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Its A Handspun Crochet Kind Of Day

Jun 3rd, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
4 comments

handspun crochet

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!

May Handspun

Jun 1st, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
12 comments

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I can’t believe that it is time to share another month’s spinning already.  May really seemed to fly by!

My first spin was 4oz of Polwarth in “The Giving Tree” colorway by Northbound Knitting.  It is a beautiful progression in light and dark greens and brown.  LOVE!   This baby was spun up as an N-plyed fingering weight yarn.  I’m thinking that it would really like to be mittens.

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My next spin was 4 or my 8oz of BFL in “Dijon” colorway by Spunky Eclectic.  This was spun as a fingering weight single and will be paired up with my Pheasant in BFL/Silk for the Fine SAL/ Romi KAL happening in the Spunky Eclectic group on Ravelry.   If you’re interested in joining the fun, you can find out more info at the previous link and jump right in!  This gal is planning on knitting Carson.  It is going to look so yummy in Pheasant & Dijon!

laceweight

The next was a “just-because-i-can” spin.  I had 4oz of really lovely BFL in my stash that I decided to spin as a laceweight single.  I’m planning on dying with a semi-solid and eventually knitting it into a fun shawl.  I don’t have any specific pattern picked out yet but I know that I REALLY wants to be a pretty lace shawl.

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And last but not least is 4oz of really gorgeous fiber that I picked up at Pembroke Farms during the Celebration of Sheep and Wool.  I got to practice my long draw and I got a beautiful and light, bouncy, bulky weight 2-ply.   It was such a delight to spin!  I’m looking forward to my next trip back to the farm so I can pick up more of this delightful fiber.

So May’s spinning total was 16oz, bringing me up to a total of 6.5lbs so far this year.  I’m half way to my goal!

WIP Wednesday – Posturing Socks

May 29th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
8 comments

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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

May 15th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
5 comments

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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

May 14th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
3 comments

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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

May 3rd, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

daylily cable

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

Mar 29th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
14 comments

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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

WIP Wednesday – A Sweater’s Worth

Mar 27th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

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March has been flying by and I have been working steadily away on some spinning challenges. I’ve actually combined two of the challenges together this month.

In in the 13 lbs in 2013 group, the March challenge is to spin a sweater lot of fiber and in the Spunky Eclectic group, there is a combo SAL going on.  So I’ve decided to do a sweater’s worth of combo spinning for this month.

I chose 1.5 lbs of some really gorgeous shetland brown Shetland wool and over dyed it in three semi-solid colorways …. Rustic (red), Sherwood (green), and Catawba (purple).  I was a little apprehensive when it came time to ply these three colors together because I really had no idea how the finished yarn was going to turn out, but as it stands, I’m really loving the way it looks.

In my last spinning post, I reported that I had finished plying the first 12 oz and I and happy to say that as of today, I am finished plying my sweater’s worth or combo spinning.  I just need to give the yarn a wash and hang it to dry.

Now,  to find that perfect sweater pattern to suit the yarn …

WIP Wednesday – Lichen Mists

Feb 27th, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
6 comments

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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!

FO Friday – Handspun Pogona

Feb 22nd, 2013
by SandAndSkyCreations.
8 comments

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In this week’s FO Friday post, I’m happy to share with you my finished Pogona!

Pogona is a fun, geometrically shaped shawl by Stephen West, that is perfect for showing off handpainted fiber.  I chose to knit this from my handspun Wensleydale in “Scarecrow” colorway by Spunky Eclectic.   I love the warm and inviting colors and my friend W. says that the colors and stripey-ness of the shawl remind her of some of the beautiful mushrooms growing in the woods. I only ended up using 6 out of my 8oz of this yarn so I still have another 2oz of this yummy fiber to play with.  Yay!

I used the recommended 4.0 mm needles for my Pogona and it yielded a nice sized and beautifully drapey shawl that just begs to be snuggled in.  I am gifting this shawl to a fellow spinner with an obsession with longwools (just like me!) and I really hope that she enjoys wrapping up in it.

What’s on your needles?  Finish up anything new?  I’d love to hear all about it!

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