Tour De Fleece 2009

I know, I know. This is long past due. But July was a rough month and this is the first I have gotten to post pics and write a bit about it.

I started the Tour with a lot of vigor. I spun a lot over the July 4th weekend, taking my Babe Double Treadle Production wheel with me to the Adirondacks. It was lovely getting to spin there.

Problem was when I got home from the long weekend, my cat was sick. I have posted about her on my non-knitting journal. If you read it, you will see that it was a rough month. In the end, I had to let her go. It still hurts so much. But it was her time to leave us I believe. I still get all teared up just thinking about her. I miss her a lot.

Between all the trips to the vet, caring and spend time with her and the sadness involved, I didn't get as much done for the Tour as I hoped. But I did complete 8 oz. of fiber.

I spun a single of the 4 oz. of DragonFibers Superwash Merino/Tencel fiber over the July 4th weekend. It is lovely to spin. I really want to pick up more from DragonFibers as they do some lovely fibers.

Thanks Silvercat for sending it. It really is lovely stuff.

DragonFibers Superwash Merino/Tencel Fiber from:
http://DragonFibers.etsy.com
Colorway - Heart of Darkness
Present from Silvercat

Though I confess, the pinks in there are *bright*. It is the reason I knew I didn't want to do a Navajo ply with this one. It just would have been too bright in sections.

I debated what to ply with the DragonFibers. I wanted something superwash as I was figuring this was going into something baby related. And given my wooly allergies, I don't really want to have any wool on the baby other than superwash. Superwash is specially treated and doesn't set off my allergies so I am hoping she has the same response.

I tried predrafting some superwash fiber I bought from Etsy in a darker colorway. But honestly, I am not thrilled with the way it was drafting. So I put it back and looked at my other fibers. I have a lot of fibers that either didn't match or weren't fibers I want to put against baby skin.

I finally remember the superwash/silk blend I bought from The Fiber Denn. http://thefiberdenn.etsy.com It is a beautiful fiber. And the silk gave it a nice long draw with some great petability. I figured the silk shimmer would compliment the shine of the tencel. So they would work well together and the violet wouldn't seem dull by comparison.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

So I plied the two singles together and got ~398.0 yards of the two fibers together. I had some of the Fiber Denn single left. I was able to make a small skein that was about ~47 yds.

Honestly, this was the only thing I accomplished for the Tour. I am saddened that I didn't get more done. But under the circumstances, I actually did pretty well. I didn't spin every day that I should have. But given things with my cat, I got a lot more spinning done than I would have otherwise.

Spun on Babe Double Treadle Production Wheel. I love my Babe wheel. *smile*

I will confess though. I haven't done any spinning since the Tour! Ack. Once this was off my wheel, it has been dormant. I have been working on baby knitting or just too wiped to do anything.

Less than 6 weeks until my due date. So it isn't surprising that I am a little preoccupied. *laugh*

Finished Objects & WIPs

I just realized that with work being so busy I hadn't gotten around to posting pics of some finished objects!

Work has been kinda crazed. I had a work conference in March/April so it means I was away for a week. So that always throws things off. On top of that, the time leading up to conference and the time after are busy. So this got lost in the shuffle. I am hoping that most of the post conference work is wrapped up so I can post more regularly again.

I did take pics of a baby sweater I made for my nephew and his wife (It isn't as weird as it sounds. He is mid 30s.) But I didn't seem to email them to myself. So I don't have them to post yet. Maybe Monday.

Though I swear I have been knitting! Here are some pics to prove it.

Woven Ridge Socks for DH

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Cast On:
March 6 2009

Completed:
March 22 2009

Pattern:
Woven Ridge Socks by Cat Bordhi
from New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One
http://www.amazon.com/New-Pathways-Sock-Knitters-Book/dp/0970886969

Made for:
My hubby Paul - 9 1/2" smallest point, 10" long

Needles:
US 1 / 2.25 mm Knitpicks Options & Harmony - 2 socks on 2 circs

Yarn:
Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Helen" ~ 100% Superwash Merino Yarn
~ 400 yards
Colorway - Harbor Fog
Purchased from The Loopy Ewe http://www.theloopyewe.com/


I decided I wanted to do a Cat Bordhi pattern for the March Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL. I hadn’t done one of her patterns since my Coriolis socks a year ago.

I confess that I forgot just how much math was involved. The spreadsheet I have definitely helps. But I nearly made a huge error when I miscounted the number of stitches & thought something was very wrong. Luckily, I realized my miscalculation before I did anything bad.

But on the flip side, because so much of the pattern is stockinette, it goes really fast.

