The Localspun series is my attempt to share the process from fiber (on the animal) to finished yarn. Each is just a glimpse into a moment in the life of yarn and yarnmaker. Most everyone knows that fabric comes from yarn or thread which comes from cotton, sheep or synthetics. But how does it really GET there? From farm to cloth? In the next few week’s I’ll be working through and documenting this process. Today: The Fleece.

I purchased the fleece from Hobby Knob Farm, during my last farm visit.

It’s a Coopworth, shorn just last March from one of Elizabeth’s herd. It’s around 7 lbs and I loved the locks, even dirty:

When I was ready to wash it, I spread it out on my back “porch”. My cat was fascinated:

I was a little nervous I’d ruin it, so I gathered all the bits around the edges that were dirtiest and washed those first. The fleece had already been skirted, which means all the dung tags (uh, poop) and really dirty stuff around the edges had been removed before I bought it. But I found the dirtiest, shortest locks and put them in the washing machine.

Here’s where my fleece washing differs from everyone else. Usually you fill the washing machine up with the hottest water, but, well, my hot water line isn’t hooked up to the washer (we always wash with cold water), so I had to get a little old-fashioned. I took my big dyeing kettle, filled it up with hot water and put it on the stove. When the water got really hot, I added it to the washing machine. It took about 2 kettles to get enough water to fill the washing machine, so I only washed the fleece with hot water once. I added a shot of Dr. Bronner’s shampoo (all natural, organic ingredients!) and then left it alone for 2 hours. I came back later, drained the water, filled it up with tepid water and let it sit again for 2 or 3 hours. After these two rinses I couldn’t believe how clean and white the fleece was!

No dirt, no grime and so much brighter white than I expected.

I put the fleece back outside, on an old, clean rug to dry.

After it was dry, I brought it in and dyed it, more on that next week!

Last night, I gave up on a sweater. My beautiful handspun sweater just isn’t working out. After completing the body and 1 sleeve, I realized I need more yarn. And the yoke isn’t right (too much fabric at the shoulders). And the whole thing is too stiff, not drapey enough. Most of these issues could have been solved by following a pattern (well, except for the drape, I just needed to use a bigger needle and knit it at a different gauge), but because I’m designing it myself, all these little things have to be figured out. If I had chosen a pattern suited for handspun, many of these mistakes might have been avoided.
But that’s only if I choose the right pattern! Here’s a few things to keep in mind when choosing a pattern for handspun yarn

• Gauge with handspun is variable. One skein might be heavy worsted, while the next is bulky. Knit for the bigger yarn, or else your work will be stiff in areas. Of course, it maybe be a little thin in some areas, but that’s usually preferable.
• Handspun yarn usually has a lot of texture. Play this up with a simple textured stitch or St st.
• Along with texture, handspun yarn can be quite colorful. Cables and pictoral lace are easilyobscured by all the color going on, so avoid “overkill”.

I had a time of mourning as I folded the sweater and put it away (I’m not ready to rip it out yet). But I’ll come back to it. I’ll probably cast on for a sweater using that same handspun in a few weeks. If I use a pattern next time, these are a few I’d consider:

1. Cathode (Rav link) – top downs are the easiest to adjust for gauge & Cathode is excellent since you can use just a bit of handspun for the body and trimm it in commercial yarn.
2. Cavern (Rav Link) – Tingel’s Cavern really won me over to this simple top down cardigan.
3. February Lady Sweater (Rav link) – this uber-popular sweater (over 2000 projects in Ravelry) is simple to adjust, especially if you want it big and roomy.
4. Incredible, Custom Fit Raglan – this is first customizable pattern I ever found. Not really a pattern, as much as a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure.
5. Top-Down Calculator (Rav link)- Not even a pattern. Plug in your gauge and your measurements and out pops customized directions! Amazing!

Happy Autumn!

