Mad Angel Creations

Return of Mad Angel Creations

2011-06-08T04:30:00.001-07:00

Well, after quite a long hiatus, Mad Angel Creations is up and running again.

I lost my day job, so now have time

to work with the things in life that REALLY matter:

yarn and spinning fiber, and in time,

some nice knitted accessories and original patterns.

For now, though, there is Yarn, which may all be found at my Etsy store,

Mad Angel Creations.

This is "Hummingbird," a gorgeous lace weight blend of

baby alpaca, silk, and cashmere.

Hand painted by me.

This is "Red Hat Gal,"

another beautiful lace weight yarn

in a soft wool and cashmere blend.

Hand painted by me.

Also in the lovely wool-cashmere lace weight blend is

"Island of the Blue Dolphins."

When I saw the tropical-looking colors emerge in such a pleasing way,

I thought of one of my favorite childhood books, and paid homage.

Hand painted by me.

In varying shades of burgundy and green,

also in the wool-cashmere lace weight yarn,

this one is called "Grape Arbor."

Hand painted by me.

"Dusty Rose" was a commercial single I got on a big cone.

It's a blend of polyester, silk, and flax,

and I hand plied it on my spinning wheel,

into a nice 3-ply fingering weight yarn.

"Polyester?" you ask.

Yes. Polyester. But it doesn't feel like polyester.

It has a gorgeous drape and sheen,

and would make a fabulous lace scarf or shawl.

"Dusty Teal"

is the same composition as "Dusty Rose."

It was another big cone of commercial singles,

which I hand plied into a 3-ply fingering weight yarn.

Really pretty, even if I do say so myself.

All of these yarns are currently for sale in my shop.

Updates will be happening more frequently now.

Thanks for looking!

New Hat!

2009-07-18T16:18:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to resist making hats these days. Hats, snoods, kerchiefs...I want to have a nice selection of them, to go with my wardrobe.
I know, know. How many does one need to go with jeans and an unending array of t-shirts?
Well, I don't always wear jeans and t-shirts. Everything under the sun, hat-wise, will go with them.
This is the very beautiful Druidess Beret by Anna Bright. It was an engaging knit, and a relatively quick one, if you enjoy cables as much as I do. Also, this wonderful pattern is free!

Next time I make one, I will use a lighter weight yarn. This is some Brora Softspun I bought on a cone at Webs several years ago. It's an Aran weight, and the pattern calls for Jamison Soft Shetland which, if memory serves me correctly, is a DK weight. But I don't have a DK weight in a yarn that will match my Inishmaan-in-progress. This is the same yarn. I may have enough to finish the sweater and a matching skirt. I'd love to have both skirt and sweater done by the time I go to Ireland in November, but for sure I will at least have the sweater and the hat, and that would satisfy me.

The second picture captures detail well, but the other three pictures are a more accurate representation of the color.

Hot as blazes here today, but that did not deter me from working with wool. It never does. There is No Bad Time for Wool!

New Spinning Batts!

2009-07-13T13:34:00.001-07:00

Just carded today! Please visit Mad Angel Creations if any of these unique batts is calling your name!

Iris. Wool, Silk Noil, & Angelina.

Water Lily. Wool, Silk Noil, & Angelina.

Fire. Wool, Bamboo, & Angelina.

New Goodies!

2009-06-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Please stop by the shop for a closer look!

New in the Shop!

2009-06-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Please visit Mad Angel Creations for further details and/or retail therapy!

Estonian Lace Stole

2009-04-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest project -- a lace stole from Nancy Bush's Estonian lace book. The pattern is easy and a pleasure to knit. I almost have it memorized already.
The yarn is a hand-painted merino/yak blend from Northern Lights Fiber Co in Alaska. This is Kelsey's "Tree of Life" colorway, and it seems that lately I'm addicted to any fibery reference to Trees of Life. This was a must-have, and is wonderful to work with.
I gave the bit I have done a light blocking this morning, just to get an idea of how it might look when done, though of course when I do the final blocking, I will stretch it open more. But one does get a rough idea from this, anyway. I love it.

Phat Fiber has been bad for my budget, but what a way to go! There are some really nice vendors participating, and I can't resist the temptation. Northern Lights Fiber Co is one of those temptations!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, Steve and his Cosmic Catnip mouse!

New hand-dyed yarns in my store now!