I added some ribbing to the back side of the sock so it will have a better fit. I find that all stockinette legs have a tendency to slide down too easily.

The weird thing is that I goofed on the Woven Ridge pattern. I don’t know why. But after I finished the heels, I thought I remembered the pattern as it is really simple. But I goofed. I slipped the stitches without bringing the yarn forward. *sigh* It was about 2" into it before I realized the mistake. I asked my husband if he wanted me to rip back. He said it was okay. So I just switched back to the correct stitch. So there is the correct stitch on the foot, then the wrong one, then the correct one again. It almost looks like it could have been intentional.

My hubby is thrilled I made him socks. *grin* This is his second pair. They are definitely his colors. He really loves them.


Works in Progress

I have two real works in progress. I say real because I still have a purse that has been sitting around since before Xmas that needs a button & maybe some lining. It is for a friend I haven't seen since October. I hope to see her. And when I do I will finish it.

One is the long time alpaca sweater. It is from the yarn I bought at Rhinebeck in 2007. I finally cast it on in Sept. 2008 so I could justify buying more yarn at Rhinebeck. *laugh* The sleeves are done as well as about 6-8" of the body. Though I gained weight since I started it. So I am still debating what I will do with it. Given I am doing it in pieces, I can create panels at the sides to add in if I need it. I still pick it up now and again.

Also, I have a pair of Gothic Temptress socks on my needles. The Sock Knitters Anonymous KAL for April is underappreciated patterns or knee highs. This actually fits into both categories.

The pattern is free on Ravelry:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gothic-temptress

It doesn't seem to be available elsewhere.

I have the feet and about 3-4" of the leg done so far. Again, lots of stockinette so they are going pretty quickly. I definitely like them. Simple but pretty.

Here is a pic of the one's made for the pattern:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8089512@N02/2960378155/in/photostream/

I am spinning too. I try to do a little each weekday morning before work. I find it calms me and sorta helps me focus for the day.

I was working on the luscious merino/cashmere/silk blend that winderwoodfarm.etsy.com made especially for me. It is yummy.
http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=13566446

But I needed a break. It spins super thin and thus takes a long time to spin. I have about 3-4 of 10 oz. spun into a single.

I got this beautiful batt called That Old Black Magic from butterflygirldesigns.etsy.com. So I decided it needed to go on the wheel. It is superwash merino/bamboo blend. So it has a lovely sheen. It is only 3.7 oz. So it shouldn't take as long to spin. But I have found I need to pause when I am spinning. There are nubs that didn't seem to get blended. I probably should have just done more of an art yarn with it. But it is sooo lovely. Black & purple. My kind of colors. I do like spinning it though. It just takes a bit longer than I had anticipated.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=14510202

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

She seems to sell these batts now and again. She also has occasionally had similar colors in sock yarn which I need too.

I am still in love with my Babe wheel. It definitely is a great little work horse. I picked up 4 more bobbins for it so I can switch around things if I want to put something else on my wheel.

I have to confess however that I do want to try out some wheels when I go to Maryland Sheep & Wool. I wanted to try wheels at Rhinebeck. But I didn't actually try any. So heaven knows I might not at MD either. But we shall see. *evil grin*

So I am ending this now so that I will actually post it today! *grin*

Hopefully, it won't be so long before the next post.

Fiber!

I got to play with some fiber over the long weekend. Definitely nice!

Tempted Hand Painted 80% superwash merino/20% Cashmere - Handspun by Me

Fiber Purchased at

The Loopy Ewe

http://www.theloopyewe.com/

$26

Colorway:

Roxanne - Red & Black

I had been lusting over this fiber for a bit before picking it up. Love the colors, combined with it being merino/cashmere, I couldn’t resist.

I confess that I was a bit disappointed that the dye didn't reach the center of the fiber in some places. So there are lighter patches in the yarn. They aren't too noticeable, but it wasn't what I figured when looking at the online pics. I still like the end result.

It was spun & Navajo plied on my Babe Double Treadle Production wheel.

This is my first time doing an entire skein of yarn with Navajo plying. I think it came out pretty well. I don't think I overtwisted it. But it is hard to tell until I skein & soak it.

I think it is definitely too thick for socks. Not sure what exactly I will do with it. I have been thinking a scarf on a diagonal or something to accentuate the stripes of color. Feather & fan could also highlight that.

I need to skein & soak the yarn. Despite finishing this on Saturday, I never got around to do that. I hope to do that soon as I need to figure out the yardage & wraps per inch.

Custom Cashmere/Merino/Silk Batt from Winderwood Farm on Etsy

I got a great deal on this stuff. It is beautiful. The terrific guy at Winderwood Farm dyed it especially for me. The colors are a rich purple & a deep red. Yummy.

