Norboo!

I span up my norboo 14.5g sample from Fondant Fibre today...totally loved it. The kingfisher colourway colours were stunning and I got 13.8m of a single ply with about 12wpi.

How amazing are those colours!?
I may have ordered some more norboo lol unfortunately the kingfisher colourway had sold out so ordered 'I like warm hugs' and 'something gothic'
Happy Crafting!

Awesome Octopus! + stash dash 2014

I cast on the Acht the Octopus last night and bound it off today :)
I used two DK weight yarns and  held double with 4mm needles and sewed the eyes on with chunky yarn.
The variegated yarn is really old, maybe 6 or 7 years (from my LYS) for a giant cowl I made a friend, and I've no idea where or when I got the pale pink yarn lol I added a green bow :)

I totally love this toy lol it made my wrists ache and my fingers hurt but I got it done in a couple days. My son likes putting it on his head and letting it fall off or throwing it around, at least it's soft lol
I like it even more as it took me over the 5000m I needed for stash dash 2014, so I'm finished and still knitting lol Really surprised I made it as I've ripped back more since starting stash dash than I've ever frogged ever lol
Got the red hitchhiker on the needles and other patterns planned...
Good luck to everyone doing stash dash!
Happy Crafting!

Trillian and spinning

Finished my trillian shawl, very happy with it, stunning yarn and rich green colour. I used a single 400m skein of babylonglegs sock weight yarn in her semi-precious base. Played yarn roulette at the end, only about 2g left lol was nervous and constantly weighing the ball by that point. The pattern calls for about 520m but I'm still happy with the size.

I also finished spinning my deepsea merino tops :) got about 82.6m of a single ply, it's a little more even than my previous handspun but not really lol I think I'm just trying to convince myself it is lol

I also cast on a garter stitch cowl with my spice merino handspun. I like the transition of colours, though I think I may gift this one as I have my first handspun cowl that I am too in love with to give up lol

I'm about 50m off reaching the stash dash 5000k goal lol
I've cast on a red hitchhiker that will be a gift and I have so much I want to knit that I don't know what to do lol I've finished one fingerless mitt that I cast on ages ago, and not sure I can be bothered doing the second right now lol
Happy Crafting!

Honey Cowl + update

The hitchhiker is finished! Very pleased with it, still needs washing so no decent pics yet but very pleased. Cast on a solid red one now too lol with a yarn from deep stash that was actually given to me :)
I cast off the honey cowl today :) it's in a merino cashmere blend oatmeal fleck yarn from my stash.

I'm so close to finishing the trillian, hoping for tonight or tomorrow it being another cast off project :)
I've span a little more today, and wound a ball from the spice that has now been washed and dried on the line in skeins.
Still lots to do but enjoying it all...still keeping my fingers crossed for stash dash, but am over 4400 out of 5000m
Happy Crafting!

Trillian and spinning!

My Trillian has been fixed, I've knitted quite a bit on it since then, you can see where the mistake was if you're looking or know it's there but it shouldn't be too noticeable when it's being worn :)

I also finished spinning the spice merino wool tops, this is the second half, it still needs a bath (as does the first half), and see how it turns out then. Haven't check wpi yet but thinking it's gonna average at about an aran again as very thick and thin still.

I've chosen to do the deepsea merino wool tops next, separated out the strips, then prepared them into nests, which will be separated before spinning.

Started spinning, just two blues in so far :) Still really enjoying spinning, though I'm still rather rubbish at it lol

Cast on a Honey Cowl in oatmeal fleck merino cashmere blend yarn, this will be a gift, only a few rounds in :)

And, I finally wore my awesome octopus Curiology necklace :)

Still hoping to complete stash dash but I'm not gonna hold my breath as it's looking tough...not even touched my fingerless mitts in weeks as been enjoying the shawls so much...here's hoping!

Happy Crafting!

Hitchhiker milestone + spinning

My hitchhiker has gotten to the point where I need to join the second ball lol This is all that's left of ball 1 which is approx 400m

I've span the first three colours of the spice merino fibre. It's not as smooth as the superwash, it seems to stick to itself much more and I'm losing bits of fibre that are randomly abandoning the strips lol

Wound into a mini skein, it's approx 15.8m long, got 4 more colours to spin.

I was going to try a 2 ply (probably double chunky as I'm still about an aran single) but as the yardage is still so small I think I'll stick to a single ply. When all span I think I'll rinse the skeins in warm then cold water. Apparently this shocks the fibre and helps semi superwash it when it's an organic fibre. See what happens lol Wish me luck!
Happy Crafting!

Bias scarf and Trillian

I finished the second bias scarf (for my friend). It's about 80" long and rather narrow. It has a mix of colours: pink, purple, beige, yellow, cream, orange, red, green, lilac, and burgundy.

