Sample Sockstravaganza!

Wintery greetings!

I finally managed to knit up some sample socks out of my hand dyed "Rock 'em Sock 'em" colorways, and I'm really pleased with how they turned out.

Here's "Beauregarde" knitted in Cookie A's Cubist pattern:

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And this other pair is knit by my mother out of the colorway "Dandy Lion"

The pattern is Butterfly Socks by Wendy D. Johnson, from her book: "Socks from the Toe Up"

Hooray! I'm really pleased with how they came out, for some of my first attempts at dyeing sock yarn professionally. No weird pool-patterns (Although sometimes those can turn out surprisingly gorgeous.) or problems, and really nice to work with.

So anyways, happy holiday knitting, and enjoy the downtime!

(Let the making of fibery New Years resolutions begin... I think one of mine is going to be to post more of my projects on Ravelry.)

Hello Again

I didn't mean to go six months without updating! Oh sweet yarny blogosphere, how very long it's been.

I was forced to graduate and get a "real person" job, which all in all, kind of rocks.

But, you can now find Drama Llama Knitting Company on Ravelry. (So if you've knit anything with Drama Llama yarns, please let me know, I'd love to see the finished product!)

So since it's been a long time, here's what I've been up to:

Hand-dyed Romney by Spunky Eclectic

Handspun by me.

Two Ashford merino-silk rovings spun into singles and plyed with a cinnamon romney-alpaca mix.

Spun from dye-soppers purchased at "Knotty By Nature" in Victoria, BC

Close Up.

Merino - Hand-dyed and Hand-spun

Local Alpaca from Vancouver Island carded with Silk Noil and plyed with East Freisan Lamb

Hand-dyed and Handspun! 100% Wool

100% Alpaca grown and hand-dyed from Little Patch Alpacas. So delightfully soft.

And some that I've yet to put up in the shop.

I've also dyed a line of ice-cream inspired sock yarn that should be available (perhaps locally) in the New Year. Here's a taste:

As for the future, there's a whole lot going on. I'll be working on my first three regular color lines in 100% wool.

I've also got a large amount of mohair, alpaca, angora, and cotswald that I can't wait to spin!

I've been making christmas presents like crazy, so hopefully in January I'll be spinning up a storm.

In the meantime, here's a hot tip. This iconic Vancouver veggerie is the inspiration for one of my new colorways:

Labels!

Hello!

Very excited stuff going on here. Lots of handspun posted on the Drama Llama Etsy store today.

All of it worsted weight, but I've got some sock-weight handspun that I'm spinning up at the moment, in wonderful saturated candy-colored goodness. I'll hopefully post some pics of that.

But on to other things! You will be able to find a few skeins of my yarn in the gift shop of the Silk Purse Art Gallery, home to the West Van Community Arts Council. And, my lovely graphic designer, Elise Stevens, has made me up some beautiful labels with the Drama Llama logo - also designed by her.

Soon to come: Lots more handspun, and new colors of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em.

Also, I'm experimenting with different fiber blends to decide what types of yarn I will eventually offer regularly (with regular colorways as well! Ooh!)

Currently on the carding brushes: different mixtures of hemp, alpaca, mohair, and bamboo.

I'm also busy looking for local sources of wool and alpaca, to support the vibrant West Coast fiber arts community, and all the people who contribute to it.

Good News!

Like the title says, knitters, I've got good news. Soon some of my yarns will be available for purchase in the gift shop of the Silk Purse Art Gallery in West Van.

Aside from that, there's lots of other good stuff going on. Those Summer Worsted yarns are up and in the Etsy shop, but they're going fast!

Don't worry, though, there's lots of handspun on the way.

I've also got a pattern in the works for fingerless "Tuxedo Gloves" that should be up for purchase soon, in the form of a PDF.

Just to be aware, the current yarns and colorways featured in the Drama Llama etsy shop are all one-offs, as I'm trying out different base yarns for dyeing to see what feels/looks/knits the best, so just know that there won't be any more of those particular colorways.

However, I am hard at work on developing the line of flagship yarns and colorways for the Drama Llama brand, which should be permanent fixtures once they arrive.

I'm working towards offering three to four different fiber types available in three-ply worsted, sock, and lace weight, in hopefully eight different colorways to start us off, and from there it's a handspun party!

Of course, I will be experimenting and playing with exciting short-term colorways and fibers even after the mainstay yarns are established.

Hoo-ray!

Just letting you know what to expect. :)

Drama Llama

If July down, you can't keep spinning!

Today was a big day for fiber, ladies and gentlemen. On a delightfully grey Vancouver Sunday before returning to school, I decide to spend my time washing the raw wool I had squirreled away, as I had spent the previous day kettle dyeing a batch of worsted.

Above are the nine skeins of worsted weight wool I kettle-dyed. Once dry they'll be put up in the Drama Llama Etsy store, where each skein will come with a free pattern (of my own design) for Tuxedo Mitts. (I'll hopefully post a picture in the next few days.)

Below is one of the skeins of the hand-dyed yarn currently available. 440 yards of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em in the colorway "Martian Manhunter." (Inspired by my favorite DC comic hero) Its' 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon. There are several other colorways for sale as well, and more to come!

But let's get on to the order of the day, washing raw wool! I had four bags of raw fiber from the Natchwoolie Raw Fiber Club, each 2oz, as well as 500 grams of local Alpaca, from Duncan, BC on Vancouver Island. (Purchased from Victoria's annual Fiberfest!),

My method for washing/scouring raw fleece is mostly cobbled together from various blogs and books, but in case anyone is interested, I'll share it with you:

1. Fill your tub with Super-hot water, and a tablespoon of regular dishsoap. Add fiber, pulling apart clumps as you go, and make sure everything is submerged. Let soak for 30 min.
2. Remove fiber, and squeeze majority of water out.
3. Rinse and fill your tub again with Super-hot water, but don't add anything else. Add fiber as before. Soak for 30 min.
4. Remove fiber, and squeeze out majority of water.
5. Rinse and fill your tub again! Super-hot water, yadda yadda, and a sploosh of wool conditioner. (I like Soak! It smells great, and it's a leave-in.) Add fiber, submerge, soak for 30 min.
6. Remove fiber and squeeze out as much water as possible. Place fiber onto a dry towel, pulling locks apart for maximum surface area. Fold towel over onto the locks and press down, again getting as much water out as you can.
7. Lay fiber out on a towel to dry, turn over whenever you remember. Leave out overnight.

It's a good thing I love repetition. I know a lot of people use their washing machine spin cycle to get as much water out of the fiber as possible, but since I rent, I don't want to take any chances filling up the machine with bits of fiber, so I just do it the old fashioned way.

Here's some fiber laying to dry:

So what else is on the go at Drama Llama? A whole lot of handspun. After all, it is the Tour De Fleece...

Here's several skeins of handspun that will be listed in the next day or two. Both two-ply and three-ply, worsted weight. I spin on a Schacht Ladybug, which I love utterly. It was my graduation present after I recieved my B.A.

And here's what the rest of my month looks like: lots more wool to be spun and listed on Drama Llama!

Several hanks of roving purchased at the Victoria Fiberfest, including this one from Twist of Fate in Kamloops, BC. It's a merino/seacell mix, and is an absolute dream to spin.

Below is the first of three singles to be spun up into a three-play worsted weight yarn for Drama Llama.

So, July is a busy month, because there's still school to think of beyond this. As well as a new batch of sock yarn to dye! Happy spinning/dyeing/knitting, everyone!