Comb,Comb,Spin,Spin

I have gotten some pictures taken of my last couple of days work or I should say fun. First I have been complaining so about not having any of my knitting caught up. As I looked thru it and decided what I was going to finish and what I wasn't, it's not as bad I thought.

I have this vest for hubby, it is CVM and so soft! Variegated greys with dark grey trim. This is what it will look like when it's done.

As you can see, I only have 3/4 of the back done. I need to get going or he will never wear it this winter.

This is another vest, yes hubby likes vests, he wears them instead of coats most of the time.

This fleece was huge and so full of colors! It was so much fun to knit up and see how the colors mingled.

This one is all done except the pocket lining which I need to spin a little yarn for, it gets a zipper up the center, blocked and it is all done! It has 2 big cables up each side, it is so heavy and soft, makes you want to cuddle up in it.

Now for my shawl, I'm making it from Store Bought Yarn! Yes I know, it went against my grain too, but it is Cashmere and I loved the colors.

This is what it will look like when I am done.

It is called Waves in the Square Shawl by Silva Harding. The yarn is a pink,taupe and brown marl.

I am only about 1/4 of the way finished with this one. If I would just sit down and get to it, I could have it done in a week or so. So what's keeping me? That's a good question :)

Here is my experiment with a variegated yarn in a Fair isle. I guess you would actually call it Fake Fair isle. It was going to be a hat for my daughter, if it gets done. For some reason I have just lost interest in it :( The yarn is gorgeous, Grey Shetland and Angora back ground and a Mohair,Shetland and Angora design yarn. It was one of my first attempts in blending Angora. That tells you how old the yarn is!

This is some Green Salish,Silver Salish and a blend of Rose Llama,Columbia. I'm going to spin this up for a sock yarn.

The Salish gives it a fuzzy look like Mohair only softer. It is as strong as Mohair so I should make some nice socks. I am tearing the batt and spinning with the colors blocked.

Remember when I washed and dyed up the Rambo a few weeks ago? Well here is some I spun up last night. I had a break in the yarn while plying it so it will be used for weaving. I have about 270 yds. of lace weight in this skein, so I think I will spin up something to go with and make a scarf on the loom.

This was spun woolen long draw, it really is a springy yarn.

The color turned out a soft red, I wonder what color would look good with this in a scarf? Any ideas?

This is my skein that I am so please with! You know when you are spinning something and you have it in your head how nice it will be, only to get it off the wheel and it isn't as nice as you thought? I was so hoping this would turn out nice. After looking at the taupe color so long, I was wondering if it would be boring. It is CVM blended with Angora also spun long draw. I plied this on my Mach 1 and ended up with a total of 700 yds in one skein. It is a very light weight lace and oh so soft! I have it washed, but it's not quite dry, after it is good and dry, it will go in my dryer on air and fluff up! Then I will take another picture and post it.

I am as pleased as I hoped I would be!

Now the big decision, do I keep it and make a shawl? Do I put it up on my Etsy site for sale? Only time will tell :)

Here is my experiment for this evening. I blended this today, it is Rose Alpaca, White Romney and Brown Merino. Oh yes soft!! So I'm going to spin some up and see how it turns out. I don't want to blend something and put it up on my Etsy site and then have it spin up into a glob of colors. I am hoping for a nice variegated yarn. Will see!

Wow this was a long post! I guess I have been busier than I thought!

Finally!!

I was hoping I would have more time to keep up on my blog, but it is hard to fine time.

But I did finish my Folk Shawl knit together. It is the Peddlers Shawl.

I made it from some Merino I had. It is so soft! I dyed it in greens,blues and left some white. It spun up great and it is so light and delicate. I thought it would be alittle bulkier when I was knitting it, but after blocking it came out light and airy. I am thinking that maybe I should have done alittle more garter stitch to balance it alittle more, but I do love the lace and the pattern is so easy.

I will deffinately make this again, next time maybe a heavier yarn next time. I don't know what shawl they will pick next, they are all so pretty it almost doesn't matter :))

So now I need to get busy and finish my hubby's vest out of a very large Llama!

Here is Mr. Llama, he was a big boy and very pretty.

Here is a close up of the cable and a picture of the back. I need to ply some more and I will get the fronts done.

It's been a long time since I have done anything on large needles, I forgot how fast it is!!

Here are the tools I like best. I have had a couple of people ask what type of combs these are. They are Indigo Hound 5 pitch combs. Can't say enough good about them.

I use them for everything.

I even blend on them, my bestest friends!

I still haven't gotten far on my socks, I am to the point where I am going to start the heel and have put it off till I have time to really consintrate.

I have some beautiful fleece I got from the White Barn Farm. It is a light

grey and I think I am going to get it ready to make a

cardigan for hubby. It is absolutly wonderful, can't say enough about their wool, so clean and soft!!

I think I will mix it with some black Alpaca and some great Shetland I have

Doesn't it look yummy? Now to pick a pattern!

I have also started another shawl, out of Cashmere. It is a Sivia Harding pattern http://siviaharding.com/Waves.html Waves in the Square.

She has some beautiful patterns and you can downlod alot of the right away. I just love that, I guess I am bit impatient.

Here's a picture at the bottom of our drive as you come up to the house. A little cloudy today, but still nice. No birds today :((

Some Progress!

