Must say that I am impressed by the level of understanding reflected in customer letters about the upcoming price increase. It is the first time people have written insightful letters to me about the world economy, and how it relates to our small fiber businesses.
Now, the price's are only going up on the merino yarns and blends of cashmere, silk, nylon, alpaca, tencel, bamboo. Not on the BFL yarns.
The Bluefaced Leicester yarns are set, pricewise, for the next year. We have recently held a 10% discount sale on the new superwash BFL's and quite of few of our customers took us up on the opportunity to get to know these new yarns. The new yarns were developed in after the fire at the BFL warehouse in the U.K., back in October. That fire destroyed the entire stock of two of Wool2Dye4's BFL yarns, BFL Ultra! and BFL Aran (non-superwash). This, in addition to three tons of lovely BFL yarns which were the stock of my U.K. supplier. When he began to restock, he decided to revamp the BFL line and to respond to current trends in the market. So, we have a high twist sock weight (think of Sheila's Gold interpreted in Bluefaced Leicester), BFL Silky Lace, and a BFL/silk sock weight in addition to the DK and Aran weights in superwash.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Restocking!
It's that time again, and we are just about ready to accept another shipment of spring yarns. Here is what is expected on Friday (skeins, unless noted):
- Angel Delight Fingering
- Angel Sport Sock
- Butterfly Select
- Cash Aran MCN (limited quantity)
- Cash Aran MCN (cones)
- Cash Sock MCN
- Sheila's Aran
- Sheila's Sock
- Silk Sock 50/50
- W2D4 Merino Worsted
- W2D4 Merino Worsted-SW
- W2D4 Merino DK-SW
Lots of interest lately in the sparkly yarns! Our silvertoned Stellina yarn, Sheila's Sparkle, will return to stock in two weeks. And, we introduce the goldtone version, Sheila's Glitter, at the end of this week! It is priced just as Sparkle, and we have a good quantity of it in stock right now, enough to go around.
As promised, the price increase will go into effect on March 1, 2011. We will be ready to send printable pricelist revisions next week.
One of my assistants, Sarah, has cut her hours recently as she prepares to go to pharmacy school in the fall. She has been working so hard to get some required courses under her belt, and this semester, unfortunately, has had to pare down her time at Wool2Dye4 to Thursdays and Fridays. Sarah is mistress and guru of all things 'Excel' around here, so that's why the delay in producing a printable new pricelist.
I suppose I will have to get serious and learn about Excel! There is actually a four hour short course in April on mastering the most common formulae. That is the class for me. This date is definitely on the calendar.
We will be making an announcement about a charity project that we've been working on, and we'll start to talk about this sometime next month. The background is that Wool2Dye4 has been looking for an opportunity to particpate in a charity on multiple layers of involvement, a program which we can continue to support as we go forward. So, we have come up with a unique yarn which we will have dyed and which will present opportunities for our customers and for us to give back. Yes! Color at Wool2Dye4. Just one yarn, though, will be produced so we had to look very hard to find just the right color. Here is the address of the one color we have chosen have dyed and which we will carry on the website ... http://www.pantone.com/pages/Pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=1
It is Pantone's Color of the Year 2011. More about our project next month. But, take a look at the color and ready the description about courage and strength. Just the sort of words we would choose for our charity, ourselves!
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
New yarns just arrived...
Over the past year, I got away from posting the contents of new stock shipments, and was sending a newsletter to a Wholesale mailing list and a separate Retail list. The program, though, has become less and less reliable as my list has grown, and only rarely allows me in. So, today I am back to posting the list of incoming stock on the blog.
Here is what arrived today:
Sheila's Gold ... Sheila's Sock ... Cash Sock ... Platinum Sock ... W2D4 Merino DK-SW ... W2D4 Merino Worsted-SW.
We have some customers who took up my suggestion, put forth on Ravelry.com, to eMail me and ask for some yarns to be reserved. Some of these invoices have already been created and sent to the customers with pre-reserved yarns, and the rest will go out by the end of the business day.
I will have all the private invoices posted on the website. If you have reserved yarns, you may pick up your private listing under the category Odds'n'Ends. I will send you a copy of the private listing in a confirming eMail and that's how you know that the invoice is posted on the site. Just choose it as you would any other item on the websie, and the program will figure the weight and postage for us.
Here is what arrived today:
Sheila's Gold ... Sheila's Sock ... Cash Sock ... Platinum Sock ... W2D4 Merino DK-SW ... W2D4 Merino Worsted-SW.
We have some customers who took up my suggestion, put forth on Ravelry.com, to eMail me and ask for some yarns to be reserved. Some of these invoices have already been created and sent to the customers with pre-reserved yarns, and the rest will go out by the end of the business day.
I will have all the private invoices posted on the website. If you have reserved yarns, you may pick up your private listing under the category Odds'n'Ends. I will send you a copy of the private listing in a confirming eMail and that's how you know that the invoice is posted on the site. Just choose it as you would any other item on the websie, and the program will figure the weight and postage for us.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Price Increases Expected next month, Feb 2011
Something we all don't like, but is a necessary part of business is raising prices, and next month, Wool2Dye4 will raise our prices. Right now we are working with our broker to establish the prices and when they are ready, I will send out a newsletter with the news.
