The Happy Dyer

2011-03-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

Warped mind

2009-12-30T00:13:00.000-08:00

My eyes are a wondering as I sit here in my studio twisting fringes on the latest six scarves I have taken off of my Kyra loom. Looking at all of the wonderful yarns I have stashed in here with this vast array of colour I am contemplating which warps to put on the looms next. I have not woven yardage in quite some time and wish to warp both the Kyra loom and one of my Leclerc looms in the same day. The Kyra shall probably get a warp of natural and greys with just a splash of colour here and there. I am hoping to weave fabric in shades of grey, but of coarse I need to have just a little accent of colour here and there. I intend to use this cloth for coats and jackets.

My 60" inch Leclerc is probably going to get a warp of creams and whites. I have quite a number of balls and skeins that are not dyed and that need to be used. This way I get to acquire more. Justification comes any way I want to make it happen. As my friend in Southampton comments (Hi Elana) "Don't you know anyone who can dye that for you ?". So, I shall try to get this done before January 8th when I leave for Los Angeles and Long Beach.

P740 In all it's glory

2009-10-23T02:49:00.000-07:00

KPPPM P740

Can you imagine, can you imagine that I can be soooo blonde sometimes. Who have I not created a special dye lot for ? I have done them for fibre clubs, sock clubs, stores and designers. But, I have not done one for a cherished and dear friend. The one, the only and the most wonderful Kathy Merrick. What have I been thinking ? More like what have I not been thinking. So, yesterday a new stripe and stipple was born, P740. I must have spoken to Kathy at least 700 times and Kathy doesn't look a day over 40 so it's a good number, 740. Kathy honey, I hope you like it. If you don't I shall try, try again. Because I know how to keep the women in my life happy. Create something in fibre !

Actually my timing isn't all that bad. Kathy's Merrick's new book "Crochet in Colour" has just been published by Interweave Press. Kathy is touring giving courses and doing book signings. Ask your local knit shop when she is coming and you can meet the Grand Dame of Crochet yourself. So, rush out and purchase the book and then sit down and CROCHET.

"A" Plus Day

2009-10-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

Cookie A, Kersti and Maie in the showroom

October 19th was a "A" Plus day here at Koigu Wool Designs. The first visitor of the day was Cookie A. Cookie was in Ontario doing workshops and gave us a ring to see if she could come by. OF COURSE you can come and visit. We would really like to have you come here since we had been trying to plan this since this past June. Taiu and I met Cookie at The National Needlework Association's show in Columbus for the first time. Cookie showed us a sock that she had designed for her new book "Sock innovation" out of our KPM. I asked Cookie if I may design a dye lot for her to use. She said yes and told me that she likes greens and oranges. I created P731 for Cookie which is pictured below. That was the reason I really wanted her to visit. She had not seen it yet and we wanted to give her a couple of skeins to go home with. We also gave her several other skeins to take along for play.

It has a name

2009-10-19T05:34:00.000-07:00

The wonderful shawl below has a name and it is "Paintbox". Nan decided to call the shawl Paintbox because of the way the colour ways are set against one another and in squares. It reminds Nan of a child's paintbox, squares, too; colours running into one another. Because she used Koigu and because of a Painter's Palette, Paintbox seemed to fit the shawl as a moniker nicely. Again, I think it is a wonderful design and we encourage other fibre artists to submit their creations for posting. We really like seeing what customers have created from our yarns.

Nan Gray (aka Skeiner on Ravelry)

2009-08-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you wonder why you choose to do what you do or why a path has chosen you. Then someone like Skeiner comes along to walk part of the path with you. I first met Skeiner on Ravelry. Right from the beginning I thought "I like this lady". There was just something about those e-mails that I looked forward to. They were and are classy with an edge. Sort of like her dear friend Jody. The luxurious madam of the South. Who else would have an alligator, that's right a live alligator as her door man in the front and a golf coarse right outside the back door. Now if that isn't class. But, I deviate. Skeiner was sending me messages quite often and we were really getting to know each other by computer. But, unfortunately every time she was making a trip up from Toronto I was either out of town or out of the country. Finally, she e-mailed me to let me know she was coming with her husband to purchase more yarn. Purchase more yarn !!! I just want to go to her house and see the stash. Well Skeiner, now Nan after meeting her in person is wonderful. She is my kind of lady. The whit, the smile and now the knitting. She just does it for me.

