Three O'Clock Cheese Plate

I rarely go off topic here at the Wind Rose Fiber Studio blog, but I'm in a sharing mood today. This past weekend my husband and I took the family to downtown Phoenix to play at The Arizona Science Center and see the planetarium show. By lunch time we were starved, so we went to one of the little eateries in Heritage Square. We order the cheese plate appetizer and were brought the loveliest collection of crackers and bread with several cheeses and fresh fruit.

As we all feasted, I couldn't help but relish in the parental thrill of watching my boys hungrily consuming healthy food. In the back of my head, I made a plan. We could do this everyday. What if, when my kids are done with a long day of school and come home hungry, they are greeted with a custom cheese plate? It could have all their favorites. They could graze on brain foods as they do their homework!

It's not that the snacks have been that bad in the past, but this is just raising it to a higher level. And after a big, nutritious afternoon treat, a lighter dinner would make the perfect ending to a healthful day.

Oh, I just can't resist pointing out that there is fiber on the plate, so I'm still Fiber Woman! :D

Sky Blue Fibers - Merino, Bamboo, Hemp and Firestar!

I'm trying to fight off the urge to write something really cheesy like, "I've got the blues." Oh no, I failed. The urge won. Ugh!

Moving on.... I thought it was fun showing the bamboo and hemp in Marigold and then I realized I had both of these fibers and more in sky blue. The upper left is Merino, the upper right is Bamboo, the lower left is Hemp and the lower right is Firestar.

Two different kinds of dye were used. Plant fibers or cellulose fibers require Procion Dyes or fiber reactive dyes. "The earliest fiber reactive dyes were designed to interact with cellulose fibers, such as cotton linen and hemp. When these materials are treated with soda ash to raise their pH, the fiber reactive dye interacts with the cellulose molecules, forming a permanent bond."

The protein fiber (the wool) and the Firestar (a nylon) can be effectively dyed with acid reactive dyes. The work acid might sound a little scary, but it's just vinegar.

All four were dyed Sky blue with differing results. The most drastic difference is found in the hemp. Hemp is a woody fiber and accepts dyes much differently than the more porous fibers. The hemp looked so unlike the rest that when listed it at Wind Rose, I named it Sage Blue because I felt that the name more accurately represented the color.

Fine Mohair Roving

I just listed this incredibly soft Fine Mohair. Enjoy spinning or felting this gorgeous natural white fiber or you may want to have some fun and dye it your favorite colorway!

Hemp and Bamboo Marigolds

I thought it might be fun to show these two together. On the left is 1oz of Hemp roving and on the right, 1oz of Bamboo. Both are dyed with the same pigment, Marigold. The difference is striking, but both fibers have taken on beautiful color.

I don't dye cellulose fiber very often, so come and get them while they're hot!

Merino Color Blends 1oz Russet/Brown

This is 1oz of super soft Merino Wool dyed in the color blend Russet and Brown. The resulting color has a very soft, natural look with hues of salmon, brown and an earthy yellow.

Craft Fiber Collection - Black and White Tones

Well I managed to get a little work done yesterday and produced a new Craft Fiber Collection in Black and White. Every so often I have a freak-out moment when I can't believe I'm cutting up my yarn stash. I have to take a deep breath and keep my eye on the prize; a studio with more room for raw fiber.

This listing is for an incredible 5oz and more than 180 yards of craft fiber in an assortment of Black and White hues. Every single strand of fiber measures over 4 yards long and there are at least 12 different varieties. You'll discover ribbons, eyelash, boucle, fur and novelty yarns!

Craft Fiber Collection - Brown Tones

Just listed at Wind Rose, an incredible 7oz and more than 225 yards of craft fiber in an assortment of earthy hues. Every single strand of fiber measures over 4 yards long and there are at least 12 different varieties. You'll discover ribbons, eyelash, boucle, thick and thin, fur and novelty yarns.