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=13566446

I think this is the listing for the remaining fiber:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20473704

He produced more than I requested. So I bought as much as I could afford to. The pics in the original listing don’t do it justice. The color in the photo show the deeper & richer color than the listing. Super yummy batts. Soft and lofty. A pleasure to spin.

I find I can spin this fiber thinner than most fibers I have used. I don't know if that is about the fiber blend, the batts or just magic. *chuckle* I did nearly identical fiber from the same folks for a present for a friend & loved it so I had to get some for myself. I got 10 oz. and so wish I could have afforded more. This is heavenly stuff.

Xmas Spinning

First a random factoid. According to Knitmeter.com, I knit:

Wow! Ten and a half miles! Pretty nifty. And some of that was handspun on top of it! (I really wish that they knitmeter & ravelry were connected!!)

I gave away some handspun yarn to some knitters in my husband's family. Given they have gotten their presents, it is safe to post the pics.

Spun Alpaca from Northstaralpacas.etsy.com

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I love this fiber. Maple is always a pleasure. She is the one who got me hooked on spinning alpaca. She was sweet enough to send me some fiber when I started spinning. And like any good dealer, I mean fiber enthusiast, she got me hooked! Her fiber is lovely to spin.

I like the carmel candy like look of the two plies. I wish I could recall what type of candies had that look.

My mother-in-law seemed to really like it. She also liked the card & mini alpaca soap. Northstaralpacas always puts in such nice extras with the shipment. I figured my mother-in-law would like to see the critter her fiber came from. There is something so delightful about that. *smile*

I forgot to write down the WPI and all. I think it came out to a bit over 300 yards. And was in the 10-11 wpis. But I could be mistaken.

The fiber spins like a dream and is super soft. I think this is the softest fiber I have spun. It has a lot of loft to it.

The light fawn from Polaris was actually going to be used with the Adirondack Woolery fiber I spun. But the color combo was too muddy. So I paired it with the various creme color fibers she also sent me to sample. Think it came out really well.

Creatively Dyed Seawool (Ocean blend) - 70% wool, 30% Seacell

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

This is the fiber I picked up for my sister-in-law at Rhinebeck. Her Ravelry profile mentioned her fav colors are maroon & coral. This isn't exactly coral, but the color is close. And the fiber & dyeing was too lovely to pass up.

The fiber spins like a dream. I split the braid into 4 strips. I did a little predrafting but not much. Spins easily and into a nice thin single. I did a 2 ply with it.

~333 yds

10-11 wpi (though there are thicker and thinner areas)

Adirondack Woolery Fiber

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I picked up this fiber at the Adirondack Woolery when I was up in the Adirondacks for the July 4th weekend. I saw some on one on of their wheels and really liked it.

This was intended for my mother-in-law originally. I had planned to pair it with light fawn alpaca fiber to compliment it. But when I plied it with some other fiber, it looked really muddy. So I decided to just ply it with the same fiber & give it to my niece Amanda instead. She is a knitter and enjoys bright colors. Honestly, it might have been too tame for her. *grin*

I really can't believe I forgot to take pics of the yarn plied. Oops!

I have been spending a good deal of time spinning recently. I am working on 6 oz. of luscious fiber from winderwoodfarm. It is for a project for my friend Karen. I thought it was going to be black, but he added the silver color. Given I did a purse in black & silver for her birthday present, I think this fiber will compliment it beautiful.

I found a pattern today for a 3 way scarf (Ravelry only). I think that might be kinda ideal, though I am not sure yet. It might be too open for Karen as she is always too cold now that she is back on the East coast. But I think it might work well. I will see after I have plied the yarn. Most everything I spin is bulky so far so I am not sure if it will work. I have been spinning these singles much thinner. But I am not sure if it will even be close to the DK the pattern suggests.

I am hoping to post more regularly again. Work was a zoo last month (which is weird for December.) I am hoping things have calmed down some. But it is still kinda busy. So we will see.

Handspun Yarn

Last post for today.

I hadn't posted pics of this yarn yet. I spun it. I really do love it and have been fighting myself from casting it on into a project.

M U S T
F I N I S H
X M A S
K N I T T I N G . . . *grin*



The pic really doesn't do this justice. The colors are really lovely. Black with burgundies, blue & other colors. Really hard to capture in the photo.

4 oz ~ 163.6 yards

Purchased at:
Rhinebeck 2008
Midnight Colorway


Super soft.

62” x 95 (might be more) ~ 163.6 yards
around 9-10 wpi (though is thinner in spots)
2 ply

$9

I definitely want to get more of this. Yummy stuff!

