Getting ready for the Knitter’s Fair!

Summer is almost over and that means its almost time for the K-W Knitter’s Fair!  I’ve been going to this event for the last few years (well ever since we moved closer to it), and this year I decided it was time for Laines Magnifiques to become a vendor!  I decided late but was able to obtain a booth and am thrilled that I will be vending there!  It’s my first show, so I’m really unsure of how much yarn is enough so I have begun some crazy dyeing in order to get everything dyed up well in advance!  I’m working on a 4-5 skeins per colourway and ones that have been more popular in the past I am doing 10 skeins in 2 or 3 yarn bases!

Anyway, it should be lots of fun, I’m excited and nervous, but looking at it as a learning experience and a chance to meet a lot of great people!

Guest Stocking at Serenity Tree

I will be guest stocking tomorrow at Serenity Tree!  Colourways that will be stocking are Atticus, French Provencal and a new colourway I call Tiger Lily!  Be sure to check it out! Lot’s of other fabulous goodies stocking as well!

Going to the MI Fiber Fest

I’m just packing up my bags right now and getting ready to head out to Michigan with my dear friend Julie to visit our other dear friend Sam!  It’s about a 5 hour drive from Guelph so its not too bad and even better that I’ll have someone to chat with on the way!

We’re heading to the MI Fiber Fest tomorrow!  I’ll just be there as little ole me, to wander through the vendors, pet the yarn and fiber and probably buy more than I’ll ever knit or dye but that’s okay!

Laines Magnifiques will be open while I am gone, so feel free to shop, just please note that all instock orders won’t be shipping out until Monday!

Have a great weekend everyone and I’ll be sure to update the blog with pics!!

Ahh time to knit..

I have a few rare moments to knit so its back to those UFOs! You know, the ones that sit in the bottom of a bin in the back of a closet, and every now and then call out “Please won’t you come finish me!!”.  Well I’ve actually decided to jump back into one.  Back in April I gave my mom a “complete custom knit” item for her birthday.  She could pick the item, the yarn, and the colourway and I would create from scratch her perfect custom knit.  In all honesty I thought for sure she would choose something simple, a winter hat, some new mitts since her old ones have holes in them. Or maybe a nice shawl or something like that…and while she didn’t choose a full on sweater, she did choose this vest.  We searched Ravelry and knitty and every other knitting website for a button down vest that she could wear on the golf course.  Something that wasn’t too cumbersome, but that was heavy enough to keep her warm on those cool mornings of golfing with my dad.

So my first dilemma was that she choose a variegated yarn, and a pattern that has lace work in it.  While both are beautiful (can one say that about their own colourways?  I think so…), each does not coordinate well with the other.  The variegated pattern would not show the beautiful lace work.  I decided to give it a whirl and see how it looked despite the dark colourway.  She chose my “Personified” colourway because she felt it would match a lot of her wardrobe.  Not the best for lacework.  So, in an effort to give my mom a birthday present this year (did I mention this all started in April )  I’ve decided to drop the lace in the patter and just do a simple stockinette stitch with the garter stitch accents.  Hopefully it ends up looking okay, I will keep you posted…

Socks Magnifiques!!

I had a little contest on my Ravelry group to name my club yarns, since “Sock Club” and “Aran Club” just seemed so uninspired.  I have to admit, while I am creative and unique with the crafty side of me, creative words escape me so I asked for a little help!

There were a lot of wonderful entrants and thank you all for participating!!  The winner for my sock club name “Socks Magnifiques” is Kimberly!  Congratulations Kimberly and thank you for the suggestion!  I am still working on an Aran club one.  I like a lot of the names submitted, but I’m looking for a feel to the club, so I may play with the names and somehow work one into my club name!  Stay tuned I hope to have a new name for our Aran Club soon!

Now, back to socks!  Socks Magnifiques club yarns are now available on the Laines Magnifiques Website for Fall subscriptions!  I’m doing something a little different for this and subsequent subscriptions.  Each month there will be a theme that I am following for the club.  My inspiration will come from the following themes,

September – Colours of Fall

October – All Hallow’s Eve

November – First Signs of Winter

I’m already working hard creating colourways for this subscription!  There will be some fun new sock yarns available in this subscription as well, from fingering to sport weight!  For more details check out our Socks Magnifiques listing!  Subscriptions are available in 1 month and 3 month increments.  The one month listing will be up later today!

Back to School! Are you ready?

Artiste is having our big back to school stocking tonight at 9pm!  Lots of fabulous goodies available for all your back to school needs (and some that aren’t just for back to school, but important too!).

