Merino y Vino

Welcome to my online portfolio of items! The hand-dyed yarns are available in a variety of bases, just let me know what you prefer! If you are ready to buy, please go to my Etsy store!

You can also see some videos on dyeing, knitting, yarn, etc. on my YouTube Channel.

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COVID-19 Information

Like most of you, I am concerned about protecting my family. I wash my hands before handling all of my products. Additionally, after washing them and after someone has made a purchase, I put the product outside on a clean surface in the sun for at least 10 minutes. The  natural UV rays will sterilize the product. Then, using gloves, I place the product in the packing material. I wear gloves and a mask when going to the post office, and once business picks up, I should be able to have the post office pick up the items from my home. By the time you receive the product, it won't have been touched for at least a week. I don't go into stores, grocery stores, or restaurants, and I will continue to shelter in place until Arizona's cases have been declining for 14 days. If you have any concerns, please contact me!

April 2024

I am so excited for spring! I am ready for the snow to melt, so I can spend more time crafting outside. I have some exciting things coming up this month!

Saturday, April 13: I will be at Birdhouse Yarns for my first trunk show! The trunk show will be from 10-3, and then I'll be teaching a dyeing workshop from 3-5. Please stop by and say hi!

At the end of April, I will be a WAFA vendor! My show will be 30 minutes at the end of the month as a Facebook live. It's free to attend, and I love reading your comments as I should you what I've been dyeing!

Additionally, I will try to do at least two Etsy shop updates this month. Each update will include at least five new colorways. 

March 2024

This month will be full of fun things! I'm excited to dye up new colorways! Two were customer requests, and the third is for my quarterly box with Tressa Weidenaar of Tsinbikee Knits! I will also design a custom colorway for my trunk show at Bird House Yarns in Tucson, AZ in April! I also hope to be a WAFA vendor again in April. Lots of prep work this month, but it will definitely pay off.

March also marks my 4-year anniversary! I'll be having a sale to celebrate in the middle of the month!

February 2024

I'm so excited to be a WAFA vendor this month! Please join me on Facebook the last weekend of the month! I vend on Saturday at 4:30pm!

January 2024

Happy New Year, Everyone! 2023 had its ups and downs to be sure, but I try to focus on the positive. It has been wonderful continuing to participate in this amazing fiber community! I hope that 2024 will be better than last year though!

I have a few updates for January!

December 2023

Wow! I can't believe that it's the last month of the year! I had two craft shows this month, which is why I haven't been super active. Currently I am working on dyeing up new custom colorways for next year! I am preparing a new subscription box as well! I'll be posting an update early in January 2024.

I hope you and your family have a joyous holiday season!

September 2023

The summer months are always slow. Also, in the middle of August, I finally got Covid for the first time. Luckily, with all the vaccines and boosters, it wasn't too bad. Here is what is coming up:

July 2023

The months keep flying by! June was wonderful: I had a wonderful time at the Flag Wool and Fiber Festival! It was awesome meeting so many people and fiber artists. Hopefully I have a few new products and changes coming in 2024! My family and I also visited my brother-in-law and my husband's aunt and uncle and cousin in Portland, Oregon. We also met Professor Purl (Nicole) and her daughter at the zoo, which was a lot of fun! I visited Close Knit with my daughter and met Sally, the owner, and I bought some unique and beautiful yarn.

My shop is finally updated with all of the yarn that I dyed up for the Flag Wool and Fiber Festival. I'll be having a sale, so I can make space for more dyed yarn! Keep an eye out on my Instagram for when the sale goes live!

April 2023

Whoa! It has been a while since I've updated this website! Whoops! I am still here, dyeing yarn, and trying to make this business my full-time job! While I have already committed to teaching at least one more year, I do hope to grow my business.

Here are some updates for 2023:

December 2022

Goodness! It's hard to keep up with my business while teaching full time with kids! It has been a little slow this fall, but wonderful to be in contact with customers and people on social media. I've done a few WAFA shows on Facebook this fall, which have been wonderful!

I hope you and your family have a joyous holiday season!

August 2022

As usual, summer has been slow. It's surprisingly hard to keep up a business while being a full-time mom! However, there are some exciting things in the works!

It will be a busy fall!

May 2022

I have not been as good about updating my website! Sorry about that! I have been busy with various events. Here is what I have been up to:

February 2022

The second month of 2022 has been a little slow here. Teaching and having two kids is quite time consuming! Still, it's been nice. I hope to dye up at least two more colorways this month and list them. Getting to a computer is the hardest part!

Happy New Year! Sorry I haven't updated this page in a while. I've been busy, which is great!

October 2021

This month has flown by with many personal things. We've been unlucky in the plumbing area, so that has taken a lot of our time. I'm gearing back to go to my day job, teaching, and I've been finalizing my Pride and Prejudice Surprise Box. 

September 2021

This month has also been busy!

August 2021

This month is also proving to be exciting! 

