Tuesday, October 23, 2012

sponsor giveaway ~

my first ever sponsor giveaway is from wild faerie caps! 

wild faerie caps is the shop of melissa, also known as eidolons. melissa is a multi talented spinner,
dyer, and knitter. this waldorf inspired, eco-minded mother of three has discovered her passion
(i remember when she bought her first wheel!) and is ready to share it. 
in melissa's own words :


 Spinning, to me, is like alchemy. Transforming clouds of fluff into
strong cords of texture and color. It is magical to watch another
person spin yarn. I cannot find the words to explain how it felt the
first time I was able to spin my own. It was like coming home after a
long journey and settling in with a cool drink. Even before I learned
to knit, I would admire the handspun yarn of others. Wishing,
dreaming, budgeting, scouring classified ads - these were a part of my
path to spinning. Having never used a wheel before - never having seen
one used in person - I chose my wheel carefully. Months of research
and penny counting led me to Dervish, my Ashford Kiwi. When I sit
before Dervish with a lap full of fiber I am transported to ancient
lands, to wooded hills and log cabins. My mind wanders as the fibers
slip through my fingers and the quiet whoosh of the wheel summons
windswept plains and waves breaking on a silent beach. Spinning is my
meditation, my calm, my freedom. I've learned so much in the short
time that I've been at it. It gladdens my heart that no matter how
much I spin, there will always be more to learn.
 


(all photos by melissa)

I prefer to spin wool above other fibers. I am especially drawn to
wool acquired as ethically and locally as possible. That said, I am
not above ordering fiber from elsewhere - Florida isn't exactly known
for it's roaming sheep. When I dye fibers I tend to do so before they
are spun. I enjoy using my Brother drum carder to blend the colors,
creating something reminiscent of the watercolors my mother painted
when I was little. If spinning is alchemy, then dyeing is like brewing
potions. I began dyeing with food coloring - drops, egg dyes, powdered
drink mixes, and cake gels. Using food safe dyes allowed me to involve
my younger children in the process. Long afternoons of mixing colors
and painting yarns and rovings are always loved by all. In the rare
moments that I have to myself with the dye pots I like to play with
natural dyes. I've had my share of flops and user error, but the
experimentation is part of the joy. My oldest son and I gather fallen
black walnuts from the parking lot of a local grocery store every
autumn. Some families have hay rides and bonfires, we stain our
fingers brown tearing open walnut hulls to make beautiful dyes.
 





Most of my yarns are named by myself though my husband and oldest son
often contribute suggestions. I am drawn to fae things - wilderness
and darkling woods, mermaids and kelp-filled lagoons, chilly caves
filled with squatting goblins. Often times the yarn names itself as I
spin it. On the other hand, my family is filled with avid gamers and I
am an avid reader. Some names are subtle (and not so subtle) nods to
characters in movies, games, and books.




 thank you so much melissa for sharing a bit about yourself, and how your yarn is 
made. and now dear readers, melissa has generously offered a skein of her
hand dyed, hand spun wool to one lucky winner!





from melissa:
One-of-a-kind hank of hand-dyed, handspun, 2-ply yarn. It is 100%
merino wool. It was spun, plied, and then dyed with yellow onion skins
(giving it a soft wheat, almost peach color). As with all of my
handspun, it has been washed in unscented Soak wool wash.
 
Weight: approximately 75 grams
Yardage: approximately 60 yards
Fiber: merino wool
Care: hand wash, dry flat
 

to win this hank of beautiful wool leave a comment below, i'd love to know if you spin and how you
 came to learn also (and would you come and teach me?!)  i'll choose a name this
sunday october 28th and announce it back in this post.
good luck!

the winner is:
 W~S Wanderings!
"What a wonderful interview! And I remember when the multi-talented Melissa first got her spinning wheel too :-)Sadly, I do not spin, but I sure do have spinning envy! Such a wonderful giveaway. The yarn looks gorgeous.Crossing my fingers...

Congratulations W~S W!! please email me at lorix5@hotmail.com

p.s. to visit wild faerie caps shop go here, blog here

43 comments:

  1. What a lovely giveaway, thank you. I don't spin, but really want to learn, just need to find the time.

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  2. Oh I would love to win that beautiful yarn. Thanks for the opportunity. And yes I can spin but just a beginner as yet and I would so love to come and teach you! Maybe one day I'll venture over your way.

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  3. love the soft wheat shade of this gorgeous yarn ♥
    I don't spin (although I've always wanted a vintage spinning wheel) would love to learn how too.
    Thank you for this lovely giveaway.

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  4. Spinning is definitely on my "to do" list, but honestly, I'm beginning to think I'll never live long enough for all the things on my list:-D This hat is adorable...almost as cute as the little one under it:-D

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  5. I LOVE handspun yarn and I'm trying really hard to resist learning to spin so I can instead support handspinners and KNIT with their gorgeous yarns! Thanks for the giveaway. I know just the perfect recipient for a handknit from this color!

    Debbie
    Debbie4 on Rav
    mcsix at embarqmail dot com

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  6. I learned to spin at the yarn shop I work for. I learned on a "Ladybug" wheel and really loved it. I had an angora rabbit and really wanted to be able to spin her fur.

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  7. gorgeous! While I have bins full of handspun so would prefer the prize to go to someone who is not an avid spinster I had to comment and say that I feel exactly the same way about spinning, it is amazing :O)

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  8. Having had a Great grandma from the Welsh border country, sheep , wool and spinning were part of our family lore. Thank you for the interesting pie e on spinning.

