Socks from Sojourner Design Yarn

My local customer who enjoys knitting with Meadow Muffins yarn has been at it again!  This time she used a more subtle combination of hues.  Just in case you haven't seen them, here's the shot of her first pair of socks with this yarn.

I'm hoping to see more work from this gal!  Also, notice the backgrounds.  The first socks were finished early last summer and laid out on lovely green grass.  The new socks ... done in December and resting on pristine Northampton snow.

Speaking of snow, here's a view of my sheep pressing in around the winter haylage feeder this morning as the snow was falling.

I've refreshed the Home Page of my website with a couple of photos taken this morning.  In fact, you'll find a number of changes and additions (such as the Prefelt page) there.  Here's one of the photos I added to that page:

I've added a few listings for carded wool to my Zibbet Shop... now I just need to figure out how to make all those Meadow Muffin hues available online!

Socks! ... and prefelt.

Aren't they just beautiful?  I love what she did with the heels.  The local knitter who is kind enough to share photos of her items knitted with my Muffins has done it again!  And again I offer to put you in touch with her if you'd like more information about how she did it.  Except this time I think it would work out best if you send me your e-mail address directly instead of through a comment.  Contact me here.  But feel free to post a comment on the blog too; comments create the energy that fuels blogging activity!

Same knitter, another splendid treat:

Her next project using my Muffins: mittens!  Can't wait to see them!

About felt, and my Nearly Felt.  Since I posted my last entry which included some comments about what defines felt, my words have not set well with me.  I still believe that the definition of felt ought to be more inclusive... but there's no reason to be snarky about it.  I have edited that entry.

And I'm changing the name of this product.  On a recent foray to New England Felting Supply to buy felting needles I noticed that they now stock sheets of needle-felted wool prepared using the same method as my own.  They are hand-dyed and beautiful, softer to the touch than my own.  And they are called prefelt.  I think that if Chris White, the charming and talented owner of New England Felting Supply and author of the title, Uniquely Felt, calls them prefelt, then I will too.  There, that's settled.

I plan to add a few pages here with information about what's available for sale, relying less and less on the web site.  Right now I'm rather focused on spending what free time I have on the construction of an item that will be entered in the Needlework, Mixed Media category at the Creative Arts show at the Eastern States Exposition in September.  I won't post a photo here until it's on display at the Big E, but I'll share that it involves felt weaving, needlefelting, and embroidery.

Exquisite!

I am now offering one ounce "muffins" of my yarn in many many hues, with the hope that they will provide the fiber for my customers to create fabulous colorwork. A local knitter bought a half dozen or so muffins at the Massachusetts Sheep and Wool Fair in Cummington Memorial Day weekend.

She's been knitting up some glorious socks and wanted to stop by my studio to see what other colors I can provide. We conversed about knitting and fiber while I wound off several muffins. She went away with a bagful and I came away inspired to spend the rest of the afternoon winding off more. I am so pleased to see this yarn being used so brilliantly!

She's wondering what she'll do once she's past the cuffs; I said, how about stripes? At any rate, if anyone wants to know more about her socks please send an e-mail to me at sojornerdesign@gmail.com and leave a comment to share your feedback.

I took a big step this afternoon: I mailed in my vendor application for the Fiber Festival of New England. I had been planning to sit the first year out but have had a change of heart. The location for this event will be great: the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield MA. It will be held Saturday and Sunday, 6 and 7 November. Mark your calendar now! I'll have more details here as it gets closer to the date.