Dyeing Nylon - Firestar and Snow Mountain

I took this picture earlier today; two new shades of sparkling Firestar drying in the Arizona sunshine. I received a special request earlier and I decided to get busy this afternoon.

I guess this post is just a little late night teaser, but I won't keep you in suspense for long. Tomorrow I'll be listing four shades of Firestar and three of Snow Mountain. I've gotten the ball rolling with Purple and Silver Firestar already listed in the shop at Wind Rose Fiber Studio!

The Princess Poncho (pink w/multi color fur trim - 1-2yrs)

Before the Christmas holiday, I started exploring other selling venues and I began to reorganize my shop at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I used to keep everything I made in one place. It was convenient, but the problem was that my fiber studio was just bursting at the seams.

I spent hours deleting and relisting. I was OK with the idea of spreading myself out and managing multiple shops. Then the unexpected happened, I found myself in the position of taking on a new job this January. Now, all of the sudden, what once seemed do-able, now seems like too much.

So now I'm back at it. I've decided to maintain three stores. My Fiber Studio will house all of my dye work as well as commercial products for those who like to buy natural fibers and do their own dyeing. I have my Art Yarn shop which is dedicated only to my hand spun yarn. And thirdly, the Boutique where I keep all of my crochet, felt and weaving work.

Slowly, in my spare time, I'm listing my inventory back into their proper new abodes. Today I just started listing my little Princess Ponchos. The one pictured here is so sweet and made for 1-2 year olds. Selling these used to be my favorite part of doing craft shows. I had this standing mirror which I had painted purple with silver stars. The little girls would try on the ponchos and twirl in front of the mirror. After the first of these shows I started calling this cape The Princess Poncho because that is what I saw on those sweet faces. The were all little princesses!

Flower Pin Collection

I just created a Specials Section at Wind Rose Boutique. It is where I'll be listing special offers for my boutique customers. For my first special, I just listed an enormous Collection of Crocheted Zinnia Flower Pins.

I used to make these pins for my mother. She is a knitter and a felter and liked to have a little color to pin on her hats. These zinnia pins looked great on her stylish felted hats because they are nice full flowers. As it happens, my mom stopped making her hats, but not before I had gotten a little ahead of the game. LOL!

I've decided to sell all of my flower pins in a group. I know someone will find a fabulous use for them. Perhaps another hat maker will adopt them or maybe just someone who loves flowers!

Peek-a-Boo! I See Beanies!

There's enough winter left to indulge in a cozy Portland Beanie from Wind Rose Boutique! These are just three of the 6 unique designs I have in the store. From left to right you have a Green Multi, Burnt Orange, and Green with Blue Novelty Yarn. They are all make from soft Merino wool. I love a hat that's light weight, yet warm and cozy!

Misty Mountain Yarn (1oz/75 handspun yards)

I spun this little skein over a month ago. That it has taken me so long to list, is a sign of how busy I've gotten these days. There was a time when I was photographing creations practically before they were fully dry. Misty Mountain Yarn is full of amazing fibers. Merino, Mohair, Rambouilett, Romeldale and Angelina are all spun together to create my new, sparkling 75 yard single!

Ecru Merino Yarn

Brand new for 2009, Wind Rose is now offering Ecru Yarns by Ashland Bay. I have divided this beautiful 100% Merino Wool into manageable 220 yard hanks. The ends are tied together and the 60" hank is loosely joined in three places with cotton. This 3ply, 21 micron Merino is all ready to be dyed or painted in your favorite colors!

If you just love natural yarn without any dyes, I can wind this skein for you into a center pull ball and you'll be all set to knit or crochet!

This is part of my expansion plan for Wind Rose Fiber Studio. My ultimate goal is to make my little Etsy shop a place where you can find all of your fiber needs. I have three more ecru yarns on the way. I hope you will enjoy the new additions!

Skin Tone Merino Roving - All Colors Back in Stock!

Just a quick announcement today: All of my Skin Tone Merino shades are in stock. From the top right and going clockwise their names are Peach Glow, Sun Touched, Deeper Brown, Chestnut Brown, Mediterranean, Golden Brown, South Pacific, and in the middle Porcelain Fair.

This photograph is one of the original pictures I took when I developed the line. Since then, I have mellowed the intensity of the colors a little. You can click on the links to see the current dye lots.

Time to Treat Myself!

I've had this print marked as a favorite for months now. The original was done in pen and ink and was digitally airbrushed. This whimsical piece was made by Holly Kitaura of HollyvisionArt.

