Fiber Club ~ October's Dyer ~

Did you guess it? October, our final shipment in the Fiber Baristas Fiber Club :Flora & Fauna, is being packaged with care by Woolen Dyeworks (Whimzy Pinzy Creations.)

Congrats to all of the winners in our contests!

October's Fiber Dyer ~ Final Clue

Did you figure out that October's dyer comes from Wisconsin? Since Northwoods Dyeworks has already shipped from the North in May, do you know which Fiber Barista hails from Southern Wisconsin? Last Clue!

October's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #2

Even with eleven dyers in the pool, October is the only month in the Fiber Barista fiber club in which you can receive a second shipment from the same state. Do you know who it is now?

October's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #1

Are you ready for autumn? In this dyer's hometown they are getting ready for Halloween, enjoying a month back at school, and watching the leaves begin to change color!

Fibre Club September

As those of you who follow my blog will know, photography (and blogging for that matter!), are not my strongest suit/s. Nonetheless, I am trying, so here is a teaser for the September Fiber Barista flora & fauna club.....

Apologies if it's a bit dark, it wasn't easy to photograph....

September's Fiber Club Dyer

This month's dyer is, of course, the lovely Debbie T from DT Craft & Design!

September's Fiber Dyer ~ Final Clue

Have you guessed it yet? And now for the final and easiest clue.... Once again you will find an international package sitting on your stoop! This month's dyer also hails from the UK, but this time from England. Who can guess it fastest?

September's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #2

Although well loved for her gorgeous hand-dyes and fabulous color-matching skills, this month's dyer also caters to the budding hobbyist as well. She is one of the two Fiber Baristas that can also be found "behind the podium" teaching classes on dyeing or "behind the counter" selling blank yarns and supplies to the newer dyer.

September's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #1

Last month we spoke about each of us having their own moment's of fame. September's Dyer has had a few! Our dyer ran with the baton in the Commonwealth Games, but more along the lines of her profession, she may be better known as a published author.

Fiber Club - August's Teaser!

The August shipment of the fiber club is in the mail!!!!

Here's a teaser for you:

Fiber Club ~ August's Dyer

Mia & Anne nailed it again! It is indeed Brooke of The Painted Tiger I believe she offers combined shipping, feel free to contact her and browse her site to take advantage of it!

August's Fiber Dyer ~ Final Clue

Ok, August's final clue is here! For those of you who are also in the 2009 Fiber Baristas Sock Club: Postcards From Home, this will be a no-brainer. I'm not sure how into baseball this month's dyer really is, but she's certainly spent some time gazing upon the Field of Dreams movie set located near her hometown.

If you aren't in the sock club Google "field of dreams movie set" and you'll have your final clue!

August's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #2

You may have already guessed, but we're back on the North American "side of the pond" with this month's dyer. We have a dyer living in almost every region of the US, so to be more specific, we're in the Midwest. (No where near NYC and the Macy's Parade....) Can you guess her now?

August's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #1

Alright, we're officially halfway through the fiber club at this point, are you ready for more? Don't forget to post pics of anything you've spun in the Ravelry group.

I think if you heard all of the stories you'd be a little surprised at how many of the Fiber Baristas have enjoyed their "9 minutes of fame." This month's dyer has actually marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and her elbow made it onto national television to boot!

Fiber Club - June's Spoiler

My inspiration for this month's fiber colourway was flora and I decided to pick an orchid flower to inspire the colourway which is a lovely blending of pinks and reds. The colourway is Cymbridium and named after the orchid pictured in the card that accompanied everyone's orders. The fiber is a blending of superwash merino and SeaCell and is a fabulous spin! Enjoy everyone!

Fiber Club ~ July's Dyer

I gave you guys an extra day, but it doesn't look like anyone needed it! Indeed, July's dyer is Natalie of The Yarn Yard, located in Scotland. Congratulations to Anne, Mia, and tennismom! Be sure to email Natalie you real name so she can be sure to include your prize. I'll ask her to come over here and post with the preferred way of contacting her, along with any info about adding extras to your shipment.

Temptation!

It's not easy being a wicked temptress. You just have to work so long and hard at it, and you have to confound the poor folks who think you're giving them good pics of upcoming yarn. Good thing I've devious, however, because I'm not giving anything away.