2009-04-02T13:32:00.000-07:00

Now for sale at Mad Angel Creations!

This is 100% wool sock-weight yarn, really soft and cushy, in my brand-new "Tourmaline" colorway. There's only one lot of 2 skeins being sold together as a unit. 500 yards and 4 full ounces, which would be enough for a fairly generous-sized pair of socks knitted in a plain stitch.

Or maybe a fancy cable sock for an average-sized ladies' foot?Someone please save me from myself and buy this before I decide I can't possibly sell it!
Next up is a 520 yard, 2 ounce skein, also in the Tourmaline colorway, of laceweight wool & cashmere. (85% and 15%, respectively).

This would make a really nice lace accessory item.
There's enough for a generous scarf or shawl, and it's sooooooooo soft!

I love this colorway, and will try to recreate it in future,
but no other skein will ever come out exactly like this one.

Again, someone please save me from myself and buy this
before I decide I really can't bear to part with it!

New Sock Yarns just listed!

2009-03-19T13:56:00.001-07:00

Aubergine, 3-ply, 80% wool, 20% camel. Hand-dyed & hand-plied. 180 yd skein.

Spruce, 3-ply, 80% wool, 20% camel. Hand-dyed & hand-plied. 180 yd skein.

Pumpkin, 3-ply, 80% wool, 20% camel. Hand-plied. 180 yd skein.

Olive Green, 3-ply, 80% wool, 20% camel. Hand-dyed & hand-plied. 180 yd skein.

Blue & Gray Ragg sock yarn, wool & acrylic blend. 180 yd skein.

Burgundy & Blue Ragg sock yarn, wool & acrylic blend. 180 yd skein.
Available now at Mad Angel Creations

More!

2009-02-19T11:19:00.001-08:00

FIRE!

2-1/2 ounces, wool and angelina.
Nice blend of oranges and yellow, with a little bronze angelina.
For sale now!

Click here if interested.
Thanks for looking!

Midnight Sparkle Batt

2009-02-18T15:34:00.001-08:00

Three 2-ounce bundles up for grabs in my Etsy Store right now. More to come by the weekend!

Many shades of blue, impossible to capture in a photo, and a bit of silver angelina for fun.

Soft. Pretty. Thanks or looking!

Wow, thanks....

2009-02-16T12:17:00.000-08:00

All of the grape and its variant colorways have been sold, as have my Midnight Blues batts. Thanks so much!

I have more wool soaking out to make another batch of Midnight Blues, but it will take some time to dry before I can card it and list it in the store.

Has anyone tried carding according to what The Yarn Harlot said on her blog? Throwing the fiber in sideways?

Well, I tried it, and I like the look of the batts, but I want to try spinning some first, before I list any for sale. If the resulting yarn pleases me, chances are good it will please my customers, too, so watch this spot for updates!

More...

2009-02-14T14:15:00.001-08:00

In the store now!

Wild Grapes 100% wool spinning batts

Teal Degrees 100% wool spinning batts

Queen of Hearts 100% wool spinning batts

Frosted Grapes wool/silk blend spinning batt

Purple Fleck 70% silk/30% polyester blend textured fingering weight yarn

Wild Grapes DK weight 100% wool yarn - 200 yard skein - feltable!

Russet DK weight 100% wool yarn - 200 yard skein - feltable!

With the exception of Purple Fleck, which is a commercial yarn, all these yarns and batts were hand dyed and processed by me. Alas, all I did in the preparation of Purple Fleck was skein it up and wash it. Still it's nice stuff, just not as much of an Accomplishment.

Please visit Mad Angel Creations if interested in any of the above.

Broad Atlantic Spinning Batt

2009-02-14T07:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I know, I should be posting pics of something that looks more like roses and chocolate, but that wasn't what I grabbed from my ready-dyed stash first. Oh, well...

I've just put this one in my Etsy Store. Only 2 ounces, but this wool can be spun quite fine. I got a nice 2-ply sock weight from a batch of green I spun back in the Fall. Very nice stuff to work with, but please be forewarned that it is not superwash.

Also still available is "Grape Sparkle," pictured below.

It's a lovely, soft wool with a touch of angelina for sparkle. The colors range from pale grayish lavender to fuschia to an occasional streak of black. I think there's just about every shade of grape in this you can possibly imagine, and the photo cannot begin to do the subtleties of this colorway full justice. It's the same wool as I used in "Broad Atlantic," so the same rules apply. It's not superwash, it can be spun as fine as you like, etc.

