Now that Alaskan Ice Tea has begun its migration to freaking everywhere, it's time to look toward the new colorway mailing out January 1: Pretty Rickey!

The yarn is a soft blend of lush peach tones, from blush to light apricot, with pops of rich cherry red and bright lime green. Overall the colorway is very delicate and feminine, with the lime green providing a strong contrast that keeps the yarn from becoming too "girly" (think of the Pink Nightmare from A Christmas Story). The cocktail itself is a blend of tequila, elderflower liquer, lime juice, and muddled maraschino cherries, with a little bit of club soda to make it sparkle and fizz.

Within each shipment you will find:

• 100g (approximately 463 yards) of soft, durable, and machine-washable fingering weight yarn in a blend of 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.
• A peek into the process with dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes ... and, yes, me drinking the inspiration.
• Learn an interesting new technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• Learn to make the signature cocktail yourself - the recipe is right inside the yarn label!
• I am addicted to candy, and you should be, too. Allow me to enable you.

You can choose to receive just the current month, or sign up for 2 months and get one ball of new yarn each month until February!

If you go for the 2 month option, you will receive:

January: Pretty Rickey - pale peaches and pinks, rich cherry red, and flecks of lime
February: Tequila Sunrise - a smooth gradient of sunny yellow to orange to pinkish red

Each month is $25 for US customers, with the 2-month option being $50 - it includes everything listed above plus shipping costs. International customers, please select the international option from the drop down menu. All yarn goes out on the first of each month! Sign up soon, as only a limited number of skeins are available!

January (Pretty Rickey) Only $25.00 USD 2 months! $50.00 USD INTERNATIONAL January (Pretty Rickey) Only $35.00 USD INTERNATIONAL 2 months! $70.00 USD

Slots remaining for January: 10

As mentioned, shipping is included in the cost of the subscription. Should you choose to purchase other items from the Tipsy Sheep Shop, additional shipping for those items will be added as they ship separately from the subscription mailings.

Alaskan Ice Tea: Migrating everywhere for the winter

I walked into the Post Office like a bag lady, dragging 3 enormous shopping bags full of shipping boxes. I walked out of the Post Office like a goddamn ribbon dancer, trailing a receipt of tracking numbers well over a yard long.

Alaskan Ice Tea made for the best month yet, outselling even White Russian in its first month! Woohoo! White Russian does remain a favorite, though, as the best-selling yarn in stock. I guess you guys like cocktails reminiscent of cold places..?

US Customers should expect their yarn by Thursday or Friday; international customers should have theirs midway through next week.

Stay tuned for info on the January mailing of Pretty Rickey!

Details for December - Alaskan Ice Tea!

Now that those cute little hanks of Blue are winging their way across the globe to their new homes, it's time to look toward the next colorway: Alaskan Ice Tea!

The yarn is mainly a cool, bright blue reminiscent of a glacial lake; a deep arctic ocean blue forms a small area of lowlight, while a streak of gradiated lime, lemon yellow, and bright orange creates a bright and lively contrast. It's like a Bob Ross winter seascape you can knit with. The cocktail itself is a variation on the classic Long Island Ice Tea, using blue curacao to give it its signature color and flavor, and a splash of lemon-lime soda to make it sparkle.  

Within each shipment you will find:

• 100g (approximately 463 yards) of soft, durable, and machine-washable fingering weight yarn in a blend of 75% superwash merino and 25% nylon.
• A peek into the process with dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes ... and, yes, me drinking the inspiration.
• Learn an interesting new technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• Learn to make the signature cocktail yourself - the recipe is right inside the yarn label!
• I am addicted to candy, and you should be, too.  Allow me to enable you.

As with previous colorways, only 20 will be produced in the first run.  You can choose to receive just the Alaskan Ice Tea, or sign up for 3 months and get one ball of new yarn each month until February! If you go for the 3 month option, you will receive:

December: Alaskan Ice Tea - see above.
January: Pretty Rickey - pale peaches and pinks, rich cherry red, and flecks of lime
February: Tequila Sunrise - a smooth gradient of sunny yellow to orange to pinkish red

Each month is $25 for US customers, with the 3-month option being $75 - it includes everything listed above plus shipping costs.  International customers, please select the international option from the drop down menu.  All yarn goes out on the first of each month!

