January update

Thanks, all!  Invoices are now out and packages will go into the mail on Tuesday.  The sold yarn is shown in strike-through font, but there are still a few things available; if one of them catches your fancy, just shoot me an email and I’ll get back to you shortly.

Hello from beautiful (but grey) New Brunswick!  Today’s update features merino/ silk DK hat sets (33g gradients + 50g Straights) and sock sets (pairs of 50g merino/ nylon gradients).  There are also some oddballs or trial bases, each priced as per the photo captions.

Remember that colours vary from device to device; I always include a written description of how I see the colour, but please do ask if you’re uncertain about a particular cake or skein.

To claim some yarn, email me at gobsmackedyarn@gmail.com.  An update can get pretty wild on my end, but I promise I’ll respond to your email to let you know if you got your choices.  I’ll send out PayPal invoices about an hour after the update starts, once things start to quiet down a bit; please note that invoices are due upon receipt (with a little leeway for different time zones and schedules).

Shipping for paid orders will happen on Tuesday 28 January.

Four Quarter: top: Dark & Dusky Eve; bottom left: A Darker Dawn; bottom right: Off Without a Hitch

Four Quarter: Left: In the Brambles; right: Beautiful Strange

Four Quarter: left: Confetti Rainbow; right: Setting the Record Straight

Four Quarter minis (50g cakes, $22): left: The Big Idea (blue-purple to acid green); right: Mozart’s Favourite Joke

Four Quarter mini (50g cake, $22): Setting Out For Sunset

Four Quarter mini (33g cake, $22): Sour Grapes

large variegated gradient skein set (5 x 50g Four Quarter, total of 1000m/ 1095 yd, $112): A Glorious Overflow of Colour

large variegated gradient skein set (5 x 50g Four Quarter, total of 1000m/ 1095 yd, $112): All the Glory of the Peacock (very saturated turquoise to royal purple with touches of magenta purple)

merino fingering: left: The Light in the Depths; right: That Lovely Instrument

Cabra: left: The Moon Last Night; right: It’s Come True

Sock (two matching 50g gradients, wound in opposite directions to better illustrate colours): top: Out From the Past; bottom: Upward & Onward

Sock (two matching 50g gradients, wound in opposite directions to better illustrate colours): top: Winter-Colour Wonder; bottom: Set the Light Aglow

ASL DK (100g of 50% alpaca, 25% silk, 25% linen, 250 m/ 273 yd; $50): left: The Grasses Will Grow; right: And the Harvest Will Follow

merino DK double (one long gradient, over two 100g cakes, $90): Villainous Healer

merino/ silk DK hat set (33g gradient + 50g Straight; $50): left: Spice & Cooling (soft rose pink to coral to gold gradient + pale blue-grey Straight); right: Melon & Water (sky blue to charcoal gradient, with pale dapples + warm coral-peach Straight)

merino/ silk DK hat set (33g gradient + 50g Straight; $50): left: Mint & Berries (deep mauve to denim blue gradient + bright minty blue-green Straight); right: Beets & Pea Shoots (soft leaf green to pale yellow gradient + deep magenta-purple Straight)

merino/ silk DK hat set (33g gradient + 50g Straight; $50): Ice & Snow (pale aqua with sage green to dusty turquoise blue gradient + undyed warm white Straight)

New year, new location!

Hello from Atlantic Canada!  I’ve arrived here in New Brunswick, where I’ll be living for the next half year or so while I’m on sabbatical from my day job.  The set-up of the new studio is moving along slowly but steadily.  I’m really excited about the space, as it has excellent light and beautiful proportions.

I’ve done a bit of dyeing here and am getting my equipment up and running in preparation of my next update on Sunday, 26 January at 3pm Eastern time.  (I’m keeping the updates tied to the usual Eastern time zone, to minimise confusion, even though I’m now in a different time zone myself!)

The January update will feature sock sets (2 matching 50g cakes of merino/ nylon Sock) and merino/ silk DK hat sets (each consisting of a 33g cake-dyed gradient and a coordinating 50g Straight).  If you want to scope out yardage, price, and other yarn details, you can always find that info on the yarn pages (lace, fingering, and DK).  I’ll also be offering some unusual gobsmacked experiments, trial bases, and odds-n-ends that I cleaned out while packing up the Ontario studio for the time being; I’ll describe each on in detail in the listing on Sunday.  See you then!

Happy gobSMACKdown!

Happy new year, everyone!  I hope that 2020 brings many good things your way.

For me, the new year finds me headed off to New Brunswick, on a sabbatical from my day job.  I’ll be establishing a new dye studio (gobsmacked East) in our home in Sackville and will be carrying on from there for the winter.  I am planning to have an online update in January, but won’t schedule it until I’ve gotten settled in the new digs.  I’ll send an announcement of the update as soon as I can; if you’re not already on my email list, you might want to sign up for my newsletter.