All of this to bring me to the point of why we do what we do. When you meet someone who appreciates what you create that much and has that kind of passion for your product you know why you have chosen a certain path. Nan knits beautifully. She designs beautifully and it shows. Here is a shawl that she designed and knit from Koigu. I don't think it has a name yet, but I do think she should publish the pattern. Take a look and enjoy. I just marveled in the colour and design. www.ravelry.com

Rhichard's birthday and a special visitor

2009-07-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I wanted to share with you some pictures taken the week that the most wonderful Kathy Merrick came to visit us (again). I do mean that in the most wonderful of ways. It is always a lot of fun when she is around. We laugh, cry, talk, share and laugh some more. What else are fibre crazy people supposed to do when they get together. So, here are the pictures from that fun filled week in May. Thank goodness it was less than a month before we got to see her again in Columbus at TNNA. Those pictures are yet to come on the blog.
Kathy, Kersti and I at the Gallery.......................... Kathy, Jesse, Kersti and I in Owen Sound

These feet are made for walking (in Koigu socks that is)

2009-07-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally get to it. Posting my most wonderful birthday present this year. Considering that my birthday was May19th it's about time. Time to get back into the swing of blogging before people forget about us. So, Maie Landra, designer, knitter and just a wonderful person knitted me my second pair of Koigu socks for my birthday. Not only did she knit a pair of socks for me she knit them out of P729 a new stippled dye lot that I had created. And, dye lot number one at that, how amazing. Little things like this are what bring big smiles to my face. So for those of you that were unable to visit our booth at The National Needlework Associations (TNNA) show in Columbus last month here they are. Many more thank you's Maie, I wear them with great pride.

Maie knitting in secret................................My beautiful socks

Just a little note to add on. Designer Ivete Tecedor Lester has now chosen P729 has her favorite Koigu dye lot. I am totally flattered with this compliment. You can see some of her creations at http://www.chiagu.com/ or http://www.knotolgy.com/

Rhichard's Studio Preview

2009-05-02T07:33:00.001-07:00

Coming up

AUTUMN LEAVES STUDIO TOUR

http://www.autumnleavesstudiotour.ca/

Photos by the other dyer

More Koigu Roving Pictures

2009-05-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

New stipples

2009-04-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Vogue Knitting Spring Summer 2009 is here

Little cardigan is made from KOIGU MORI

Koigu Mori is 50% mulberry silk and 50% merino wool

P347

P728

P729

I wanted to share with you two new creations, P728 and P729. P728 was created as a request for a wonderful lady by the name of Renee. Renee owns Yarn Paradise in Ashville, North Carolina. When we were at YMN in Chicago Renee requested a pink/purple and redish stipple be done for her so she could knit it into the pattern which appears in the Spring 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting. We want to see the finished garment Renee.

I created P729 when I was in a mood about two weeks ago. It wasn't a bad mood, it was just a mood. I quite like how it turned out. Maie and Taiu are quite thrilled with it too. I want to see it dyed in our Mori as it should just sparkle in the sunlight. Ah, maybe this afternoon.

The Death of a Dear Friend

2009-04-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

I should like to let friends and followers know why I have not been blogging. Several weeks ago a dear friend of mine took ill and died about two weeks later. This death has effected me greatly and I miss him so, so much. His name is The Boad (aka Boady). He is my fifteen year old Basenji that quite often came with me to Koigu. Boady and I spent many long hours in the rainbow room together dyeing yarn. To the left of my dye table still sits his bed and house (which Kersti decorated) waiting for a geriatric old man than shall no longer arrive. Jasmin (The Landra's Schnauzer) still looks for him every morning when she comes from the house. I explain to her with tears in my eyes that he shall not be coming anymore. At home his water bowl still sits there and I am still refilling it when the water evaporates. The wonderful veterinarian that gave him peace did so in our kitchen while he laid on my lap. After sitting with his limp body in my lap for several hours and stroking him I carried The Boad in his bed to my bedroom and placed both on the floor. We got to spend one more night together.

