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A DK shawl in spring? OF COURSE!

I’ve been working on something exciting and secret: a brand new collaboration with Anna Nikipirowicz, my friend and also an amazingly fabulous designer. Sometimes I dye yarn that I love, but I’m not totally sure what it’s meant to be. In those moments I turn to Anna for inspiration. A few months ago, Anna and I met for lunch. I handed over a DK gradient set and a couple skeins of a semi solid, and I asked her to work her magic. There’s no doubt about it, Anna really is some kind of magical yarn fairy. Just look at what she came up with:

Continue reading A DK shawl in spring? OF COURSE!

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Introducing Game of Thrones themed yarns

Game of Thrones themed yarns

No, the show isn’t back until next week, but who cares? (Also I’ll be in Madrid when the premiere hits, so you’re getting Game of Thrones themed yarns a week early. You’re welcome.)
I’ve been waiting ALL YEAR for this launch. Have I mentioned that I plan yarn launches months in advance? Because I do! There’s lots to consider: yarn base, season, colors, dye quantities, timeline, etc, etc, etc. But it’s here! Finally!  Game of Thrones themed yarns!
**Disclaimer: No, I haven’t dyed all the houses. Please don’t yell at me. Lannisters are awesome but red and gold yarns sit on my shelf for AGES. Same deal with yellow and orange for the badass Martells. Ditto Baratheon. If there’s a house you LOVE and isn’t here, come talk to me. We’ll work something out.**

Game of Thrones themed yarns

First off, watch this excellent video that I made:


Excellent, right? RIGHT.

Fire and Blood

Game of Thrones themed yarns: firea and Blood, Targaryen
Danearys Stormborn, mother of dragons, breaker of chains, heir to the Targaryen throne….yup, safe to say this yarn is bad. Ass. Flashes and speckles of red and black on a white superwash merino lace weight base. Super smushy, inspired by dragons, but please don’t try to burn it.

Brienne of Tarth

Game of Thrones themed yarns: Brienne of Tarth
Who cares if Tarth isn’t one of the main houses in play? Brienne is hella awesome and my personal hero, so she gets a yarn. If I was in Game of Thrones, I would be Brienne. Tall, large, not very interested in men, and waves around a huge sword at anyone who crosses her.

We Grow Strong

Game of Thrones themed yarns: We Grow Strong, Tyrell
Margeary is amazing, but not half as cool as Lady Olenna, queen of sass. If Brienne is me young, then Lady Olenna is me when mature: full of biting wit and snark. Hell, that’s me now. She’s not to be trifled with, and she’s my (other) personal hero. This yarn is dyed with yellow and green to match the Tyrell house crest, with splashes of magenta for their famous rose gardens.

Winter is Coming

Game of Thrones themed yarns: Winter is Coming, Stark
Who doesn’t love this plucky band of misfits? Their theme in the soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful (don’t even get me started or I’ll never shut up), and Arya is arguably one of the best characters. Dyed with flashes and speckles of grey and black to match the Stark house crest, and icy blue because the white walkers are coming for us all. Seriously, ice zombies? No thanks.
Loving these yarns? Pin any three things from the GamerCrafting shop, send me the link to your Pinterest via Etsy or Facebook, and get a code for FREE SHIPPING. 
Game of thrones themed yarns

Love these yarns? Pin this post! It can count as one of your three pins towards free shipping!

Game of Thrones themed hand dyed lace weight yarns
 

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New Adventure Time sparkle yarns

Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarns

Yup, you heard me.
ADVENTURE TIME.
SPARKLE YARNS.
I teased this release a few weeks ago with this sneaky peeky of the new sparkle stock:


Many thought the new theme would be retro games because of the way I put the video together: while that might be a future theme, I was just playing around with newly learned video editing skills and an add-on pack for the software I use.
I chose Adventure Time because it has a special place in my heart. I struggle with anxiety on a daily basis, and there’s not much that can quiet the noise these days. Political unrest, uncertainty about what’s going to happen to my residency visa, work stresses, etc, it goes on and on. I’ve gained enough control over my troll brain to quiet trivial worries, but when the worry is literally, “Can I keep living here,” it becomes a challenge to combat the monsters under the bed.
Some people say Adventure Time is just a stupid kids’ cartoon. Well, I don’t know, maybe they’re right about that – but in a world full of violence and anger, there’s only so much fictional murder and sexual assault I can stomach. (I just gave up on a book for this very reason.) This silly cartoon is like a bright spot that hits the nail on the head sometimes, and it reminds me I’m not the only one who thinks we’re living in a cruel, unfair world. The episode where Jake’s son buys the treehouse out from under him to try and force Jake to “get a real job” hits hard for a creative like me.
Anyway, I wanted to focus on the badass strong girls of this show. So, here we go:

