Hand Spun Romney Sweater

 So much for my "slow clothes" idea.  This knitted up fast.  I started on Monday and was done by Friday.

I used a pattern called Bulky Neck Down Cardigan for Women by Knitting Pure and Simple. 

It's the warmest sweater I have ever put on.  I'm ready for some snow now.

Lichen Dyeing

 I wanted to take the Lichen Dyeing class at Madrona, but I didn't get in. The class filled up in less that 45 minutes and I couldn't sit in front of the computer at work!  Ugh.  Well, who needs a fancy-schmancy class anyway?  I've decided to teach myself how to dye with Lichen.  My co-worker and friend, Marge, picked some Lichen for me last weekend when she was out by Cashmere, Washington.

 I use just water and heat for the first go-around.  The yarn was golden yellow within a half hour of being in the pot!  I threw in a little alum with the somewhat depleted dye bath and got the softer yellow after an hour.

St. Distaff's Day- A real holiday

Yesterday I attended the St. Distaff's Day Spin In, an event that made the news...

http://www.king5.com/video/featured-videos/Hundreds-of-yarn-spinners-gather--136886693.html

While happily bustling around the house to get ready in the morning, I found my husband smirking at me.
"What?" I asked.
 "That's so cute, you think this is a real holiday."

Knit Romney

 I've been thinking about the concept of "slow clothes".  Us knitters and spinners have been making slow clothes all along---definitely not a new concept.  But just like the "slow food" movement, it's about slowing down and enjoying the process. It's about shunning Mc Donalds or "Mc Fashion".  Last month I decided I needed a new sweater.  On Dec. 10th I purchased 3 1/2 lbs of raw Romney at Weaving Works.  There was a blue ribbon in the bag of fleece and the sales person said it's from Washington State.  Other than that, I do not know the origins.  It felt soft and lovely and the color was interesting, so I bought it.  I washed it on Dec. 10th and 11th.  I began spinning on Dec. 12th.  I was done spinning on Jan 2nd. 

The pattern was chosen on Jan 2nd and I began knitting.  I'm on the second arm of the sweater...photos to come later.  As you can see form the photo above, I separated the light, medium, and dark lock so I'd have a variety of shades to knit with.  In the end, I ended up with a bulky weight three-ply yarn.