Gettin’ real busy ’round here…plus, a giveaway!

Hello, dear friends!

It’s that time of year for me: Crazy Christmas Season. And even though I know it comes along the same time every year, I never find myself prepared well in advance. I actually did start making new goodies for my Holiday Trunk Show way back in July, but to be honest, I didn’t go too far. I mean, if it’s in the 90s outside, I don’t feel very Christmasy, at least not in this hemisphere anyway.

So I’m basically a “maker” this time of year. Kind of like an elf, although in about a month I turn into an evil elf! Anyway this year, I’m expanding my making into a slightly different area. I don’t want to go into too many details right now about what I’m working on, however, I could use your help and opinion on something I’m struggling with currently.

For years I’ve been struggling with the desire to get involved with fiber in a way that was more elementary than knitting. I tried spinning, but honestly, my drop spindle skills stink on ice. I’d lovelovelove to open a yarn store out here, but I’d be kidding myself big time. I mean, there are a glut of LYSs. Oh well.  Designing? If only I could finish the sweaters in my Ravelry queue, I might consider trying to design something on my own.

Nope.

So after lots of playing and playing, I decided to try my hand at selling my hand-dyed yarns.

Right; I know there’s a glut of indie yarn dyers, too. But dadgumit, this is calling to me in a way I cannot deny. It’s even stronger than the clarion call of the Trader Joe’s dark chocolate-covered pretzels in the back of the pantry.

So here’s my question to all of you who are my knitting buddies:

When/if you buy yarn online from a photo, do you prefer seeing the yarn “reskeined” (this is yarn that is rewound after being handpainted which mimics how it will knit up, or do you prefer it “as it is directly after handpainting” so you can specifically see all the colors?

Here are a few examples:

Miss Babs, Blue Moon Fiber, and Madelintosh show their yarn reskeined:

Miss Babs

Madelintosh Sock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malabrigo, HandMaiden, and Kangaroo Dyer show their yarn as is.

Kangaroo Dyer Sock

Mmmalabrigo Worsted

Which do you prefer? Do you care?

In case you’re wondering, it seems that there’s nearly an equal number of “reskeined” to “just as it is” among indie dyers. To reskein, I will need to buy a special yarn winder, thus I’m wondering what y’all think!

Please let me know your preference in a comment at the end of this post. One of you will win this lovely pair of oxidized sterling, tiger eye, and carnelian earrings. But you have to give me a preference in your comment to be considered to win some earrings, ‘kay?

you might win 'em...

So, I’m gonna have to skeedaddle, but thanks for your time and thoughts!

Her eyebrows are insane!

P.S. Just wanted to show you our not-so-little Lucy (she’s already 6.5 lbs! Yikes!! She’s only 5 months old!). A couple of weeks ago, she sprouted a couple of white eyebrow whiskers—just one over each eye—that gives her a perpetual look of surprise. Very funny. I think she’d make a great anime character…