We blended up colours that we disliked, colours that were garish, colours that definitely looked ugly together… and got some really very beautiful blends out of them. The beauty of the drum carded batts were that we broke up all those colours and desaturated them, making surprisingly harmonious combinations of colours and textures. We used a wide range of fibres including Corriedale, Merino, alpaca tussah silk, bamboo rayon, tencel/lyocell, camel, and firestar.

The magic or secret behind making these beautiful batts was really simply patience and building the layers of fibre slowly. Working too quickly or trying to put too much fibre on the drum carder simply resulted in clumpy, bumpy and streaky batts. We worked slowly (in fact, we were late for lunch), and put the blend through about three times. Another thing Abby confirmed was that (depending on the fibre), you can’t card something too much. She related it to brushing your hair… it’s not really possible to brush your hair too much and damage it. Same with fibre, generally.

Most of the drum carders in the session were Strauch Finests or Petites and a few Pat Green Deb’s Deluxes. I brought my own Pat Green Fancicard after a bit of encouragement and in the end, I was so glad I did. I got to learn all the blending on my own equipment without having to change from carder to carder. Some of the students got to use Judith’s personal monster motorized drum carders… crazy huge and super fast carders. It would have been so cool to have a go at one of those.

My afternoon class was with Janel Laidman and was on “Spinning for Socks”. I had been so looking forward to this session because… well, I came to SOAR to spin, and soon realized that all my sessions were about colour or dyeing and didn’t require a spinning wheel. So I was looking forward to finally doing some spinning. And spin we did. For three hours. Straight. Power spinning. Spinning for sock yarn requires high twist in the singles as well as high twist in the plying to help prevent abrasion damage.

Our first sock yarn sample was a three-ply sock yarn made with a ply of mixed BFL, dyed BFL and dyed superwash BFL. Spinning tight singles and then three-plying quite tightly as well. The second sock yarn was a cabled yarn of a ply of superwash merino, merino/tencel, Ashland Bay merino/tussah 70/30 blend, and dyed BFL. These singles needed to be spun super fine in order to make up a fingering weight after basically four-plying it all together.

Although Janel suggested that we use a tight twist for the singles to make harder-wearing socks, she did mention that we could spin softer singles and then ply tighter as that is how most “pearl”-looking commercial sock yarns are constructed.

Both classes today were pretty exhausting (in fact, I face-planted into my hotel bed shortly after Janel’s class for a 20-minute power nap before dinner), but the wealth of knowledge in these women is such an amazing resource for us. I am quite grateful that they are so generous and willing to share their knowledge, some of which is used to do the things that pay for their mortgages. These are just hard-working, truly passionate people who seem to love what they do. I just want to be in the room to soak up even a drop of their wisdom. I think that makes coming to SOAR worth it.

We partnered up and dyed BFL and Superwash Merino top with Amy’s oven method and also a cold-pour technique. In the oven method, we wet out the fibre, arranged it in the oven pans and then poured dye in whichever pattern we wanted. Then citric acid solution was poured over the entire pan and the pans were baked at 280 to 300 degrees, held at that temperature for ten minutes and then allowed to cool down. With the cold-pour sample, we put the superwash merino in a pot of cold water and poured dye over top. There’s more water in this method, but since we used superwash, the dye struck pretty quickly so we got splotchy fibre. Unexpected results… but it’s going to be fun to spin up.

It was happy times as I finally got to meet Jacey Boggs of Insubordiknit in class this morning. In fact, we partnered up for the dyeing and it was so cool to chat with her. There’s so much to learn from everyone.

Jacey is an absolute sweetheart and she is, at the same time, so confident and also very humble about her achievements. She’s the talent behind the new Sit n’ Spin DVD and teaches the technical skills required to be proficient at making art yarn. She podcasts and she blogs and she’s generally just a productive whirlwind of creativity. Yep, she’s awesome and she’s coming to teach at Madrona Fiber Arts in February 2010 if anyone in Vancouver is interested in really learning the skills to spin art yarn.

My afternoon session was all about drum carding with Deb Menz, a long-time hero of mine. Her book, Color in Spinning, turned me on to nearly everything I do today — dyeing, working with colour, creating colourways, and spinning handpainted yarns. So, of course, seeing Deb do simple things like strip a batt or pull combed fibre off a hackle was … like a celebrity moment for me.

I got her to explain to me her “major key” and “minor key” concepts from the book and I finally got it. Major Key colourways include the entire range of values but in different proportions so the yarn looks a bit more salt-n-peppery. Minor Key colourways include a small set of close values so the yarn looks closer to semi-solid with very little internal contrast. Good to hear it from the source, because that chapter in the book totally confused me.