Other than that, I'll be dyeing yarn all month, dyeing some fan-favorites, and releasing some new colors too! Check out my Instagram for more information!

July 2021

June was a big month! On a personal note, I gave birth to our second child, Antonio Gregory Stevens on June 22 at 4:25pm. We're both doing great, and his older sister, Genevieve, LOVES him! She kisses him so much and, so far, isn't jealous! Here is what is happening this month:

The yarn is OEKO-TEX Certified Standard 100, which means that it is made without harmful chemicals or products and is safe for infants. Additionally, there will be a KAL starting January 28 (platform to be determined).

2. All of my fingering weight yarn ships free this month since I am the indie dyer for the Indie Sock Along. Click here to get the patterns and to join in on the fun!

3. I'll be releasing at least one new colorway this month: Rainbow Baby. Although I am lucky enough to have two kids now, I miscarried twice before we conceived my daughter. Pregnancy and infant loss is incredibly hard to experience, and when I went through it, very few people were talking about it (so much has changed in three years!). 20% of profits will go to Share, an organization that supports people who have experienced miscarriage and/or pregnancy loss. 

June 2021

Now that school is just about out, I will hopefully have more time for dyeing yarn! This month is really exciting!

March 2021-May 2021

Since I've gone back to work in-person, it's been busier, so I haven't had time to dye as much yarn. Here is what I've been up to over the last three months: 


February 2021

This year seems to be going by so quickly! I hope that you are all doing well. I have a few things going on this month:

January 2021

Happy New Year! Unfortunately, the division, violence, and Covid-19 pandemic continue to haunt us this year, especially in Arizona, which is a global hotspot. One dayArizona will make the news for a positive reason. Will it be due to Merino y Vino? One can only hope!

This month I am working on knitting socks! 2021 will be the year of the socks! I have very little experience knitting socks, but I'm excited to give it a go!

I worked on a custom colorway for a friend, which gave birth to two additional colors that I love, and they are in my Etsy store (Emerald and Navy)! I hope to release a pattern for a blanket in February. I also have two hat patterns and a toy that I'm working on designing. It's slow-going due to my day-time job, but I love it!

Additionally, I released the Random Acts of Kindness colorway, which is a lavender with speckles. I think it is fun and springy!

December 2020

We just about made it through 2020! I made some holiday minis this month that would be great for a striped hat or a cowl/scarf.

I also dyed two colorways in honor of President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris. Finally we have a woman as VP! One day, hopefully soon, we will see the first female president. 

I took about two weeks off to enjoy the holidays with my family. We donated money to the Food Bank in Flagstaff. I hope you all had as joyous a holiday season as possible during these rough times.

November 2020

October was a bit slow, unfortunately. I think we were all distracted with the election (as I write this, the US still doesn't have a clear idea of who will be the next president). 

I will be releasing a few colorways this month:

Additionally, with COVID-19 still raging across the country, people are still struggling to find work and/or support their families. This month, all of my proceeds will go towards the Flagstaff Family Food Center. 

I also plan to start a virtual knit night once a month on Saturdays. I hope that you'll be able to join me!

October 2020

It's getting close to the holiday season! This month I will have a few sales so you can have plenty of time to make gifts for the holidays!

I have three colorways made with the yarn from Peaceful Prairie Alpaca Ranch! It is a chunky yarn (works up quickly!) and is 80% alpaca and 20% cotton. I dyed these colorways with the Blazing Maple in mind, a tree that I see a lot of in Flagstaff. This blend is perfect for people living in warmer climates like Tucson, Phoenix, California, Florida, etc. These deep colors are perfect for autumn. 

I have the Square Dance Kit available as well! It is my collaboration with Sheri Karobonik in Tucson. It's a scarf pattern made with worsted weight wool. I knit it up in a week, and I have little time to knit, so you can probably make it faster than I!

I have also released my first hat pattern, Girl on Fire! It knits up quickly and is a great way to use my orange and yellow variegated yarn. It knits into a soft, squishy hat that you will want to live in this winter. You can also find the pattern on Ravelry!

Lastly, I will be collaborating with Yumi Yarns next year for a sock pattern! Shaina Scott is incredibly friendly and talented. Please check out her patterns on her website or on Ravelry!

September 2020

This month, I released multiple colorways, which you can find on my Hand Dyed Projects page! I custom dyed an autumn colorway for Allison's Wonderland Company. She is an amazing crochet artist, and you can buy from her on Etsy!

I dyed up more Empower Purple for the Empower bandana. I still have two skeins available! The bandana works up very quickly, so there is still time to make one before election day!

August 2020

There are many exciting things happening this month! 

Thanks to my July sales, I was able to donate $15 to the Human Rights Campaign. I know, it's not a big number, but I'm just getting started. I would love to grow large enough to donate $1000 each month to a different organization.

