Before updates and things, a note about the shop. I’ve got three things to go up today, but I realize it’s exceptionally empty. I’ve fallen a bit behind what with the fun of the committee meeting last week (described below). I hope to get stock back up this week/weekend.

So… this weekend was my birthday!

Well, actually Thursday was my birthday, I’m perfect!

…no, really, I’m perfect! I was a cube, now I’m perfect. (For those not following, I’m 28, which is a perfect number, I was 27, which is a cube – 3x3x3)

I didn’t get to celebrate on my birthday, because I had a thesis committee meeting on Friday morning. Speaking of which, I have permission to write my dissertation but the paper is not signed. I suppose that this takes a second of explanation. Before we can start to write our thesis (after most/all of our research is done) we have to get permission. At the point the paper is signed to give us permission, the four month doomsday countdown starts. When that point hits, you’d better be defending ’cause your stipend’s getting cut. So I have a few experiments to finish up, and I’ll be writing.

The long and short of this is… YAAAAAAAAAAAY! The light at the end of the tunnel is the sun, not an oncoming train. Sometime in September, maybe October, I should be graduating.

That was a good birthday present from my committee.

Saturday and Sunday I went to the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Festival, in Cummington. This was my celebration.

Yay sheep!

You see, I have, as I mentioned before I have the best friends and family ever.

Cummington was when Strider was originally supposed to be revealed (he was revealed earlier for many reasons). So it seemed only natural to bring him along with me and let him show off.

And so, I did.

And a photo from another camera…

Strider behaved himself on Saturday, and mostly on Sunday. I think he was enjoying showing off his prowess.

And because that wasn’t apparently enough, I also got some more gifts, and had a chance to show off my recent spinning and weaving.

I love MA S&W. It’s a great time in general, small and comfortable, friendly. And this one was extra good.

I mean really, what could possibly be better? Sun (enough to sunburn me in some, “Look I was spinning!” ways), friends, stuff in the booth, and even family!

Here’s the booth, you can see Mom on the left, Jesh in the back, the Tsocktsarina to the right, and CathyCate and KnittingFiddler in the booth.

And a lineup (minus Lynn, Marcy, Tsocks, parents, and a few others, still a more complete photo than I can usually manage).

Me, KnittingFiddler (Kathe), Jennifer, Melcentrica, CathyCate, and Jesh

That evening, a bunch of us got together for dinner before heading home. Due to several complicating factors we had to divide into two groups (sadness!). But things were still good.

Here’s the group I ended up with. Good times were had. Photo courtesy of (read: ganked) KnittingFiddler

Jennifer, Tsocks, CathyCate, Me, Patrick, and Jesh

Now, MA Sheep and Wool is also extra special to me for another reason. You see, this is where, one year ago, I met these crazy people…

Lisa, the Tsock Tsarina

and Jennifer, of Holiday Yarn

Yeah. One year. One year since they said, “that’s a GREAT idea!” when I laughingly told these people I didn’t know yet about a friend’s suggestion of a business. One year since they said, “You’re coming to Rhinebeck.” and I laughed and said I doubted it (guess we know who won that bet). One year since Jennifer offered to have Gnomespun yarns (as of then unnamed) in her booth.

One year, in many ways, since the inception of Gnomespun Yarns and Fiber Arts, even though it didn’t launch until Rhinebeck in October. And one year since I fell headfirst into some of the most wonderful friends anyone could ever ask for, ever.

Thanks guys, you rock. It was a great Enablement Anniversary

I went both days, arriving later the second day, but staying to help break down and get people where they needed to be.

Monday was the Memorial Day plant sale for my hometown Garden Club, a group I’ve now been a part of for, I believe 17 years (yeah, since I was 11). Always a fun time to reconnect with some great people and my ::ahem:: roots.

We also had cake for my birthday, and my Dad’s (his b-day is this Friday), and give him his extra special birthday present… a Rigid brand 12″ compound miter saw with laser sight. ::grins:: He seemed to be happy with it.

I got a lot of things, some gifts, and a few not. And I want to show a few other things, but this post is already long as heck, and I need to get back to working on the paper for publication.

Oh, I also finished a yarn that’s been hanging over my head that’s now setting in the bathroom (that I can’t show until the final project is done), got two steps through a massive 3-step dyeing for a trade that’s been hanging over my head, and got some cashmere/tussah silk dyed and drying.

