The Rumours are True!!!

I know I was planning on blogging more, I do remember saying that...but I have this issue with blogging-when something exciting is in the works I stop blogging. I seem to get my brain all wrapped around things and can't think of anything else-so I tend to stop blogging until the timing is appropriate.
Well the time is now!!
electrictree yarns is opening it's retail location on September 6th!!!!! We have a lovely location in Downtown Kamloops at 290 3rd Ave. The rest of July and August will be spent painting and prepping the store, ordering yarn, and setting everything up!
There are no words to describe how incredibly excited we are!

The Socks Talk

The Socks Talk
My first podcast and I am really excited about it! I spent a long time trying to figure out how to link and feedburn and bladiddy blah blah podcasts to my blog. Then I went to podcast and added a new "blog roll" widget to this blog.
I found the easy way!
Check it out and let me know what you think!!

Innovation

It's been a busy week at Chez electrictree! New colours have been in development. The dye pots have been crazy busy and are about to get busier!


This is my favourite new colour! It is called "fresh fig" and took 2 weeks to develop with many one of a kinds skeins created along the way! I had the colour in my head and just kept messing around until it all came together. I am quite enamoured of this colour.

Much, much more dyeing is in the forefront! The lovely Caroline Sommerfeld of Ancient Arts Fibre Crafts just made a ginormous order for electrictree yarn! And she's taking it to SOCK SUMMIT!!! I can't even describe how incredibly excited I am!!!! Like 4 exclamation points excited!!!!

I have been developing a new pattern that I am really excited about. It's a colourwork pattern and is based on the Frogger video game! The pattern class for 6 different colours, so it will be available as a pattern for purchase as well as a a kit.


Our new sock yarn is particularly conducive to stranded colourwork!

We have been releasing several patterns under the electrictree brand. They are available on Ravelry. Recently a raveler decided to do the eukaryotes pattern and modified it in a rather ingenious way. She attached it to the Nessie Scarf and the effect is fantastic!


I think it's perfectly suited to the project and I love the yarn choice! It's absolutely thrilling, as a designer, to have my pattern not only knit, but done in such a creative manner! If you get a chance check it out and tell her how wonderful you think it is!

Zee colours, my god zee colours!

This week has been busy on the dyeing front! (That's dyeing, not dying!)
I've been spending a lot of time developing colours and have a few that I am very happy with. I'ts funny how at first the fact that I was missing some colours was frustrating, later became and excuse to be creative.
Right now I am dyeing lots of fibre for spinning and a whole bunch of yarn. the yarn is for a new special pattern I am developing. I have it all charted out, I jsut have to get the yarn dyed and test knit it! The knew pattern will be....Froggersox! That's right! I love the classic arcade game, and decided to make some fun socks based on the game. I have altered them enough to prevent copyright infringement but still have them be immediately recognizable. The socks will be available as a kit or as a pattern for sale. I think the kits will be the most economical since there are 6 colours in the sock. I think a 6 colour hand dyed sock kit is a wonderful thing! This is one of those times that having a big foot is a good thing! I'll use my yarn amounts as the max amount of yarn (plus a little extra of course) in the kits!
I have 2 new colours that I think turned out really well, and one more in development! Here's a sneak peak at the new shades. (Imagine with more vibrancy since my camera tends to wash things)

I freely admit...