Sign up soon, as only a limited number of skeins are available!

Choose your subscription!

December (Alaskan Ice Tea) Only $25.00 USD 3 months! $75.00 USD INTERNATIONAL December (Alaskan Ice Tea) Only $35.00 USD INTERNATIONAL 3 months! $105.00 USD

Notes on Dyeing, Part 5

The second kilo of Blue is steaming away happily on my stove, and the first is nearly completely dry and should be all skeined up by Tuesday.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: each time I dye yarn, I get a little bit better at it. Here are the things I've learned this time:

1. When I'm all alone in my garage, my furnace is the scariest thing ever.  Remember in Home Alone, where little Kevin is terrified of going into the basement because of the monstrously terrifying furnace down there? I sympathize. Mine is a much more modern furnace, but it still roars like the bejeezus when it comes on, and therefor scared the crap out of me about 4 times.

2. Cough medicine + empty stomach + long hours of dyeing = no fun at all. I mentioned before that I'm getting over a cold, and was still all hopped up on Dayquil while dyeing the first kilo.  I don't really feel hungry when I'm sick, so I guess I hadn't eaten enough that day because I started to get super dizzy and nauseous.  Miraculously I managed not to cough, sneeze, or vomit on any of the yarn. You're welcome.

3. There is a new love in my life, and his name is navy blue.  I am totally in love with the dark blue used in this month's colorway.  Some blues get so dark you can't tell what they are, but this maintained its blueness very well even in the darkest areas.  It also fades beautifully into this lovely twilight lavender color, which made for some really cool transitions into the strawberry pink.  I'm considering dyeing a few balls of worsted yarn with this dye and making a blanket or something.

4. Some of these colors change dramatically when they hit the yarn.  That same blue above looks positively purple when it first touches the yarn; similarly, the berry pink starts off with a strong orange undertone.  But both of these colors change significantly after a few moments. I don't know if it's a reaction with the protein fibers, or maybe with the acid agent, but it's really cool to watch.  It's also why you ALWAYS DO SWATCHES. Because the color of the powder doesn't equal the color of the dye, which doesn't equal the color on the yarn, which doesn't always equal the FINISHED color on the yarn.

5. The more I like a color, the more of it winds up all over me.  My nails have navy blue dye under them, my forearms are stained blue, and there's even some in my hair. I have no idea how any of this happened, but I'm okay with it.

I'll be updating the gallery post on Monday with pictures of Kir de Reddit (which all US customers have received by now), and then stay tuned for preview pics of Blue!

Details for November - Blue!

With Kir de Reddit sent on its merry way, it's time to open up subscriptions for the first colorway of Part Deux: Blue!

As was the case with Part One, your shipment will consist of:

• 1 100g skein  (approx 464 yards) of hand-painted yarn in a colorway inspired by the cocktail of the month.  The yarn is a fingering/sock weight in a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon that is SUPER soft but has enough strength to make for a good sock.  And because it's superwash, it's machine washable, which was a must for me as I was shopping for yarns. (I loathe and despise handwashing.)  The yarn compares most favorably to KnitPicks Stroll Fingering.
• Dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes about the dyeing process which, yes, includes me drinking the inspiration.
• Instructions for an interesting technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• The recipe for the inspirational cocktail, which will be printed on the yarn label.
• I am addicted to candy, and you should be to.  Allow me to enable you.

The cap remains at 20 subscribers per month.  You can choose to get one month at a time or sign up to receive one ball of yarn each month until February!  If you choose to sign up for the 4-month option, you'll receive packages for:

November: Blue - see description below

December: Alaskan Ice Tea - aqua blue with highlights of pale yellow, lime green, and bright orange, and a bit of darker blue thrown in for fun.

