Sheepish Yarns

WonderWool 2011

2011-04-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

wonderwool was Amazing. such a huge array of fiber artists and producers never ceases to amaze me, even though i went last year. I met so many Lovely people, handled oodles of beautiful fiber, ate Delicious food and even taught drumcarding (which is a first for me). i came home with 4 plastic bags of assorted fiber and a very great big smile having had a wonderful time.
even though i took the camera with the intention of taking as many photos as i possibly could, i completely forgot for the majority of the time (apparently wool in large quantities plus way too little sleep causes me to be a bit blithery) and there for don't have any photos of Feltstudiouk's gorgeous stand or of me cuddling the adorably fluffy grey angora that the lady from bigwigs had brought (i didn't want to give it back, it was just so soft and unbelievably cute).
here are some of the photos i did manage to take

Freyalyns fibers

sallyinwale's knitting machine

Angora rabbits, so cute and totally unfazed by all the people

Lincoln long wool sheep

Love Patisserie's delicious berry and almond things (i got a bit overexcited and had a bit before i thought to take a photo)

so right, now I'm whacked (unsurprising considering we travelled 500 miles in total), surrounded by bags of beautiful fiber and very very happy. I cant wait for next year!

6 days to Wonderwool!

2011-04-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

Six Days...six days till WonderWool Wales, possibly my favourite even in the entire year. Ive read the Yarn harlots Fiber festival survival guide I've started the packing, I've written a shopping list and everything. and now my brother, who has been the incubus of viral contagion for about a week, appears to have finally spread it to me, despite the fact that I've been mainlining echenacea and trying to stay out of his general vicinity. there's nothing for it but to resort to sticking my head over a steaming bowl of lavender and water. I refuse to be ill for wonderwool! I've been looking forward to it since before Christmas!

Yarn on the Brain

2011-03-27T06:20:00.000-07:00

the weather is so beautiful outside, sunny and warm with a light breeze from the SW, the bay tree is in flower and the garden is filled with the sound of insects. perfect weather for spinning in the garden and walking around barefoot on the grass.

I finished the scarf, something I've needed since before Christmas as the one i have just isn't enough, just in time for all this warm weather were having...typical. never mind though, once id got the hang of not YO for the last stitch (and subsequently causing me to be very confused as to why i had 13 stitches on the needle and not 12) it went like a dream. its so comfy to wear and is warm as toast. the cowl project I've been planning to do next may get postponed though as if the weather continues on in the same vein i wont get to wear it till October.

I spent most of yesterday trying to distract myself from the beautiful handspun silk/wensleydale DK sitting dripping in the garden. i sat there trying not to think about how much i wanted to finger crochet it into a summer hat or imagining how it might come out (slouchy, lots of big holes, maybe something like fishnet stitch). this morning i come downstairs all chirpy, thinking "it has to be dry, its had two days now, including one spent hanging in the sunshine for hours, it has to be dry" and what do i find? damp yarn that's what. looks like today is going to be yet another day of trying not to think about finger croched, summer hats patterns or that wensleydale silk handspun in the garden.

at the moment (in an effort not to think too much about aforesaid yarn) i am halfway through spinning this

its going to be lovely, ive added lots of beads in and i hope my friend, whome its intended for, will like it. it should make amazing pixie hair when its done.

All Golden

2011-03-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

The Summer sun seems, finally, to be creeping over the horizon. spring is definitely in the air and, due to being held back by the harsh winter, Cornwall is painted with golden fields of early daffodils. we are literally smothered in them down here, you cant go for a walk without falling over the things. the beaches are beautiful and the water is clear, if bone chillingly cold. the wintry winds are still roaming around though leaving a toasty day to turn chilly very fast, so keep that coat on a little longer, you might just need it.

I think i may have finally figured out why I've been in such a slump with the spinning, I started a spinning journal the other day (something I've been meaning to do for ages) and suddenly realised I'm making the same yarn over and over ...semi worsted, slubbed, aran, 2ply, spun short draw, ....I'm am the proverbial record stuck on a scratch. so i consciously chose to do something new, something i haven't tried before, something that would push the envelope so to speak. and this is what i ended up with...

And I Loved it! i had so much fun and really enjoyed it, even when i overdid the uneven plying and one of the singles gave up the ghost it didn't phase me. well, OK, i did swear a bit when it wouldn't splice back together but a nice square knot sorted that out a treat.

Since i haven't blogged in a while (yes, yes, very bad me) i have loads of lovely yarns to show you. and this one (Weedy Seadragon), and its identical twin, are going to be a lovely scarf in this pattern. I've got the yarn, I've found the knitting needles, now all i need to do is work out what on earth a YO and TURN consist of and I'm in business.
Anyway, enough of that for now...Bring on the eye candy!!

Cherry Red, hand dyed Falkland spun super bulky

Sweet surprise, hand dyed Falkland spun bulky

Perfect Day, merino, nylon, mohair, throwsters spun bulky

Treasure trove

2011-02-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

I am the happiest bunny in the world today. i walked into a local shop yesterday and came out with this amazing antique wool winder. what a find!

it was just sitting there, asking to be taken home and used. I've already wound a skein on it, and i cant believe how fast it went, it just ate the yarn. i recon i could easily fit a 200g skein on it, with room to spare.

my other lucky score this week was this amazing vintage knitting bag to hold my bigger projects in. the fabric is very 60's and totally sycodelic, to the point where you almost need sunglasses to look at it.

I did take some photos of my latest yarn, but the camera and i are having a disagreement again and it has stubbornly decided to eat them, much to my dismay. ah well, you'll just have to wait till next time for that.

