Beauty vs. Sustainability

I just have to show you this, courtesy of Linda:

 

 

It's Miriam Felton's Andromeda shawl, knit by (sadly blogless) Linda from fingering weight Bluefaced Bliss in a 2 skein gradient of sunset colours I created a while back. 

I am completely thrilled with having had a hand in bringing such a lovely FO into existence.... and this seems like an apt time to talk a bit about the gradient and self-striping yarns and the Rainbow Sock experiment.

This form of dyeing is great fun (in moderation), and lends itself to imaginative indulgence and cool custom ideas: for example, the 2 skein rainbow sets of sport and worsted weight merino I just sent off to a customer with a BSJ and a Tomten in mind.  Unfortunately, the technique doesn't scale well to high volume production.  I found a few efficiencies over the last month of dyeing rainbow socks, but not enough to significantly mitigate the fact that each skein takes approximately 10x as much time to create as that of a semi-solid colourway, as well as a several fold increase in material usage (including a substantial and unavoidable waste factor), a significant quantity of plastic products, and considerably more electricity per skein than my other dyeing methods.  If I had a dedicated studio space, I could rig apparatus that would improve on this, but that's a year or two away at least.

In a nutshell, it's a great technique for limited edition creative indulgence, but it's simply not viable in volume.  My conundrum is that it is quite popular, and I have observed (via the ever-instructive Ravelry forums) that scarcity of a Good Thing can breed a backlash of resentment and frustration against a dyer.  Not the sort of energy I want to attract.

Here's what I plan to do for the time being: The gradient /self-striping yarns will go to a reservation system, not unlike the custom colourway thing I've got going with the Blackberry and Dark Water.  I will dye them here and there as I'm able (which will slow down considerably over the summer with the kidlets home) and send folk their invoices when the yarn is ready.  If there seems to be mounting frustration or the waiting list is getting unmanageable, I'll either come up with a better idea or call a halt to the whole thing.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Dave]

Wholey kee-rap, that's gorgeous! I'd patiently wait in line. :-)

[alice]

(1) The shawl is beautiful, and the gradient colorway is stunning.

(2) Some people are brats. Spoiled brats. I don't dye, but it nonetheless seems obvious to me that it would be difficult for you to recoup your costs on the gradient and rainbow colorways. I would think that you should charge appropriately, taking into account the extra time and materials.

(3) As the happy recipient of a skein of your dyed-by-reservation yarn, I kind of liked the element of surprise regarding just when I would receive it. I think that's a fine system for a one-woman operation with multiple irons in the fire. If I'd intended "deadline" or "occasion" knitting with the yarn, I wouldn't have ordered this yarn.

[ivete]

That shawl is STUNNING! I've been trying to catch a rainbow skein in one of your updates but haven't lucked out yet, I guess I'll be signing up for the reservation system then!

[--Deb]

Oh, WOW. That shawl is just so, amazingly gorgeous. The color is just ... wow. Fabulous! Love, love, love. (Gush, gush, gush)

[Laura]

The shawl is lovely.
I love the Fraternal socks, both the idea and the colors you use.
For me, a lack of knowing is what's frustrating - knowing that it's time-exhaustive and it could be a while for my reservation to get done (I'm totally signing up if you offer it) relieves the frustration. If I wasn't willing to be patient I wouldn't sign up for the yarn.

[Carrie]

Seems fair to me. That you offer it at all is more time than I would give to people who demand products. The tantrums that go on over yarn is something that astounds me. How very entitled some people feel, that when a scarcity occurs they throw hissy fits. Seems to me that it's a product of living in the first world, for sure.

[colleen]

brilliant idea as always. just being able to "get on the list" will sooth the nerves of the crazies.
and not that I'm a crazy or anything, but I'm totally getting on the list for the sunset gradient. that shawl in those colors inspires me to do lace

[pixie]

did she just knit with 1 yarn the entire time, no swapping in and out every few rows or doubling up? how beautiful. It looks exactly like a sunrise/sunset.

