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WIP Wednesday – Handspun Hip Granny Tunic

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Remember that crochet kick that I started at the first of June?  I’m still picking away steadily at my projects but a little slower than at the beginning of the month.  Other time commitments always seem to creep in when it is crochet-time.

Today I want to share with you the progress I’m making with my Hip Granny Tunic.  I have both the front and back of the top crocheted and sewn together and now I just have to get cracking on the sleeves and the bottom border.  I’m loving the crazy colors and the squishy snuggliness of this handspun yarn when it is all crocheted up.  I’m thinking about adding in some recycled sari silk to the sleeves just for a little extra craziness.  I’m looking forward to wearing it already!

So what have you been working on?  Got any crochet on the go?  I’d love to hear all about it!

Its A Handspun Crochet Kind Of Day

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Today has been one of those strange days of off and on rain, so, between trips out to work in the garden, I’ve been working on a fun new handspun crochet project.

1 lb of Luxury Singles

I came across Hip Granny Tunic yesterday and was itching to start it immediately.   Taking a dive into my stash, my “Queen’s Garden” handspun seemed like the perfect choice.   I decided to wait until the kids were in bed and the housework was done (dang housework getting in the way of my crafts!) before starting and I had the entire front of the tunic finished by the time I went to bed.  And just so you all know, I’m one of those people who finds it almost impossible to stay up past 10PM so you know that it works up fast!  lol

Today I’ve been trucking right along with the back and hope to finish the piece before bed tonight.  The yarn looks so yummy when worked up in crochet … it reminds me of the colorful street art that you see in some cities.  LOVE!

I’m hoping to have a picture of the front and back joined for my WIP Wednesday post later this week.  Stay tuned!

WIP Wednesday – Posturing Socks

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Socks are starting to become like shawls to me … I need to have a pair in the works at all times.  This time, I have chosen 4oz of really lovely fingering weight rambouillet handspun from my stash.  The colorway is “Posturing” by Hello Yarn and it makes me think of summer sunsets, citrus fruit, and tequila sunrises.  LOVE!

The pattern is Simple Handspun Socks . I almost always choose toe-up socks for handspun because I want to make sure that I get to use all of my handspun and that I don’t run out.  Plus its a nice and simple pattern that I don’t have to think too much about while knitting :-)

I’m trucking right along on the first sock … I’ve finished the heel and started on the leg.  I don’t see these taking too long to finish as I’m hooked on watching the colors shift and change as I knit.

So what are you working on right now?  Do you have socks on the go or are you admiring any new sock patterns?  I’d love to hear!

WIP Wednesday – More Handspun Shawl Goodness

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I’ve been itching to get started on another handspun shawl and, after looking at dozens of patterns and handspun combos earlier this week, decided that I NEED to knit another daybreak.  And this one MUST be knit in Wensleydale.

I chose to use 4oz of  “Not So Seaworthy” colorway by Spunky Eclectic and paired it with Rosa’s amazing natural deep brown.  I really like how these two yarns play together and Wensleydale is just so dreamy to work with!  It is knitting up super fast and I’m looking forward to snuggling up in it on these still-cool spring evenings.

What’s on your needles, hook, spindle or wheel?

Medieval Crochet

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I don’t crochet often enough.  It is something that I really enjoy but I just don’t do it as much as I would like.  Since it is kind of a dreary and wet day, it seems like the PERFECT day to bust out my trusty crochet hooks and work on something fun.

I’m using 4oz of handspun BFL/silk in “Medieval” colorway by Southern Cross Fibre to make some super awesome granny squares.  The pattern is Control Issues by Cynthia Boylan and it is such a fun (and addictive!) pattern to work with.  The pattern calls for a 5mm hook and worsted weight yarn but since the handspun I’ve chosen is fingering weight, I’ve dropped down to a 3mm hook and I really like how the squares are turning out.  I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to make from these rockin’ granny squares … probably a fun cowl … but I’m loving just kicking back and crocheting for the heck of it.

