For the Love of Darcy

Today's yarn review is one that has a special place in my heart.  I am a lover of Pride & Prejudice.  So when I was given the opportunity to review Pandia's Jewels in the colorway "For The Love of Darcy."  Pandia in Greek Mythology was the embodiment of brightness and the Goddess of the full moon. While each of her creations start from a spark of light she also considers each one of them to be a jewel of their own. 

Take a look at this beauty!

First thing is first, the color is amazingly thought out.  I would describe this yarn as a transition from Crimson to raspberry to a hint of royal purple.  Absolutely stunning!  I a sure that this yarn will be knit up into a shawl fitting its character, something that would be worn in the Spring months on a cool evening. 

The fiber blend its self is very durable and very soft to the touch.  I have no hesitation in telling you, you must enhance your Spring yarn stash with one or two of these beauties!

Fingering / 4 ply

462 yards/100 grams

75% Merino

25% Nylon

My Favorite: Machine Washable

Are you intrigued yet?  I guess it goes with out saying, Julia also carries FIBER & PATTERNS!  The woman is amazing in her color choices and how she marries each color change into the other.  Just take a look at what I am talking about Tempting !

Just in case you need another reason to purchase, take a look at a few more photos and see for your self why everyone needs this yarn.

I am so excited to have had the opportunity to review this yarn!  Julia has really outdone herself when it comes to this yarn.  I am telling you that her colors and her creativity are unmatched by any other.  As I said above earlier, everyone needs a skein or two of this yarn for Spring!

Thank you again Julia!

Pandia's Jewels receives a 5 Needle Review Rating!

Just remember;
“Anything can happen when you put on a pair of Hot Pink Socks”
~Stephanie~

Julia 

Designer and owner of Pandia's Jewels

Julia has generously donated one skein of the 'For The Love of Darcy' color way to one of you readers! 

In order to enter the Give Away you must

As always:

1. Make sure you are a follower of my Blog

2.Tell me what other kind of  yarn you want to purchase and what color way!  Remember to Friend her on Face Book 

Good luck to you all!

The winner of the drawing will be announced on Monday April 2nd.

Fibro Fibers...Yarn With a Cause

I was more than excited to be introduced to a new yarn line.  Not just any yarn, this is a fantastic way to enjoy your love of knitting and purchasing yarn with a cause.

Fibro-what?

FibroFibers is a brand of hand-dyed yarn originated by Jen Hintz. The name FibroFibers refers to a chronic medical condition called fibromyalgia which causes pain throughout the body, crushing fatigue, and a number of other symptoms. Jen actually discovered her love of all things fiber-arts when she took up knitting after having to leave her last "regular job" because she suffers from the disorder, so fiber arts and fibromyalgia will always be linked in her mind.

Starting her own fiber business was a way to continue doing what she loves while generating income and allowing herself the flexibility of tasks and scheduling that she was unlikely to find at any other job. It was one of the best decisions she ever made.

 I was given the opportunity to feature a yarn line called; Nightfall.  I was pleasantly excited to try something that I had honestly never even seen in a dyeing pattern before.  No, not a stripe or a tonal but a color changing gradient from a bright solid to a darker almost black shade !  I have to say, this was a first and I was so excited to knit up a pair of socks.

 

Hand-Dyed in North Carolina in positively bold in color, this was one of my favorite knits yet.  Nightfall is unique in that she prepares her yarn in two different options.  You can purchase a single cake of yarn for $26.00 or you have the option for 'two-at-a-time knitting' with the Sock Set for $28.00.  Now I know you all know I am a two-at-a-time fan, so when Jen sent me the Sock Set to review, I was tickled "Pink!"

Fingering / 4 ply

490 yards

Wool / Merino

Machine Washable

Take a look at the options that you have to choose from.  I don't think it is even possible to not find a color that will suite you.

 I really wanted to get the full effect of seeing the color change in my socks, so I decided on a plane vanilla sock to show off the yarn.  I was so impressed with the texture of the knitted fabric, so thick and really comfortable.

 

Fibrofibers receives a 5 Needle Review Rating!

Just remember;
“Anything can happen when you put on a pair of Hot Pink Socks”
~Stephanie~

Thank you to Jen again for donating to the blog!

Make sure you readers take full advantage of March Madness

Winner of Yvieknits Yarns

So you are all aware of how I did this drawing, you were allowed to post a comment on the Blog or on Ravelry. Comments 1-11 came from the blog and the ones from Ravelry were 12-26. Neither has a better chance of winning or loosing, they are all put through the random number generator.

The winner of the Yarn is #20  (Cheri) dartfrog911 on Ravelry

Congrats!!!

Yvieknits Yarns...Handpainted Origionals



Please let me introduce to you Yvonne, the owner and designer behind Yvieknits Yarn.

