It brings together people who love to knit regardless of gender, race, religion or other status society might classify them in. You learn new techniques from people all over the world in the warmth of your own home, or you local coffee house. Through Ravelry you have access to thousands of patterns, both free and for sale, direct access to designers and fellow knitters who are ready to help you out and, best of all, you get to know about new yarny things coming out in the market.

Indie dyers who start hand-dyeing their own line of yarns get the exposure they need and from there develop a following. One of these new kids is Liz Abinante of Femme Fatale Fibers.

I first heard about Liz when I came across her design for a pair of socks called Temperance. It’s the first pattern on a series based on the TV show Bones. Being a fan of the show, I immediately fell in love with it but sadly have not had a chance to knit it yet. She has since put out two more patterns in the series, Traveling Woman and Saroyan. I am eagerly awaiting the pattern called Booth!

I got talking to Liz via email and on Ravelry and she mentioned that she is going to open up her own hand-dyed yarn business soon so her designing duties have been pushed into the back-burner. Next thing I know, she has an Etsy shop with lots of goodies!

I finally bought from her shop just before Christmas and they arrived the other day. I couldn’t be any more pleased with this purchase. It’s her Venus Fingering base which is 80% merino, 10% cashmere and 10% nylon. It’s so squishy and the colours are fabulous!

This red skein is called Once More with Feelings. Okay, yeah, I confess, the allusion to one of my favourite TV shows has something to do with the choice. But look at it – isn’t it pretty?
Red is such a difficult colour to photograph and this is the closest I could get to it.
For $25 and 385 yards, this is a very affordable luxury. Since I knitted with the MCN base, I keep wondering how knitters ever coped before they existed? I’d be happy to stick with this yarn base (or the 70% merino, 20% cashmere, 10% nylon Sundara FMC or SG Bugga!)
This blue skein will probably be used to knit up Liz’s Traveling Woman shawl. I love the darker bluey purply shades in it.
If I were to buy from just one yarn brand this year, I think I will go for Femme Fatale. I would like a sweater quantity of the Venus Worsted in a deep burnt amber or forest green shade. I’d like to knit a Mr. Greenjeans and I think this yarn will be the best for it.

Well done, Liz! Can’t wait for the club. 🙂