Pandemic.

I don't know which particular strain of 'flu we've had at Casa Hyena this week, but whatever it is, it's taken both me and The Man through a hellish fever, chills and aches and swimming vision - three days in bed later and I'm only just coming up for air.

I've seen more than enough daytime television to last me the rest of my life, but the plus side is that I've had plenty of time to knit.

I'm so damn close to finishing my first PAIR of socks I can feel victory in the air:



This photo is of the first one, but I'm that far done on the second now - just the toe decreases to go - how exciting!

I even wrote out the pattern as I went (not that it's very hard), so I can share it with anyone who might be interested. I want to write a few patterns that are good for beginners - something more interesting than plain socks, but not too complicated either - these ones fit the bill just right.

Perfect sick day knitting.

Give me a few more days to get some exuberance back, and I'll have more to share..... in the meantime, fellow Aussies, don't let the winter get you down....

love to all

xxx

Wow.

So first of all, I want to say thankyou to everyone who commented on my last post. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, your feedback, and your support for this crazy new venture of mine.

I sat down at the sewing machine tonight, just to do some mending that I've been putting off, and it finally felt right again. So it wont be long before I have some more sewing to share with you all.

In the meantime though - progress is being made on the dyeing front - I have a few colourways I am happy with, and the colours are getting brighter and clearer by the day - all in the name of experimentation and risk taking!

I intend to share the things I am learning as I go, to stay tuned for the fist post in the series - Undyed Yarn.

To tide you over though, here's some eye candy:



Now that I've discovered the best spot in my house for photographing the yarn - nothing can stop me!

Knitting Needles, 1930s/50s

Knitting Needles, 1930s/50s, originally uploaded by galessa's plastics.

Ok, so here's the deal.

I have been wholly kidnapped by the knitting community.
I am powerless to resist - Ravelry has been stealing my time, yarn stash and postage runs, and suddenly all I can think about is wool, socks, cowls, jumpers, sheep and fibre. Perhaps it's the beginning of a new obsession, but I'm sure my sewing machine will not be neglected for too long!

In the meantime though, there are new projects afoot at Casa Hyena - namely the huge batch of undyed yarn I am slowly skeining by hand, and the array of Landscape dyes I have at my diposal....

Hand dyeing yarn is a mysterious business - full of trial and error and unexpected colour combinations - a journey which I am excited to be embarking on.

So what I'm trying to say is this - I feel as though I am starting at the beginning again - like the day I first looked at a sewing blog and started thinking about collecting some fabric, wondering if one day I would be able to sew a straight seam or construct something to fit any type of standard. Now, two years on, I have learnt so much from all my readers, met some amazing people, and made things I never would have though my two hands could create. All because of you. Yes, you - sitting there at your computer, poised to post a comment or feedback - I could never have done it without you. THANKYOU. From the bottom of my heart.

So now, I'm asking for your help once again. As I document the process involved in learning how to dye - I need some advice. Anything, everything. Books to read, places to buy fibre, dyeing techniques. Please tell me what you think, what you know, what you suggest...... all of it is useful, and all of it will help me as I jump in the deep end of a process and art form I know nothing about......

I have given myself this big batch of yarn to work out some kind of process, and to give myself the space to learn. I hope that some of you will buy some yarn from me, but what I wish for the most is that you will all help me to get there - to achieve a level at which I can make something I am truly proud of. We've done it together once, surely we can do it again?

This is probably the longest post I've written in the last year. An open letter to say thankyou to my community, and to re-engage on a new level.... if my latest foray into a new medium doesn't work, you can all expect skeins of sock yarn in your mail packages!

Thanks so much - let's get this show on the road, shall we?

all my love,

Leah xxx

Possibilities....

There are a lot of things around my house at the moment that are on the way to becoming other things:

a big order of undyed yarn, slowly being wound into skeins:



Some divine Sanguine Gryphon sock yarn on it's way to being a pair of socks:



and my skein of Mae West hand dyed:



has found a new home, travelling through the hands of another, to end up like this:






divine, no?

You can find the pattern on Ravelry here...

I love seeing finished projects made from my yarn - thanks Kirsten!

Otherwise, there is knitting and tea drinking and battening of the hatches going on here - Winter is settling in, and my motivations are lower and my activities more limited - I haven't sewn anything in weeks!

I'm trying to relax into the ebb and flow of blog writing, trying not to feel too bad about being a little silent around these parts lately - I know the urge to share will return, once I have something to show from my busy hands...

In the meantime, I hope you are all warm and cosy, and thanks for dropping in, even though I'm not always at home.....

I'll have more hand dyed yarn to share soon, and perhaps a sock pattern for you too!

cheers,

xxxx

Staying in with the Puzz...

This is pretty much what life looks like in our house at the moment......



