The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 119

Episode 119 - An Interview With Gale's Art



Find Gale's Art here!

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 116

Episode 116 - An Interview With FO And Dye



Find FO and Dye here!

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 107

Episode 107 - An Interview With Knittyandcolor

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 94

Episode 94 - An Interview With The Kangaroo Dyer/Gail Callahan

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 92

Episode 92 - An Interview with Fibernymph Dyeworks

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 91

Episode 91 - Dyer Roundtable #1

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 89

 Episode 89 - An Interview With Nerd Girl Yarns

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 86

Episode 86 - An Interview With Voolenvine Yarns

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 83

Episode 83 - An Interview With Must Stash Yarn

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 81

Episode 81 - An Interview With Juno Fibre Arts

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 67

Episode 67 - An Interview With Gourmet Stash



Shownotes

Last Friday night I had the pleasure of interviewing my new friend Kate of Gourmet Stash! I hope you all enjoy the interview.

In announcements, I talk about the new Blip issues. Blip will no longer be feeding to iTunes, so you will need to start watching the podcast here on the blog or on YouTube. I am working on getting all past episodes on YouTube.

I also answer a viewer question at the end about dye lot sizes and working with dyed and undyed yarn at the same time.

The Dyers' Notebook - Episode 60

Episode 60 - An Interview With Wooly Wonka



Shownotes

Find Wooly Wonka here!

Shop Update: Tuesday, November 19 at 1 pm Central

Pretty Princess yarn club sign-ups

littleskein on Etsy and "Happy Again" kit pre-orders

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 29

Episode 29 - DFWFF 2013 Recap



Subscribe/Rate/Review on iTunes!

"Shownotes":

This episode is a collection of vlogs, interviews, pictures, and stash acquisitions from this year's DFW Fiber Fest in Grapevine, TX.

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 25

Episode 25 - An Interview With Highland Handmades





Subscribe/Rate/Review on iTunes!

Shownotes:

Interview
Heather of Highland Handmades and The Fiberista Files Podcast

Ask a Dyer
Dyeing fiber

Dye-A-Long
All information can be found here!

Shop Update
Tuesday, March 12 at 1 pm Central

Dyer Interview: Friday Studios

 It's been a while since I've actually written a blog post. Ever since I started recording the podcast, I've come to really enjoy using video as my platform every week (and I have some other non-podcast video ideas in my head). That being said, I don't want to abandon this humble blog that got me started.

If you are familiar with my podcast, you've probably seen a few interviews I've done with dyers and other fun people in the fibery world. Sometimes though, there is a dyer that I can't record a video interview with, like if there is a lack of equipment for example. I've decided to post some written interviews on this blog so we can all soak up as much information from various dyers as possible, whether it's through video or a blog post.

Now that I've rambled for a bit, let me introduce today's interviewee: Frida from Friday Studios. I've admired her work for a while now (I have my first skein of hers on its way to me now!) and was thrilled that she agreed to let me interview her!

All photos are courtesy of Friday Studios

"Vampire Bill" Courtesy of Friday Studios

First thing’s first, tell us a bit about yourself and your business.

I live a quiet life in a very small village on an island in a lake about an hour away from Stockholm in Sweden, with my husband Ola and two angora rabbits. I work from home and I am very happy being alone during the day, and I would say that one of my greatest accomplishments, in my work life, is that I have eliminated early mornings. ;) Though lots of my yarns are dyed in the middle of the night.

I have a background as a silversmith and an art jeweler, I have a bachelor in Fine Arts, but  I somehow got tired of that world. And I found “my people” among the knitters, spinners and dyers. :)

When and how did you start dyeing? What sort of resources (books, Internet, teachers) did you use to get started?

I rediscovered knitting during art school, creating interesting shapes based on a mitten pattern, and then I learned that you could dye wool with food colors and koolaid, and it sort of exploded from there. 

The first yarn I dyed was from necessity, I had a sock pattern in mind, the Kebnekaise socks, and I needed a specific color pattern for it to work, so I dyed that yarn using food color from the store.

I learned a lot from reading tutorials on the internet and from Youtube. I don't really have a go to book, I developed my own methods through trial and error, constantly evolving my methods.