Suprise!!

2011-02-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

yes, i know. you didn't expect another blog entry quite so soon. well I just had to share the good news, I've finally got my head in gear and photographed some of my freeform finger crochet hats, which also means everyone gets to have a look at what I've been up to for the past month. Enjoy!

Dyeing days

2011-02-04T02:21:00.000-08:00

Wow, its been ages since I've done one of these. Just to let you all know, I haven't actually fallen off the planet (so far anyway). January has just been, in keeping with national average, a very slow month for me. but now its February and though the weather is still pretty bleak its betting warmer the first signs that spring is actually coming after all are appearing and life is finally starting to get back to some sort of normal rhythm.

The finger Crochet is going well, sadly still no pictures though I'm hoping to get something up on the shop in the near future so keep your eyes peeled. But the big news of the week is that I have finally fallen off the wagon and brought a spinning wheel. Ive never used one before (its all been spindles up till now) so needless to say I'm pretty intimidated by it and everything I've managed to produce on it looks like its been mangled by a dog. but I'll get there in the end (just don't expect any photos of anything I've made on it for quite a while).

Last week A group of friends and I got together and had a weekend dyeing party, needless to say we all ended up with hands of one colour or another even though we were wearing gloves. sadly i have very few photos of this as the camera decided to play up and ate most of them, for reasons that are , as usual, beyond my comprehension. those that follow are the best of what I managed to salvage from the camera.

we must have dyed some where around 3kg of fiber over the course of 2 days. this is my stash, 300g of Falkland top and about the same of a mix of Mohair, Romney and Texel X fleece. which is now picked and waiting to be carded into awesome textured batts with a whole stash of other goodies.

After Shock

2011-01-01T03:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas is now over and we're into the new year, soon all the decorations will be taken down and (apart from those who still have allot of snow) the world will be back to normal. I don't know about you, but I'm feeling very washed out after this Christmas, maybe its the cold, or it could be the bout of flu that's been going round but now seems like a good time to sit down and heave a big sigh of relief. time to have a bit of a rest after all the merry making a little holiday before the norm is quite reinstated. time to look forward to the new year before we have to get on with everything again. I don't know about you lot, but after my very successful fibre diet, what little space i have has once more been swamped by batts and beautiful dyed top. a good sorting is definitely needed, but that can wait for now. I also have a lovely new toy to play with, a Fleece picker from Kaydessas. great gadget, really takes the strain out of picking fibre when i want to put fleece through the drum carder without shredding the teeth. now all i have to do is get dyeing!

Sleigh Bells

2010-12-17T02:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know if its the cold making me sluggish, but all i want to do at the moment is curl up with my crochet/spinning in front of the fire. It snowed again in the night, and the garden is dusted white with it, looks like we may get a white Christmas! I've put all the decorations up in my room and am feeling really christmassy, I may even spin a Christmas yarn to celebrate (I'm thinking something along the lines of "sleigh bells")

I finished the Hat/Scarf (still haven't come up with a better name for it though), and I'm so happy with it. its really comfortable to wear and really really warm. just what the doctor ordered in this cold weather. I sewed some lovely vintage buttons on it and also left some of the ends on as little tassels, which i think gives a really nice effect.

I had my birthday at the beginning of the month, so have a lovely new pile of fibre (and some books) to add to my stash. right now I'm half way through Debbie Stoller's "Happy hooker" crochet guide ( i thought i might as well see what I'm actually supposed to be doing as up 'till now all I've had is an A4 sheet with the basic stitches on it and a couple of very nice ladies who taught me the basics), I'm really enjoying it and have even bought one of her other totals "Stitch and bitch, the knitters hand book" to see if i cant get a hang of this knitting lark.
I must have made about 10 hats by now the scarf/hat is number 6 or something (I'll take some photos next week of some of the others), some I've given away, but I'll have to start doing something with them very soon, before they take over my what little space i have left that isn't full of wool, yarn or fibre equipment

.

A Crocheter at Heart.

2010-12-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

the snow has been coming down in sheets..well sheets for round here anyway. we've had at least 2-3", and its bitterly cold. everything is frozen, even the doors and hand brake on the car were frozen yesterday, and my father had a rather nasty moment with the brakes as well. thankfully I'm keeping myself warm with hot drinks, copious amounts of clothing and the toasty cat sitting on my lap. I've also been finger knitting neck warmers and hats to keep myself busy. I'm halfway through making a hat with a scarf attached (I know, not the catchiest name in the world. I'll come up with something better eventually).

me in my finger crochet hat from last week and my snazzy new neck warmer which is super toasty, now if only i could work out how to make gloves with fingers and id be set.

my half done scarf/hat thing. its the first hat I've crochet from the top down, rather than from the bottom up, and i think i definitely prefer this technique. you get a hat that fits much better.

the bag i knitted ages ago, but neglected to photograph till now

I feel like I've really hit my stride with finger crochet. its funny, it never really clicked for me when i was using a hook. I suppose i just work better when i get hands on. with knitting, I found I'm doing it for the end object, with finger crochet, I'm doing it to enjoy the process of making something. Ive heard people say that your either a knitter or a crocheter (a saying i always thought couldn't be right, why couldn't you be good at both), I just suppose I'm a crocheter at heart.

Camera Troubles

2010-11-24T05:32:00.000-08:00

I have just spent the last 4 hours in an epic battle of wills with my brothers new camera, in an attempt to get at my photos. But I've finally succeeded and here are the fruits of my labors, photos of some of my newly spun yarn.