Happy Tuesday all!

April Handspun

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Its that time again … time to share the previous month’s handspun booty :-) I can’t believe how quickly the time is flying already! And of course, I enjoyed this months spinning immensely. I’ve finally come to the conclusion that I am completely and hopelessly in love with wool. Each month is always my “new favorite” or a newly found and much loved new-to-me technique.

April was my first time ever spinning for a cabled yarn and can you guess how much I liked it? I loved it! I picked out 4oz of South African Fine in “Day Lily” colorway by Spunky Eclectic and paired it with 4oz of Merino/Mohair/Alpaca in “Good Morning Sunflower” colorway by Belfast Mini Mills. The end result is a wonderfully round and brightly colored yarn that just screams “CABLED COWL!” to me.

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My next spin is another of my absolute favorite fibers – Romney. This was the March club shipment from Spunky Eclectic and, during 20 Questions, when it was revealed to be Romney, I did a little happy dance. Long wools are so much fun to spin and they make amazing shawls. I decided that this 4oz bump should be fingering weight singles for exactly that reason … to make a shawl.

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My last spin for April was another favorite for me and many other spinners as well. The April club shipment from SE was oatmeal colored BFL overdyed in a rainbow of gorgeous hues. Amy’s inspiration for this colorway was seashells, hence, the name. I chose to spin this fiber as a fingering weight single as well because it NEEDS to be a shawl too.

So, my spinning total for April is 16oz bringing my 2013 total up to 5.5lbs of fiber spun. Trucking right along towards my spinning goal!

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And this last picture is just a fun shot from the yarn photo shoot. Apparently, I need a supervisor to oversee all things here and Bugsy was diligently keeping watch as I snapped some pics. He takes his job very seriously!

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and Happy Fiber Friday!

FO Friday – Handspun Lichen Mists

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Today is a strange day … I’ve been sitting here trying to write a post about my Lichen Mists and I words just don’t seem to want to come.  Me, at a loss for words?  Strange indeed! Call it March madness, call it spring fever … all I want to do is be outside :-)

Since I can’t find the words to do my yummy new shawl justice, I’ll keep it short and sweet.

  • This is my new handspun shawl.
  • I absolutely LOVE it.
  • I feel positively elvish wearing it.
  • This pattern was MADE for my special skein of handspun
  • I’m cuddled up in the shawl right now and plan to wear it out tomorrow night.

Now, this girl is going back outside to enjoy the delicious evening sunshine that makes spring so very tempting.

Happy weekend all!

 

 

Handspun Lichen Mists Shawl

When Colorways Combine …

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Last year I ordered a couple of pounds of some really gorgeous brown Shetland wool from Spunky Eclectic and went on a dying spree.  Since this was my first time dying colored fiber, I decided that semi-solids would be the best bet and I was immediately hooked. I dyed every scrap of the fiber.  Pictured above is 1.5 lbs of my experiments – the green I call “Sherwood”, the red “Rustic”, and the purple “Catawba”.

Keeping with the adventurous spirit this fiber seems to have instilled in me, I’ve decided to use it for my very first combo spin.  I have 12 oz spun up and ready to ply.  I’m quite excited and look forward to seeing what these will look like when combined.

I’m off to start plying!

February Handspun

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Its that time again … time to share last month’s spinning … and I had an adventurous month!

I chose to start off 4oz of buttery soft alpaca that my dear fiber friend Tina gifted to me.  This was spun up as a fingering weight single which I think will be absolutely perfect for a shawl.  Probably a nice West Knits design :-D

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Next up was 4oz of some amazing Wensleydale from Rosa’s herd.  This was my first time spinning Wensleydale in carded form and I just loved it!  This was spun up as a fingering weight single as well because I though that it would pair up perfectly with the alpaca from Tina.  I can’t thank both of you enough for the wonderful fibers!

