Upcoming Shows

This is a busy week for Blarney Yarn! On Thursday, December 6, I will be at Knit Culture Studio for the Holiday Yarn and Craft Show. Thursday night is the kick-off for the weekend-long event.

On Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9 you can find me at booth 30 at the Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. The fair is open from 10 to 5 both days.

I will be debuting my new super wash merino wool yarn called Whirl, as well as a new shawlette pattern at these events. I couldn't be more excited!

Please stop by if you are in the Los Angeles Area this week!

Dyeing and Designing

I spent the second half of the summer working on knitting projects and dyeing yarn. I have a couple of lovely new yarns this fall. The first is a high-twist, light fingering weight superwash Corriedale yarn called Moxie. It takes dye beautifully, and is a great yarn for lace knitting or crochet.

My second new yarn is a medium-twist, fingering weight superwash Merino yarn called Whirl. It is soft and a bit lofty, making it appropriate for a variety of knitting projects from socks to lace. And best of all, Whirl was spun by a mill in the USA! Here is a teaser photo of a shawlette pattern that I am designing with Whirl.

Both of my new yarns will be available at Knit Culture Studio during the West Third Street Annual Holiday Party in Los Angeles.

Stay turned for updates on my winter show schedule.

Getting Ready for Renegade Craft Fair

Since returning from Black Sheep Gathering, I have been spending much of my time washing fiber. I shared two fleeces with friends this year. One was a chocolate brown merino and the other was a chocolate brown shetland lamb. Both are very soft and wonderful to spin. As I was reorganizing my fiber stash to accommodate the new fleeces, I came across some alpaca that my grandparents found for me at their county fair a few years ago. One is a cinnamon brown and one is white (pictured below). They both cleaned up very nicely - some grass, but no sand - and they feel like butter. Now that all of my fibers are washed and ready to go, I can't wait to start spinning.

I have also been experimenting with a variety of shibori dyeing techniques on silk scarfs. What I have been enjoying the most is how "unscripted" the process is. I only have to think about what resist technique to use and then randomly grab some colors that work together. Silk takes the dye so much more delicately than wool, which has allowed the use of much more intense colors without over-intense results.

Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles is right around the corner (July 28 and 29). In preparation, I have been building Summer- and Fall-themed drop spindle kits that include 1 oz each of three different colorways in bluefaced leicester wool, along with a 2 inch (1.1 oz) Schacht Hi-Lo Spindle. I enjoy matching up different colorways and thinking about how the colors would look plied together. In addition to the drop spindle kits, I will have knitting kits, knitting and crochet patterns, handwoven/knitted/crocheted items, shibori scarfs, handpainted spinning fibers and yarn, and more. Please stop by booth 182 and say hello if you are in the area.

On the road to Eugene

We made it to Eugene today and had a nice dinner at Davis's restaurant before settling on the porch swing of our B&B for some crocheting and knitting. The drive from southern California was beautiful. I am always amazed by the diversity in terrain in the state of California. Here are just a few of the roadside attractions that we enjoyed:














Last night we stayed in Ashland, which is such an adorable little town. We always eat at Pangea, which offers a variety of foods for vegans and carnivores alike. We enjoyed some shopping in the different independently owned shops this morning before hitting the road to Eugene.

Getting ready for Black Sheep Gathering

I have been absent from this forum for about a year now, but I haven't been away from fiber. Last summer you could usually find me at my new Schacht Baby Wolf loom. During the fall, I prepared for the Holiday Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. In the winter, I bought a Hansen miniSpinnner, and spent many hours enjoying electrified spinning. When spring rolled around, I began to prepare in earnest for Black Sheep Gathering. And that brings us to today.

My friend, Lori Lawson of Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio, and I will begin our road trip to Eugene, Oregon for Black Sheep Gathering in a few days. I am busily putting the final touches on my fibers, yarns, and patterns for the show. I have many new colorways this year, as well as a new shawlette pattern. I can hardly wait to hit the road!