Since I opened by own Etsy shop over a year ago, I've had a tradition. I'm not a big shopper, but I really like supporting the art community and specifically my fellow Etsians. So every time I have one hundred people mark my shop as a favorite, I celebrate by shopping at Etsy. Today I hit the 700 mark!

Thank you to all of the wonderful artists who have supported my shop over the last year! I am so grateful and I love the Etsy community! May 2009 be a wonderful year for all in every possible way!

By the way, this is exactly the way my hair looks when I get out of the pool! LOL!

Snow Mountain - A Nylon Blending Fiber

Snow Mountain is a pure white nylon made by Ashland Bay. This roving is super soft and has a staple length of about 4". Spin Snow Mountain alone to create a yarn that is wonderful for warm weather garments. You may also like blending this roving with other fibers.

Firestar (dye free)

What is Firestar? It's a sparkling nylon fiber, created like roving with a generous (around 4") staple length. It can be spun on its own for a shimmering skein of yarn that would be stunning for warm weather garments. More commonly, it is used to add sparkle to projects. A little Firestar can go a long way. Simply tease loose the fibers and introduce them sparingly to your roving as you spin. The end result will be a skein of yarn full of lustrous shine. Firestar blends incredibly well with other fibers.

Weekends have become catch-up time for me at Wind Rose. My focus is now divided during the weekdays, so on the weekends I dedicate myself to my fiber. Before I went out of town a week or so ago, I posted a picture of all of the beautiful fibers I had just gotten in. I plan to be dyeing these fibers for my customers, but I also like to offer some dye free for those who like to do their own dye work. Firestar is first up, but there more on the way!

Spinning On The Road

It's after dark here in the suburbs of Phoenix and a terrible time for taking pictures. If you would be so kind, imagine all of the yellows in this particular shot are white and you'll have a better idea of the yarn I'm making. I realize I could just wait until morning, but it just makes me crazy how hard it is for me to carve out time to blog these days. It's crazy really. A year ago blogging was barely on my radar and now I feel as if something is missing when I can't find the time.

So I'm returning from five days on the road. A trip more sad than the usual excursion, but like all others, I had with me something for my hands. I'm amazed by how many people do not travel with handiwork because I would be lost without it. I don't always even work on my project, I just need to know it's there. My funny little niddy noddy shaped drop spindle has become my favorite airplane pal. Of course with it's funky shape you don't get the same spin as you would with a traditional spindle, but you can't exactly spin at full speed flying coach on an airplane anyway.


I actually took two spindles on this trip. In addition to my fore mentioned friend, I took my Turkish drop spindle. You may remember my Turkish Drop spindle from a post I wrote months ago, but here's one of the pictures to refresh your memory. That little ball of yarn has more than tripled in size since this photo. I'm determined to make it a nice two ply with a decent yardage, so I'll probably take a few more trips with this guy before I'm ready to blog about the next phase of his life.

I have to admit that this trip took it out of me a bit and now I'm struggling to get back into the swing of things. So I'm focusing on balance these days and the wonderful feeling that comes when it is accomplished. Maybe another night or two of good sleep and I'll be restored to my enthusiastic self.

Wonderful new fibers on the way!

Sometimes timing can be cruel!  Just yesterday I received the shipment I've been waiting for.  A 35 pound box arrived at my door fill with gorgeous fibers!  There's an 80/20 blend of Merino and Tussah Silk, a 50/50 blend of Merino and silk and I also order 100% Tussah Silk Top.  I just can't wait to get my hands on it.  I have a blend of Alpaca, Merino and Silk as well and it feels amazing! 

I'm going to start selling ecru yarns for the people who like to dye their own.  I have a beautiful brushed mohair, a straight merino, a thick and thin soft wool and a playful boucle.  I'm hoping to find the time to dye some of this up myself!

I'll be introducing a new nylon called Snow Mountain.  I'll be selling it as an ecru for dyers, but I'll also be dyeing up some colors for the shop.  I like the idea of offering a fiber that's light and easy care for the warm weather months.  I know some of you may be asking "What about cotton?"  The truth is I just don't enjoy dyeing or spinning cotton.  I don't like the shrink factor or that it doesn't stay as color fast.  As much as I love natural fibers, cotton is not among them.  I'm sorry cotton lovers.

And for all of you who have become fans of Firestar.  I just got in a ton.  Well not literally a ton, but a whole bunch.  We'll be sparkling all Spring with the inventory I just received!

The cruel timing of it all is that I have to go out of town for five days.  All of this amazing fiber sitting in my studio and I have to wait?!*  Ugh!