Friday 4 September 2009

Commission your own yarn

Today being the final prize in my giveaway month, I have something a little different for you. Yes, it's a blank skein of sock yarn, just waiting for the winner to tell me what colours they'd love to have this dyed in, and how they would like it dyed - sock blank, scarf blank, variegated, big or small stripes etc.


Over the past month we've had strong variegated yarns like tootiefruitie and deep fuschia, stripes like the emerald green and the firestarter socks as well as semi solids and more subtle variegations like lavendar blue. You may have a specific colourway in mind or maybe you would like one similar to those that have been up for offer this month.
This skein is the end of a cone so there is a little extra yarn - about 116gms in total -which is perfect for that extra little bit you wish you had when you are getting to the end of a big shawl or scarf :-) I wish I'd had that last night - I got to the edging of my nightingale shawl and read on ravelry that this section needs about 24gms. Weighed my yarn left - 24gms. It's going to be verrrry tight!
So, if you have a small project in mind from all our wonderful pattern suggestions this week, maybe you can win your own commissioned hand dyed yarn to knit it with. I look forward to hearing your suggestions!

ETA: competition closed.

24 comments:

  1. I'm first - maybe that is very lucky. I hope so. I'm not sure whether we are supposed to commit to a choice now or not. I absolutely loved both the lavender blue colors and the colors of After the Storm which looked like a "stronger" version aof the same colors. I would love a scarf blank with nice big stripes that sort of subtly blend into one another.

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  2. What a cool way to finish off the week! I'm still in home-dec mode and it would be great to have custom designed yarn to perfectly match the room!

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  3. Oh what a fabulous finale! My head is filled with lots of ideas. I think I would do a lace scarf with using a scarf blank, and subtly changing wide stripes similar to lavender blue. Yummy!

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  4. I think my favorite colorways are the blues and purples and also love the scarf blanks. I think that this would make a wonderful entrelac scarf and I think I'd like broad stripes in colors like the Storm colorway. Just beautiful! Maybe I'll win them both and have enough for a shawl.

    Now don't be greedy, she warned

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  5. Pick me, pick me, pick me. I'm sitting up really straight and my hand is high in the air.

    This is a really tough choice and I would have to think it through carefully. I love the scarf blank and the broad stripes. I love the peacock colorway and also the After the Storm and the Lavender Blues.

    I think that whichever colorway I had, I would make a scarf. If the peacock, maybe a lace one. If the less tonal ones, probably a multi-directional one. I'll decide when you pick me

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  6. WOW! I don't think I could come up with something more stunning than your own creations. But I did miss out on the Deep Fuchsia giveaway. that was just awesome in the color combination with the pinks & purples so something along those lines would be nice.

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  7. What an amazing offer. You truly are too generous.

    I love the wide stripes and the scarf blank concept. I think my favorite of all is something like the After the Storm to make a wonderful multi-directional scarf.

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  8. Truly a tough choice. Really tough.

    I think I would go for a scarf blank but with the colors you did for the sock blank that you did in the opposite direction. The very subtle red variations.

    I would hug it for a long while and then knit it into a wonderful multi-directional scarf

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  9. I've been waiting to enter till I felt really lucky again. It worked before.

    I'm like everyone else who loves your scarf blanks. I think I would go with one in lavender blues or maybe the muted reds that someone else mentioned - that could be wonderful too.

    I'd really love to have broad subtle striping.

    Thanks for all the fun you've given us all month!

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  10. I just finished lunch and I see that all the usuals are here. What a wonderful and exciting prize this one is.

    I definitely would love to win a scarf blank. I think that is such a great idea. I would like it to try my hand at entrelac and so would like wide stripes. I think that the strong blues and purples are my favorite and would great with my jacket.

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  11. And I'm here to to pick Mom up for the big holiday weekend here in the US.

    Count me in as one of your scarf blank devotees. They are brilliant. I think if I won I would also choose broad stripes and I really have to think hard about which colorway is my fav. I'll choose when I win. I'd definitely either knit a multi-directional or entrelac scarf to show up the gradations.

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  12. Ok, this is truly the icing on the cake... what a great idea for your final prize!! I can't resist..... I have to leave a comment on this one too. I love the subtle, slow variations in colour you made on your blue scarf blank, I think something like that would look fantastic in a simple lace scarf that would let the colours take the spotlight :)

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  13. I saw a pattern for a beautiful scarf done in a color variation yarn that would be amazing to try.

    I would definitely, definitely love this prize!

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  14. Hi Elaine, hope you and Sylvia have a lovely holiday away and enjoy yourselves:-)
    Good luck in all this weeks competitions.

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  15. Hi elaine,

    Thanks for the good wishes. We are really looking forward to some time off together. It's been a tough year but will be much better now.

    Thanks again for all the fun and wonderful prizes. I think your work is getting better and better. Stick with it.

    Elaine

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  16. Thank you Elaine! I will stick to it and keep going! Hopefully, I'll get to the point where I will be happy enough to sell them. Everyone has been so encouraging over the last month, I feel a little more confident:-) I know I still have to pace myself and not overdo things healthwise but its good to have a goal to work to!
    Thank you everyone for your encouragement and support.

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  17. And thanks for your generosity. I am sure that it is very difficult making a living as a small indie yarn dyer. But you should feel confident. Last year I was on a panel at a meeting about feeling like a fraud. It was so interesting to hear such accomplished women having the same lack of confidence. Sort of the "if I can do it, it must be crap" syndrome. Don't let yourself slip into that. Even if it is tough making a go of it, it will not be for lack of a really good eye. Also, take care of yourself - that's important.

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  18. Thank you Elaine, that means a lot to me. I think I put myself under a bit too much pressure as I feel I HAVE to get something to work for me that will give me a chance at making a living and keeping my health - which teaching never did!
    I'm hoping that in the long run, working for myself will ease the bad stress although I'm more than prepared to work hard. I just need to eliminate all the unhealthy, un-necessary stress, paperwork, agendas of the overstressed workplace.

    So, its all about having a better quality of lifeand working on feeling more centred. Just like you kayaking on your lake:-) Such a calming image!
    Enjoy yourselves away and take care of yourself too,
    elaine x

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  19. I've been looking for the perfect yarn with which to make Cookie A's Nebula socks. I think they would look good in something semisolid or very slightly variegated, like the Peacock Blue yarn but maybe a bit darker.

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  20. i would love some sock yarn variegating from dark blue to light lavendar to make a mini clapotis would be wonderful vbarton24 at gmail dot com

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  21. oh no one can ever have enough yarn, especially the varigated homemade type♥love ur site. i'm now followin' ya. hugs!

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  22. I would say a semi-solid rosey pink! It is romantic, especially beautiful for projects like Ishbel and Damson. :D

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  23. Forgot to say the last anonymous person is me: Agnes! :D

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  24. Thanks elaine,

    I think in the future I'll send you e-mail instead of just posting on the blog.

    I hope you've had a great weekend. You are right, feeling centered is so important and not letting stress take over your life is critical. I tend to be very compulsive about work and have to learn better that sometimes you can't do everything because it is sometimes just too overwhelming. It is not easy to learn one's limitations, especially when there are health issues.

    Elaine

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Hello and thanks for stopping by. Do stay a while and visit. Please do leave a comment - I'd love to hear from you and be inspired by all your blogs out there too:-) elaine xx

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