I’ve collaborated a few times with my congo mates to create some must haves!  A Sweet Treats collaboration with Maureen of Simply Heaven Lollipop Shoppe.  Some of Maureen’s fabulous decedent cookies and some sock yarn dyed to coordinate with her flavours.  Another back to school collaboration “Going to the Sock Hop” with Laines Magnifiques’ new sock yarn “Heavely Sock” in our new Rhapsody colourway. I’ve collaborated with Sue from Pink Lemonade who made some sparkling bling for your knitting needles, Rachel from Smoky Mtns Apothecary with her fabulously healing knitter’s balm and yarn saver sachets, perfect for every knitter’s stash box, and Annette from Wool Creations, our newest member of Artiste , who has added the option to knit her eleborate and stunning sock pattern for those of you who need it knit!

I’ve also been working to create enough yarn for all of you who are gearing up for sweater knitting and am offering a new colourway “Brodie” with enough yarn to knit a sweater for yourself or a loved one!

All Laines Magnifiques yarn is discounted for this special super stocking!!

Tonight, 9pm!  Be there http://artiste-congo.com

Blues and Purples ~ My new favourite combination!

Yup, that’s right.  I’ve been in a blue and purple mood lately when it comes to dyeing and colours!  I’ve create two new colourways with these colours and am quite pleased with the results.

The first colourway is called Rhapsody.  I did it on a couple of different fibers but the one I am most pleased with was my new Amour Superwash Merino (Amour because I love how soft, supple and shiny it is and I love how brilliant the colours look on it!)  The name Rhapsody is a little more random.  I was singing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” while I was dyeing and thought what a cool name for a colourway

So without further ado…Summer 2009s first NEW colourway:

Rhaspody on Amour Merino Worsted

Note the ice blue, bright purple, iris, black and a touch of natural for a wonderful contrast!  I am so pleased with the way this colourway turned out!

Now for my second new colourway.  This colourway is currently an Aran Yarn Club exclusive so it won’t be introduced into my mainstream colourways until January 2010, in which I can guarantee I will be dyeing it again at that time!

This colourway is called “Bohemian” (again, the Queen reference…songs in my head while dyeing creates some interesting results!  I could have called it “5 Little Ducks” since that was the other song in my head but it just didn’t fit! LOL  C’mon, you know the tune “5 little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away, Father Duck said ‘Quack Quack Quack Quack’ but only 4 little ducks came back…” Ahh the influence of a 2 year old! It’s my daughters new favourite song!

Okay so back to the yarn….

Bohemian can be found in the Yarn Club Spoilers page (since I like to keep it hidden for those subscribers who enjoy the surprise! )  Be sure to go check it out!  It’s pretty rockin’…

Re-opened our Etsy Store

We are once again open for business on Etsy!  I am planning on only stocking superwash yarns and spinning fibers!  We’re slowly getting up some yarns.  There are a few things in stock right now!  Come visit us at lainesmagnifiques.etsy.com!

What is it about socks?

I’m trying hard to find the sock knitting love.  It’s not working so well.  While I absolutely adore dyeing sock yarn for my customers…knitting it is a completely different story.   Have you ever started a project and get just enough done to where you can see what it will turn into, and then suddenly get bored of it and drop it like a hot potato? (I think every crafter has done this at some point )  Well that is how I feel about these socks!  For my first pair of “real” socks  (real meaning, socks that are not knit with bulky yarn!) I chose a pretty simple pattern, a simple design, something more than straight stockinette stitch but nothing too intricate like a lace pattern.  The yarn weight was DK, the needles a size 4 so not too big but not too small either, PERFECT for my first sock project.

But I’m bored!  What am I going to do with these things anyway?  Besides wear them on my feet in my shoes! I don’t even LIKE socks! What was I thinking??  Knitting something I don’t even like and might never wear!

Now please no flames, I WANT to love sock knitting! I WANT to wear my new knit socks! I KNOW they are like no other sock out there BUT I can’t get them done… I love dyeing sock yarn (but I think I said that already)…so I need to love socks!

Maybe it was the pattern..while a great beginner pattern maybe I need more of a challenge!  I’m an experienced “I’ve been knitting since the age of 8″  knitter, so maybe its the challenge I need, some real sock weight yarn and a great pattern!

OR,

Maybe I should just stick to sweaters!

Last BIG Sale of the Summer!

I’m having my last sale of the summer so get it 15% off while you can! This is for all in stock yarn on my Hyena Cart and my main website! Sale ends July 31st. Sale also includes all custom slots on my Hyena Cart.

This sale does not include Preorder yarns or Yarn Club Subscriptions.