During the last few months I’ve taken on a few crafty projects that are brand new to me. Dying, spinning yarn and photography have been a natural progression. They’re all intertwined, really. During her last vacation to the U.S., mom suggested that she and I dye a few 4 oz. lengths of superwash merino roving. I’ve dyed wool fabric in the past but …read more
I’ve finished the fiber I showed you in A Superwash Merino Spin and I’ve achieved socks!The superwash merino was so effortless to draft, so it was one of the thinner singles I’ve managed. I navajo plied it, which essentially made for a 3 ply finished yarn and it came out a little thicker than I’d hoped. Not really a fingering – it was more …read more
Well, here we are - the polworth I showed you in Spinning Polworth to Navajo Ply is all spun and wound on my idea of a bobbin – an empty toilet paper roll that’s skewered on a chopstick and hung in a box. The poor girl’s Lazy Kate. 
Next time, however, I’ll wind on a paper towel roll rather than a toilet paper roll and cut it to about …read more
Remember the fiber we dyed in your kitchen, Carli? I’ve finally got it on my spindle and it’s bringing bright and happy vibes to these dreary wintery days we’re experiencing here. I’m so tired of wind and rain! I’ve had spinning for socks on my brain for awhile now and dare I say it? This could possibly be the yarn that works for that. It’s …read more
Polworth Wool Top by Blue Dog Fibers in the Erik Colorway is the newest project on my spindle. The plan is to spin it in one long singles, keeping the color repeats as long as possible, then to Navajo ply the singles, which is basicly a process of pulling your singles through loops, as if you were making a giant crochet chain, then plying …read more
What a joy it was to knit the Lacy Baktus with the fractally spun yarn I created on my drop spindle. I enjoyed not only the knitting, but also the process of observing the handspun as it slipped past my fingers and became a stripey F.O. As I explained in Spinning for Stripes, plying the two halves of singles – one spun in short color repeats …read more
Earlier this month Mom and I started A January Challenge – using what you have to get rid of some crafty leftovers and to enter the Rise to the Challenge Contest. Wheeeee! We love contests! After passing this project back and forth a few times, we’ve completed the challenge and have a finished object. Our inspiration was this clever …read more
Whew! Was it only a month ago I started spinning this Falkland? I showed you how I split the fiber in Spinning for Stripes and the first singles on the niddy noddy in Spinning for Stripes Progress. I thought it would never end. I got a little impatient on the second half and I think my singles got a bit thicker. Add that to the fact that …read more
The short color repeat portion of the prepared roving I showed you in Spinning for Stripes has been spun into singles. I wound it onto my niddy noddy to get an idea of how much I have. 645 yards, it seems. It did seem to go on forever! I don’t think I’ll keep that yardage once I spin the other half of the fiber and ply the two sets of singles …read more
As much as we craft around here, Carli and I accumulate a good deal of leftovers and scraps. If you’ve read our blog for awhile, you know that we’re fans of the scrapbuster project. If it’s cute or useful and will eliminate some leftovers, we’re all over it! Peppermint Mocha Mama is hosting a contest for the month of January. She asks …read more