In the meantime, please come check out the annual gobSMACKdown on Ravelry.  The gobSMACKdown is a friendly make-along (knit, crochet, weaving, etc.) that runs from 1 January until the Ides of March.  There are a lot of inspiring projects, great pattern suggestions if you’re looking for just the right idea for your own special gobsmacker, and of course prizes as well!

December

There are still lots of hat sets and some merino fingering doubles left, so do take a look!  I’ve sent out all invoices for existing requests and will get packages ready to go out tomorrow (Monday).

It’s early December and we’re already buried in snow and bundled up in woolens here in southern Ontario.  And even though I have a big stash, and access to the dye pots, I find myself eyeing more yarn– especially Silky Yak DK in hat sets and shawl sets to use for making warm cozy accessories.  Check ’em out below!

Remember that colours vary from device to device; I always include a written description of how I see the colour, but please do ask if you’re uncertain about a particular cake or skein.  To claim some yarn, email me at gobsmackedyarn@gmail.com.  An update can get pretty wild on my end, but I promise I’ll respond to your email to let you know if you got your choices.  I’ll send out PayPal invoices about an hour after the update starts, once things start to quiet down a bit; please note that invoices are due upon receipt (with a little leeway for different time zones and schedules).

Shipping notice: If you are in the US, tomorrow is the last day that Canada Post recommends shipping for arrival before the holidays.  Folks overseas should realise that packages are unlikely to arrive before Christmas.  The Canada Post recommendation isn’t a guarantee– if you would like to expedite or track your package (today or in any update), let me know and I’ll get you a quote for the increased shipping cost.

Four Quarter: Left: Far From Shrinking; Right: Forest Flight

Four Quarter: Top left: Significant Growth; Top right: Loverly; Bottom: Moving to Molehills

Four Quarter: Top: Why Not Get To It?; Bottom left: Home Safe; Bottom right: Keep Going Up

merino fingering doubles (one long gradient, across two 100g cakes): Left column: Rising Heart; Middle column: Bringing It Forward; Right column: Oh, the Theramin!

merino fingering doubles (one long gradient, across two 100g cakes): Left column: A Community Effort; Right column: Down at the Shore

BFL DK hat set (50g gradient + 50g Straight): In a Pool in the Woods

Silky Yak DK hat set (33g gradient + 50g Straight): Outside the Straight and Narrow

Silky Yak DK hat sets (33g gradient + 50g Straight): Left: Stealth Plum; Right: To Sing and Shine

Silky Yak DK hat sets (33g gradient + 50g Straight): Left: Although It’s Night; Right: Here and There

Silky Yak DK hat sets (33g gradient + 50g Straight): Left: Mix and Match; Right: Running Hot and Cold

Silky Yak DK: Set For Tuesday

Silky Yak DK shawl sets (one long gradient over two 100g cakes + 100g Straight): Left side: Off To the Fields; Right side: Finding the Ocean

Silky Yak DK shawl sets (one long gradient over two 100g cakes + 100g Straight): Left side: Dept. of Night Mysteries; Right side: Gone to See

Update details

The final update of 2019 includes:

• Silky Yak DK in the perfect yardage for Nim Teasdale’s Leafwood (a 200g gradient, across two cakes, plus a 100g Straight)
• Silky Yak DK hat sets in 33g gradients plus a 50g Straight for the contrast colour.  That’s 70m/ 76 yd; if you have plans for a hat, please check your pattern’s requirements to see if that would be enough yardage for you.
• a BFL DK hat set (50g gradient plus 50g Straight)
• a single cake of Silky Yak DK (100g gradient)
• merino fingering doubles (a 200g gradient, across two cakes)
• Four Quarter (100g cakes of merino fingering)

When the update begins, please email me directly with your request (gobsmackedyarn@gmail.com).

If you are ordering for a holiday gift, note that Monday is the last day that Canada Post recommends for shipping to the US for receipt by the holidays– this is a recommendation, not a guarantee that your yarn will arrive on time!  If you’re concerned about delivery dates, please let me know in your email and I can quote some other (expensive but fast) options for you.

After this update, I’ll be finishing a few special requests and then packing up for a temporary move to the East Coast while I’m on sabbatical from my day job.  I’ll wait to schedule the January update until I get set up in my new digs.  The annual gobSMACKdown— the gobsmacked knit-along– will begin as usual on January 1st.

November

Thanks, everyone!  Invoices are out, but there is still some yarn left– be sure to take a look.  Packages will go out for all paid invoices on Saturday.  The next update is right around the corner: Sunday, 8 December at 3pm EST, to ensure reasonable time for packages to make it to the US before the holidays.

Despite the unusually early blanket of snow across southern Ontario, it is still November.  But the cold is a good reminder of all of the days ahead where those of us in the north will need wool to keep us warm!  Today’s update features gobsmidgeons (small cake-dyed gradients) that are great for hats or for a contrast colour in shawls or sweaters.  Enjoy!