This month I'm donating to KIND: Kids in Need of Defense. Even though it seems like the family separation policy on the southern border of the US happened ages ago, kids are still separated from their parents. I am horrified by this and devastated that children are kept in glorified cages, separated from everyone they know, in an unfamiliar country during a pandemic. I look forward to making a large donation to the organization at the end of August. 

I have a new partner: Peaceful Prairie Alpaca Ranch! Wendy's alpacas have the highest quality fiber! She also raises Merino sheep! I will be dyeing yarn and fiber from her ranch, making one line of my products 100% Arizona. I am very excited about this, besides the fact that I have a better excuse to visit alpacas regularly. 

Additionally, I will be working with Tucson knitwear designer Sheri Karobonik! We are releasing a scarf kit later this month in my Etsy store. This is my first collaboration, and I am honored that she thought of me.

Besides the new colorways for the kit, I'll be releasing two yellows for August. I don't know about you, but when I think of August, I think of yellows and oranges. The lingering summer heat must be getting to me! One yellow/magenta is based on a small flower that I found here in Flagstaff. The other just makes me plain happy!

Lastly I'll be starting a YouTube channel! I will include knitting techniques and I'll show you how I dye yarn!

July 2020

June was a pretty good month! Thanks to sales, I was able to donate 40% of my proceeds to the NAACP! It was $25; not huge, but at least it was something! This month 40% of my proceeds will go to the Navajo and Hopi Reservations near Flagstaff, AZ, which are still being hit hard by Covid-19.

This month I released my Queen Rose colorway, which is available on Etsy, and you can see a picture under the Hand-Dyed tab as well. It is a beautiful DK weight yarn that fades from a deep/jewel magenta to a light pink. I will also be releasing Monsoon Sunset shortly, which is a purple/blue combination. Lastly, I plan to release Dreaming of Maui as well!

Additionally, I'll be sponsoring a prize for Spin Together! I've participated in Spin Together for three years now, and I love it! Now more than ever, we need community. I am so excited to sponsor a prize so that spinners can get a little package of joy during these difficult times.

June 2020

Just when we didn't think 2020 could get any worse, it has. I know that systemic racism has been part of the United States before we even became a country. That doesn't make it right. The murders of innocent people has escalated in the last three years, though they have always been happening. I, as a teacher, need to actively work to stem the tide of racism and to teach the next generation of students to recognize their biases and to ensure that they try to eradicate their racism, sexism, and prejudice and to help create a more inclusive world. I highly recommend reading The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. My students will be reading excerpts of both in August. I have already donated to the NAACP, and 40% of my sales will go towards them this month. 

May 2020

May was very similar to April. Business is picking up a little, which is exciting! I starting knitting and dyeing sock blanks. I also started hand painting yarn. Although I learned to crochet 9 years ago, I've always struggled to read my crochet. I have finally taken the step to really learn how to crochet. Ultimately my goal is to make a granny square blanket. I have crocheted two headbands, and I hope to crochet a hat soon!

April 2020

This month has been an interesting one! Like many of you, I've been at home for the last 6 weeks or so. Once I realized that I wasn't going to be teaching in person for the rest of the year, I felt sad. I love teaching, and online teaching just isn't the same. 

Again, like many of you, I take comfort from crafting. I have been using my time wisely, even with a toddler in tow. I've been spinning yarn daily, and all of the completed skeins are on my Etsy site. I finished knitting a hat, a tree of life afghan, and I'm still working on finishing a scarf. I have tried to learn to crochet a few times over the years, but now I'm working on my first project: a headband. It doesn't look half bad either! I used my knitting machine to create a sock blank, and I plan to dye it later this week. 

I now have a Facebook page, so please go like it if you haven't already. I'm working on uploading all of my listings there. Soon you should be able to purchase from Etsy, Facebook, or you can contact me directly if you prefer. I'm still figuring out social media from a business perspective, which is new to me. I hope to fully connect my Instagram account soon.

Who knew that there were so many aspects to work on in a business? It's not just dyeing, spinning, and knitting! I'm learning a ton, which is great. Eventually I would love to make this business my full-time job. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying learning how to create a business. I greatly enjoy connecting with all of you and seeing all of the beautiful things that you create. Please say hi sometime!

March 17, 2020

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Knit Picks has a sister site, We Crochet. Please see the link below, Muse Hand Painted Fingering, to check out their beautiful yarn!

Right now you can get free shipping if you spend $35+, which is less than on their other site. Go to We Crochet to stock up on yarn and accessories while you're stuck at home!

*I am a Knit Picks affiliate. If you purchase something from them via one of my links, I get a discount. I buy all of my supplies from them too!

I don't know about you all, but I am actually loving being at home! It is currently my spring break, and I don't know if I should spin, work on one of two blankets, or finally learn entrelac! 

March 2020

Welcome to my new website! I will be uploading pictures of all of my items for sale. If you're looking for something in particular, please let me know! I can hand-dye, spin, or knit custom items. I look forward to engaging with the knitting/crocheting/weaving/dyeing/spinning community in a new way!