Dyeing This Week...

I haven't dyed any wool for a while now, so this week I have given myself a goal.  I plan to dye two colors a day for the next five days.  This will replenish my Merino inventory and free me up to dye some samplers hopefully in the near future.  I got a head start yesterday with a batch of Porcelain Fair Merino and Sun Touched Merino.  Since I'll be in dyeing mode, this is a good week to hit me up for any specific color you may need.  You may want to check my Dyed Merino section first because it has a pretty nice variety.   

Two Skin Tones ~ Back in Stock

I'm still busy dyeing Merino to restore all of the color choices.  Back in stock today are Sun Touched and Mediterranean.  These are the two most popular shades from the skin tone line.  Sun Touched is fair with just a hint of peach glow.  Mediterranean is a soft brown with a very subtle olive undertone. 

First Dye Almost Dry

It's a drying party on the studio room floor as yesterday's dyed colors lay out and enjoy the sun coming through the window.  They are about 90% dry after spending yesterday afternoon outside in the sun and fresh air.  The weather is wonderful for dyeing in the Valley of The Sun this week, mid 70's and sunny.  By tomorrow morning, this Merino top will be more than ready to ship off to new homes.  As such, I've already listed them in the store.  If you want to see their close-ups, click the color links:  Russet, Bright Yellow, Crimson, Pink Blush, Golden Ochre and Happy Green!

The First Dye of 2012

Yesterday, a customer asked me how to place an order.  Thinking she was new to Etsy, I explained how ordering works.  Then she wrote back to clarify.  She wanted to know how to order certain colors that didn't appear in the shop.  If that's not a "get back to work" push, I don't know what is!

It was my idea to try to keep 40 shades of Merino in stock, so I guess I'd better get busy.  It's so easy to slack off during the holidays, but it's time to replenish the inventory at Wind Rose. 

I'm dyeing 1.5 pounds of Merino broken down into 4oz lots.  Each will get their own color in their turn.  Up first on the stove are the reds.  Russet and Crimson are on the menu today.  They take a little more time, thus giving me a chance to write.  Waiting in cue are four more bowls of pre-soaked wool.  They will be dyed Happy Green, Pink Blush, Golden Ochre, and Bright Yellow.  

Depending on how fast everybody dries, they should be in the shop by tomorrow afternoon.  Up next I'll be making sure the rest of the reds and pinks are in stock since Valentine's Day is the next big holiday.  It might take a week or two, but I'll get all of the colors back in stock.  Then I'm determined to get some Skin Tone Samplers dyed!

Well, that's what's on the stove at Wind Rose.  What's cookin' in your kitchen? 

Firestar Holiday Samplers!

I guess I can't fight it anymore. Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away which means Christmas is right around the corner. The requests for Firestar in holiday colors have been rolling in, so here we go!

Today I just added Firestar Holiday Samplers to the shop at Wind Rose. They include 1/4oz each of Merry Green, Yellow Gold, Silver and Holiday Red. As you know, a little Firestar goes a long way, so this should be enough to add sparkle to your needle felted holiday crafts. Of course you can also blend it with other fibers and spin it up for pretty, luminous yarns.

If you're a big fan of Firestar and 1/4oz just isn't enough. You can also find these four colors sold by the ounce in my Firestar & Craft Supplies Section.

Happy Holidays!

Cinnamon Merino

There's a brand new color at Wind Rose Fiber Studio and that color is Cinnamon! It's a really beautiful brown with russet undertones. When I was deciding on a name, cinnamon spice came to mind. I think it will look very pretty blended with all of the colors of autumn.

Mixed Up Merino ~ Rainbow

Last night I made one more Mixed Up Merino blend. To tell you the truth, I think I was putting off starting my next knitting project, but I'll write more on that in a second. First let me tell you about this Mixed Up Rainbow. Pretty fun huh? it's a blend of hand painted merino in a rainbow of colors to which I added extra yellow an green to make it very bright. I also threw in some sparking green Firestar. I love the Firestar! I have just 4oz of this one and it should be loads of fun to spin or felt!

