Mandarin Duck – February 2024 Tiger Club

For February’s Clubs, this Mandarin Duck just quacked to be splashed out on yarn and fiber. The vibrant blue, navy, and violet, set off by rich orange and gold.

Mandarin Duck - SW Fine Merino Recycled Nylon 90-10 - Feb 2024 TC

I’ve again chosen a new yarn for you to try, this one is 90% 19.5 micron SW Merino and 10% Recycled Nylon. Let me know what you think of it! I dyed this in a down and back variegated style that should mini stripe, depending on your stitch count and pattern. It did a very nice job of taking the dye, I took a light hand and didn’t worry about flipping to allow the yarn itself to act as a resist, leading to various shades of each color, and I wasn’t afraid to let there be light spots, as the duck has numerous such areas.

Mandarin Duck - Radnor Romney Andean - Feb 2024 TC


For fiber, I’ve put together a sample pack of medium wools. The blues and purples are Radnor, the yellow is Kent Romney, and the Orange is Stricken Andean. Use them together, or separately. All of these will be fine being spun woolen or worsted, and are great for items that need to be a bit more durable such as mittens, boot toppers, etc.

I’m getting ready to dye March’s Club next week. New subscriptions are available for all the yarn and fiber clubs, however it is via contact only and I’ll send you a link or put you on the waitlist. Do stop by the website to read about the Clubs and you’ll find the Contact link there. Thank you!

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Sea Nettles – January 2024 Tiger Club

Sea Nettles brings some needed warmth and color to this time of year! This isn’t the first time I’ve dyed a jellyfish themed club offering (see Jelly from February 2018), but there are so many fun pictures of these transparent wonders backlight with amazing gradient colors that I couldn’t resist doing another one. This also gave me the opportunity to incorporate Pantone’s color of the year, Peach Fuzz, within the gradient from rich gold to pinks to scarlet.

The sock yarn is a new one I’m trying out, you’ll have to let me know what you think. It’s similar in content to my popular (and personal favorite) Safari, with 75% Superwash Wool and 25% Nylon…however it’s recycled Nylon, which I appreciate. It’s a 4ply instead of Safari’s 3ply, more tightly spun making a smoother yarn. It’s a little more dense, so while you are still getting 430 yards, it’s 100 grams compared to Safari’s 4 oz.

Sea Nettle SW Merino Bio Nylon Jan 2024 TC



Anyway, I decided to try my hand at a repeating gradient for this yarn. While I did count as I wound the yarn, there’s a lot of organic process in that (and wandering thoughts?) so don’t drive yourself crazy trying to make your socks match perfectly, although they should be nicely fraternal.

Sea Nettle SW Merino Nylon Jan 2024 TC

Superwash Merino and Nylon is also on deck for the fiber this month, perfect for socks or any other project you’d like to be hard wearing, yet soft. I dyed this in a straight up gradient, but do feel free to break it up to do whatever you want. This fiber is equally happy being spun woolen or worsted or anything in between.

Tiger Club is currently wait-list only. If you are interested in subscribing, do check out the listing and then drop me a line via the Contact Envelope in the header. Thank you!

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Abundant Bokeh – December 2023 Tiger Club

December’s Tiger Club started with a lovely fiber I had acquired as a special buy, a blend that contained a good amount of naturally dark brown wool, with ribbons of natural white. It can be a bit of a challenge to decide how to dye it, the brown can take dye, but needs to be quite intense to show, but I preferred to work with it and have bits of color peek out. This picture stood out to me with the colors peeking out in the background bokeh effect. I took the colors from the photograph and added a blue from this second image I had considered to round things out.

The fiber (30% Blue Faced Leicester, 30% Polwarth Wool, 40% UK Alpaca) was wet and layered in my dyepots, with the colors applied randomly to each layer in keeping with the bokeh effect. Here’s how that turned out:

Abundant Bokeh Baked Alaska Dec 2023 TC

You’ll find this a pretty versatile fiber, it will be quite happy to be spun worsted or woolen, or any version of semi that suits your preferred spinning style and/or end project idea. If you want to keep the marl fairly consistent, I would suggest spinning from the fold to keep the slippery fibers together with the grabbier Polwarth. I do have a couple extra braids of this, ask if you are interested.

Abundant Bokeh Champagne 4 ply Dec 2023 TC

Our yarn was a new one, Champagne, a blend of 25% Bio-Nylon, 25% UK Alpaca, 50% SW BFL. While it does have sock yarn specs, it might be lacking a bit in structure to make socks that will spring back after wear. Knit along with a springier wool or perhaps wooly nylon/lycra for more elasticity, or use this for something where more drape is wanted like a cowl, shawlette, etc. The yarn was a nice cream color, so in keeping with the fiber I added a chocolate brown to the color palette, and drizzled them all randomly on the yarn. This resulted in even more colors than I applied through mixing on the yarn itself. This drizzle technique should change up the patterning pretty well, but if you want to be sure to mix things up, you could alternate knitting from both ends of the skein. I do have some extra skeins, do ask!

