Fibery Stuff

In between dyeing and preparing for Black Sheep Gathering, I have been doing some knitting and spinning.  I finished the "Blossoms by the Brook" shawlette.  I think it turned out quite nice. This is a very easy pattern to follow and it looks so detailed. And it's a free pattern on Knitty.com!

I liked the "Blossoms in the Brook" pattern so much, I started one in my handpainted sock yarn and it's half done. 

But, before I could finish it, I started knitting a tam with my sock yarn so that I can finish writing up the pattern.  That's just how it goes.

I originally knit the tam using a couple of skeins of my handspun yarn and one of my friends liked it so much, I think it will be her birthday present.  Thought I better memorialize the pattern.  

And I've been dyeing things in my crockpot on a daily basis.  So easy, just put the fiber in and forget about it until the end of the day.  I dyed some merino/bombyx silk (50-50) and Polwarth wool/silk in the same pot, and then I did a batch of kid mohair the next day.  I've been spinning the two together, and then adding mohair curls as I spin along. What fun!

Just checking in.  Now, back to work.  

June is Approaching

Good grief! Where has this year gone?  It is fast approaching June -- Memorial Day weekend, the official start of summer even though we're stuck in our May gray/June gloom down here by the coast.

I finished the crocheted triangle shawl.  I ran out of the handspun yarn that I started with but rummaged around in my stash and found a skein that worked perfectly.  This hasn't been blocked yet.  Hopefully the sun will decide to come out this afternoon and I'll block it on my patio table.


I've continued dyeing, dyeing, dyeing for Black Sheep Gathering.  Here are some rovings of Polwarth wool and tussah silk -- rinsed and ready to hang out for drying -- colorways "Bittersweet" and "River Dart".

My boothmate for Black Sheep, Miryha Runnerstrom of Blarney Yarn, is also deep into dyeing.  She will have some beautiful rovings and hand-dyed yarn for our booth.  


My tomatoes are going crazy and have already set fruit. 

And, in my spare time (LOL!!) I have begun the "Blossoms by the brook" shawlet from Knitty.com using yarn I spun from Inglenook Fibers batts.  (I actually finished it last night and it awaits blocking -- doesn't look good unblocked.)

As Tim Gunn always says, "Carry on".  

Just Checking In

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL OF MY FRIENDS WHO ARE MOTHERS. 

I've been working hard getting ready for Black Sheep Gathering -- which will be held Friday through Sunday, June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th this year at the Lane County Fairgrounds in Eugene, OR.  I've got to be ready by the first week of June, though, because on June 9th, I'm off to Shakerag Workshops, in Sewanee, TN, to attend a weeklong workshop with the most talented Jean Cacicedo (from Berkeley).  So, this week has been the week of "Pastiche" -- putting together bags of a luscious blend of fibers and whatnot for spinning art yarns. 

This one, I call "Fairy Dust" because it reminds me of little girls and ballerinas. It's actually all full of sparkly things.  Some day I'll figure out how to be a better photographer.

Almost 40 bags -- maybe 50 to take to BSG??

I continue to work on a crocheted triangle shawl using my handspun yarn.  I keep trying it on and then conclude it's still not big enough.  This is so fun and so easy.  I think Miryha plans to have the pattern in our booth at Black Sheep Gathering.

I had planned on spinning more of the yarn that I used to start this shawl, but looked around in my stash and came up with a skein that seems to work well --  the beauty of handspun.  This was two of my colorways plied together:  "Fleuret" and "Vintage Merlo".  Blueface Leicester wool and silk. 

During my evening times of relaxing with a glass of wine, I managed to spin a yarn using one of my handpainted rovings of merino/yak/silk (my "Brandywine" colorway) plied with a custom batt from Inglenook Fibers that had colors of chartreuse, lime, plum, purple and black.  (430 yards, 6 oz.)  Of course, the little sparklies don't show up. 

So I've checked in, all is well in the world of fiber, and I'm back to work. Looking forward to seeing all my fiber friends in June at Black Sheep.