Yarn Mistrys

I’ve had a great run recently in finishing projects.  And in starting some new ones, but I’m ignoring that part.

First up is the Woodland Shawl from The Thrifty Knitter.

Yarn: 100% Merino Handspun 3 ply Fingering- one of my first handspun yarns
Pattern: Woodland Shawl by The Thrifty Knitter
Needles: 4mm Denise Interchangeables
Modifications: None. This was too good a pattern to change. I enjoyed how it was working up and loved the feel of the handspun.

Next up is a project that’s been on my WIP’s list for so, so long. It’s the Shoulder Shawl from VLT:

Yarn: Angel Yarns hand dyed sock yarn
Pattern: Shoulder Shawl from Victorian Lace Today
Needles: 4mm Denise Interchangeables and 3.5mm Brittany Birch DPN’s for the edge.
Modifications: None, I don’t think.

I actually started this project last year some time before we moved and I put it away once I finished the actual main body. I think one of the reasons why I didn’t pick it up again was that it needs a separate edging, which is knit onto the main body. I started it and found that for some reason I didn’t like it at all. When I cam back to this project I found that what I had done was actually ok. It didn’t look half bad! I carried on from where I left off and finished it in no time! The only complicated bit was the peak. I got it wrong a few times and then just fudged it! It seems to have worked ok.

And lastly, there are some plain socks for Ollie:

Yarn: Rellana Flotte Bambus in blues
Pattern: A combination of a number of patterns.. nice and plain
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks Harmony Circular using magic loop

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while, but Flickr has been giving me hassle, so it’s a little late. Oops.

Also, this should be a separate post, and I’ll probably post something just before the publish date, but the Winter issue of The Inside Loop is due out on 20th November. Once again I have a couple of patterns in this issue too!! Don’t forget to check it out.

and welcoming in Autumn.  Of course I’m talking about my latest wheel spinning expoits!

This is the Remembering Summer part… I have just washed and whacked the Apple Blossom Superwash BFL that I bought a while ago from Wildcraft

Fibre: Wildcraft Superwash BFL Top in Apple Blossom
Type: 3 ply fingering (16wpi)
Length: 236yds/216m
Weight: 100g

I actually plied this at SOAR, but have been extremely lax in actually setting the yarn. But it’s really fluffed up nice and lovely… I have to think of a project for it now…

And this is the welcoming Autumn.  This is what I’m working on at the moment on the wheel:

This is some Merino Silk from AllSpunUp. It’s gorgeous stuff to work with and the colours are absolutely stunning. It’s going to be a 2 ply and hopefully a little heavier than what I normally spin… we’ll see.

On the spindles I have the following:

Some Cashmere/Silk in Sage from Red Stone Yarns It’s gorgeous stuff to work with and I’m really enjoying spinning on a spindle! The spindle is my little Bosworth that Diane bought me a while back.

Also from Red Stone Yarns is some Merino/Silk/Angelina in Malachite:

This is an old picture and because I’m a bad blogger, I haven’t taken any new ones.. sorry.

It’s being spun on my Wildcraft Walnut spindle and is turning out beautifully.

I have a bit of a dilemma about both of these now. I only have a sample of the Sage and will probably continue spinning it all on to the Bosworth and then Andean ply it, unless someone can come up with a better suggestion. As for the Malachite, it’s 1.5oz I’ve split the batt in two. Now, do I wind off the cop from the spindle into a centre pull ball and then spin up the rest of it and do the same, so I have two balls and then ply from that, or do I pull off the cop, spin the second lot and pull that off and then wind the two together into a ball and then ply it? I’m just hunting for ideas at the moment as spinning on a spindle and plying is a completely new prospect for me! Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Right, I’m off to do more spinning and maybe even start planning what Christmas pressies I need to be working on… eek.

Warning:  Picture heavy post!

I’m home!  I made it back from the lovely Pocono Mountains on Monday lunch and spent the rest of it in bed, catching up on the sleep I should’ve had on the plane.  My suitcase, on the other hand, didn’t quite make it home with me.. but that’s a different story.

SOAR was absolutely brilliant.  I met sssooooo many lovely, lovely people and that is one thing that I’ll carry with me forever.  The people.  All spinners and all so lovely.

I have learnt so much in the week that we were there and I feel like I can confidently tackle most anything to do with spinning.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to go back next year.  I took the Beginner Spinners class with the lovely Maggie Casey:

She’s absolutely amazing and a fantastic knowledgebase.  I can’t thank her enough for all the things that she covered in class.  Maggie brought with her a Corriedale/Cotswald/Polypay fleece, all washed and ready for us to play with.

We carded (I know how to card properly now!), we drumcarded, we flicked and we spun.  Woollen and worsted.  And I can now tell the difference and I can spin both methods.  I even know how to do long-draw! 

