Happy New Year! 2012 is here, so fingers crossed there is no Mayan apocalypse! You may have already noticed we have a January sale in the Etsy store with 25% off all purchases using the code HAPPY2012.
2011 was an amazing year for me and I want to take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their support throughout the year. In January, I hired two friends Laura and Máire to help me with the growing business and work on an expansion plan. On December the 3rd, we had our studio launch party. While sharing our amazing studio with friends, family and fans was fun in itself, for myself, Máire and Laura, it was the culmination of almost 12 months of work, ranging from visiting potential sites, bank and accountant meetings and finally, lots and lots of painting!
We moved out of my kitchen at the end of October and has made a huge difference, in terms of the volume of yarn we can make and in that I can now switch off when I get back from work, rather than ‘just doing a bit more’, all night at times!
We have already started taking on new retail customers, which we were having to turn down this time last year, and we should soon be able to start taking new custom orders which we had to suspend during the move.
As a present to start the year, we commissioned a super cute interchangeable needle case for one lucky commenter on this post. My friend Mirka made this lovely case using a HF dyed silk fabric and all you have to do to win it is to tell us what you would like to see from Hedgehog Fibres this year. Is there a colour you think we are missing? A base we NEED to stock!? Something we should be doing that we’re not?
You have until Friday 5pm GMT to enter your comments :)
59 comments:
I'm so pleased that you're doing well - it's thoroughly deserved. Hedgehog Fibres colours are so beautiful, they're something you really can't get anywhere else. More of the same please for 2012!
I'd love to see a high twist soft Falkland merino sock yarn in HF colours, or maybe a nice high twist MCN base?
I LOVE to spin alpaca in nice, bright colors.
Spinning your merino / silk / flax roving was amazing, and one of my most beautiful spinning this year I think ! I am also in love with your merino silk spinning fibre... Hope to see them back in the Etsy shop soon !
All the best for 2012, and thank you very much !
Love that you're doing so well. I think one reason is because you have the loveliest customer service!
I'd love to see a bit more 100% cashmere in different weights.
Congrats on the new studio.
Wow! That is just beautiful!
I'd LOVE to see merino/cashmere blend DK & worsted weights. Knitting for my two little ones is so much more fun when the yarn is soft and beautifully colored.
Is there a yarn just like this case? I'm on a dark green and purple kick so I'm drooling, But why not stock things like this dpn case occasionally? :D I would love to have hedgehog accessories like other needles cases, project bags, notions pouches, that would be epic! Like limited time offers, just for the holidays next year or something?
happy new year! that case is just gorgeous! the tie-dye is really interesting! i am in desperate need of one of these..so i hope i win :) raineoc@yahoo.com
I'd like to see a sport weight MCN superwash yarn!
That is STUNNING!!!
I would like to see some silk lace in more semi solid colors,like Pollen, I missed out on that one!
It's been so much fun watching (from afar!) your business grow. Your color sense is phenomenal. I hope that your 2012 is just as exciting as your 2011!
As for what you need to add.. well, that needle case is just awesome! Maybe more of those? ;)
So happy that you had a prosperous year! I would love to see lots of CASHMERE, though know it is pricey! Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Beata,
The new studio looks great! I would love to see a few more options for a good sweater base yarn in a sport/dk/worsted weight. Something that is a little more rounder, less "heathery" and hardwearing than the BFL dk that you currently carry (my current choice if wanting a sweater lot of one of your beautiful colorways). Something that would show off cables well ;)
I believe someone above mentioned an MCN sport. That's a great idea. A 70/20/10 would be divine! Or even a 100% merino option.
what a generous giveaway - i'd love to see more batts!
I'd like to see more of the same! All your yarns are wonderful. My only wants are things you've heard from me before - an every-other-month sock club instead of every month, so I can keep up! And Sand Storm or something very like it!!!
So exciting to hear about the new studio!
Cashmere is one of my favorite fibers, I would love to see some of that in your beautiful colors. :)
Congratulation for the business progress! I would like to see more luxurious bases such as fingering /sport of merino silk and cashmere blends. Also sometime I'm looking for more quiet semi variegated colors like tones within the same color. In my opinion they look better on big garments or when you want to show off lace.
The bag is exquisite by the way - we love !!
Your success is so well deserved! I am always inspired by your colors, and hope that you will consider offering more silk lace yarns.
i'd love to see a falkland or shetland base, or maybe a bfl/silk base. but keep the colors coming!