The following day I took Boady out to my studio and placed him inside while Robert and I went to Owen Sound to purchase a coffin for his burial. Robert dug a hole outside of my studio and we waited for Jesse's arrival from school to bury him. Inside his coffin Robert placed a Dutch blanket that he and his family brought with them when they immigrated in 1951. Nicely rapped in the wool blanket Jesse also placed in a favourite stuffed animal and his royal purple collar. The three of us placed the container in the hole and took turns filling it in. So, now when I arrive and depart from my studio I can talk with him. I miss my dear Boady and I shall mourn his death more that some humans I know.

Yarn Market News, Chicago

2009-03-17T04:46:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it. I am sitting on the toilet (I have my pants up and I am sitting on the lid) so that Taiu can sleep some more. We are in Chicago at the Yarn Market News conference that we co-sponsored. Yesterday was a very informative day for us and quite enjoyable. Those ladies at SoHo Publishing really know how to put on a great show/conference. My hat goes off to Jessica for doing this. I thought this was going to be like high school again so I picked my spot by the window just in case I got bored. Well, no time for that. This girl runs a tight ship. Speakers where kept on track, breaks just at the right time, speakers that were funny yet informative and grabbed your attention. If you didn't come this year plan to attend next year. It's great !!!

So, Taiu and I are off to breakfast and then a morning of more fun and information. This afternoon we are doing the art/craft gallery thing and maybe a stop at an orchid greenhouse before we get to O'Hare for our late flight home. It shall be a day for coffee.

Yarn Market News

2009-02-25T14:05:00.000-08:00

Booked the flights and hotel and we are going. We are looking forward to the Yarn Market News conference. With having a blog I am looking forward to taking Franklin Habits course on blogging. He does such a great job of blogging, so who better to learn from. The courses look wonderful and it will be quite fun to be amongst our peers. We are looking forward to seeing the group from Soho Publishing especially Doreen and Trisha. They are always such fun to be around and always give any room a lift. Koigu Wool Designs is one of the conference sponsors, so if you haven't registered yet or if you are still thinking about it, do it. It will be quite fun and you get free gifts including yarn samples from us.

The Things You Will do to Dye Yarn

2009-02-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

winter is back

Winter is far from over in the land of Koigu. Yesterday a storm brewed up out of know were and dumped a major amount of snow on us. This is one of the luxury's of living in Grey County. We are one of those 3 unique areas of the world that get lake effect snow and when it comes it can come with a vengeance. Luckily our reeler (Diana Brown) got out and home just in the nick of time. Not so lucky for me, or maybe lucky for me as I got to spend a quiet evening in front of the fireplace with Kersti, Maie and Taiu. It's not that I didn't try to go home it's that I couldn't see the way home. Actually, I couldn't even see the lane way from the wool shed to the road. After the car got stuck I heard a calling from up above. And you know when you hear something from a higher authority you listen !!! It was Maie, she was up the hill at the house calling down to me, giving me explicit instructions that I was staying and sleeping in the house.

My Car Friday Morning

The storm continued through the night with whistling winds and more snow. So, today is a snow day. No UPS pick ups today as the driver was already stuck here yesterday. This is unfortunate as we have boxes ready to go out to The Yarn Barn in Kansas and Foxy Knits in Long Beach for Stitches West. There is also all of this beautiful Koigu Rumba (our brushed mohair) ready to be shipped to Joe and Julie from Personal Threads Boutique in Omaha. They need it pronto for a garment that was featured in Knit Simple magazine.