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This bump was another first for me … my first time spinning Cotswold sliver.  The feel of the fiber reminds me a bit of Shetland and the colors in this are AMAZING!  This was the January offering from Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club and is called “Eye of the Peacock” which I chose to spin as, surprise, surprise, a fingering weight single.  This handspun is going to make perfect socks!IMG_0631

And I tried another new fiber this month … Norwegian.  I fell completely in love with this fiber.  I find it similar to Falkland to spin up and it makes the most delightful singles!  This 4oz bump is from Northbound Knitting in the colorway is “Firewoman.”  This yarn has been telling me that it wants to be either a cowl or shawl.  I guess only time will tell but I how can it not be awesome in these great colors?

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Do you guys ever get sick of me telling you how much I love each and every fiber that I spin?   I guess that I just really enjoy wool and this fiber was no exception.  “Aurora Borealis” was the December club color way on Falkland from Spunky Eclectic.  It sat for a whole month in my stash because it was one of those “special” bumps of fiber that I would take out and admire and then gently tuck back to save for another time.  I love the blues, green, and purples that blend throughout this colorway and I think that it will make gorgeous fingerless gloves, a cowl, or shawl.  IMG_0635

And nope, I never get sick of Falkland.  I love how it spins up, especially in the “Reese’s” colorway by Northbound Knitting.  This fiber practically BEGGED to be spun up nice and fine and then navajo plied. This, I have secret knitting plans for!

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And last, but certainly not least, is 4oz of “Peacock” in mixed BFL by Northbound Knitting.  This was another fiber that wanted desperately to be navajo plied.  It also told me that it wanted to be pre-drated too.  I generally don’t pre-draft my fiber anymore, and almost never with BFL because it drafts so well, but the effect that it makes on the color is hard to pass up sometimes.  I like how it stretches out the color changes and gives even more subtle transitions through the colorway.   Combine that with navajo plying and I think the effect is quite striking.  These two skeins are already designated to the “special” yarn section because they are almost too pretty to knit.  Notice that I did say “almost.” :-D

So February really was a productive and adventurous month, with trying new fibers, and fibers in new preparations.  My total amount spun was 28oz bringing my 2013 total up to 44oz … just shy of 3 lbs.  Not too shabby!

So how are your 2013 crafting goals going?  Are you trucking right along or have you revised your goals?  I’d love to hear!

 

 

WIP Wednesday – Lichen Mists

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nevermore

As many of you know, I set “rules” for myself when it comes to crafting … no more than 3 knitted WIPs at a time and if it doesn’t fit in my stash basket, I don’t need it … just to name two.  It may seem a little strange, or even restrictive to do so, but believe me, it saves me from crafting induced insanity and losing all my good circulars in a mountain of WIPs.  These “rules” also help me to prioritize.  If I start a project that I don’t love, I frog it and save the yarn for something I feel it is more suited towards.  I also seem to have a sub-conscious rule that I absolutely MUST have a shawl in-progress at all times.

Enter Lichen Mists by Ruth Garcia-Alcantud.

I was gifted this beautiful pattern from my dear friend Tina (thank you so much!) and I knew immediately what yarn this shawl would be knit in … Nevermore.  I have had this special skein of handspun sitting in my stash like a treasured jewel since 2011.  I would take it out, admire it, contemplate using it for a project and then put it back because it just didn’t feel right yet.  When I wound it into a ball and started knitting my Lichen Mists with it, the feeling was YES!  This skein of yarn was WAITING for this project.

Lichen Mists is a beautifully written pattern for an elegant lace shawl/shawlette that can be worked up in either lace or fingering weight yarns.  It is perfect for any yarn that has nice drape and a bit of silkiness to it, as this handspun does.  The pattern is also slightly addictive.  I’ve knit half my shawl already and am eager to knit some more!

So do you save “special” balls of yarn like I do?  Do you make crafting “rules” for yourself?  I’d love to hear!

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