Happy Sunday!

First off, the remnants of Hurricane Isaias continue across parts of southeast states.  Having been through several hurricanes, I am already aware of the devastation that comes with a big storm, as well as how much is needed after such a storm.

I strongly recommend people give to relief organizations, such as to the Red Cross, or Greater Good Charities, or World Central Kitchen,  or some  other organization you trust.

Now, onward to the yarns!

I went into the dye session last night, thinking I’d come up with an interesting and eclectic palette of color.  And somehow I ended up preparing both a pink dye and an amethyst dye.  I hardly ever use more than one red-adjacent dye in the same session, but I’m not overall disappointed in the results.

Two Twinsets in particular (#813-814 and 821-822)  strike me as what might occur when your child leaves their crayons in the back window if your car all day.  Not unpleasant, just surprising.

There are three Twinsets that look very similar, but they are definitely NOT the same — #805-806,  811-812, and 817-818 were dyed from different combinations of navy plus another color mixed in.  Any one of these would work well with Twinset #799-800 as contrast.

Twinset #807-808 is a single color — randomly sprinkled with Black then smooshed along the strands, then dipped in a clear bath to further soften the dots.

That same black dye was used as a central band on #803-804, and then I filled one end of those skeins with an amethyst-pink fade, with a blue and turquoise fade at the other end.     I did a similar multi-color with navy in the middle and different colors at each end of the hank.

All of these are on Phydlbitz Sock 2.0 (75/25 Superwash 25-micro Merino/Nylon, 460 yards each).  Normally Phydlbitz is $28.00, but for Sunday and Monday, visitors are invited to claimed any two or more skeins from this week’s collection (#799 – 822) for just $26.00 each.

To claim the ones you want, just send me an email with your numbered requests.  I’ll mark your requests off the Available Yarns table below, and send a PayPal invoice.  Once paid, I will print your shipping label so I can ship your yarns as soon as this collection is dried and ready to ship.

I expect to ship on or about Thursday.

Available Yarns: 
Rack 1 – 799, 800, 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, 806, 807, 808, 809, 810
Rack 2 – 811, 812, 813, 814, 815, 816, 817, 818, 819, 820, 821, 822

As I was preparing this week’s unclaimed Blog Reader Specials for posting, I discovered I failed to post last week’s unclaimed yarns as well.  I did take the pictures, of course, but it was such a screwy week for me that I just forgot to post them.

Anyway, here is the collection from last week:

And here are the unclaimed yarns from this past weekend’s collection:

This time, I didn’t sort these newest additions into Twinset and Solo Skein listings.  I don’t know if I should make separate pages for people who only want unmatched single skeins versus matching Twinsets.

I also discovered that shipping rates also increased this past week or so.   Last spring we were informed rates were going to be temporarily increased due to tariffs and other factors far above my paygrade, but it was announced that this increased would only last through the end of the year.  That apparently was not true.

Good morning, and Happy Sunday!

I have to start this morning by sharing a funny my daughter shared with me on Facebook:

What do you call a made-up color?

Being a dyer, I should have known this right away, but I didn’t so she clued me in:

A pigment of your imagination.

I am tickled she is becoming adept at passing along a good Dad joke, just like me.

Let me start this week’s collection by saying I did not mix up any green dyes this week.  All of the greens you see today are the result of using blue-adjacent dyes (including violet, turquoise, and others) sharing fiber space with yellow-adjacent dyes (yellow, orange, and golds).  This is what happens when you put dye onto fiber and allow the dyes to migrate, mix, and blend on their own.

As today’s title suggests, most of this week’s Twinsets were double-dyed, first with a liberal application from the squirt bottles, followed by a dip in a clear light acid bath to spread excess dyes and smooth out the transitions.  This was especially helpful with the sprinkle or confetti dyes, as on #785-786, 789-790, and 793-794.  Any of these Twinsets would make amazing baby blankets, full of color and variety, perhaps combined with stripes of a nearly solid like #775-776 or 797-798.   There are only 2 Twinsets (#777-778 and 791-792, the seafoam fade) that weren’t double-dyed with a dip.

Some of the darker skeins, like #783-784 and #795-796 remind me of creeks and streams with pretty rocks beneath the water and plants along the banks — soothing and comforting, at least to my eye. These would make amazing workday socks, or knit double stranded into terrific winter caps.

Twinset #777-778 is almost a monochrome fade, but the light-dark contrast isn’t as striking as my normal fades.  It’s more like a pale blush fade, and would even work as a nearly-solid band against stripes from most of the other skeins.

