A lot to blog about today.  I'll start with my newest item in the shop, which is up there with Merlot Sock Yarn on my Absolute Favorite Colorways list.

I was also flattered that Berry Berry Quite Contrary yarn was featured in a lovely Valentines Treasury on Etsy.  Treasuries are temporary showcases of items, usually based on a theme (color, more often than not and certainly in this case).  They do expire within two days, if I recall, so check it out while it is still up.  Browsing Treasuries is tons of fun and a great way to see a smattering of the talent on Etsy.

Valentine's Etsy Treasury

And finally, onto the yarn samples for the Phat Fiber box.

Here is what I am working with for samples, I am planning to send at least 60.

On the right is Merino Worsted Weight yarn, middle is 8 oz. Coopworth Roving, and the right is 16 oz. Corriedale Pencil Roving.  I may or may not use the coopworth as I think I will get enough decent sized samples from the yarn and Pencil Roving.  We'll see

Onto the yarn - here are the samples I have been talking about in previous posts:

On the right of this picture, along with my chickenscrawl dye notes, are the original samples of yarn colors (which I absolutely adored) that were done in a dish of dye, in the microwave, and yielded shades far darker than the actual result.  On the right were the samples I handpaintedand microwaved, yielding much more pale results.  I love the intensity of the first samples, but the latter are just too washed out for my tastes.  Those shades don't lend themselves well to lower intensity colors.

But my microwaving handpainting WAS successful, as you can see by the second set of samples held up next to the finished skein (samples were created after the skein was done):

I was holding up the lightest pink, darker pink, and the brown.  The red and darker pink weren't in the frame, but the brown and pale pink was.  As you can see they blend right in, so obviously handpainting on the skein and handpainting the samples DO yield the same approximate amount of dye on the fiber.  I doubt the samples are as washfast, but the colors are correct and that is all that matters....

Or does it?

In this case, is doesn't matter beyond intellectual curiosity, because at least on THIS project I decided I was so unhappy with the original strike that I said screw it and overdyed the whole thing with the darker pink shade.  Because it was kettle dyed for the overdye that pink yielded a shade closer to its darker sample.

I am a great deal happier with this skein.  It is a muted, romantic raspberry with subtle highlights and lowlights - not as flashy and contrasted as the original was intended to be, but equally beautiful (if not moreso) in its own way.  I am proud to send this out as samples, since overdyeing is a specialty of mine.

As for the sampling experimentation, I am still definitely using it and it turned out wonderfully for the pencil roving, which I dyed in a water bath (in the microwave, actually!) and they yielded as I had originally predicted.  Details of that adventure and maybe a microwave dyeing tutorial will be coming soon.

On a slightly different (though not unrelated) note, one thing I have been pondering is trying to control the bleeding on my handpainteds.  I need to use a greater concentration of dye, but it tends to end up splotchy as the dye sticks to the top layer of fiber but the water runs off.  I also need a method that doesn't bleed as much, especially on the bottom layer, for custom orders with specific color delineations.  I actually have one right now, for the Grass Stain colorway, as well as for a Red/Teal/Black colorway, that needs to be blocky and crisp.

My solution for this is thickening my dyes, so that they adhere to the fiber and hold the color there longer, without running off.  The thickener I will try is the standard - sodium alginate.  It's slightly brown and smells a bit musty/fishy, because it's made from algae (as if the name didn't give that one away), but it is economical, easy to control and thin down, and the dyes don't have to be heated for it to thicken and work.  It also keeps very well.

I'll be playing around with it thickened this afternoon and report back my results, but I think it will greatly improve my handpainting because the consistency of the dyes WILL be more like paint.  Several of my dyeing texts recommend thickening the dye for that type of hand application and having tried it without I think I can see why.  It will likely make the colors more intense and easier to control, and I am hoping it can make my application of dye less runny but with better penetration because of the viscosity.

We'll see.  When I know, you'll know :)