So for your delight and anticipation, here is a pic of some of the July yarn shipment. Betcha can't guess what the colorway is. Mwahahahaha!


Cackles as she creeps away. He he he.

July's Fiber Dyer ~ Final Clue

Ok, and now for the final, easy clue! We're spread out so far, that it's easy to forget that 72% of the Fiber Baristas are located somewhere within the US (it's a big country!) July's dyer has the responsibility or having to represent her country, Scotland, all on her own. Can you guess the dyer now? Last chance!

July's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #2

Hailing from four countries, the Fiber Baristas can be quite the international bunch. If you love getting packages with little green duty slips on them, you're in luck!

You may not have noticed our international flair when checking out since our cart is based in the US, but when you purchase from July's dyer on her site you are likely to notice a     £     symbol in front of all her prices!

Do you know who it is now?

July's Fiber Dyer ~ Clue #1

Do you have animals? Several of our Fiber Baristas don't. But this month's dyer does. She does not live on a farm, yet chickens can still be found prowling her back garden. Do you know who it is?

Fiber Club - June's Shipment & Teaser

Hello all fiber club members! I am packaging everything up today and the fibre shipments will be in the mail tomorrow! Shipping time from Canada to the USA averages about 5-7 days so if we’re lucky, it’ll be shorter than that and fibre will start arriving the end of this week! Some shipments have been known to reach everyone in 3 days after I’ve mailed so let’s hope for a quick delivery this month!

The fibre this month? Well, I’m not telling! And the theme? Not telling! But then again, from my little teaser photo below you can see that I went with Flora as my inspiration. This fibre is particularly lovely and wonderful to spin - hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

P.S.: Congrats to Mia for choosing me in the contest!

Fiber Club ~ June's Dyer

Mia guessed it, June's dyer is indeed Roxanne of Zen Yarn Garden! I believe she will combine shipping if you would like to order something directly from her at www.zenyarngarden.com. Perhaps she will chime in here with any pertinent details!

I've just got one question for Mia, "Ok, now that Roxanne has gone, who's your first guess going to be next month?" ;) I love that you're chiming in, keep it up!

**Note from Roxanne: yes, if you want to add anything to your shipment for the end of June, just let me know you are part of the Fiber Barista Fiber Club with your purchase and I'll combine shipping!**

June's Sock Club Update

Hey everyone!

It's Catherine from Knitting Notions and it’s my turn to ship you out some goodies if you are a member of the Postcards from Home Sock Club. :)

I have been skeining lots of new yarn to dye for the last couple weeks and I finally got that finished yesterday; so, guess what I did today? Yep, I got the June Postcards From Home shipments all packed and ready to go out tomorrow! Here’s a shot of them waiting for the postal carrier to pick them up. :)

I can’t wait for you to see it. I just love this colorway. :)

June's Fiber Dyer - Final Clue

Located in four different countries, the Fiber Baristas straddles the Atlantic. June's dyer is our lone Canadian!

June's Fiber Dyer - Second Clue

Although one or two of the Fiber Baristas still live near their family homes, many of us have lived "half-way around the world" at some point! June's dyer happens to have grown up on Vancouver Island, more than a hop, skip and a jump from where she lives now. Do you know who it is yet?

June's Fiber Dyer - First Clue

We can't all be couch potatoes... in fitting with the season, June's dyer likes to golf and has been seen gracing both first base and the pitcher's mound for softball. Do you know who it could be?

Postcards from Home Sock Club - May 2009 Spoiler

Here's the colourway for May's sock club! And as you all know by now, my month was themed on the famous Niagara Falls here in Canada and the yarn is named Falls to represent that. In an attempt to capture the blues and greens of the water of the falls, I ended up with a colourway that was a mix of blue and green. For some reason, the digital camera couldn't quite see it properly and erred on the side of blue. I am still not sure I have the colour exactly right but it gives everyone a bit of an idea of how the colourway turned out! I can't wait to see everyone's projects! Enjoy :)

If you are wanting to stash the yarn on Rav, here's the link to the yarn.

