Dyeing – Page 19 – Elliebelly Knit & Dye Works

Harry eats yarn, we raise some money for charity, and all is good in our world

Posted on November 24, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

That very hairy leg you see belongs to my 17 year old, who has been helping to skein yarn for our effort to raise money for Heifer. While daydreaming about what ever it is that 17 year olds daydream about, he was attacked by Harry, the Maine Coon cat, who really loves the entire yarn dyeing process.

If you haven’t seen it yet, please take a minute to visit our fundraising effort. I’m hoping to raise $500 and donate a "Knitter’s Basket" — two sheep and an alpaca that can ultimately help an entire village become self-sufficient through breeding and raising wool and making products for sale. Pretty cool idea for knitters, no? If you want to participate but can’t afford a lot, consider buying a raffle ticket or two ($2) and getting a chance to win some great yarn, including silk/cashmere, while helping others. There will be more yarn starting on Thursday, as well.

Meanwhile, here are more photos of Harry messing with the yarn (click to enlarge).

I got a wonderful note in the mail from my friend Judy about the fundraiser. She wrote that one year, her daughter decided to host a big extended family Thanksgiving and do all the cooking. She told her mom that when people asked what they could bring, she was to suggest they make a contribution to Heifer, instead. Judy said the idea was a huge hit, they raised enough money to purchase several animals, and several of the family members still contribute to Heifer, as does my family, at the holidays. Judy also enclosed a very generous check for me to put towards our donation. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a friend like Judy, invariably a big supporter in all things I do, and I love her dearly.

Also in the mail, I got a cool bag from Crankypants that I ordered for a friend. Really, I wanted it for me, but it is going to a friend. Amy knew that, and she tucked in a smaller bag for me to keep for myself. How cool is that? Perfect for carrying around the tea cozies I’m knitting for a few friends for Christmas.

Thank you Amy!

The bag, however, forced me to raise a troubling subject. I have so much holiday knitting to do that I’ve been afraid to even make a list. There is no way I can do it all. Really. I’m totally screwed. Next year, I’m starting in January. But for now, I’m going to try and pare down to just a few things and hope that the combination of a little business travel and ballet rehearsals will give me lots of time. I have this.

The Be Sweet yarn is all going for tea cozies for friends
The white is some incredibly soft Blue Sky organic cotton, destined to be a baby bolero
The pretty multicolored skein on the far right has a mate in back and is going to be felted bowls
The darker multicolor in the back is some of my own yarn, destined to be hats (I have two more balls of it)
The two small balls are for Blythe, Ellie’s new doll obsession
The pale pink is some beaded Tillie Thomas yarn I got on sale along with her baby hat pattern

I’m also knitting a vest for Ollie — he’s been begging for one out of the same yarn I used for my Clapotis. It’s a very soft Debbie Bliss aran silk/alpaca blend, and I’m terrified I’m going to run out.

The color is the color of his eyes and he is going to look incredibly handsome in it…if I can find more yarn. What was I thinking? I’ve emailed the store it came from and may have to go stalk people with it on Ravelry.

I’m also dyeing some yarn. First up, some silk/merino yarn for a Clapotis.

This is for one of my customers on approval. I don’t really like doing custom dyeing, because I don’t want anyone to ever end up with yarn they don’t LOVE. But, I get so many requests for Clapotis yarn (I dye mine on the same core yarn used for the Lorna’s Laces Lion and Lamb yarn that the pattern is written for) that I’ve developed a list for interested people. They get to tell me the colors they want, I dye a yarn in my interpretation of the colorway and they get to choose whether they want it, or not. The idea is that if they don’t want it, it goes into the store. However I’ve never had any luck getting it into the store, so I’ve started dyeing it in batches big enough for two Clapotis, in hopes there will actually be some in stock that y’all can buy. (If you’re interested in getting on the list, drop me an email.) I’ve also been dyeing lots of roving this weekend. Here’s the first bit, some Blue Faced Leicester.

I’m off for the rest of the day. We have leaves to rake, a movie to see (should it be Enchanted or Beowulf?), and a pie to bake. All year long, through the extreme drought down here, we nursed along our seven year old Meyer Lemon tree. It has only had fruit the last two years and we were determined. Last night, with help from Harry, we had the most wonderful lemon meringue pie.

But it disappeared in no time and I’m longing for another slice. Fortunately, I have just enough lemons on the tree for a second pie. I love it when a plan comes together!

Happy Thanksgiving

Posted on November 22, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are in the United States! In my family, it’s a wonderful day of incredible food and family being together. I feel fortunate to have married into a family that also values gathering together, since I live all the way across the country from my own family. We’re all looking forward to turkey and fun later in the day. I hope everyone else has a wonderful Thanksgiving too!

