Tour de Fleece and Ravellenic Games: Fuel Up

Hello all, and Happy Friday!!

So, the end of the Tour de Fleece is in sight; just 7 more days of spinning. I don't know about you, but I haven't quite met all of my goals yet for this TdF, so I'm hoping to spin like a maniac in the coming week, ha ha!

Right on the heels of Tour de Fleece, we'll be gearing up for The Ravellenic Games. Wahoo! I'm planning to knit myself a sweater this year, and that's going to be the main project I focus on along with a few little designs if I can get to them. I'm planning to knit the Rivel Cardigan using yarn that I bought on clearance at MDSW about 5 years ago! It's about time, right?

If you're looking for a team, feel free to pop on over to the Storied Yarns group. We'd love to have you! And even if you don't join our team officially, I'm still going to be offering prizes for anyone who uses Storied Yarns yarn, fiber or patterns during the Games. So make sure you post photos in our official thread (that goes for Tour de Fleece, too)!

Anyway, for today's post I thought I'd do something a little different. In our BohoCrafty TdF team, we've been sharing recipes. I shared one of my own recipes, too, which I call Jess's Jumping Beans and Rice! I suppose I should technically call them Mike's Mexi-Melts since the recipe was my husband's invention, but he's not on Ravelry so I took the credit, HA!

Anyway, if you're going to be participating in some marathon crafting you'll need the fuel to keep you going, right? This dish is filling, delicious and vegetarian (with an easy vegan alternative). The meat-free ingredients are pretty cheap, so it's perfect for cooking dinner on a budget, too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Jess's Jumping Beans and Rice (aka Mike's Mexi-Melts)

Ingredients:

- 1 small to medium onion
- 1 green pepper (or the color of your choice)
- 1 can black beans
- approx. 1/2 can corn
- taco sauce (can substitute salsa/picante sauce)
- 1 cup dry rice
- shredded taco/cheddar cheese (vegan alternative: soy cheez)
- 1 tomato (optional)
- 1 hot pepper (optional)

Directions:

- Chop up your onion and green pepper into small, bite-sized pieces. Toss them together in a skillet over medium high heet until the onions start to get translucent and the peppers start to brown.
- Add one can of drained/rinsed black beans and 1/2 can of corn. Mix together.
- Pour in a heavy tablespoon of taco sauce OR approx. 1/4 cup salsa. Mix some more.
- Optional: Some like it hot, so if you're one of those, add a chopped up spicy pepper.
- Simmer over medium-low heat to allow the flavors to blend.
- Meanwhile, cook 1 cup of dry rice according to package directions. I use brown rice but white is also fine.

Serving Options:

- Option 1: Spread the rice onto a plate. Add the skillet contents and sprinkle with cheese (or alternative) on top, then add a diced tomato (also optional). Season with additional salsa or taco sauce as needed. Eat with a fork.
- Option 2: Follow directions for Option 1, but eat with tortilla chips.
- Option 3: Put a flour tortilla on the plate first, then stuff it with the ingredients from Option 1 and eat it like a burrito.

I hope you enjoyed my little off-the-beaten-path post today! Also, if you happen to need more fuel for your spinning and knitting, there's plenty of fiber in the Storied Yarns Shop. (Ha ha, I couldn't resist!)

Semi-Solid Stitching

Hello, and welcome!

Today I updated the Storied Yarns Shop with this lovely selection of my "Stock Characters" (semi-solid) colorways on my Storied Yarns Bamboo Sock base:

Every time I dye up my Stock Characters, I think of all the gorgeous hand-knits they could create. These colorways are all semi-solid or tonal, so they'd make ideal choices for things like lace work or color work where you really want your stitches to stand out and show off.

I also love to imagine the gorgeous combinations you might create by pairing these colors together in groups of two or three. How about these combinations?

This is my kind of color palette. Deep blues and purples, burgundy wines and a pop of bright red-orange just for fun.

I've come up with a few other combinations, too:

Pinks and purples to show off your feminine side, moody blues for subtle contrast or bright, summer fun in pink and orange!

I've been browsing Ravelry for some two- and three-color pattern ideas. How about this Two Color Crescent Shawl in Unicorn and Evil Queen? I've always loved Stephen West's Spectra Shawl, which I think would be ahh-mazing in Hot Shot and Princess or Hot Shot and Crone. The colorful pattern of the Ulmus shawl would be good for showing off a bit of contrast, like with Time Traveler and Unicorn.

You could make two contrasting pairs of Vagabond Mitts or Cordelia Fingerless Gloves using any two of the yarns in today's update - how about The Vampire and The Crone?

Anyway, I hope you'll find as much inspiration in these colors as I do! As always, feel free to send me a message if you're looking for a specific color that isn't currently in stock. Thanks!!

What to Knit with DK Weight Yarn

Hello and welcome to Storied Yarns Central, where we're bringing you another edition of "What to Knit with That" today! I recently added some Giganto Skeins of DK weight BFL wool yarn into the shop. Wanna see?

