Back in the Yarn Barn

 Yesterday I rearranged the yarn barn so I can open the front door. I had the front door covered with a quilt for the winter because there's no heat in the shed and it had an unbearable draft.  Now that the weather is nicer, I like to leave the door open while I'm in there and let more natural light in.

 I'm spinning lace weight these days, so I thought I'd take a break and spin some woolen.  I actually made a sample! I think it's the first time ever I sampled for a spinning project.  I liked the results so now I'm going to sit down and card a bunch of clouds.

 I'm using some merino roving that I dyed with some black alpaca.  Both are in roving form so I'm carding to blend the colors and fiber types, and to mess up the fibers so they are not aligned.

Now I have fluffy little clouds to be spun woolen style.

Store Bought Yarn

 I've set aside my spinning projects for some knitting.  It all started when I discovered Little Knits yarn store. At first I ordered some yarn on-line, but found it easier to drive to their shop in West Seattle to pick it out myself.  This is a first for me--using store bought yarn. It has allowed me to knit with fibers I do not spin (yet).  I bought some 100% organic cotton, naturally dyed yarn from Samp'a and started the new Knitty pattern "Gemini".

 Then I bought some cotton/linen blend from Nashua Handknits and began a project called Truro.

Also made with store bought yarn: felted slippers.  Even though I'm totally into wool, I've never really taken to felting projects.  I used some Lamb's Pride Bulky for these.  It's 85% wool/ 15% mohair.  After I felted these I took a pair of scissors and trimmed all the mohair that stuck out.  My dog Foxy wouldn't stay out of my photography session.

Little Knits sell close-outs that's why the prices are awesome.  Now that I've gotten my kick with store bought yarn, I'm planning on getting back into spinning.  Later next month I'm take a class on spinning flax, so there's one more fiber I can cross off my list.

Arctic Diamond Stole

 This pattern is from a 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.  It's called Arctic Diamond Stole by Donna Druchunas. The yarn, as I had mentioned before, is alpaca from Peru--something from my stash. I just recently started knitting lace and I'm learning as I go. This time I learned that I should invest in some blocking wires. Using pins did not give me a straight edge.

 This project had a mistake right in the middle.  I guess I dropped a stitch.

 I did a little creative repair, making one stitch and weaving in both ends.

It actually worked! You can't even tell it was there.

"make it work" basket

Before 

 I use to love the knitting baskets my grandmother had when I was growing up. They were the kind that have a folding frame. She took one everywhere and was always knitting.  I found this old thing at a thrift store for 41 cents. I had already acquired some fabric that looked retro but actually has sayings on it from Project Runway the TV show.  I do love Project Runway, but what do you do with fabric that says "carry on"?

Under Construction

Either you're in or you're out.

 I used the old fabric to make a pattern for the new one.  It was a bit like origami and in the long run I had to do a bit of hand stitching to make it work. 

Recycled Cashmere

The newest Spin-Off magazine had two articles about recycling yarn.  I have tried to get yarn from old sweaters before but it always seems like so much work to get the seams out.  One of the articles encouraged people to use not only sweaters, but skirts and scarfs, too.  For some reason I thought you couldn't deconstruct something with very small knit---but the article encouraged us to try cashmere and other fine yarns.  So I went hunting at the thrift store...

I bought this GAP scarf for 25 cents.  It's 50% wool/ 50% cashmere.  It did unravel easily! It's so soft.  After I soaked it for a half hour, I dried the yarn in a hank and it's own weight straightened out the kinks.  After it was dry, I wound the yarn into balls and began a new knitting project.  It's still going to be a scarf---this time around it's going to be "Seascape", a Knitty pattern.

Stash Busting Cowl

 I got this idea to make a cowl out of scrap yarns. Someone that I work with made a cowl with a K4P4 rib pattern and hers turned out pretty good, so I used that idea for the pattern. I took some white alpaca, peach mohair, and three hand spun wool yarns and held them together while I knitted with the biggest needles that I own--size 10.5.  Although I liked the colors, the knit was too dense and there was no drape to the garment.  I just tossed it out and started a new one...

For my second attempt I used the white alpaca, with a hand spun wool/silk hand dyed single, and some gray baby alpaca, and some white/gray sea silk.

 These colors blended nicely and with only four thin strands used, this cowl had the right amount of drape.

Here's the quickly pattern: Holding all the strands together, cast on 88 stitches. Join in the round and then
K4 P4 until the desired length. Cast off in the K4 P4 pattern. Weave in ends. Voila!

Happiness

 Do you know what makes me happy?                                                 Clean, white, fluffy locks of Romney...

 my favorite Fricke flick carder...

...and a basket of locks ready to spin.    This is what makes me happy.