I've been very busy, it seems to be the trend this winter, making things, spinning yarn and getting organised. I even discovered a new craft to fall in love with...Finger Crochet, which is great as crochet has never really clicked for me before and I'm now hooked on making crochet hats. As Ive finally got the camera to talk to my computer I'll have to take some photos so everyone can have a look. As I seem to have finally reached a lull point in all the busyness, hopefully I will be able to update the blog on a more regular basis.

Just couldn't resist this batt

Autumn Chrysanthemums, hand dyed by me, I'm very happy with the colours I maneged to get

Love those neps, such a bright colour

Buisy, buisy, buisy

2010-11-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Life has gone nuts recently, Ive got a couple of fairs coming up and I suddenly realised i didn't have enough stock. so, as is traditional, I've been working like mad to make everything I think I'll need. the good news is that there should be some up dates to the shop very soon as I've been spinning skeins, dyeing top and knitting some pretty funky gloves. as i cant fit everything I've made into a post i thought id put up a small selection of my favourites for everyone to drool over. enjoy!

these are some of the Mad Mitts I've been knitting, their so textured and gorgeously soft. the ones on the right are hand dyed by me, the others are going to be my mothers Christmas present.

some of the Falkland I've been dyeing

one of my newest hotch potch batts, which will make an awesome hat when its done.

anyway, back to the madness that is currently my life.

If you fancy seeing my shop in person I'll be at the following fairs.

23rd Nov, Lizard Christmas market, Lizard reading room.

6th Dec, Helston Eco fair, coinage hall.

If any ones passing by, stick your head in and say hi.

Drained

2010-10-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, this week i have succeeded in contracting a lovely cold bug that my brother very thoughtfully brought home. due to this wool production has ground to a halt, which is very annoying as i was planning to do some dyeing. I wanted to dye a whole slew of reds, and so far the fibre has been sitting in a bucket of vinegar water for 4 days now as Ive been unable to manage it. I've spun some beautiful yarn as well and was planning to set it (again, something that isn't currently happening). hopefully by next week, I'll be over this enough to take some pictures as they're relay lovely. including these batts, which have been transformed into a lovely thin single full of unexpected goodies.

so, till next week everyone!

Keep warm, Keep knitting

2010-10-20T04:09:00.000-07:00

OK, I'll admit it, I may be addicted to knitting gloves. In the last week Ive managed about seven pairs and am now on my eighth (which is pretty decent for someone who only a few weeks ago hated knitting). After the first couple I even got confident enough to start writing my own patterns, which, surprisingly, wasn't actually as complicated as i thought it would be. I've got a couple of local shows lined for December, so have been making things like mad. I even started making some very nice beachcombers jewelry, which I love, even though I have managed to glue my fingers to just about everything in the process (bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase "sticking with you"). I need to get it together and do some spinning (the knitting has taken over slightly), maybe the dyeing I've got planned for the weekend will kick it into gear (I'm thinking deep reds, though I'm pretty spontaneous with the colour mixing, so i might get something serendipitously unexpected).
Its definitely cold outside now (and that's saying something for Cornwall) So I hope everyone is wrapped up nice and warm. We've started lighting the wood burner in the evenings and its lovely to sit and work in front of its flickering warmth and watch the dancing flames float across the glowing logs. soon we'll have this years first frosts, so keep warm everyone, and keep knitting.

All Blue

2010-10-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Wool Week everyone!
I finally finished the gloves, they're lovely (if a bit loose), I had to adjust the pattern for the yarn, but i obviously didn't get it quite right. never the less, they're lovely and warm, and super soft. I even made a pair for a friends birthday.

Ive had blue fingers all this week, but its not from the cold, its because I've been dyeing . so far I've come out of it with 500g of some lovely falkland top and 200g of fleece, all of which I love.

some of the colours didn't quite come out as i thought they would, mainly as i hadn't squeezed quite enough water out, but they're beautiful and i cant wait to spin them

Freezing fingers

2010-10-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

Summer has definitely given way to autumn now, the wind is cold and the air has that strange fragile quality to it, the leaves are already thick underfoot and it won’t be long till the first frosts are coating the veg patch with spirals of silver. so I've decided to attempt to make a pair of fingerless gloves (cold fingers and spindles not being the best of friends), and this pattern for hand warmers I found on Ravelry appealed to me as they look well within my current ability level (otherwise known as the "what am I doing with the pointy sticks again?" stage) as they're knitted flat then sewn up the side and don't have finger holes (which are apparently "tricky" ).

so far they seem to going reasonably well, even though I seriously considered chucking the whole lot out the window after having to redo the first two rows at least 5 times (thankfully the parent showed me what I was doing wrong before I did anything I might have regretted).

Hopefully they’ll work out as I’m planning to make a pair for a friends birthday. I've alredy started spinning the yarn which, so far, has been very interesting as although I’ve blended for texture and colour before, I’ve never blended for different fibre characteristics. As gloves the yarn needs to be soft and warm but also durable. So I decided to blend super soft merino fleece with some angora and llama and a bit of BFL and astle milk morrit to increase durability. This seems to be working pretty well but I cant realy tell how well its worked till I start knitting it up.

Truly, Madly, Deeply

2010-09-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

I think I may be in love, I finished carding these batts a couple of days ago and i just cant take my eyes off them. considering they were inspired by a picture of shockingly pink chrysanthemums and creamy white tea roses they didn't quite come out as planned. granted allot of other things went into them in the process of carding, but I still cant believe how well they came out (better than I could have imagined.), I think they may actually be the best batts Ive blended since i got the carder (proof at least that practice does make perfect). I wish I could keep them all, they're so soft and light they just scream "spin me". but If i kept every batt I wanted to then there would never be anything in the shop again. so for your delectation, and to my great lamentation, I've released them out into the big bad world for everyone else to enjoy.

