Our monthly Club is an opportunity for us to explore new dye techniques, different colour combinations, and unique textures to express what we are thinking and feeling right now. This month’s colourway is the intersection of a couple thoughts that have been on my mind for some time now:
Colour // Sleepyhead, by Felicia Lo
Earlier this year at Vogue Knitting Live in New York, I met one of my newest crafty and fibre art heroes, Maryanne Moodie (maryannemoodie.com). She is a tapestry weaver and teacher who is re-invigorating a style of simple frame loom weaving with her very minimalistic, soft, and sleepy colour palette.
At the same time, my baby girl Nina is turning ONE in March. It’s weirdly amazing that a year has gone by so quickly and I barely remember her newborn days. But one thing I am thankful for and do remember is that my baby Nina loves to sleep. Early on, I remember taking her to a outdoor picnic in the park and she slept about four hours straight through the whole thing. Woot. Those sleepy baby days are gone now and we are growing out of this dreamy time.
Sleepyhead is a palette of pale aqua blues, lavenders, pinks, and warm apricots inspired by Maryanne Moodie’s stylistic colourways and baby Nina’s first birthday.
— Felicia Lo, founder + creative director (Instagram @felicialowong and @sweetgeorgia)
Yarn // Targhee Sock
March 2017 Club Colourway // Sleepyhead // on Superwash Targhee sock yarn
Targhee Sock is 90% superwash Targhee wool and 10% nylon spun into a 3-ply fingering weight. There are approximately 460 yards (420 m) per 4 oz (115 g) skein. Targhee is one of America’s youngest sheep breeds, having been developed in 1926 at the US Sheep Experiment Station in Idaho. Targhee is bred from Rambouillet, Columbia, Lincoln, and Corriedale crosses to produce a dual-purpose sheep (meat and wool). Targhee sheep are bred to have 1/4 long wool and 3/4 fine wool characteristics. This wool is approximately 23 to 23.5 microns and has been treated with a superwash process to make the wool “easy care”. Targhee wool has a matte finish and feels spongey, making for soft and cushy yarns.
Fibre // Superwash Targee
March 2017 Club Colourway // Sleepyhead // on Superwash Targhee wool spinning fibre
This fibre is beautifully crimpy and spongey and feels amazingly smooth and bouncy to spin. And while Superwash Targhee would make a lovely, strong, and cushy sock yarn, I want to take advantage of the loft and puffiness of this fibre for a special tapestry weaving idea. So I know exactly what I want to do with this fibre…
Superwash Targhee wool spinning fibre split up into colour sections
Lumpy and bumpy handspun yarn from Superwash Targhee wool spinning fibre
Handspun yarn on simple tapestry frame loom for weaving
I’m spinning a lumpy bumpy gradient yarn with this fibre to use in a tapestry weaving on a simple frame loom. I’ve divided the fibre into the different hues and will spin each colour in succession into a slubby yarn, then I’ll Navajo-ply the slubby yarn to make an even thicker and chunkier yarn. I’ll be sure to post about my results when I’m done! I’m interested to hear how you might spin this one!
Interested in seeing what some of our Club members are making with their yarn and fibre? Check out posts by Rachel, Katrina, and Charlotte to see what they are spinning and knitting up with each monthly installment!
Each month, we dye a brand new, unique colourway for our Spinning Fibre and Sock Yarn Clubs. This post is all about what we sent out to our members in March 2017.
