Stripes

Sorry for the late reveal, we had a package wander around the country and I didn’t want to spoil the surprise for the club member! When looking through possible picture inspirations for August’s Club, I just loved this combination of grey, teal, orange, green, and brown….a stormy last hurrah for summer….and an extension of our beach theme…hey, summer doesn’t hold a monopoly on the oceans! I also had some rugged yarn and fiber that looked like it could stand up to these conditions.

The wool is a blend of sheep from the eastern United States, with a measurement you may not be as familiar with….Spin Count….of 56, hence Domestic 56s. Translated into our more familiar microns, it’s 29.5, a good sturdy medium wool. It’s great for felting or turning into projects where you expect some wear….think boot toppers or pillow covers. Or you can plan a lined project, it’d make a lovely hat or mittens. I did dye this in a gradient style, but remember you can tear this up and reorder it however you like. The staple length is 2-3 inches, so it is compatible with most preps and spinning styles….you could comb or card, and it would be happy spun worsted or woolen or anything in between.

My sturdiest yarn is Safari, a blend of superwash Corriedale wool and nylon, and one of my personal favorites. I dye this in a long down and back pattern, using a crowded pan, some scrunching, some hot pour, and finally a bit of speckle. There’s a lot going on, and the yarn did a great job absorbing and resisting for a great organic look.

I was able to make a swatch of this one, and the results were pretty interesting. The section furthest to the right was 72 stitches, with a gauge of about 8 stitches per inch. You can see it is decidedly puddling. The middle section is 64 stitches, and the left is 60. Both of those look pretty similar, mixing the colors up more. I prefer 64 for my socks, and I’m happy with this outcome.

Stay tuned, I’ll reveal September’s Club tomorrow. If you’d like in on the fun, I have limited spots open in all Tiger Yarn and Fiber Clubs through October 15th.

I was browsing through my collection of inspiration pictures, pulling out those I was particularly inspired to make at this time, and managed to pull out 3 that have connections to the ocean/beach, so we’re having a summer theme! With Swirled, I love the soft tones of these Sea Snail shells, specifically the Neverita Duplicata Shark Eye. I did tweak the colors pulled out a little bit, I leaned the buff sand color more toward peach, and the nebulous mauve color into a more firm violet. I also toned the navy down to match value better with the other colors. I was ruefully amused, apparently I did such a good job with this colorway that USPS decided one of the club packages should go to Hawaii! Fortunately, it was safely delivered back to Minnesota.

It was a no-brainer to look for a yarn with some shine for this colorway. Panda 2 fit the bill, a supersoft blend of 80% Superwash Merino and 20% rayon of Bamboo. This blend is great for socks….and anything else you’d like to make. I dyed this in the round, so the colors stay in order, this should lead to some stacking, swirling, and flashing, depending on your stitch count and pattern. If you don’t like how it is working up, try a tweak of needle size or stitch count, or there are patterns with slip stitches or modular bits that will change how the colors work with each other.

For fiber, I was able to get my hands on some lovely American Targhee. A cross of Merino and Lincoln, this breed was created to be hardy in our western states, particularly Idaho. It has a very soft hand, and a bit of a sheen when spun worsted due to that bit of Lincoln. This wool is happy to be spun any way you like. I suggest you also arrange the colors how you like, I went with repeating short color bits as these colors went so nicely together.

Tiger Club is currently on waitlist only, however the list is short! I do have fiber spots available immediately, so just drop me a line through my website after you’ve viewed the club listing here.

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.

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.

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!