Issue 2
Thank you!
Thank you for all your kind feedback on this new newsletter! I’m really happy to hear how much you’ve enjoyed our first issue, so let’s keep the good vibes rolling with Issue 2!
Just a small bit of housekeeping: if you click on our header, you will now be taken to a web-based version of the newsletter in case you find reading it that way more comfortable or accessible.
Summer has officially arrived and the long, sunny days have been filled with garden chores (watering & keeping an eye out for pests becomes a second job this time of year) in between working in the studio. Business is a bit slower than usual for this time of year, but I’m hoping I can see it as an excuse for me to also take some time to slow down a little and enjoy my hobbies or take little trips. It’s also a chance to plan out some new ideas for the shop that we’ll hopefully now have time to bring to you in the fall.
Let's Go for a Spin!
Tour de Fleece officially starts on Saturday! If you’re not keeping up with the spinning community, Tour de Fleece is a yearly event that coincides with the Tour de France. While the athletes are spinning away on their bicycles, spinners are spinning away on their wheels (or e-spinners or spindles) with the goal to spin as much yarn as they can over the course of the three week event. Many spinners set specific goals and join teams to keep each other motivated. This will be my first time participating in Tour de Fleece and I’ve joined a team with some friends to work on spinning a sweater’s quantity of yarn.
I’ve given myself a bit of a head start spinning up some CVMxMerino roving (purchased at our local fiber festival) and Rambouillet top (in the colorway Elberdrichtel from ZeeZee Textiles) to ply together for my sweater spin.
I’m pretty much making it up as I go, without a real plan for the final weight of the yarn or the pattern I’ll use it in. Once I finish plying my first skein, I’ll have a better idea of where things are headed and can start looking for some sweater patterns I may use.
Inspiration Station
I’m feeling a bit of lace-spiration this week with a couple of lacy summer tops: the Topanga Top by Juliana Lustenader and the Willow Wisp tank top by Wool & Pine Designs.
The open, airy feeling of lacework is a great way to help make knits more wearable in the summer months. Toss in a lovely silk or silk blend yarn and you have the chef’s kiss of a warm weather project.
Now you know! Beyond its amazing sheen and drape, silk is a great addition to wool fiber blends all year round. Silk’s natural temperature regulating properties means it helps you stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Plus it has natural moisture wicking abilities that keep you dry and comfortable.
News from the Studio
We have officially started dyeing up the yarn from our last preorder for the Tropical Collection. I’m hoping we’ll have everything finished up in early August, well ahead of our planned turnaround time.
With that timeline, we should hopefully be able to squeeze in a short preorder for the colorways from the second quarter of our Heirloom Club. We are also planning on adding the few spare skeins from the first Heirloom Club preorder (Jan-March’s colors) to our in-stock section of the shop on July 12th, so keep you’re eyes peeled for that if you missed out on the tomato-inspired goodness the first time around.
Catching up on the Heirloom Club
Speaking of the Heirloom Club, we’ve just wrapped up the colorways for second quarter of the club.
Every year we usually do a mystery yarn club where you can sign-up to receive a skein of yarn that you haven’t seen before, but you do know its the inspiration and general color palette. If you’ve been hiding in a tomato bush and haven’t heard, this year’s club is inspired by different varieties of tomatoes. If you like a bit of surprise in your mailbox and want to join in, sign-ups open on the 15th of each month. August’s inspiration will be the Black Beauty tomato.
In the Garden
I spy with my little eye a garden gremlin eagerly awaiting a sugar snap pea snack from the garden.
Our peas are really producing loads right now and Rufus couldn’t be happier to follow me out to the raised beds and get a little snack. We’re also enjoying lots of salads with fresh lettuce picked from the garden.
Rufus might have his eye on the peas, but I’ve got my eyes on the zucchini and cucumbers that are growing like mad lately. We’ve got lots of male flowers, but no females yet. And I also have to keep an eye out for my arch nemesis: squash bugs. I’ve managed to keep them under control every summer by really staying on top of hunting them down each day. But boy do those suckers stink so badly (literally)!
My Current Obsessions
I listen to a lot of podcasts in the studio when I’m dyeing, and one I’ve really looked forward recently is Amy Poehler’s new podcast, Good Hang. On top of being amazingly funny, Amy is such a sweet host and I love the guests she’s featured, like Martin Short, Tina Fey, and Natasha Lyonne.
I’m also so excited that season 4 of The Bear is finally here! I’m going to have to stop myself from binging the entire season in 2 days so that I can enjoy it a bit longer. Season 2 is still some of the best television I’ve ever seen and I hope season 4 can live up to it.
Your Amazing Makes
Now this make stopped me right in my tracks the other day! How amazing is this Stained Glass Jumper crocheted by @clarecrochets.
Clare used several colorways from our Princess Bride Collection, including all the variegarted colorways and MLT as the contrasting tonal. I am so obsessed with how it turned out and it’s so fun to see so many colorways from the collection used all together in one project. Plus, the entire sweater is reversible. 🤯
If you share projects you’ve made using Long Dog Yarn on Instagram, please tag us @longdogyarn so I can see and share your amazing makes.