HOW TINK YARN IS BORN...

An invitation for a TINK YARN "behind the scenes" look last Sunday (which is known as Dye Day in the Tink Circle), was just too good to turn down.  I went.  I did NOTHING, but stand around with a camera, and marvel at the hard work behind it all.  I came home exhausted FOR them.  There's a whole lotta' brain and brawn behind all this fiber fabulousness - all at the hands of three "color-fast" friends.

The ladies behind the brand are Ashley ("The Chemist" - bottom left); Terri ("The Yarn Whisperer" - middle and upper left, tying bundles for dying and hanging skeins to dry); and Laci ("The Marketing Magician", or the one with the jugs containers).  Throw in their helper for the day, Paige, on the winding machine; Laci's daughter, Savannah, helping hang skeins; and adorable Penny Lane, not really knowing which way to turn for the next pat on the back, and you've got the makings of a great little upstart yarn company, all in the confines of Laci's Las Vegas kitchen.

The creativity is as rampant as the steam is hot in this group.  Girls on FIRE!  All three women work full-time jobs, in addition to throwing their hearts/souls into yarn dying during the week.  GIRLS ON FIRE!!!!!

I asked "who does what" that day and was met with three, simultaneous "Everything!"s.  They've got their hands in it all, each and every one of them.  Ashley was busy experimenting with new color combos (the preceding photo, a gorgeous success that was achieved that day)...

and tried and true shades - all from the top of a stove and some very large, hot pots!  Working with various methods and dyes until they have achieved exactly what they started out hoping for - non-running colors (even after blocking of a finished knit), and OH SO SOFT skeins - this is a learning curve that, I have no doubt, will be in place as long as there is yarn for them to dye!  I saw it in their excited faces, as skein after beautiful skein was produced that day.

Back-breaking work, lugging around full vats of hot water and wet yarn; gymnastics in the likes of the "tip-toe, long-arm yarn stretch" above, to check for color; bicep/muscle-building rinsing and conditioning of wet yarn - if nothing else, their complexions should reap the benefits of massive amounts of steam, here in the dry desert!

Thinking ahead to July, these were two different "types" of dyeing creativity that day (same basic colors, but skeins with a little bit different "twist" from one another).  It seems they bounce a lot off each other (color names among other things), and keep it fun during one of these whirlwind work sessions.  Three vastly different personalities that just seem to click SO incredibly well!

Proof positive...they love what they do.

This was the only outside help that day - Paige, the eager-to-help daughter of a Tink friend, showed up to man the electric winding machine, in an adjacent room.  The yarns are conditioned to perfection and then hung to air-dry, before being turned into skeins of yarn by Paige - and you thought it just happened magically...nope.  Paige does it!  Labeled, tagged and buttoned up - ready for your house, from theirs!

TINK YARN is available directly from these three, through their new website -

TINKYARN.COM

(click on any highlighted link in this post to be transported).

If you're in Vegas and want to take some with you, SIN CITY KNIT SHOP is carrying them, also.

And, for those patiently awaiting the results of the first Tink Yarn Giveaway, the winner of the scrumptious pink skein of "Jubilee" is ~ Nicole, at MY GARDEN DIARIES ~ 

Thank you to all who entered - I promise we will do this again!  In the meantime, drop by and say hello to the Tink Girls...you'll be glad you did, and they will be delighted as all "get-out"!  Happy Valentines Day - I hope it was sweet and spent with loved ones.  XOXO