Flora & Fauna - May's Dyer

Anne guessed it! This month's dyer is Libby at Northwoods Dyeworks, located along the shore of Lake Superior (literally) in Ashland, WI. Email me at info AT FiberBaristas.com or pm me on Ravelry to make sure that you get your prize tossed into this month's package!

The next clues start the first Wednesday in June! We've got a week until the May shipment goes out. We'll all give you shipping discounts if you purchase regular inventory to be shipped with the club shipments, so we give you at least a week to order before shipment. I plan on posting a few items over on etsy Monday evening so that out of towners can order items to their club shipment if they wish. Our etsy address is NorthernDyes.etsy.com

So Congratulations to Anne, and be sure to watch for June's contest to start in two weeks!

May's Fiber Dyer - Final Clue

Did you know that two of our Fiber Baristas are bricks & mortar Yarn Shop Owners as well? Alongside her dyeing and wheel customization business, this month's dyer owns and manages a yarn shop (by the same name) that is nestled along the South Shore of Lake Superior.

Ok, last clue! Final guesses need to be in by Midnight on Saturday, I'll announce the dyer on Sunday, May 17th. You can feel free to change your guess if you like, the winners are ranked by how early they got it right.

Postcards from Home Sock Club - May 2009 Teaser

Hello! I'm May's dyer and the sock club packages are on their way tomorrow! Squee & woot! LOL This month's yarn is a new one for ZYG so it'll be a surprise for everyone and as for my theme, well, I tossed between 2 and landed on one that is a wonderful representation of Ontario, Canada. Hope you like it! 

And that grayscale photo? It's a little teaser of what's to come. Yes, I know there's no colour but if I showed even just the slightest hint of colour, you'd know what it was so to keep it a surprise, I grayscaled the yarn...LOL  However, it does look pretty squishy don't you think?!

Mailing time from Canada to the USA is 4-10 business days by airmail. Mail tends to take about 5 days on average so packages should start arriving sometime early to mid next week. Enjoy!

May's Fiber Dyer - Clue #2

There must be a magical connection between major bodies of water and excellent dyework! Looking through the Fiber Baristas' ranks, more than two thirds of our dyers currently live on or very near an ocean, major river, or sea (inland or not.)

This month's dyer is no exception. She is one of the three dyers currently located in the Great Lakes Basin. Only one more clue to go, can you guess the dyer?

Fiber Club Contest: A Few Explanations

Ok, I've gotten a few questions, and here are some answers: 

• The first clue is going to be hard. If you don't know the answer right away, you probably won't. The second clue should be Google-able, or found right on the dyer's website or blog. The third clue will be blatant.


• So, if you don't have a clue, just guess! You get three guesses, who knows, you might guess right! There is a list of the dyers to your right -->


• Or speculate, and guess on Saturday before you lose your chance on this clue.


• No, I'm not going to say who was right until the dyer is announced, so you can change your guess from clue to clue.


• We kept the club small, so your odds of winning once or twice are pretty much 100%, so just have fun and learn a few new things about our dyers as the 6 months progress :)

May's Fiber Dyer - Clue #1

The Fiber Barista dyers have a rather interesting mix of previous professions and degrees from linguistics and library sciences to politics and psychiatric nursing.

This month's dyer insists that she was only 3 credits from a formal degree in Chemistry, but according to our fact checkers, her actual credentials stand with a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Management (Natural Resources) and a certificate degree in Small Business Administration.

Flora & Fauna Contest Rules

Ok, 2009 Fiber Club Members, the club contest begins today, so I'm going to explain how this works! It's pretty straight forward. Shipments go out the last week of the month, and the dyer claims the month their shipment goes out in. So, starting on the first Wednesday of the month, I'll post a clue as to that month's dyer. I'll warn ya, they do start out pretty vague! (The hard part for me is making sure, no matter how vague, it still only applies to a single Fiber Barista.) They'll get easier each clue, I promise.

The "Roolz"


• I'll post clues on Wednesdays and Sundays. I'm not going to say when.
• You get one guess per clue.
• Make your guesses in the comments section on the blog.
• I'll announce the dyer early enough so that there's a full week before the shipment goes out. (That'll give you time to order non-club items directly from their shop and combine shipping.)
• The first three people to guess right get some special swag in their package!
• You can only win a max of 3x during the 2009 club
• Non-members can chit chat, but only current club members can win.

