Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Getting Ready

I assume you want to know just why I have not been blogging much in the last few weeks. I have been meaning to blog but preparations for Hemlock and the incredible orders from the Mystery Shawl have just left me with no extra time.

Mystery Shawl 10 opened on July 31 for membership and yarn orders. I predicted maybe 60-70 orders and was prepared with enough undyed yarn on cones for that plus a bit more.  Undyed yarn has since been reordered three times, twice asking for expedited shipping. AND I am about to order again! At this point 123 orders have arrived from all over the US and the world. Flabbergasted is my reaction to the amount of orders but I am so very much pleased as well. Impressed too that so many people like my dyeing.

The special skeins are 1100 yards each of a blend of superwash merino, bamboo and nylon dyed in a choice of three tonal colors that are not yet on my website (but will be next week). I have learned that skeins of that size take forever to dry. Also only 2 fit in each pot with three in a pinch. That means 10-12 skeins per dye session get done. Not bad at all if one does not have a major fiber festival to prepare for. However periodically I came down from the high and remembered that I do. So some days have consisted of two sessions which take up lots of time in skeining, filling pots, adding dyes, soaking skeins, cooking skeins, cooling skeins, rinsing skeins and then starting all over again. Plus there are, delightfully, regular orders to prepare and get out. I also like to eat, sleep, take breaks, walk with the dog and cat and talk to Jim. Oh and I have been writing two patterns and helping with two others. Thinking about this too much leaves me breathless.

So here is a photo blog showing you a bit of what has been going on.
Skeins of undyed yarn mainly skeined by Cathy C. Muchas gracias mi amiga.


Pots of dyed yarn.  That's Paintbox on the right and Denim on the left.


Pots of dyed shawl yarn--on the right is a new color - Fern with a dark glimpse of Black Cherry on the left.


Yarn and fiber drying in the LR as it is too damp and rainy to dry outside


Drying fiber again in the LR after it was rescued from the drizzle outside. sigh


Skeins of dyed and dried sock yarn waiting for reskeining which was and is being done mostly by Jim. My HERO!


Bagged stuff waiting for more stuff so it can eventually be ready to load for Hemlock


More bags of fiber


There should be a pic here of the table loaded with Mystery Shawl orders waiting to go out but I kept forgetting to take those shots.

AND the ubiquitous calendar that kept it all going throughout the past 6 weeks.



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