Sweden is a small country and there is usually no one to ask or learn from, you get used to learning on your own. I wish I would have taken some classes in the textile department in school, but I did not know then that I would need it now, and as it is now I have a very open mind about techniques and colors.

"Toothpaste" Courtesy of Friday Studios

What made you decide to start selling your hand dyed yarns?

I have always created things with my hands, and I think I was always on a path to owning my own business selling something of my own creation. I can not see myself doing any other kind of work.

When I was little I sold polymer clay animals, I painted and then it was silver jewelry that morphed into art jewelry and then hand spun yarns, knitting patterns, dyed wool and now self striping yarn.

What are some dye techniques that you particularly enjoy?

Any involving me playing with dye. ;)

I mostly work with immersion dyeing, using lots of little containers and a microwave oven,  and I am always experimenting with new ways to skein the yarn, new ways to apply the dye or new equipment. I am very interested in what happens to the colors when you knit the yarn into fabric.

The next thing will probably be a small knitting machine, because I am itching to try to dye knitted fabric. 

Courtesy of Friday Studios

What is the space you work in like?

I work from my home, a little grey/blue house with a garden. I dye in my laundry room where I have great access to running water and a drying cabinet and I have confiscated the whole top floor for yarn, wool, swifts and spinning wheels. I love working from home in my own pace and in my own time, not having to get ready to go somewhere in the mornings. 

Courtesy of Friday Studios

Courtesy of Friday Studios

Do you have a favorite colorway you have created?

As I am sure all dyers say, the latest one, ;) But I think my favorites are Vampire Bill and Science Fiction. Right now, though, I am really in love with the gradients, specifically Rose Hip.

"Science Fiction" Courtesy of Friday Studios

What drew you to self-striping yarns/gradients?

I love squares, color blocks and stripes, all through art school that defined me. I do love other kinds of patterns too, and I buy a lot of variegated yarn, but that is not what “comes out of me” what I create. You have to accept what you are good at and go with it.

And I love the defined borders between colors and seeing what happens when you put one color next to another, next to another, and then how the whole is perceived. It is easy to be inspired by something and pick out a bunch of colors, the tricky thing is to make the combination work and reflect the thing you were inspired of.

Are there any dyers or fiber artists that you look up to or find their work inspiring?

I admire all small crafty business owners, and I love reading blogs and watching podcasts and Youtube channels. I really admire you who find the time to do that too.

My inspirations still comes a lot from the art jewelry world, I love Lisa Walkers work (http://www.lisawalker.de), and I greatly admire my two professors from art school, Karen Pontoppidan and Ruudt Peters (http://www.ruudtpeters.nl), both for their work, their teachings and way of life.

What advice would you give to people interested in trying out

dyeing in general or specifically more complicated techniques like self-striping yarns or gradients?

Just go for it, there is no right and wrong, accept what you are good at and remember to do what you like. Find information, test techniques and learn, there is always something to learn. Write down what you are doing, so that you can reproduce it. Oh, and ask people, ask how they are doing it, maybe they don't mind sharing.

What advice would you give to people interested in selling hand dyed yarn?

About the same as in the question above. Just go for it. Try things out and learn, never stop evolving. Etsy is a good way to start, but you have to work with a great deal of competition there. Learn about your customers, what they want, what they are willing to pay, and pay for. Ravelry is a great place to get to know your customers. Be proud of your product and don't sell anything that you don't like yourself. And ask people for help. 

"Scary Movie" Courtesy of Friday Studios

Reader Question from knittygirl on Ravelry: How do you decide which colors to stripe? Do you have inspiration or do you play around with different colors?

Hello knittygirl! I get inspiration from everything around me, and I see color combinations or a mood I want to communicate, and I go from there.

For example Science Fiction started with a love of that turquoise and green, and it felt like the covers of old science fiction books to me, when it was done.

Vampire Bill, on the other hand, started with a love of Charlaine Harris´s books and I tried to get the feel of that character. When inspiration hits I try to just go with it, and when inspiration is lost, I do an old favorite. :)

How can people find you and get in contact?

