Good morning and happy Friday! I have some absolutely stunning projects to share with you this week from folks just like you who have used Purple Lamb yarn and fiber as a step in their creative process.

I’m also going to be revealing all the colorways and the story behind each one for the 2023 Advent calendar. As I write this, I’m uploading the video I made back in October to YouTube.

Show and Tell Projects

It’s always such a delight to see what my yarn grows up to be! Thanks to everyone who shared a WIP or FO!

Let’s dive right in with the first project. This one is from Kimberly. Kimberly knits and crochets and decided that she liked the way Van Gogh’s Starry Night assigned-pooling colorway looked crocheted more than knit, so she created the pattern herself. Isn’t it gorgeous?

You can find Kimberly on YouTube at Kimberly with Knit for Brains. She actually gives a tutorial of how she made this in this video.

Next up are two wonderful hats that Bobbe knit. She combined Freedom Blue in Squoosh DK and Sparkly Merino Sock to have a hat with just a touch of sparkle and achieve the weight she wanted. The hat on the left is the Raven Beanie by Claire Borchardt. The hat on the right is made using moss stitch. I can’t decide which one I like best. I’m a sucker for moss stitch, but the vertical lines on the Raven Beanie are great too.

The next project is actually one of mine. I wove two scarves for some dear friends using my little Ashford Sample-It Loom. I used undyed Stained Glass Sock for both the warp and the weft and warped it at a 10-dent.

Next up is this beautiful shawl that Marilyn knit. The pattern is Hearth Keeper by Deborah Breland. Marilyn used my Autumn Leaves colorway in Buttery Soft DK to make it. Isn’t the lace amazing?

Mary made the next project. She test knit my new Metamorphosis Shawl pattern, and she had about half a skein left of Peacock Feathers, so she used it to make this fun cowl:

The next project is by Kelly who wove this gorgeous scarf. She used Beautiful Universe in Squiggle Sock for the warp and a dark purple cotton bouclé yarn for the weft.

Here is the other scarf that Kelly shared with me. I think it is one of the loveliest scarves I have ever seen!

She used Emerald and Amethyst on Stained Glass Sock as well as a black merino blend for the warp and a black cotton bouclé for the weft. You can find Kelly and her weaving on her Facebook page, Laughing Rat Designs.

Next up is something you might call a group project. I warped up my little loom with one of my past club colorways on Buttery Soft DK. The colorway was inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, Blue and Green Music. Then I wove the first few rows and made the loom available for anyone who wanted to try their hands at weaving at the DFW Fiber Fest and at a business fair at my alma mater this fall. People of all ages got a chance to weave a few picks (rows). I finished it off recently. Here it is:

The next project is a WIP by Deborah Bowanko. She is the designer who made this year’s pattern for the Advent calendar as well as the Pools of Color Shawl. This is my 2022 Advent calendar that she is using in a new design of her own. All the different stitch combinations look wonderful!

Next up is a project that my daughter Elizabeth designed and knit. She used The Winedark Sea and Mithril on So Silky Sock, changing the width of the stripes as she went from one end to the other. She’s getting ready to publish the pattern, so I’ll let you know when it comes out. Isn’t this lovely? She gave it to her dad/my husband as a Christmas gift this year.

Last but not least is this delightful pair of socks that Debbie knit using this year’s yarn Advent calendar colorways:

That’s everything for this month’s Show and Tell. Hopefully a few of these projects will inspire your next project. Anytime you have a project to share, feel free to email me with it whenever it is convenient, and I’ll store it up for the next Show and Tell. I usually do one every couple months.

The Great Reveal

Speaking of the 2023 yarn Advent calendar, I made a video with all the colorways way back in October before I mailed off the kits. Before I do, though, I need to give you a SPOILER ALERT. If you ordered a yarn Advent calendar from me and have not yet opened all the colorways, don’t watch the video. Also, if you are getting ready to read The Lord of the Rings, similarly don’t watch the video. Not only do I show all the colorways in the video below, but I also give something of a plot summary while doing it.

If neither spoiler alert applies to you, then grab a cup of something cozy and your latest project while I talk about all the colorways and where they fit in the story.

While you’re at it, may I ask a favor? Please let me know which of these colorways are your favorites. I want to add a few of them to the shop. You should be able to see the video right here, but if not, here is a link to it on YouTube.

Spin Together Competition Coming Soon!

I also want to mention that the Spin Together competition is coming soon. The registration for team leaders is going on now, and the registration to join a team starts on January 20th. The competition itself begins on February 17th and ends on the 24th–Saturday to Saturday. It’s a lot of fun, and there’s great camaraderie and also wonderful prizes from small fiber arts businesses.

I have actually stepped down from running the competition, but I’ll still be donating prizes. You can find out all the details at spintogether.org right here.

Fresh from the Dyepots

This week my focus has been on getting all the club colorways on their way, but since we last spoke I have dyed up Dreams of the Sea, Freedom Blue, and Enchanted Forest.

Here is Dreams of the Sea on several different yarn bases as well as a sample hat so you can get an idea of how it works up:

Here is Freedom Blue on Stained Glass:

…and here is Enchanted Forest on Squoosh Worsted:

Also, I still have a few more of the Metamorphosis Shawl kits I showed you last week in Peacock Feathers and Peacock Eyes.

I love how big and cozy it is, and I hope you will too!

Have a wonderful week! Stay warm!