FAF 12 03 10 First Yarn

I have spun and plied my first yarn.  I purchased 1/4 oz of Alpaca/angel hair/Merino dyed in Kool-Aid from Tamara of Via Verde Farm while attending the Quilt/Fiber Expo at the Coopersville Farm Museum back in the summertime.  I chose the fiber because it was pink and sparkly.  It was my first ever fiber for spinning purchase.  I used it to make this pretty yarn with my new Ashford Turkish Spindle..

It was interesting how some parts of the single that I spun let go of its twist when I was plying.  I have lots to learn.  I love the Ashford spindle!

I did finish my red socks last weekend and wore them one day this week.  They are comfy and toasty.  I do like the pattern in a more solid color though.

I've been busy moving office again at work.  Just about settled, gotta move the computer and I'll be ready to rock.  Ahh, gotta love a change of scenery.

There is a new scarf on a pair of gigantic needles...and I really mean gigantic.  These are size 17.

The yarn is Crystal Palace Yarns, Taos, color #18.  The scarf pattern is Keyhole Scarf by Kim Hamlin.

Tomorrow is open house at Yarn Hollow.  You should join us, it'll be fun!

Don't forget to check out the other Fiber Artists over at Wisdom Begins In Wonder...Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

After turkey FAF 11 26 10

I'm assuming that if you're reading this post you've survived turkey day and whatever other activities you've gotten yourself into this past week.  After eating 2 different turkey dinners yesterday I've had quite enough thank you.  I've spent the morning catching up on the 3 episodes of Luther that I recorded and am finally sipping the coffee that I made about 2 hours ago and have re-heated in the microwave at least twice, ugh.  Seems we've had a bit of a TV adventure around Chez B today that hasn't gone so well...

I've been a busy little spinner this past week and I'd reached the point of toe decreases on my red sock when I saw that I messed up about 10 rows back so am in the middle of a bit of tinking, drat!  The handspun is very pretty though, Andrea's beautiful Suri/Alpaca roving is turning into some magnificent yarn.  See for yourself...

I've also got a bump of her Rum Brown/English Garden that I'll spin next. I'm thinking about plying them together and making a keyhole scarf with the resulting plied yarn.  Just a thought.

The black beret is blocked and here's a photo of the hat on Blue Lady.

I believe I'd like it a bit bigger in the lace area and smaller in the band.  Since it is such a quick and fun knit I'll be casting on another quite soon.

I've been reading the latest issue of Spin-Off, a dangerous magazine I feel, in light of the fact that it so blatantly encourages you to look at pretty spinning wheels and things.  I love the Kromski Sonata and Kromski Minstrel but then there is the Lendrum Folding Wheel  but for it's beautiful lines I like the Ashford Traditional.  I might have to go try out some spinning wheels one of these days.  Or perhaps I should just get in touch with Dave the Alpaca Barber and have him refurbish my $9 special.  All I really need a wheel for at this point will be plying the yarns I can spin on my drop spindle.  I would think the old wheel could handle that job.  It would also be in keeping with my vintage tool obsession.  So many options...

I tried out a new crochet pattern I found for a MaryJane slipper, it didn't seem to have much substance so I decided I'd measure it up good, felt it, then figure out how much bigger I'd need to make one so, after felting, it would fit my foot.  Here's what I ended up with  thanks to some turkey day felting by Rena

 now for more measuring and a bit of mathematics.

You can see more exciting fibery things by clicking through to Andrea's blog...Wisdom Begins In Wonder and checking out the other participants in Fiber Arts Friday.

LittleDog would wish you all a Happy Friday but he's too busy hogging my new to me (CL $15) knitting chair...

Fiber Arts Friday 11 19 10

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  Be sure to check out the great artists from around the globe who participate in this great collective.

Here's a funny little video for your enjoyment, it was created by Franklin Habit...creator of one of my favorite blogs...watch it at least twice, it's way funnier the second time...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edIlyY5_6EU

In addition to the blogs of the folks who participate in Fiber Arts Friday over at Wisdom Begins in Wonder I've been cruising through my Bloglines (and have to rejoice that they've decided not to shut it down).  It's like catching up with old friends you haven't seen in a while.  Ever since I stopped checking Bloglines (because, as stated earlier, they were shutting it down) I feel like I've lost touch with my peeps.  Not sure why but the blog subscription thingy here on Blogger just doesn't work out well for me.

Here are my favs of the week...

The Daily Puglet
 Frolic Blog
Tanya Brown's Blog
Tacky Living
Miss Print
Brooklyn Tweed
Posie Gets Cozy
Oh Fransson!

Hopefully you'll find something that makes you smile in one or more of these blogs.

There has been knitting here...

almost finished with the heel flap on the second of my red Summer Sox.
I wound my hand dyed yarn from the fun day at Heidi's.

and I picked up my new glasses, whatchu think about them?

Something different for me, I've never done a square-ish frame before...mostly stick with the round-ish type.

