Tag Archives: sock yarn

Why I Still Visit Etsy Every Day

Posted on March 18, 2015 by | Comments Off on Why I Still Visit Etsy Every Day

While I haven’t received any criticism for my most recent about etsy, where I delved a little bit further into the conflict I feel about the changes etsy has been making, I have been thinking all week about the artists that still sell on their work on that platform.

Just in case it wasn’t clear, I love being able to search for just the right handmade gift from my living room. I love running into new artists in cyber space and sending the links to my husband and my friends when I think they would like them. I like introducing people to new art by artists they hadn’t found yet. (Ya’ll know it’s true, because it’s my day job.) Etsy has always been an irreplaceable tool for discovery.

When I am stuck on a particularly difficult passage in my novel or just need a break for creative inspiration, I pull up etsy and browse through listings of my two favorite things to shop for: self-striping sock yarn and pottery.

self-striping sock yarn I found on etsy
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore self-striping sock yarn from White Birch Fiber Arts. I want this for my feet.

A sock knitter can never have too much sock yarn, and as a former dyer, I know just how much work the self-striping yarn is. I don’t have the patience to do it myself most of the time, but I am more than willing to throw down $30 just for the experience of knitting with it. Self-striping sock just never gets old.

With pottery, I’m a little more discerning with my purchases. If I purchase pottery, it’s likely coming from someone I know like, FriesenArt, because I can buy it locally. (I’m drinking coffee out of one of her wheat mugs right now!) But I love browsing through the beautiful shops on etsy, favoriting pieces for future gift ideas, and imagining just how full of robin’s egg blue vessels my house will be when my boys are older.

But these bowls from AbbyTPottery keep grabbing my attention.

berrybowl
Berry Bowl.

yarnbowl
Yarn Bowl

Now, imagine the yarn from above in the yarn bowl and that berry bowl full of cherries. Can you imagine the squish of the wool? The crisp contrast of the orange against the blue bowl? The slick glaze cool to the touch. The water droplets sitting on the skin of the freshly washed cherries? The heft of the bowl in your hand as you sit back down to your laptop ready to delve back into teasing out whatever conflict is giving you trouble.

Or is that just me?

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A Sneak Peek

Posted on August 12, 2014 by | Comments Off on A Sneak Peek

Here’s a sneak peek of what’s going to be up in my etsy shop on Saturday!

amethyst oviraptor lace yarn with background

maple tree protoceratops sock texture

cormo batt and unicorn batt

Magic Genie falkland roving twist

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Three Pairs of Vanilla Socks

Posted on May 3, 2014 by | Comments Off on Three Pairs of Vanilla Socks

The night before Felix was born, I cast on two pairs of socks, just to have some simple knitting lying around my favorite haunts in the house: one on my nightstand and one in my knitting basket by the sofa.

easter egg rainbow sock
This is the start of my Easter Egg Rainbow socks, which have been living on my nightstand. I haven’t got very far on these despite having spent more time in my bed in the last 10 days than perhaps ever before. I seem to get caught in a time warp while I’m in bed, where nursing and staring at my baby, and perhaps a little dozing takes five hours, but it’s only felt like two. I hope to spend a bit more time on these, because I’m really having fun watching the color distribute. These are going to be very happy, springy socks.

rowan fine art sock
One of my purchases from my new local yarn store Yak n Yarn.
It’s Rowan fine art sock yarn, and it is merino, mohair, silk and polyamide. You know me and mohair, I can’t resist it–and if it’s mixed with silk? Even better! These socks are for Brock. I still owe him two sweaters, but since I don’t have the mental fortitude to knit sweaters right now, I’m knitting him two pairs of socks instead. I’m not sure if he will see this as any consolation, but it’s what I have to offer. I’m loving this color progression. It reminds me of that mud pie stuff that’s made with chocolate pudding with a crushed oreo crust–but in a classy, made of silk and mohair type of way.

