I've been having so much fun playing with color! I've been blending batts on my drumcarder and letting chance be a strong part of the process. I spun up low twist singles and the first batch seemed to go very well together in the end.













These were my first experiments and I really had beginner's luck. I sewed the swatches together to make a bag. It still needs a handle. Perhaps a braided I cord, maybe a cannibalized strap from a thrift store purse and if that doesn't work I guess it will have to be purchased.






I began blending more muted colors and I'm not getting as much contrast as I'd like.








I've been using the Barbara Walker short row pattern that I found on Knitty's Lizard Ridge pattern. I've been switching off colors from skein to skein so it really brings in an element of complete chance. I thought this was a good idea for me to juxtapose colors that I wouldn't conceive of either for the good or the bad. The idea for me is to bring more color ideas into my mind. While the effect is sometimes pleasing and at other times not, I consider it valuable. There are always parts of a swatch that combine colors in a way foreign to me.














I combined the skeins again haphazardly and got a less interesting result.
I realize the dark navy is very strong but I like the contrast of brighter colors here and there that I ended up with in my first swatches. Namely the magenta and turquoise.
I have an idea of incorporating these swatches into a sweater so I'll just continue to card, spin and knit as I learn more about color, i.e. how to blend interesting colors and then how to combine them in a way that appeals to me.
It is fun even when I hit these sticky spots.


I did finally get to the end of my alpaca sweater. I pulled off the turtleneck to rework but I did get to try it on as an almost finished piece and realized that it wasn't something I was really proud of. I'm pretty sure I'm going to rip it out and do something more interesting. When I use my handspun, I really want something that I'm proud of. So goodbye to this one.






I spun up this 2 ply for socks using the fractal stripe idea from Janel Laidman. I wanted to make socks for my son but I burned a skein simmering in a pot so I guess it will just have to be socks for me.(I have smaller feet.) That is if I can stop doing those swatches with those singles I'm using for color experiments. They're addicting though with the color changes the socks should keep me engaged as well.





My plan was to wash all the fleeces I bought at the thrift store on the island. Luckily, they all seem to be pretty clean so I'm lucky. This one is really beautiful. When it was wet from it's wash, I decided it would be a good time to dye it. I wanted eggplant and I'm happy with the color. It did seem to take up dye differently but blended on the carder it will be uniform but still interesting. The sun wasn't out today so the color appears lighter than it is.



Picking is a big job but I'm finding just to do a little bit at a time in between things.

Eye Ulcer Vest

The eye ulcer vest is going to have to be turned into a sweater. My gauge was off and the shoulders are startlingly wide and peaky. I continue to spin because I'll need plenty more yarn for the sleeves. I have enough fiber to make the light blueish yarn though the other yarn comes from a Crosspatch Creations batt that I don't think I'll have much luck finding. But amazingly, I have enough fiber stashed that even without looking very hard, I can reproduce the Crosspatch yarn closely enough. These are the times I feel vindicated in having more fiber than I could possibly spin in 10 years on hand.



This has been a time consuming project but fun. Each step of the way, I've encountered a problem and I move forward until the next glitch occurs. What I'm getting is a sweater I didn't initially envision. It forms itself and changes as it grows. This is a way I like to work but haven't done much of this style in my knitting. I think it's because the idea of a sweater is so overwhelming that I feel I have to have everything all planned out ahead of time. Though I feel that approach has its very strong merits, I am finding this process so much fun and so relaxing. I don't know where I'm going so there's no rush to go there.
I'm also learning quite a bit as I stagger through the design as you go labyrinth.




Oh but what I especially love are shawl collars-and seed stitch!


I was very weak in the wrap and turn short rows. After all the wrapping and turning on this shawl collar, I pray to remember how for next time the technique is needed.


My island thrift store has the most wonderful surprises! Look! Corriedale in brilliant colors from High Prairie Fibers. 8 ounces at the greatly reduced thrift store price of 1.25







Which reminds me....back in the days (not so long ago)when I first started spinning, I bought some raw fleeces there and I'm sure some were not washed! I better pull them out and wash them. I've found out fairly recently how important it is to get the fleeces clean before storing. Now, I have to sort through all my fiber and get those washed before the summer ends and maybe if I'm lucky it won't be too late.
And yes, I know I'm lucky that my thrift store is fiber friendly.