Happy shopping!

Etsy

2007-12-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to say I have re-opened my Etsy shop in hopes of making some sales in time for the holidays. You can find my store by clicking on the link below. Thanks for looking!

Mad Angel Creations

For Sale!

2007-06-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

I've been busy playing with felting! The first two bags were knitted up from my hand-dyed yarn. The spring green one is Olivine, while the brown one is Autumn Leaves. The third is Cascade 220. All yarns felted beautifully! Also, I had the opportunity to really test the colorfastness of my dyework. The felting process would have revealed problems, if there were any, and I am pleased to report that there were none. I hope these little bags will sell well, because they are awfully fun to make, and the possibilities for color schemes are endless!

Click HERE to view the listing for this bag.

SOLD.

Baaaaaaaad Blogger....

2006-01-30T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm such a bad blogger, I never even wished anybody a Merry Christmas on this page! So, here is Roisin Dubh in her Christmas outfit, looking very much like one of George Booth's cartoon dogs. (He still does GREAT dog cartoons for The New Yorker magazine.) The antlers and jingle bell collar and cuffs came from Christmas Tree Shops, while the lovely bandana was made by our friend Kat, who is also a Corgi owner and was my pups' Secret Santa this past year.

A knitting highlight from this past Fall, which I've been meaning to post for an age, is my Wool Peddler's Shawl from Cheryl Oberle's lovely book, Folk Shawls. I dyed the yarn myself, and was surprised and delighted when it turned out it would match the pretty orange rayon dress I treated myself to in Maine.

The yarn, believe it or not, was originally a very vivid, eye-popping yellow. I crammed a bunch of skeins into a kettle with a color called "Mahogany," and out came this fabulous variegated stuff with nary a hint of its former color. There's more of the yellow yarn waiting for the kettle than I want to admit, and I haven't been able to do so much dyeing since
winter hit. I'm eagerly awaiting Spring, so I can turn on the outdoor spigots and crank up the heat on the propane stove again.

Below is a close-up. A little dark, but at least some of the stitch detail is visible. And to the right...well, that's me and Mr. Finnegan. He's such a cuddly boy, and come to think of it...yeah, it's past my bedtime!

2005-04-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Knitting socks at Kennedy Airport, November 2004.

Happy Spring from Mad Angel Creations!

2005-04-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends!

I thought I would try using a blog to offer my updates in the future. That way I can post pictures for your enjoyment. And you, the customers, also have a venue for comments, should you wish to post some.

Spring has definitely sprung here in Whitinsville, and as the days grow longer and brighter, so does my urge to play with yarn and fiber grow accordingly!

I've been steadily adding new yarns to the stash in eBay store. A link to the store may be found in the sidebar over here --->

As always, feel free to pop by and browse around, and remember that I am happy to combine your purchases to give you the best possible shipping rate.

Let me know your opinions on the blog idea! The thing I like about a blog is it's so easy to intereact, and to share pictures. It cetainly eliminates the possibility of picking up a virus from an attachment. What I don't know is whether a blog exposes folks to more spyware or not. However, there are really good free anti-spyware programs available, such as Spybot Search & Destroy, which I personally have found very useful. Have a Google and check it out sometime, if you haven't already.

I have begun experimenting with dyeing, and many of these yarns may be found in the eBay store.

There are a number of undyed yarns and fibers, too, for those of you who would rather do your own experimenting. The weather is certainly conducive, so get those dye kettles simmering!

For knitting projects, I'm in the homestretch on an Aran sweater I started designing about a year ago. I took some lightweight wool singles and plied them on my spinning wheel. In 2 -ply form, this stuff is a bit heavier than sportweight, but not quite as heavy as DK. I've been knitting it up on size 4 needles, and as crazy as that tiny a gauge might sound, it is turning out to have been well worth the effort. If I'm lucky, I may be able to post a picture of it sometime in the next week or two. It's a gorgeous, woodsy, heathery green with oak leaves, acorns, and staghorns, and I can't wait to see how it looks on the intended recipient.

I hope everyone else's knitting, crocheting, weaving, and spinning projects are going well, and that you're enjoying fine weather and sunshine!

All the best, and thanks as always for your support!

Paula Warner
Mad Angel Creations