Phydlbitz Sock 2.0 is 75% Superwash 25-micron Merino/25% Nylon, and 460 yards, normally $28.00 each.

For Sunday and Monday, visitors are invited to take any two or more skeins from this week’s collection (BRS26-#775-798) with Previewing Pricing discount at $26.00 per skein.

Of course, there are LOADS of previously shown Blog Reader Specials that would pair up beautifully with many of this week’s colors, so you can take two or more skeins from this week’s collection and then pick any previously posted yarns to get those discounted as well.

To claim the ones you want, just send me an email with your numbered selections.

I expect to have these dried and ready to ship on or about Thursday.

Available  Yarns: 
Rack 1 – 775, 776, 777, 778, 779, 780, 781, 782, 783, 784, 785, 786
Rack 2 – 787, 788, 789, 790, 791, 792, 793, 794, 795, 796, 797, 798

Happy Sunday!

After getting some feedback, I decided to try more of the Confetti dye method.  I may have gone a little bit overboard this week.  Or maybe a lot overboard?  I don’t know; I’ll let all y’all tell me.

What I do know is that this week there are none of my customary DumpDyes, Monochrome solids, or Fades.  At all.  Not a single one of those  particular methods were used this week.

Instead, there are plenty of Confetti dyes, as well as some smoosh and splash dyes, a few segmented dyes, and even a muddle (#753-754, a base of deep red with some black randomly muddled  over it.)

The Confetti dyes all have 4 colors, and there are at least 2 colors on all the others.  The beauty of this dye technique is that you can wear socks or a scarf/shawl in one of these dyes, and coordinate it with a main garment or suit of any of the colors in the yarn.

These were all dyed on Phydlbitz Sock 2.0 (75% Superwash 25-micron Merino/25% Nylon, 460 yards), and are normally $28.00 each skein.  For Sunday and Monday, however, visitors are invited to claim any matching Twinset for just $25.50 per skein.

To claim the ones you want, just send me an email (ray@knitivity.com) with your selections.  I’ll mark your requests off the Available Yarns table shown below, and then send you a PayPal invoice for your total plus postage inside the U.S.  Let me know if you are outside the U.S., of course, as rates will vary based on your country.

I expect to have these ready to ship on or about Wednesday or Thursday.  (We’re forecast to have the remnants of Hurricane Polo later this week — hopefully it will fizzle out over Mexico before hitting south Texas.)

Available Yarns: 
Rack 1 – 751, 752, 753, 754, 755, 756, 757, 758, 759, 760, 761, 762
Rack 2 – 763, 764, 765, 766, 767, 768, 769, 770, 771, 772, 773, 774

Happy Sunday!

And welcome to new subscribers!  Since my ultimate goal is to sell every new skein every week, I need to let more subscribers see my new yarns each week.  I really do appreciate all the Knitivity Insiders who keep viewing my yarns and showing them to others when they arrive in your mailbox.

I started the dye session thinking I would make some Christmas Twinsets, combining a Christmas Green (#737-738) with Christmas red (#749-750). But then I figured if someone wants that combination they can just take one of each Twinset.  Or you could just ask for Knitivity Green #1 and Knitivity Fiery Red in whatever quantities you need.  Nearly all my yarns are one-of-a-kind dye jobs, but these two are done the same way every time since 2006.

Among the other yarns are some Confetti dyes (#735-736, 743-744, and 747-748), in various color combinations.  These are especially great for children’s socks, in my opinion.

I often combine left bits of teal with turquoise for a gloriously rich solid, but this week I combine a little teal with the last of the royal blue to create Twinset #733-734.   These combinations are not by standard recipe; I just combine whatever leftover portions there are toward the end of a dye session.

All of these are Phydlbitz Sock 2.0 (75/25 Superwash 25-micron Merino/Nylon, 460 yards each) — say “Fiddle Bits” and you’ve got it right.  For those new here, it means Positively Helping Your Dyer Land Back In The Zone.

Anyway, each hand-dyed Phydlbitz Sock yarn is normally $28.00 each, but for today and tomorrow you can claim any two or more skeins from this week’s collection (#727 – 750) for just $26.00 each.

Every skein I dye is shown; these aren’t just representative samples of  larger dye lot.  Most commonly I dye Twinsets, but if you need more than two skeins of matching yarn, you are welcome to request a custom order.

To claim the ones you want, just send me an email with your numbered selections.  I’ll send you a PayPal invoice and mark your selections off the Available Yarns table (shown below). That way others can see which yarns are still available when they visit.