Lots of customers have been writing to us to say that they dye yarn and sell it to local yarn shops, or to online retailers. These are their wholesale customers, and some of my customers have decided that their customers will not be able to afford to buy handdyed yarn if the prices increase. I am here to say that the yarn shop owners are already dealing with new price lists from every single one of their suppliers, and this is because they know something that not everyone seems to realize.
That is that prices for fiber have increased all over the world. All around the globe mills are raising prices just to stay in business, and they are battling the same demons that my handdyers battle. No one can afford to run a business at break even for very long. We have to raise prices as our own prices are raised on us, so if you are fearful of losing business when you raise prices, I want you to start learning more about business in general, and your business in particular.
Consider the taste for cashmere and silk and how it has ballooned in the past two years! These two fibers have become among the most expensive fibers in the world, and just in December, the cost of cashmere skyrocketed ten percent. That is huge. Now, here we are in our tiny segment of the fiber world market, handdyers very close to the source of the goods, really. We get our yarns and fiber before the commercial yarn companies get theirs and ours are a bit more raw, too. So imagine the price increases those companies are figuring. At their end of the fiber market, setting prices is an ongoing study.
One difference between commercial yarn companies and individual hand dyers is probably best thought of in terms of who has a better grasp on the true cost of getting dyed yarn into the hands of the wholesale customer. Entrepreneurs have a habit of counting up the costs of their materials and shipping and office supplies, but forgetting to calculate the value of their time, and of unsold inventory they are sitting on. They must be counted to get a picture of profit. When we know the real figures, the numbers that describe our success, or struggles, we are better able to make wise decisions.
We all need to invigorate our attitudes towards our businesses, and should seek out help before we need it. There is a wonderful free resource for entrepreneurs called the Small Business Development Center network. Each state participates in the SBA program and has counselors at the offices of their partners around the state, covering territories. Partners might be the local chamber of commerce or community college system. Google Small Business Development Centers and your state name and you will find out how to get in front of a business advisor. Reach out and learn more about business and act from the point of knowledge as you operate.
Lots of customers have been writing to us to say that they dye yarn and sell it to local yarn shops, or to online retailers. These are their wholesale customers, and some of my customers have decided that their customers will not be able to afford to buy handdyed yarn if the prices increase. I am here to say that the yarn shop owners are already dealing with new price lists from every single one of their suppliers, and this is because they know something that not everyone seems to realize.
That is that prices for fiber have increased all over the world. All around the globe mills are raising prices just to stay in business, and they are battling the same demons that my handdyers battle. No one can afford to run a business at break even for very long. We have to raise prices as our own prices are raised on us, so if you are fearful of losing business when you raise prices, I want you to start learning more about business in general, and your business in particular.
Consider the taste for cashmere and silk and how it has ballooned in the past two years! These two fibers have become among the most expensive fibers in the world, and just in December, the cost of cashmere skyrocketed ten percent. That is huge. Now, here we are in our tiny segment of the fiber world market, handdyers very close to the source of the goods, really. We get our yarns and fiber before the commercial yarn companies get theirs and ours are a bit more raw, too. So imagine the price increases those companies are figuring. At their end of the fiber market, setting prices is an ongoing study.
One difference between commercial yarn companies and individual hand dyers is probably best thought of in terms of who has a better grasp on the true cost of getting dyed yarn into the hands of the wholesale customer. Entrepreneurs have a habit of counting up the costs of their materials and shipping and office supplies, but forgetting to calculate the value of their time, and of unsold inventory they are sitting on. They must be counted to get a picture of profit. When we know the real figures, the numbers that describe our success, or struggles, we are better able to make wise decisions.
We all need to invigorate our attitudes towards our businesses, and should seek out help before we need it. There is a wonderful free resource for entrepreneurs called the Small Business Development Center network. Each state participates in the SBA program and has counselors at the offices of their partners around the state, covering territories. Partners might be the local chamber of commerce or community college system. Google Small Business Development Centers and your state name and you will find out how to get in front of a business advisor. Reach out and learn more about business and act from the point of knowledge as you operate.
New Stock just posted on the Website
Just arrived yesterday,late in the afternoon, Sheila's Gold, along with other yarns to boost existing stock. It was the Sheila's Gold which we were out of for the past week.
Usually, I am able to send out a newsletter, but for some reason the newsletter program is not cooperating today, so I will list the next two shipments here and hope that this info gets to lots of customers.
Later in January, these yarns are expected (skeins, unless noted) ...Angel Delight Fingering
Angel Sock Sport
Butterfly Select
Cash Aran MCN (with cones)
Cash Sock MCN (with cones)
Sheila's Aran
Ultra Merino Select Lace
W2D4 Merino Worsted
In February, incoming stock includes:Sheila's Sparkle
Angel Lace
Butterfly Lace
Crazy Eight
Platinum Sock
Sheila's Gold
Sheila's Aran
Silk Sock 50/50 (there is a question of whether this will be ready)
Tweed Sock
Ultra Merino 3Ply
W2D4 Worsted-SW (with cones)
Thursday, January 06, 2011
January Thoughts
Every January I get the urge and energy to reorganize my files. To some people, files may seem like an old fashioned collection of useless papers, but let's face it. We do not all live in a paperless environment, and some of that saved paper can actually save us some money. The trick is being able to put your hands on what you need in a few seconds, and this is just about the best reason for keeping clean files and updating them once a year.