Thank you for stopping by, hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll be scrubbing up a wing-back chair I got on CL for 15 bucks.  It'll make a perfect knitting chair if I can get the cat dander out of it.  Until then, it has to stay in the garage...ugh.  I like cats but my lungs don't!

Fiber Arts Friday 11 12 10

Welcome to this week's installment of Fiber Arts Friday.   A weekly gathering of fiber enthusiasts from around the world.  Hop over to Wisdom Begins In Wonder and check out all the great things that they are teaching and learning about.

On Sunday I drove south for a gathering with my ZPDK peeps from down Battle Creek/Kalamazoo way and had a great time.

We knit

and wound

 and dyed

 

 

all over Heidi's old church-house.  Could not have been a better day.  Such a great bunch of crafty folks who share so much of each other and their fibery endeavors.  It's an honor and a privilege to be a part of this group a couple times a year.

I got more of Andrea's pretty fiber - the one on the top in this photo is 70% Suri-Wonderz White, 30% Merino Lavender...super soft and pictured here above my previous purchase from her, for color comparison.

and a couple of batts or pretty red-orange-brown-sparkly from Heidi too

I'm so happy with the pretty yarn I dyed

and best of all...I got to hang out with my friend Kim.  Oh, and I got my official ZPDK Shovel.    

 Bring on the zombies!  mwah-ha-ha!

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Hope you all have a great weekend!

I Dyed...yarn

The red and green skeins, lower right, are mine.  It was great fun, as always, hanging out with my ZPDK friends.  Yarn dyeing is loads of fun.

Fiber Arts Friday 11 5 10

The hand is healing nicely, wanna see?  I didn't think so...still not perfect but getting better every day.  Thank you all so much for asking and sending healing thoughts.

I've been looking forward to this weekend so much since I'll be making a trip to Hickory Corners on Sunday for the ZPDK Gathering.  There will be yarn and fiber and dyeing and spinning, oh, and snacks and drinks along with a great bunch of friends...can't wait to get there!  Andrea from Wonder Why Alpaca Farm will be there spreading her alpaca joy too.  Don't forget to hop over to her blog and check out the folks who participate in Fiber Arts Friday.

I picked up a herd of machines last week so I'll show you those and then we'll top this post off with a look at how much progress has been made on the Black Beret despite my less than fully functional left hand.
So here are the machines...

National Rotary - I love the decals on this one, she'll look really nice once she's all shiney

 Kenmore 158.510 - sturdy, lots of attachments and cams for making fancy stitches

 Domestic Rotary - nothing fancy but could be a work horse in the future, I like it for its simplicity

 Nelco 1603 - 60s era Japanese clone - needs a needle plate but I love all the knobs and stuff on these type machines.  This type machine always makes me think of cars from the same era with all the chrome and knobs.

 Finally got the top to my sewing stool re-upholstered

and my beret so far.  It's getting cabley!  I love this pattern.

If you enjoy great music check out NPRs Tiny Desk Concerts podcast.  There are not enough hours of the day when I run across things like this.

Have a great weekend!

Shh, don't tell...I've been knitting again

Just couldn't stand it anymore, had to cast on for this awesome hat I found on Ravelry.  The pattern is free which makes it oh-so-appealing to my cheap little heart.  Brambles Beret...quite snappy looking.  Using Cascade 220 in black...I'll need good light to work on this one, LOL

On the subject of the not quite healed hand...gigantic bandage off, stitches out, new tape and bandage on which I'll only have to put up with until Saturday.  I can't wait to give this hand a good scrubbing!  I am thankful that it seems to be healing on schedule and I'm able to type relatively well and as mentioned above...I can knit a few stitches...only a few though as my hand gets tired super fast.  But, 1 row a day is better than no knitting at all.

As I was drying my hair this morning I was hit by an old memory from way back...I was appreciating the fact that I can hold the blow-dryer in my left hand again long enough to blow out my hair...a little memory snuck into my head about how I used to stand over the register at home when I was 13/14 to dry my hair.  There weren't hand-held dryers yet and that was the only way I could dry my hair (upside down) to give it a little lift and body...can you imagine a time when there were no hand-held hair dryers?  It boggles the mind.

Where are you/what are you usually doing, when little thoughts like that pop into your head?
For the LitteDog lovers out there - and you know who you are - here are a few (dark/poor quality cellphone) pics of how LittleDog spent my surge-a-cation...

 

As you can see, he wasn't the greatest, most helpful nurse as he was asleep more than I was...but he was nice and snuggly all week.  Thanks for all your well wishes, I really do appreciate them.

As is the case on all Fridays there is a group of peeps who check into Fiber Arts Friday over at Wisdom Begins In Wonder that I'm sure will have some fun, interesting and educational fibery stuff for you to read about.  Be sure to give a visit and tell them hello.  I know they'll appreciate it as much as I do.  Thank you!

Have a great weekend, I may be picking up a few more sewing machines tomorrow...pics soon.