I’ve been knitting on these in the evening during Felix’s after dinner nap. I should mention that this after Felix’s dinner, not mine. I usually have just enough time to eat my dinner and get settled in enough to knit three or four rounds before Felix is ready for dessert.

brocks rainbow socks
The third pair would be super impressive if I also cast them on the day before Felix was born, but alas, this pair of rainbow socks, the second pair of socks Brock is getting instead of a sweater, was cast on sometime in March, I think, and then lived at my Father-in-law’s house for three weeks. They are so close to being done–just a couple more inches and a toe! But again, I usually only get three or four rounds in before baby calls. (Yarn is Bright Neon Rainbow by Munchkin Knitworks.)

Felix and I are still working out where knitting falls in our relationship, but I am finding time, little by little, to resume some parts of my life that aren’t all about baby. Now dishes and laundry, I haven’t quite figured out how those fit in yet.

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Introduciong RAWR: A Tiny Dino Studios Sock Club

Posted on November 21, 2012 by | Comments Off on Introduciong RAWR: A Tiny Dino Studios Sock Club

Can I tell you how longI have wanted to do a sock yarn club?

The answer is pretty much forever.

Because who in the world does not want sock yarn to just show up in their mail box magically, month after month? I know I do.

And today, I finally added a sock yarn club to the Tiny Dino Studios Etsy Shop.

There are either 3 or 6-month subscriptions available, so go check em out.

Also, from now through Friday I am running a special special Thanksgiving sale. Enter coupon code THANKSGIVING2012 at check out and receive 25% off your entire purchase, including the new sock yarn club subscriptions.

RAWR!

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SOCKS!

Posted on November 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on SOCKS!

I did it. I couldn’t deny it any longer. I was so close to them, I just had to cast on for the Thigh High Stripes. These socks are so delicious, I can’t wait to have them finished and on me. It’s so much wool, and I wish to be clothed in all of it’s bright, colorful gloriousness!

I am making minimal changes to this pattern. I basically changed the brown to a dark charcoal and picked colors similar to the originals out of Knit Picks Palette, because whoa, these socks take a lot of yarn. I didn’t know if I would like Palette, but this is the second pair of socks I have used it for and I really like how squishy and sticky it is. I will report back how it wears.

Of course, I am going to have wait until these socks are done because it was a bit disingenuous of me to say that I have knit two pairs of socks out of it. when I only knit one of the French Market Socks–and not in a size I will ever be able to get on my foot. I know what you’re thinking: “Oh, it was her first real stranded color work project, the gauge was too tight.” And you would be ever so wrong. My gauge is fantastic! It’s exactly what the pattern should be, though I used US size 3 needles to get it, but you know I usually go up a needle size or two when knitting in the round. The reason I can’t wear this sock, is that it is knit for someone with feet the size of a doll’s.


Can you spot the meme?

Now, dear reader, you must be asking yourself why in the world I didn’t knit this sock long enough for my ginormo lady feet, and then knit a mate to go with it so I could have toasty, classy, French feet this winter? And the answer to that question is because I would have stuck four very large double pointed needles in my eyes by the end of it! I’m sorry, I think the design for these socks is gorgeous. I think the colors I chose show off the design perfectly, but seriously, what the heck was I thinking? I am not classy and understated. Me, the woman who is attempting to plan out how long before she can be self-employed again so that she can dye her hair hot pink, thought she could knit this very elegant pair of socks in understated natural colors. It was like trying to be someone I wasn’t at a very base level every time I sat down to work on them. Like I was trying to be a knitter that I am not. My original color combination was much more me. Remember that one?


Oh practice swatch, what a lovely dream you were. . .

The French Market socks are my one cheat from the whole book. I figure that so many other people have modified the Thigh High Stripes to be knee highs or even normal high socks so they would have a pair of socks they would actually knit that I can skip a second sock that I would never ever wear ever. Don’t tell the knitting police.