January: Pretty Rickey - pale peaches and pinks, rich cherry red, and flecks of lime

February: Tequila Sunrise - a smooth gradient of sunny yellow to orange to pinkish red

Each month is $25, with the 4-month option being $100 - it includes everything listed above plus shipping costs.  International customers, I'm afraid shipping costs have gone up recently so it's no longer feasible for me to cover the difference in shipping costs; please choose the international option from the drop down menu.

Despite its name, this cocktail is actually a fruity strawberry pink, which will be featured strongly in the yarn.  There will also be a large swathe of deep blueberry and highlights of lemon and orange.  This yarn is a nice balance between dark and light, making it perfect for simpler lace and cable patterns that show off the yarn without overpowering the stitch.

Sound good? Great! Here's the button!

Choose your subscription!

November (Blue) Only $25.00 USD 4 months! $100.00 USD INTERNATIONAL November (Blue) Only $35.00 USD INTERNATIONAL 4 months! $140.00 USD

Good news, everyone!

Even though Congress has essentially decided to take home all its toys because it's not winning the game, the US Post Office is still doing its job.  I wasn't feeling too well this morning so I got there later than I'd planned, but all orders of Kir de Reddit are safely on their way!  You should be getting an email shortly with tracking information.

I'll be posting info on the next mailing, Blue, which is the first of the second round of colorways, later this afternoon. So stay tuned!

Tipsy Sheep Part Deux

I'm just about to start dyeing the final colorway, Kir de Reddit, and if the samples are any indication, this is going to be an awesome yarn. I'll be posting details for it after the White Russian mailing goes out, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce the next round of Tipsy Sheep subscriptions!

Based on the voting post, the cocktails you all most want to see made into yarn are the Alaskan Ice Tea (7%), Tequila Sunrise (7%),  Blue (6%), and Pretty Rickey (6%). So congratulations, you've just picked the four colors for the next round of yarns! This one will run from November through February with mailings on the first* of each month, on the following schedule:

November: Blue

December: Alaskan Ice Tea

January: Pretty Rickey

February: Tequila Sunrise

As with the first run, you'll be receiving 100 g (463 yards) of 75/25 superwash merino/nylon fingering weight yarn, as well as a few juicy extras like dye notes, instructions for fun techniques, and tasty treats to snack on while you're working up the yarn!

Seeing as how the first mailing of the new run won't be until November, I thought I'd give you loyal readers a chance to get in on it early AND save a little money doing so.  Normally, each individual month is $25: $20 for yarn and $5 to cover shipping costs. (This is already a discount, since when the yarns hit the Etsy shop they'll be going for $22 plus shipping.) So a four month subscription would be $100. However, for early subscribers, the cost will be $95, which is either free shipping one month or 25% one ball of yarn, however you prefer to think of it.

The normal $100 cost will return when the month-to-month option becomes available again in October, so if you're sure you want all four colorways, please sign up now!  There are currently 16 slots available. Here's da button:

Tipsy Sheep Part Deux: Four Months!

* First non-Sunday, non-US holiday day of the month. So the actual mailing schedule will be November 1, December 2, January 2, February 1.

Just a reminder - one week left for White Russian!

Just wanted to let everyone know that there's one week left to order White Russian before the September 1st 2nd 3rd mailing.  The 1st is a Sunday...

And the post office will be closed on Monday the 2nd because of Labor Day.

There are still 12 10 unclaimed skeins sitting here, waiting, watching, yearning to be loved.

Details for September - White Russian!

I am so excited for this colorway.  White Russians are pretty much my favorite cocktail, and apparently after 1 or 2 of them I'm completely hilarious. The dye notes for this one should be pretty interesting.

As stated before, your shipment will consist of:

• 1 100g skein  (approx 464 yards) of hand-painted yarn in a colorway inspired by the cocktail of the month.  The yarn is a fingering/sock weight in a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon that is SUPER soft but has enough strength to make for a good sock.  And because it's superwash, it's machine washable, which was a must for me as I was shopping for yarns. (I loathe and despise handwashing.)  The yarn compares most favorably to KnitPicks Stroll Fingering.
• Dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes about the dyeing process which, yes, includes me drinking the inspiration.
• Instructions for an interesting technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• The recipe for the inspirational cocktail, which will be printed on the yarn label.
• There may or may not be candy. Just sayin'.

