autumn colors

After a handful of rainy gloomy days, this week we are enjoying some beautiful October weather. I love the colors to be found at this time of year. Red, orange, gold, brown and burgundy all combine to make such glorious viewing. Some of them have found their way into my crafting.

Amazing how just a little bit of autumn color can inject new energy and happiness into all of my projects. I am making pretty good progress on both the knitting and spinning. The first picture is of something that I will reveal on Friday. Very relieved with the fact that I still remember how to crochet after such a long time without practicing. I finally finished spinning all of the Corriedale fiber from Maryland Sheep and Wool. Now I get to practice on this beautiful BFL & firestar combed top from Dyeabolical. Spinning with BFL is quite a revelation. So soft. The firestar gives off a bit of sparkle to the colors. Irresistible. Makes up for the fact that my second handspun is kind of an under spun mess:

On the bright side, this has only given me an excuse to play with natural dyeing techniques. I am aiming for a yellow/gold color. Just need to collect more onions skins. Or inconspicuously sneak some out of the onion bin at my local grocery store.



(linking up with WIP Wednesday)

daydreaming

If only....

yarn could grow on trees.

my second handspun

UFO's could finish themselves.

my I vow to finish you someday Aidez as soon as I figure out where I left off cardigan

one front and two sleeves could magically appear overnight.

Kaari pullover: back and pockets done

yarn ends didn't exist.

Chance of Showers cardigan: still waiting for a dyebath

dinner could be on the table with just a twitch of the nose, leaving more hours free for the fun stuff.

Happily, some daydreams can come true ; ) You can find this betwitched recipe here.

more spinning tales

Currently spinning the rest of the Corriedale roving from Maryland Sheep and Wool using my new turkish spindle from knitpicks. This spindle can be configured as a top or bottom whorl drop spindle. Since I used a top whorl for my first spinning adventure, I wanted to mix it up a little by giving a bottom whorl a try. Really liking it so far. I love how the spun yarn is easily wound up into a center pull ball as the spinning progresses. Managing the cop was one of the issues I had with my first skein but this spindle makes it so much easier to prevent things from getting unwieldy. I am taking my time and trying to make the yarn be more consistent. Although it is going to be hard to resist starting on some tempting new fiber treats that just arrived the other day.

And I couldn't stop myself from adding to my budding spindle collection. Look, bunnies!
 

starting point

What I learned after spinning my first skein:

* Relax. I was so nervous about not getting enough twist in the yarn that I overcompensated and ended up with lots of twisty bits.
* Don't fight the fiber. Let it spin into the yarn it wants to become.
* Embrace the imperfections. The charm of handspun yarn is its quirkiness. I love the fact that even after a long soak, there are still bits of hay to be found. I adore the thick/thin uneven mess that makes a newbie spinner's yarn so different from commercially made yarn.
* Be a turtle. In other words, don't be in too much of a rush to know everything all at once. Spinning is like knitting: you can happily spend a lifetime at it and still have lots of things to learn. Beginning a new craft is like learning a new language. It can easily get too overwhelming. Go slow and enjoy the process, but....
* Use the product. Otherwise, there is a very real danger of building up another stash!

So, taking my own advice, I decided to knit something special with this novice skein.
 

There was just enough yarn to make three heart ornaments. One for the little guy, my hubby and me. Mine has the fiber label tucked inside. Also made a little yarnball ornament with the last remaining bits. Still need to stick in some miniature knitting needles.

Have a happy weekend!



(linking up with FO Friday)

adventures in grey

First, the good news: I was finally able to track down a ball of the discontinued slate grey hempathy for my Chance of showers cardigan.

Now for the bad news:

Because of the different dye lots, the colors do not even come close to matching. What I have been knitting with is a pretty blue grey. The new ball is a muddy dull grey. Not very noticeable in the above picture, but it kind of looks like I spilled coffee on the collar. So now I am waiting for a shipment of fiber reactive dye to come in, along with soda ash fixer and textile detergent. Because according to the experts, I need all of these things to dye my grey sweater....grey. Oy.

Hope that your current projects are causing you less headaches than mine. Here is something that is making me happy, though.

I finished my first skein of handspun! It is extremely wonky but I love it! It is not going to stay in the skein for long, because I have plans for this one.  'Cause the whole point of making your own yarn is to knit something with it, right? 

possibilities

...that is what I love best about this time of year. The possibility of learning new things, of having new experiences, starting new projects, meeting new friends.

Finally sitting down to take the beginning Craftsy spindle spinning class that I had purchased months ago. Extremely excited to start learning how to spin. I have been reading this informative book, but as with any new crafty venture, the learning is in the doing. Here is my first attempt so far:
 

I wish that I had videotaped the comedy of errors involved in spinning the leader yarn. Almost broke my spindle in the process. Now, though, it is pure fun! I am spinning a worsted weight yarn using the park and draft method.

My Chance of showers cardigan is on hold until more yarn arrives to complete it. Yup, I ran out of yarn again! Second project in a row for this to happen. Looking on the bright side, now I can start on a new fall sweater.

Simple pattern and bulky yarn should make Agnes a quick and easy knit. Plus I couldn't resist the pockets. The knitting on this one is going so fast! It took just two days to finish the body. Probably one more day for the sleeves. Knitting them two at a time. Can't wait to finally get something off the needles. It seems that this past month or so I have been knitting and knitting but not having anything to show for it.

Looking forward to this Sunday and attending my first "knit in the park" hosted by looped yarn works at DuPont Circle. I heard that looped carries Quince & co. yarns, so will have to indulge in some yarn retail therapy while I'm in the neighborhood. Since my LYS closed its doors a few months ago, there hasn't been many opportunities to meet people with a shared interest in fiber and knitting. So this event will be a fun chance to make some new friends!


(Linking up with WIP Wednesday)