There are spots open in all clubs currently, and especially if you are interested in Fiber Club I suggest you sign up in January, as I’ll be basing how much I purchase for the next several months of Club from my January subscription levels.

I’m looking at a good foot of snow accumulated on our railing and thinking about getting a round of shoveling done before any wind picks up. Hope you are all safe and warm and have things to look forward to in 2024!

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Classic Fall – November 2023 Tiger Club

As I was dyeing November Club, there was snow rather than morning mist toning the splendor of fall. I’m not quite ready to give it up for the chill of winter, so here’s our last hurrah! Classic Fall works into winter with shades of red both bright and burgundy, timeless black and grey, and a splash of a warm sandy buff.

Classic Fall - Safari Sock - Nov 2023 Tiger Club

Safari Sock (75% SW Wool, 25% Nylon) is always a favorite of mine for stripes, I’ve made nice wide stripes of the reds, a narrower stripe of the grey and black to outline them, and a medium divider of the buff. With the longer stripes, you have some room to add some patterning, use this to weave with, or try an atypical sock pattern such as Skew. Here’s a preview of the striping pattern, start with the burgundy end to be at the beginning of a repeat.

Classic Fall Safari Stripe Plan

Finn carries the colors with richness. This medium fiber (28 micron) is fun to spin and makes sturdy yarn. Dyed in a longer ‘there and back’, spin as is for long stripes, or strip it down to make shorter repeats….or tear it all up and spin up the colors separately the way you want! Want to learn more about Finnish sheep? Check out https://finnsheep.org/

Classic Fall - Finn - Nov 2023 Tiger Club

I’m currently in the midst of the craziness that December is for musicians, and tucking some fabulous fiber and yarn into the dyepot. If Tiger Club interests you, drop me a line, or watch for it to open again on January 1!

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Iridescence – October 2023 Tiger Club

I was browsing through my inspiration photographs, and this one stood out as I realized I had Zebra Sock in the queue to dye. I had also just watched a few dyeing videos (there’s always more to learn) and wanted to try a technique I saw. Iridescence is the result, and I attempted to capture the effect by dyeing the two sides of both the yarn and fiber, one side in the purple gradient, the other in the blue.

Iridescence - Kent Romney - Oct 2023 TC

Kent Romney is the fiber choice for October, I’ve had New Zealand Romney many times and I love how it will take color strongly. I dyed this in a back and forth mini-gradient, each layer has the blues on one side and the purples on the other. It was a bit of a juggling act to push the color through enough but not too much that it takes over the other side, so you’ll also have some lighter colors throughout. This is a great fiber to learn to spin, or to learn a new spinning technique (like long draw, perhaps), and is a nice medium sturdy fiber. If you spin it truly worsted and smooth in those ends you could maybe get away with it against the skin, but I’d suggest going for an outerwear project for this….lined mittens or hat or cowl, or something like boot toppers or a scarf/shawl to be worn over a top. And of course you can combine it with other things for a larger project. Here’s a great history about the Romney breed of sheep.

Iridescence - Zebra Sock - Oct 2023 TC

And here’s that Zebra Sock yarn, a 2 ply made of up SW Merino….one ply is dyed in shades of grey and black, which lends extra layers of tones and shades when overdyed. I dyed these in a hot mid-immersion pour, using a crowded pan to have the yarn itself provide a resist. One side has the three shades of blue, the other the three shades of purple. It’s controlled, yet random all at the same time, and I can’t wait to see how your projects turn out.

Tiger Club is currently open for new subscriptions through November 15, we’d love to have you join us!

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Sunkissed Lavender and Cecropia Moth – August and September 2023 Tiger Clubs

August Tiger Club pulled hard at the wish for fall, with rich warm colors before the light starts fading. Sunkissed Lavender explores warm sunny yellow to orangy gold, and pink-purples from pale to deep.

Sunkissed Lavender TTT Sock TC Aug 2023

Titanium Tiger Twist shows of the colors beautifully, dyed in down and back for each color family. This could be fun for planned pooling (2 ply is great for lace), faux ikat, or it should mini-spiral stripe on socks depending on your stitch count/pattern. I really wanted to have a swatch for you with this reveal, which is why it’s a month late. It’ll be coming sometime, I’m itching to knit up some socks with cool weather.