Productive Weekend

First I have to say thanks to Nils at Babe Fiber Garden. The replacement bracket & bolt for my Babe Production Double Treadle wheel arrived Friday. My darling husband Paul replaced it for me on Saturday. And it is working like a dream again. So I am back to spinning which is happy! *wiggles happily*

I spent a good portion of the weekend knitting Xmas stuff. I am pretty happy with the results so far.

I found a scrubbie pattern that works pretty well.

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

After looking at the Ravelry images of the scrubbie, I decided follow someone's suggestions for a larger size one.

Blue Xmas Scrubbie

Cast On & Completed:

November 7 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Jennifer

Needles:

US 9 / 5.5 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Super quick and easy.

Cast on 25 stitches and did 22 rows. It is still kinda small. Good thing SIL has small hands.

Yarn dyed blue by me especially for SIL (to match her kitchen colors).

Ostrich Plume Dish Towel Xmas Present

Cast On:

November 4 2008

Completed:

November 7 2008

Pattern:

Ostrich Plume Dishcloth by Edith Taylor

http://www.groupepp.com/dishbout/kpatterns/ostplume.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Jennifer

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.92 skeins = 169.3 yards (154.8m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Yarn dyed blue by me especially for SIL (to match her kitchen colors).

I made a dish towel rather than a dishcloth. I had enough yarn for that & a scrubbie.

Size: 8" x 20"

Grey Xmas Scrubbie

Cast On & Completed:

November 8 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Bren & Husband Martin

Needles:

US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Cast on 30 stitches & did 24 repeats to get a decent size. Original pattern makes one that is very small.

It puffs up a bit, but I think that is because I didn't sew the edges together exactly right.

Yarn dyed by me to accent SIL's kitchen.

Basket Rib Dish Towel

Cast On:

November 8 2008

Completed:

November 9 2008

Pattern:

Basket Rib Hand Towel by Traci Heiner

http://traciknits.blogspot.com/2008/05/basket-rib-hand-towel-free-pattern.html

Made for:

Sister-in-law Bren & husband Martin

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Size: 10" x 18"

Fast & easy. Kinda glad I decided on dishtowels. They are going pretty quickly.

Yarn dyed by me. Done in colors to reflect SIL's countertop. Honest, I don’t think it does.

It was supposed to be darker. Still, I think the colors look good & the recipients will like it. *crossed fingers* (Okay, let's be honest, my BIL could care less. *smirk*)

Brown Xmas Scrubbie

(Pic shows the three I have done together. Shows the differences in size.)

Cast On & Completed:

November 8 2008

Pattern:

Circular Scrubby by Gwen Bortner

http://tankhouse.knitability.com/freepatterns/DishClothDuo.pdf

Made for:

Sister-in-law Andrea

Needles:

US 10 / 6.0 mm Knitpick Options

Yarn:

Lily Elite Cotton

Dyed by me

0.08 skeins = 14.7 yards (13.5m)

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Cast on 30 stitches & did 22 repeats to get a decent size. Original pattern makes one that is very small.

It puffs up a bit, but I think that is because I didn't sew the edges together exactly right.

Yarn dyed by me to accent SIL's kitchen.

Trellis Sweater

Cast On:

October 4, 2008

Nearly Completed:

October 13, 2008 (all but the buttons and overdyeing)

Completed (finished overdye & buttons):

November 7, 2008

Pattern:

Trellis by Britta Stolfus Rueschhoff

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

Made for:

Michael & Jen's Newest Leah

Size:

Smallest

Needles:

US 7 / 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options

Yarn:

TLC Cotton Plus Solid in 3810 light blue

~1 skeins = 178.0 yards

Purchased at Smiley's Yarns Sale in NJ

Friday, I stopped by the Point while out during my lunch hour. I found the buttons on this sweater. They are too busy for the sweater. But I know the mom loves busy stuff, so she will like it I think. They also are similar to the buttons on the sweater I knit for her sister for Xmas. http://knittnkitten.blogspot.com/2008/06/trinitys-tomten-done.html

I had finished all but the dying and buttons by October 13. It was a pretty quick project.

I wanted to start on some more Xmas knitting. I have completed the sweater for Trinity, Michael & Jen’s daughter who is about to turn 1. I wanted to do something for their boy who was due in this fall.

I was told when I was visiting my family in Easter that it was a boy. No one told me otherwise. So I made a blue sweater. Then I got the call. It is a girl. Ummm…excuse me?! blink

I dyed the sweater to purple. It looks good. The nylon didn’t take the dye so there is an interesting heather affect to the yarn.

I am glad it looks okay because there was no way I was redoing it at this point. I have enough other Xmas knitting to do.

