Monday, March 28, 2011

A Tale of Two Yarns




A Tale of Two Yarns – 2KCBWDAY1
Part of any fibre enthusiast’s hobby is an appreciation of yarn. 
Choose two yarns that you have either used, are in your stash or which you yearn after 
and capture what it is you love or loathe about them.



Only two?! Well then, this should be easy! I say this because I really only have one absolute favorite yarn "brand" in which I completely adore and appreciate. Everything else follows behind. I find that I have a mixed stash - samplings, really, of yarns. One skein of Barking Dogs Yarn, a few from Three Irish Girls, a couple of specialty cotton/silk blends, a small yet growing collection of Sunflower Yarns and so on. When it comes to choosing yarns, I am huge supporter of indie dyers. I grew up attending art camps each summer and taking classes throughout my schooling which has given me a deep appreciation for art. This may be why I love the process of someone taking natural fibers and using them as canvases. 


 Sunshine Yarns
     http://www.sunshineyarns.com

For those of you who already know me, you definitely know my passion for Sunshine Yarns. Yep. What is it that I love about this particular brand? Well, so many things, that I could literally write a thesis! Really though, my love for Sunshine Yarns stems from the artist behind the brand, Dani, with her ability to create gorgeous hand-painted luxurious fibers. She is able to translate color onto fibers by becoming inspired by photographs or characters from books, telling stories, mimicking seasons, and dreaming in color. 


Hunting Wildflowers

Sunshine Yarns
Classic Sock 100% Superwash Merino
(photo from sunshineyarns flickr)

Harry Potter

Sunshine Yarns
L to R: 100% Superwash BFL wool • Classic Sock 100% Superwash Merino • 100% Superwash Merino Worsted
 
(photo from sunshineyarns flickr)

Along with creating gorgeous skeins and rovings, what I also love about Sunshine Yarns is the outstanding costumer service! Dani and her husband Scott are such lovely beings that are awesome at so many things, and always so busy yet Dani makes time to reply to each personal message she receives and makes certain to remember her costumers.


Central Coast Crafters at Stitches West 2011 visiting Dani in her Sunshine Yarns booth
From left to right: Fran, Anne, Angie, Heather, Em, Dani and me

Notice the stringing of socks? These little knitted cuties were all made with Sunshine Yarns and donated for booth display by some of their costumers from the Sunshine Yarnies group via ravelry.com. Amazing!! If you are a member of ravelry, I strongly urge you to check out the group. Everyone there is so welcoming & lovely! There are always K/CALs going on, mini swaps, inspiration, help and great chatter!




So as you can tell, Sunshine Yarns definitely takes up a lot of my fiber passion. It also, of course, takes up a lot of my fiber stash and storage.


Four full bins of Sunshine Yarns


It may seem like a lot, and maybe it really is, but for some reason I feel like it's just a start! Especially since I've been acquiring Sunshine Yarns since 2009. Fast forward to 2011 and I've only actually made two items using only three skeins!! Knitting/crocheting more with Sunshine is definitely one of my key crafting goals this year. I hope to showcase a lot of the projects here via my blog.


• Novelty yarns

As you've been reading, you've probably come to the conclusion that I may be what some would label as a "yarn snob." To the contrary, I am far from such label. I will admit that I do prefer quality, like knitting with merino or merino/cash blends and running my fingers through a fluffy Malabrigo worsted. But I also do not mind using inexpensive cottons or yarns with synthetic blends like nylon/acrylic. I have a complete bin full of Lily's Sugar'n Cream solids and stripes. Perfect go-to dishcloth or amigurumi yarns.

So just because I do not mind non-natural fibers doesn't mean that I love any/all yarns. In fact, I cannot stand to work with novelty yarns. Anything from boucle to eyelash yarns and even tape yarns (ribbon yarn).




Examples of novelty yarns from the woollylambyarnshop.com
If someone is asking for a scarf or a stole made by me using any of these types of yarn, I'll politely decline and recommend another knitter for the task. Off the top of my head, I can name over a dozen knitting friends that would happily except the project too! I'm always so amazed by how many people I see knit or crochet with novelty yarns. I've seen some unique items crafted out it. After trying some of them out when I first started in this craft, I've come to learn that they are simply not my cup of tea. This is great news for you if you like them. More for you! ☺

If you're participating in KCBW, I'd love to hear about your blog & read along! Be sure to leave a comment with your info.

What type of yarns do you love or loathe? Maybe it isn't yarn, but perhaps a particular craft? I'd love to hear about it!




with peace, love, unity, and respect,
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

8 comments:

  1. Okay, now I have to check out Sunshine Yarns. It looked like there was roving in the one picture! I'm always looking for new Indie dyers to try, when it comes to yarn and fiber.

    AMEN to the NO KNITTING NOVELTY YARN! I'm with you 100% on this one. If I catch someone knitting with acrylic, or fun furr, I try to recommend something better. Although, funny story. The other day I noticed on Facebook that one of my nurses posted about working with crappy Lion Brand acrylic. I saw her the next day and tried to talk some sense into her, but to my surprise, she became very defensive and upset with me. Well, to each their own, and I will continue to educate the masses!

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  2. @Amy Darsie

    You will love some of Sunshine Yarns rovings! I've seen a lot of it spin up, even ones with twists & mixing colorways, so gorgeous!

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  3. I love the skeins of Harry Potter next to the dvd cases- it really shows how things from everyday life can inspire amazing color combinations!

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  4. omg my whole stash could fit into one of your bins! Can I come over and drool? lol!:) I'm so in love with Sunshine Yarns that I'm actually getting a stash! Was that Stitches West? I'll have to go to that sometime! Lol just to see the Sunshine booth and you!:)

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  5. ENABLER!!!! Now I must acquire some of this beautiful yarn. Houston and the metro area is perfect for superwash merino and I am a sucker if a little cashmere is in there....

    Agree about the novelty yarns!

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  6. @knittinwolf

    Yes!! That would be fantastic to meet you, & even at Stitches!! :) Yay! for your growing Sunshine Stash!

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  7. @Lisa

    If we ever get partnered in a swap, I'll be sure to send ya some Sunshine!! I think you'll love some of Dani's reds! They are DROOL!!

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thanks for leaving your comments ♥