What a month!

This has been a challenging month but I've made it through. I had an eye injury that pretty much filled the whole month with its presence. At times, I could use my eyes but often I just couldn't. But still spinning and knitting happened. Worsted spinning because I don't have to look at my hands and the fiber and stockinette knitting for the same reason.
I spun half the yarn for this vest in the thick of the pain and continued to plan and knit the vest up to its present state.



The darker yarn was spun earlier this year from a Crosspatch Creations batt. The lighter bluish gray is a drum carded blend of Carol Lee's Brown Sheep wool with a little silk thrown in. I spun this rather badly and plied it even worse but knitted up, it seems to work.
Changing factors like the ability to see well and sit comfortably resulted in a different yarn and a different garment. It opened me up to other possibilities. I don't know if I'll like this finished vest but I do like its fabric. I really wish I had had enough yardage for a drapey sweater or a blanket but I combined materials in a different way and it has given me ideas for future experiments with color and fiber.



I also managed to knit and plan this felted bag. The ready made handles are from Grayson E. The yarn was from a time when I began to get the hang of woolen spun singles and I was saving it for a project just like this. I'm happy with it.




The camel/silk scarf grows slowly. I felt the need to block it a bit to see if I really want to continue. I do.








And I'm playing with the idea of 2 plys. I've been pretty much only using them for lace, having heard that 3 plys are better for general knitting but I feel the need to break away from constraints for awhile even if I find out first hand why there are rules of thumb in the first place.
Here is some Louet merino/silk that I keep sampling. I have two pounds but if I keep sampling, I will be way below that mark and will reencounter the ever present question, "Will there be enough for a sweater?"

I became very excited about dyeing some camel/tussah blend I bought quite awhile back from Crown Mountain Farms. I dyed it with Jaquard acid dyes but completely forgot to add vinegar to set the dyes though they seemed to be pretty colorfast anyway. Maybe our well water is acidic enough. To be extra sure, I gave the fiber a vinegar bath.



I started spinning without thinking about what it would be. Worsted spinning is very much like a meditative act for me. I just wanted to spin. I didn't want to plan. I loved the colors and the yarn. I wanted to preserve the color sequence and since I didn't split the roving to insure the color changes would be visible after plying, I was left with 2 choices. I could navajo ply but I'd end up with a thicker yarn and probably not enough yardage to do anything with or I could use the yarn as is-unplied. I had heard that it is not necessary to have a balanced yarn to knit lace because it is blocked into shape each time it's washed so I went for that.

This will be a long term project. Lace is very rythmic and pleasant to knit but time consuming! I do like and look forward to seeing the end result. I'm realistically thinking the fall because I will not be working solely on this.
My sweater made from handspun singles is waiting for its collar. I haven't wanted to think too much lately and the sweater is getting a shawl collar. I have an eye injury that though not serious is long lasting and very wearing.



I spun the yarn so that there would be large blocks of color but I forgot that the sweater body would be worked in the round to get some symmetry with the color. The stripes are more narrow than I wanted though the sleeves are more what I wanted. I think the different widths of color band will work. I might have to pull it together with patch pockets.
I realized after I finished the sleeves that I could have easily made the color repeats longer on the body if I had just broken off the yarn and mixed and matched as one does anyway with stripes. I had this one vision of knitting the sweeater skein after skein without breaking off the yarn. I kept that vision even when I wasn't getting exactly what I wanted but I do think it will all work out fine.
I love doing these sweaters with bulky singles. I will do more of these. They are quick to spin and knit!

I continue to work with what is on hand and it's kind of fun.
I took some white South American wool and blended it with some of the same I had dyed an unsatisfactory green to make a lighter, less offensive color. I blended the same white wool with some Brown Sheep rovings in brownish gray and blue.




Although not beautiful, I still like the result. I drum carded batts with some white Tussah silk combed top, rolled the batts horizontally but drafted out from the side.




It's fun and pretty fast going!