To celebrate the first day of this lovely season, I threw open the window to my office and opened up the Fall Color Report by Pantone. This report is designed for fashion and home designers, but everyone in any industry that sells color uses it (or other trend-forcasting tools), so you’ll see these colors in clothes, furniture, even new yarn lines!
You don’t have to be a designer to enjoy perusing it. I find it fascinating to read the profiles of designers in the report. It’s also interesting to be aware of the “in” colors, because once concious, it seems I see them everywhere! The new knitting magazine, Knotions, has an article about applying the Color Report to your choice of yarns and knitting projects.
In the past, I’ve given it a quick once over and moved on, but this season I’ve decided to challenge myself (ya’ll know I love a challenge). This fall I’d like to create a line of yarns, inspired by the colors of the season. This is a little different than I normally work, dying fiber as inspired and naming it after the inspiration, so I’m going to need some help putting the colors together and then naming the yarns.

*CONTEST INFO*

After looking through the color report, what’s the first color combo you think I should try? What should I title it? Include BOTH color combo AND title in the comments below and you could win a little contest!
Every commenter whose suggestion turns into a finished yarn (in the next 3 months) will get 10% off their next purchase of any eco-friendly yarn in the shop!

The Life of Yarn series is my attempt to share the process from fiber (on the animal) to finished yarn. Each is just a glimpse into a moment in the life of yarn and yarnmaker.

Most everyone knows that fabric comes from yarn or thread which comes from cotton, sheep or synthetics. But how does it really GET there? From farm to cloth? In the next few week’s I’ll be working through and documenting this process. Today: On the Farm.

Specifically Hobby Knob Farm in Weaversville, NC. This is one of the first farms I visited in my search for local wool and it continues to be my favorite sheep farm. Elizabeth is always generous with her time and information. That’s her (and my mom) you can hear in the videos. The sheep on this farm are bred for their fiber and conservancy. The flock includes colored Romney and Cotswold with a focus on Jacob’s, since they are a rare heritage breed that needs conservation. You can read more about Hobby Knob’s history and conservation efforts on their website.

On this visit, I purchased 2 beautiful cream fleeces which I just washed last weekend. For that adventure, tune in next Fiber Friday!

“I just realized that I have developed kind of a collector style in my yarn buying. I don’t buy yarn for specific projects any more but more like “oh-how-beautiful-must-have-that”. This of course results me having several single skeins of this and that (and they are all soooo pretty). So what can I make with your yarn?”

That’s an actual email I got from a customer and it expresses how many of us buy yarn. We see something pretty and we snatch it up. But what to DO with it as it starts to overtake our living space?

Well, after answering this question for myself, I’ve started collecting patterns that will show off handspun. These patterns work with the special properties of handspun yarn, not requiring an exact guage (since handspun has natural inconsistencies).
Below are 5 free patterns that (can) use a single skein of handspun – the name links directly to the pattern (sometimes a pdf), followed by the Ravelry link. I’ve included a suggested yarn which is the right weight and length to make the pattern (click the name of the yarn to purchase it).

1. Sherbrooke (Ravelry) – a lovely textured cowl

Autumn Sky
2. Lace Ribbon Scarf (Ravelry) – a very pretty, lacey scarf


Fabulous!

3. One Skein Scarf (Ravelry) – a, uh, scarf!

Juice
4. Foliage (Ravelry) – a pretty leaf-y hat

Lettuce
5. Caliometry (Ravelry) – a headband
   
   Preppy

I’m still working on my handspun sweater. What have you made with handspun yarn?

Revel in the new yarns, just posted to the Boutique. These are my two favorites

Thriller, handspun from Cloudlover’s awesome roving.

Kim, solar dyed (more on that later this week, I hope)

I’m still working on taking pictures of all the new yarns I had spun for last weekend’s market. I was making headway yesterday, until I deleted ALL of the pictures on my camera (including all the pictures from the festival!)
I expect to list more yarns on Friday, maybe Saturday (depending on if the sunshine cooperates with my photography plans!), so keep your eye on the shop.