I did a search on baby projects in the TLC Cotton Plus and found the Trellis sweater. It looked really attractive so I decided to try it.

I sorta wish I had done a bigger size. Knowing Michael & Jen’s daughter Trinity is large, I should have anticipated a big baby. Plus it could have been worn later. But ah well. Honestly, I don’t know if they even liked the sweater I knit for Trinity last Xmas. So I don’t want to spend tons of time on it if it will never get worn.

I confess I am not thrilled with the way the pattern is written. I finally sat down and marked up the pattern with the row #s. I am not sure why the writer wrote it without the row #s. Other than that though, the pattern is great. And I love the way it turned out.

(Though heaven knows if I had known it was a girl I would have done something lacier. Ah well. *shakes head*)

So all in all, it was a super productive weekend. I am happy that I got so much done & am back to spinning again. Hooray!

Time to Go Home...?

I confess. It is only 9:45 and I am ready to go home! *sigh*

I am feeling like completely zoned out. Most to do with election stuff that I will not go into here. But I have to say, I really *wish* they would write the questions in plan English. I am an intelligent person. But honestly, I am not sure if I voted in the way I *wanted* to vote. *shakes head*

I was debating balling up some of the yarn I dyed over the weekend to start on some Xmas knitting. It wasn't dry last night so I couldn't do it then. But I really wanted to cast on something today. But sorting through election stuff took up the morning. So it would have to wait. And I have a good book I am reading.

I get on the train. No knitting. But I have my book. Ummm. No. Actually my book is sitting at home on my nightstand! *groan*

I was beginning to think today just wasn't my day.

Then I got mail from Nels at Babe Spinning Wheels. He asked for my address. He is sending a new bracket & bolt. Hooray! That is the good news for the day. *smile* When I have ordered stuff from him in the past it has arrived in 2-3 days. So I am hopeful I will have a working wheel by the weekend. *smile*

I have to say, I really love Nels. He is great about correcting things and super friendly.

I have been eyeing the Production Double Treadle with Flyer Lead! They didn't have this when I was looking at my wheels. This is Scotch tension wheel vs. Irish/German. It gives greater control. I am really thinking I might need to get that at some point.

I do think this experience taught me not to overfill my bobbins. I think that might have been what contributed to the stress with the bracket. There was only 4 oz. of the Three Bags Full. But I had to struggle to get the last bit on to the bobbin. I should have used the plying bobbin & flyer. But I don't like the ratio on the plying bobbin is so much lower (it is something like 4:1 where as the higher ratio bobbin is around 7.5/8:1). I like plying with a higher ratio.

Usually I can get 4 oz. plied on the normal bobbin. But I think because I was spinning this woolen to keep it nice and soft that there was more air in it. So it didn't fit well on the regular flyer. *sigh* Live and learn.

Mind you, I have sincere doubts that was the entire issue. I suspect the fact that this was a teaching wheel before I got it means it saw some hard use before I ever touched it.

I don't regret buying the wheel used. But I will admit, I really want to buy a wheel new now.

I do regret not trying the Hitcherhiker wheel while at Rhinebeck. It is small & wooden for the same price as the Babe flyer wheel new. Maybe next year.

I Love It. I Love It. I Love It.

I just finished the Lala Simple Shawl in my handspun custom dyed Decadent Fibers fiber. I love it. I love it. I love it! *grin*

I will post pics on Monday when I am back at the office. I have been on vacation this week. And Rhinebeck/NY Sheep & Wool is tomorrow! *happy wiggle*

I keep walking back to the table to admire the shawl. The colors form these great stripes that are not so different as to be annoying. But very present. I will just have to share the pics soon to show you what I mean.

Scary thing is that I decided last Friday that I should finish spinning the pound of fiber I got from Decadent Fibers & create something! Decadent Fibers will be at Rhinebeck so I wanted to show them how beautiful the colors look together. The fiber was custom dyed for me. I told them I wanted black, purple and burgundy. They did a great job with the colors and they look lovely together.

I spun as much as I could of the remaining fiber while up in the Adirondacks. But I forgot an extra bobbin. So I did the rest the day after I got home (Tuesday).

While letting the single rest a bit, I cast on the shawl. I picked the Lala Simple Shawl because it was simple but would show off the colors really well. I didn't want anything too lacey as I wanted this to be a warm shawl. Also, I wanted super simple so I could do it while watching some movies & getting stuff off the dvr.