The cap remains at 20 subscribers per month.  If you choose to sign up for the 2-month option, you'll receive packages for:

September - White Russian
October - Kir de Reddit (a variation on the Kir Imperial suggested by reddit user SewHappyKnits)

Each month is $25, with the 2-month option being $50 - it includes everything listed above plus shipping costs.

The White Russian is a soft, warm, creamy off-white color, which will be featured heavily in this month's colorway.  There will also be areas of coffee and chocolate browns to represent the Kahlua liqueur that gives the White Russian it's sweet signature flavor.  There will also be small areas of yarn left completely undyed, leaving the soft white of the bare fiber to represent the cream in the cocktail. Like the Mint Julep, this will be a mellow, subtle colorway with smooth color transitions and smaller bursts of heavily saturated color.

Hopefully this all sounds appealing so...

Choose your subscription

September (White Russian) $25.00 USD Two Months $50.00 USD

Spots remaining for September: 10

Mint Julep awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy!

I got a towtruck out to jumpstart my car (Bea, as she prefers to be known) so I was able to get to the post office today!

Are you excited? I'm excited.

Everyone who ordered Mint Julep should be receiving an email shortly with your tracking number on it.  US customers should expect theirs on Monday or Tuesday; international customers, it will probably take another week or so to get to you.

I apologize again for the delay.  It shouldn't happen again. Here's a picture of an otter to make you forgive me.

Also, did you know that otters hold hands while sleeping

so they don't drift away from each other? TOO CUTE.

I'll be posting the info for September's colorway, White Russian, shortly. 

Mint Julep available until midnight tomorrow!

Just a friendly reminder that, if you haven't placed your order for the August 1st mailing of Mint Julep, the deadline is midnight tomorrow!  I'm going to be on the road pretty much all day tomorrow, driving back to Portland from SF, but I totally don't mind stopping to buy more shipping boxes :)

More info on Mint Julep:

Monthly Post

Preview Post

Mint Julep won't be available again until November when the Tipsy Sheep shop opens.

I'll be posting info on the September mailing of White Russian on either Thursday or Friday, so stay tuned!

Details for Mint Julep (August!)

With the Cosmo shipments safely on their way, it's time to open up subscriptions for the August colorway inspired by the Mint Julep!

As stated before, your shipment will consist of:

• 1 100g skein  (approx 464 yards) of hand-painted yarn in a colorway inspired by the cocktail of the month.  The yarn is a fingering/sock weight in a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon that is SUPER soft but has enough strength to make for a good sock.  And because it's superwash, it's machine washable, which was a must for me as I was shopping for yarns. (I loathe and despise handwashing.)  The yarn compares most favorably to KnitPicks Stroll Fingering.
• Dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes about the dyeing process which, yes, includes me drinking the inspiration.
• Instructions for an interesting technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• The recipe for the inspirational cocktail, which will be printed on the yarn label.
• There may or may not be candy. Just sayin'.

The cap remains at 20 subscribers per month.  If you choose to sign up for the 3-month option, you'll receive packages for:

August - Mint Julep
September - White Russian
October - Kir de Reddit (a variation on the Kir Imperial suggested by reddit user SewHappyKnits)

Each month is $25, with the 3-month option being $75 - it includes everything listed above plus shipping costs.

The Mint Julep is a beautiful luminous golden green, which be reflected heavily in this month's colorway.  There will also be flashes of warm brown to represent the bourbon and deep greens to represent the color of the mint leaves.  This will be a slightly more mellow colorway than Cosmopolitan, with subtle tonal variations interrupted by smaller bursts of more saturated colors.

Hopefully this all sounds intriguing to you so...

Make my day!

August (Mint Julep) Only $25.00 USD Three Months $75.00 USD

Spots remaining for August: 12

Cosmo has shipped. I repeat, Cosmo has shipped!

I have just left the beautiful air-conditioned oasis of the Post Office and am pleased to announce that all orders of Cosmo have shipped successfully!

I just barely restrained myself from saying this in the post office. Barely.

