Namaste

This is some of the Finn I showed you before spinning it into a soft-spun singles yarn, which is my favorite yarn type to spin, the type that comes most naturally to me, my "ohm" as a friend once said. I plan to add it and some others to the shop soon.

Has anyone noticed that the spinning wheel ring links on my right sidebar finally work? I'm pretty excited about being part of a spinning ring. I'm a bit of a loner, so this may be the only blog ring I ever join.

Remeber this shawl?

I have 1 knitting kit with the silk boucle yarn that I dyed in the same colors as the one pictured. I'll add that to the shop too, soon. It is a quick and easy pattern, with the edging knit at the same time as the center so that when you bind off the top edge, you're done.

My birthday is one week away. Just when I'd stopped thinking about the Ashford knitting loom, I came upon
this site
Aren't they cool?
Now I'm thinking of it again, only I've already bought an elliptical machine instead.
How long until Christmas?

Yummy!

I dyed some Finn today and I can't wait to spin it.


I spun up the Finn that I dyed last week, and I'll add them all to the shop as soon as I get my computer back.

We've had the most glorious weather today...sunny, cool but not cold, breezy but not windy, just right. I'm glad I have portable spinning wheels and a comfy porch!

I'm here, sort of

My computer has died, so I'm using my husband's when I can. Mine is supposed to be fixed and back to me by next Friday, so keep your fingers crossed!! I'm hoping that not all is lost, as in all of my files, pictures, programs, etc.
I dyed some Finn today. It is drying right now, so at least I'll have some spinning to do tomorrow to keep my mind off the computer woes!
I've also started knitting a new shawl pattern I've written, complete with fancy graphs. I haven't completely written it; some of the designing is done as I knit, but the graphs and general directions are good to go (luckily I made copies of the graphs before the computer died). It will be a more traditional shawl than I usually design.
Not having a computer sure leaves me more time for knitting and spinning. It makes me realize how much time I normally spend just browsing the web.

Here's hoping your computers are healthy and strong!!

Another FO!

This took just a few hours to knit:

It is a mobius from Cat Bordhi's first book " Treasury of Magical Knitting". I made the smallest size, which fits around me just fine, but I wish I had made it a bit wider from top to bottom to cover my arms more. It is great nevertheless, and makes me feel like a dancing gypsy girl. I used Tahki Yarns New Tweed in color #015. I want to make lots of them- summery ones, lace ones, fringed ones, non-fringed ones!

I finally added pictures to my new bag:

They are shots of some of my handspun yarn. I love how it looks as if the yarn is inside peeking out through "windows". that reminds me, I've added some new handspun yarns
to the shop.

I'll leave you with a picture from a recent trip to DC. (Hi Lara!!) That's me in the denim skirt, with Dave, Lara, and little Kimberly.

Obsession

For weeks now I've been obsessing over the new Ashford knitter's loom.

I totally don't need another hobby, but the idea of weaving scarves and other projects no larger than 12" in width is just too tempting. I don't know how to weave. I have numerous unfinished projects that need attention, as well as patterns that need to be charted and typed up, but I keep coming back to that darn little loom. I've studied all of the pictures I could find of it over and over, imagined all the great things I could make with it using handspun yarns... Oh, tempting loom with your portability and ability to handle funky and handspun yarns, why do you fill my dreams and waking thoughts like a new lover?

I've fallen in lust like this before. Last summer I nearly bought an old circular sock knitting machine. Socks! I don't even enjoy knitting socks, yet I had imagined adding socks to the shop-all colors and sizes, cotton socks, wool socks, socks made from my handspun yarns. It is a sickness for sure, this fiber obsession. I felt free and relieved when I came to my senses about the sock knitting machine, so I'm waiting for this too, to pass. Did I mention that I can even get it at wholesale since I'm an Ashford dealer? A sickness, I tell you.

In other fiber-y news, I've been working away on the lace edging of my 'smaller than it should be but I got bored with the feather and fan part' Field of Flowers shawl
I'll post a picture when (if) it is done.

Post- Holiday Post and 2 FO's!!

I spent the week after Christmas in Engelwood, NJ, visiting with family and playing in New York city. We saw "Fiddler on the Roof", Central Park, Times Square, ate knish, drank lots(too much?) red wine, and had an all-around fabulous time!
Here are picts of some of my fiber-related gifts

This is the knitting software I've been talking about. I'm still studying it, but hope to be "master of the knitting software that I got for Christmas" soon.


The Lovely Lara(the other knitter in the family) and Silly Dave gave me this groovy bag, which has a huge gusseted bottom that allows it to stand to attention when placed on the floor, making for the best knitting bag/purse. I'm one of those who uses the same favorite bag with every outfit until the thing falls apart, and this is my new favorite.

I haven't decided which photos to put in the round picture windows yet...I'm non-commital that way.

This is a skein winder for my Majacraft Little Gem. It fits onto the flyer shaft so that you can wind on yarn using terddle power! You may have noticed that it is not on the wheel....if I can find the little key for releasing the flyer, I'll be able to try it out.


DH gave me the skein winder, software, and this incredible book of lace patterns- the most extensive and well documented I've seen:



Here we have a hand crafted sterling silver shawl pin given to my by my in-laws. It was bought from the Knitter's Review Boutique, and is signed and numbered by the artist. I love it. In the picture I am wearing it with the finished Silk Shawl (the first FO).

Her are better shots of the shawl:



My second Finished Object is another shawl, which I started and finished on our trip. I've posted the Free Pattern for it in the post below! This is the Easy Garter Stitch Shawl: (send me a picture link if you make one)



I hope everyone else had a terrific holiday as well!!

Free Pattern: Easy Garter Stitch Shawl

designed by Sheila Macdonald
This shawl is VERY easy to knit, and the simple garter stitch will showcase any colorful, funky, handspun, or otherwise fanatstic yarn! This variation of a garter stitch shawl features a slipped-stitch upper edge and a fringed lower edge.

Yarn: I used Fiesta Yarns' La Boheme yarn in the "Australia" colorway, 2 skeins (4 ounces,165 yards each skein). La Boheme
is made up of 2 strands-one is a thin kid mohair/wool and the other a rayon boucle. You could substitute with 400
yards of any heavier worsted or lighter bulky weight yarn.

Click Here to get the PDF pattern file.