The next day I plied the singles and set them to soak. After that, I continued knitting. And knitting... *grin*

I had hoped to complete it by last night so I would be certain it would be dry from the blocking in time to wear it at Rhinebeck tomorrow. But at around 1:00 am I realized I had switched from knit to purl half way into the row. *blink* You really wouldn't think that was possible given it was all supposed to be knit. *laugh* So I knit back the 1/4 on the right side & the half row on the wrong side where I messed up. *shakes head* I decided that was definitely a sign that I was too tired to finish it. So I headed to bed.

I finished up this morning and had it soaking by noon. I used a salad spinner to try and get some moisture out. But I stopped after a few tries as it kept getting caught in the top. Then I pressed it between two towels, rolled them up and stepped on them to press out more moisture. It actually worked pretty well. I just felt it and it is almost dry in some areas. So I am really hopeful that it will be dry in time to wear in the morning. But if not, I can hang it over the back seat in the car for some additional drying time.

For the bottom edge, the pattern said to do 5 ridges garter stitch (one of the pattern repeats) and then bind off. However, I decided I wanted to do something a bit more like the top edge which has yarn overs to create the increases. So I did 2 ridges of garter, then a row of YO, K2tg. Then the next row was the bind off. So there is some open edging similar to the top. I think it looks very cool.

My plan had been to do 4 ridges of garter and then start the YO, K2tg row. But I was running out of yarn. It worked out pretty well.

Though I always forget just how much blocking can change the size! I was aiming for 25-28" long. When I finished it was about 23-24". When I started blocking it was 42"! I let up some and made it 40" long. But it is still pretty lengthy. But honestly, I think it will look great that long.

I think I need to dig into my jewelry box for a pin to hold it in place tomorrow. I am sure I have something that will work somewhere (I have a ton of costume jewelry I never wear). I wish Paul's kilt pin would work. But it would be way too heavy.

It is sooo funny. After my lace shawl, I said I doubted I would ever do another shawl. So what did I do? *chuckle* But this shawl is amazingly beautiful and I think it will actually be warm, unlike my lace one. So I hope I will get some wear out of it. Though part of me says that I could hang it on a wall and I would be happy! *grin*

I will post pics soon. (And probably actually have some taken while wearing it which is beyond weird for me. *laugh*)

This time tomorrow I will be at Rhinebeck! Woohoo!!

Tour de Fleece 2008

With my work conference last week, I haven't really had much time to post about my progress. I had been spinning every day of the tour. The only day I missed was the first day 'cause I thought it started the next day. I didn't take the rest days to make up for it. So that is even an extra day.

First the goals:

• Spin at least 15 minutes a day, but aiming for an hour or more on days when I have more time

Done. I did spin at least 15 minutes per day. Most days were an hour or more if I had the time.

• Work on getting more consistent quality to my spinning (still a newbie, getting better but not there yet)

Getting there. I definitely am improving a great deal. I have been able to spin some superwash wool really thin and hoping to make 3 ply sock yarn with it. So I have gotten much better.

• Spin some of the superwash wool, merino top & wool locks I have

Spun 2/3rds of the superwash wool. Nice and thin so it should be good for doing a three ply sock yarn if there is enough elasticity in it. *crosses fingers*

I got to the merino top on Sunday, the last day. And spun all 10 oz. of it! Super easy to spin. And very soft. I did it thicker as I want a chunky scarf out of it I think.

Wool locks were interesting. I have only spun up 3 oz of the 8 I have. It is definitely a novelty yarn. But it was interesting intentionally doing thicker & thinner bits. I also left the tips of the locks and spun them so they stick up from the yarn, like little tails. Not what I would usually want, but I like it. Though combing the locks takes a good deal of time. So I don't think I will be buying any more again anytime soon. I will complete the remaining 5 oz. but it may be after a while honestly given how long the 3 oz. took.

• Try Navajo plying... *gulp*

I think I did it right. It looks right. And it is holding together. I really have to thank rexenne's You Tube video for this one - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOVXCHzDRKM It helped me figure it out how to do it in a way that makes sense.

I really thought I put getting to a spinning meetup as one of my goals. I am glad I didn't as I wasn't able to get there. With conference last week, I have had to work late for the week before and the week of conference. So I wasn't able to make it. Yesterday I wasn't able to get there either. *sigh* Ah well.

I was trying to do a day by day report. But I can't given I don't recall what I was doing what days at this point. Ah well. But here are some highlights.

Day 15 & 16

I was visiting some friends who just moved back to the East coast. Hooray! I have missed them terribly. So it is great to have seen them.

I brought along my spindle and the silk hankies I have. I actually got a fair bit done with this (an hour and a half to two hours both days).

The silk is beautiful and the colors look amazing. I am happy that I have gotten a lot better with a spindle. This is much thinner than it was in the past.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

The silk hankie is from The Yarn Tree - http://www.theyarntree.com. It is dyed in beautiful colors. I really love it. And it is silk, so I adore it all the more of course.