Yvonne learned to knit when she was about 4 years old and has been knitting ever since.  She had the chance to attend a dyeing workshop almost three years ago when she was able to try hand painting a skein of yarn.  It was love, after her first time through the process.  So, she decided to dye up a few skeins to see if they would sell, and...They Did!!!  Over time Yvonne has been increasing her stock and is now selling her yarn at Just Knitting In Carleton Place, Ontario.  When she has time, she loves to teach knitting classes as well as individual sessions for all skill levels.  All of her painted yarns are professionally acid dyed and in a smoke-free environment.  She has almost-solids, semi-solids, tonal and variegated colourways.

Lets get to some great colors!

This is her Cash Sock in the Redwood color.

I have had to hold this skein of yarn in my hands a few times to convince myself that it does not contain 'magic sheep fiber', it is amazingly soft!!  At the same time, I can see how this would make a lasting sock. 

• 80% Merino
• 10% Cashmere
• 10% Nylon
• Fingering / 4 ply
• 435 yards/100 grams

This is her "Sock" yarn in the color way Blue Haze.

This is what I would call 'a horse of another color.'  Great work horse yarn with fantastic color.  It really does not get any better than this.  I could see projects of socks, gloves, hats, the list is endless. 

• 75% Merino
• 25% Nylon
• Fingering / 4 ply
• 440 yards/95 grams

Yvonne chooses to hand paint in order to maintain control over the final outcome.  She often loves to experiment with new colorways when she gets a bright idea.  Her quality control from the start of the color process to the final skeining of her yarn is purposeful and holds great meaning for her customers.



Make sure you take a look at her other yarn lines as well, she really has quite the variety!

Yvieknits Yarn receives a 4 Needle Review Rating!

Thank you Yvonne for donating to the blog!!

Just remember;

“Anything can happen when you put on a pair of Hot Pink Socks”

~Stephanie~

One lucky person will win the skein of Blue Haze shown in the second photo! 

As always:

1. Make sure you are a follower of my Blog

2. Leave a message on my Blog or Ravelry, tell me what other yarns of Yvieknits you would like to try.

Good luck to you all!

 The winners of the drawing will be announced on Monday March 26th

Happy Fuzzy Yarn...Does yarn make you happy?



I am so pleased to be sharing with you all, my readers, something a bit different.  Today I want you to take a look at what makes a hand dyed yarn different from other commercial yarns.  But first, you must meet the lady in charge of this fantastic Happy Fuzzy fiber and yarn.

This is Riin Gill, the artist behind Happy Fuzzy Yarn.  I have got to tell you the purple hair makes me think she really knows a thing or two about dying!  A note from Riin;

"The more I dye, the more I think, “What if I did it this way?,” and so I’m continually developing new methods. The creative process feeds upon itself. I hope others will use my yarn and fiber to feed their own creative process. I think creativity is an important part of the human spirit, and if people don’t take time to be creative in one way or another, they lose themselves.

I currently live in Ann Arbor, Michigan with my boyfriend, two rabbits and a really astounding amount of wool."

Riin has been gracious enough to share one of her latest creations. 

This is a fingering weight yarn that was hand dyed in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her special dyeing technique lets the colors meld together, giving the yarn a beautiful richness.  The punch of color is striking!!!

The yarn is a wool/nylon blend that's ideal for socks. The nylon helps socks last a long time (She even has socks she knit from in 2006, and they're still going strong! No holes!). Several of her customers have also used it for shawls. And because it's superwash, it's machine washable and dryable, so it's great for baby things.  She is also very competitive in her pricing and is right on in my opinion.  This skein of yarn retails in the US for $25.00.

• Daylily colorway includes rich copper, deep pink, and dark rose tones.
• 4 oz
• 435 yards
• use size US0-2 needles for 7-9 sts/inch
• 75% Superwash wool/25% nylon
• Machine wash in cool water. Tumble dry or lay flat to dry to keep the garment looking new longer.

You want a closer look at that amazing color blend, here you go.

What I have really enjoyed about this yarn is that when yarn is hand dyed, not two skeins will ever be exactly the same.  They can be similar and have some of the same features, but each has a calling card that is all their own.  Riin has mastered this look in all of her techniques. 

Make sure you take a look at her Web Page.  You will find several types of yarn in multiple ranges of size and color pallets.  I would venture to say that if you dare to open up to her site, have your stash money in hand!  I don't think it is possible to not purchase from her when you find that one skein that just speaks to you for whatever reason.

Happy Fuzzy Yarn receives a 5 Needle Review Rating!

Just remember;
“Anything can happen when you put on a pair of Hot Pink Socks”
~Stephanie~

Thank you to Riin again for donating to the blog!

 

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Winner of the Wool Dispensary Give Aways...

So you are all aware of how I did this drawing, you were allowed to post a comment on the Blog or on Ravelry. Comments 1-20 came from the blog and the ones from Ravelry were 21-39. Neither has a better chance of winning or loosing, they are all put through the random number generator.



The winnerers (x3) of the project pags are;

1. BDY #22
2. Deb. C (From the Blog) #3
3. Tammie (From the Blog) #20

The winner of the Yarn is #24 Laura-Beth

Congratulations and make sure that you get in contact with me,

hotpinksocksreviews@yahoo.com