Normally I hoard all my dyed fleece for use in batt making and yarn spinning. (“I need ALL TEH FIBURZ!”) But I realized the other day that my stash is finally big enough that I could really afford to let some of it go. So today and through the rest of the week, I’ll be adding lots of uncarded wool locks to the store.

Pictured above is a gorgeous Shetland x BFL fleece, SUPER CLEAN and full of cute little curls. It’s too pretty to sit on my shelf any longer.

Below is some Wensleydale fleece listed at sale prices (almost zero-markup because there’s vm throughout). I like to spin straight from the lock, so if it’s not 100% clean I can’t use it. Hopefully some fiberista out there with the patience to comb through it will give it a good home, because the wool itself is very nice and soft compared to the Wensleydale I’ve felt before.

Coming as soon as I can take pictures: Coopworth lamb, CVM, Romney, & Shetland

Last year during the Tour de Fleece Batt, I enjoyed taking artful pictures and writing descriptions of each day’s fiber. It was a lot of work though, for not much payoff. I’ve been lamenting the fact that I can’t afford to put that much time into each and every batt I make. However, it occurred to me that if I were to make the batts in larger batches it might make sense to be able to feature each set more in depth on my blog with descriptions and pictures of the process from start to finish.

Without further ado, the first batt batch is featured below: Taste the Rambo Rainbow.

You may remember the following pictures from my adventures in solar dyeing, courtesy of a tutorial by Jazzturtle. A couple of ounces of wool went into each jar, topped with dye powder and boiling water, then a few hours out in the sun to bake.

Here is the resulting brightly colored Rambouillet wool on the drying rack. This wool has a very interesting texture. Unlike Mohair or Romney, there are no easily visible, individual hairs. The fibers all blob together like a sponge with rubbery elasticity. This batch has some natural lanolin left in the wool, which will soften your hands as you spin but can easily be removed from the finished yarn with a soak in hot water.

The fiber was run through the carder only once—just enough to hold it together but not enough to truly blend.  The large chunks allow for easy separation of colors if the spinner desires a more controlled color stripe pattern. Spun as-is, the results will be a lumpy-bumpy mix of color and texture. There are 12 ounces of this fiber available in my shop (broken into six 2-ounce batts), which is plenty in case someone who wants enough fiber for a larger project.

Of course, I had to save a little for myself. I haven’t decided yet what to make with it, but I’m sure it will be epic. This is the first time in YEARS that I made batts without glitz in them… and I’m really fighting the urge to add some sparkle to mine.  Yeah, that’s it. I can’t stand it anymore. I have to go card in some angelina and spin it right this second.

I’m continuing the Never-Ending-Sale into 2012 (fitting, since it wouldn’t exactly be never-ending if I ended it…) and the first item on the block this year is BIG NOM! All colors will be 25% off throughout the month of January. I’m still dying as fast as I can, so check back mid-month for new colors.

Meet Big Nom, a super-soft, super-squishy, thicker version of our fingering weight Nom yarn. It’s got the same 80/10/10 merino/cashmere/nylon blend but can be knit with the speed of a much chunkier yarn. Big Nom is classified as an aran weight, and is extremely versatile. For hats, use a size 7 US needle and the fabric will hold its shape and not fall off your head in the wind. For  scarves or shawls, move up to a 10.5 US needle and you’ll get a nice, flowing fabric.

190 yards per 105 gram ball. $26 for semi-solid colors, $29 for self-stripe.

On a personal note, I am already addicted to this yarn. So far I have knitted 2 hats and a shrug, and I will soon be warping my loom for a woven scarf. There has been so much fingering weight action around here that I forgot how nice it is to be able to cast on a project and finish it in a single evening. Chunkiness = SPEED!

Star-crossed beret, with an extra set of cables for extra slouchiness on my giant head:
 

Simple ribbed hat for my husband:

I’ve got some awesome new yarns scheduled to be released next year, so I’ve decided to discontinue my Foot Fetish dk line to make room for the newcomers. (Honestly, it makes me a little sad because I LOVE this yarn.) But it’s good news for the customers, because all remaining stock is on SUPER DUPER CLEARANCE until it’s gone. HALF OFF!!! That means enough yarn to make a pair of socks for a mere $7-8, and the added bonus of finishing quicker because of its thicker-than-fingering size. (I usually ship within 24 hours, so it’s safe to assume US orders will make it in time for Christmas if you order by the ~16th.)

…and in case you missed it, check out SLINK, my new merino/silk lace weight:

Due to a bad case of impatience, I refuse to wait until my December 1 update to introduce the first of two new yarns to the Gritty Knits line: Behold SLINK!

SLINK is an 18/2 lace weight made from 80% merino wool and 20% tussah silk. 930 yards (about 100 grams) per ball. (I know it’s a little late for last-minute Christmas gifts made from almost a thousand yards, but maybe if we all get started now, our shawls will be done in time for NEXT year’s holiday season.)

New yarn #2 will be coming in the next couple of weeks. Here’s a hint: Big nommmmm

Gritty Knits will have a booth at the Kid ‘n’ Ewe festival in Boerne this weekend! My booth is in the STAR building. Here’s all the details:

Kid ‘n’ Ewe
Kendall County Fairgrounds
1307 River Road, Boerne, TX
East on Highway 46 (River Road)

Friday Nov. 11: 12pm-6pm
Saturday Nov. 12: 9am-6pm
Sunday Nov 13: 9am-3pm

I don’t know if I will have internet access at the fairgrounds, but I will try to keep the shop’s inventory updated as much as possible as items sell out. All orders placed this weekend will ship out on Monday when I get home.