The top one is a rich, eggplant purple color and is called The Sorcerer. The botom is a dark, spooky hunter green and is called The Enchanted Forest. Both are part of my semi-solid stock characters line, and with these skeins you get a whopping 250g and 500 yards of DK weight 100% BFL yarn for only $38!

So, what do you knit with 500 yards of DK weight yarn, anyway? I'm glad you asked! Here are some of my suggestions:

If you've got a little one to knit for, why not the Olearia sweater which comes with two cardigan options and one shrug version in a single pattern? This pattern goes up to 700 yards for a size 8, so with 500 yards you should be able to get several size options.

I'm a pretty big fan of hand knits that grow with a child, because I don't want to go to all the effort to knit something for my kid just to find she's outgrown it in a few months. With that in mind, I absolutely love the Bloom pattern; it fits as a dress on a younger girl and then when she grows it becomes a tunic/top, all in the same size! The medium works with DK weight yarn and is shown in the pattern photos on an infant and a preschooler - the SAME dress!

If you've fallen in love with those deep, dark shades above and you want to knit something for yourself, how about the Clothilde shawl? You can get a full-sized large, lacy shawl out of one of these skeins, perfect for the transition to cooler weather (or out of it, depending on where you live)! I also really like the shaping on the Miami Beach Shawl, if you're bored with triangles.

Of course, there's always my Infinitely Simple Lace Infinity Scarf! It's a free pattern and you could get two or even three of them out of one of these skeins, perfect for holiday gifts!

One last suggestion: Trivium is a set of THREE patterns - a hat, a cowl and a pair of fingerless gloves. Knit all three from just one giganto skein of this yarn! Wouldn't these colors look lovely with your winter coat? Now you can have a coordinated set!

Psst - if Semi-Solid Giganto Skeins aren't your thing, I've got a few variegated 100g skeins of DK Superwash Merino in the shop, too!

As always, if you'd like one of these skeins for yourself but in a different color than the ones in the Storied Yarns shop, just send me a message and I'll be happy to dye up a custom skein for you!

So, now that the TdF is almost over, what are YOU going to be knitting next month?

Fiber Friendships

Every once in a while, something happens in this lovely world of Fiber Arts that just warms my heart. Yesterday was a day like that.

I opened my mail box yesterday to find a package inside. For once I hadn't actually ordered anything recently so it was a bit of a surprise. A very pleasant one, I soon discovered! I opened the package to find this:

It's an adorable project bag from my friend Sally! It's super sturdy, has adorable and handy handles and closes with a drawstring in matching cupcake ribbon!!

Plus, it's PINK, which of course I love. I can't wait to tote this baby around town with all my newest and top-secret WIPs inside!

The part about this that was truly fun and magical was that I had sent Sally a package last week, and it arrived the same day I got her package! Kismet, I tell you! Here's what I sent her:

Sally's expecting her second baby in just a little while, so I sewed up a patchwork blanket. The top side is shown above and the bottom side is solid green fleece. Here's a close-up of the center panel, which just screamed "Sally" to me when I saw it:



It has adorable little moose on it (perfect for a woman who uses "Muddymoose" as her Ravelry ID) and cute little woodland cottage scenes. The fabric for the patchwork squares around the center is all from my stash, most of which I got FROM Sally in the first place when I first started to sew. It's like the Crafty Circle of Life! :)

I also made a cute little Crinkle Bot for her son (he's almost two and about to be a big brother for the first time), but I forgot to take a photo of that. It was a fast and easy gift, using felt from my stash. Also I was pretty sure he'd love it because my own 2-year-old came into the room while I was making it and immediately demanded a second one for himself, ha!

Of course I couldn't leave Mommy out of the gift, so I sent Sally this skein of yarn - it's a 2ply from some of my batts that I knew she had liked from my shop:

I'm really grateful to have awesome fiber friends like Sally. Surprising mail days are just one of the benefits of having friendships with other knitters!

What about you? How are you cultivating your Fiber Friensdhips?

Adventurous Spinning

Maybe it's the festive spirit of the Tour de Fleece, but lately I've been in the mood for some adventurous spinning. In the Team BohoCrafty thread we've been talking about the ways that some fiber artists seem to have a knack for combining different fibers to create stunning yarns. Follow along with our discussion here, if you're so inclined.

All this talk of combining fibers has had me thinking about the ways my lovely friends and customers at Storied Yarns might combine character colorways in order to spin an adventurous story. Today I'm here to offer some suggestions on the ways you might combine fibers from my shop - stay tuned until the end of the post and I'll even give you some coupon codes!

OK, let's see. If you like warm and earthy colors, why not this combination?

 That's Mrs. Patmore, Haymitch and Rue.

If you're a fan of blue (like I am), then I bet you'll love this combo:

 Gonzo, Zoot and Titania; gorgeous!

For the pink lovers out there, this duo is sure to please:

Fun, feminine batts inspired by Aphrodite and Effie!

And one more - I couldn't resist a purple pairing, now, could I?

This combination is my fave - snag it from the shop and save me from myself, please!! That's Mulan and Vidia, both on superwash bfl top, yum!