Piccies of our class:

Like I said, I met so many lovely people.  There was Ba, who was in my class and who gave me a lift from the airport.  Then there was Dee, who I plagued through-out the class as she was sat next to me and then there was a few cool gals who weren’t in my class, but with whom I hung out with in the evenings.. (that’s you Amy, Cosy, Meghan, Dana, Maria and the wonderful Diane!)  We spent part of an afternoon at a lovely waterfall:

Amy & Cosy:
Meghan:
Dana:
Diane:

There were so many others!  I met Abby Franquemont and took a workshop with her.
(Abby in her traditinal Peruvian Jacket)
I understand bottom whorl spindles now and am looking forward to my first one arriving sometime soon!

I took a Nancy Bush workshop on Estonian Lace.  Take a look at this stunning piece which she modelled for us:

There there was Judith McKenzie-McCuins class on spinning silks.  Wow!  Judith is another fountain of knowledge and I love spinning silk!  Robin Russo was giving the goat workshop.  All about mohair and angora and cashmere… nice.  I was in heaven.

A few events that took my breath away were when Aquilina (a peruvian weaver/spinner/anything-fibrey lady) was weaving and spinning.  She also sang a few songs at our request and they were completely beautiful.  Aquilina grew up spinning and weaving and it was amazing to see her take on the fibre arts.  I also met Nilda, who set up the textiles museum in Chincero to preserve and sustain the fibre arts in the villages.  This brings their art and crafts to us and we share ours with them.  I was in complete awe.  Sorry about these piccies… I took them on my phone.

Oh and I kinneared the Yarn Harlot:

I’m a lousy blogger though. I didn’t take my camera out enough and when I did, I ran out of battery power… Hence the phone camera piccies…

Obviously, I came home with goodies.
Spindles:

Picture 1: Tulipwood and Ebony spindle from Spindlewood. Picture 2: Cocobola spindle from Spindlewood. Picture 3: Tibetan Spindle from Edward Tabachek (purpleheart and hickory and tigerwood for the bowl). Picture 4: Ebony & Tulipwood spindle from Avi Wasserman.

Fibre:

From left to right, Picture 1: 10% Cashmere, 15% Silk, 75% Merino from Lambspun. Picture 2: 100% Alpaca also from Lambspun.
Picure 3: Aubergine Silk/Merino Batts from Red Stone Yarns. Picture 4: 100% Cashmere. Picture 5: 100% Bamboo that I won while at SOAR

Quite a haul!

And, while I was away, I had a few deliveries:

A Unakite spindle from Butterfly Girl Designs.

A Walnut spindle from Karen at Wildcraft.

And last, but not least, my latest shipment from The Plucky Knitters, Plucky Classics club:

I had a great time, but it’s good to be home and now I can put into practice all that I learnt.

S.O.A.R. tomorrow  That’s the Spin-Off Autumn Retreat for those that have not heard of it.  For a new spinner this is such a massive treat.  But it’s also very scary.

I’ve been spinning since the beginning of the year and even though I’m learning something new with every new spin, I’m still a beginner.  Meeting all of these lovely spinners and knowing that they know SO MUCH more than I do is really very intimidating.  I would hate to make a complete fool out of myself.  I wish I knew more.

Mind you, this is no reflection on them.  They’ve all been lovely in the communications that I’ve had with them.  It’s just me.  I’m really, really scared and want to make a really good impression!

Anyway.  This was just supposed to be a quick post letting you know that I’m away from tomorrow for a whole week and should be back to blogging sometime the week after…. Hopefully!

Better finish packing..

Finally blocked and photographed:

Yarn: My own handspun from fibre bought from The Yarn Wench (BFL – Heart Throb)
Pattern: Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits Fall 2006 (also available from Evelyn Clarks website here
Needles: 3.5mm Knit Picks Harmony Circular
Modifications: I only did 12 repeats of the Budding Lace Chart because I was afraid I would run out of yarn. I think this was a pretty wise decision considering I had about 11g of yarn left after I cast off!

This was a very, very quick knit and one that I needed to be that quick. I’m off to the Spin Off Autumn Retreat next weekend and I desperately needed something made from my own handspun. So far everything I’ve spun up hasn’t been in the jumper quantity, but it has been in the scarf quantity.. I pushed the boat a little and decided that a shawl would be lovely for this trip. I’m hoping to get a scarf finished before I go too, but we shall see. I’m just pleased I have this!

I also want to say Thank You to all of you for the lovely comments you left on the last post. I’m a slacker and haven’t replied to any comments in a long while, but this is too special not to respond to you guys. Thanks for coming along and reading my blog, it really is appreciated and I’m very lucky to have such great cyber friends!

On that soppy note, I’ll leave you all to enjoy your Saturday! Have a fab weekend…

I received an email earlier today that took me by surprise. And it was a very pleasant surprise! Emily from The Good Web Guide mailed me to let me know that they had posted a lovely mention about my blog on their website.  Am I pleased? Am I ever!!  This is such an honour and it’s lovely to see it there! :)  Thank you.