Fionna the Human

Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarns: Fionna the Human
For those of you who haven’t seen the Ice King fanfiction episodes, I highly recommend them. Finn becomes Fionna, Jake the dog becomes Cake the cat, and we have our friend Marshall Lee (Marceline) too. They are hilarious and silly, and bring life to fanfiction the way we all wish we could. (In my fanfiction Firefly universe, Wash is…yeah. No spoilers but yeah.)

Vampire Queen

Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarn: Vampire Queen
Marceline is one of my fave characters: half demon, half vampire, and all rock and roll. She plays the bass, she writes songs, she has a complicated relationship with her father, and I’m sorry (not actually sorry), she’s totally into Princess Bubblegum.

Princess Bubblegum

 
 
Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarns: Princess Bubblegum
The other half of my OTP (one true pairing) is Princess Bubblegum, the benevolent ruler of the Candy Kingdom and genius scientist. She’s always in her lab experimenting and learning, and if the Sky Witch episode is any clue, she’s totally got some feels for Marceline. It’s canon, okay? You can’t ever take that away from me.

Lumpy Space Princess

 
Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarns: Lumpy Space Princess
Lumpy Space Princess is the funniest character, and has the confidence we should all aspire to have. She struggles with acceptance like we all do, but she knows she has some true friends. The episode where she and Marceline trash Breakfast Princess’ castle is one of my faves.

Lady Rainicorn

Adventure Time themed hand dyed sparkle yarns: Lady Rainicorn
My personal fave from this new collection is Lady Rainicorn, our fave rainbow unicorn with prismatic powers. If you haven’t seen the episode where Jake meets her parents, it’s a SCREAM.
For those who didn’t see it on Facebook (thanks social media algorithms), here’s the original full-length release video:


Each skein is £16, and a blend of 75% superwash merino, 20% nylon, and 5% sparkle. Perfect for socks or shawls! Head on over to The Shop to snag some. 
 

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Exciting news for GamerCrafting

Exciting news for GamerCrafting

First off, if you didn’t see last week’s Alien themed yarn launch, check it out. It’s awesome. My wife and I went to see the Alien movie yesterday, and it’s supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Seriously. I know we’re Alien franchise superfans, but I’m loving how they answered some questions that Prometheus left behind. (I didn’t love some other stuff, but hey, I’m not about to ruin your day with spoilers!)
Now, for some exciting news:

GamerCrafting yarns will be at THREE yarn shows this year! That three more than last year, which was zero!
I won’t lie to you: getting rejected from many yarn shows can be disappointing and disheartening. You dye yarns, you work hard, but sometimes more established and talented dyers get those very coveted spots.
So, where can you find GamerCrafting yarns this year?
On September 10th, you’ll find me at the Perth Festival of Yarn in Scotland! It’s a one day event, but I’m absolutely thrilled to be taking part and there’s lots of buzz around for this yarny festival. Click here for tickets, and here to check out their Facebook page.

“But Angie, I can’t make it to Scotland in September. 🙁 “

Then how about heading up to Yarndale on the 23/24 of September?? Because I’ll be there too! I’m absolutely over the moon to be taking part, and you’ll definitely have a blast if you go. Click here for tickets, and here for their Facebook.
Not only will you find the hand dyed yarns at these shows, and the geeky stitch markers, but you’ll also find BRAND NEW WORLD RELEASES of some patterns, kits, and new fun knitting and crochet tools and accessories. It’s going to be  A BUSY SUMMER, guys.
I can’t announce the final show quite yet, but it will be later in the year, that’s all I can say!