Our class was about experimenting with the three different properties of colour: hue, value, and saturation. So we started with a single colour of fibre and split it into six portions. With each portion we blended in a smaller portion of another colour to create a variation… so a single colour was shifted warmer and cooler, darker and lighter, duller and brighter. Some of us used drum carders and others used the large hand combs or hackles. I went through all the trouble of packing my electric Fancicard, so I chose to use that for the entire class. Here are my batts:

Feeling very, very blessed, I was lucky enough to finish the day with a couple hours at the spa (a very special and lovely gift) and also a bit of a trip through the spinners’ market. After a test drive on the Schacht-Reeves 30″ saxony wheel and a few lustful glances at the Lendrum Saxony, I treated myself to some 80/20 Polwarth and Bombyx silk blend in a silver colour and some sock yarns from Blue Moon and Abstract Fiber as well as a Sheep 2 Sock kit from Blue Moon. It’s kind of nice to feel like a stash-hungry, wheel-coveting spinner again… at least for a moment.

I’ve always held that the Pacific Northwest is uncommonly beautiful and I felt absolutely in awe to drive through from British Columbia through Washington to Central Oregon. It’s autumn and the leaves are fully golden and rust coloured. Driving through some narrower passages of highway, the pine trees are exquisitely tall and the deciduous trees sprinkled amongst them shed their leaves in a magical pixie dust kind of way. I had zero time to do any research about getting to Sunriver, so I let the GPS determine my route. So, of course, I had no idea that I’d be driving through the snow resort town of Mt. Hood. It was brilliant to go from pitch black and pouring rain at 4 am to glorious snow and sun by about 10:30 am. Got me all excited about starting snowboard season.

And then almost directly after the Mt. Hood National Forest… I hit a super dry, desert-like stretch. It’s sort of at the end of this stretch that Sunriver is at. The resort is in the middle of Deschutes National Forest and I believe there are a number of golf courses in the area. But the rooms are lovely… complete with outdoor deck and adirondack chairs and a gas fireplace indoors… perfect for evening spinning.

So far, I’ve had about 20 minutes to spend at the spinners’ market. Not enough to decide on anything yet. Maybe some lovely natural dyed spinning fibre? Maybe a square-shaped spindle? I did spin on Lendrum Saxony again today for the second time in my life and it’s pure joy. I spoke to Gord Lendrum about getting one and there just seems like there’s none available anywhere. Ah well. The dream wheel will stay a dream.

Dinner tonight was followed by a brief, casual fashion show of the handspun creations of our attendees. Beautiful things like “my first ever handspun knit into my first ever lace shawl” or “wedding ring shawls” or “angora handspun that doesn’t shed”. Two of the pieces that I swoooooned over were the following:

Okay, from what I remember, this is 100% silk handspun and navajo-plied. The yarn is 80 wpi PLIED. And then it’s knit into a triangular ostrich plume shawl. I got to touch this one and I can’t even imagine how fine the singles must have been. Exquisite spinning and such fine lace knitting.

And this sweater had a lovely history. The yarn was spun over many years from a fleece that was purchased 16 years ago. And then the maker designed and knit and unknit the sweater a few times, never seeming to reach completion. Then finally after the support of her friends, she managed to complete it on the plane ride to SOAR today. Makes me feel a bit better about those two fleeces I’ve been storing.

Well, I’m tuckered out and my eyes are going to pop out of my head soon. I’m taking Spunky’s dye class tomorrow morning, Deb Menz’s carding class tomorrow afternoon. Time for sleep.

I owe this blog a whole lot of posts. But let’s start off with a simple and slouchy hat that I designed while I was sitting in my car for over 90 minutes, waiting to cross the border into the US to attend the Earthues Natural Dye Studio workshops in Ballard, Seattle, WA. A lovely clover lace pattern is the basis for this slouchy beret-style hat. Its easy-to-memorize lace pattern makes for a very simple and elegant one-skein gift. Since that day in July, I’ve made four of these hats in different yarns and colours and tested different sizes and gauges. I like this result the best:

Knit it up in a luxurious and drapey Merino Silk Aran or a lush and cushy Superwash Worsted yarn. I love how the lace is gentle and uncomplicated. It decreases seamlessly at the crown to form a beret-type shape. The simple pattern lets you add repeats if you like to make a slouchier hat.