In other news, I am also working on the Happy Go Lucky Boots Socks


Yarn: Lamb’s Pride Sport

These have become my work / car knitting, so they are going rather slow, but the pattern is fun. I particularly like the color combination here. They remind me an old-fashioned Professor’s office with dark wood and leather everywhere–and one of those desk lamps with the green glass shade. These socks look like a they should be wearing a tweed jacket.

And finally, I am combining two of my favorite things: sock yarn and Jane Eyre. I dyed myself some periwinkle yarn and cast on Jane’s Ubiquitous Shawl along with the craftlit folks. I am quite happy with the dye job, and knitting the pattern while listening to the book is just about the most sublime combination for someone who should have been a librarian, but couldn’t quite make it because the lure of having pink hair was just too strong.

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A Tuesday Jumble

Posted on September 18, 2012 by | Comments Off on A Tuesday Jumble

Life has been a jumble lately.

Yesterday I came out to my car after work (late, of course) to find that my right front tire was flat. This didn’t really surprise me because I haven’t been able to keep air in the thing to save my life and kind of just gave up on filling it up the last few weeks. The kicker is that I get off work with just enough time to get across town and pick Athrun up from school. And it was raining, can’t forget that part. You’ll be proud to know that I only panicked a little bit

I managed to snag a ride, Brock was out of class, so we picked Athrun up, put the donut on the car and drove home, dreading having to pay someone for a new tire, because I pretty much dread paying anyone for anything–except yarn. I will happily pay for yarn in almost any circumstance. At least I knew I was going to have Tuesday off, so I had plenty of time to take care of getting the tire replaced.

Having Tuesday off is not a normal thing. Last week, my place of employment played host to Kansas Book Festival, which meant I had to be at work all day long on a Saturday, which is apparently so awful it earned me an extra day off during the week. I chose Tuesday (today, for the record) not just because it makes more sense for my job, but because it seemed more special than having Monday off, because you know, that happens sometimes. Let me tell you, having Tuesday off is awesome. I didn’t have to compete with anyone else for the washer and dryer in the basement, I didn’t have anyone to mess things up while I cleaned, and nobody stepped on the sweaters.

That’s right, I dedicated my day off to fall cleaning. (That doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as spring cleaning…but it’s the same basic principle, just preparing for winter instead of recovering from it.) I cleaned the house from top to bottom, did all of the laundry, tidied closets, and washed sweaters. I love cleaning the house when there is no one home. I don’t know why, but that’s just the best time to do it. And it has been a long time since I have been home by myself for an entire day. Call me crazy, but it was heaven. I have shining floors, clean carpets, and when the weather turns for good, the family will be prepared with freshly laundered woolens.

All of this, however, has not left me very much time for knitting.

After getting distracted by two pairs of socks and a sweater, I am making a good faith effort to get my brother his birthday socks before the weather turns, even though he could probably use them now. He rides a motorcycle, and I know from my Moped days that it’s always 10 degrees cooler on a bike. So I have put all other projects aside until I can finish these.

That means my other projects look like this:



Almondine is one sock plus one sock cuff, and the yarn for the French Market socks finally arrived. I bought a lot, because I plan on doing a lot of swatching. Besides, don’t you just love the colors? I will admit, I chose these colors partly because of their names. The cream is, strangely enough, called Cream, the dark brown is called Bison, and the fawn color is called Wheat. The French Market socks will henceforth be known as Kansas Socks, because I know of a farm where I could one of each of these products within twenty miles of where I live. (The other reason I chose them is because it reminds me of the three most common Alpaca colors I have seen, and I really wanted to do these in natural colors. This way I can just pretend.)

I also have a design in my head for a sweater. And it will probably stay there for the foreseeable future.

Then there is this.