Sunkissed Lavender Falkland TC Aug 2023

When I have some pale, yet intense colors to dye, my go-to is Falkland. This beautiful medium wool just sings with color, and is a very versatile wool. I think this could be fun spun as is and ply from the ends to marl the two colors together, or split and rearrange to make your own alternating gradient for a shawl or cowl.

Late Night Visitor

I have a folder of color inspiration photos, and this moth is the one I chose for September. Curious, I did a reverse image search on this, and discovered this Cecropia Moth has been color shifted. The natural colors of this moth are orange, black, grey, and tan. You can see I was undeterred!

Cecropia Moth Kryton Sock TC Sept 2023

Krypton is our yarn for September, it’s a new one for us. It’s a 3 ply, but fairly crisp so it leans to the look of the TTT we had last month, but softer….not just in a bit of twist, but also it is fine 19.5 micron merino. This will be super soft for more sensitive next to skin, like a cowl or scarf, wristlets, or baby items. It’s still got a good dose of nylon in there for sturdiness. I do have an extra skein of this, and can dye a few more upon request. I coiled the yarn and then did a pour over of the colors, flipped and repeated, allowing the yarn to be its own resist for the cream areas. Each skein is unique, and should randomize somewhat across the skein. To even that out, you may wish to alternate rows from opposite ends of the skein, or embrace how it changes.

Cecropia Moth Rambouillet TC Sept 2023

Our fiber is Rambouillet, still my fav fiber as it is soft but has a good amount of body and bounce. I also coiled each pound of fiber and dyed it in wedges, allowing it to resist for the cream bits. The color sections will be smaller and more blended at one end, and longer and more distinct at the other. Split lengthwise for a 2 ply, or chain ply it…..or choose a coordinating solid to ply with to stretch it out.

Interested in joining the fun? There are openings in all variations of our Sock and Fiber Tiger Clubs, now through October 15th!

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European Bee-Eater, July 2023 Tiger Club

Knowing that July Club goes out at the end of the month and August can lean into the idea of fall, I wanted to do a set of colors that could straddle the seasons. Birds are always a good go-to, and I loved these European Bee-Eaters with their bright and fairly distinct colors, plus the bronze background.

European Bee-Eater Journey Minis TC July 2023 WM

I’ve had a big batch of Journey mini-skeins just itching to jump in the dyepot, and this was a good one for it….I didn’t want too many transition colors for this…while the bird does show a bit of green, it seems to be an after-thought so I wanted to avoid that (plus some of the blues and golds I wanted to use don’t make nice greens when mixed). I created two dye recipes for each color, a light and a dark, and used a twisted kettle dye technique to apply them fairly randomly. I’m excited to see what you come up with, one clubber is making color block socks with theirs, using Boop! as the ‘solid’ in between. If you don’t want to use them together, they are great options for trim or heels/toes for other colors. This is a pretty popular yarn among indie dyers, so you may find a number of suitable things to pair these with in your stash already.

European Bee-Eater Medium Wool Sampler TC July 2023 WM

In keeping with the ‘flavor’ of mini-skeins, I created a medium wool sample for Fiber Club. The Finn Humbug was just right for the varied bronze background, and there is Shetland, Southdown, Radnor, and Stricken Andean. These are fairly similar in staple length and micron count, so should blend well into a project. Have fun and make some rolags or play with your hackle (or combs). Or this could be fun for a needle felting project. I’d love to see what you come up with! I do have two more sets of this wool if you need some more to play with, just drop me a line through the contact form on my main website.

I’m not officially opening Tiger Club for August, but please do ask if you’d like in, I do have a few spots available. Enjoy the last of summer!

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Twenty Five – June 2023 Tiger Club

For June’s Tiger Club, I took a bit of owner’s leeway, and celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. Our wedding colors were green and purple, and remain favorites to this day, which I’m sure you’ve noticed through the years of Tiger Club! I like to pull in a reference photo, and while I briefly toyed with a ‘Peck of Purple Peppers’ (photographed on a green background), I decided to go with this mushroom pic as it had nearly all the colors within the actual picture and pallete. I did add an additional lighter green.

For yarn, I chose Targhee Sock, 100% American made and so bouncy! I dyed this in the round, one half of the skein being the purple shades, and the other the green. The navy in the purple mix took over a bit, pulling the lighter two purples toward blue, but I think it makes a very nice effect. Interestingly, the navy broke to brown in the dark green section….I originally thought some purple was bleeding through to the green side, but nope….it was making these rich browns on its own, so I embraced the organic nature of it and let it do its thing.

