SPINNING YARN(S)

This week I have been practicing my spinning...and I'm pretty sure I'm getting better at it...at least no more overspinning with all of the curls and skewed yarn everywhere. What a pain...thought I would never learn to get it to resemble real yarn. Anyway, I've spun all of my Tri Color Jacob..wish I had known about spinning thinner because it would have made some lovely sock yarn (wahhhhh) Nevertheless, it's all spun..I've spun a couple of hanks of Merino...yummmmmy soft goodness! I must have more of that!!!!! Also working on the 8 ounces of BFL which is a lovely milk chocolatey brown and 8 ounces of Shetland...which, by the way, is a pain the arse to spin. I must learn a better way for it because all I am getting is a slubby yarn. That may not be so bad, but from what I understand, Shetland is supposed to be a pretty decent wool. It's soooooooo short!! Yikes, I am not able to manage it well at all! I'm saving the Yak hair for when I actually know what I can do with it. I have no clue right now-but I got a lot of it and it's bound to make something interesting!! I should have enough of it for a sweater I think...I have a whole pound of it!!!!

IN THE SPINNING ZONE...FINALLY

I know I haven't been spinning long, but sometimes it just takes that one time to finally have the light go on and then you're in the zone!! I reached that zone yesterday and I have been spinning up a storm ever since....I can't get enough and now I need wool...I need silk...I need all sorts of spinning goodness to try!!! I've spun all of my Jacob, most of my Merino and pretty soon all the BFL will be spun. I tried the Shetland, but I don't really like it for spinning...maybe later when I get better or I'll spin it with something else...too rough and sticky for me though! The Yak is being saved for something wonderful (and further spinning instructions...to be obtained at the Conference in March)

Oh yeah, I finished my Toes Up Socks too...

Garn Studio Eskimo KAL...I'm gettin' her done!

You'd think since I love knitting so much I would be chomping at the bit to do this sweater...maybe it's knit overload from the Holidays, who knows. At any rate, I do love the sweater design and am anxious to really get into it and make it for Pat, soooooooooooooo to that end, I've joined the KAL to do just that!! I know once I get moving along on it, it'll be fun. If I like it well enough, I might make this same sweater in the lighter weight version-just to have, not necessarily for myself.
Ignore my whining about it in the post below...It's going to be fun to knit with others who are making the same. See-I even have the button that proclaims me as a participant. It's official-it's done!!

I've got FO's ....yea!

The mad Holiday rush is over and I surely am glad of it. Now I can get down to some seriously interesting knitting and hope that by year's end I will be well ahead of the game...no last minute, late night knitting sessions to finish gifts that need to be mailed, no knitting the last sock on the way to deliver them, etc. Yeah, right! What would this passion be without burning some midnight oil and all that? In fact, I was up until the wee hours Friday am finishing the little lavender jacket for Misstress Claire Johnson...but such fun and doesn't Mommy look happy with it?

I've also finished my very first Tutorial on Wet Canvas..the Toes Up Sock...and I think it's going well. I have 5 Stars!!!!!! I love these socks so much and they fit like...well, they fit like good fitting socks! I'll be making lots more of these.

Pat's Drops Design Jacket has been started and I don't know about it...it's one of those things that I know she's going to love when I give it to her because she picked the pattern and the wool, but it just isn't all that much fun to knit. It's bulky and the needles are big so it feels sooooooo chunky in my hands. I will finish it of course, but I know me and it will probably be one of those projects that I will only occasionally pick up and work on from time to time. Hope to have it finished by the end of February (see, that's how much I plan on working on it)

Now, back to knitting....

Christmas Loot...Good 'Ol Santa

Was I ever surprised at all the pressies on Christmas Morn from my favorite Santa, Tommy! He really went above and beyond and it's soooooo sweet of him. He's always been so supportive of my artistic endeavors and this was no exception! Without further ado, here is the stash avec pics to show their lovely goodness! What a sweetie that Santa is!!!

Sliver...oooooo, lots of sliver
Shetland Moorit
BFL in a gorgeous brown
Cloud soft Superfine Merino
Tri Color Jacob
and some heavenly Yak...a whole pound of it!!!
Also, books...so many books!!! Six books in all...one I forgot to take photo of, but it's knitting patterns for babies and toddlers...sooooooooooooo cute!!!

FO...yes indeedie...Plus Stash from KP

I did indeed finish the lovely Waffle Scarf for Mrs. Johnson-who proudly wore it this afternoon although it was hovering in the 70's and who knows how she stood that wool next to her skin when it was so hot...well, that's Georgia for you! Winter..ha!
See pics...which are blurry as all get out, but hopefully Crystal will let me take some pics of her in the scarf when she is wearing it and I have camera at the ready!
I've now been commissioned to make one for Dora as it is her Birthday on Friday. How, you say, will I ever get the scarf done by Friday if today is Tuesday. Easy peasy...I already have one started and 3/4 finished in handspun kettle dyed laceweight wool (from www.handpaintedyarn.com) which is really gorgeous and I am glad that it is nearly finished....because.....I just got my stash from Knit Picks!
Whoooooeeeee. All the lovely yarn for Pat's jacket in the nice Amber Heather. Not my favorite color, for me, but it will look great on Pat. Also five hanks of Vineyard
colorway of Shadow laceweight...yummy, for moi!! And last, but not least, 4 balls of Hycinth Pallette for a baby jacket...very cute!

Happy Holidays...so where do I stand on FO's?

Here it is nearly Christmas and my big plans for getting all this knitting done for everyone are slowly fading away...my wool for Pat's sweater hasn't arrived, still no wool or pattern for Tommy's Aran, I did finish Beth and Johannas knitting projects (at least the neices will get their pressies of handknits)and I've yet to spin the first real yarn on my spinning wheel so that I can give my sister Elaine here basket of yarn (she likes to touch and smell-not knit it into something)to display. What I do have in the FO group, besides the neices' knits are one nursery blanket and an almost finished Waffle Scarf for Crystal J, and on the needles at present are the first of four pair of house socks for two BIL's, one sister and a pair for my Tommy. I haven't even taken pics of anything but the nursery blanket and I have a stock photo of the Waffle Scarf (which is being done in Knit Picks Alpaca in the Tidepool colorway...very lovely!!!)
I'm truly excited about getting started spinning. Tom has gotten me some roving for Christmas I think-some very,very nice roving if it's what I think it is!!! I've suscribed to SPIN OFF magazine-easier than trying to find it at the booksellers. Also been looking at sites with roving for sale-on Etsy, EBay and some of the commercial stores as well...too much to choose from, it's like fiber paradise!!! I want it all. I want to try it all-especially getting some silk hankies and spinning those-the yarn would just be lovely to look at even if I didn't have enough to knit into anything. It's all about stash! I've been reading all I can about spinning and wool and fibers to spin. There is a lot to learn but it really interests me.
So, hopefully in the new year I will be posting more often, getting the spinning thing off the ground and getting more FO's for posting too.