The 2-page PDF pattern includes both charted and written directions. And it’s available via Ravelry or the shop site. And it’s free. My gift to you this crisp fall morning. Keep your head warm.

Back in July, I had the privilege of attending Earthues’ Dealers Conference, a week-long full day and night workshop on handpainting with natural dyes and indigo. I was a bit hesitant at first since it was scheduled to begin on the night of my birthday and it was a bit sad to think I’d be spending my birthday alone in some random hostel with 15 other strangers… but it ended up being such a wonderful, inspiring experience. I don’t know how it could have been better. We spent from 10 am to 5 pm handpainting and dyeing various yarns with Michele’s natural dye colourways, left the Ballard studio for some dinner with the group, then returned each evening for another one or two hour lecture. One evening, Michele and Kathy demonstrated, side-by-side, the difference between their bio/organic indigo and the indigofera guatamalensis. These women know their indigo.

Another evening, we discussed eco-friendly dyes and minimizing resources including water and energy. Really simple things like covering your dye pots allows the water to heat up 22% faster. And another evening, Michele presented her projects with communities in Senegal and setting them up for natural dyeing and production.

Always, I think my greatest inspiration comes from seeing the infinite variety of exquisitely sophisticated colours that are possible from just a few natural dyes. Every time I see the yarn samples laid out in front of me, something in me is challenged to increase my skill and knowledge in dyeing and natural dyeing. It’s both comforting and exciting to think that I have all my future years to explore new aspects of dyeing.

I spent the week among fifteen amazingly wise and talented women and it was undeniably inspiring. I met a woman who raises CVM sheep in New Hampshire, another woman who makes her own goat cheese in Idaho, another woman who designs and makes handmade naturally dyed rugs in Nepal AND teaches full-time at the university textile program, women who have been natural dyeing for thirty years now… and they are all incredibly diverse examples of living and working out their lives on their own terms. It’s the kind of message I needed to receive on my birthday, I think. That however unconventional our careers and paths may seem, a life can be built on a passion for fibre. That however difficult or challenging it may seem, others have gone before you and it has been done. Nothing is impossible.

SweetGeorgia has been a busy place this summer. Since returning from the week-long dye workshop in Seattle, I’ve been dyeing for wholesale orders and shipping to yarn stores. Make One Yarn Studio in Calgary was the first to receive their shipment of a wide selection of our yarns. And this past week, we finished orders for Unwind Yarn House in Ontario and Black Sheep Yarns in Port Moody, BC. I’ve been re-establishing old relationships I had with our retailers and on the look out for new retailers as well. Personally, I am so very excited to start seeing our yarns in stores again and am excited about the opportunity to make and design new colours and yarns.

This fall, we’re introducing our lofty and luxurious Merino Silk Aran, a 50/50 blend of soft merino and cultivated silk, along with several new jewel-toned colours. Espresso is a deep, rich chocolate brown. Cayenne is our spicy burnt orange and persimmon colour. Ultraviolet is a super deep purple violet. And Nightshade is an sparkling dark indigo navy. All these colours are available in all our dye to order yarns, available now.

Merino Silk Aran is like the big sister to our Merino Silk Lace that we started dyeing this past summer. My mom has been diligently knitting up a batch of scarves for our family members in Taiwan and devised this quick knit that we’re calling “Ginger Rib Scarf“. It’s knit up on big needles with the 8-ply Merino Silk Aran and is super easy to make. One skein makes a cute, short-ish scarf or add another skein for extra length.

And last night at our spinning class, one of our weaving students, Jean, stopped by and brought along her beautiful handspun from August’s Fibre Club offering. It’s a blend of merino/bamboo/tussah silk and dyed up in warm tones of burnt orange, gold, chocolate brown and warm red. I’m excited to see what else you all spin with the fibre.

One last thing — the studio will be closed from September 11 to 23 as I’m going to be traveling to California again. All orders will ship when I return at the end of September!

There is much weaving progress going on at the studio… among all the students and weavers, except me! Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I’ve been so busy with dyeing and writing the never-ending cardigan pattern that I haven’t had time to touch my loom. So instead, Carina is making good use of the Louet Spring loom at the studio.

Also, the summer set of weaving students has been great so far — I opened an evening weaving class on Wednesday nights (as opposed to Wednesday mornings) and it filled up almost immediately without any announcement (I didn’t have a chance to)! Some of the students are working on the initial plain weave and twill sampler to start with… and Susan is working on threading her doubleweave sampler.