Thursday is my usual stocking day at Elliebelly, and I decided to let the yarn for the second week of my fundraiser for heifer.org go live today, despite the holiday. I hope everyone will eat turkey and enjoy their family today and take a look at lots of handpainted yarn tomorrow. There are lotteries and auctions listed as "Give Back" items, with the proceeds being donated to heifer to help hungry people become self-sufficient. So far, you all have helped me raise $234.00! I hope everyone will like this week’s items too. My goal is to raise enough money to donate the knitters basket (more on that below).

Here is a sneak peek at some more of the yarn you will find this week.

Although my original goal was to raise enough to donate one sheep, everyone’s generosity last week made a larger goal like the knitter’s basket possible, which seems so very appropriate in a season of thankfulness for what we have and love and charity towards others. The description of the basket on the heifer site reinforces for me how important it is too put together small amounts to help make a real difference in the lives of others:

This
year, instead of another sweater that will end up in the closet unworn,
why not honor Dad with a Knitting Basket -four wool-producing animals
that will give new hope to families in need? Your gift will warm his
heart and yield bundles of wool for clothes, blankets, ponchos and more
… handcrafted pieces to earn precious income for food and basic
necessities. Dad will love it!

Your
gift of a Knitting Basket represents two llamas and two sheep — four
animals famous for their warm, income-producing wool. From shearing to
spinning, weaving and finally to selling woolen goods at market, the
gift of a Knitting Basket will help struggling families earn extra
income to break free from the grip of poverty and hopelessness. Over
time, as that gift multiplies and more animals are passed on to help
others in need, entire communities will be warmed by the precious wool
of a knitter’s basket

**************

Enjoy your holiday today and join me tomorrow (or today if you’re doing a little post-turkey surfing) and help me Give Back.

Inspiration

Posted on November 18, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

This weekend has been totally given up to family and fun. Our #2 child is home from school, junk food is in evidence, and we have accomplished little of any worth. We mostly try to sit around and stare at him when he will allow it.

Other than child-watching, I’ve been making some art and dyeing some yarn.

Vicki’s Pocketful Round Robin Book has been out on my table for the last two weeks, and I’ve been working on it here and there. I knew what I wanted to do the second I saw it — her book is titled "Habit" on the front cover and in my mind that immediately translated to "Habitat" and the idea of where I live — my comfort zone.

I have a beautiful rubber stamp of Catherine Moore’s that I love — an old garden chair that reminds me of my cottage garden, or at least of my pre-drought cottage garden, so I immediately envisioned using that stamp, making it multi-colored to represent all the colors in the garden and the pleasure I take in sitting quietly and enjoying it. So, I did this.

And strangely enough, chair was the theme at Wednesday Stamper this week, so this is my chair piece of stamp art, as well.

The other side of the pocket is done almost in a glue book fashion, using some of my own photos from the farmers market this summer.

I made a little babble to go inside the pocket — it’s an altered plastic tag that I’ve used images off of an old bird-watching book and an optometrist’s lens on, and tucked it inside the pocket.

Vicki’s book is beautiful — full of watercolor pocket pages and happy, pretty art. She’s going to be so happy when it comes back home to her!

After making art I did some dyeing. I’m working on presents for friends and family, several wholesale orders, and some yarn for the stocking at Elliebelly to benefit Heifer dot org. If you missed out last week, please drop by on Thursday when new yarn will stock and you can bid or buy raffle tickets, with the proceeds going to support a great charity that helps hungry people become self-sufficient.

Because of all the requests, I’ve done some Paintbrush yarns in "boyish" colorways.

and a silk/cashmere blend in the "Wanton" colorway.

There will not, however, be any organic merino this week, as a certain someone decided to claim the yarn I had measured out for her own.

Give Back

Posted on November 10, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

I have an idea for helping other people. My life is so full and I am so fortunate. And a lot of the time, I feel like I don’t do enough to help others. So between now and the holidays, I want to try to do something that will make a difference. The issue that concerns me the most is hunger — the idea of little children like my own living in constant hunger.

One of my family’s favorite charities is Heifer. At Heifer, you can purchase an animal to help a family in need become
self-sufficient, and since I’m a knitter, I want to help buy sheep. This part of the site lets you pick out the animals you want to donate. I like the whole idea that if you give a man a fish he eats for a day, if you teach him to fish, he can feed himself.

So between now and the holidays, I’m going to be dyeing up some special yarn and offering it in my store as a lottery or auction listing, with all of the money, minus only paypal fees and shipping, going towards purchasing a sheep from Heifer. Look for the items titled "Give Back."<br><br>

I hope you all will consider dropping by and helping out. Individually we might feel like we can’t do much, but if 60 people buy a $2 lottery ticket, that’s one sheep. This is going to be a whole family effort in my household — The little ones have been helping with colorways and dyeing, and my 17 year old is winding skeins. I hope you will catch some of our excitement!<br><br>

I would really appreciate any help you can by letting your friends know about this. Word of mouth can do so much on the internet! I plan to stock the first skeins as lotteries this Thursday, the 15th, at noon, and will keep stocking as long as there is interest. I hope to be able to buy one sheep, but would love to buy more — maybe an entire flock?