A couple of years ago, I had sort of lapsed into a lazy period of continuing along with the same files for three years in a row. It was slowly beginning to drive me mad, so early one January I purged the files of all receipts and paperwork that seemed like something no one in their right minds would ever, ever ask me to produce. I tossed out bags and bags of old receipts and copies of orders. You name it, if it was not directly deductible on my taxes, I tossed it in the can. Then came a notice from the government that there would be a major refund on telephone taxes and surcharges, but copies of telephone bills for the preceeding year had to be attached to the application for a refund. The amount of the refund came to more than $200, and I missed it because I threw out the receipts.
That year I started a new system, and I've worked it the same way every year since then. Here's how it goes...
In December, start collecting new folders, hanging files, those neat little plastic file tabs (from Post-It), a plastic file box big enough to hold all of the previous year's essential paperwork, and some large envelopes and fresh markers. The large envelopes are great to hold an unruly stack of receipts.
Go to an office supply store and choose one of the plastic file boxes with a lid on it, one which has the little lips on either side for hanging files. This way when you open the file box, you can flip through the tax box as easily as you can flip through your filing cabinet's drawer.
On the front of the plastic file box, write the year and any other information. Use big, fat letters so that it is easy to read even if you are standing on your head with a flashlight in your mouth. Never can tell ... For instance, you might label the box 'Taxes: Business & Personal 2011.'
All through the last month of the year, as you close out activity on a category, remove that folder from the filing cabinet and place it in your tax box. Then, prepare a new hanging file for the coming year's notes, label a fresh new file folder with the category and date it, e.g., 'Utilities, 2011.' Do that when you pay the recurring December bills, or when you balance the December bank statement. From time to time, sit down at the tax box and clean out extraneous notes and papers in the folders. Don't throw away important receipts, though, as I did!
When you take your paperwork to a tax preparer, you will be a better prepared customer, and may wind up paying less than those people who come in with a shoebox filled with a mess of receipts and handwritten notes.
I will say that one of the best tax prep ideas I ever came up with was a yearly Tax Diary. It is the one go-to place where I keep receipts of deductible expenses through the year. Now, I am keeping an Excel spreadsheet on the different categories, too. I admit to never deveoping a schedule for filing, and my system is pretty primitive. I toss all unfiled receipts in a basket by my desk, and then one day when they are threatening to topple over, I go through them one by one, enter the amounts/dates/payment method on my Excel spread sheet, and once they are on that spreadsheet, I file them in a folder in the Tax Diary. My yearly Tax Diary has these folders in it: Local Taxes, Medical Expenses, Estimated personal income tax payment, and Donations. All during the year I file any paperwork that has to do with these most important folders. At the end of the year, I print out the Excel sheet and send it along with my other important tax papers to my accountant, make a copy for the folder and transfer the Tax Diary to the tax box for future reference.
January is the time for creating all sorts of new folders for the clean filing cabinet. As I pay bills, I look at that clean corner of my desk and really do not want to see a pile of receipts, so in January I create new folders and file everything right away. That's where I am in the process right now and it feels very good, but I know that by April, the pile will already be a healthy size, and I will have that little reminder going off in the back of my mind telling me it is time to do some filing. Good thing for me that I cannot go longer than a quarter with most of the filing, because there are business taxes to be paid quarterly. That is a sort of natural time to get things back into order.
This is how I keep the paperwork organized. I hope it gives you incentive to try my method, or to improve upon it, for your self.
A couple of years ago, I had sort of lapsed into a lazy period of continuing along with the same files for three years in a row. It was slowly beginning to drive me mad, so early one January I purged the files of all receipts and paperwork that seemed like something no one in their right minds would ever, ever ask me to produce. I tossed out bags and bags of old receipts and copies of orders. You name it, if it was not directly deductible on my taxes, I tossed it in the can. Then came a notice from the government that there would be a major refund on telephone taxes and surcharges, but copies of telephone bills for the preceeding year had to be attached to the application for a refund. The amount of the refund came to more than $200, and I missed it because I threw out the receipts.
That year I started a new system, and I've worked it the same way every year since then. Here's how it goes...
In December, start collecting new folders, hanging files, those neat little plastic file tabs (from Post-It), a plastic file box big enough to hold all of the previous year's essential paperwork, and some large envelopes and fresh markers. The large envelopes are great to hold an unruly stack of receipts.
Go to an office supply store and choose one of the plastic file boxes with a lid on it, one which has the little lips on either side for hanging files. This way when you open the file box, you can flip through the tax box as easily as you can flip through your filing cabinet's drawer.
On the front of the plastic file box, write the year and any other information. Use big, fat letters so that it is easy to read even if you are standing on your head with a flashlight in your mouth. Never can tell ... For instance, you might label the box 'Taxes: Business & Personal 2011.'