The best way to get in contact with me is through Email, Ravelry or any of the below really. To get the latest news about updates and sales you can join my newsletter.

I am always open to custom orders or color ways, just ask!

Mail: studios@fridaaberg.com

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/oQAAD

Shop: http://fridaystudios.bigcartel.com

Blog: www.fridaystydios.biz

Ravelry: Fridaa

Plurk: FridayStudios

Twitter: FridayStudios

Facebook: Friday Studios

Instagram: FridayStudios

Thank you!

Frida

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 23

Episode 23 - An Interview with Allyson Dykhuizen





Shownotes:

Sweatshop of Love
Holla Knits
Vintage Inspired Baseball Knits

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 21

Episode 21 - An Interview With Lollipop Yarn





Subscribe/Rate/Review on iTunes!

Shownotes:

Announcements
Submit questions for Heather of Highland Handmades here
Submit questions for Frida of Friday Studios here

Interview
Joan of Lollipop Yarn

Shop Update
Final Fantasy VII Yarn Club sign-ups end Friday, February 15
This week's shop update is Tuesday, February 12 at 1 pm Central

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 15

Episode 15 - An Interview With Knitting Rose





Shownotes

This week I chat with Lise of Knitting Rose about dyeing, business, etc. You can find Lise through the following links:

Knittingroseyarns.com
Ravelry
Plurk
Twitter
Facebook
Podcast

Shop Update
No update on January 1. Next update is January 8.
January 1 - 3 All organic merino will be marked down 15%. All other yarn will be marked down 10%. No coupon code needed.

The Dyer's Notebook - Episode 13

Episode 13 - An Interview With Unwind Yarn Company



Subscribe/Rate/Review on iTunes!

Shownotes:

Ask a Dyer
Tips on overdyeintg

Interview
This week I chat with Dana of Unwind Yarn Company about her business, and she gives advice for both hobby dyers and those looking to go into the business. You can find Dana at these places:

Etsy
Ravelry
Ravelry Group
Twitter
Plurk
Just One More Row Podcast

Shop Update
Shop update is Tuesday, December 18th at 1 pm Central
There will not be an update next week; next update is January 1 

Interview on Subway Knits and Ravellenic Games Update!

First thing's first: if you don't follow me on Twitter (or didn't catch my tweet), Gynx Yarns (a.k.a. me) is now a sponsor of the Subway Knits podcast. This is one of my favorite podcasts that I listen to regularly, so I jumped at the chance to sponsor it. Maria of the Subway Knits podcast interviewed me last week, and it is now up on iTunes! Search the iTunes store for the Subway Knits podcast to find the episode. Shownotes for everything we talked about are here. There is also a special offer regarding Gynx Yarns for listeners of the podcast, so be sure to check it out.

As I'm sure you all know, the Olympics started on Friday, and along with it, the Ravellenic Games (formerly known as the Ravelympics). I posted about my goals here, but to recap, I will be knitting as many socks as I can during the Olympic Games. I cast on the first sock promptly at 3 pm CST on Friday, which is when the opening ceremony began in London. I started both pairs of socks before heading over to MadTosh for the opening ceremony watching party, where I knit quite a bit of the first vanilla sock.

This is where the vanilla sock is today, after almost a full 72 hours since the Games began. I'd heard a lot of good things about this yarn (Trekking) before, but I was a bit skeptical because it definitely wasn't the softest sock yarn I've ever felt. After knitting it for a while, I think that's what will make it an excellent sock. The socks are on size US 1s, so they're already a bit dense, and the somewhat rougher yarn will hold up very well, I believe. I'm hoping these will be excellent socks for wearing in the boots I live in all winter, as opposed to some of my more delicate socks I just wear around the house.

I had previously said that my madelinetosh sock yarn was going to be the Veil of Rosebuds socks. Well, I didn't realize that those also needed to be on size US 1s, and I only have one full set of dpns. I instead decided on the Hummingbird pattern from the same book (The Knitter's Book of Socks) and I am loving it. Veil of Rosebuds is next on the list once the vanilla socks are done, except obviously now with different yarn.

How have your Ravellenic Games goals been going?