I am thinking I will keep this as a single and use it as trim on something. There is only 1 oz.

This did teach me that I really need to buy some silk hankies undyed. It was $19 for the 1 oz hankie I got. Undyed is significantly less.

Day 18

I finished the second of the three singles I need to complete with the superwash wool. I want to create a three ply for socks.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I divided the fiber up into roughly thirds. I am hoping that it will work out evenly. But I am betting it won't. *chuckle* I seem to excel at having a bunch left on a spool when I am trying to do a 2 ply. I don't suspect a 3 ply will be any easier. *grin*

Day 22

I started the Icelandic locks on Wednesday, the 23rd, day 19 of the Tour de Fleece. Working with locks is definitely interesting. These have been washed. Though there is veggie matter in them for certain. When combing them I was left with black flecks of dirt as well as some other bits of hay and such. It was definitely time consuming having to comb the locks, separate out the ends I wanted to work into the yarn and all.

It is also interesting working on *intentionally* doing thick & thin when I have been trying to get more consistent yarn. The texture in this fiber certainly makes that easier. But it is still odd making sure not to smooth out the lumps and bumps.

I finished the single on Saturday (Day 22). It turned out to be 3 oz total. It is about 140 yds. (I measure the skein length and then multiply by the # of strands. I really don't think a yardage counter would work on this stuff anyhow! *chuckle*)

I am leaving this one as a single. I am hoping it is strong enough. But I just don't think it would work well plied.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I did wait and washed them the next day along with the Decadent Fibers plied stuff I had on the bobbin since day 11. Yah. I know. I wish I knew why skeined plied yarn & washing it was my sticking point! *laugh*

I also tried Navajo plying with some remaining Decadent Fibers. And I have to say, I think it looks pretty good! I wish the picture really showed it up close. But I didn't get close enough & this fiber is very dark in color. I am surprised. It looks pretty good. However, it was *definitely* overspun. It was very kinky when I washed it. I used a bottle to weigh it down when I let it dry. So it seems okay. But hey, for a first attempt, I am thrilled to death with it.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

And here it is with the rest of the yarn which is 2 ply.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Day 23

Super productive day. I spun & plied 10 oz. of merino comb top! Admittedly, I was spinning it pretty bulky. But I wanted to try something more bulky. It goes faster and I am leaning towards a scarf for this stuff.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

I definitely want some more Merino combed top. It was easy to work with and drafted very nicely. It would have been easy to make it thinner as well. I just wanted something a bit faster to spin up after making very thin singles with the superwash & dealing with the locks. Sometimes you want to see some results more quickly!

I spun all 10 oz. of this and only ended up with 160 yards! *laugh* So that is definitely different than other things I have been spinning. *grin* The Decadent Fibers I spun was 6 oz. and came out to almost 290 yards. And that is with some of it being Navajo ply! *chuckle*

Overall, I am pretty happy with the final results of the Tour de Fleece. I think I did a good job with my spinning. I met my goals which is good. And my ability has definitely improved a great deal. I am really glad I did it.

Though I will confess, I haven't touched the wheel since Sunday! *laugh* I just wanted a break at this point. I didn't spin at all yesterday and didn't do any so far today. I suspect I will go back to it very soon. But I was kinda happy to not *have* to spin if I don't wanna. *grin*

I definitely have a great appreciation for handspun yarns. And I am learning a lot. Though I also have a feeling that I am not going to be doing a lot of lace & sock yarns. I don't know. I just have this feeling that you can get most of those commercially with much greater ease. Mind you, I might change my mind about that. But at the moment, I am no seeing it. Perhaps when I finish my last ply and actually create the yarn for socks, I may feel differently. I am not sure. (Honestly, I am really worried it won't be elastic enough for socks and that I will be frustrated. But I am trying to stay hopeful that it will work.)

Decadent Fibers Custom Dyed Jelly Roll

As promised, pics of the lovely roving from Decadent Fibers.

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Why only two pics you might ask?! Well, I took about 15. Yet only these two actually came out well enough to share them! *shakes head* It is hard to get the camera to focus on the roving for some reason. The majority of them seemed to be coming out blurry.

I ordered the Jelly Roll as I thought this was their roving that was custom dyed colors. As it happens, the Jelly Roll is one large piece. The Spun Sugar is the stuff that it already in strips. Whoops!

The sweet folks Decadent Fibers explained I can just take off strips to spin them. I can blend the colors or keep solid areas. So I just have to create strips to spin them. I have been going with solid areas. Though when it is plied, it will be interesting how things blend together.