All through the last month of the year, as you close out activity on a category, remove that folder from the filing cabinet and place it in your tax box. Then, prepare a new hanging file for the coming year's notes, label a fresh new file folder with the category and date it, e.g., 'Utilities, 2011.' Do that when you pay the recurring December bills, or when you balance the December bank statement. From time to time, sit down at the tax box and clean out extraneous notes and papers in the folders. Don't throw away important receipts, though, as I did!
When you take your paperwork to a tax preparer, you will be a better prepared customer, and may wind up paying less than those people who come in with a shoebox filled with a mess of receipts and handwritten notes.
I will say that one of the best tax prep ideas I ever came up with was a yearly Tax Diary. It is the one go-to place where I keep receipts of deductible expenses through the year. Now, I am keeping an Excel spreadsheet on the different categories, too. I admit to never deveoping a schedule for filing, and my system is pretty primitive. I toss all unfiled receipts in a basket by my desk, and then one day when they are threatening to topple over, I go through them one by one, enter the amounts/dates/payment method on my Excel spread sheet, and once they are on that spreadsheet, I file them in a folder in the Tax Diary. My yearly Tax Diary has these folders in it: Local Taxes, Medical Expenses, Estimated personal income tax payment, and Donations. All during the year I file any paperwork that has to do with these most important folders. At the end of the year, I print out the Excel sheet and send it along with my other important tax papers to my accountant, make a copy for the folder and transfer the Tax Diary to the tax box for future reference.
January is the time for creating all sorts of new folders for the clean filing cabinet. As I pay bills, I look at that clean corner of my desk and really do not want to see a pile of receipts, so in January I create new folders and file everything right away. That's where I am in the process right now and it feels very good, but I know that by April, the pile will already be a healthy size, and I will have that little reminder going off in the back of my mind telling me it is time to do some filing. Good thing for me that I cannot go longer than a quarter with most of the filing, because there are business taxes to be paid quarterly. That is a sort of natural time to get things back into order.
This is how I keep the paperwork organized. I hope it gives you incentive to try my method, or to improve upon it, for your self.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Call for Convention Orders
I am afraid that I am giving short notice to wholesale customers in this Call for Convention Orders. It is, unfortunately, out of necessity as customers are starting to talk about attending Stitches West in February, and needing to get their stock in so they can dye it up and pack for the event.
Last year I managed what I thought was a pretty good campaign to impress on my customers who resell at conventions and fiber festivals, and the whole effort was to get people to plan ahead. It seems, though, that this will be a yearly battle and that I must start anew. Well, is this totally fair? I do have some customers who are much more organized than I am, and who have quietly pushed me to get their yarns to them with a couple of months' padding before their events. And, of course, there are the newbies who are tentative about how it all works and write me many eMails so that they can get in tune with how long a lead time they will need in order to have their yarn in hand with enough time to dye up a thoughtfully prepared color palette.
Then, there are those who just sort of go with the flow and pick up what they need when they need it. This is great and I am all for free spirits, believe me! It does make having enough for everyone a bit of a problem.
Over the spring and summer there was a big, intercontinental pow-wow which went on for about six weeks, all aimed at getting Wool2Dye4 set up as a Standing Order customer at the merino mill. This process probably could have been abbreviated if I had only understood all the elements which go into play for the entire process. It is certainly not as easy as calling up and saying I want this, this, and that, but involves procurement, scheduling, accounting, forecasting, and other steps at the local level. On the worldwide scene, it involves bidding at international fiber market level, and high finance at a level much higher than I can reach.
So I am beginning to appreciate that tooth-pulling process I went through last spring and summer to get to my Standing Order phase in the grand scheme of things. But since supply and demand remain the basis of all economies, I have had to learn that my demand figures in heavily into the supply I can expect. And, the same goes for my customers and me. It is simply not possible to give my customer base what they want and need if they do not let me know with some warning time built in.
Plan Ahead,then, became my mantra all of last year. Now, I wish I had kept it up! Was I worried that my newsletters were getting boring with all the talk about getting in orders early and helping me keep organized, or was I getting bored with writing the same thing over and over again, myself? I think it was the latter. Man! I should take my own advice sometimes.
Background. There is so much work in the background when it comes to participating at any level in these fiber festivals, conventions, and workshops. They are concentrated in spring and fall months, primarily. Here we are just eight weeks away from the first major fiber event, Stitches West in Santa Clara, California over the weekend of February 17-20, 2011. If my newsletter today scared fire into absolutely everyone, then we should just make the deadline, but this will mean some long nights and weekends stirring the dyepot. I just know it. Luckily, the Standing Order will prop up available inventory on the best selling yarns, and the new British yarns have all been spun in one ton amounts, literally. I will wait 24 hours and see just how many dyers have taken my urgent call for orders to heart, cross my fingers, and plow into another busy festival season.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sample knitting from Ushya ... Mirasol's new SuperBulky
Here is a simple wristwarmer done in SuperBulky Ushya. It is one of the yarns which I bought for UptownStitches.com just before deciding to close down that secondary website. ( I continue to call UptownStitches my secondary website, because I have received eMails from folks asking what I will do with all my spare time, now that I am closing this website! They have no idea what a time-monster my main website, Wool2dye4.com, is!)