First clue coming up shortly! Enjoy, and Good Luck!

Fiber Club - Registrations Closed

Sign ups are now closed!

Please visit FiberBaristas.com for more info.

Deadline to register was May 3, 2009.

April Sock Club Yarn!!!

Hi! This is Brooke from ThePaintedTiger, and I'm your dyer for April. I'm finishing up your yarn now and getting ready to box it up. I'd love to post a teaser.....but nearly any picture will give the whole thing away!

I'll give you a clue though....it is a famous place that you can visit in Iowa. Leave a comment with your guess, and the first person to guess the location correctly will receive a little something extra in her package. I won't announce it until the packages are mostly received, so no prying! :)

ETA: Packages shipped on Friday, April 17!!!


Enjoy, and please join us in our Ravelry group for discussion when you receive your yarn!!

Fiber Club Update

So as not to cause stress for the person who must stalk the site waiting for signups (you know who you are!) I'm going to simply delay sign-ups until this weekend (which oddly was the original sign-up time, so I must have somehow *KNOWN* months ago, lol!)

I apologize for any frustration this has caused anyone, lay all your blame on me. But only if you sing "Lay All Your Love on Me" while you do it. Go ahead, you know you want to! Abba or Information Society, I'm not picky.

2009 Fiber Registrations - Coming Soon

Introducing the 2009 Fiber Club, Flora & Fauna!

Each month you will be treated to 2-4oz of beautiful spinning fibers inspired by the artist's favorite plant or animal. Coming from 6 dyers in the United Kingdom and North America, these fibers are especially chosen to give you a good mix of staple, lux, and batt blends. The colorways/blends are new, and have never been seen before.

But there's a catch! We won't tell you who they are... kind of. Shipments go out the last week of each month. Starting with the first Wednesday of the month, we'll give you clues about that month's dyer. The first three members to guess correctly in the comment section of the blog will receive a little swag with their package!

Memberships are as follows:

Since half of our shipments come from outside of the US, there is no additional fee for International customers.

$29.66/mth x 6 mths = $178 total
The 1st installment of $89 is due at Sign-up and a 2nd installment of $89 is due by Fri, July 3rd, 2009.

If you choose to pay all 6 months up front
save 10% for a price of only $160!

Shipping is included with the membership fees.

Do you like double shipments? We will have a reduced rate for those ordering doubles/triples right from the start.

Shipments go out the last week of the month, May through October, 2009. This is a 6mo club, by signing up for the 2-installment plan, members are committing to pay the second installment in July.

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to either ask in a comment here or ask in the Rav group!

Won't you join us? Registration will be available at FiberBaristas.com starting on April 1st, and will continue until April 30th, or until the club is filled. (Because certain items like batts are time-consuming, limited spots are available.)

March Yarn Mailed!

Ok, 6 skeins of yarn to pack and I am going to the Post Office 

and mailing my March Fiber Barista's Club Yarn.

So with this short post I am off to work!!!

UPDATE

THE YARN HAS 

LEFT THE BUILDING!!!

Contest Alert!

It is time to pick patterns, stretch out 

those knitting fingers and find that 

one naughty missing dp needle!  

Here is some IMPORTANT INFORMATION 

for the March Yarn shipment:

CONTEST CONTEST CONTEST ALERT

Bare Sheep Yarn Company tracks all of their packages 

with Delivery Confirmation through U.S.P.S. 

So, Jenny can get everyone's EXACT Knitting Start Date.

With that said, the first (3) Fiber Barista 

Club Members to post pictures with the:

FASTEST COMPLETE PAIR OF SOCKS
(at least 3/4 length, adult size please) 

to the addresses below

will win:
a MYSTERY YARN PACKAGE from
Bare Sheep Yarn Company
(value over $25.00)!!!

This contest is for use ONLY with the March Yarn shipment!!

Post pictures to the Fiber Baristas Group on Ravelry 

or send pictures to Jenny@BareSheepYarn.com 

to be posted and updated daily with entry dates

at http://www.fiberbaristas.com/

Here is an example of how it will work:

http://baresheepyarn.com/fiberbaristas.aspx

Teaser Alert!