Koigu Rumba Mohair for Personal Threads

Knit Simple Magazine

Moving on Up

2009-02-17T02:13:00.000-08:00

It has finally happened. My new studio !!! The carpeting went in on Friday the 13th and on Saturday evening we started the move in process. I had haled stuff out of the crawl space and had it stored in the middle room of our walk out basement. Then there was all of the yarn, material, art and craft supplies etc. in the loom room. Until you start unpacking this stuff it hard to remember what you have. It was like (and is) seeing old friends again. But, boy oh boy, I didn't realize how much yarn and material I have. I had better get busy creating new art so that this studio can pay for itself. The move in still continues and shall do so for awhile as I need to get everything organized. The balance between dyeing yarn at Koigu and unpacking will be fun. At least both are very enjoyable. Pictures to come.

Box Art and Loop Yarns

2009-02-11T09:08:00.001-08:00

Onto the next stage of P163. Last night Maie swatched P163. Craig, here it is. I'm keeping the swatch for myself. I have a wonderful collection of swatches by Emme. I'm trying to get more out of her bedroom. She has a bag that I have been eyeing since we moved her secret stash of yarn from the old farm house into the new log house. I have some ideas for them and I like little bits of hand knits. Craig, dye lots one and two should be departing today or tomorrow. When they arrive we expect to see progress and projects.

No one said I could draw, but I have fun. Kit and Joanne from Churchmouse Yarn and Tea on Bainbridge Island, Washington like my box art. They even look forward to it. So, the odd time when I'm in a wild and crazy mood I do box art. This box is going to Natasha at Wild Fibre in Santa Monica, California. There are a lot of my stiples in here.

Koigu Mori Label Change

2009-02-11T08:07:00.000-08:00

After speaking with customers and much deliberation (not really, but it sounds business like) we have decided to change the labels on the Mori yarn so that it is easily identified by shop personnel. For those of you that don't know the Koigu Mori is an absolutely, scrumptious and beautiful yarn spun from 50% Thai mulberry fed silk and 50% superfine merino. Maie now wants to knit with nothing else. We have been taking up the small skeins to her as she is working on a project for the International Year of Natural Fibres. Shhhhh !!! Maie is not letting anyone see it, not even us at the moment. She is held up in her bedroom with the skeins spread all over the bed and floor. If you would like further information on this yarn please contact us at Taiu@Koigu.com or Rhichard@Koigu.com

M851, M506B, M123A, M117 and M107B

Maie's bedroom floor

(Baskets by Lantern Moon)

Rhichard Devrieze

2009-02-09T21:41:00.000-08:00

Since we have this blog going I thought I should give you wonderful people some background information about myself . More about my art at the moment than about myself personally. I'm a fibre artist originally that has now moved into mixed media. I use to create handwoven material for garments, tapestries and carpets. With these finished creations I would attend about ten juried shows for sales. I also entered my works into juried exhibitions which helped me get projects finished. You know us artists. There's nothing like a deadline to get lingering projects done. What is it about that. When are son Jesse was born I slowed down in regards to the art. Have you ever tried to warp a loom with a two year old wandering in your studio ? and I did not wish to be away from him for long periods of time. You know how quickly children change and I did not want to miss a single thing as some of the shows I did ran from 5 to 10 days. The three rooms (loom room, sewing room and display area)that I had as my studio in our walkout basement were taken over with model trains and Lego. The model trains have now been boxed and moved to the attic and the sewing room has been totally remodeled and now has new furniture, carpeting and so much Lego you could build the Eiffel Tower. Who am I kidding we have an Eiffel Tower about three feet high and built out of Lego. We also have train stations, trains, Star Wars, Indiana Jones etc. all out of Lego. The question is, what is there more of Jesse's Lego or Rhichard's yarn and art supplies ?

Anyhow I'm getting of topic here. Eight years ago I joined the Koigu family after knowing them through the sheep and fibre industry for about ten years. It has been great fun and such a knowledgeable experience. I have met wonderful people and had one hell of a good time with Kersti, Maie and Taiu. But, most of you know me as a dyer. But, believe it or not I can do more than that and talking isn't one of my other talents. I have fun. I have fun creating art. In the past I have done practical pieces for sales. Now I want to have fun. The other day Robert said a wonderful thing about my new studio. "I want you to create art not because it will sell, but because I want you to enjoy your art". "Now it's about creating what you wish, don't create art because you want the sales". This is why he and Jesse built me my new studio and hopefully in the next couple of days I get to move into it. We are still waiting for the carpeting to be installed. I'm getting very anxious waiting. So, here is a sampling of what I have created in the past and what I am doing at present. Tell me what you think please.