    Christy
    Lil Bit Brit

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  9. Oh Lori, I do so love your give-aways! And I "met" Melissa a while back through blogland. She has been so generous with my family and I always appreciate her comments. Her work, whether it is handspun or pegdolls, inspires me! I'd love the chance to win!!!
    xo Jules

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  10. I am a long time admirer of Melissa's yarns and find her talent just amazing and her yarns all so beautiful. Thank you for offering such a wonderful giveway Melissa and Lori.

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  11. Thank you Lori for a lovely give away! I love yarn and especially that kind of handmade! x Teje

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  12. What a lovely giveaway! I learned to spin 30 years ago but I haven't done any for ages!

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  13. Thanks again Lori for the chance to win this beautiful coloured yarn. I've been following Alice on her blog Hook knit spin (previously known as crochet with Raymond). It's a tonic for the senses..go take a look. Settling down now with a cuppa to look at Wild Faerie Caps :-) x

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  14. Oh thank you Melissa and Lori for the possibility. I don't spin but have had the opportunity to play at a friend's wheel once and it was magical :-)

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  15. No spinner here, but maybe that means that I appreciate the finished product just a tad more than many.....I've tried drop spindling several times and just have never gotten the rhythm. Maybe I need to try again.....that yarn is beautiful. (Onion skins are my favorite way to dye Easter eggs!!!!)

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  16. A finnish winter made me start spinning. Last year I got a wheel but I spun only during winter. And need to learn more. I can't come and teach but I'd join your lesson.
    I want a drop spindle again, I imagine taking it with me and spinning on the train...

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  17. What a great giveaway!!! I don't spin....yet!! I just love the colors of her yarn.....that red hat is awesome!!!

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  18. That is such a beautiful yarn and a wonderful giveaway! My hubby got me a spinning wheel for Christmas two years ago and using it has been lots of fun. I'm now getting past the "lumpy" yarn stage and just wish I had more time to enjoy the wheel.

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  19. I don't spin...yet. I'm very curious about it at hope to learn someday. That yarn is so lovely! Thanks for the chance :-)

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  20. I am a spinner! Lori I would love to come out to California to teach you :) I started spinning after we got fiber back from my parents alpacas. I really enjoy processing fiber straight from the farm and knowing what alpaca it came from just makes it that much more fun.

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  21. Oh my goodness....this is so amazing to me. I would love to learn how to spin one day. The colors are beautiful and I love the names they come up with.

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  22. I have never learned to spin, so I find hand spun yarn just amazing!

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  23. Gorgeous yarn! I would love to learn to spin.

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  24. Thank you for the lovely giveaway. That yarn looks a.m.a.z.ing and I would love to own it. I would make some gloves to see me through a nasty British winter.

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  25. The handspun is gorgeous! Thanks for a chance! I do not know how to spin! I do love the end result though.
    Lynn

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  26. That must be like making magic! How wonderful that must be. The yarns and colors are gorgeous. And her little helper is just adorable. I think this beautiful yarn would be wasted on me, so please don't include me in the giveaway (I wouldn't be able to do it justice!), but I just had to tell you how much I enjoyed reading this. :)

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  27. I don't spin, but I do have a drop spindle and I recently joined the Weavers Guild for my county so that I could learn how to spin. Would love to win that yarn. It's beautiful.

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  28. I love the color of that yarn! Very pretty.

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  29. I have never thought about spinning, but when I read Melissa's meditation experiences while spinning I instantly wanted to start. I live in Bavaria, Germany, where there's a lot of sheep in the rural areas.

    How would I love to win the skein!

    All the best

    Natalie

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  30. I am grateful for this giveaway! I don't spin... yet! But that is definitely in the future plans because -LOOK at how beautyful handspun wool is!

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  31. What a beautiful peachy color! Thank you for the opportunity.

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  32. thanks for this opportunity to win this skein. I'm not spinning, but love to hook or knit with unique pieces of yarn. the advantage of handspun wool is that every piece is a unique one of a kind.

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  33. What a gorgeous giveaway! Lori, I am completely addicted to knitting and I just purchased my first spinning wheel last week and just posted about it today. I have no idea how to spin yet but will learn. The Lambs are waiting in the paddock :-) I can't think of anything nicer than knitting something self spun and dyed. Mel x

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  34. I would love to learn to spin. The yarn ia lovely......so are your pics, Lori!

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  35. well not being a knitter i can only admire melissa's process and way of explaining it. but i showed my partner JB and she has asked me to put my name in the ring so here i shall. i have friends who spin and talk about the meditative quality of it all. i spin too, but not always meditatively!!!!

    with love
    kj

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  36. Since I do not spin, I adore knitting with handspun. There is nothing like it. I wish I knew how to spin, but I fear if I did, it would be downhill for me. I already buy all the yarn and spinning may lead me to make all the yarn! :)
    Thank you for the lovely giveaway from your great sponsor.

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  37. What a wonderful interview! And I remember when the multi-talented Melissa first got her spinning wheel too :-)

    Sadly, I do not spin, but I sure do have spinning envy! Such a wonderful giveaway. The yarn looks gorgeous.

    Crossing my fingers...

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  38. I don't spin, but it is one of a million and one things I would love to learn how to do.

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  40. beautiful yarn! i remember using a drop spindle once when i was a little girl. It would be amazing to actually be able to spin though!

    tbissellstone@gmail.com

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  41. I love Melissa's handspun yarn, it's really beautiful and this skein that she is offering for the giveaway is just stunning! I taught myself to spin a few years ago, it was a wonderful learning process.
    Thank you so much Lori and Melissa xo

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  42. I have only spun once or twice on a wheel, but I do have a drop spindle and play with it now and then (usually to end in frustration). Someday I'll end up with enough yarn to knit something with!

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  43. i love this yarn, I have never and spun myself but I would love to learn at some point. Thanks for the chance to enter :-)

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xoxo lori