Stole With Bee

I'm having difficulty getting photos of the stole. We got one very good one but it highlighted a snag and then looking closely I saw what must have been a dropped stitch in the lace pattern so I didn't want to use that one. Truly, there are more than a few snags and I expect there will be more as it gets worn but I have only found two areas where the pattern is messed up a little. I suspect I dropped a stitch in these places.
Here's one with a visiting bee. (Well, it is called Hanging Garden Lace Stole.)


I really am pleased with the stole even though it is not completely flawless. It is so soft and it drapes beautifully. Despite it's size, it works well as a long scarf. Exactly the way I'll wear it. It turns out to be a good color for me unlike the shawls I made last year.
Ah, when I enlarge the photo, it becomes quite obvious where the flaws are! Still happy, though. I tend to tread the fine line of challenging myself but not to be too rigorous in my expectations if it will discourage me from continuing.












I took a break from spinning up the rest of the baby camel/merino blend and spun up the entire 8 ounces of the moss baby alpaca. I ended up with only 200 yards of a 3 ply of about "worsted" weight!!! I know alpaca is heavier than wool and yes, I did seem to break off a lot of fiber as I spun but it seems a very low yield even taking those 2 factors into consideration. I had a hard time getting the settings on the wheel and my spinning method just right. One bobbin was overspun in places. I think this is because I just started spinning the alpaca in front of a subtitled movie. The resulting yarn seems "okay" but it isn't my best effort. This is a constant problem with me. I attain some skill and then get a little sloppy and end up with something not really up to my current skill level.









I'm back to the camel/merino and I'm being very careful to try to maintain consistency with the first skein. If all goes as planned, I'll have 440 yards of a 2 ply of about fingering weight. It's a very round yarn for a 2 ply.

And I finally decided on the yarn for my next large lace project. I had spun up a half pound of merino from Ashlnd Bay as a 2 ply slightly heavier than lace weight that should work well. It's a mossy green called Garden Ivy.












My fear was that I didn't have quite enough but then I found the other half pound of unspun fiber. In a pinch, I can always spin up a little more.