Why tidyness in a bad thing

2010-09-26T03:46:00.000-07:00

I had a bit of a tidyup the other day and suddenly realised just how many batts I have carefully set aside over the past couple of months with the intention of spinning and then accidentally forgotten about . so it seems, as there is such dire need, I will have no choice but to embark on a spinning session of epic proportion. I've been at it for 2 days so far, with a bit of batt making thrown in for variety, and have so far produced 3 skeins (as well as 4 very large batts). hopefully today will be equally productive.
I've decided to enter one of my skeins in the local harvest festival show, how could i refuse when they had a section labeled "craft work- any other medium". so far I'm halfway through spinning up some of my hand dyed fibre and whichever is my favourite is the one I'm going to put in.

Colour my world

2010-09-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

I've been a busy bee this week, yesterday i woke with the overwhelming desire to dye some fibre. so, I got the kit out and mix the stock solutions with no clear idea of what colours I wanted, and this is what came out the other end...

I was a bit enthusiastic with the chopstick when it was in the pan and accidentally felted it ever so slightly in a couple of places, I've definitely learned to be more gentle next time. It finally dried overnight and I ran it through the ram carder this morning with some other goodies to turn out this beauty

I found the perfect pattern for my next knitting adventure, a lovely pair of fingerless gloves I found on Ravelry. My hands always get cold when I'm spinning in the winter and these look perfect, you knit them flat and then sew them up leaving a thumb hole. sounds nice and strait forward, especially as its got some stitches in the pattern i haven't used before. I've spun up 100g of falkland/merino top dyed by BabyLonglegs, in a lovely turquoise/purple/blue colourway (Its actually brighter in real life)

I've also spun a slightly chunkier skein in a matching colour, think I may knit it into a hat. I swear I'm going to end up with more hats than I'll know what to do with, maybe I should consider making some as Christmas presents or something.

I started spinning up some of my new silk batts, fresh off the carder. they were so nice i just couldn't keep my hands off them. I think I'm going to call them "nothing but blue skies"

the bee's are gathering up the last of the summers nectar, its getting cold and they're becoming less active, soon they'll go into hibernation in their burrows, snuggled up warm against the cold. I know how they feel, the sudden cold is making me want to curl up on the sofa in front of the fire with a nice cup of hot chocolate and stay there till spring comes round.

It's that time again

2010-09-11T04:42:00.000-07:00

Yes, Lady's and gentlemen. I have finally got my head in gear and pulled my finger out to get spinning. There are only a couple of items, but it's my intention to get another post out soon. I just need to finish carding the last of the batts, taking some photos (weather permitting) and packing everything and then it can all go up. so, for now please enjoy the delicious selection of fibery goodness available.

But enough of that, I have even bigger news. I Finally finished the hat!!! and i did it with no help so I'm very chuffed. I still cant quite believe I managed it as i had to learn loads of new techniques, but whats more amazing is i think may actually have developed a taste for knitting. so expect more knitting projects here soon. possibly a hat if i can find a good pattern.

but anyway, on to the piccies.

Doesn't it look lovely. Just incase anyone wants to make one of they're own, here's a

link to the pattern on Ravelry. Enjoy!

these arm warmers are what i went on to do after the hat, they're so toasty and soft. I had such trouble taking a picture of them though.

All I have to work out now it what to knit next...any idea anyone?

HOW TO...use a nostepinne

2010-09-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of nostepinnes, I like them for their simplicity and portability, and since all my yarn comes in skeins i thought it might be nice to do a tutorial about how to go from a skein to a ball of yarn using one. so with a little sunshine and a helping hand to take some of the pictures, here you have it, my first ever tutorial.

all you need is a skein of yarn and a nostepinne (though anything from a loo roll tube to wooden spoon handle works just fine)

open up the skein and place it over something like a chair or your knees, though if you can find a willing ~~victim~~ volunteer to hold it open they work best.

untie both the ends so the skein so it will reel off freely.

wrap one end of the yarn around the nostepinne about half way along (if your right handed its easiest to do this from right to left). I tend to wrap the yarn over itself as it stops it from slipping off when your not holding it.

wind the yarn around the nostepinne until its covered about an inch...

then begin to wrap over that yarn, from the bottom right up to the top left turning the nostepinne slightly as you go so each new wrap sits next to the one before.

continue to do this until you run out of yarn, then tuck the last few inches under one of the previous wraps to prevent the ball from unwinding.

wriggle the nostepinne out from the ball, and there you go, one nice, tidy ball of yarn ready to knit.

Happy knitting everyone!!!