Well here are pictures of my Wool Peddlers Shawl, very dark, I have got to figure out this camera!n Not very far, but that's okay as I have been getting a few other things done. I haven't kept up on the posts, but I need to check, I think I would like this alittle bigger than the pattern so I will have to change my amount of stitches I end up with.

I'm not to good at winging it so I will double check all of your messages. This is a close up of how the yarn is knitting up. I think I like the weight of it, I am hoping the lace will show enough.


Also the other day, after I had been combing more of the purple yarn for my SIL Dragon Shawl, I had all these bits and pieces left over from the combs. So I thought, can't waste that! So I got out my Rose and used the wild flyer and this is what I came up with. I am surprised at the results. I now have 200 yds of really soft bulky weird yarn. I'm not quite sure what to do with it, but I may knit and felt a small purse. Any body got ideas for 200yd of yarn?

I also have started a pair of socks, this is my first,

so I am just kinda hoping that will fit someone :))

They are very relaxing to knit, but I will be to

the heel before long and then I will have to think!!

I just finished a purse for my daughter. It was a pattern in Vogue Knitting Mag. out of recycled silk. I was really please when I finally finished it. It has been off the needles for a while but for some reason the lining was just really getting to me.

The instructions were Greek! But yesterday I just sat down and did it my way and am excited on the finished project. It has pockets all the way around and the way it is mitered it hangs really nice too. So tomorrow in the mail it goes!

I am also still working on the Surprise Shawl and I'll tell you, I have had one heck of a time with it. I am using very fine yarn and had some yucky needles and was not happy with the looks of it. I ordered some Knit Pick Harmony needles in a 2 and a 3. So I started over on my shawl last night, broke the yarn and left the other on the needle just in case :}. I am really happy with this sample so I think I will start over, again. There are quite a few people that are in the slow group, and I figure if I am going to put that much work into it, I should be very pleased with it. It has been a real challenge for me to knit this as my mind will not wrap around things as it once did. My Dr. said that it is normal after you have a loss like we have experienced so to be patient with my self, but boy after you have looked at the same line 5 times it gets alittle ridiculous!!

It has been a rough week this week, my mind has been on Jeffery constantly, has been the same with my husband for some reason this week too. I think that is why I am trying so hard to stay focused on some things, it is a good feeling when I finish something. Although planning and starting things are fun too, but I end up with so many starts, and not enough finishes:))

I wanted to add, I LOVE THESE NEEDLES! I am going to order the set and then some more of the individual smaller sizes. If you haven't tried these, give them a try. I can't say enough good about them. I think what I noticed the most is how effortless it is to use them. I have some problems with my hands, don't we all when we get to that age?, and these are so much easier on them I can knit longer pain free.

We have had great weather here, cold, clear, some rain we need very badly. Perfect hobby weather! This next week I need to get in and start a quilt I have had on the books for several years. It is a English Cottage Quilt. Twelve different 12" cottage squares. Shouldn't be difficult and fun to do. Hopefully it won't take me too long to finish it. I already have 2 tops done I need to put backs on and quilt. I suppose I should finish those before I start the other one.

O well :)))

Day 2!

So I have actually had several people visit my blog! Today I had chores to run, I just hate to have to leave the house, but before I did, I threw some wool in the pot with some dye. I have been spinning some purple yarn for a shawl for another SIL. It is shades of purple, Merino, Angora, and Mohair. This SIL collect Dragons, so I found a pattern with a Dragon on the back!Here is the link where I found it http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5264274. You can download it right away! I love patterns like that! I was surprised! I thought I had spun up enough, and when checking the pattern, of course I am short. So I gave it a go, I never duplicate very well, and I think it will match up quite nicely. I still have some of the pink Mohair and White Angora and if I run into a problem I will do the border out of a more solid color and the Dragon in the brighter mixture. So now I have the fleece in the dryer on my rack hoping to get it dry today so I can start blending and spinning.

I am still working on the SpringSurpriseShawl. I am about 1/2 done with clue 1, clue 3 just came out, but I think there are a few that are behind like me. It seems to be a bugger for loosing stitch counts. I am also using needles I don't like and my knit picks should be here the end of this week. I am hoping that helps.

Now I'm on a Roll

So now I have my page some what set up, I thought I would post a few more pictures. This is a shawl I made for my SIL that just had removal of both breast from Cancer. The first is on the bobbin, the other is the finished project. It is Merino, Angora and a tiny bit of silk. It turned out quite good I thought, although I added quite a few rows to get it to a comfortable size. I was one of those fibers that just spin them selves.

When I dyed it I was worried that he colors wouldn't blend, but when I was done it looked like orange sherbet! The picture I took of the whole shawl turned out really dark so I will take another and post this evening.

I seem to be having some trouble putting the pictures

where I want, I guess I will have to play with that for a while, so if something it way the heck out there, you will excuse me!

So here is the yarn I am using for my Folk Shawl group. We will be knitting the Wool Peddlers Shawl from the Folk Shawl book by Cheryl Oberle. It is beautiful.

I dyed this all different shades of green and blues and some natural white. It came out very soft and about sport weight. It should make a great shawl for the cool eveings out by the fire.

I like to comb all my wool and then blend on my carder. It comes out so pretty and smooth.

Well this has been really fun! I can see where this may cut into my knitting time. And I need to change the date on my camera! I am going to give it a so at the SpingSupriseShawl knit I am in, this is a pretty lace pattern but it is a B----. I haven't gotten far enough to even post a picture yet!