Due to the US Holiday on Thursday, the earliest US subscribers can expect their packages is Friday July 5.  Because 'Murica.  International customers will probably get theirs Friday as well, but there's a chance it may take as long as 8 days to reach you (so Tuesday 9 July). Sorry. :(

Everyone should be getting emails shortly with their shipping info.  If it hasn't gotten to you by the end of the day, leave a comment here with your mailing CITY, and I'll send it to you again.

It's hot as hell here on the West Coast right now so I'm gonna go get some lemonade and water the lawn, then come back with details about the August Mint Julep mailing!

Update: Total oops! I just realize I forgot to include packing slips with the Cosmo mailings.  If you need yours (for, like, taxes or something? I don't know what you might need them for) let me know in the comments and I'll send it out to you ASAP.

Cosmo will be available until midnight tomorrow!

Since I'm heading to the post office early on Monday to mail off the first round of subscriptions (yay!), I have to stop taking orders at midnight tomorrow - 11:59 PDT on Sunday June 30.  If you're wavering on whether or not to get Cosmo, that will be your deadline to decide.

I will be opening up a shop at the end of the 4-month yarn club, either on Etsy or via my own website (depending on how sales go and if I can afford/justify web hosting costs).  Cosmo will be available for purchase again sometime in November.

YOU HAVE SPOKEN AND I HEAR.

So the poll has been up for 5 days now and the results are 5 to 2 in favor of posting a preview.  Well, okay, one of those "yes" votes was me, so it was really 4 to 2, but the fact remains that there are slightly more people who want to see Cosmo pics than do not.  However, I am a kind and benevolent blogger, so I'll place the preview pics behind a jump so that those of you who want to maintain the surprise can do so. And if you're reading the blog but haven't signed up to receive yarn, maybe these pics will encourage you, so I'll put the PayPal button after the jump as well.

Also, can I just say how awesome it is to marathon Sailor Moon while winding yarn for hours on end?  I don't really have to look at what I'm doing unless something gets tangled, so I'm free to read the subtitles and wallow in nostalgia.

These little babies will be going in the mail in less than a week! Are you excited yet????? 

Click to see previews...

Now taking subscriptions for July!

I've had "June is Busting Out All Over" stuck in my head for the last four days, which can only mean one thing: it's time to officially open Tipsy Sheep for subscriptions!

Each shipment will consist of:

• 1 100g skein  (approx 464 yards) of hand-painted yarn in a colorway inspired by the cocktail of the month.  The yarn is a fingering/sock weight in a 75/25 blend of superwash wool and nylon that is SUPER soft but has enough strength to make for a good sock.  And because it's superwash, it's machine washable, which was a must for me as I was shopping for yarns. (I loathe and despise handwashing.)
• Dyers notes about how the cocktail's ingredients translated into the colors used, and funny anecdotes about the dyeing process which, yes, includes me drinking the inspiration.
• Instructions for an interesting technique (such as fun cast-ons and edge finishes).
• The recipe for the inspirational cocktail, which will be printed on the yarn label.
• There may or may not be candy. Just sayin'.

For now, there's a cap of 20 subscribers per month, because I've never produced this volume of yarn before and can't really understand how much work it will be until I'm elbow deep in dye and tears.  You can subscribe for just this month or for the full 4-month planned run, which is as follows:

July - Cosmopolitan
August - Mint Julep
September - White Russian
October - Kir de Reddit (a variation on the Kir Imperial suggested by reddit user SewHappyKnits)

One month's subscription cost is $25, which includes everything above plus shipping. Your package will ship on the first of the month (or the first weekday of the month, no post on Sundays) with all of the goodies above enclosed.  So the first cocktail (Cosmo) will ship on July 1, Mint Julep on August 1, etc.

After 4 months, I may continue to do a monthly yarn club mailing to introduce people to new colors as I develop them, or go straight to a store model, or maybe some combination of the two.  It really depends on you guys and what you're interested in.

After each month's shipment, subscriptions will open up for the following month and will stay open until all slots are filled.

Current slots for July: 13

Just pick your option from the PayPal button:

July (Cosmopolitan) Only $25.00 USD Four Months $100.00 USD