So, there will be more later.

~The Gnome

So! Friday I dyed a whole bunch, and Saturday I got to play with spinning friends.

Today, I will update the fiber part. Tomorrow I’ll update the spinning part. And I’m currently dyeing more fiber as we speak… type… read… you know what I mean.

First a bit of housekeeping. I updated the home page a little, cleaned up formatting, made it more clear what I carry. Did the same for the shop. Nothing big.

The largest of the batch was more Wensleydale, so we’ll start with that. Most of these are on the shop. Some, however, are getting mailed off to a real brick and mortar store.

Friday was… a bad day. So I was exceptionally cranky, and barely let Self have any time at the dye pot (don’t worry he’ll get some today). Apparently when cranky, not only do I go for warm, I apparently go for BRIGHT.

I was on an orange kick. Because the Daylillies colorway wasn’t bright enough, I made it brighter. Pretty, if intense.

Bright Daylillies: 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top

Then, I decided, that was nice, but not bright ENOUGH (I swear that wasn’t what I was thinking, but sometimes my dye hands do what they want). And out came the summer flower Trumpet Vine.

Trumpet Vine: 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top
This one will likely get mailed

Finally I got myself to switch out of intense orange phase, and try some browns. Mmm brown!

One thing that always comes with summer, for my family, is rhubarb. And with rhubarb comes… strawberry rhubarb cobbler. Mmmmm… shiny like the steamy fruit…

Rhubarb Cobbler – 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top

And another spring/summer visitor, the purple finch! Softly colored, but with a bright warble. They make me smile. A good thought for a bad day. I love the subtle gloss of this one.

Purple Finch – 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top
This one will also likely be mailed

Then I figured, why just do inland birds? Another summer bird (ok, any time, but I don’t end up at the beach much in the winter), the sandpiper!

Sandpiper – 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top

Now on a real brown kick, I went back to an old method I haven’t used since another fiber an age ago…

Brass Dreams – 4oz Combed Wensleydale Top

And finally a repeat of a colorway that never got to the shop, but was mailed to another event.

Summer Calls – 6oz Combed Wensleydale Top

Now we get into the non-Wensleydale fibers.

My last bit of the Alpaca/Merino/Silk, a small bit for a bit of lace perhaps? Back to those oranges again!

Daylillies – 2oz Combed 50% Alpaca / 30% Merino / 20% Silk Top

An ever popular colorway, a little different each time, and always different on different fibers, War for the Oaks. This fiber ate the brown and was not playing with the green.

War for the Oaks – 4oz Combed Merino Top

And a softer version of another colorway I’ve done before, one I like personally because of the images it evokes.

Forest Shadows – 8oz Combed BFL Top
This one’s probably getting mailed

Aaaand, finally, the first part of the next Spin-A-Sweater.

Moss – 1lb Carded Romney Roving
The next piece(s) will be in Earth and Stone

And that’s all for now. Off to update the shop!

Oh right, and this creepy little guy crawled out of the pages of my sketchbook! Watch out, he’s got long fingers for fiber!

To those who’ve wandered over from Ravelry and are new, welcome.

The shop has been remarkably successful the last few days, so is a little depleted. I’m going to be doing a small update most days for the next few days, then I hope to do a large spinning fiber update on Sunday (Wensleydale, BFL, maybe some Romney, more stitch markers). After that, I’m hoping to do another larger update mid to late in the week, but it will depend on the speed of shipping. So keep watching.

I’m sourcing a few new suppliers as well, so look for new things there in the coming weeks.

I really do hope to get more spinning up soon. I’ve got a commission on the wheel that I hope to finish by this weekend, then things should pick up again.

I have finally gotten up the “Wild Gnomespun” gallery, so feel free to check that out!

For now, small update.

Lichen Yarn – 105yds, 2-ply – 80/20 Merino/Alpaca. I love this fiber. Love it. It’s what I made the hat out of. Warm and green. Soft heathering.

Stitch markers…

First, a gift set sent with the last large order:

Tiger’s eye – Rose Quartz

Then two sets you’ve seen the tests of before.

Pewter Celtic Knot – Serpentine

Sodalite – Pewter Spiral – Sodalite x2

And then a totally new (but small) set.

Turqoise – Sodalite

And that’s all for today!

~The Gnome

Whee, dyeing! Pretty colors!

Done a bunch of dyeing.