I participated in my first craft show last weekend, the Crafting Patch Market in Charlotte, NC. I was very nervous beforehand and stayed up way too late to get every last skein of yarn labeled. It all paid off in a lovely day (no hint of Hurricane Hannah) filled with fantastic people and a real sense of community. Despite being well-prepared by reading everything I could about doing a craft fair, there were still a few things that surprised me:

1. A festival provides indispensable feedback on your marketing plan. Online buyers see & buy without disclosing what prompted the purchase. Did they seek me out? Did they stumble upon me? At this festival, several knitters came specifically to see me (thanks to my posting on forums, the blog, etc). Others registered recognition when they read my label. The feeling was indescribable. People recognized Blonde Chicken Boutique as a brand. The thought still makes me all sparkle-y.
2. Instant feedback is a drug that I’m afraid I may be addicted to. Sending out yarn to my lovely online customers, feels a bit like sending my squishy friends into the ether. They may show up on Flickr or Ravelry, but mostly I release them into the wild with hopes that they find a good set of needles (or at least a comfy stash to marinate in). Watching a real, live, chatty, interesting person walk away with my yarn is ridiculously satisfying.
3. Describing a product is entirely different in person. The long, descriptive prose that is so necessary to sell a tactile item online isn’t necessary in person. The customer has the squishy soft item in their hand and can clearly see the colors. This may seem obvious, but after writing web copy for so long, I had to remember it while writing the labels. I also had to scale back on the descriptive talk with most customers. Some people want to know all about the farm where the sheep who grew that wool was raised, but some don’t.
4. Being friendly is exhausting, but being passionate is exhilerating. After years of waitressing, followed by 2 years managing a retail studio, I was expecting the usual exhaustion of a day filled with smiling at people and describing the product. I was shocked by how different this experience was. Yes, I was tired, but I was exhilarated. Selling someone apple pie is NOTHING like sharing a passion for creating!
5. You don’t have to (and probably can’t) fake enthusiasm. For the first time in my customer service experience, I didn’t need to tell myself “be nice”. The fiber artists came in, chatted and I was overwhelmed with happy, smiling words. I nearly hugged someone (everyone). It was ridiculous (but I didn’t hug anyone other than my husband, so don’t be afraid to come by my next booth!) Describing my process, demonstrating the wheel, chatting fiber, it was all so FUN!

So if you’re thinking about doing a craft show, I strongly encourage you try one. Find an inexpensive option (like a small one, or share a booth) and go after it! You may find it shockingly fun!

If you want to try this very satisfying experience, I put together a class, How to Rock a Craft Show.
If you’ve been thinking about doing craft shows or you’ve been wanting to them better, check it out!

I am so excited to do my first craft show this weekend! I’ll be selling yarn and fiber at the Crafting Patch Market at Independence Park in Charlotte, VA on Saturday, September 6. Visit the Crafting Patch website for more information (here’s a map). If you’re in the area, I’d love to meet you, so come by my booth or shoot me an email and we’ll plan to meet up while I’m in town!

Won’t be in Charlotte this weekend?
In preparation for the craft fair, I am emptying the Boutique and bringing every last skein of yarn with me. It will look a little bare from September 5-7, but don’t worry! On September 8th I’ll be restocked with new yarns and old favorites (a big shipment of Banana fiber & yarn has just come in!) I’m offering a 10% discount to my newsletters subscribers, so sign up for my newsletter and receive the discount! Because it wouldn’t be fair to ONLY offer a discount to the locals without extending it to all my lovely readers, ANYONE who makes a purchase from the Boutique from today until September 13th AND mentions the newsletter (put it in the “message to seller” or shoot me an email after you make the purchase but before you pay) will get 10% off the entire order! This isn’t just for you readers, feel free to pass the newsletter on to your friends, or blog about it or post it in forums or, well, you get the idea! Tell anyone that might like some yarn that they can get 10% off just by signing up for my yarny little newsletter.
(not sure you want a newsletter? Well, check out the last (and first) newsletter to assure yourself that it’s not annoying or spammy or unwanted. I’m on a roll if I get out once a month, and I will ONLY send discounts, free patterns and notices of upcoming events.)