Here is simple pattern:
Bulky Knit Wrist Warmers
Yarn: Heavy worsted/ Bulky
Gauge: 3 stitches/inch
Cast on 24, join to knit in the round.
Rows 1-10: *K4, P4* around
Rows 11-12: *P4, K4* around
Rows 13-23: *K4, P4* around
Cast off loosely.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Update on the sell-off at UptownStitches.com
Since announcing the '50% off' sale, my life has turned upside down! First, I will say that once I decided to close that secondary website, getting rid of the inventory was first priority. So, instead of starting the sale at, say, 20% off and slowly increasing the discount, I decided not to drag it out, but to get going and sell the inventory quickly.
What I did not consider, though, was that there might be a feeding frenzy in fiber-land, and that's exactly what happened. Pulling and packing many orders -- many for one each of ten different yarns! -- plus keeping current with Wool2Dye4 got to be too much. Since I had moved the dyed yarns, aka Uptown Stitches, to a spare room in my home to give more space in the studio for Wool2Dye4, that meant that I was the one pulling the orders, and bringing them into the studio each day. For the first four or five nights, I was putting in some late hours!
We are going to catch up today and will be current with the orders. Yesterday I reorganized the Uptown Stitches room, and distributed what is left on the shelves so that they can be seen easily.
Here's what we have the most of ...
Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool XL, most of the colors
Elsbeth Lavold Favorite Wool, most of the colors
(cotton yarn) Kraemer's Belfast
(cotton yarn) Kraemer's Saucon
Rooster Aran Almerino, color Gooseberry(sort of dark lime green)
Rooster DK Almerino, color Gooseberry
Rooster Aran Almerino in Custard *
*Now, I know that Custard might not be a very nice name for a color, as lots of people do not like custard. It falls into that category with avocados, where people first describe the texture rather than the taste. Most people like sweets, but not all people like custard. To me, the thought of custard brings to mind the connotation 'eggy!' and that's not a good thing in my culinary consideration. Back to yarn, though, this Custard-named alpaca/merino blend is a nice and rich yellow. It falls into the family of yellows which have a little brown mixed in, to tone down the one color which reflects light. It is actually what I call Italian Yellow. I use that shade to paint all the ceilings in my house! The Italians are always talking about the sun and the sea, and this color on a ceiling is like the sun shining down on you all day long, rain or shine.
Custard. It's a nice color! I've got a lot of that yarn, left, too, and I think it is all because of the name!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Uptown Stitches Sale Starts Today!
Uptown Stitches is my secondary website. I had a brilliant idea that I needed a place to sell the dyed yarns of some of my handdyers, and so I created Uptown Stitches. To drive people to the site, I took on some wellknown brands such as Mini Mochi, Elsbeth Lavold, Kraemer Yarns, Ellie Rae, Mirasol and some of the works of a few handdyers like Handwerks, Knit Witch, Lazy Perry Ranch, Yummy Yarn, Gypsy Knits, Xtreme Spinning, Zen Yarn Garden and a few others.
But it did not take off. My brilliant idea got lost in the magnitude of the internet, and so I have made the business decision to close it down. I think that for such a site to work today, you'd almost have to carry everybody. The sites which are successful have a huge line of dyers or commercial yarn companies on their line up. I just did not want to divert funds from Wool2Dye4, and so have come to the decision to close Uptown Stitches. All ideas are not really brilliant, I suppose.
So, that said, here is the announcement:
But it did not take off. My brilliant idea got lost in the magnitude of the internet, and so I have made the business decision to close it down. I think that for such a site to work today, you'd almost have to carry everybody. The sites which are successful have a huge line of dyers or commercial yarn companies on their line up. I just did not want to divert funds from Wool2Dye4, and so have come to the decision to close Uptown Stitches. All ideas are not really brilliant, I suppose.
So, that said, here is the announcement:
50% off all yarns and spinning fibers at www.UptownStitches.com!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Holiday Stocking 2DYE4 by Barb Brown, Wild Geese Fibre
HOLIDAY STOCKING 2DYE4
©Barb Brown Nov 18, 2010
Gauge: approx. 5 st. and 7 rows per inch (gauge is not critical)
Abrev.
s1wyib –slip one with yarn in back of work
Using long tail cast on, and CC1 cast on 60
Knit 1 row with CC1.
Using MC, join in round, being careful not to twist sts.
Round 1: With MC *K5, s1wyib* rep. bet ** around
Round 2: With MC *p5, s1wyib* rep. bet ** around . (to s1wyib bring yarn bet. needles to back of work, sl1, bring yarn back bet. needles to front of work)
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 twice more (total of 3 repeats) then work round 1 one more time.
Knit 1 round with MC.
Knit 1 round with CC, dec. 4 sts. around to 56 sts.
With CC, work 1 inch of k2, p2 ribbing
Knit 1 round with MC.
Work Graph One , repeating sts. 1 to 28 twice around (st. 29 is worked only after dividing for heel flap)
Continue in pattern until work measures 12 inches or desired length from top of stocking.
Divide for heel:
Break yarn
Place first 29 sts. on hold for instep.
