Blog

New Yarns Resolutions (see what I did there?)

February 1, 2017

New years resolutions always sound like a good idea. Eat healthier, move a little more, finally get organized. And then, here we are, one month in. If any of you are like me, I had noble aspirations to decrease my clutter by using some my mounting yarn stash (if for nothing else than to make…

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Targhee Yarn – Footwear for the entire household!

January 19, 2017

From our finest spun to our bulkiest yarn, I really love Targhee wool! I love the story, I love the softness, and the bounce of the wool.  AND I especially love the versatility and durability of the knit fabric.  With such a wide range of applications, why not knit socks for the entire household? Sock…

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DIY Felted Santa

December 1, 2016

We wanted to kick off this Christmas season with a simple DIY felted Santa Clause. Combed mohair top is easily transformed into ringlets for this project. Keep reading below for the simple steps to needle felt a Santa Claus with a glorious mohair beard. Materials: 1 oz of combed mohair locks 2-3 oz of wool…

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New product: Top Comber’s Silk Noil

October 24, 2016

Attention spinners, felters, paper makers and art batt producers: we just received a shipment of a brand new product that we think you will really love: comber’s cultivated silk noil top. These noils are the last of the short silk fibers that are combed out of the cultivated silk top during the top making process.…

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Create Color Gradients with Ashland Bay Multi Colored Merinos

August 16, 2016

Really, who doesn’t love a good color gradient? In 2016 you can’t set foot in a yarn shop or fiber festival without visually experiencing the full spectrum of ascending shades and hues. Having a flair for the eccentric, I decided to create my own spin on gradient yarns using Ashland Bay’s Multi Colored Merino line.…

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A striking difference

July 13, 2016

We know that superwash treated wool and non superwash treated wool accept dye differently. The superwash treatment process results in wool that does not shrink when washed, and as a bonus, it also provides additional dye sites on the fiber itself resulting in a stronger depth of color in comparison to the non-treated wool. They…

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Glitter and Glam: Introducing Ashland Bay’s Newest Yarns

April 4, 2016

Ashland Bay’s newest yarns are a result of our recent trip to Peru. We are thrilled to introduce Newport, 92% superwash merino / 8% silver lurex. Lurex is a continuous filament introduced in the plying process. Two of the four plys of this yarn have the lurex embedded in it. The lurex remains silver after…

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Experiments in Mock Dyeing

March 24, 2016

Preface: Two things to know about me before we dive into this post. I love the texture and simplicity of a garter stitch. I have a degree in Biology with a mind for running experiments. My love for the garter stitch runs deep. It is extremely versatile; you can knit vertical stripes from side to…

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OUR TRIP TO PERU – COMMERCIAL SPINNING

March 8, 2016

Please join us in the last installment of our Peruvian blog series, inspired from our recent trip to Arequipa. We have covered traditional Peruvian fiber processing and weaving and commercial processing of alpaca. Next, on to the spinning! Clean locks are picked open in preparation for carding and combing. Below, is a photo of an…

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OUR TRIP TO PERU – Commercial Processing of Alpaca

February 22, 2016

This blog post picks up where we left off with our last post…in Peru! Previously we shared what we learned about traditional Peruvian techniques. (If you missed that post you MUST see the photos of the amazing tapestries!) Then we gained insight into the commercial aspect of processing alpaca. First, the alpaca fleeces arrive at…

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