Congrats on the new studio!!! I only discovered HF last fall & join the sock club for the 1st time..."yippee"! It would be great to see the evolution of a "somewhat" permanent base palette along with the club subscriptions! Thru Ravelry, I can see all the fantastic colours I missed out over the last few years... sniff, sniff! :D
I found out about HF this year and enjoyed the lace club so much! I normally don't like variegated yarns at all but I love all of yours, they have taken me beyond my comfort zone in an inspiring way. Your batts have made me want to take up spinning and the mawatas are so beautiful I want to get some and hang them on the wall as art pieces.
My only desire would be to have more spots in the sock yarn club or more stock available in general.
That needle case is gorgeous, whoever wins it is so lucky! And I agree with other commentors it would be great to see knitting accessories like this available from HF.
I've gone on and on! Happy New Year!
I would love to see a bright and cheery colorway on some superwash falkland merino.... yarn or roving.
Congratulations on all the successes of the past year. Here's looking forward to 2012!
In terms of suggestions, I would echo the people who suggest a line of knitting accessories, like the beautiful needle case. Might do well with people like me who worry that they have too much stash, but can still be talked into buying other knitting-related stuff!
Your yarns are beautiful.
I'd love for your to bring back 24 Carat; that was a gorgeous colorway, and you don't really have any straight-up golden yellows (Pollen lands more on the orange side when I get it).
Also, more retailers in the US. (I wish I owned a yarn store, just so I could stock your yarn!)
Also, fabric. I am not even a sewer or anything; it's just that awesome.
Don't forget the spinners! Your colour sense is very sophisticated and it becomes a pleasurable adventure to spin the yarn. You never know what you are going to end up with and then you have to decide what to knit. Even DH appreciates your colour sense. Maybe fibre lots suitable for the man in my life...have to make an excuse for enlarging the stash.
Congratulations on your studio!!
I love all your yarns - colours, maybe more blues - soft green/blue blends. Thanks
I love Hedgehog Fibres yarns - you "get" color in a way that no one else does. Every skein is a feast for the eyes. I'm so glad that you are expanding your business and I look forward to many purchases too! Thank you!
I'd like to see a high yardage worsted weight in teals and grays. Thanks for offering!
I believe that the first yarn I ordered from Hedgehog was a color called 'Pond' in 2007. I actually kept the scarf that I made with it rather than giving it away and I still get comments on the beautiful color! I have seen some that are close since then but don't recall seeing 'Pond' in a long time. It is still my favorite. Congratulations on your success and your new office! Not surprising as your work is beautiful and inspirational.
I would love to see more alpaca - both more of the existing alpaca lace base and alpaca or alpaca blends in heavier weight bases. That fiber shows off your gorgeous colorways so beautifully. :)
I need to use up waht I have of yours but I would love to see more merino / silk fiber ( a dream to spin) and all those beautiful sock yarns .
happy 2012
Congratulations on the new studio space!
I'll second the need for Sandstorm to make some kind of reappearance, as far as what I'd like to see. Maybe in a special pre-order chance.
I'd quite like a sock/fingering weight that didn't include nylon.
It would be great if there was some kind of color-of-the-month that was dyed-to-order so we could see it beforehand and figure out how much we'd want or what weight to order it in for projects in mind.
Glad to hear you business is doing so well! I hope you have many more years of success!
This is a lovely case! I am so happy to see the much-deserved success of hedgehog fibres.
I would love to see an aran-weight or worsted weight club offered in 2012. I'm thrilled to be participating in my first sock club this year!
Well done, Beata, on the continuing success of your business! I've followed you for quite a few years now and have always loved your yarns and colourways.
I'd love for you to revisit/resurrect some of your 'old' colourways now and again - Breathe, Pigeon, Morning are random (and gorgeous!) examples; I'd also like to know more about how you choose your colourways/what inspires you... X
Hi Beatka, so wonderful to read you are so happy with your new workspace, (and that because of it, you're capable to dye more .....)
I did spin some shetland roving this year in de Tour de Fleece, and I loved it. So, some more of Shetland maybe?
And colors: I would love to see some more in bright-red with variegated to pink, purples, blueish. I did get some silk-hankies from you in this colors and I lóve it. :-))
Hi Beta
Congratulations, I am sure 2012 will be an even more exciting year for you!
