Blossoms and Bark Phat Fiber Box

Yes, I know it's nearly the end of the month, but my Phat Fiber contributor box was delivered while I was traveling, so I really just explored it last evening.  As always it was full of goodies.  I blogged about my samples a few weeks ago and I'm happy to see that my work stands up well.  Not as glittery as some, but high quality dye work and fiber.
I'll start with the yarns.  There are a number of very pretty yarns this time.  Beginning at the upper right, I'll just go around the circle. Absolutely beautiful hand dyed & handspun merino in about a sport weight from ByRebekahWithLove. Also in the pink family is Wildwood Flower by Moonlight and Laughter. Next is a variegated purple sock yarn from Little Bit of Heaven Fibers.  From Jag's Funky Fibers, I received a small unmarked skein in an Iris shade.  Cotton? a silk blend?  A sweet multi-blue sock yarn from Neurotic Knitterz with a great name: Happy Hydrandeas! The last yarn in this group is a bright sock yarn - Poppy - and cute glass bead from Color Bug Yarns.

Lastly, in its own picture is a sweet sampler from Brown Hare - I love this little folder.  She really puts a lot of care into creating these sets - each of the fibers on the right are identified and described.  The large sample in the center doesn't seem to be labeled.  Feels like cotton.

Let's start on the spinning fiber - Always my favorite part.  When I first opened my box, I thought Nice bark!  Where are the blossoms?  But as I later explored it, I really began to like the shades of brown.  They are all subtly beautiful and all different.

Starting at the upper right again this is Moss Covered Bark from It's a Colorful Life - a soft blend of red/brown and green with a bit of bronze colored glitter.  I want to spin this NOW!  The soft green and white roving in the lower right is from Lampyridae  - I'm guessing alpaca, wool, firestar, bamboo.  Next, another goodie from Moonlight and Laughter - this time a wool blend batt called Adirondack Hemlock. And to finish the circle, the bright & glittery green batt is from Hippie Penguin Fibers.  They are all great fun!

The next  picture includes a sample of adult alpaca fiber from Wonders Mohair, some brilliantly hand dyed mohair locks from Blue Mountain Handcrafts.  The artist used the Greener Shades dyes on these locks and I want to try them - very clear colors.  The next roving is from Fiber Fancy - a pretty pinky brown called Pistachio Rose in wool with Mohair, llama, alpaca and silk - soft and lovely!  The last roving is a batt from Bohemian Knitter Chic.  It's an interesting blend of merino and soy with flax.


But wait!  There's more...

The extra goodies include 3 patterns, a particularly charming stitch marker from winemakerssister and a number of very sweet gift tags.  In keeping with the Blossoms and bark theme, Amy Klimt developed a sweet hat pattern that takes advantage of hand dyed sock yarn.  Kira K gives us a simple, yet attractive crocheted hat pattern that lends itself to all kinds of yarn fun - I can see this in a hand dyed yarn as well.  From Katherine VAughn, there is a pattern for a StarFlower hair ornament or maybe a pin.  In the 'why didn't I think of that?' department, lovely gift tags for knitters, weavers, quilters, crocheters and spinners.  I'm glad that fibergifttags.com did!  

And in her charming way, Jessie's finishing touch was to wrap the business cards and stitch markers in paper embedded with wildflower seeds! So although it was more bark than blossoms, The blossoms are hiding - in the seeds, in the stichmarker and in the earth waiting to come out.  So much like my real garden in May.  Still plenty of dirt, lots of bright green leaves and the blossoms are just getting started!