When I knit, I have to give her a cheapy ball of acrylic to play with, or else all hell breaks loose.

She may also start posting on this blog on my behalf:



Things are still on the quiet side around here - work has been kicking my ass lately, and the projects I am working on are all knitting related, which for me, takes time. Hopefully I'll have some finished objects to share soon.

In the meantime though, the shop still has some goodies in it - I messed up the link on my update post the other day, so if you haven't popped in, please do! I've put in an order for a wholesale amount of undyed sock yarn, so god help me if you guys don't buy it - I'll be knitting socks for the rest of my life!

I've been naming my colourways after fabulous women -

there's Patti Smith:



Debbie Harry:



and Mae West still available:



Who can resist the idea of Patti Smith socks? Not me!

xxxxx

Shop Update!

Just a small post to let you all know that my shop is now open again, and restocked with some new goodies......



There's a whole bunch of hand dyed yarn, and a slew of vintage craft books up for grabs.

And if you all pop on over and buy something, I promise I'll use the money to put in a BIG order of undyed yarn, so I can keep dyeing and selling - I'm so obsessed with coming up with new colours - hopefully you'll like them too.

Cheers!

Leah xxx

Free stuff!

My divine Sister, who I love with all my heart, is having a couple of giveaways on her blog.....



To win a gorgeous pair of custom made pants;



or a brilliant remnant pack of fabric scraps;



Visit her blog here! (you'll need to scroll down a bit to find the giveaways)

Leonie is new to blogging, and deserves some love, plus a big shout out from her baby sister (that'd be me), so please pay her a visit and say hello - she's a talented lady in her own right, and can kit you out in a pair of custom made pants in the fabrics of your choice like nobody's business...... All we need to do is teach Mum how to use the internet, and we'd be a force to be reckoned with, no?

xxxxxx

Winter.

I know it's not officially Winter just yet, but judging by the way that the knitting has taken over my WHOLE LIFE, it's safe to say that the colder weather has gotten to me.

It's all about wool at the moment, to the detriment of all other things. Dyeing, knitting and Ravelry are consuming all of my creative juices, but hopefully soon I'll have some finished objects to share, and then the blog will get some love....

Pictured above: cable socks, moss ribbed socks, Crisp vest in progress, and some hand dyed yarn from the latest batch.

I'm still searching for the elusive perfect undyed sock yarn. Wish me luck.

xxxxx

Hand Dyed.

From left: worsted weight merino 3ply; 100% merino fingering weight 1 ply; and cashmerino sock weight.

My first cohesive dye batch - I'm pleased with the colours, though I still have so much to learn. Dyeing wool is such a different process, handling the dyes works differently, and there's such a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants element to this - mostly I'm throwing things into a pot, crossing my fingers, and hoping for the best!

The premier supplier for acid dyes in Australia, KraftKolour, was situated in Whittlesea, Victoria, and burnt down in the bushfires. I hear they are well on the way to reestablishing their business, but for the moment stocks are low all over the place. Once they are up and running again, I urge any of you dyeing folk out there to make a purchase - it takes a lot to build up a business again after such a huge loss - I'm sure they could do with all the help they can get!

I'm planning on dyeing more yarn soon - I have another few skeins in the mail at the moment - I'm trying to find the perfect undyed sock yarn so I can buy a wholesale lot and dye for sale. If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them - I was a huge fan of The Knittery, but alas, they've closed down!

It seems mad to be in Australia, the land of divine quality merino wool, and to be buying said merino from the States or Hong Kong, or whatever. Local suppliers, please stand up!

More to come after the weekend - I need to shake off a cold, and serve beers to the masses this weekend, but the second sock is well on the way, and maybe even a pattern too!

Cheers, m'dears,

xxxxx

P.S: for all you Ravelry geeks out there like me, you can find me here: Hyena In Petticoats on Ravelry

And Now For World Domination.....

They say if you can knit a sock, you can knit anything.

How about if you dye the yarn yourself,



Then knit a sock out of it?



I've got to admit - I had some huge help on this one - and the finished product is more than a bit spazz - look at those ladders! And those clumsy joins! (and the red bits where I thought I'd experiment with stranded knitting along the way?)

Nevertheless, it is a finished sock, and I am inordinately proud. So much so that I've cast on the next one and even written a new pattern for it. They won't match, but I don't care in the slightest.

I've also been experimenting with dyeing some yarn, which is rather satisfying - in fact, I'm writing this whilst waiting for the timer to go off on a blue batch I have simmering....

The mustard above is my favourite so far, and there have been some blues:



And stay tuned for some red, greens and more blues, which are drying on the rack. The blue above will be in the shop update (whenever it happens), and if I can bear to part with it, some of the others will be too.

But for now, the timer just went on the stove. Better go and rescue it before it felts!

Cheers, m'dears....

xxxx