I’ve linked the mention above and also in my sidebar with a lovely logo provided by Emily.

I finally blocked Laminaria last week:

The FO is a pair of socks from More Sensational Knitted Socks:

Yarn: Lang Yarns Super Soxx 6310256 Reds
Pattern: Travelling Vine from More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks Harmony Circular
Modifications: None really. I decided on eye-of-partridge heel flaps because I had so much of the yarn, I knew I was going to end up with leftovers.

These are being added to the Christmas Gifts pile!

I started a Swallowtail Shawl yesterday and I’m on repeat 11 of the Budding Lace Chart 2.. so going pretty well. Piccies to come.

Must go and get on with the house cleaning… sigh

We are in the new house and we have internet (very, very slow).

The move went very smoothly and the new place is gorgeous and feels more like home than any place I’ve lived before, with the exception of my parents place.

The garden has so many trees and we’re planning on setting up a small wood garden.  The back is south facing, so there’ll be veggie high beds and a herb spiral and a veranda when we have some money.

We have plenty of plans for this place. First off there’s some decorating that we want to do.  But the gardens need revamping.  There’s a pond too!  It’s closed off at the moment and needs to be pumped out, but that’s a project for the future.

I’ve just about finished setting up my craft room.  It just needs a few more bits and pieces and then it should be the haven I want it to be.  Piccies of that soon.

The dogs have both settled in really well.  It’s like they’ve been here forever.

On a catch-up note, I’ve finished a pair of Monkeys and they are now housed in there special home with a special person:

Yarn: The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino in Colourway Madeleine Elster (Vertigo)
Pattern: Monkeys from Cookie A
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks Harmony Circular
Modifications: This time, just the heel, I did a short-row heel instead. I followed the pattern to the letter otherwise.

I also finished Laminaria and it’s all blocked too, just need to take a piccie of it blocked. Here it is unblocked:

Yarn: Posh Yarn Cecilia in Forest
Pattern: Laminaria by Elizabeth Freeman
Needles: 4mm Knit Picks Harmony Circular
Modifications: I did 8 repeats of the Star Chart and the rest is as it was written in the pattern.

Blocked, it is quite a big shawl. Thankfully!

Then we have another couple of pairs of socks:

Yarn: Posh Yarn Lucia in Autumn
Pattern: Beaded Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
Needles: 2.5mm Grafton Fibre DPN’s

Yarn: Rellana Flotte 4-fach in 938 (Dark Green)
Pattern: Hareton by Kate Blackburn
Needles: 2.00mm Addi Turbo Circular
Modifications: None

This was a fabulous pattern to work from. It’s well written and concise and the chart is very easy to follow. I had the repeat memorised on the first sock. My only issue is that I ran out of yarn before I could finish the second sock. So, I had to undo the grafting on the first and rip the toe out to be able to finish the second sock pattern and then I completed both toes using some black Opal 4 ply that I have in stash. The result is quite cool and Ollie loves them!

I have another pair of socks on the needles at the moment from More Sensational Knitted Socks, but I think I’ll do another post for them later…

Also, before and while I was away, two lovely ladies gave me some awards. The first is from Lucy for the I heart your blog:

Thanks Lucy! Now I know I’m supposed to nominate 7 people for this award, but to be honest, I have a hard enough time deciding what my favourite colour is, forget which blogs I adore. I love all the blogs I read and each for very different reasons. So with that in mind, I am awarding this to all the blogs in my blogroll. Blog about it if you like.

The second is from Kathryn:

Once again I’m supposed to nominate 7 people, but I’m using the same method as above. If you’re in my blogroll, consider yourself awarded!

Thanks to both these wonderful ladies for considering me in the first place.

I think on that note, I shall now leave you all in peace. Hopefully blogging will now resume but we shall see. I’m feeling like I should start thinking about hibernating for a few months… it’s getting colder here and we’ve had the fire going most evenings this last week… Anyway, ciao for now!

I’ll be back in a week or so (hopefully!).  We’re moving house at the moment and everything is up in the air and very manic!

I have FO’s to share and new things to cast on, but all my yarn is packed up and ready to be re-housed in their new home.  I’ll have my own craft room (which I have here too, but this will be our own house, rather than a rented place, where I never bothered doing up the room) so I’ll need to decorate and set it up as I want it… I have plans!  And plenty of ideas running through my little head.

Anyway, this was just meant to let you know, I’m still here, just moving.

See you all soon!

xx

I can now reveal that the ‘couple of things’ that I have in the 3rd issue of The Inside Loop are an article on my spinning adventures and a pattern called Candle Flame Stockings

Please leave some feedback on both, here and on the Loop blog. I would really love to hear from you with any questions/opinions/likes/dislikes etc.