It almost seemed a shame to tear into it as it was so pretty as one piece. *grin* But it is getting ripped up none the less!

It is interesting to spin with it. As I am getting more practice, I am able to spin more finely than I was when I started. Though sometimes it will break on me while I am trying to spin it. That can be a bit of challenge. I think I am sometimes not putting enough twist into some areas (while still overtwisting others). I am learning a lot though. And there is a lot of fiber to do it with.

Also, the photos look more like brown than black. But it is black in areas. The reds & purples seem to make the color look a bit brown in the pics.

I love the colors in this. It is really beautiful. I suspect I will be ordering more from Decadent Fibers for certain.

So Called Scarf in Handspun Romney

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Cast On:

June 25 2008

Completed:

June 29 2008

Pattern:

My So Called Scarf by Allison Isaacs

http://imagiknit.com/?p=60

Yarn:

Shepherd's Mill Farm Romney Roving Handspun by Me

Colorway Purple with some Grey

8 oz. about 90.0 yards (not including the fringe that is some extra that is overtwisted & very lumpy from spinning it on spindle)

Purchased at Delaware Highland Games

Needles:

Knitpicks Options US 13 / 9.0 mm

I cast on 18 sts which is a lot less than the pattern calls for (30). On the other hand, the yarn I spun is thicker than the one they used. And if I cast on too many stitches, it would have been another short, wide neckwarmer! I already have done two of those with handspun. I would really rather not do a third.

When I started, I wasn't sure if I would continue or frog this. I was worried the yarn wasn't the right texture to show the pattern well. The Romney does have a lot of fibers sticking up. But I think it is working. It isn't as clear as others, but it still gives an interesting pattern to it.

It is very dense. There isn't a lot of movement to it. I debated ripping it out. Then again, I avoid frogging like the plague, so that didn't happen. *laugh*

I used the yarn I created with the spindle as fringe. It was really too thick and different in gauge to knit with. It added some length which is nice.

It measures around 4” wide, 35” long without the fringe. The fringe adds another 5” to each side, so 45” total.

The yarn is definitely overspun. It is pretty rough and I can still feel the lanolin in the wool. I won't put this next to my skin. But I am learning more with each fiber I spin and even more when I knit it into something. So I am enjoying the process.

Scarves in Handspun Yarns

Diagonal Scarf with Handspun

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Pattern:

Go Diagonal Scarf by Sophia Kessinger

http://yarnovermanhattan-free-patterns.blogspot.com/

Made for:

Me probably though could be a gift

Yarn:

Finn Handspun & Handyed

Around 55.0 yards

Colorway - Tropical Punch & Grape Kool Aid

Fiber was given to me with my wheel

Needles:

Knitpicks Options US 13 / 9.0 mm

The total measurement on this is only 5" wide, 23" long. So another neckwarmer! *chuckle*

I would have been happier if it had been longer. But otherwise it was good. It was a quick knit that was very simple and features the yarn pretty well.

This is my first batch of handspun where I plied two singles together. I wanted something that would feature the texture without overwhelming the yarn. This project was suggested on the Ravelry knitting with handspun group as being good with thick & thin yarns. It seems to be working very well.

It is super simple to knit and is going very quickly. Though as I feared there wasn't enough yarn to make a scarf. My second handspun neck warmer! *laugh* That is all I could make with the first handspun I made given there was no length to it. I wish this one was longer, but it wasn't.

I ended up going with 19 sts wide as I like scarves to have some thickness. I suspect I should have gone thinner. But I am not a fan of skinny scarves.

I am still not sure about the colors. They were dyed with Kool-Aid. I may overdye it with some more Kool-Aid. Though I might also spin some more fiber and add it to each end instead. Not sure yet.

So Called Scarf in Handspun Romney

Generated by Flickr Album Maker

Pattern:

My So Called Scarf by Allison Isaacs

http://imagiknit.com/?p=60

Yarn:

Shepherd's Mill Farm Romney Roving Handspun by Me

Colorway Purple with some Grey

8 oz. about 90.0 yards (not including some extra that is overtwisted & very lumpy from spinning it on spindle)

Purchased at Delaware Highland Games

Needles:

Knitpicks Options US 13 / 9.0 mm

I cast on 18 sts which is a lot less than the pattern calls for. On the other hand, the yarn I spun is thick. And if I cast on too many stitches, it would have been another short, wide neck warmer! I already have done two of those with handspun. I would really rather not do a third.

I am not sure if this will keep going or get frogged. I am not sure the yarn is the right texture to show this well. I think the Romney might have too many fibers sticking up. So I may not look good. I will knit some more of it and see if I like it.