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Brand new Alien themed hand dyed yarn

Y’all, I’ve been teasing you about it for WEEKS, but it’s finally here!! Four brand new shades on a brand new yarn base: 100% merino wool, lace weight yarn.
Why Alien? Because I am obsessed with the Alien franchise, and Ellen Ripley is a supreme badass. Did you know that the script was written to be non-gendered, except for Ripley? Yeah, that’s right, Ripley was supposed to be a man. But then our queen Sigourney Weaver showed up and made history. (Side note: science fiction was totally invented by a woman, thanks Mary Shelley!)
So here you have it: four new shades released today in the GamerCrafting Etsy shop. Alien themed hand dyed yarn
This is Faded Stompers, a light pink, grey, and white shade. Because Ripley’s iconic alien stomper shoes would totally be faded now, after stomping all those xenomorphs. Snag a skein!
alien themed hand dyed yarn
And this is Alien Blood, representative of the caustic blood that xenomorphs have. Can eat through ships, metal, shields, and flesh. Yum yum! Snag a skein!
Alien themed hand dyed yarn
And this is LV 426, the planet where the whole franchise began. As Rick says in Rick and Morty, distress calls are dead aliens and free stuff 9 times out of 10, but sometimes it’s a trap. If only they’d have listened to Ripley, am I right? Stash attack!
Alien themed hand dyed yarn
Here’s my personal favorite from this collection: “Weyland-Yutani!” After all, none of the characters would even be in that mess without The Company being desperate to capture a xenomorph for nefarious reasons. Yellow, black, white, and grey, just like the logo! Snag a skein!
All of these yarns are 100g skeins of lace weight, 100% merino wool yarn that have been hand-dyed. They should be hand washed, as they are not superwash!
Have you seen the new shop announcement on Etsy? Pin any three things direct from the GamerCrafting shop, send me the links to the pins, and you’ll get FREE SHIPPING. That’s right, free. All you have to do is pin.
Stay tuned for new Marvel MCU yarns, new organic bases, new cottons, and coming up later this summer, KITS!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Disney Villains hand dyed yarns!

Disney Villains hand dyed yarns

So I released these new Disney villains hand dyed yarns last week, but I never actually wrote why they are Disney Villain themed.

To put it bluntly, it’s because the Villains are by far the coolest parts of the stories! Yes, villains can be based on problematic stereotypes, I won’t argue with you there. Before the recent surge in Disney movies that focus on inner struggles and family relationships (Frozen, Brave, Moana, etc), it seemed like every woman in the story who knew what she was doing was a Big Bad.

Disney Villains hand dyed yarn
Maleficent

The lovely gorgeous ingenues were the damsels in distress, rescued by princes and singing to birds. Pff. I’m no ingenue, I can’t dance, I have no interest in princes, and you best bet my waistline looks nothing like those corseted, unrealistic artistic imaginings.
Give up your family and everything you’ve ever known for a hunky prince you saw once and rescued from a shipwreck, who probably eats and enjoys lobster tails on the reg? Nah, I’d rather be the sea witch that everyone is terrified of. Ursula wasn’t always nice, but she was a hell of a business woman, am I right?

Disney Villains hand dyed yarn
Cruella

I’m all about the twisted fairy tales and reimaginings of old stories. I was obsessed with Ella Enchanted (the book, I’m too old to have seen the movie as a little one) from an early age, and I have a guilty habit of watching Once Upon a Time, even though it’s ridiculously cheesy and occasionally terrible (but Regina’s jackets are everything I want in business casual).

Disney Villains hand dyed yarn
Dr. Facilier

A friend suggested I use the princesses as a theme. Anna, Elsa, Ariel, the lot: but then I thought….nahhhhhh. This theme is all about the VILLAINS. These are some of my favourite villains: Maleficent (giant terrifying dragon), Ursula (shrewd businesswoman), Cruella (misguided fashionista), and Dr. Facilier (who has the BEST villain song ever). These yarns are 100g/skein of linen/silk/merino wool, thick and thin lace weight yarn. £15 each in the Etsy shop.

Disney Villains hand dyed yarn
Ursula

Which are your favorite Disney Villains hand dyed yarns?

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Introducing: custom dyed yarns!

Custom dyed yarn from GamerCrafting

Do you have someone special in mind? Do you have an idea of a colourway that you want but can’t find anywhere?

Introducing: custom dyed yarn!
I’ve gotten inquiries from a few knitters and crocheters asking for custom dye orders, so I think it’s about time I tell everyone about it.

The details: 

1. You can pick almost any natural fibre base and weight. 

If I can find it undyed, I’ll dye it for you! Sorry, no acrylic or acrylic blends, those won’t take the kinds of dyes I use. They require industrial strength dyes that are unsafe to use in the home without a gas mask, and are generally very difficult to get a hold of. Wool, alpaca, silk, cotton, bamboo, mohair, linen, you got it!