Dreaming of Dubai

2010-08-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

Ive been carding like mad, both my orders of fibre arrived practically on the same day so I have 20 batts worth to get through (about 2kg worth). so far I've managed 10, and I'm dyeing to start the next colour, but I'm trying not to overload myself (i tend to bite off more than i can chew, and that leads to trouble), so I'm taking a little break today.
anyway, here are some sneaky peaks of what will soon be in the shop. hope you all like them. I've been thinking about foreign climbs, so several are named after cities.

this one is called Dreaming of Dubai

and this one is called Damasdus, maybe ill make one called Istanbul to go with them.

the weather cant seem to make up its mind at the moment, right now its blustery and cold but very sunny (when the clouds don't sneak over) yesterday it was absolutely baking in the morning, then decided to downpour, even though it had been stormy overnight. very odd. more sunshine would be nice, then all the tomatoes will be nice and ripe, just ready for picking. the chicks have inherited their mothers Houdini like traits and are now living in the veg patch (we cant get them to stay in the run, they just escape every time we shoo them back in), this is good news as far as pests go, but bad news for my pak choi, as they seem to have taken a liking to it. they are incredibly cute though, so i can probably forgive them munching my stir fry staples.
I finally finished the 4 ply that is eventually going to be the strap for my bag, all i need to do now is sow everything together and then put the button on and it will be done.

hopefully it will be ready to wear very very soon.

Yarn Update

2010-08-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

Just a small selection of some beautiful yarns I've had cooking for a while.

I really need to get spinning, I have so much fibre (all of it deserving to become something beautiful) and only limited storage space. I just don't seem to be able to find the moments to spin it, life keeps interrupting.

I have a great batt mixture in the works though, very middle eastern colours, cant wait to see how it cards up. but for now I'll sneak you a peak at some of the yarn ive been making.

the tomatoes are starting to drop of the branches in the greenhouse, and everything is bountiful in the veg patch. I love this time of year, when everything on our plates (except the meat) is our own home grown. I hope everyone else is having a good harvest season, with enough veg to enjoy some next year.

Head Space

2010-08-06T09:39:00.000-07:00

I decided I needed to knuckle under, I've feel like I've been waiting for something to happen which is back to front, people can spend their entire lives waiting for something to happen, you need to get out there and make something happen. so, I've got myself in a good head space and am now spinning up new stock, which seems like a positive thing to do and what needs to be happening. at the moment I'm working my way through 200g of Tree Nymph batts, I've don't 100g so far and am just starting on the next spindle full. cant wait till they're done. I love the greens, and every so often you get a surprise splash of the shiny turquoise nylon which is such fun.

Pour Passer Le Temps

2010-07-31T03:07:00.000-07:00

Just a short post today, thought I'd show you all what I've been up to.

these two skeins are hopefully going to be knitted into a stripy pair of arm warmers as theyr so soft and lovely I couldnt bear to part with them.

As I haven't been feeling very well I decided to treat myself and test out some of JazzTurtles new fibre, I mixed it up with a load of other stuff from my blending box and these beauties are the result.

As you can see I've been keeping busy. The bag will soon be done as well, I found some beautiful batik dyed cloth in the local fabric shop and have used it to line the inside, all i need to do now is spin a nice chunky 4-ply for a strap and then sow it all together.

Rock Bottom

2010-07-27T09:27:00.000-07:00

Having hit rock bottom energy wise I am now attempting to climb out of the hole created by catching some sort of bug (species unknown) which has caused me to sleep almost nonstop for the last 4 days. other than that i have zero symptoms , not even the sniffles, so there does seem to be an upside.
I have finally started a knitting project that has been on the cards for quite some while now, a knitted bag. right now its still unsown as I'm going to get some material to line it with, and hopefully a catch, later in the week. I used a lovely hotchpotch batt which i spun into a chunky single for the project and it looks so good, now all i have to do is make up my mind about how i want the strap (I like my bags to be hands free, less hassle that way) and it'll be sorted.

there are also some beautiful yarns in the works so expect, I just need to set the twist and then i can photograph them.

After the Rain

2010-07-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

I have officially fallen off the band wagon with the spin-a-thon, I've been at it a little (which does count I suppose) but the enthusiasm just isn’t there right now. but today the sun is shining (which is nice as recently we’ve been having that much needed rain, and when it rains in Cornwall it really goes for it) and I’m going to get out and have a good walk which should cheer me up no end.
The knitting is coming along as well, though its still at the uninspiring stage, cant wait till it actually looks more like a hat and a little less like an amorphous mess. But in the spirit of optimism I’ve included a photo for everyone to enjoy.

Yarn Alert!

2010-07-14T04:50:00.000-07:00

OK, I've finally managed to get everything together and have been spinning and carding like mad, so far I've got all these goodies lined up...

Hotchpotch minibatts,

Tree Nymph Batts,

Punk rock hand spun,

Tree Nymph hand pulled roving,

Hellebore hand spun Falkland,

Candyfloss carnival hand spun...

Enjoy everyone!

Batt Bananza

2010-07-11T04:10:00.000-07:00

I've just remembered that Monday is booked solid, so I've had to move the up date further into the week (possibly wed, have to see how it goes). therefore sit back and enjoy this alternative program of Eye candy instead.

Ive finally finished my mammoth batt card (1kg of fibre!) so have lots of lovely goodies to share. I'm not going to show you everything, as most of it will be in the update and i don't want to spoil the surprise for everyone, but hopefully there will be plenty to drool over.

I made a massive 7 of these batts, which I've decided to call Tree Nymph. I'm also going to pull a couple into roving, which is always lovely to spin.

these are a new idea I had this morning (yes, they are that fresh), HotchPotch minibatts! great fun, never the same twice

this is something i spun for the tour de fleece, I was intending to include it in the update, but i just cant bear to do that, it breaks my heart too much. so I'm going to keep it instead, even though i have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do with it.

this skein just screams Punk Rock, its got tons of attitude and goodies hidden in it.

the first of the Candyfloss Carnival batts, so lovely and soft.

Tree Nymph minibatts, very pretty.

Anyway, hope your all looking forward with anticipation now I've whetted your appetites, as there's more to come very very soon.

