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The dust has been cleaned out of the Coop!  I’m happy to be back live.  In case any of you were wondering what has been going on, many things!  As you know, I still work full time and have been involved in many fiber festivals this past year.  I have been blessed to obtain two wholesale accounts and I’m planning on obtaining a third in the near future.  Currently, in brick and mortar, you can find my yarn at A Sheep at the Wheel in Georgetown, Texas and at Quixotic Fibers in Whitesboro, Texas.  I have also been in the process of moving away from Etsy onto this site, where I have more control of how my products appear and have the ability to reach out to my customers easily.

I have been experiencing what I call Dyer’s Block.  Vague ideas of new colorways die (no pun intended) in the dust, half visualized.  I usually get my inspiration from music, music lyrics, poetry and sometimes prose.  Many times the colorways spring to mind when I’m tending the chickens, the dogs or the sheep, just feelings I feel when the sheep are jumping around or baa-ing for the alfalfa and sweet feed in the bucket I’m carrying.  Sometimes I get inspiration from something that I see – usually a fleeting glimpse of something strange or unique.  Usually I can conjure something in my mind from my surroundings.  Hasn’t been happening lately.

It’s the holiday season and Christmas is fast approaching.  I usually have a problem this time of year: last minute emergencies on the 9-to-5 that gobble time, finding the perfect decorations for the house because last year’s decorations are so…last year!  Trying to figure out that special gift for the special people in my life – leaves my brain feeling like mush.  And the malls!!!  I abhor shopping during the Christmas season, too many people and too few registers open for check out!  Let’s just say, I’m not one of those people who has their holiday shopping done by Halloween.  Thank goodness for ordering online — if you order early enough to get delivery before Christmas, that is!  These headaches are enough to make my addled brain fallow soil for planting the seeds of any spirit let alone the Christmas Spirit.

But inevitably I see something that brings that Christmas spark to life, strong and warm enough to plant that seed of the Christmas spirit in my fallow brain, and not unlike the Grinch, my heart swells three times larger full of Christmas cheer.  This year, it was Christmas trees – a particular tree that I saw on – of all places – Facebook:

A friend of mine, who has lived in Italy, posted a picture of a tree from Tornino, Italy.  This tree moved me: I love the design.  It reminds me of mosaic knitting or of a cowichan sweater – knitted in colors rather than in neutrals and I see the hints of a colorway forming in my brain.

This led me to take notice of other unique trees, and there are many out there.  The one that resonated the most with me is this Grinch tree.  So perfect in its imperfections.  Isn’t that what Christmas is all about?  The beauty of humanity’s imperfections, the love we should have for each other, despite our faults and differences because He loved us enough to become imperfect to make great His creation.

I realized I already had the perfect colorway for this holiday:  Christmas Cedars.  It is a colorway that I dyed in a limited amount last year.  It reminded me of my childhood – lying in snow under an evergreen tree being decorated outside with Christmas lights.  You could see the lights twinkling among the boughs of evergreen and snow.  So I’m bringing it back, again, in a limited run.  It will be dyed only on my Twinkle Toes base.  After all, Christmas trees must have sparkle!  You can custom order this colorway from now through the end of the year.  Just send me a message through this website with the number of hanks you would like and I will send you an invoice within 24 hours.  I will ship the orders I receive beginning the week of December 17th.  Because it is Christmas, there is no minimum order size for this base.  Shipping will be free for orders of 3 hanks or more.  Lastly, with the movement to my own website, you have the ability to purchase Gift Cards for those knitter friends of yours.  For a knitter, a gift card for yarn is the gift that keeps on giving!  You can find Gift Cards in the Shop and they are sold in $25 increments.  You can purchase as many as you like!

I hope this Christmas season will be filled with happiness and wonder for all and that the New Year brings new adventures and more happiness to each of you.  I know for Chicken Coop Dyeworks, some new things are coming.  In the first quarter of 2019, I will be announcing the first subscription plan, among a few other fun things coming to the Coop.  Stay tuned!  I promise it won’t be a year before my next blog post!

Carol
Chicken Coop Dyeworks