I am, indeed, enjoying teaching. Having only begun teaching spinning and weaving this January, it’s been quite a little adventure for me. Sometimes exhausting (the two times I caught the flu were directly after I taught dye classes), sometimes exhilarating (the colour spinning day was awesome), and always enjoyable. The students are all so interesting and talented, and it’s fascinating to me to watch their hands and eyes connect and start making beautiful things.

Next week, I’m out of town and the studio will be closed for a short week. I’m off to visit Earthues in Seattle and attend a week-long natural dye workshop with Michele Whipplinger. Michele and her incredible studio in Ballard have been a great inspiration to me for some time now and I’m looking forward to soaking up some new information and inspiration that I can bring back into my work this fall.

In the meantime, I’d better get back to the monster Excel file and the cardigan pattern that just won’t quit.

A couple months ago, I found myself quite challenged and provoked by a documentary about the intersection between creativity and responsibility. It is truly liberating and enlightening to have someone describe and defend creative work in any genre. And so, I’m really looking forward to attending the Vancouver premier screening of Handmade Nation this Thursday, July 9th.

I’m hoping it will be a documentary that accurately describes and defends the rising movement of D.I.Y., art, craft, and design. I’m hoping to see women on-screen who do what I do, work how I work, experience both the struggles and the joy that I experience… so that hopefully, I don’t feel like I’m doing this all alone. It’s high expectations for a little film, but I have faith that it won’t disappoint. The director, Faythe Levine, will be present at only this one, Vancouver, screening for a Q&A and book signing session. Hope you’ll come see the film too… because I’d love to hear your feedback on it.

Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Location: Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway @ Commercial Drive
Screening at 8:00pm, Craft Showcase at 7:00pm

Traveling across the world to sold out crowds, it is Vancouver’s turn to join the handmade revolution! Join Director Faythe Levine, July 9th, for Western Canada’s premier of Handmade Nation. Be the first in Vancouver to see the film, meet Faythe Levine and participate in a Q&A and book signing session after the screening.

A companion book, Handmade Nation – The Rise of D.I.Y., Art, Craft, and Design, features 24 artists, their work environment, their process, their work, and discussions of how they got their start and what motivates them.

For more information, visit:
Handmade Nation’s official website
Faythe Levine’s blog

Last night, Three Bags Full entertained a warm and enthusiastic crowd by hosting the Twist Collective knitwear fashion show. Knitters and excited guests lined the entire circumference of the store and enjoyed a line-up including Sylvi by Mari Muinonen, Wisteria by Kate Gilbert, Lily by Marnie MacLean, Linden by Véronik Avery, Kingscot by Norah Gaughan, Aphrodite by Sivia Harding, and the Botanical Lace Cardigan by Margaret Atkinson, among many many others.

The highlight of an event like this is that you get to go and touch and feel the sweaters after the show. The Linden cardi weighs something like 2 pounds in your hand… and then the Aphrodite shawl weighs almost nothing. My mom joined me for the show, and as an intrepid new knitter, I hoped she was inspired and encouraged by some of the projects coming down the runway. That maybe something inside, thought “hey, I could make that.” And for me, since I am always surrounded by my own yarns and colours, it’s nice to get outside and have a look and feel at some other yarns… like seeing Wollmeise knit up for the first time (it looks like it has cotton in it, but it’s 100% wool. Crazy!).

If you missed the show, Three Bags Full will have tons of photos as well as a video on their blog in the upcoming days. Be sure to take a look!

When I first decided to move into the studio at the Watershed Building, I remembered thinking, “it’s so wonderful, there’s a little garden in the courtyard where you can go knit in the afternoons… and there’s a rooftop garden where you can see the entire city… ohh, I’ll definitely be spending time there…” After all these months of working at the studio, I’ve had very little time or cause to actually wander around the courtyard garden, but yesterday, I had a lovely visit from Sivia Harding and we had good cause to visit the garden. She brought me her Phoenix Rising shawl (also here on Ravelry) that she knit up in my CashSilk Lace yarn (Boysenberry, for those who want to know) and I got to hold it for photos!

I was immediately smitten with the top portion of the lace. The wandering lines snaking back and forth down the shawl until you reach the weighty, beaded edging. Sivia is well-known for her exquisite and unique beaded lace designs and while this gorgeous shawl pattern was only available previously through the 2008 Year of Lace club, it is now available through Sivia’s website. She explained that this Phoenix Rising redux includes new beading instructions as well as a new lace edging. I was just looking at it, thinking, “I’m so honoured to be wearing this amazing shawl … on my first day in the courtyard garden, no less.”