagination and mingling with the deep night. 100% Shetland

Yeah, so apparently I had wood and fire on the brain.

Beyond Embers:
When the fire is almost entirely ash and burned out logs, when only the barest whisps of warmth still radiate from the stones, and the cold begins to encroach. I’ll admit I was close to calling this “Grad School” in the spirit of my energy levels. But I resisted. 100% BFL

And yet another wood. Also, my first actual striped roving.

Japanese Maple:
Warm brown wood and hot rich red leaves that rustle with the winds. 100% Shetland

It was, of course, time to let Self and his cool colors play again. So, we decided to try the suggestion of a friend, and go with complementaries using this method.

Rivers of Gold:
As the river flows, fast and cold down from the mountain before slowing in the shallows, gold glitters in the pan, singing it’s siren song of influence and power and beauty. 100% Shetland

Finally, a new fiber for me.

Garnet Shadows:
Rich, deep, lustrous semi-solid red. 100% Finn, with more shine than the finer fibers, but still sleek and remarkably soft.

Lots done this weekend. Yay. These will be up in the shop shortly.

~The Gnome