2. Price will depend on what you want.

Obviously not all undyed bases cost the same amount, so it will depend on what you want and how much. In most cases, each skein will cost less if you order more of them. It will also cost more if you have a work intensive idea: for example, true ombre yarns take about 4x as long to dye than hand paints.

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3. You’re the boss! 

You can send me a shade palette, a photo for inspiration, or a specific shade, and I’ll do everything I can to match it. Got a sunset photo from a vacation, or want to match a dress? I can do that!

4. Places are limited. 

Because custom orders are so time intensive, especially when sourcing special undyed bases, spaces are limited. It will depend on how many skeins people want, so if you want in, shoot me a message on Twitter (@AngelinaPanozzo), Instagram (@GamerCrafting), or on Facebook.

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5. If you want something for Christmas, get in touch NOW. 

Because it takes time for me to get the undyed base in that you requested, prep the fibre, research your shades, dye the fiber, treat the fiber, package it, and ship it out, you’ll need to contact me ASAP if you’re hoping to get something in time for Christmas. If you live overseas (USA, Canada, Australia), it might be necessary to pay for expedited shipping to make sure it gets there in time. I never charge more than the cost I pay, and in many cases I pay more than I ask for shipping when sending things overseas.

Get in touch if you’re interested, and stay tuned for the reveal of the 100% cotton, aran weight sequin yarns later this week!

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Introducing Super Chunky Chainette Merino!

The hand dyed yarn shop has grown again, this time to include a limited edition super chunky, super bulky yarn!
Each skein is 100g and approximately 80 meters. There are 4 colors available in the Etsy shop: Avada, Reducto, Aguamenti, and Patronus. Quantities are *very* limited, as most hand dyed yarn are, so if you have your eyes on one please head on over!

AND!

I developed a new one-skein cowl specifically for this new yarn release. This cowl is a kind of mock-brioche texture almost, and only uses one skein of this yarn. It’s a super simple pattern, yay! And it’s a free pattern! (Click here to download it on Ravelry.) It’s called Whispered Spell, because these yarns are perfect for the Potterhead who wants to express their favorite fandom in a more subtle way than the traditional House striped scarves. (See also: new purple hair!)

What is my face doing? 0_o

AND!

To celebrate Thanksgiving and to try and bring a little joy into people’s lives, using the code “THANKS2016” in the Etsy shop on purchases of over £20 will get you 20% off. Spend at least £30, use the code “THANKSABUNCH” for 30% off. Thanks for bearing with my on my (long, arduous, sometimes fraught) journey into hand dyeing yarn!

The codes will work through Monday, November 28th, at midnight.

Visit me on Pinterest! 


I hope you like these new yarns! Stay tunes for some VERY EXCITING hand dyed news for holiday colors this year in the near future. 

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This is your weekly dye update

In my effort to actually get my life together and post more about worthy things, here is your weekly update on crafty goings on in the world of GamerCrafting!

*applause*
*confetti*
*fireworks*

Okay, so no one really cares that much, but here goes.
In exciting DIY news, I wrote a short tutorial and shot a time lapse video on how to dye yarn with food colouring. Laughing Hens released a brand new range of undyed yarns that you can buy by the skein (instead of most suppliers which have a high minimum order for quality undyed yarns)! If you’ve ever wanted to give it a shot, now’s your chance. Check out the tutorial and tell me what you think!

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The recently announced Harry Potter themed yarns have been slightly delayed: a new fixing acid agent that I was trying out turned out to be very ineffective and the colours were really unimpressive. It was a frustrating experience to have a whole day of work literally rinse down the drain, but I promise they are on the way! I plan to get up early all this week just to get them up for you guys. 🙂 These yarns are 100g hanks of super chunky, 100% merino chainette yarn. It will also feature a brand new, one skein cowl pattern!

A photo posted by Angie Panozzo (@gamercrafting) on Oct 25, 2016 at 11:22am PDT

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(Psssst! I’ll be announcing custom dye packages soon, perfect gifts for crafty types! Spaces are very limited, so shoot me a message on Facebook if you want to reserve a space!)

Hope you all have a fab week, stay tuned for the new undyed yarns, hopefully up in the shop within a week!