Yarn For Thursday

Posted on November 7, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

I’m so sleepy! It’s one of those nights when I can barely keep my eyes open. But I haven’t shown you much of my dyed yarn lately, and I really want to share a bit of it tonight because the colorways have been so pretty.

This is mostly for sale yarn, that you can find starting Thursday at noon, Eastern time, here.

First off there’s Lucy organic merino. I just love this yarn. I can’t help myself. I only have two skeins of it dyed up or I would be keeping it for myself. I think there is some Lucy sock yarn in my future.

Then there is Ella, one of my paintbrush series, on a nice bulky blue faced leicester that I love for hats and sweaters because it knits up so quickly, but behaves like a much finer yarn.

The paintbrush yarns are the ones that knit up with this lovely random coloration that makes a great knitted fabric.

I’m also in love with Morgan, an elusive colorway that just wouldn’t photograph as pretty as it is in real life.

FInally there is Old Flame (we all have one, don’t we? tell the truth girls). I don’t work in reds an awful lot but I’m always very happy when I do. I’m going to dye enough of either this colorway or Hedgehog to make Ollie a little sweater now that it’s finally getting cold.

All of these colorways and more will be up for grabs tomorrow, Thursday, at noon when Elliebelly stocks. There are limited numbers of skeins, so make sure you get there early to get your favorites.

Also, please keep a look out for information in the next week or two about my holiday plans for turning yarn into giving. I’m dyeing up some favorite colorways and planning to sell them via lotteries to raise money to make a donation to one of my favorite charities, Heifer.org.

If you don’t know a lot about Heifer, it’s worth checking out. It is one of those charities that really uses your money to do good works. Heifer is modeled on the insight that if you give a man a fish he eats for a day but if you teach him to fish he can feed himself. They offer the opportunity to buy farm animals to help people in need establish themselves. I particularly like the idea of donating a sheep — it seems so fitting — and hope to raise enough money to donate one.

I’m in the middle of dyeing up so colorways I hope you will really want to get your hands on so that together, we can help others during the holiday season. Stay tuned for more on that soon.

Slow Progress

Posted on October 23, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

Some weeks I feel like I make slow progress. Slow progress at work, slow progress with the house, slow progress with knitting. This is one of those weeks. Everything seems to be in slow mo.

This might be because I am knitting inch after inch of boring same-ole same-ole garter stitch — one of those acts of knitting that can only be accomplished by the love of a mother. Rows and rows of garter stitch scarf, in an unrelentingly the same solid pumpkin color, selected by my little pumpkin to match his favorite Crocs. I am starting to think that finishing this scarf is bound to earn me a small place in heaven.

Really, everything else is going well. I’m finished knitting the Noro Adventure Bag. I’ll hold off on finishing it because Nora, from Noni Bags, is teaching a finishing class down here and I’m going to take a day off of work to study at the feet of the master.

I’m also making progress on my Rowan sweater, Anise, knitting both fronts at the same time.

And, I’m close to finishing socks and Ellie’s Cahaba River Jacket. So yes, it’s slow progress, but ultimately, it seems to be going somewhere. I seem to be developing the funniest attitude about finishing projects, especially ones I really like. It’s sort of like reading a really good book. You want to savor it and drag it out. Not let it end too soon. Yes, that’s the kind of knitter I’m becoming. Or maybe it’s just my evil twin’s incredible ability to rationalize not wanting to do the finishing work.

I’m off to see if I can’t make a little bit more progress tonight. I’ll leave you with this picture of sock yarn. Lots of new colorways! Although this picture is a batch that has gone off to a yarn store in New York, several of these colorways will be available this week at Elliebelly when I stock on Thursday, and more will be up the following week.

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Monday, Monday

Posted on October 1, 2007 by Joyce Makes Art

It’s Monday. And I just don’t generally like Mondays. Although they do signal the return of the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, which is a small consolation.

My Monday started with sending all of my Moo cards off to Susie LaFond for the swap she is hostessing. I can’t wait to see what I get back! There have been so many fabulous Moos posted.

And, my Monday picked up a little bit more when I did some seaming and knit the collar on Ellie’s Cahaba River Jacket. Now all I need to do is set in the sleeves and sew in the lining.

It actually fits — probably a total freak given my adventures with gauge of late.

And, if that wasn’t enough yarnie fun, I got to ~~roll around in sock yarn~~ send out October sock yarn to Elliebelly Club Sock members. I had lots of fun dyeing it all up.

I guess it wasn’t all bad as Mondays go, after all. Later in the week I get to fly up to Connecticut to bring son #2, who goes to school up there, home for a visit. I really despise flying, but I have lunch and yarn shopping to look forward to with an online friend before I drive over to the school. And, I’m incredibly excited about getting to see my "baby" after six weeks away.

Please make a note to stop by and see the yarn I’ve got for you at Elliebelly at Hyena Cart when the store stocks Thursday at twelve noon Eastern time. In addition to pretty yarn, I’ve painted a couple of tee-shirts for little ones.