TEASER TEASER TEASER ALERT!!!

Hee hee! It is almost time!!!! March 15th is the magical day! I am still tagging and skeining but all of the skeins are dyed and I am starting to put everything together.

I have a contest in the works for the Fiber Barista Club members, there will be more details in your packages. (Hint Hint lots of Bare Sheep Yarn to win!!).

So have a good one and I will update a lot now so you can get as excited as I am!!

Jenny

Bare Sheep Yarn Company

Introducing Meg of Hoobody Fibers

Last but not least, that's my motto. I'm Meg, your Fiber Barista from Hoobody Fibers. I'm the other LYSO of the group, having owned Yarn Expressions for almost 15 years. I'm a Midwesterner born and raised, but job changes sent us to Huntsville, AL 16 years ago. Our children were in elementary school at the time, so I took a year to get them settled and acclimated, and then I looked for something to occupy the rest of my time. I've been knitting for as long as I can remember -- my grandmother taught me when I was five, just to keep me out of trouble -- so opening a yarn shop was my dream come true. It still is!

Hoobody Fibers has been a part of Yarn Expressions for two years now, and I really enjoy being able to share my love of color and texture with my customers in this new way. I have a few repeatable colors in my repertoire, but mostly I like to play with color combinations and let them tell me how they should be.

Huntsville is known as Rocket City, and is home to Marshall Space Flight Center and the U. S. Space and Rocket Center. The large influx of scientists and engineers makes Huntsville very different from other Southern cities, and I'm hoping to share some of that non-traditional Southern Hospitality with y'all.

Although knitting is my first love, spinning is my latest obsession. We've recently started selling hand-dyed spinning fibers at Yarn Expressions, which gives me just one more outlet for playing with color.

I hope you've enjoyed the color-filled travelogue we've given you over the past few weeks. I'm so pleased to be a part of this fantastic group of dye artists. I can't wait for the club packages to start rolling in!

Sign up ends in just a few days, so if you haven't secured your spot yet, do it now -- you won't be sorry!

Introducing Catherine of Knitting Notions

Hi!
I am Catherine, owner of Knitting Notions, and Fiber Baristas dyer for the month of June. We opened our business in August 2005 by introducing our handcrafted wood yarn swifts. I started dyeing that same year and have enjoyed learning and perfecting this art form. I never felt like color was “my thing” so I was quite pleased and surprised by how well I took to it. My favorite part was learning how to combine the artistic expression with the science. For me, dyeing yarn is a culmination of this dual aspect of my nature.

I have been a knitter since I was 14 and it is still one of my favorite things to do. I like to combine that activity with one of my other passions, either reading or music. I am rarely found knitting without my iPod. I knit a wide variety of things, but I really love socks, fingerless mitts, sweaters, and in the last couple years scarves and shawls have topped my list of projects. I have developed a passion for lace and use it for all sorts of projects. I prefer knitting with wool; so that dominates my stash.

The past year I have had the privilege of getting to know the group of dyers that the Fiber Baristas were spawned from. There are 15 of us in our little group, some of whom weren’t able to join this initial club, but will likely be involved in subsequent clubs. The talent and diversity is amazing!

Anyway, on to the part you are really here for; pictures!

I don’t normally post pictures of myself, so consider yourselves privileged, LOL!

Thanks for reading!

Catherine

Introducing Libby of Northwoods Dyeworks

Northwoods Dyeworks is truly a family business, and we try to incorporate those values into everything that we do. Also a bricks & mortar LYS located in a small town in Northern Wisconsin, we deeply understand the importance of knowing your community and acting responsibly.

Dyeing both fabrics and yarns professionally since 2000, we have become known for our vibrant colors and bold combinations. Years of specializing in children's tie dye has spilled over into everything we do, and although subtle tones do surface from time to time, our more whimsical colorways continue to define our style year after year.

In 2008, we added a new line of products to our spinning fibers, "Batts by Bea." And yes, there is a Bea! These unique and often luxurious batts come from a 6 year old girl's uncontrollable desire to play with color. Of course, she lets the rest of us pitch in, but customers are often amused by the sight of a second grader laying bags of fiber in lines along the shop floor, deciding which ones to blend. Every colorway features at least one uniquely blended or dyed color.

