Photo, Two Doors, Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark

And another one (or more) opens!

Yesterday, I turned down my first knitwear design job.

It was the first time, in a long time, that I was asked to make enough significant changes to my original idea that it would have sent the design on a very un-Mercedes path. But hooray for clear, calm communication, I was able to express my concerns and the client and I parted ways amicably, with possibilities for future projects together (SO much better than the scenarios in my head!).  I trusted my gut, and I think that was the best advice I could have given my self.  I have many, many more thoughts on the subject of staying true to your thing, and will be writing more in coming weeks.  I take being yourself very, very seriously.  Except when I sing kindergarten-esque silly songs about it. 

One of the nice things about being a craft floozie, is that I tend to have eleventy-three irons in the fire at any given moment*.  So as soon as I hung up the phone and took a deep sigh of relief, my inbox provided my creative self with another fun opportunity, this time for KSD!

I’m happy to announce that I will be dyeing a custom Kitchen Sink Dyeworks colorway for Shannon Okey’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo readalong + knitalong on Ravelry!  I’ll be dyeing the colorway for Steig Larsson’s second book in the trilogy, The Girl Who Played with Fire. I’m super-excited, especially as these books were on my beach reading list for my vacation next week**! 

Join in on the knitalong on Ravelry. 

Books, yarn, socks, knitting?

This is going to be awesome!

*Because, really, why have one career, when you can have a circus act by juggling four or five?

**Other best piece of advice? Take a freakin’ vacation!

Posted via email from piebird’s posterous

Valencia semi-solid, shown on Seacell Merino Fine

I’ve just posted our bright new colorways for spring,  and the shop has been updated with new arrivals.

This week, get FREE shipping on all orders to the US and Canada, use coupon code 0J2A1AMRO0PJ at checkout.  Code expired 4/9/10.

Ruthie semi-solid, shown on Merino Fine

I couldn’t wait to begin knitting with some of these beauties, so I just cast on for a re-vamp of one of my old scarf patterns, the Petal Edge Scarf (it will be available at the KSD booth at Stitches South later this month) in Mai, an over-the-top super-saturated red-orange that I am completely besotted with.

Mai semi-solid, shown on Merino Fine

I’ve had traditional knitting on the brain this week; project ideas that revolve around updated versions of fair isle stranded knitting, richly cabled texture patterns, and modern silhouettes in gansey patterns.  A natural fit to bring these type of patterns a modern look is to use a classic but modern yarn, like a hand dyed semisolid.  Texture patterns can still “pop” with a subtler handpaint, and fair isle patterns gain a richer palette.

Currently, I’m knitting a rich cable pattern with Eco DK, a mid-weight three-ply yarn.  This pattern has non-stop cable twists on each right side row, so I’ve been using the “cabling without a needle” technique.  Having a smoothly plied yarn makes life sooo much easier while doing this, as single ply yarns and loosely plied yarns tend to collapse and separate without the structure of the needle holding them up.  I have a tutorial in the works for this technique, because it’s a lifesaver!

A delicate blend of supple silk and soft linen, this yarn takes the dyes with subtle, beautiful shading. Try it in your next lace project, or knit it doubled for a soft spring garment.

Details: 65% silk 35% linen

725 yards per 4oz skein

Heavy lace/light fingering weight

Hand wash in cold water, dry flat.

Merino Silk Worsted

A buttery-soft, next to the skin touchable merino silk blend with great yardage! Try this puffy, lofty single ply worsted weight that is great for accessories. Knits and crochets beautifully.

Details: 60% merino wool 40% silk

240 yards per 4 oz skein

Worsted weight
4-5 stitches per inch on US 7-9 needles

Hand wash in cold water, dry flat.

and not exactly new, but uncommon, Silver Spoon

Try this gorgeous, subtle glittering yarn in your next lace or sock project! A sumptuous blend of soft superwash merino, silk, nylon for strength, and 2% real sterling silver fiber.

Details: 63% superwash merino wool 20% silk
15% nylon 2% real sterling silver fibers

410 yards per 100g skein

Fingering/sock weight
Needles: US 0-3

Hand wash or machine wash gentle in cold water, dry flat.

Now through December 19th, get FREE SHIPPING on all etsy shop orders of $35 or more!

Use coupon code FNFS09 at checkout.

Free shipping will be given as PayPal refund after completed transaction.  Offer good on US and Canadian orders totaling $35 before shipping.

Today we’re packing up a wholesale order to go out, but the weather is sooo nice out, we keep sneaking outside!  Kristin, AKA my helper, Girl Friday that the knitty pattern was named for, is reskeining while I label.

This is my temporary coaster.  It’s overkill, but this hotpad I crocheted from Rustic Wool was all I had handy.  It does the job, though!

Want to see what inspired the rich blue of the Peabody colorway?

The saturated blue glazes of Egyptian ceramics, like this adorable hippo from the Metropolitan Museum in NYC, were the color idea behind Peabody.  The color name is a tribute to one of my favorite geeky childhood havens, the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT, where I spent hours and hours scouring the exhibits, sketchbook in hand.

The following colorways of Luxe Merino Fine, our cashmere blend, are ready to ship.  E-mail me (mail {at} kitchensinkdyeworks.com) and let me know what you’d like, I’ll send you a PayPal invoice.  First come, first serve, and I’ll update this list as often as possible over the next week to keep it current.  If we sell out of your color, as always, I’m happy to dye to order just for you!

3 skeins each: Barefoot, Grass, Dram, Kristen, Laurie, Scout, Dolce, Peabody, Edgar

2 skeins each: Sucre, Goldbug, Charlotte, Liam, Veronica, Twila, Memphis, Sean, Ren, Flavia,

Single skeins (get ‘em while they’re hot!!): Emily, Cottington, Sonia, Fresas y Leche, Levi, Morel

We have the lovely cashmere blend sock yarn she mentioned, Luxe Merino Fine, available as custom order colors (you pick, I dye), or drop me a line to see what we have ready made in our remaining Sock Summit stock, to avoid the wait.  I’ll post a list of in-stock colors tomorrow morning.