My First Sheep to Sweater

Um...you want me to put on what?

This project started as a joke. I knew it would be a hot mess but I just wanted to see what it would take to wash and spin enough fleece for a sweater. Using the scraps of my Corriedale fleece, I had nothing to lose and no real plan in mind other than finish a simple raglan just for the experience of doing it.

What is this thing? It's not for me, right?

 Daughter was kind enough to model it for me. It still needs its ends woven in and to be washed and blocked but you get the idea. Lots of color, lots of stripes-all spun in a sort of woolen willy nilly fashion from some pitiful rolags I made from my terrible hand carding of the worst quality locks I had leftover from other projects.

OK. I'm cold. We are done here.

As a prototype, it served it's purpose. I am definitely doing this again when I can get my hands on enough decent quality fleece. Come May 4, I may be heading to the big bags of Merino at the fleece sale of the MDSW-if I can put enough pennies away between now and then, that is. That stuff is expensive.

St Paddy's Day Fail

Months ago, Daddio filled up this bucket with paper pieces for my March table runner.

I've been literally sewing holes in my finger trying to get it done in time to grace my St Patrick's Day table.

Yesterday I started pulling out the paper pieces and assembling the thing.

 As I was piecing it, I didn't pay close attention to any measurements so I was hoping it would all work out.

The good news is that the pieces all fit together. The bad news was that I didn't have any orange thread.

The nearest store that I can get thread is too far away to make a trip anytime soon so I finished the green and called it a day. It won't be on the table for the corned beef and cabbage but after a few green beers who's going to care?
May you always have...
Walls for the winds
A roof for the rain
Tea beside the fire
Laughter to cheer you
Those you love near you
And all your heart might desire. 
 Happy St Patrick's Day!

Stuck

That linen rug pattern that I was hooking on a few weeks ago did not belong to me. It was The Mister's. I priced one of my own but-ouch, they are expensive. I can draw a bit so I thought that I might buy some blank burlap and come up with my own design. It couldn't be that hard. Right?

Wrong. This is as far as I got.  Maybe I better start with something small. Very small. If you want to see what has inspired and terrified me at the same time look here. I dare you.

Unfinished Business

Daughter's wedding sampler is no where near finished. She will be married two years this October. My excuse is that I had a grandbaby to stitch for and babies trump weddings. If no new babies pop up between now and October, I hope to have this finished in time for anniversary number two. If not, then number three for sure. Maybe.

Cover Up

I love aprons. I wear them all the time. I feel naked without one on. I spied this clearance fabric over on Connecting Threads and had to have it. This summer I will be all about fruit as I prance about the kitchen cooking and cleaning my way through the day (ha). All this will come to pass only if I can find my favorite apron pattern. I know it has to be here somewhere but the sewing room is such a complete mess that I can't find anything. Some serious spring cleaning is long overdue.

I also had to have a couple of yards of this clearance macaron print but I have no idea what it will become. Daughter's wedding shower was all about the macarons so maybe she will have an idea.

Last but not least I bought four packs of solid Mirage in hopes of giving Daddio some inspiration for another project but it was too stiff a fabric for paper piecing. Now it is mine to do what I want with it. I am thinking there is an Amish inspired quilt in my future but not until I finish several tops I already have lying about. So many plans-so little time.

End of the Line

 This is it. The last ball of willy-nilly spun Corridale leftovers. The second sleeve is nearing completion and I am feeling a bit sad about it.

It is the end of a fiber era. I only have a few bags of some yucky quality locks left of that giant fleece I washed and dyed so long ago.

I know there are only a few weeks left until this year's MD Sheep and Wool Fest and I will more than likely be bringing home another little bag of fun-but this particular sheep, whoever you may be, will always be special.

Packing it Up

I don't know about you but I am over winter knits. These are the last pair of Lopi mittens I am making this year-so don't even ask. I am moth proofing my Icelandic stash and putting it to bed for the summer.

I am still loving the thrumming though. This yarn and fiber is so soft and fluffy that I can easily see myself doing this all summer. I am wondering if I could pull this off with some handspun and some of the washed fleece I have laying around? Hmmmm....I think I just might have come up with my TdF project for this year.