Let's get back to the subject of knitting. Now that my shawlette is done, the next thing on my knitting agenda is to get comfortable with circular needles. I have chosen the 5th Avenue Infinity Scarf by tentenknits. This pattern looks very pretty, but it also looks a little too warm for even the coldest days here in Phoenix. I'm thinking about using a lighter yarn and maybe the next size up needles just so its a little bit more of a loose knit. I'm also thinking 10" wide is more than I need. So with these few modest changes, I'm off to start my next knitting adventure!

Mixed Up Merino ~ Spruce/Natural/Bark

I promised myself I'd take a break 40 minutes ago, but then I made one more Mixed Up Merino instead. I think I may addicted to making these.

This one turned out so pretty, that I'm glad I kept working. I love the Spruce, Natural & Bark combination. I'm so enamored of this blend, that if it doesn't sell fast, it's sure to end up on my spinning wheel. Fair warning! :D

Mixed Up Merino ~ Soft Red/Copper Brown

I'm still mixing up Merino here at Wind Rose. It's always fun to see colors change as they are blended.

This time I used Soft Red & Copper Brown. I threw in just a touch of yellow and orange and also a little bronze Firestar.

My goal is to get a few Mixed Up Merino blends in stock to give you some choices. The Violet/Rainbow was such a hit that it already sold out, but I have enough roving left to make 4 more ounces. I'll try to get that done today.

Mixed Up Merino ~ Violet/Rainbow

Yesterday I introduced my Mixed Up Merino roving. Today I'm back with another new blend. This one is a mix of Violet & Rainbow.

Violet is the dominant color and it has been carded up with a rainbow dyed roving. I also added a little violet Firestar because I just can't resist a that sparkle.

The colors are soft, leaning toward pastel. They look so pretty all swirled together!

Mixed Up Merino ~ It's New!

Today I'm introducing something new to Wind Rose Fiber Studio. It's soft, it's fluffy and it's all mixed up. It's Mixed Up Merino!

I loved providing solid colors so that people can find that perfect shade, but sometimes I feel the need to mix things up. Mixed Up Merino is the same, hand dyed Merino you've come to know at Wind Rose, only I've blended the colors together with my drum carder. Then I gently pull them into nice, soft rovings.

I'm still selling them in 1 ounce lots so you can buy how much or how little you need. So whether you're making a coat for a little felted field mouse, or creating a nuno felted scarf, you can find the right amount for your project. I will always try to make enough of each Mixed Up Merino blend for anyone with a larger project in mind. You may want to spin 1000 yards to knit a shawl.

I do need to warn however, that these mixes are not part of my staple inventory. If you see a color blend you like, you might want to snatch it up as you may not see it again. Yikes!

I'm starting things off with this Mixed Up Merino blend of Turquoise and Rust. I've added some Firestar in the same colors and a hint of Golden Yellow.

Sunset Blush Merino

Sometimes when I'm dyeing my wool, I have happy little accidents. I produce a color that's a little different than the one I'm going for, but it's still a very pretty color. This happened the other day and the result was this very pretty light pink with subtle orange tones throughout.

Although this color was not intended, I couldn't be happier with my accidental roving. It's such a soft and lovely shade. I gave it the name Sunset Blush and I wanted to share it with you because I don't plan to reproduce this one. So, For a limited time, you can find Sunset Blush at Wind Rose Fiber Studio.

Firestar Samplers are Back!

Yes, it's 2.25 ounces of sparkly goodness! The Firestar Samplers are back!

Firestar Samplers are very popular at Wind Rose Fiber Studio. I have found that I am not alone in my love of this nylon fiber that adds endless sparkle to your handspun yarns or needle felted projects. I sell a few of the most popular colors like Silver and Night Blue by the ounce, but the samplers are special.

When you buy a sampler, you get .25oz of 9 different colors. If you look, you'll see that I've tried to cover the rainbow in my shade selection. I've got Gypsy Wine, Crimson, Burnt Orange, Golden Yellow, Grass Green, Spruce, Night Blue, Violet and Silver. My hope is that no matter what the project, there will be a piece of Firestar to either compliment or match!