Remember that colours vary from device to device; I always include a written description of how I see the colour, but please do ask if you’re uncertain about a particular cake or skein.  To claim some yarn, email me at gobsmackedyarn@gmail.com.  An update can get pretty bonkers, but I promise I’ll respond to your email to let you know if you got your choices.  I’ll send out PayPal invoices about an hour after the update starts, once things start to quiet down a bit; please note that invoices are due upon receipt (with a little leeway for different time zones and schedules).

Shipping notice: If you are outside Canada or the US, this is the last update before Canada Post’s recommended holiday shipping deadlines.  Remember that standard gobsmacked shipping is by air, without tracking or insurance; if you would like to expedite or track your package (today or in any update), let me know and I’ll get you a quote for the increased shipping cost.

Four Quarter: Top left: Get That Glow; Top Centre: Past the Garden Gate; Top right: Going Up?; Middle row, left: Drawn In; Middle row, centre: Cheer Up, Chipper; Middle row, right: Foamflower; Bottom left: When Eels Fly; Bottom centre: Not Available; Bottom right: At Home in the Depths

gobsmidgeons (50g of Four Quarter, $22 each): Top left: Listen Up, My Friends; Top right: Keep It Quiet, Folks; Bottom left: The Big Idea (purplish blue to bright acid green, with lots of dappling on the way); Bottom right: Jazz Safari

gobsmidgeons (33g of Four Quarter, $15 each): Left: Gotta Go There; Centre: A Force of Nature; Right: Working With the Music

mini skein gradient sets (Four Quarter, 5 x 20g minis): Left: Springy; Right: Autumnal

mini skein gradient sets (Four Quarter, 5 x 20g minis): Left: Sunset Bonfire; Right: Electric Garden

Rainbow mini skein sets (Four Quarter, 6 x 20g): You Be You edition (bright primary rainbow; 2 sets available)

merino fingering doubles (one long gradient, dyed across two 100g cakes): Left: A Community Effort (dappled blues, aquas, sky blue, and white); Centre: A Generous Bunch of Folks; Right: Thanks to a Helping Hand

merino DK (100g): Left: Sargasso Spring; Right: The Most Dignified of Clowns

Left: Silky Yak DK (100g): Wintery Wednesday; Right: BFL DK (100g): The Freezing Mark

Silky Yak hat set (33g gradient + 50g Straight, $50): Here to There (royal purple to dark blue to dark sage green gradient + warm taupe-grey Straight with a few subtle yellow-green speckles)

Silky Yak hat set (50g gradient + 50g Straight, $50 per set): Left: Zero to Infinity (scarlet red to greyed purple to denim-blue gradient + silvery denim blue Straight); Right: Eternity to End (turquoisey-charcoal grey to dark turquoise to greyed aqua gradient + deep royal purple Straight)

BFL DK hat set (50g gradient + 50g Straight, $45): Earth to Sky (turquoise to sky blue to blue-green gradient + deep reddish-brown Straight)

merino BFL DK hat sets [I initally posted these as BFL but they are in fact merino DK, as labelled on the yarn itself.  I’ve edited here but wanted to leave indication of the error for transparency.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me by email and I’ll make things right.] ($45 each): Left: Sea to Shore (40g gradient in bright green to dark red-purple dappled with navy-purple to navy + 33g Straight in deep blue with green dapples); Right: Today to Tomorrow (40g gradient in dark blue-grey to rusty brown + 50g Straight in denim blue)

gobsmidgeons

Friday’s update will feature small but mighty gobsmidgeons (aka gobbets)!  These are mini cake-dyed gradients, like a regular gobsmacker but smaller– usually 33g or 50g.  They’re great for accents in a shawl or sweater, or as smaller projects.  Here, for example, is my Loop:

Loop, by Casapinka; knit in a Four Quarter gobsmidgeon (33g) and a Straight (100g skein, though I didn’t use all of the yarn).;

This was an entertaining, easy knit; those loop rows are fun and addictive; the colour change makes for a lot of more-loops-please knitting!

At least two knitters have used their little gobsmackers as the glorious sunset sky in the colourwork Alaska hat.  If you’re not feeling like colourwork, 50g gobsmidgeons would also be great with the textured design of Amy Van de Laar’s Ascent or Louise Zass-Bangham’s Slipstream.  Friday’s update will also include some great hat options in DK weight: full-size (100g), gobsmidgeons, and a few hat sets (50g gradient + 40-50g Straight); they’d work really well for many of Wooly Wormhead‘s patterns.

And if you’re luck enough to be outside the polar vortex (what happened, November?) and aren’t feeling like hat knitting, there will be plenty of Four Quarter, some mini skein gradient sets, rainbow sets, and some merino fingering doubles for good measure.  See you here on Friday at 3pm!  (Remember, our clocks have shifted; we’re now on Eastern Standard Time.)