I freely admit that I have been sucking in the blogging department for the past half year. I take full responsibility. I have a hundred excuses and reasons...but I still take responsibility.
My motto in life seems to be "Bite off more than you can chew!" and while I don't eschew (hyukhyuk) this motto, I sometimes think to myself "Oh crap! I bit off more than I can...chew!" I can't help it, it's just how I roll. Who wouldn't think that being the President of the Kamloops Arts Council, while co-running a business from home, while being in the Sweet Adelines (Barbershop Harmony Chorus and far more work than you might imagine, I assure you!), becoming more involved in the Society for Creative Anachronism , while raising a 16 month old boy and an 11 year girl wouldn't be a big ole slice of cherry pie? To be honest, most of the time I love it. I find that if I crazy overwork myself, I feel a sense of accomplishment. There are 16 million and 52 things I want to learn to do in this life and only a finite amount of time to do them! It might be easier if I was a TV dinner Mom, I could probably save a lot of time if I didn't cook so much. Although I bet my lack of desire for cleaning probably gives me a couple of extra hours a week!
It all came into perspective today when I realized Patrick was sleeping and it was sunny. Which meant I could catch up on my knitting photography for my projects on Ravelry. The joy was palpable, I was prancing around with my kntiting laying it on the ground and snapping pics like a tourist at the Grand Canyon. How life has changed, that a few fleeting moments in the son without my toddlers becomes such an event. I am not complaining, Wee Patrick is the joy of my life, but he has taught me one really, truly important thing - people that put harnesses on their children are not bad people. I used to be so disgusted by it. Now, I truly understand. I have not put a harness on Patrick simply because I am tenacious and I just can't bring myself to making my child into a dog. But I no longer frown upon the people that do, because I know that not everyone is as hellbent stubborn as I am. Thank you Patrick for teaching my tolerance.
Business is zooming along quite prettily. We have confirmation for our first knitting retreat which is going to be an amazing weekend on Saltspring Island with knitting expert Barb Brown. She's one of my favourite people in the knitting world and I could think of no one better for our first retreat! I waslucky enough to share a room with her at the first retreat I ever went to and I find her a joy to be around. Knowledgable, funny, down to earth, and a damn good knitter too! The details will be available soon (as will our website!).
I'm throwing around the idea of podcasting. I am usually a glib individual but am not sure how I will do with out someone to actually talk to, (or mock). I think it would be a lot of fun, but am not sure how I will fit it in since I can't even seem to do regular blog posts. I think I am going to try to commit to weekly blog posts, and if I can do that, then I shall reward myself with podcasting (since apparently I have the attention span of a 5 year old, I figure this strategy might work well.)
Mother is busy right now combing the hell out of bufallo hides and musk ox hides. This means electrictree yarns will soon be carrying bison down and the ever elusive Qiviut. Not only will this help us make money to expand our business, I am reasonably sure that with Qiviut in our inventory I can probably gather a fair number of souls and first borns.
Now it is time to sign off and continue the dinner making. I am trying out my new convection toaster oven. It has a rotisserie so I making a roast and going to cook some taters as well-all in my wee toaster oven-which, by the way, is not overheating my kitchen right now! Yay!

Calorie Free Day!

I declare today to be calorie free! Today is my birthday and for the past 2 months I have been very conscious and careful of what I eat. I have been exercising lots and drnking lots of water. I have lost 16 pounds. (Although I should mention I have lost 70 since Patrick was born since it`s WAY more impressive). I have earned today and feel no guilt!
Today I am going to have French Toast with syrup and sausaged for breakfast from my favourite restaurant. I am going to spin and knit all day and watch all my favourite movies. This evening after going out for dinner with my family I am going to go to a tattoo show and then go to karaoke.
In short, I am going to act like a spoiled teenager and do all the things that I want to do and not feel guilty about it!
Hooray for today!

Busy Busy Like a Spring Bee!

Things have been extremely busy at both Chateau electrictree. Mother electrictree has been busy working on some amazing new displays for fibre shows and fantastic new patterns! Our last electrictree pattern is the most popular yet and to date has a gratifying 73 hearts on Ravelry!!! We are just tickled (the actual motion is probably more like jumping up and down, high-fiving, fist-pumping, and yelling "YEAH!").

A few new patterns are in the works such as a sock version of the electrictree winter gloves.


A new shawlette in our delightful earthly yarn will be out soon!


And the very strange eurkaryotes pattern should be out late this week, early next in our fun new 100% soy tape yarn!


The dye pots have been burbling away. We had a huge shipment come in last week of soy tape, baby camel, sock yarn, and mink (yes like mink coats, it is so soft it is amazing!)

Here is a photo of some camel yarn and mink yarn spooning in the sun.


Soon there will be another shipment of our already popular ephemeral, expansive and entwine to dye.
We are expanding our line to include spinning fibre, Merino and BFL hand dyed top will soon be available!
In addition I have been practicing for this month Burlesque show! My stage name is Lizzie Borden (yes, like the turn of the century crazy-lady aze murderer,) this show I am singing I'm Tired by Madeline Kahn from Blazing Saddles. If you've never heard it, it's a hoot! Check it out on youtube here. I've made a few changes to it, like nixing the soldier singers and I don't sing with a Bavarian accent. I considered hamming it up like Madeline Kahn but figured that anyone who hasn't seen the movie might not get that it's a joke and that I don't really suck at singing-I have my pride too y'know.