HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!! I hope you all have time for yourselves to think about all the wonderful blessings you've received this past year and in your own way to give thanks for them. For anyone who thinks it wasn't such a great year - remember you can always be thankful that things weren't worse.

WOW !!!

I received a link to Amazon’s “Best Books of 2010: Crafts:” http://tinyurl.com/3xrbw93 I was delighted to learn that my book Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece was selected third in Best of Books of 2010: Crafts Top 10 by the editors of Amazon. You can read their comments and see the other recipients by following the link. None of this would have happened if my editor Gwen Steege had not encouraged me to write about Dyeing and Storey Publishing hadn’t provided me with an excellent support group including photographer John Polak, art director Mary Velgos and photo stylist Lisa Newman. Thanks also go the contributors and friends at Webs, America’s Yarn Store.

RANDOM MUSINGS

In order to make my Silk Yardage more available, I have priced it per yard for the individual who wishes to make smaller pieces or accessories. Multi-yard orders will have a 20% discount returned to them through PayPal.

This past year, I introduced two new yarn lines to provide you with a greater fiber choice – Poet Seat Yarns and New England Yarns. The Poet Seat Yarn Line started with a 50/50 blend of Superwash Merino and Silk, then 75/25 Superwash Merino and Nylon, and added a DK weight 50/50 and most recently Superwash Merino, Cashmere and Nylon (80/10/10) and finally Baby Alpaca, Silk and Cashmere (70/20/10). The New England Yarns are my entry into the heavier weight fibers – BFL/Alpaca 50/50 and 100% BFL. Your response to these entries has been very gratifying.

I will continue with the other fibers as they become available in a reliable fashion and I hope to experiment with plant fibers as time allows.

I am always interested in hearing about your ideas for colorways, combinations, names and what inspired them. That helps to keep me from getting into a color rut! What's your FANCY!

Gail

Hand Dyeing Silks

Hand dyeing is not just for yarn and fleece, despite the fact that is the name of my book. If you have any protein fiber, one which comes from animals, you can dye it with the formulas in my book Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece. I have been dyeing silk yardage for several years.

One of my silks was featured last summer in Elle Décor Magazine, and we received orders for silk yardage to be used for dress making. Many people use this yardage for a type of felting called Nuno felt. If you look at Chris White’s web site, New England Felting Supply, (http://www.feltingsupply.com/) you can see samples of this technique and listings of her classes.

If you are interested in learning how to dye silk, check out the Webs (http://www.yarn.com/) listing for my upcoming class in Northampton, Mass. I will also be offering a class at a location here in Greenfield, Mass. after the first of the year. I will keep you posted once the details are finalized.

One of my customers, Heather, purchased silk for a class she took using this felting technique. She sent along some pictures of her results (see below). I like the outcome so much, maybe I should ask her to return the silks??

Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Fair Dyeing Class

I have just returned from The New York Sheep and Wool Fair at Rhinebeck where I taught a one day workshop in dyeing to a great group of people from near and far. We did have some interesting challenges with wind (gusts up to 40 mph) knocking over the tent heater and one of the work tables. But we (the students and I) persevered and I know they went home pleased and more knowledgeable than when the morning started. My thanks to Kathy and Steve Elkins from Webs who sponsored the class, and to Pam Art, from Storey Publishing, who assisted and also sponsored my book signing (Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece) in conjunction with the bookseller Merritt Book Store. Three other Storey authors; Eddie Eckman, Judith Durant and Melissa Morgan Oakes were also signing their new books. See pictures below.

As well as continuing to teach dyeing at Webs, I am planning a workshop on Dyeing at a location in Greenfield for this January. It will probably be a two day affair over a weekend and limited to 8-10 students. Details to follow.

AND THE WINNER IS ....

AND THE WINNER IS …….. JENNIFER. Please contact me so I can send you your choice of yarn. My e mail address is kangaroodyer@kangarooder.com or kangaroodyer@comcast.net. Be sure to include your full name and address. Thanks to all who left messages. I will be doing this again so stay in the habit of visiting and commenting.

Please visit my web site (www.kangaroodyer.com) and Etsy site http://www.etsy.com/shop/kangaroodyer and check out the AUGUST SALE EVENT

Sandy's Shawl

This is a picture sent in by Sandy of a beautiful shawl with the accompanying details.

Shawl/Scarf knit with Kangaroo Dyer Sock Yarn and Indian Summer Shawl pattern both purchased at Webs (http://www.yarn.com/) ~ so quick and easy to knit~~ Sandyhttp://wwwsandyknits.blogspot.com/.

Remember to sign in and leave a message to be included in this months drawing for a skein of yarn on August 1st.