Chickenlips Knitting

Does anybody remember that movie? It was Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in the mid-1980's, married with children. I remember that Pee Wee Herman made a guest appearance, and did a goofy rendition of "Surfin' Bird", with his little suit and bowtie, but that's about all I remember about the movie. It was a dismal attempt to recapture the "Beach Blanket Bingo" days, or rather squeeze more money out of them. And none of this has anything to do with what's going on in my life, which is that I'm going to the beach tomorrow. Finally! Lord, but I needs me a vacation. This will be sort of a working vacation, as I am visiting two yarn shop owners at the Oregon North Coast, and like Mary Poppins with middle age spread, I'll be bringing my carpetbag full of hand dyed yarn. (My PDX Knitblogger buddies are very familiar with this.)

I must be doing pretty good at this Stitchjones thing, because today I was contacted by an online shop--in Atlanta, yet! They like my colorways and wanted to know if I did wholesale sales. (Has Pinocchio got a wooden butt?!) This is the first time a yarn retailer found me, which is pretty darn exciting. I'll keep you in the loop!

I managed to actually finish knitting something with my own yarn. Tree Bark Socks, designed by my friend Cindy, in the "Syrinx" colorway. It was a fun and easy knit--I didn't carry the slipstitch pattern down the foot though, as my shoes fit better when I knit the foot in stockinette.

I can't wait to wear 'em!

Today was definitely a dyeing day. I did 4 worsted skeins, 8 sock yarns and a half pound of roving. Although my legs and back feel the effort, it's not that much really. Like spitting into the Grand Canyon, considering I potentially have three new wholesale clients, and if you haven't been over to the website do have a look, as it's got nice pictures and once the shopping cart is running, I think I'll have quite a few more orders than I get from Etsy (although my Etsy sales have definitely been boosted by Ravelry and word of mouth. Or since I sell sock yarn, maybe I should say word of foot? Oi, but I'm tired!)

J. and I will have to figure out sooner rather than later, how to get the dye works out into the garage rather than in the kitchen. Because it's the kitchen, I'm always cleaning up as I go. So I think if I had a separate work area, I could focus more on making lots of yarn, rather than immediately wiping up every stray drop of dye and speck of powder! The biggest thing will be getting a sink put in the garage. I can't imagine trying to dye without the sink two steps away. In the meantime though, we're all coping as best we can. Today was Michelle's last day of her junior year. She might have some summer work as an on-demand QA contractor at the translation company where I used to work. How that seems like a distant memory, even though it's only been since last September that I left! And how unsure I was about leaving. Now there is so much going on with Stitchjones, that I know I made the right decision.

I am really loving this yarn lately.

It's a thick/thin wool worsted with an acrylic thread. I've been calling it "Crinkle," and after a false start or two, I figured out what color palettes are best for it. The colorway is "Blues Trio". It's 132 yards, and I got such a great deal on it that I can sell it at a good price. Only problem is, I'm almost out! I've contacted the manufacturer, though, and hopefully their wholesale minimum isn't too high.

Wouldya look at me, rambling so much I'm starting to bore myself. I'll resurface sometime next week, with beach pics, stories, and hopefully good news! On Sunday, 14 colorways of Stitchjones Supersocks will be available at Woolgirl. I love Woolgirl's yarn photography--and her yarn, for that matter!--and can't wait to see how pretty she makes my yarn look!

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends, and may the weather be perfect for Worldwide Knit In Public Day.

# posted by Sharon @ 9:41 PM