For fiber, I chose Hoof and Leaf, a blend of Llama, Whitefaced Woodland sheep, Ramie, and Bamboo. The two very different protein fibers soak up the acid dye in differing amounts to create subtle color differences and the plant fibers don’t take the dye at all, lending their ribbons of natural white to add texture, silkiness, and shine. To maintain some order to the colors, I decided to create this as a twin-set, one braid of the three green colors, and one braid of the purple. You’ll see some of the green braids had the same breaking to brown of the navy that the yarn did. I’m wondering if it isn’t something in the water, as while I’ve heard of this happening, I’d never experienced it before. We were experiencing quite a drought at the time of dyeing these. (Pardon the ramblings of a dyer who hovers at the junction of art and science!) I’d suggest spinning this in a way that keeps the fibers together…..if worsted be sure to keep moving across the top (you could also rip it down to thinner sections), if you want semi-woolen spinning from the fold or making faux-lags or other such methods are perfect.

I don’t plan to open Tiger Club publicly to new subscriptions until September, and even then it will be limited, however I do have spots open from time to time and I will fill those from the waitlist. Check out the Clubs then use the contact form to let me know which club you are interested in. Thanks for celebrating with us, 25 years is both long and over in an instant! Hope to have 25 more and beyond!

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Wonder Lake – May 2023 Tiger Club

For May, we stayed in Alaska, but veered inland to take in Denali National Park. This is Wonder Lake, and I was captivated by the dusty blues and purples with that kiss of pink on the snow topped mountains. To finish this colorway out, I added a sagey green, and a murky green-brown to tie in the pines and moose. For both yarn and fiber, I chose a blend of BFL (Blue Faced Leicester) wool and trilobal nylon. Also known as Firestar, this nylon lends a subtle sparkle to both yarn and fiber, like the shimmer on the water of this lake.

Wonder Lake Glitz May 2023 TC

Our fiber is BFL blended with Rainbow Firestar…..the colors of the nylon lend extra subtle shading to our gradient. I dyed this in blended style, encouraging each color to blend into the next in random ways. Spun worsted, this will make a lovely smooth and drapey yarn, if you want more loft and stretch, try spinning semi-woolen by spinning from the fold or making rolags (either fauxlag style, just rolling a bit you’ve pulled off, or going full on with carders or blending board).

Wonder Lake Shimmer May 2023 TC

The yarn is Shimmer, also a blend of BFL and Firestar, this time it’s plain so the colors are clear, but perhaps a bit more sparkle. I dyed this in a down and back, so I anticipate this making spiral stripes on socks, but of course all will depend on your stitch count, gauge, and pattern so if you don’t care for what the yarn is doing, try changing one of those things up a little and see if you like the results better. You could also try your hand at planned pooling, either in the round or back and forth for a scarf, or even faux ikat on your loom.

Thanks for joining me on May’s journey! Tiger Club is closed for June as I will be on vacation and am dyeing club a bit early to get ready. However you are welcome to drop me an email through the contact page on the website if you’d like to be on the waitlist.

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Glacier Bay – April 2023 Tiger Club

For April’s Tiger Club, we travel to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. This spectacular photo shows the amazing blues that can occur in this land of ice and snow. I decided to keep things simple, and mixed up the bright ocean blue (which required 3 different blues to achieve!), plus a soft grey and a black, and of course I let the wool itself shine as our ‘snow’.

The wool combed top this month is Radnor, a rare breed from the United Kingdom. It’s a medium to medium coarse wool, averaging about 32 microns, and a staple length that can range from 3-6 inches (this top is coming in around 3-4). It takes bright/strong colors beautifully. If you’d like to learn more about the breed (and see a number of adorable sheep and lamb photographs), here’s a link to the Hill Radnor Society.

Glacier Bay Radnor Wool TC April 2023

I chose to dye the wool in a shorter color palindrome (so down and back again). It should be great for making stripes, or take it apart and make a gradient if that’s your preference. This wool is great for sturdier applications, such as mittens (lined with something softer), boot toppers, maybe even a bag. If you are more tolerant of the wool feel in general, I think it would be good for socks, also.

Glacier Bay Safari Sock Yarn TC April 2023

It’s definitely time for a self-striping yarn, and my fave Safari is a great base for it. I worked up a winding method that kept the grey/black areas roughly the same width as the blue areas, and did a crammed kettle dye. It made the colors break a bit, lending some violet to the grey at times, and making some batches glacier blue areas with more variation than others. The swatch shown is a 64 stitch tube at about 7 stitches per inch. If you prefer solid toes and heels, a black would pair nicely with this pattern.

I have openings in Tiger Club for May, and then Club will close to new members for at least June, perhaps the whole summer (although you can always ask to join the wait list!) Thanks for joining our latest adventure!

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