Our family is proud to be a member of the Fiber Baristas and we're so excited about what this partnership can bring to the fiber world. Located only a block from Lake Superior and sandwiched between several national parks & forests, the hardest part will be picking just one thing to inspire our colorway. We look forward to serving up something special come September!

Introducing Jenny of Bare Sheep Yarn Company

Hello, I am Jenny from Bare Sheep Yarn Company. I am a life long Maryland girl and have been in love with Art since I could hold a crayon. I married my high school sweetheart, We have three wonderful Rays of Sunshine and now live in the middle of farm country.

My husband was born to be a Farmer, however I struggled to find my passion, especially in the country. One day, I went into a yarn store and all of the yarn was nice but it wasn't perfect. I dyed reeds for basket weaving in college so I had that light-bulb moment and decided why not just dye the yarn myself. My passion was found and my love of color came out of retirement. Whew!

I sell yarn on Etsy http://www.baresheepyarn.etsy.com/ and on my site http://www.BareSheepYarn.com/

I dream; lust after my own brick and mortar store however, I can settle for my online stores just as long as I can keep on dyeing yarn.

Have a good one,

Jenny

Introducing Ruth of PennyRose Yarns

My name is Ruth, I live in New Jersey, and I'm a retired librarian with a new career: dyeing and selling yarn. This is my second year in business and I've enjoyed every minute of it. My shop is here on Etsy: http://fritzl.etsy.com

Color is how I express myself. When I go to a museum, I am caught first by the colors of a painting. I can almost taste color. So here I am, in this amazing new career. Retirement doesn't get any better than this: playing with color, knitting up my yarns, and then dyeing more. It is such a joy to take a palette of colors and then combine them in different ways to get new colors.

Here are some of the yarns I have dyed. You'll notice a lot of pastels. Someone on Ravelry called me the Pastel Queen, and I think that might be accurate.

I am so honored to be a part of the Fiber Baristas. What a group of professional, talented women! I hope you share our journey through our various states and countries.

Introducing Roxanne of ZenYarnGarden.com

Hello everyone! My name is Roxanne and I am your Fiber Barista from Ontario, Canada and the fiber artist behind ZenYarnGarden.com. I'm really excited to be a part of this wonderful group of fellow dyers who are all going to bring you a little piece of home with yarn included!

As for me, I started dyeing yarn in late 2005 and am pleased to say that I am now in my 4th year of creating colours! My goal, as a dyer, is to create colourways that inspire the knitter within each of us. As a fiber artist, I believe that colour speaks to us on many levels not only from how it affects our moods but also to how it affects what we are inspired to knit. My hope is that all the colourways I create are tools of inspiration for each and every knitter that has bought one of my yarns. Currently, I'm very much into spinning so I have also taken up dyeing fibres in colourways to inspire everyone's inner spinner! Colour is my motivation and is what keeps me going from day to day!

Here's a little sampling of some of my work:



For this club, I already have ideas brewing for what I'm going to be sending to everyone and it will be a nice representation of my home province of Ontario, Canada. Won't you join us? This is going to be a lot of fun!

Introducing Debbie Tomkies of DT Craft & Design

Hi! I'm Debbie, owner of DT Craft & Design, dyer, spinner, knitter (and tea-maker extraordinaire!). I'm thrilled to be part of this group and am looking forward to taking you on a whistlestop tour of my home county of Cheshire, later this year.

Dyeing has been my passion for nearly 20 years (knitting and crochet for even longer!), and I like nothing more than a day in the dye studio with some good rock music, a blank "canvas" of yarn or fibre and a line-up of dyes waiting to be turned into something magical!

Since the publication of my book, Hand-dyed Yarn Craft Projects, in 2004, my little business has grown from just 12 items to over 50 base yarns (can you tell I have a yarn thing going on?). I love nothing more than picking a yarn, squooshing it and waiting while it tells me what it wants to be. I'll have lots of fun choosing something extra special for our club members.

Inspiration comes to me from many sources. It may begin with plans for a design, a photograph, or my favourite colours. I love to collect paint swatches, fabric sample books, and even plant catalogues!

