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Yarn Therapy nz / Solstice box

2023 December Solstice Calendar ~ the Bitter Botanist

$300.00 NZD

We have run out of stock for this item.

Welcome to the 2023 December Solstice Calendar! 
(Housekeeping note: this calendar is ready to ship immediately!)
After one too many patronising comments and years of dismissive attitudes towards her work, once-respected botanist Dr Calanthe Stamen succumbs to the dark whispers of vengeance. Driven by a deep-seated grudge against those who have wronged her, she uses her vast botanical knowledge to explore the dark side of nature's healing secrets. Unravelling  the secrets of poisonous plants, she extracts the lethal compounds concealed beneath their enchanting beauty. The very expertise that once brought solace and relief to many now becomes her instrument of retribution. Hidden within her secret garden, she crafts her toxic tinctures, carefully selecting her victims and watching from the shadows as her potions take effect.* 
This solstice calendar is going to be a bit special. It's all about the gorgeous colours and intense hues that are displayed by some of our most beautiful plants...that also happen to be our most toxic!  
The inspiration for the Bitter Botanist came in a flash after I'd been admiring t he luscious deep jewel tones of the cover illustration for a book I’d been reading - a murder mystery involving botany gone horribly wrong. The cover was delicious and I realised I’d read a couple of books along this line recently, and increasingly had been traversing mini rabbit holes as I came across new-to-me plants or discovered the toxicity of something I’d always admired.
And then right there, as I stood like a little wool witch cackling over my dye pots, I decided that colourways inspired by a bitter botanist - and all the aesthetically beautiful ways they could wreak havoc - would make for a particularly lush colour story. 
I’m really excited to bring this to you. 
Will you come on the journey?  
 
As always, everything will be lovingly hand dyed in my little solar powered dye studio in small town Aotearoa New Zealand, before making its way to your doorstep.

 

The solstice calendar will comprise:

~ 20x 20g mini skeins that have been carefully and lovingly handdyed by Jo. They are designed to work together as a beautiful colour story, either in the order intended as a fade, or alternated to create gorgeous stripes.

~ 1x 100g skein, also lovingly handdyed by Jo, that coordinates with the minis and makes the whole collection sing!

~ A handmade linen project bag - strictly exclusive to this solstice calendar

~ A couple of quality surprises scattered throughout

(The images here are merely to give you an idea of some of my inspiration ...you'll have to order the calendar to see what's included this year!!) The full sized skein will coordinate with the minis, and be in the same base yarn.

 

Each skein will come individually wrapped and numbered so you can play along and open a mini skein each day until the full sized skein to celebrate the Solstice on the 21st…or you can open them all at once, or whenever and in whatever order you like - it’s your calendar and your business!!

 

Yarn base options are:

~Merlin:

90% superfine superwash merino

10% Belgian linen

single ply construction

20g/73m each x 20 mini skeins

 

~Trust:

80% superfine superwash merino 

20% nylon

High twist 2 ply construction 

20g/73m each x 20 mini skeins

 

Calendars will ship out via courier in early to mid November to arrive in plenty of time for December 1st, regardless of your location! Please order the calendar by itself, since these will be specially packaged and will not ship out until November.

*Why yes I did do a lot of creative writing when younger, and yes sometimes I think I am a bit of a frustrated wannabe writer, ha!