Like a lot of others I agree a 4, 6 or 8ply cashmere would be lovely in your style. For me, you are the only designer I have come across that does really good dark semi-solids so I hope you continue these! Also you have a talent for patterns/yarn combos – if you had offered the colours you used in undercover as a kit I am sure it would have sold like crazy! But most of all do what you enjoy – I loved the silk scarfs collaboration and wish I had seen them before they sold out!
Please give me some luck, I really need this needle case. My needles are spread out in the apartment and I need a beautiful case like to keep them in same place.
Congratulations and best wishes for success and happiness in 2012! I love everything you create - fabulous colors, high quality yarn, and impressive customer service. I have to confess a particular fondness for cashmere in all colors!
Hi - I've just been reading through the comments and wanted to reply to a couple (don't worry - I won't count myself when giving out the prize, much as I want to!)
First off, the regular colourways can be seen in the ravelry group, under pages. The chart is out of date, and i don't know how many times we've said we'll update it, but it gives a good outline of our standard colourways.
I second the demand for 24K - I love this colour. Beata explained to me that reason it is not a regular colourway is that it only works on Silk or Silk/Merino. It needs the sheen. I know, :(
Finally, the scarf project is an ongoing collaboration and you can see any that are in stock on Laura Eliason's website www.lauraeliason.com and click through to the secret boutique. You can also see Beata modelling her scarf on the blog!
Good luck all,
Máire
There is nothing that I wished to see and I don't, however, have you ever thougth to offer to cake the skeins before you sent them?
Sometimes caking is a nightmare and I have some beutiful skeis that I don't use because I an so bored to make them a ball or a cake!
craftink on raverly
I'd always love to see more of the beautiful spinning fiber!
Miranda8rose on Rav
As someone who just doesn't have an "eye" towards color and couldn't put two colors together without them clashing and looking horrible, what I would like to see in the coming year is more playing with color! Probably because I can't do it myself, I LOVE to look at the colors that you choose to dye your yarn with. Even when I can't always afford to purchase more, I still really enjoy oogling the yarn. So...keep playing with color!
terrylynnb
I love jewel-like colours. Would love some merino singles in deep beautiful semi-solid colours :)
Continued great success.
X
Congratulations on your expansion and for supporting yourself doing work that you love! I second the folks who have mentioned more cashmere (in 4, 6, or 8 ply). Your color palette is so refined and works beautifully with soft and rich yarn.
Everything you offer is beautiful.
I wish I lived nearby for less shipping cost. I love earth shades best.
I'd love to see coordinating color ways noted. For instance, if one of your very vibrant and rainbow-y ones (like Potion) picks up the colors in a more solid one (like Spell). This kind of thing would be great for a project that has edging or if a contrasting section is called for in a pattern. Or for stripes! I'd also love to win the needle case. My poor interchangables are so cold this winter and that case would surely warm them up when they're not in use.
Seeing that needle case? I think you need to start selling those. Or, failing that, start selling more fabrics.
First of all I think everything you produce is perfect. And the studio looks AMAZING!
If I had one HF wish for 2012 it would be more more fiber in the shop. Just a bigger selection to pick from when I have a bit of extra cash and just need a HF fiber fix! :)
Sport weight (not fingering or DK)BFL or some nonsuperwash wool with a hand to it. I am tired of merino.
Hello and happy new year!
So beautiful needle case! Hope that I win :)
-Mintsu-
Finland
Everything you make is beautiful, Beata. No improvement I can see. I wish I could knit. JB
I would like to see more cashmere (I love your cashmere lace), and some pink. Natacha
I'd love to see the cashmere/silk lace back again.
I'd love to see the cashmere/silk blend back. Best of luck this year!
Ohh I love your yarns and have recently moved back to Cork (and discovered you!). I would love some alpaca. I love the softness of it. Colourwise I adore "sea" colours, stormy sea (blue, grey, purple..)My favourite thing would be to see your yarns, I always prefer to touch and see yarns before I buy. Do you plan on having customers to your studio at any time? thanks, and would love to win the great needle holder.
Hope I'm not too late, but I'll tell you any way...
I'm always hoping for more Hedgehog sock in Dove. Greys are so handy for setting off the other colors I have in Hedgehog and other sock yarns.
Ok, commenting is now CLOSED. Winner to be chosen by a random number generator. We'll get back to you!
Máire
All the best for the new studio and the 2012! I'd love to see some kid mohair or wensleydale laceweight in your delicious colours ;)
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