The things you do for friends

2009-02-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Craig the owner of Loop Yarns in Philadelphia asked if I would create a new exclusive dye lot for his store. For Craig I said yes. Maybe it was for his wonderful partner Marc who we enjoy going to La Jolla with when we are in San Diego. We always have a good time with either or both of them. Great shoppers and Marc likes shoes like I like shoes. I'm worse than some women. I met Craig several years ago on a rainy dismal afternoon in Columbus at of coarse a TNNA show. At that time he did not have Loop Yarns yet, but was doing his research for the new enterprise. I always look for his advertisements in Vogue Knitting. They are so simple and classy and I like to see yarn that I have dyed in magazines. Craig and Marc are a wonderful couple (a couple of what's I still don't know) and greatly deserve each other. So, back to the topic at hand. I created P163 for Loop Yarns. Here are pictures of dye lots 1 and 2. I can't wait to see what the customers of Craig's make from it. With any luck maybe they shall send pictures. I might ask Maie to knit up a swatch so that I may post it. I can't wait to see what the dry yarn looks like and then all the stages to come.

Keep watching to see more.

I'm crocheting

2009-02-07T15:02:00.000-08:00

After years of Taiu getting me started on crocheting in airports I have decided that I have to do more than make chains. I have gotten very good at making chains. I have made chains in Florence, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego and Toronto. But, that is as far as I have gotten. Chains, chains and more chains. I want to crochet like Maie Landra and Kathy Merrick. They both do amazing projects and I have always liked the results. I need to do little projects as sometimes I have a short attention span. Kathy several years ago at one of the TNNA shows made me a lovely little flower tie out of P453. The same dyelot that my knitted t-shirt is knitted from. I gave her the skein of yarn in our booth and the next day Kathy presented me with this wonderful tie. I treasure it. Well, both Taiu and Maie (known as Emme to those who are very close to her) have offered to give me lessons. So, now I will learn to make more than chains. Here is a picture of my beautiful chains made from Koigu Kersti that the three of us have dyed. I'm very proud of my chains. I will be even more proud of my future endeavours. Wish me luck.

Tacky yarn things

2009-02-07T01:42:00.000-08:00

Do you have anything made out of yarn and is really tacky. You know, like that toilet roll cover that Aunt Bertha made for Uncle Elmer and his wife Betsy Sue. Search flea markets, thrift shops, garage sales and of coarse your own home. Would you be willing to sell it to me for a small fee or even better donate it. I have an idea for a book and exhibition and I need your help. I can only get to so many places. I know we live in rural Ontario and yes we have red necks in the area, but I think they are hoarding the articles of tackiness for interior decorating of their own homes. I have seen it. One year when I took some friends children out for trick or treats I peered into some of the homes of this area. I now know were some of that art (if you can call it that) that they use to sell at the gasoline station corners now lives. Remember those velvet paintings and those busts of Elvis etc. They still live ! Just like him ! I KNOW IT AND I HAVE SEEN IT. So admit it I know you have some wonderful article made of yarn and that you don't want to admit you like out there somewhere. So please, I beg of you, send it to me and I shall make sure it has a warm happy home. I can't tell you to much about the idea right now but once I get going I shall.

TNNA or The National Needlework Association

2009-02-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

As a lot of you know Taiu and I have gone either to San Diego or Long Beach, California together for the past eight years. We enjoy getting away together, the lack of snow or the great warm weather, the sales of our wonderfully soft Koigu yarns and of course the wonderful relationships we have made with our customers and peers.