With each length measuring at least four yards, you have more than enough to create beautiful ties on gift packages. You can bind handmade books or embellish scrapbooks and greeting cards. Use them to add another dimension to your mixed media pieces or texture to a handmade doll or toy. The possibilities go on and on.

My Craft Fiber Collections are the result of years of my own hunting and gathering, but now I have decided to create a little wiggle room in my studio and pass all of my lovely fibers on to you. There is a limited quantity but I do have a few more color families on the way.

Firestar - It's back in stock!

I'm just popping in today to say that I have some Firestar back in stock. I've got one Sampler Pack and five individual colors: Yellow, Crimson, Altered Sky, Turquoise, and Berries. The individual colors are being sold in .5oz lots; just enough to put a little sparkle in your life!

Jet Black Mohair

One of my goals this year is to expand Wind Rose Fiber Studio to offer more hand dyed options as well as supply you with a wide variety of fibers.

In keeping with that, I'm now offering Jet Black Mohair in 2oz lots.

"Mohair is a silky textile produced from the hair of the angora goat. It is most often spun into a thread that can be woven, knitted, or crocheted depending upon the application. Mohair is durable, warm, insulating, and light. It also has moisture wicking properties that carry moisture away from the skin of the wearer. The hair of the angora goat has been used to produce textiles for centuries, and the term mohair entered English usage from the Arabic mukhayyar, referring to a type of woven head cloth."

Source: Definition of Mohiar from wiseGEEk.

New! Merino Color Blends

I try hard to listen to my customers and recently I've had more than one spinner ask me if I ever planned to make roving in mixed colors. As a spinner myself, I totally understand. I love variegated fibers and the yarns they create.

So I'm just getting started, but I'm working color blends into the shop. These are kettle dyed and each dye lot is unique. I'm still experimenting with color combinations, so be on the lookout for many more to come. Over time, together, we'll find our favorites!

My Color Blends are named for the colors that create them, but they may not always look like their names. They are the result of what happens when the colors in the name come together. On the left: Fire Red/Bright Yellow, In the middle: Sky Blue/Bright Yellow and on the right: Periwinkle/Crimson.

Bamboo Roving in Four Bright Colors!

There is no fiber quite like Bamboo. It shines like silk, feels and breathes like cotton, and drapes beautifully. Not only that, but you can feel good about using Bamboo. As an annually renewable resource, it's not harmful to the environment. More and more I see clothes made from bamboo or bamboo blends not to mention a whole host of other products on the market.

I don't dye bamboo often, so when I do it feels like a special event. So allow me to introduce four bright new shades of bamboo to Wind Rose. There's Amethyst, Avocado, Wild Raspberry and a brilliant Red. I have a couple more colors on the way. They'll make their debut soon!

Hand Dyed Hemp Roving

I was dyeing some bamboo last weekend and I thought to myself, "Why not dye a little Hemp while I'm at it?" The process is basically the same and though I have to admit, working with Procion Dyes is not one of my favorite activities, once you're set up and in action, you may as well go for it.

Hemp roving is a fairly new product for my little shop at Wind Rose. I started with a small order this past fall mostly because I wanted to try spinning the plant fiber. Like many spinners, my fingers are used to handling all sorts of wool and silk, soy and even bamboo, but hemp was definitely a new texture. Most of the adjusting had to be made by my draft hand. I needed a little more force, but at the same time I had to be careful not to allow the fibers to fall apart. It didn't take long before my fingers found their way and I was able to control the hemp. Occasionally there would be slightly larger pieces of grass and I had to decide whether to allow them to add texture or to pick them out as I spun. Once I got going, I really enjoyed working with the hemp. It's such a unique fiber.

So now I'm offering hemp in a few new colors. I love color and I'm hoping the variety will appeal to the fans of hemp out there. So far I've dyed Avocado, Rose, Amethyst, and a Soft Red. I can't wait to see what people think of them. To tell you the truth, I don't even know if there is much of a market for dyed hemp, but I can't wait to find out!