I expect to have this week’s collection ready to ship on or about Thursday.

Available  Yarns: 
Rack 1 – 727, 728, 729, 730, 731, 732, 733, 734, 735, 736, 737, 738
Rack 2 – 739, 740, 741, 742, 743, 744, 745, 746, 747, 748, 749, 750

There are nearly 4 dozen matching Twinsets on the Blog Reader Specials page.  All day today, Tuesday, September 15, all matching Twinsets will be invoiced at 20% OFF.   Non-matching Solo skeins will be invoiced at 15% OFF as well.  In case I go to bed early, all emails time-stamped by midnight will be honored at this Twinset TWOS-day deal.

I’ve moved all the Twinsets to the top of the BRS page, and will be mixing up the Solo skeins later as well.

Visit the Blog Reader Specials page today (Friday, 11 Sept 2026), order any two or more skeins and get FREE SHIPPING inside the U.S.!   Shown here are the newest yarns added to the page, but there are dozens of other beautiful yarns available and ready to ship.

Happy Saturday!

Here in the U.S., this is Labor Day Weekend.  Monday is observed as Labor Day, to honor and celebrate the workers in our country — anyone who gets up to go to work in exchange for a paycheck.  It was started September 5, 1882, with a parade of union workers in New York City.    Later, as Dr. Heather Cox Richardson writes, “On June 28, 1894, [President Grover] Cleveland signed Congress’s bill making Labor Day a legal holiday. Each year, the first Monday in September would honor the country’s workers.”

Anyway, my Labor Day Weekend will be spend processing this week’s yarns and looking for other ways to show my yarns so more people can enjoy them.

This week’s collection (BRS26 – #703 – 726) is a mixed bag of dye techniques — some sprinkles, some fades, and some solids and nearly solids.

The one Twinset I wanted to point out is #709-710.   It was a blend of teal and blue and navy, stirred together into a single color in the dye bath.  When it came out of the spin cycle this morning, it is evident there are marvelous little shimmies and glimmers of dark blue quite distinct from the teal.  I’m not sure how this happens, but I’m delighted when it does because the resulting yarn is amazing to look  at; I figure it is something to do with the chemicals and pigments used in creating the various dyes.

These are all Phydlbitz Sock 2.0, 75/25 Superwash 25-micron Merino/Nylon, 460 yards each.  These are normally $28.00 a skein, but for all of Labor Day Weekend, visitors are welcome to claim any two or more from this week’s collection for just $25.50 each.

To claim the ones you want, just send me an email with your requested item numbers.  I’ll mark your requests off from the Available Yarns table, below, and then send you a PayPal invoice for those yarns and shipping.  If you are outside the U.S. please let me know with your request.

I expect to have these dried and processed, ready to ship on or about Wednesday or Thursday this coming week.

Available Yarns:
Rack 1 – 703, 704, 705, 706, 707, 708, 709, 710, 711, 712, 713, 714
Rack 2 – 715, 716, 717, 718, 719, 720, 721, 722,  723, 724, 725, 726

G’morning, and Happy Saturday!

Twenty-one years ago today (28 August 2005), Hazel and I hunkered down under a work table as Hurricane Katrina roared overhead.   Hazel was a Lab-Chow mix I’d had only a few months, since her owner had to move back to New York.   Hazel was a handful, to be sure, but usually she was a good girl.  She was evacuated to the home of a Cajun family north of New Orleans, while I finally found a ride to Houston to stay with one of my kids until it was safe to return to New Orleans.  I never saw her again, but she was taken in with good people and I’m sure she lived her life with loads of love.

A year to the day after Katrina first hit, I moved to Houston permanently and never had a normal paycheck again.

Since this anniversary is on a weekend, I think we should have an anniversary sale for the Last Weekend of the Month.

But first, I’m interested to know what you do with Phydlbitz Sock yarn.  Obviously, I know about socks and shawls and sweaters and baby things, but I’m wondering what other people do with sock yarns.  What sort of crafts beyond knitting and crochet do you do?

Also, where do you hang out online?  I spend most of my online time on Facebook and Instagram, but I know there are crafters using all sorts of social media platforms and I’d love to explore new areas to inspire new dyeing ideas.

Here is the collection of Phydlbitz Sock yarn that I added to the Blog Reader Specials page this week:

Now, through Monday, all the yarns on the Blog Reader Specials page will be invoiced at $21.00 per skein, so it’s a three-day weekend sale!  As they say, order early order often.

As always, to claim any of the available yarns, just send me an email and I’ll get your requests taken care of.