Work heel flap on remaining 27 sts., inc. 1 st. on first row to 28 sts.
(right side facing- CC )
Row 1: s1, knit across
Row 2: s1, purl across
Repeat these 2 rows 8 more times (total of 18 rows)
Turn heel:
Row 1: k18, ssk, k1 turn
Row 2: s1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: s1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
Continue until all sts. have been worked. 18 sts. remain.
Break yarn.
With MC pickup10 sts. down the heel flap, knit across heel sts inc. 1 st., pickup 10 sts. up heel flap. Join in CC, work 29 sts. Graph One on instep. (68 sts. now in round – 29 instep, 39 sole)
Place markers 5 sts. in from each end of sole to mark gusset sts. Slip markers when working.
Round 1: *k1 CC, k1 MC* across, ending k1 CC, work instep sts. maintaining continuity of graph
Round 2: ssk with CC, work CC and MC across sole sts. maintaining stripes to last 2 sts., k2tog. with CC sts. work instep sts. maintaining continuity of graph
Repeat round 1 and 2 until 58 sts. remain in round. (All sts. in gusset within markers dec.)
Work round 2 until sock is 2 inches less than desired final length.
Knit around with CC
Shape toe:
Round 1: With MC, *k1, s1* across sole ending k1. Repeat across instep.
Round 2: with CC, k1, ssk, knit across sole to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Repeat across instep
Round 3: with MC, k1, *k1, s1* across sole ending k2. Repeat across instep
Round 4: as round 2
Repeat rounds 1 through 4, keeping stripe as established on round 1, until there are 26 sts. in the round
Graft with CC. Sew in ends, wash and block.
LOOP FOR HANGING: Cast on 40 sts. Knit 1 row. Cast off. Attach to back of stocking.
©Barb Brown Nov 18, 2010
Gauge: approx. 5 st. and 7 rows per inch (gauge is not critical)
Abrev.
s1wyib –slip one with yarn in back of work
Using long tail cast on, and CC1 cast on 60
Knit 1 row with CC1.
Using MC, join in round, being careful not to twist sts.
Round 1: With MC *K5, s1wyib* rep. bet ** around
Round 2: With MC *p5, s1wyib* rep. bet ** around . (to s1wyib bring yarn bet. needles to back of work, sl1, bring yarn back bet. needles to front of work)
Repeat rounds 1 and 2 twice more (total of 3 repeats) then work round 1 one more time.
Knit 1 round with MC.
Knit 1 round with CC, dec. 4 sts. around to 56 sts.
With CC, work 1 inch of k2, p2 ribbing
Knit 1 round with MC.
Work Graph One , repeating sts. 1 to 28 twice around (st. 29 is worked only after dividing for heel flap)
Continue in pattern until work measures 12 inches or desired length from top of stocking.
Divide for heel:
Break yarn
Place first 29 sts. on hold for instep.
Work heel flap on remaining 27 sts., inc. 1 st. on first row to 28 sts.
(right side facing- CC )
Row 1: s1, knit across
Row 2: s1, purl across
Repeat these 2 rows 8 more times (total of 18 rows)
Turn heel:
Row 1: k18, ssk, k1 turn
Row 2: s1, p9, p2tog, p1, turn
Row 3: s1, k10, ssk, k1, turn
Continue until all sts. have been worked. 18 sts. remain.
Break yarn.
With MC pickup10 sts. down the heel flap, knit across heel sts inc. 1 st., pickup 10 sts. up heel flap. Join in CC, work 29 sts. Graph One on instep. (68 sts. now in round – 29 instep, 39 sole)
Place markers 5 sts. in from each end of sole to mark gusset sts. Slip markers when working.
Round 1: *k1 CC, k1 MC* across, ending k1 CC, work instep sts. maintaining continuity of graph
Round 2: ssk with CC, work CC and MC across sole sts. maintaining stripes to last 2 sts., k2tog. with CC sts. work instep sts. maintaining continuity of graph
Repeat round 1 and 2 until 58 sts. remain in round. (All sts. in gusset within markers dec.)
Work round 2 until sock is 2 inches less than desired final length.
Knit around with CC
Shape toe:
Round 1: With MC, *k1, s1* across sole ending k1. Repeat across instep.
Round 2: with CC, k1, ssk, knit across sole to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1
Repeat across instep
Round 3: with MC, k1, *k1, s1* across sole ending k2. Repeat across instep
Round 4: as round 2
Repeat rounds 1 through 4, keeping stripe as established on round 1, until there are 26 sts. in the round
Graft with CC. Sew in ends, wash and block.
LOOP FOR HANGING: Cast on 40 sts. Knit 1 row. Cast off. Attach to back of stocking.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Incoming! Mid-November 2010
Good news of a restocking due to arrive around the 16th to 18th of November. Here is what is coming in...