My Merino Color Chart!

Pdlrrrrrrrrrr........ (that's my drum roll)

Here it is! My Merino Color Chart. Here are the 40 colors of Merino that I keep in stock at Wind Rose Fiber Studio!!!

This has been my goal since January. Every year I make resolutions for improvements to my shop and this year my plan has been to have a large, staple inventory of Merino colors. These are the colors you can count on finding when you visit Wind Rose!

Of course now the challenge changes from getting them all in stock to keeping them all in stock. I guess I'm about to find out if I can maintain an inventory this size. I'm just one dyer, but I'm pretty determined!

PS ~ If you click on the image, you should be able to view a larger picture of the chart. :D

The Purples & The Earth Tones ~ Merino Roving

Here are my last two color families. I don't dye six shades of purple so the grays and black joined that group. All together, starting at twelve o'clock and going clockwise: Violet, Lilac, Periwinkle, Silver, Cinder and Jet Black.

Finally, I give you the earth tones presented in the same order: Golden Brown, Mediterranean, Sun Touched, Nutty, Sandy Beach and Porcelain Fair. Some of these earth tones are from my skin tone line, but I should point out that my Skin Tone Samplers offer even a few more shades with which to create.

I'm actually out of stock of my Skin Tone Samplers right now or I'd share a link. Now that I have all of my 40 shades of Merino finished, I can start dyeing my samplers again. The first sampler will be my Firestar Sampler as I have had a special request and then I'll get working on those skin tones!

The Blues ~ Merino Roving

I'm trying to get all of my color collages completed today, so I'm back with the blues. The blues and the greens definitely have some overlap as I have included the teals and the aquas here with my blue family.

So, once again, starting at twelve o'clock and going clockwise: Night Blue, Light Blue, Teal, Turquoise, Sapphire and Soft Aqua.

I've started work on my Merino Color Chart and it's looking really nice. It's going to be great to be able to offer such a visual of my work!

The Greens ~ Merino Roving

Good Morning. Today I bring you the greens. These are all the shades of green that I keep in stock at Wind Rose Fiber Studio.

Starting at twelve o'clock and working clockwise, there's Bottle Green, Chartreuse, Grass Green, Happy Green, Emerald and Spruce.

I should also share that I also refer to Grass Green as Merry Green during the Holidays. Of all my greens, it's the one that I see as the most merry.

The Yellows ~ Merino Roving

I'm in the process of posting all of my Merino Colors here on my blog. I don't mean to be drawing it out so long. I just have so many things I'm always trying to do.

I think it's fun to see each color family this way. When I'm done, I'll probably arrange them together in one final post. I think it will be nice to have a reference to all of the colors in one place.

Starting at twelve o'clock and going clockwise, the yellows include: Bright Yellow, Baby Chick, Golden Ochre, Moon Yellow and Butternut.

Rust Merino in the Works

Good morning! Here's the rust color I was talking about yesterday. I still need to tweak it just a little, but I think I have a good recipe now.

It's a pretty color don't you think? It will be a nice addition to my oranges. It does seem like an essential fall color. It's also a color that you often see in the landscape here in the southwest.

I'm excited about this new shade. I have a customer to thank for it actually. I've been developing this rust for an artist who makes the most adorable little felt animals. You can see her work at the Morning Glory Workshop on Etsy.

The Oranges ~ Merino Roving

I'm back today to show you the oranges. These are the five shades in the orange family that I will be keeping permanently in stock at Wind Rose.

Starting at twelve o'clock and working clockwise, there's Bright Orange, Pumpkin Patch, Burnt Orange, Salmon and Precious Peach.

In each color family I have made an effort to provide light and dark shades and also cool to warm options.

I just dyed another shade today which is more of a rust and I think would be a good addition. Since the Burnt Orange and Pumpkin Patch are similar, I may replace the Burnt Orange with this new, deeper rust color. I like the variety that would add. Plus, this rust is a very prevalent color in nature, so I think it may just be a must have. It's still drying, so I'll be back tomorrow to show you pictures.