[Kathy Sue]

I'm with pixie--it looks exactly like a sunset. Absolutely stunning. I can't wait till I can afford a couple of skeins!!

[margene]

It's stunning, Linda! You two do beautiful work together. Do what works best for you. The first thing you must do is to take care of your needs and your families needs. If it's fun and you enjoy the dyeing process then go ahead and make it when you can. If people get too nasty about the wait you can always pull them from the list. They must play fair and be fair to have a yarn that gorgeous.

[Kathleen C.]

First off, the shawl. Wow. I'm... I'm... speechless. There are no words to adequately describe the perfect melding of pattern, yarn, and skill that created that gorgeous wonder.
Secondly, the yarn factor. I think several people made very good points here.
Being totally upfront about the difficulties and costs necessitating the scarcity of these yarns on your part is fair, equitable and helpful. The limited supply needs no apology.
Being spoiled and whiny and demanding on the yarn seekers part is unforgivably selfish and full of egocentric entitlement and deserves a good kick in the pants.

I believe that your plan for a slow dispersal based on a system of reservation with all parties fully aware of the challenges and limits should do the trick.
Just my opinion of course...

[Linda M.]

Ruth, Thank you very much for featuring my work on your blog. this shawl would be nothing without your yarn! The yarn was a joy to work with. Your vision came to fruition so nicely. I loved making this real.

To throw my 2 cents into the conversation: I would be delighted to get into the reservations queue for more of this yarn. I can perfectly understand the stresses of running a small labor-intensive business out of your home with children on summer break. I will support you on whatever decision you make about producing more gradient yarns.

[bullwinkle]

That shawl is jaw-dropping amazing.

... (speechless)

uhm ... yes, about the yarn.

All I want (not that it matters, because it doesn't) is that you get what you want/need to make you happy. (If I get really cool yarn in this process, its a bonus. A really really cool bonus.)

How you get "happy", or anywhere, is totally up to you and I enthusiastically support you and cheer from the sidelines (albeit, waving my credit card!)

[Deb]

It sounds like a custom "wait in line" process is the best idea. Meg at Twisted Fiber Art has a similar system. Claudia (the Wollmeise) used to have a similar email system until her popularity exploded. Once the explosion occurs, people dye than update their website - when it's gone it's gone. Unique Sheep is somehow able to dye their gradiant collection and keep it in stock. I don't know how they do this!!!

At any rate, please add me to the list. I've been watching Linda's progress on Ravelry, and was elated to see the finished shawl this morning!!!

Deb

[Jan]

That shawl is FAB.U.LOUS. A collaboration of talents!!! Synergy - WOW!!!!

Here's the kicker of the whole idea -- if your yarn wasn't in short supply, they wouldn't want it!

You've stated your terms, and I think they are very fair. This way we know what to expect, and if we're smart, we won't demand more than that!

[Ronni]

My main thoughts are - man do I want to do something like that! The gradient is gorgeous. I think that given the labor and materials required, a reservation system seems fair. I completely sympathize with wanting to avoid a whole lot of unhappiness and I would think that your explanation and the reservation system should prevent that. I must remember to get a couple of reservations in, now that you mention it.

[Lee]

Sign me up right now! Tell Linda her shawl is wonderful and I'm so jealous.

[Misty]

I don't have anything to add, but goodness that shawl is incredible!

[Michele]

I would so be in that line for this beautiful yarn! I will be checking periodically on the link to custom dyed yarn...haven't seen it listed yet....

[ellipsisknits]

Well, I stumbled upon this terribly after-the-fact, but really, really had to comment.

I have seen rainbow dyed things before, but this is amazing. The flickering contrast of the orange extending into the darker colors while still 'blending' and fading... wow. It's truly a masterwork.

Since I'm already commenting (and really, all I wanted to do was compliment the yarn, but now I'm started...), it has always amazed me that makers of 'cache' items do not raise the price to the point the market will bear. If $200 a skein is the point at which people order it as fast as you can make it (and no faster), then by golly, price it at $200 a skein.