Meet the Fleece

The sun has finally come back out so drug the two new MDSW fleeces out of the shed to have a good look.

This is the Romney X and the first thing I noticed is that it is very clean. I am used to lots of hay and dirt and this stuff looks like it has already been washed. It doesn't feel washed though, as it is very greasy. A good soak and some really hot water should take care of that, I hope.

The Jacob was equally clean. When I opened the fleece up and looked in the middle I was astonished by the color.

 There was white, brown, black and a beautiful and quite unexpected gray. It is really lovely.

I piled up a handful of each into a net bag and set them to soak in some cold water overnight. Tomorrow they'll get their first washing, some of it will be dyed and then I will be ready to spin sample skeins in preparation for the Tour de Fleece. This year I will be ready to go.

Something Else for Rhinebeck

Knitted Aran Sweater #1101 in Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool

While I am talking about Rhinebeck I might as well post about the sweater I may be wearing in October. I have my doubts because I have a long way to go. Cabling is slow going business.

Clover Mini Kacha-Kacha Counter,  Brittany Cable Needles

I picked up a few things to help me along. A new cable needle (yes, I still use them. I tried doing without but it made me too nervous.) some new little sticky notes to put all over the charts to help me figure out where I am and finally a new row counter. I love this row counter. It has a lock so you know it shows you the right number when you pick it up again. I found it on Amazon.

Lambie is not new but she is helping me figure out how far I have to go and it sure looks like a million miles from here.

Something for Rhinebeck

Pimpelliese by Christine Ebers

I am not really a fan of my garter stitch but somehow I found myself knitting this garter stitch shawlette.

It does have a cute little lace edging that I like.You knit it on as you go. Not picking up anything later is just brilliant.

Watching the colors change has been quite addictive. It is a fun knit even if it is turning out to be mostly miles and miles of my wonky looking garter stitch.

Merino roving from Pucker Brush Farms

I mainly choose the pattern because the directions say knit until half your yarn is gone than start the second half. Since I am still in the middle of spinning it, knowing that I am in control of the yardage is a big plus.

Wishing in One Hand

I have two new additions to the library. I spotted this Vogue Crochet magazine in the craft section of Walmart. It was an instant had-to-have. There are some amazing things in there.  Mary Scott Huff's new encyclopedia of color work arrived from Amazon the same day. I plopped right on the couch with both of them to have a good look through.

 I made short work of the magazine but there is no way I am going to get through the color work book anytime soon. It's huge.

The crochet magazine has a project that I must make. This shawl is gorgeous. I want one.

 It is the reason I bought this at the Sheep and Wool Fest. I want to try and cheat the color changes.

The problem is that I have to learn to read these. The written instructions are there but I can't crochet and read instructions at the same time. I'm not that good at it.

Oldies But Goodies

While I was swatching the newly dyed Corrie the other day, I went ahead and swatched all my other handspun just so I could see what I have. Here are some very soft Merino (left) and Polwarth (right). The Easter egg dyed Polwarth is actually nice. I can't believe I dyed it. I remember dyeing it and re-dyeing two years ago and almost felting the fiber in the process. I am happy to see it survived all that trauma. I know the Merino is from Puckerbrush Farms. I cannibalized their roving to make longer color repeats for a shawl I have yet to make.

Here is some more Polwarth (left) that I dyed a gold/olive green combination. I remember hating it. Now that is is swatched I love it. It needs to be something. The other stuff on the right is a mystery. I am going to have to comb through my blog archives to figure out where this came from. By the looks of it, I was a pretty newbie spinner so I am going to have to go way back. I doubt I dyed it though because the colors are very nice.

Finally, I have 40 grams of Corriedale that makes me sad. I love these colors and the texture of the yarn but I only have this tiny bit. I hate when I do that. Whenever I dye anything I like it is never enough to do anything with. Phooey.


On all of them, I made little swatches from the ends that wrap around the little yarn cake and put a pin in the last bind off loop so I can pull it all out if I need the yardage someday. Waste not, want not. I wonder if there is a handspun KAL somewhere? I need some motivation to get this all out of the bin and into the other bin where my handknits go to die.

Something Else Done

 I had been trying to finish up everything like crazy to make way for any the new projects I might bring home from the Sheep and Wool fest but alas, only the Faux Noro came off the needles. It was such a fun knit that I used up every smidgen of that nasty Bernat Mosaic. The yarn was a yuck but the scarf is a yum. I really like it in spite of the cottony, non-drapy feel of the thing. I couldn't get a decent photo of it all to show how incredibly long it is so you'll have to take my word for it- it's huge.

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

It is not enough that I broke the bank for new stash at the Sheep and Wool Fest, I also came right home and ordered the yarn for that gorgeous Tumbling Blocks sweater that I saw walk by. It was my Mother's Day gift to myself-or at least that is how I rationalized spending even more money on fuzzy stuff this week.

 It was a sign that I had to make that sweater when I discovered I already owned this...

...because this is where you find the pattern. Yes, I know it is totally 80's but since the 60's have come back-the 80's must be right around the corner. I don't plan on making the loose dolman type sleeve. In fact I want a more modern fitting cardigan just like the beauty that walked by.

 

The only problem, as I see it, is that Kaffe's directions are a bit on the lean side. There are charts and written directions but they are not in the language that I am used to knitting by. It will be a challenge for sure.

 Not knowing what color direction I was heading, I ordered pretty much one of every color of Elann's Highland wool.

 

I have a bit of a stash already in progress so I am pretty good to go on this as soon as I clear up some of the WIP's and get my intarsia skills under control.

Happy Mother's Day everyone!