- Angel Lace skeins
- Angel Select skeins
- Bamboo TwoStep skeins and cones
- Butterfly Lace skeins
- Cash Aran MCN cones
- Cash DK MCN skeins
- Cash Sock MCN skeins and cones
- Crazy Eight skeinsPlatinum Sock skeins
- Sheila's Aran skeins and cones
- Sheila's Gold skeins
- Sheila's Sock skeins and cones
- Silk Sock 50/50 skeins
- Surino skeins
- Tweed Aran skeins
- W2D4 Merino DK-SW skeins and cones
- W2D4 Merino Worsted skeins and cones
- W2D4 Merino Worsted-SW skeins and cones
When we get news that the shipment is about to pass through Customs, we will send out the newsletters to all registered customers. Also, that is when we will send private eMails to customers who have asked us to reserve some of these incoming yarns.
Exciting times! I just love it when the shipments arrive. We have just had more shelves delivered and moved everything around in the shop. That's fun, too because it makes you notice the stock levels even more.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Wool Week in London
This week the glitterati celebrate Fashion Week in the major cities around the globe. In London His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales participated by video in a major fashion party thrown by the directors of publishers Conde Nast. He spoke about the importance of choosing real wool and of promoting the industries which are fed by wool. "A couple of years ago I was shocked to discover that it often costs more to shear a sheep than a farmer would be paid for its wool,' he said.
Please read on by following these links to articles and a series of wonderful pictures of sheep being herded in downtown London.
Monday, October 11, 2010
New Yarns any day now ...
3 new yarns are coming any time now ...
... Cash Aran MCN
... Tweed Sock
...W2D4 Merino Bulky
Coming within the month, Sheila's Sparkle ...
Here is a sneak peek at this new yarn. Wholesalers! take note. This yarn will have you at the forefront of the latest movement ... sparkle and shine.
... Cash Aran MCN
... Tweed Sock
...W2D4 Merino Bulky
Coming within the month, Sheila's Sparkle ...
Here is a sneak peek at this new yarn. Wholesalers! take note. This yarn will have you at the forefront of the latest movement ... sparkle and shine.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Fire consumes BFL stocks in UK
I have sent this letter to several BFL customers this morning. Read on ...
Over the past weekenhd, the warehouse in England which housed all our BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) yarns, was burned down. Arson. The fire consumed the remaining kilos of our private yarn, BFL Ultra! which was one of the first yarns I had a hand in designing and a yarn close to my heart. Also consumed were tons of BFL Aran on cones and skeins, one of our best sellers.
The BFL Aran can be replaced, not immediately but over time. It is a time consuming process to buy up the rare BlueFaced Leicester fiber at Market, and then ship it in different directions to be processed by hand, sent to mills and spun and then returned again. We are looking at a recovery period of months.
We have a limited supply of BFL Aran on cones right now.
Luckily, we had contracted for spinning two of our former BFL sock weights at a mill which spins our merino yarns, and the shipment had not been sent at the time of the fire. This means tha we expect to welcome back our old favorites, BFL Platinum and BFl-4 Socking, sometime this fall. Wool2Dye4 may have to share our portion of this shipment, though, with our British friends as they will be starving for white yarns!
If you are on Ravlery, I invite you to join a knitted project I am trying to put together. (If you are a knitter or crochet'er, and have not yet heard about Ravelry, you must join the fun! www.Ravelry.com to join) Something in the order of a knitted homage for our BFL supplier, who comes over to work with me a couple of times a year. (Wool2Dye4 is the US distributor for HW Hammand & Co. / Bluefaced.com.) We are thinking of garlands, knitted garlands. If you would like to join that effort, we will welcome your contributions. The group is called: Friends of Wool2Dye4.
We will be sending out more information as we learn more about the production schedules in the future by newsletter, and on Ravelry and the blog. Thank you for your past support of our BFL distribution. We hope to get up to speed by the springtime once again with this line. In the meantime, our merino and other fiber blends will continue to be offered in our regular lineup, as they are not housed in England.
Best wishes,
Sheila
www.Wool2Dye4.com
www.UptownStitches.com
Over the past weekenhd, the warehouse in England which housed all our BFL (Bluefaced Leicester) yarns, was burned down. Arson. The fire consumed the remaining kilos of our private yarn, BFL Ultra! which was one of the first yarns I had a hand in designing and a yarn close to my heart. Also consumed were tons of BFL Aran on cones and skeins, one of our best sellers.
The BFL Aran can be replaced, not immediately but over time. It is a time consuming process to buy up the rare BlueFaced Leicester fiber at Market, and then ship it in different directions to be processed by hand, sent to mills and spun and then returned again. We are looking at a recovery period of months.
We have a limited supply of BFL Aran on cones right now.
Luckily, we had contracted for spinning two of our former BFL sock weights at a mill which spins our merino yarns, and the shipment had not been sent at the time of the fire. This means tha we expect to welcome back our old favorites, BFL Platinum and BFl-4 Socking, sometime this fall. Wool2Dye4 may have to share our portion of this shipment, though, with our British friends as they will be starving for white yarns!
If you are on Ravlery, I invite you to join a knitted project I am trying to put together. (If you are a knitter or crochet'er, and have not yet heard about Ravelry, you must join the fun! www.Ravelry.com to join) Something in the order of a knitted homage for our BFL supplier, who comes over to work with me a couple of times a year. (Wool2Dye4 is the US distributor for HW Hammand & Co. / Bluefaced.com.) We are thinking of garlands, knitted garlands. If you would like to join that effort, we will welcome your contributions. The group is called: Friends of Wool2Dye4.