On Ripping

I had spun up some Romney at the beginning of the year and knew I had enough for a vest but not the sweater the yarn told me it wanted to be. My attempts at matching the yarn with some wool from the same farm failed. I tried and tried and felt that my rather costly batch of fiber was dwindling in the sampling so I completely gave up the idea of a sweater in simple lines and in plain stockinette that would show off this unassuming chunky yarn.
A little vest knit on big needles seemed no big deal. In fact, I've ripped out my 3rd attempt, almost completed. It was a simple rustic vest from Vogue Chunky Knits.




I managed to completely mess up the shaping on the fronts so that they didn't match by any stretch of the imagination. I could have ripped out one but it was obvious that the end result was going to fall short of my expectation which was very modest...just a rustic vest..something I might chop wood in or throw on over my pajamas when I shut up the ducks for the night.
Here's a shot of the vest in the early stages. The wool is actually a deep dusky brown.



I am discouraged after 3 almost complete vests!
I think I might get a little cocky when I'm doing something easy and quick................

Mostly Camel

I have restrained myself from jumping from project to project and have steadily made it through 12 ounces of camel down. It seems I will end up with about 800 yards if I don't run out of silk noil.



I've been using a long draw and I'm getting surprisingly comfortable with the technique. I'm beginning to believe that if I practice enough I could do it without watching my hands.
I am a little nervous about getting back to my alpaca fleece. I'm afraid that my yarn will be so different now because of the long break from spinning it.
I recently tried to match a bulky single I'd spun month ago and completely failed. This makes it even harder to keep faith and believe all will be well with the alpaca.

Too many irons in the fire...maybe

I might have too many spinning projects in progress. The only one that worries me is that alpaca fleece I started spinning and haven't touched for possibly months.
The spinning is simple and absolutely monochromatic and the only texture is a little bumpiness from the carded fiber so as much as I am fully committed to finishing the spinning (or so I convince myself), I still need some variety especially after Camp Burton.
I spun and navajo plied Great Balls of Fire roving and I really love it. I love the colors. They appear a little more subtle indoors, definitely "guy colors". I would love a sweater but I don't have enough...not even for a vest.
I washed the swatch and the whole drape changed. Prior to washing, I thought I'd knitted it on too small needles. It was stiff and densely knitted. I now know it's an absolute must to wash those swatches, especially with handspun. I hate to think of all those unsatisfactory swatches I made and ditched the idea for the yarn because I neglected to wash the swatch.






The Crosspatch Creations was so much fun to spin and fast too because I spun it woolen. I opted for a two ply. I want 2 pounds of this stuff! In fact, I feel like making a promise to myself that I will never buy less than 2 pounds of fiber because everything I spin, I want to use to make a sweater.






I guess 2 pounds is not really a reasonable goal though because not stressing only the expense, I remind myself that it took me almost 3 months to finish Joe's sweater.
Yes, it's finally done! And I am pretty much pleased with it though I had a lot of trouble with the finishing. The crochet edging was very tough for me and hand sewing the zipper was so time consuming. I was stuck with purchasing a zipper that was too long and I chose to fold over the tops and stitch them down. I wasn't pleased with the result. It looks okay from the outside but I was afraid that the stiff ends would rub against Joe's neck and irritate his skin. My other option was to trim the zipper. I was nervous about the tape unraveling but I might have to do that if the zipper turns out to be a problem.
To console myself about not being able to buy 2 pounds of Crosspatch, I started blending fibers on the carder. At first, I ended up with many knitted swatches reminiscent of the 1980's. Finally I came up with something I liked.
It's camel down, cotton with silk noil. No, I won't have 2 pounds of this but maybe a pound to about a pound and a half. And it would be easy to put together another camel, cotton blend with a complementary silk noil if I end up feeling I must have something bigger tha a vest.
This was another swatch that changed from a tight stiff fabric into one with a wonderful hand to it. All due to just a quick wash.





