Andromeda Shades: Mercury!

As I continue to grow my fiber business, I have been brainstorming to come up with new names for colorways and color families.

I have relied primarily on plants or descriptions based on the colors themselves: blueberry, marigold, bronze, etc. But as I continue to expand, I find I want to create series of color families. I engaged J in a brainstorming session a week or so back some overall families for both roving and yarns. One of us came up with the sky - I think the first thought was Celestial Shades, but although I like the alliteration, it was a bit to 'angelic.' That led to stars, planets, constellations and other heavenly bodies and eventually to Andromeda Shades.

I decided that Andromeda Shades would be a specific line of Romney rovings beginning with the planets. I've had 'Blue Planet' up for a week or two - I've already sold one and it was chosen for an Etsy Treasury with andEarth theme. Today I launched 'Mercury.' As I was brainstorming on the naming of the colors for each planets, some were very easy - Mars is the red planet - actually red-orange. Veus is pink, because of its 'female' connotation. Mercury made me think of the element - slinky, silver gray, but my first experiments were not pretty. The grey dye has a tendency to split into the dye colors that are combined to make them. but when I took the 'fawn' roving and over dyed it with purple and blue, I got the depth I was looking for. I posted it this morning. Venus and Mars are right behind; I did the first Saturn experiment yesterday - it's sort of a gold with plum. I think I like it, but I'll have to see it dry and photographed.

I am still thinking of a name for the family of 'semi-solid' sock yarns. Subtle Shades? Harmonious Hues? Contribute your ideas here!

Great weekend calling the excellent contradance in Blacksburg, VA. The band was long time friends Skylark out of Chapel Hill and we stayed at the home of Shawn and Matt; both terrific musicians and extremely cool people. I drove home in the snow (at least in Virginia) happy and remembering why I call dances. Tonight I'm calling at the Grey Eagle in Asheville with Chicken Tractor - Laurie Fisher's new band.