Yarn Dreaming

2010-07-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

I've been spinning like a daemon, well, except for yesterday where i got slightly caught up in carding some beautiful batts. I usually name my yarns after the blend, so the first is called candyfloss carnival. I haven't named the second one yet, I usually don't name hotchpotch batts, but this one is so special i think it deserved one...have to have a hard think and see if i can come up with something appropriate.

I've also started the knitting project with the the green yarn (subsequently decided to name it sea green), no pictures as yet though as its at the visually uninspiring stage. I feel a bit like I've jumped in at the deep end. previously all I've ever knitted are scarves, and the typical plain all the way down variety at that. this is a hat on DPN's and I've also had to learn to cast on, which was rather intimidating to say the least. haven't quite got the hang of the juggling you have to do to knit with 3 needle's in your hand at once, its trickier than it looks. anyway, hopefully it will be far enough along soon that i can take a couple of pictures to share with everyone. hopefully it wont drive me nuts before then (this is my first attempt at actually enjoying knitting, so far its going quite well as i haven't thrown it across the room yet),hopefully this will continue.

The Big Announcement

2010-07-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

as promised, you lot get a first peak before I start posting it all on the Forums.
Enjoy!

Have fun everyone.

Being Brave

2010-07-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ive been at the drum carder again, having fun with the lovely hand dyed merino fleece that i was saving for a special occasion (well, until i was brave enough to put it through anyway).

Desert Sun. isn't it lovely, makes me want to go on a long Holiday somewhere hot. A friend of mine goes to Dubai once a year and when he comes back he always paints these amazing golds and cinnamon's and bright intense blues, maybe I'll one day go there and experience all those beautiful colours he loves so for myself.

this batt was so pretty i decided it deserved two pictures.

Today it the beginning of the Tour De France and (for those of us on Ravlery anyway) that means the beginning of the Tour de fleece challenge, which may possibly be my favourite spin-a-thon. I've been rummaging through my stash of fiber to come up with some beautiful fiber to spin, so expect an influx of lovely new yarns in the next few weeks. like this lovely falkland number (freshly spun today)

Bountiful Promise

2010-06-28T04:20:00.000-07:00

Another scorcher of a day and the veg are beginning to look a bit desperate, have to get the watering can out this evening or wave goodbye to any hope of fresh salad in the near future. Really reminds you how close starvation is if you rely totally on what you yourself grow, drought suddenly becomes a much bigger problem than "oh dear, the lettuce have copped it, have to pop down the shop and buy one instead". On the bright side, we have baby veg appearing, cant wait till its all big enough to be picked and eaten.

I've been drum carding again, and though more pics may appear soon, this one is so lovely i had to share.

think i may call it something like Candyfloss Carnival, Its so lovely and fluffy, all cormo and alpaca and throwsters, with a big handful of merino thrown in for good measure

I'm also currently working my way through 200g of Falkland (isn't it lovely), spinning it nice and thin, just right for summer.

Wavering Heat

2010-06-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have been extremely lazy this week, the weather in Cornwall at the moment is currently reminiscent of Greece and it is baking when your out of the sea breeze,the light has that quality where it leaches the colour out of everything making the whole world seem slightly ethereal and distant, like a faded photograph. I don't know how the tomato plants (which are only about 2 foot high) can stand it in the hottest of the green houses, it was at least 40'C in there today, even with all the windows and the door wide open. we could really do with some rain right now, the water barrel (my way of measuring rainfall) is half empty and the soil is so dry its like its been cooked. thankfully most of the plants are either big enough to cope, or are verities I've selected for resistance to our local climate (Cherokee trail of tears french beans rock, they cope with droughts really well). I really want to get on with dying, I've finally managed to buy, scrounge and generally collect all the kit, now all i need is a decent opportunity and I'm going to have a crack at it. more on this, hopefully, soon.

Mini Batt Madness

2010-06-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy making minibatts, I made quite a few since i brought my carder I'm really getting into my stride with them, I think I'm even beginning to develop my own style (which is nice). I carded a whole load of them over the weekend so I'm just going to show you some of my favourites.

Aren't they lovely, sadly no matter how many photos I take I just cant seem to get them to look as beautiful as they are in real life. more practice needed on that count I think.

this is whats on my spindle (well, one of them anyway) currently.

I'm attempting to do the felt add-ins technique from Lexi Boerger's book Intertwined. I have to say I'm struggling with it, but then again whats the point of choosing to do something challenging if it doesn't stretch your abilities. now i come to think about it, possibly my decision to vito the auto wrapping may not be helping, but ive got so far into it i may as well just keep going as i am.

Suprise presents

2010-06-19T10:22:00.000-07:00

I've been rushed off my feet this weekend, sometimes there just aren't enough hours in the day to go round. Every thing seems to be going so fast, even the plants in the garden seem to be rushing ahead, trying to use every second of sunlight to its utmost. the beans are flowering and the garden is looking great, (the precociously tall runner bean has already reached the top of its cane and is now attempting to scale thin air) even the carrots are doing well, something we usually struggle with as our soil is a bit claggy. Anyway, just thought id show you all this...

100g of organic merino spun in a thin, gently slubbing 2 ply. very lovely and , if all goes to plan, going to be a surprise present for a friend in the near future (if i can convince someone to knit it for me). I recently decided I need to learn to knit, I have all this beautiful yarn, and keep mooning over patterns on Ravelry but am unable to make any of them. so, I've picked an idiot proof pattern and am going to have a go. so, hopefully more on my adventures with knitting in the near future.

