Moving On

Life has been busy, busy, busy! To say the least! The shop is finally back open! I'm trying to juggle it all and something has to go and I think it is this blog. I really wish I had more time to write here, but I simply don't. So, here are all the places you can find me instead: 

Ravelry: LavenderSheep

Facebook: Yvonne Ellsworth (Personal and I keep it to people I actually know) and LavenderSheep (all yarn news all the time)

Twitter: @lavendersheep

Pinterest: lavendersheep6

Shop: www.lavendersheep.com

Shop Newsletter: Sign up at lavendersheep.com on the left hand side bar.

Email: lavendersheep (at) gmail (dot) com

Please feel free to contact me, even if it's just to chat. I realize there are people who only follow my blog, so please stay in touch!

Weaving!

Warming Hat & Scarf

So, things have been a bit odd lately. On the one hand I don't have time for things like dyeing yarn, but on the other I have time to knit. So, I thought I would spend that extra knitting time coming up with a new project. That new project is to knit warm things for the local warming shelter. I talked to Sarah of Knot Another Hat and she was totally on board. So, I went to work knitting the perfect man hat and scarf (rav link).

It is large enough to go over the ears or be folded up. I chose Rowan Pure Wool as the yarn, because I wanted the warmth of wool, but also machine washable. This is the hat and scarf I came up with for the project. Two balls make both hat and scarf. It is now available at Knot Another Hat for the project. The shop is collecting hats through December 22nd and is giving $3 in credit for every item donated. The idea is that the Warming Shelter is open all day on Christmas Day and they like to give out gifts to everyone who comes. A hat and scarf set is a wonderful gift to someone who doesn't have a home on Christmas. I have already knit 4 sets and I'm hoping to get one or two more done before the deadline. 

In addition, if you haven't knit stripes (which are optional) or a hat or scarf before I'll be teaching classes on both at Knot Another Hat. Hat class is November 15 & 22. Scarf class is December 6th.

If you aren't local and would like to donate items you can ship them to Knot Another Hat at their new location: 11 Third Street, #103, Hood River, OR 97031.

Spinzilla

Another Spinzilla complete! Can't wait for next year!

LavenderSheep's Fiber Garden is Closed

Dear Customers and Friends:

I am Yvonne's husband, Blair Ellsworth.

I regret that I must inform you that due to a family emergency, LavenderSheep is closed for business for the immediate future. Yvonne has asked me, to the best of my ability, to close LavenderSheep.

Unfortunately I do not have enough information to know if this will be temporary or permanent closure. Please read on for what information I can provide you at this time.

Oustanding Orders

At this time I cannot say for certain how existing orders will be handled, refunded, or delayed. I cannot make any promises on Yvonne's behalf, nor do I know enough about the business to fulfill orders or continue operations.

You can expect, at the very least, a delay to any orders that you have outstanding with Yvonne. Also expect a delay to all communications between you and Yvonne.

When Yvonne is available again, I expect that she will reach out to each of her customers to make necessary arrangements with regard to outstanding orders.

New Orders

At this time, no new orders can be accepted. I will disable the website, to the best of my ability, to prevent new orders. If you create a new order during this time, it will not be fulfilled, and will likely be refunded to you at a later date.

Future Shows

LavenderSheep, to my knowledge, is currently scheduled to have booths at Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in September, and Columbia Gorge Fiber Festival in November. I am not aware of any shows currently scheduled past those dates.

I cannot say, with certainty, whether LavenderSheep will be present at either show. It is my personal hope that Yvonne may be able to do so, but at this time I do not have enough information to say. Yvonne will have to decide on that account. I expect that she will post further updates to this blog.

Thank You

Thank you for being loyal customers and friends, and I thank you for your understanding and support during this time.

Contact

For further questions, contact bellswor@gmail.com. I will not respond to messages on Yvonne's email, Facebook, or Twitter accounts.

Pickled Beets

I managed to can 3 jars of pickled beets so far this year. This was after we took out enough to roast and mix with feta cheese. I love beets! How about you?

Also, don't forget to check out the Sizzling Summer Sale!

Mittens

I am getting a head start on fall / winter knitting. I find it is nice to knit small things in Summer. They are quick and easy and don't warm up my lap too much.

I have also been on a bit of a handspun kick lately. I love knitting with handspun. So, using Ann Budd's mitten pattern, I cast these on for my son. They were really fun to knit. I love that they came out almost identical for colors. He loves them and now his sister is begging for a pair too. 

Aeron Hat

A few months ago the very talented Jean Clement of Desert Rose Fiber Arts contacted me because she loved my colors and wondered if I had a yarn which would be good for designing a Chemo Cap for her sister undergoing Chemo. I instantly recommended any of my Superwash yarns, because they are all really soft and machine washable. She settled on Superwash Sport in color Berry Pie, which is one of my favorites too! If you click the above link you can read through her design process as she created the hat and a review of the yarn too!

I think it turned out gorgeous. I love the slouchy hat style and the way it comes all together on the top. It is called the Aeron Hat. It uses 1 skein of Superwash Sport. You can purchase the pattern directly from her here!

I think it would be a great way to get a head start on fall knitting or a perfect project for anyone special in your life. 

Photos courtesy of Desert Rose Designs / Fiber Arts.

Kids Projects

I have been finding myself knitting a lot for my kids these days. It's fun and projects seem to fly off the needles.

First up is a pair of socks (rav link) for my son from some Lorna's Laces yarn from my stash. These took less than 50 grams of yarn. I had a little trouble getting the size just right. They are a little extra long, but I figured they give him room to grow. He loves them a lot and is putting them away until fall.

Next, I knit up another skirt (rav link) for my daughter. A girl just can't have too many twirly skirts! This is the Lollipop Skirt by Bekah Knits. This is the second time I have knit this skirt and I love it! It is knit out of Sirdar Baby Bamboo. I think this is the last time I'm going to knit it out of this yarn, because the yarn gets quite heavy. I'm worried that if I knit a bigger size with it (This one is 3T) that it'll be too heavy to be practical. I have thought about knitting it out of a lighter weight wool, instead. I do love the 3 tier design, so I'm thinking about it some more!

Sizzling Summer Sale

Just in time for the 4th of July, and running the month of July, is the Sizzling Summer Sale!

I realized after Black Sheep that I have a lot of leftover odds and ends that I need to clear out so I can bring on some new things! I have ideas for at least 2-3 new products, but first I need room on the shelf to put them there! So, I am doing a huge sale with up to 50% off all sorts of things in the Sale Bin. 50% off Chunk Baby Alpaca, 35% off Silky Sock, and 20% off Tencel Sock! I may be adding some things throughout the month, so make sure to check back!