Category Archives: Spinning

Episode 9: In Which I Invent Lots of Plural Forms

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Thank You’s!

Suzanne and Lee for their generous contributions!

Cori for the awesome bags from BLUEQ….Oh wow, I just looked and there is awesomeness there.

Candy for her gift of the Zuni Shawl pattern by Danielle Chalson

Emma for joining the group!

Everyone who participated in the forums or left an ITunes review!

The Gratitude KAL will run through June 3.  I am knitting the Color Affection shawl by Veera Valimaki, but any wearable for yourself suited to mindful knitting will work!

The Fiber Event!

The only retailer who had a viable website was the truely awesome natural dyer, Sefania, and guess what?  All her stuff is totally available for purchase online!  Oh, this is not good for me, not good at all.

Other beauties that I saw, and highly recomend: gradient rovings from Fiber Optic Yarns

FO’s

Daybreak by Steven West in MadelineTosh Merino Light, Saffron and Baltic colorways on US 3’s

WIP’s

Color Affection by Veera Valimaki in Beaverslide Dry Goods 2-Ply Sock, Barley Heather, Winter Rosehip, and Bison colorways on US 3’s

Episode 8: Livin’ on the Edge

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Thank You’s!

Rebecca for her generous gift of a Ravelry pattern to a lucky viewer

Cori for her donation of Hazel Knits for a Gratitude KAL prize

Barb and Tracey of 2 Knit Lit Chicks podcast for their shout out, and their awesome podcast!

Everyone who participated in the forums!

The Gratitude KAL will run through June 3.  I will be knitting the Color Affection shawl by Veera Valimaki, but any wearable for yourself suited to mindful knitting will work!

FO’s

Elowen Shawl by Judy Marples in unknown colorways of Sanguin Gryphon’s Little Traveler and Eidos on US 3’s

WIP’s

Daybreak by Steven West in MadelineTosh Merino Light, Saffron and Baltic colorways on US 3’s

Color Affection by Veera Valimaki in Beaverslide Dry Goods 2-Ply Sock, Barley Heather, Winter Rosehip, and Bison colorways on US 3’s

Loop Bullseye Bump in Desert Sun

Episode 6: Frolic-y and What Not

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The ravelry group is up!  Please Join!

We will be starting the Gratitude KAL April 15th and it will run through June 3.  I will be knitting the Color Affection shawl by Veera Valimaki, but any wearable for yourself suited to mindful knitting will work! 

FO’s

Damson by Ysolda Teague in Jojoland Harmony, MS11 colorway, knit on US6’s

Friends in Fiber Chianti 4oz BFL/Silk gradient….300yds Navajo Plied from supported long draw singles

Natural Shetland FAIL 2oz Navajo Plied, 150yds from supported long draw singles

WIP’s

Elowen Shawl by Judy Marples in unknown colorways of Sanguin Gryphon’s Little Traveler and Eidos on US 3’s

AfterThought Heel Socks by Laura Linneman in Marigold Jen’s Hand Dyed Sock, Scranton colorway on US 0’s

Feed the Stash

Loop Bat in Desert Sun

MadelineTosh Tosh Merino Light in Saffron and Baltic

Episode 5: So now what?

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Thank you’s to everyone, especially my kind benefactors Judith and Candy as well as the super cute HippiePenguin, Leslie, for her pattern gift of the Lattice Cable Hat.

The Ravelry group is up and hobbling (running will happen soon, I hope) so join!  Join away!