My Favourite Hat

2010-06-14T01:57:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be nice to show you something made with my hand spun (mix things up a bit), so this is my favourite hat. its made from a skein of my own hand spun (unsurprisingly), and its spun from one of my hotchpotch batts, (the first hotchpotch batt i ever made actually).

My hotchpotch batt mixes are made from all the little goodies that get left over from projects, like pieces of top, yarn scraps, spare fiber from the drumcarder. I swear it must have at least 15 different ingredients, its definitely got at least 3 different silk preparations in there. anyway, I love it to bits, the pattern is by Ruth Stewart and was free on Ravelry. I should probably mention that i wear it inside out (i prefer the pattern of the stitches like that).

Batt Attack

2010-06-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

I'm not feeling brilliant today, and I'm not sure why. I don't have a cold or hay fever, or anything concrete like that, maybe I've just got the blues. I was hoping it was going to be nice and sunny today to cheer me up, but sadly (despite glimpses of sun earlier) it has turned out to be one of those in between days. ah well, at least its not heavy and humid. I was planning to lug the drumcarder outside and do some carding but i think i may do it inside instead (breeze is a bit chilly). but on the subject of drumcaders, I finally got up the nerve to card the fleece. and It was Awesome! I swear, in the last couple of days i have produced the best batts I've made so far. its like I've turned a corner or something, just goes to show that practice does pay off.

these are my first ever textured batts, the curly blue faced Leicester fleece I dyed was amazing through the drumcarder (though I need to be a bit more rigorous about picking the twigs out as i discovered half way through). I put the Falkland in as well as the bluefaced Leicester, and also quite a bit of kid mohair and silk. I was also going to put nepps in, but i never got round to it, and on balance, i don't think they need them anyway. I cant wait to spin them.

these are my newest hotchpotch batts (there was only supposed to be one, but when i took it of the drumcarder it was 30g shy. so i made a mini batt to go with it to make up the weight). as usual they have a bit of everything in them as they're made from all the goodness that comes off that gets left on the drumcarder after I've finished carding a batt, and are lovely (though as usual very hard to photograph), there's even some of of the nylon I dyed in there.

these 4 batts are all my spindrift blend (lots and lots of silk in there besides other goodies, theres even a little alpaca), wonderfully smooth, think I've really got into my stride with smooth batts, which is nice. I swear i put about 8 different colours in them (somehow, it works),

I've also been planning a present for a friend shhhhh, don't tell them, its supposed to be a surprise but i cant work out what to spin, I've got so much beautiful fibre littering my bedroom at the moment (some mine, some other peoples) its really hard to choose. maybe I'll spin one of the top's i dyed myself, that would be a nice present and very colourful. hmm, have to think about it some more.

Yarn Pile

2010-06-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

Sadly the lovely weather we've been having has broken and now the rain is falling, ah well, at least its good for the garden. Wouldn’t want the peas (which are only about a foot tall at the moment) to shrivel up after all, especially after all the trouble we had getting them to sprout in the first place. I finally have some yarn to show everyone, its not that I haven’t been spinning (I have), I just like to save up my skeins till I have a decent amount so I can finish them all together (less hassle that way). I've been playing around with thick and thin singles (some very large), I’m going through a chunky yarn phase at the moment and chunky with slubs has always been my default yarn. If I stop concentrating I automatically start making slubs, I suppose you could call it my autopilot setting.
so here they are, in no particular order. beech trees, Cheshire cat, two i have yet to name, summer lightning and fruit cocktail.. Enjoy!

Merino Medly

2010-06-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

Cor, today is a real scorcher, its almost too hot to sit in the sun and then only for a short while. on the up side the last of the fibre is dry! thanks mainly to the sun and a now rather damp towel.

This fleece is gorgeous, its so deliciously soft. I also love the bubblegum colours which came out really well, especially considering it could have done with more time in the dye. the candyfloss pink is Falkland and the beautiful turquoise is blue faced Leicester.

this is my colourway called desert (the arid wasteland not the pudding), and though it didn't quite come out as i imagined it (though to be fair, that's half the fun of it) its going to make a wonderfully soft batt (or two if i lucky)

I think my favourite (if i had to pick one) is this kid mohair, I'm severely wishing id dyed two bags instead of just the one. I can't wait to blend this, its going to be so beautiful.

the silk cocoons (my favourite silk preparation) are so soft, they are going to be really nice to spin. I think i may have to think up something special to spin with them.

and last but not least, 100g of wool neps (in my opinion, an essential ingredient in a textured batt) and in case your wondering, no they didn't go back in the bag they came out of. these dried surprisingly quickly (they would have been dry at the same time as top if i hadn't run out of mesh bags and resorted to putting them in a colander).

I went mad with the camera yesterday and suffice to say that the super macro setting and i are now firm friends. Ive put several of the best on my flicker, but this picture is by far my favourite (just in case you can't guess what it is, its the flower bud of a walking/Egyptian onion), I love the way all the stalks seem to be reaching towards something unseen. life should be like that, always reaching to grasp the unknown.

Full of Fibre

2010-05-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

Good news everybody, some of the fibre I dyed on Friday is dry, I’m sure the suspense is killing you so without further adieu bring on the eye candy...

This is the merino top that was painted blue, purple, green and yellow. I'm really happy with it, it looks really good. Not sure if I’m going to be able to bring myself to blend it, it may just get spun as it would be such a shame to spoil the beautiful colour sequence.

this one is kettle dyed Blue faced Leicester, half of it is olive green and the other half washed out denim

and this is nylon top, dyed in the same vat as the blue faced Leicester. it only went in two colours though (one blue, one green) but somehow came out with these amazing golden orange streaks all the way through it, no idea how that happened but it looks lovely.