If you're not a spinner, right now I'm offering FREE Spinning Service in the shop! Buy any fiber (including the sets I've listed above) and send me a message at checkout. I will spin them for you for no additional charge!

I've also got two very special coupon codes that are active right now - use code TDF12 to save 12% on anything in the shop, including custom orders and club listings, now through July 31. Use code July4 for the next 3 days only (July 3-5) to save 20% on any in-stock item (excludes customs and clubs). Shop now at Storied Yarns and save!!

Thanks, everyone, and Happy Tuesday!

What to Make with 50g of Sock Yarn

Hello, and welcome to another edition of What to Knit with ______ here on the Storied Yarns blog! In a few minutes I will be updating the Storied Yarns Shop with these nine lovely skeins of sock yarn:

Each of these skeins is on my Colonial Sock base (75% SW Colonial Wool/25% Nylon) and each one weighs in at 50g.

So, what exactly CAN you make with only 50g of sock yarn? If you think "not much," you're sadly mistaken! 

Personally, I have made a handful of projects with only 50g of sock yarn. How about a Swirl Hat? Here's one I made for my friend's baby about two years ago:

This is my "Medusa" colorway, if you're curious.

For some other hat suggestions, why not the Ishbel Beret by Ysolda Teague or the HitchHat by Martina Behm?

I also made a really fun pair of fingerless mitts out of 50g of sock yarn in my "Party Ponies" colorway:

The pattern is the Quilted Lattice Mitts, and it was a lot of fun to make! You can do a 2-color version or a single color version as I did. Fingerless gloves can often be made with only 50g of sock yarn. For a different pair, try Veyla, Lepidoptera Mitt (Oh wow I love these!) or CanCans on for size!

I have a pattern for you hookers out there - it's my Crocheted Adjustable Scowl. My friend Carrie made this one in my Mrs. O'Leary colorway:

If you want a cowl but you prefer to knit it, why not the lovely Abstract Leaves Cowl or A Very Good Cowl Indeed?

For all you shawl lovers out there, a pattern I have long admired, yet never made, is the Storm Cloud Shawlette. It's a FREE pattern and it looks lovely in a nice, variegated yarn. The best part is it uses 150-200 yards of fingering weight yarn, huzzah! I think if all the yarns in my shop don't sell there will be a Storm Cloud in my future and maybe a pair of Lepidoptera Mitts, too!

Don't forget all the lovely baby items you can make with 50g of sock yarn - just TRY to look at Christine's Stay-On Baby Booties or Cable Baby hat and not go "Awwww!" I dare you!

I also dare you to give 50g of sock yarn a try. The ones I'm adding to my shop sell for just 10 bucks a pop, so for a low budget and a little bit of time you can make a truly beautiful item for yourself or a loved one. It's a win-win!

Craftaholics Anonymous Swap

This year I happened to notice that someone I follow on Twitter (I can't remember who it was now, sorry!) posted about an upcoming event called the Craftaholics Anonymous Handmade Gift Exchange. The main idea is that you get a secret person to spoil and you make a handmade gift just for that special person and send it off to them. I only had about a day before the deadline so I jumped right in, and I'm glad I did!

Linda of Craftaholics Anonymous used Elfster to match us up. I was given the opportunity to spoil a lovely crafter in California! She hasn't received her package yet so I won't say anything more about that here.

I was able to find her Pinterest account (she posted a link to it on Elfster) so I used that to give me inspiration for her handmade gift. She had a lot of party decorations pinned, so I decided to make a "party in a box" for her gift.

I started with a cake stand, inspired by this one and others flooding the pin boards. One decorative melamine plate, one plastic sundae cup and a little Gorilla Glue and this baby is finished!

 

I used the bright colors in the plate to inspire the rest of the package, focusing on blue and orange with accents of pink, green and blue. The next thing I made was a flag banner:

I cut the flags out of my stash of scrap fabrics, added felt backing for stability and sewed a felt circle to the center of each one. I used double fold bias tape to connect the banner together and puffy paint to write "PARTY" on the flags. I figure it's both festive and gender-neutral for any occasion.

The last thing I made was a little wall plaque. My recipient said she enjoyed reading the Bible and there were a lot of crafty quote plaques in her Pinterest boards, so I made one for her:

I simply painted a plain wooden plaque from the craft store with blue paint, then added an orange border and a quote with an orange paint pen. I sprayed the whole thing with clear coat to protect it, so you're getting a bit of flash reflection going on in that photo, sorry about that!

I also included a note and some fun little extras and this morning I sent the package off! It felt strange to be making a handmade gift that had nothing to do with yarn (what would a Californian do with hand-knits in July, I ask you?), but it was really fun, too! I enjoyed thinking outside the box in order to fill a box for my special recipient, and I hope she loves it!

I've heard from my spoiler that my package is in the works and I'm excited to see it! I'll be sure to post here and show off what I get!

If you'd like to join this swap, Linda hosts one twice a year so stay tuned to Craftsaholics Anonymous (a favorite new blog of mine) to find out when the next one will start!