F.O.’s

Easy Peasy Socks for First Time Knitters in Stitch Nation Washable Ewe, Clover colorway on US3 (I’m not sure of the blue, it’s random, bandless stash)

Brigid Sock, pattern to come from moi, in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, the Solstice colorway on US 0

Premie Hats for the Brooklyn Knits KAL in KnitPicks sock yarn of some sort and Debbie Macomber’s Blossom St Collection Sock in the Flowering Cabbage colorway, knit on US 0’s in

WIPS

Halliard sweater by Kate Gildbert in Black Water Abbey’s worsted, Pippin colorway knit on US 7’s

Trilobite Socks by Wendy Johnson from Toe Up Socks in  a Box in Lion Brand Sock-Ease, Rock Candy colorway….Also on US 0’s

Damson by Ysolda Teague in Jojoland Harmony, MS11 colorway, knit on US6’s

Things I forgot, because while I make shownotes, I clearly can’t be bothered to follow them:

I finished the singles from my Friends in Fiber Chianti BFL/Silk gradient and will be Navajo plying this week (fingers crossed)

No stash feeding….Thanks everyone, your psychic kickboxing classes totally paid off!

Episode 4: Don’t Knit Angry, Yo

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Thank You!’s:

Diane from The Knitabulls

Dawn from The Wolfe Farms Podcast and Wolfe Farms Herbal Soaps and More!

Kimberly from Sock Bunny Knit and Fit

Manda aka knitpsycho for the much appreciated gifting of the Elowen Shawl by Judy Marples

Finished Objects:

Dickeys von Beethoven by Elizabeth Zimmerman in: KnitPicks Shine, Hydrangea on US 3

Joris by Annita Wilschut in Regia Design Line 6-Ply, Fire colorway on US 1.0

Works In Progress:

Brigid Sock, pattern to come from moi, in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, the Solstice colorway on US 0

Easy Peasy Socks for First Time Knitters in Stitch Nation Washable Ewe, Clover colorway on US3 (I’m not sure of the blue, it’s random, bandless stash)

BFL and silk gradient in the Chianti colorway from Friends in Fiber…..Woops, I think I said Freedom Fiber in the show!

Halliard sweater by Kate Gildbert in Black Water Abbey’s worsted, Pippin colorway

Feeding the Stash

The Woolen Rabbit’s Harmony Sock in Scottish Heather and Godiva

 

Thanks again for watching!  I can be found on Ravelry and Plurk under thefatsquirrel if you have any questions!

 

Episode 3: Now With Extra Crazy Flakes!

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Thank You:

Thank you for all your awesome comments, well-wishings and friendings via Plurk and Ravelry (thefatsquirrel on both).

A special thank you to Sue of Suezee Knits and Carla of Knitting Podcast

 

In which I display my true insanity and love of all things wool, AKA a review of the Jay County Fiber Fest and Spin-In:

Prize-winning Shetland from Bell Creek Farms, Mike and Kendra (pm me for the info if you’re interested in purchasing)

Suri Alpaca from Coldwater Creek Alpacas, Mary and Norm (pm me for their info if you’re interested in purchasing

 

 

Fueling the Economy Through Fiber Purchases:

BFL and silk gradient in the Chianti colorway from Friends in Fiber

Superwash sock in Scranton colorway from Marigold Jen

 

Finished Objects:

Mittens for Me by Laura Linneman in Beaverslide Dry Goods 2-ply sock, Mink and Chokecherry colorways

 

WIP’s:

Halliard sweater by Kate Gildbert in Black Water Abbey’s worsted, Pippin colorway

Joris by Annita Wilschut in Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool in natural

Joris by Annita Wilschut in Regia Kaffe Fassett sport, Fire colorway

Episode 2: Look behind you Mom, it’s a SHEEP!

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Pleasantries

Half Finished Objects:

Brigid Sock, pattern to come from moi in Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, the Solstice colorway

Mittens for ME!, by Laura Linneman in Beaverslide Dry Goods 2-ply sock, the Mink and Chokecherry colorways

Mysteriously Missing WIP’s:

Halliard by Kate Gilbert in Black Water Abbey’s worsted in the Pippen colorway

Dickey von Beethoven by Elizabeth Zimmerman in Knitpicks Shine Sport, Hydrangea colorway

Spinning WIP:

Sheepish Creations Wensleydale in the Wall-E colorway

Upcoming:

Fiber Fest and Spin-In, Portland, IN

Episode 1 I’m Mildly Excited

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General introductions

Finished Objects:

Dickeys von Beethoven by Elizabeth Zimmerman in:

  1. KnitPicks Comfy, Peony
  2. KnitPicks Shine, Cream
  3. KnitPicks Shine, Hydrangea

Candle Flame Shawl by Dean Crane in unknown alpaca from Sheep Street Fibers in Morgantown, IN

Spinning with BFL from Three Waters Farm in the Stone House colorway

Works in Progress

Brigit Sock, pattern to come from moi, in Hazel Knits  Artisan Sock, the Solstice colorway

Halliard by Kate Gilbert in Black Water Abbey’s worsted in the Pippen colorway

I’m wearing the Elis by Reiko Kuwamura in Malabrigo Arroyo colorway 64  Chispas

Happy Knitting!

 

Spinning start to finish

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Roving:

Beautiful BFL roving from Three Waters Farm in Stone House colorway

I think I may have purchased this roving even before I bought my wheel?  I’ve been trying to save it until I’m a better spinner, but, well, I clearly have no self-control.  I confess, I regularly cruise the Three Waters Farm Etsy shop and drool over her beautiful colorways.  T his is the only one I’ve purchased so far, but let me tell you, it is a total gateway purchase.  The combination of Blueface Leicester wool and her rich dyeing techniques creates an almost pearlized luminescence in the final roving and the fiber is a joy to spin.

Singles all spun up:

I’m still very new to spinning, so while I tried to spin this semi-woolen with a long draw, I think it kind of turned into a medium-to-long draw.  Either way, it was very pleasant going and it’s by far the best yardage that I’ve achieved…..Around 360 yards of a DK-ish weight from the 4oz bump.  For me that is three times better than anything thus far.  It’s still super uneven, but I’ll take what I can get!

Plied yarn:

Plying still seems to vex me.  I see all these beautifully plump, tightly plied finished skeins posted, but mine just never seem to turn out that way….I’m sure it has everything to do with the uneven texture of my singles, because it seems that fatter pieces are the ones to end up more loosely plied than I would like.  I’ve tried putting more spin into them, but then they wind up overplied and twisty.  Oh well, I reckon I need to buck up and find a spinning class.

Plied yarn soaking:

Finished object:

Perhaps will become:

This is Piper’s Journey designed by Paula Emons-Fuessle of the Knitting Pipeline podcast.  I’ve been wanting to knit this since it came out, and while I don’t technically have enough of this handspun, Paula’s design is easily adaptable to differing weights/yardages.

Available through Quince & Co‘s website or as a Ravelry download

Look up in that tree….It’s a bird…..No, it’s an owl….No…..It’s yarn?

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Haha, this picture is silly, but I couldn’t resist the temptation for taking a few pictures outside in our nearly balmy February conditions.

Here is a slightly less silly one:

So, this is officially my fourth finished handspun.  I’ve been knitting for almost sixteen years, and until sometime last year I’d always rolled my eyes at the thought of learning to spin.  My internal monologue went something like this: “There is already yarn.  The yarn is good.  The yarn is very, very good and there is so much to knit with it.  So very, very much to knit with it that I could never ever ever not be knitting the things and instead making the yarn. ”

And then, I drank the Kool-Aid.

After agonizing over the investment of a new wheel (a relatively simple piece of technology that somehow retails for around $600), and the amazingly high resale value of used wheels on Ebay, I found a very second-hand Louet from a local fellow who was upgrading and needed the additional studio space.  Several YouTube instructional videos later, I was on my way to spinning some uber clunky yarn and scrounging ravelry for projects requiring very little yardage.

I’m still in the shallow end of the learning curve, as you can see from the wildly uneven owl-inspired goodness above, but guess what?  I don’t care!  Its fun!  You can make yarn!  Out of like this stuff that grown on sheep!  Even if it’s jacked-up-crazy yarn, you can still make stuff out of it!  It’s squooshy and you can smoosh your face in it and smell the wooly goodness of the world, and in that moment you are sharing a kinship with an imaginary woman standing outside her croft on some wind-swept moor four hundred years ago.

The last part might just be me though.