I like to offer repeatable colourways for larger projects as well as one-offs, and my current pet project is playing with new techniques for subtle multi-blends.

Have a little peek in my stash and see what I've been up to recently......

I hope you'll join us and look forward to sharing this adventure with you!

Introducing Brooke of ThePaintedTiger

Hi! I'm Brooke at ThePaintedTiger. This year is my seventh in business and my fifth year of creating hand dyed yarn and fiber. I'm a full time mom, homeschool teacher, and fiber artist. We live along the Mississippi River in the 'nose' of eastern Iowa. My other talents include music, and I greatly enjoy singing in our local choir and playing trumpet with the symphony. In my former 'life' (before kids), I taught 8th grade Science. Don't groan....I actually like 13-14 year olds!

Oh, you want to see some yarn?

Yes, I know....there are quite a few rainbows in there. Apparently they are pretty good, since I can hardly keep them in stock in my shop, and they were even 'Harlot-ed'....to my great 'squee-ness'!! Over the last two days, I have dyed 7lbs of rainbows, and have a couple more to go.

When I'm not painting rainbows, I create quite a variety of variegated and semi-solid yarns, both mild and wild. I dye on lace, several fingering/sock yarns, worsted, and bulky. Fibers include Merino, BFL, Bamboo, and domestic wool. I pride myself on supporting yarn mills located here in the United States. I also have an exciting line called 'Fillet of Sole' which are double stranded sock blanks that you unravel as you knit. The rainbow socks in the mosaic were from this process.

This year, I succumbed to the lure of the spinning wheel. I'm very much enjoying learning to spin, and also love the interesting effects you can get by dyeing on wool top. I have two varieties of wool currently, and will be adding more soon. I've also just ordered a drum carder, and am rubbing my hands together in true mad scientist style!

Fiber Baristas is very special to me. I was so glad to 'meet' the dyers in this sock club. Everyone is a fantastic dyer, business woman, and friend. I hope you will join us on this journey as I look forward to bringing you a postcard of Iowa!

Introducing Lindsay of Woolen Dyeworks/WhimzyPinzyCreations

My name is Lindsay, I live in Wisconsin with my hubby, our 3 kids and our puppy. I am a stay at home mom. I started WhimzyPinzy Creations in March of 2007. The name chosen simply means fun with color... the pinzy... well that a long story but the nickname was given to me by one of my cousins, many many years ago. This year I am planning expansion so I gave my business a Mothership name; Woolen Dyeworks. (however no matter which name you call us by we will answer *wink*, they are linked to each other to prevent confusion)

At WDW/WPC we love all aspects of fibery goodness, so when asked to be a part of this wonderful group... there was not a thought. Of course I would join in!
We feature hand dyed yarns  and fibers , our own handspun yarns, our own blended batts, and so much more!  Our signature fiber is bamboo :) :) :)

But this club is about the yarns so here are a few examples of what may be in your package - our hand dyed yarns come in a few different forms:
2 socks @ once: 2 -50g skeins
Tippy Toes: 2 -50g skeins + 80 yds for heels/toes
Just 1 skein: 100g skeins
Feet Sheets: flat knit skeins (made by me)
Toobies: round knit skeins (made by me)

2009 Registrations - Now Closed

Happy New Year everyone! The Fiber Baristas are now open for registrations and we invite you to register in the right hand sidebar by choosing your appropriate location ---->

The memberships are as follows:

US Residents ($35/mth x 9 mths = $315 total)
Non-US Residents ($43.33/mth x 9 mths = $390 total)
(you will be billed for the total amount when registering)

Shipping is included with the membership fees noted above and each month, the packages will include 1 skein of sock yarn in a blend chosen by the Fiber Barista featured that month as well as information on the location they are theming their yarn colourway on. The Baristas are working behind the scenes on these details and will provide some hints on the blog and the Rav group about what your package will entail for the month - for now, we wanted to keep it mostly a surprise! Surprises are fun!

If you have questions, please don't hesitate to either ask in a comment here or ask in the Rav group!

Won't you join us? The Fiber Baristas are excited to bring you their rendition of a colourway based on their location along with postcards from home.

Deadline to register is January 31, 2009.