This year was no exception. We had a good time, great weather, good sales and fun with customers now known as friends. Christina who has Article Pract in Oakland and her wild and crazy friend (and ours) Lisa just make the show. They always bring treats even if it is just themselves. Because they are both JUST A TREAT. Sometimes that Lisa is a little more than a treat, but in a good way. You just have to know how to take her. The facial expressions from the two of them just get me. They are our Pinkberry girls. Lisa made a great comment on Facebook. When she got back after the show a friend asked her what were her best memories of the show and her response was "that every good memory involved both Taiu and I". I made the mistake of asking Lisa "do you even know how to knit". I don't think she will ever let me live that one down. Hey !, believe it or not I don't know how to knit. I'm just learning how to crochet. But, at least I can spin, dye, weave and create mixed media art.

And then there is Sean from Lantern Moon. He wants to be a Pinkberry girl, but he's to straight. He's our Pinkberry guy. The Lantern Moon (aka The Moonies) group are just wonderful. They were beside us at the first TNNA show I attended and they have been in my thoughts through the years since. We only see each other twice a year, but every time we connect it's like there has been no span of time in between. If we lived in Portland we would be socializing all the time I'm sure. With any luck we may see some of them (Joel, Sharon and Bruce) in Chicago next month at the Yarn Market News conference.

I missed our friends Chris and Sheila from Sheep to Shore in Nantucket and the gang from Handmade in Eagle, Idaho. It was just not the same without their smiling faces. You were thought of often and missed. Please be in Columbus, a year is to long to wait. Now that I think about it we also missed Linda from Yarnzilla and Karen R. Another dear soul who was more than missed was our Sunday night dinner date Linda Morse of String and then of coarse we can't forget about Laurie Thomas of Sticks and String in Scarsdale, New York. That one is just a ball of energy always. She doesn't walk through the show she spins through the show. She is always great to have around.

I'm looking forward to TNNA in Columbus already. Just remember Taiu I want to fly again not drive. Ah, the warm weather, the Short North, the gallery hop and all of those friends we missed. How much longer is it again.

Your are always on my mind

2009-01-28T00:48:00.000-08:00

3:30 am ish

The worst thing about not having a clock in your bedroom is you don't know what time it is. I know that this is an obvious statement, but its true. My usual sleeping pattern is that if I wake up and its light out I get up. I quite enjoy mornings and so I'am always up early, especially in the summer. I enjoy hearing the morning chorus of birds singing on our property. That is still several months away since winter is still here. The reason I mention not having a clock in my bedroom is I woke up with my mind a racing and not knowing if I should try to go back a sleep or not. I laid there wondering what time it is and if I should start my day. I have had art and yarn on my mind once again and this is what I lay there thinking about. I'am wondering about one of my creations and whether I should submit it for a juried exhibition. I also have been thinking about my yarn dyeing and what needs to be done for customer orders. Sometimes it's hard for me to try and balance my time at both studio's. When I'am at home I think about Koigu and when I'am over creating beautiful yarn I'am thinking about my home studio. Speaking of my home studio we are still waiting. More like I'am still waiting. When I arrived back from The National Needlework Association trade show in San Diego on January 20th I thought my new studio would be ready for me to move into. No such luck. We are still waiting on the carpeting to arrive and for one light fixture. Hopefully the carpet arrives this friday. It will then be installed and I can start the move in process. The great little building was built for me by my loving partner Robert, our son Jesse and a great friend Marlo along with his son Cole. The old studio which was in the walk out basement of our home has been more or less packed up and there are boxes and bags everywhere waiting for a new home. What a mess. I hope to start moving in next week, but we shall see.

Well, time to try and go back to sleep.

And here we start

2009-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

I did it. Did what ? Started a blogspot. Friends have told me I would be good at it so let's see. The idea behind this blogspot is to inform people about the goings on with art, craft, my creations and Koigu Wool Designs. I'am a fibre and mixed media artist that just loves people and creative endevours. Speaking of, the first part of this is going to have to be short as I must get back to the Koigu rainbow room and attend to dye lots for customers. I also need to get yarn dyed, rinsed and hung or the ladies here won't have any work for tomorrow. So, back to playing with chemicals and seeing wonderful colours appear before ones eyes.

Rhichard Devrieze
AKA Koigu Boy