Also, The chick's finally deigned to be photographed, if rather fuzzily, suffice to say that there are 12 of them (yes we have another one as of this mornings count) and being hyperactive little balls of fluff they refused to stay still, even for the 0.01 of a second it takes for the shutter to close.

Ive been busy finishing off projects over the weekend, my version of a spring clean, well, more like a summer clean but you get the idea. so far I've finished my low twist thick and thin yarn which has been sitting around gathering dust and hogging my mid weight spindle for about a month, haven't decided what to call it yet, possibly tutti fruity. I've also finished the last 50g of yarn for my hat (ran out at the end of the pattern, apparently 100g didn't quite cut it), after struggling to find the colour of merino again (4 orders before i got it right) it has come out a completely different colour as i haven't managed to put quite the same amount of nylon into the blend. ah well, c'est la vie, at least it will look very individual.

Dyeing for Colour

2010-05-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to write about today, Yesterday I went on a dyeing course with Amanda Hanniford of Mandacrafts and had a great time. I must have a kilo of brightly coloured goodies drying in the bathroom (sadly I'll have to wait till its dry to take photos of it), It's so beautiful I cant wait to blend and spin it all, especially the silk cocoons (my favourites).

also big news, The chicks have hatched! they're a bit camera shy at the moment so I'll wait for a nice sunny day to try and get some photos, but they are incredibly cute, all 11 of them have come out slightly different colours and every single one is adorable. Bob (never let my brother name the animals, he has a unique sense of humour) is a brilliant mother hen, I wish she was handtrained though as she doesn't like anyone touching her at the moment so checking on the chicks is going to be a bit tricky.

also, the crimson flowered broad beans are in bloom (aren't they lovely)! wont be long till they have lovely fat pods for me to pick. I saved all the seed from last years plants, grown from a packet I received through the garden organic Heirloom seed library.

Alfresco fibre

2010-05-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

The weather is so beautiful at the moment, there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the temperature in the warmest of the green houses is topping the high thirties (in degrees anyway) even with both the windows and the door open.

It’s so beautiful I thought I’d set the drumcarder up in the potting shed so I could enjoy the sunshine whilst making some batts, gives me a wonderful view over the veg patch.

Everything has gone mad in the garden, if its not dripping with flowers then its growing like crazy, this runner bean was planted out from its pot in the green house yesterday and already its halfway up the cane,I swear its grown about 2 feet overnight! Another nice surprise were the 6 self set tomato plants in the greenhouse, no propagation required, which is ok with me.

Going Batty

2010-05-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

I have had my new Louet drumcarder (which I utterly adore) for 8 days now, I ran out of fibre by the 4th. I must have carded about 2kg at least of fibre and have ended up with over 14 large batts, at least 20 mini batts and 10 micro batts. I'm realy enjoying experimenting with all the colours and textures, i found the colour blending exceptionally satisfying. I have also discovered that taking picture of batts that accurately represent their colour is a lot trickier than I would have previously suspected, does anyone know any good tips or tricks for taking good batt photos?
firstly, to avoid confusion, you should probubly know that I always name my yarns and fiber blends, always have, don't ask me why though because I'm not sure myself. so that over with, on with the batt parade... Scummow (Cornish for things washed in by the sea)

lavender fields

one of my Hotchpotch batts

Cheshire cat

Clowning around

Apart from a few choice items I am saving for a special occasion and what’s left of the fibres too fine to blend on their own, my entire stash has gone through it. I must say though, that even though its arrival was delayed by a couple of weeks (props for the folks at Scottishfibers, whose customer service was excellent) I have had an immense amount of fun with it so far and am now impatiently waiting for tomorrow as it is Wingham wool works annual migration to Parr (a little village by the sea in west Cornwall) where they will be setting up shop for 2 days, therefore a perfect opportunity to buy more fibrey goodness to feed my drumcarder.

Begin at the beginning

2010-05-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

This is my story, and as with every story it has to have a beginning, and this beginning, as in all the best stories, started a long, long time ago (or, to be more precise, when I was about five) and it came about completely by chance. We had all gone into town, my mother, my brother and I, to a café we had regularly frequented, where we discovered that the upper floor was occupied by a group of reenacters all kitted out in the fashions of bygone eras, demonstrating traditional fibre arts. One of them had brought along a spindle, which fascinated me as I had never before seen one being used, and with more than a little help I even managed to spin what was possibly some of the lumpiest yarn ever. But that didn’t matter; I had made it and thought it was wonderful. As I walked away from the café with my hand clasped tightly around that little lumpy tangle in my pocket I felt wonderfully happy and extremely proud of it, and at that moment I decided I wanted to learn to spin one day. But as with many things it never got any further than that, but I remembered that feeling, the joy of making something, and it stayed lodged somewhere in the depths of my memory.
Now, nothing at all may have come of it, and that is what would have most likely happened if I hadn’t, by chance, found myself with a massive slice of time to fill (for which I am not going to account, as it would take far too long). It was at this point that I suddenly remembered all those years ago, walking down the road with a hand tightly clasped around my yarn, and that feeling of being perfectly blissfully happy, and I said to myself now is as good a time as any to learn to spin. And I’ve never looked back, but what I can tell you is this; I am a self confessed fibre addict, I have a love affair with drumcarded batts, I have Way too many spindles and yet never enough and that I’m never happier than when I’ve got a spindle in one hand and some fibre in the other.