We will be sending out more information as we learn more about the production schedules in the future by newsletter, and on Ravelry and the blog. Thank you for your past support of our BFL distribution. We hope to get up to speed by the springtime once again with this line. In the meantime, our merino and other fiber blends will continue to be offered in our regular lineup, as they are not housed in England.
Best wishes,
Sheila
www.Wool2Dye4.com
www.UptownStitches.com
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Busy While We Wait ...
... for delivery of yarn. Here are 100 receipt packets ready and waiting. These feature samples of W2D4 Merino DK-SW, the yarn we have most stock of.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
French Press Cozy
Here is one simple knit ... a tube from my antique circular sock machine with ends seamed together then turned so the seams are on the inside. It keeps my morning coffee a bit warmer for just a while longer!
Friday, September 03, 2010
Fall Re-Stockings
The best laid plans of mice and men all go awry, don't they. In the past few weeks we have been juggling the schedules of five incoming re-stocking shipments, due between now and the end of October. Very exciting stuff, as we have been slowing selling out of many yarns and were eyeing the calendar nervously.
Today, though, the good news came that a two ton shipment has started the journey to the studio. This is actually Shipment #2, and Shipment #1 somehow got switched out of position. All the folks I have notified about yarns in the first shipment will be disappointed by one week, but it is still pretty good darned news that the bigger shipment is arriving first to be followed, in two weeks, by a bigger and bigger shipment. Ahhhh! Lovely, lovely yarn! These are the most exciting days of Wool2Dye4, when the incoming shipments are just about here. The letters and eMails are flying. This translates to lists and notes on my computer and now taped to a false wall I had built behind me so that I can jump up and make old-fashioned hand written notes to myself. People ask me all the time how I keep up with all the individual requests and the answer is that I have electronic as well as hand written notes, and sometimes we do make a mistake. But we don't want to talk about that here!
Below is the list in incoming yarns coming probably around September 8th or 9th. There is one new yarn on the list: Dove Sock, something that we are trying out and may only offer this once, depending on the reception. At the most, it will be added to Wool2Dye4's permanent lineup, and at the least, it will be around for this one period only. Those who pick it up will have a wonderful alpaca/silk yarn for holiday knitting! Lovely and soft in sock weight, with around 410 yards per 100 gram skein.
Also returning to the lineup is Tencel/Merino, which some people call 'the poor man's silk!' It has a limited crowd of admirers, but very devoted they are.
I am going to organize the list by weight.
Today, though, the good news came that a two ton shipment has started the journey to the studio. This is actually Shipment #2, and Shipment #1 somehow got switched out of position. All the folks I have notified about yarns in the first shipment will be disappointed by one week, but it is still pretty good darned news that the bigger shipment is arriving first to be followed, in two weeks, by a bigger and bigger shipment. Ahhhh! Lovely, lovely yarn! These are the most exciting days of Wool2Dye4, when the incoming shipments are just about here. The letters and eMails are flying. This translates to lists and notes on my computer and now taped to a false wall I had built behind me so that I can jump up and make old-fashioned hand written notes to myself. People ask me all the time how I keep up with all the individual requests and the answer is that I have electronic as well as hand written notes, and sometimes we do make a mistake. But we don't want to talk about that here!
Below is the list in incoming yarns coming probably around September 8th or 9th. There is one new yarn on the list: Dove Sock, something that we are trying out and may only offer this once, depending on the reception. At the most, it will be added to Wool2Dye4's permanent lineup, and at the least, it will be around for this one period only. Those who pick it up will have a wonderful alpaca/silk yarn for holiday knitting! Lovely and soft in sock weight, with around 410 yards per 100 gram skein.
Also returning to the lineup is Tencel/Merino, which some people call 'the poor man's silk!' It has a limited crowd of admirers, but very devoted they are.
I am going to organize the list by weight.
Sock Yarns
Platinum Sock skeins & cones
Sheila's Sock skeins & cones
Cash Sock skeins & cones
Sheila's Gold skeins
Angel Delight Fingering skeins
Silk Sock 50/50 skeins (limited quantity. Please eMail me to reserve)
Dove Sock skeins *
*new this fall, Dove Sock is 80/20 blend of baby alpaca/silk. 50 kilos coming only.
DK/3Ply/Worsted
Cash DK MCN skeins & cones
Silk DK 50/50 skeins & cones
W2D4 Merino DK-SW skeins & cones
Tencel/Merino skeins (returns after a vacation... welcome back!)
Ultra Merino 3Ply skeins
Crazy Eight skeins
W2D4 Merino Worsted skeins & cones
Aran & Bulky
Sheila's Aran skeins
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
New Lace added to the 'Select' line (875 yds/100gr)
We have lately begun to develop a line of laces which are slightly heavier than the usual laces. That is to say, our regular laces usually carry about 1300+ yards in a skein of 100 grams. The new line runs at 875 yds/100 gr skein, so about one third heavier. Still lace weight, certainly, but just a bit more substantial.
Here is a picture of the newest in the line, and it's a little surprise ... superwash merino lace!
Ultra Select Lace
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