Yarn review! And new independent dyer!
Because I'm demanding, when a Ravelry friend of mine announced she would be opening an Etsy store for her yarns, I was all like "DO YOU HAVE PURPLE YARNS? BECAUSE I LIKE PURPLE!" and obligingly she sent me a lovely skein of purple yarn to review.
First: The base. It's the Allure base, and it is a delightful Merino/cashmere/nylon blend, super soft, with a little bounce to it. It's very plush and cushy feeling and rather thick for a fingering weight yarn -- I had to check with her to make sure she hadn't sent me some sport-weight yarn by mistake. Nope, it's just a really luscious sock yarn. It would also be great for a cuddly scarf or shawl. It's already got a bit of a halo to it and I suspect it will bloom a bit when washed so it might not be the best choice for stitch patterns that you really want to pop.
Second: The dye job. Some newer dyers sometimes don't have much experience in handling the yarn or dyes or can leave the yarn harsh feeling or felted. That was in no way the case here! It was even very well-skeined and didn't tangle as I wound it into a ball, which is a miracle because my ball-winding operation consists of me draping a skein over my knees and winding by hand as I watch TV, usually with the assistance of a cat or dog or both. Also, there was neither a strong vinegar note nor a strong soapy or perfumey smell, unlike with other yarns, including commercial ones!
Third: The color: Well, I like anything that is purple. But this colorway is great. It's more lilac than my photo shows (right now there's a skein of it in the etsy store that shows the color more accurately) and ranges from a pretty violet to a delicate silvery lavender. Knit up, it pools gently in a way that reminds me of the little purple angelwing seashells you find on the NC shore. Sheepdreamery has a great variety of colorways, from delicate pastels to deep, rich tones, and does some amazing speckled yarns I haven't seen anyone else do.
And she's super nice!
I bet you want some now. This is where you can get it: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SheepDreamery
First: The base. It's the Allure base, and it is a delightful Merino/cashmere/nylon blend, super soft, with a little bounce to it. It's very plush and cushy feeling and rather thick for a fingering weight yarn -- I had to check with her to make sure she hadn't sent me some sport-weight yarn by mistake. Nope, it's just a really luscious sock yarn. It would also be great for a cuddly scarf or shawl. It's already got a bit of a halo to it and I suspect it will bloom a bit when washed so it might not be the best choice for stitch patterns that you really want to pop.
Second: The dye job. Some newer dyers sometimes don't have much experience in handling the yarn or dyes or can leave the yarn harsh feeling or felted. That was in no way the case here! It was even very well-skeined and didn't tangle as I wound it into a ball, which is a miracle because my ball-winding operation consists of me draping a skein over my knees and winding by hand as I watch TV, usually with the assistance of a cat or dog or both. Also, there was neither a strong vinegar note nor a strong soapy or perfumey smell, unlike with other yarns, including commercial ones!
Third: The color: Well, I like anything that is purple. But this colorway is great. It's more lilac than my photo shows (right now there's a skein of it in the etsy store that shows the color more accurately) and ranges from a pretty violet to a delicate silvery lavender. Knit up, it pools gently in a way that reminds me of the little purple angelwing seashells you find on the NC shore. Sheepdreamery has a great variety of colorways, from delicate pastels to deep, rich tones, and does some amazing speckled yarns I haven't seen anyone else do.
And she's super nice!
I bet you want some now. This is where you can get it: http://www.etsy.com/shop/SheepDreamery