Yes, I found a craftsy class on stranding and steeking. The class was on sale, so I bought it over the weekend. I have never wanted to use the same exact colors I have seen in the pattern before, but I want that vest exactly. I just have to wait until I can afford all that yarn…but it’s so gorgeous! I have been watching the classes, and I think I can handle the steeking when it comes along–I think.

What have you been up to?

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Twisted

Posted on September 10, 2012 by | Comments Off on Twisted

On Saturday I did something I have never ever done before. I visited a bunch of different yarn shops all in the same day. Okay, so it was only three yarn shops, but that’s two more than I have ever been to on the same day before. And, I bought sock yarn at that them all. (buying sock yarn, of course, is highly usual behavior for me)

I know you are all asking yourselves, but why did you spend most of your day in the car so you could hit a few little, but very cute yarn shops in central Kansas? Well, there is the obvious reason…what knitter needs an excuse to buy yarn? Yarn is always needed. Then there is the reason for the trip, which was equally exciting and no less important than the need for MORE YARN. Well, this is why:

I am in the midst of planning Topeka’s brand new Fiber Festival. Myself and a couple of ladies from the Potwin Fiber Artisans have been hard at work finding a locale, plotting floor plans, emailing like crazy and just plain old dreaming big. We want to create something fantastic–and we need you help. We need volunteers to teach. We need volunteers to help hang fliers, to bake goodies for our bake sale, to donate to the silent auction, to just be around and help out. We need vendors. We need artists!

If you’re in the area and are interested in helping us make this event great, please contact me at marla at potwinfiber dot org.

All right, enough with the commercial. I went down to meet and make friends with some LYS Owners, and it was wonderful. I had never been to any of these yarn shops before, and I found something to love in each of them.

First stop was Wildflower Yarns and Knitwear in Manhattan, KS. And this is what I found:

A yarn so delicious I wound it up and cast on Almondine almost immediately. (Yes, I realize this is project three in the book, but the yarn for project two isn’t here yet and you know I already finished owls. What’s a girl to do?)


This is a little out of date, as the sock now has a heel and a gusset and everything, but you get the general idea.

The yarn is Knit One, Crochet Too Crock-O-Dye in a color way that is mostly numbers. It’s a butterscotchy, brassy mix of browns out of wool, silk, and nylon.

Next up was The Shivering Sheep in Abilene, KS. Cutest shop ever. She had things I drooled over. Including, but not limited to this lovely skein of Fleece Artist yarn.

I am not sure what pair of socks this yarn is destined for just yet, but it will luscious.

On next was Yarns Sold and Told in Salina, KS. This shop has soo much yarn. We got there just before closing, otherwise I could have spent all day browsing (and lounging in their gathering area which I wish was my living room!) Instead I walked away with skein of Cascade Heritage that is the same color as Lamb Curry take away from the local Indian joint.


I am thinking this yarn will be perfect for one of the more masculine patterns in The Sock Knitting Master Class book. Brock needs some curry socks, I think.

All of the ladies I spoke with on my little road trip were lovely, and you should visit their shops when you are in there area, whether you live in Kansas or not.

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Priorities

Posted on July 11, 2012 by | Comments Off on Priorities


I am swatching for a belated birthday gifts. I just bought buttons for it this evening. The buttons are great, the buying buttons at Joanns was not a pleasant experience. It reinforced my dire longing to have a really good local yarn / craft shop so that I never have to ever enter Joanns again.


Alpaca yarn I finished spinning yesterday. 7 oz / 200g of blacker than black DK weight yarn. What should I do with it?


I finished my Ginny Weasley socks! I love them.

I have about 1000 projects I would like be working on, but these are my priorities right now. What are you working on?

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Sock Inspiration

Posted on July 3, 2012 by | Comments Off on Sock Inspiration

One of my favorite things to knit in summer is socks. Top-down vanilla socks are easy for me now, because I can carry the pattern around in my head and I don’t have a large wool something on my lap when it’s 115 degrees outside. (And I do wish I was exaggerating.)