I knitted this swatch right off the bobbin without finishing the yarn but I think it gives enough of an idea. Oh yeah.........I navajo plied it. I really don't have any reason why except all my bobbins are filled up with that alpaca. I know I really shouldn't continue on this way...but I might.
Truly by chance, I ended up as one of the applicants for a fiber show exhibition. I have been assured that even if we don't get accepted by the gallery, there will be a show either with another gallery or a show organized by our members. It really has shown me that it has been important to get out there and connect with other fiber people.
A talented potter, Mary Hosick took the photos for the application. We got some good ones and Mary was so sweet to give me a CD with the photos on it. She also added one of the photos on the CD label!

Camp Burton!!!

I finally made it to Camp Burton this year. The NorthWest Regional Spinners Association has a spinning retreat right here on my island. It's very freeform, just unstructured time for spinning and visiting. But there were about 5 vendors all with great offerings.
I bought some Crosspatch Creations from Amelia of the Bellwether.

It's a blended batt from Joan Contraman in Montana. A mixture of 2 types of wool Corriedale Cross and Romney (names of each sheep provided!), silk and viscose. The color is called Tammany's Prize.
I started spinning it up almost immediately. Here's one skein from one 4 ounce bag. 200 yards of 10 wpi (wraps per inch).








I also bought a 1 ounce batt of English Garden from the Bellwether. It's another blended batt from Crosspatch Creations.
I spun it up and navajo plied it just to get an idea what it would be like as a 3 ply. I want 2 pounds of it!

I think it would make a beautiful sweater.
Meanwhile, as I save my pennies, I'm inspired to start blending different fibers and colors together on my drum carder to get more textured yarns.


There was also a woman there with a company called Great Balls of Fiber. I love the name. She had some alpaca/merino superwash that she had overdyed on pale brown, gray and green. The colors spun up beautifully. I bought about 8 ounces though the picture below doesn't really show the colors well. I've found that photographing outside is the only way to get true colors and it's been raining so much.

Everyone seemed to have some of her dyed fiber!



Most of the spinners stayed 4 days in cabins. They met and spun in a common area. Since I live on Vashon, I visited briefly on Thursday and then again more extensively on Saturday afternoon.
What can I say! Spinners are such great people. I didn't know anyone. The room was filled with spinners. Not a free chair in sight never mind a spot to put one. Someone immediately helped me find a chair and as I wandered around looking confused, another woman told me just to stick it in the middle of a circle. I felt so comfortable. Everyone was friendly and helpful. I sat chatting and spinning for about 5 hours and then went back again that evening. Six of us stayed up spinning, talking and laughing until past midnight.
All I can say is that it was so much fun. I'm amazed at all the talent and knowledge in that room. Every bag had beautiful things peeking out. Some people even showed me the gorgeous yarns and knitted items that were hidden at the bottom of theirs.




I'm having so much fun with entrelac.








I've designed a few hats in children's and adult sizes. I've used the wonderful Noro Silk Garden and have been hand dyeing fiber and spinning it up with entrelac in mind. It's so much fun but I feel like I want to do more than a few more hats to get it right and also to explore color a bit more. I really do like to just sit back and let it happen without influencing the way the colors come off the needles but I do see the fun of maybe using 2 different balls of yarn and switching every row. That would take away some of the building up of color in certain sections.
And after seeing all the wonderful fibers and yarns at Camp Burton, I feel I want to play a little more with texture and blended fibers in these hats. The Noro one is absolutely satisfactory. Please disregard the unwoven ends sticking out!












But the handspun ones need some tweaking.












I saw some hamster bedding at a friend's house. I rushed to Petco and bought this:




It's viscose and a little under $4 for 35 grams. I spun up a little and it produced a fine slightly bumpy yarn. I'd like to try blending it with another fiber. I'm not so good with my ounce/gram conversions but I think it's probably not such a cost effective way of getting spinnable viscose. I had to try it though. I'm not even sure that the color is fast though I am assured that it's perfectly safe for my rat/hamster/mouse to eat.

Joe's sweater has been a challenge in some ways, primarily the finishing details. I didn't want to rush through so I took my time and redid almost every part of the process, sometimes 3 times!

Right now, I'm hand sewing the zipper in place. The finish work on this sweater has been tough!





And just in case, you didn't know what I meant by using those children's foam floor mats for blocking.............