First, we’ll start with the big one.

The first Gnomespun Spin-A-Sweater.

2lbs of Corriedale in the semi-solid Deerfield Ledge (A local sandstone). Apparently on some monitors it appears UT orange. I assure you it’s sandstone.

Next, we have finn. Mm. I’m swiftly falling for this fiber (ok, so I fall for almost every fiber I play with). It’s got a soft shine and is lofty and soft.

For the most part, since it’s spring, I let Self play on this batch. With a few interjections to add more warmth.

First, he decided to go with blue. Dark blue semi-solid. April shower, bring May flowers, and thus came…

Storm Rising, 4oz of combed Finn top

Self decided he liked this dark color thing and decided to go for some green. And since it is spring now and the green has started to leaf and bloom… some are already looking forward to…

Summer Calls, 4oz of combed Finn top

Somehow he thought he was incredibly creative (despite my informing him otherwise) to go from blue, to green, to… bluegreen! As summer comes, people begin to think of the sea…

Seafoam, 4oz of combed Finn top

I gently suggested maybe he should combine his cools with something a little different, maybe? He said of course, and being in a sea mood, came up with this…

Sea and Sand, 6oz of combed Finn top

Finally, I took the reins and demanded at least ONE dyejob from this batch. I think I might have gotten a little overenthusiastic with my “I wanna do warm!” But you know, for me, spring means time to go camping. And camping means…

Bonfire, 4oz of combed Finn top

Mmm finn.

Next up we have Wensleydale. Oooh so shiny. And for a fiber not renowned for it’s softness, it’s shockingly silky. I really like this fiber and the way it takes dye.

After getting a little hot with the Bonfire, but liking the mode, I made this. Mmmm.

Burning Bright, 4oz combed Wensleydale top

Then I gave the pot back to Self and he immediately went back to his old refrain. I have to admit though, I really like this one. The photo doesn’t really capture the soft shine and very subtly semi-solid nature of this braid. I think it would make a great laceweight.

Aquamarine, 4oz combed Wensleydale top

Then, as we do periodically, Self and I collaborated on a project. This was the last of the Wensleydale (in this batch, more on the way) and we both went for intense saturated colors. Not surprisingly, playing this much, we came out with…

Fingerpaints, 4oz combed Wensleydale top

Love this fiber. Loooove it.

Finally, Self did a big chunk of BFL. Another green (he had a green thing going, what can I say?)

Forest Walk, 8oz combed BFL top

That’s just about it for now. Oh right… there’s also this other thing, but I’ll talk more about it later. For now… a teaser photo…

Today I leave you with a little fae who’s been trying to crawl out of my sketchbook for a few weeks now. He was stalled by the fact that I stubbornly decided I wanted to delve into inking again. And my inking is even more rusty than my pencil sketching. He finally made it, though, happily sprouting to say hi to everyone.

~The Gnome

Work’s been eating my head. If things go as planned (ok, the scientists and friends of scientist can get back in their chairs and stop laughing now), then I’ll be done with the paper by endish of next week. We’ll see.

The lab push is why I’ve been more or less absent for the past week.

I have, however, gotten a little bit done.

I dyed this, and it was spoken for before it got posted anywhere. Wensleydale, Sapphire Surprise, 4oz Wensleydale

I also dyed up some finn, and this I actually still have.

Who doesn’t want a nice glass of wine to end the day?

Merlot – 6oz Finn Combed Top

And a signature of the summer, fresh berries. Mmmm. Not frozen, so the insides of the blueberries are still white. Niummy

Crushed Berries – 4oz Finn Combed Top

I’m in the process of dyeing a bunch more finn and wensleydale, with more fiber on the way. Have to weigh out the romney and corrie.

Oh right, I also dyed this. I’ve been wanting to try this method for a while. So the most recent large order gets this as their “bonus.” I like it. I’m so doing this again.

A Sky Full of Stars
~50yds, 2-ply, Aran Weight, 100% Merino

And the final big news… remember a ways back, when I posted the trip up to Maine to play with wheels?

And remember… him?

Well… he was still waiting for me. With a discount.

So, now he’s on layaway. I’m paying for him slowly. Which is why there will be a progress bar on the blog entries. If you want to make a donation, feel free to step over to the shop, which I will be endeavoring to keep full!

That’s all for now. New fae to arrive soon.

~The Gnome