Here are a few pictures I took a couple of weeks ago of socks I have been working on.

I used yarn left over from my Daybreak shawl to knit a cute pair of shorty socks.

I really love these colors together!

Then, I treated myself to some Ginny Weasley sock yarn from Gnome Acres. I will admit I bought the yarn because of what it was called (it’s no secret that I love my Harry Potter), but the colors are gorgeous too.

Here’s how it’s knitting up for my size socks. (64 stitches over 8 stitches per inch, your mileage may vary.) Of course, this was a couple of weeks ago, so that sock is long finished. And I am onto the second one. I am seriously considering indulging in the Bertie Bott’s colorway next.

If you are a local, and want to learn to knit socks for yourself (and your friends and family) I still have space in my sock class!

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Weekend Update

Posted on July 1, 2012 by | Comments Off on Weekend Update

I have so much news, it’s not even funny. I think the best way to proceed is in list form otherwise I will lose track of time.
Yarny News:

1. I will be adding a Farmer’s Market Schedule page to the website so all you locals can check in and find out what days I will be at the Farmer’s Market for the rest of the season. I should have thought of this in April, but it took me until July, so there you have it.

2. This week (July 7th) I will not have my own booth up at the Farmer’s Market because I will be doing my duty at the Potwin Fiber Artisans. However, I will be selling a selection of sock yarn at that booth this week that is normally in the Tiny Dino Studios booth. And it’s offered at 15% discount for anyone who signs up for my sock class.

3. Which brings me to some good news! I am finally back in the teaching game, and friends, it has been too long. In late July I will be offering my beginners sock class. If you live in NE Kansas and have always wanted to learn how to make yourself a warm pair of woolly sock for winter, now is the time to learn. Full details are on the Classes page. (However, if you want to sign up for the class, please EMAIL ME at marla at tinydinostudios dot com, and do not leave a comment on the blog.)

4. I (finally) ordered Tiny Dino Studios a Square, so as soon as next week I can start accepting credit card transactions in whenever!

In Other News:
5. My son’s birthday is on Friday. He will be six. 6! I really can’t believe how fast he’s growing. Accordingly, his third knitted puppy dog is underway, but way behind schedule.

6. My main goal for the day, after writing this blog post, is to reorganize my apartment. With three people, one running a business and one SCIENCE student, and one a child with many toys, this small space gets cluttered rather quickly if I don’t stay on top of things. And the past few weeks I have been anywhere but on top of things. Let’s just say I have my work cut out for me…

7.Upon last weighing, I have lost 25 lbs, which is an exciting and empowering experience. I promise I will write a blog post about that a little more in depth for those who are interested. A little preview, I have a ton more energy and I had bacon and eggs for breakfast.

8. And best of all, I finally found a job. I left my job at the coffee shop last November, and over the winter was able to support myself through various means while working from home. Then, this spring I started taking temporary positions when my various means were running a little dry. My last day of temping was Friday. The whole way along (since November) I have been applying for various and sundry positions I thought I might be good at / enjoy / be qualified for. I went to a few interviews, but didn’t find anything I really wanted to do, and obviously the hirers felt the same way about me, because nary a call for second interview came my way. I was at the point of discouragement where I enrolled to go back to school (which I am now going to have to undo…) And then, I had an interview with the Kansas Historical Foundation and it was the best interview ever. You know how when you go into an interview and they sit you down and say, “We just want to have a conversation about the position…” and it ends up just being a normal interview–yeah, well we actually had a conversation that was easy, and dare I say it, fun! I start Monday.

9. So, if you’re coming through Topeka this summer, may I suggest a short stop over? Of course you’ll want to go to the zoo and see the Penguins in the morning before it gets up to 105. But in the afternoon, when it’s so hot you feel you’ll melt, stop by the Kansas Museum of History and enjoy some air conditioning and some really interesting stuff.

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