My friend fixed my trillian shawl :)
So it has had a few inches knit on it since then :) I am gonna insert a life line every inch or two for security now lol Really nice pattern, easy to remember and the yarn is so luxurious (babylonglegs semi-precious merino silk blend sock weight).

I've given up on the sausage and chips as it's end of term and I can't face them anymore lol I may make some more over the summer but will see how I feel lol
Done a little more spinning but still very thick and thin, feeling a little better about it since someone in the rav forums said it's taken her years to be thin and even :)
I have a package on the way from FF again lol this time project bags lol but I made up for it by selling two of my unused project bags lol though they didn't cost the same lol Yes I know I have a problem lol
Happy Crafting!

Update!

My lovely friend Melinda managed to fix my trillian shawl :) it took some time and patience but she did it, and I am very grateful! It's been knit on a little and looking good :)
I cast on 75sts on 6.5mm needles and turned my first handspun into a knitted project :)
It's only a basic garter stitch mini cowl but I'm happy with it. Love the colours :)
This fibre was a merino nylon blend from Fondant Fibre, the colourway was 'just another mish mash'

This will be nice in the winter if it's chilly in the house, not sure if it'll scrunch up ok to be worn with a coat outside but will see down the line :)

Happy Crafting!

My 1st handspun + cowl

Yay! I finished my first handspun yarn lol it's a single ply merino nylon blend from Fondant Fibre. I managed to fit all 100g onto the spindle, not sure how, or if it's a good or bad thing, but I did lol

It has 9wpi (approx worsted/aran weight) but is very thick and thin, I have no idea on yardage as wound around a toilet roll tube rather than into a skein. I should try figure this out really as it'll count towards my stash dash :)

My second handspun was a fuzzling sample from Fondant Fibre, these will be in stock soon in a variety of colours (I think). This one is again thick and thin with 9wpi (approx worsted/aran again) as a single ply, yardage is approx 6.9m

I made up this cowl pattern last night to use up scrap chunky yarn for a gift. It's navy, lime and black with a simple repetition to it. Used 9mm so it's loosely knit for warmth but breathing too.

I tried to spin a puni today, I found this more difficult to draft than the looser fibre as it's quite tightly held together.
The purple puni sample is a merino, silk, camel blend, has about 7wpi (approx chunky) as a single ply, it is again thick and think in places, yardage is approx 1.8m

Not worked on my wreck this journal in a while, this page is inspired by my sons dirty activities...let your imagination tell you what lol

I've also been knitting on the hitchhiker shawl and the second bias scarf for my friend.
Happy Crafting!

2 circ socks!

Never used 2 circs to knit in the round before, but giving it a go...
I cast on with one circ and then ordered two 2mm knit pro nova (60cm) and transferred across. It is so much easier, so far at least.
I'm still a little looser than recommended gauge with opal sock yarn but the technique is going well so far...

Hoping to actually make two at a time toe up socks some time this year lol fingers crossed lol
Happy Crafting!

Spinning!

My parcel finally arrived at 2:30 in the afternoon yesterday, snail mail is an accurate description lol
Stunning bag of merino nylon blend Fondant Fibre with a drop/suspended spindle.

A skein of handspun ,which might I add is very evenly and nicely spun :) love the rich purples of this 2ply superwash BFL, even my mum fell in love with this. Never used BFL so thinking of something nice to make with it, possibly a gift for mum, but I did buy the purple last week to make her something...could do both if I think of things she'll wear :)

The fibre and label, love this colour 'just another mish mash' is a stunning mix of yellow, green, blue and white that is a joy to look at and the softness is truly a pleasure to touch. It came in cute little fibre nests so easy to do a nest or two at a time without having a big batt or something to try and split as you go etc.

The spindle came with a little wound on to get me started, very kind as this is a whole new ball game for me lol This is a basic top heavy drop/suspended spindle and you can get similar from amazon (spindle)

This is after my first play in the afternoon, as you can see it is extremely thick and thin with very over and under spun areas lol it's gonna take some serious practice to get decent at, I'm fine with it being thick and thin but I'd rather a little more even than this...it kinda resembles yarn, not too bad for a first attempt I think lol

I've really been enjoying this new adventure, though I have to admit the drafting is more difficult than I'd thought it would be. This is my spindle after a few hours of attempting to get yarn lol it looks nice but not sure if it'll be knitable by the time I'm done with it lol got a bit under half the bag left to go at, and already ordered some more fibre to keep practicing (thank the gods for coupon codes lol).

Still been knitting on a Mona's little bias scarf for a friend and the hitchhiker when I'm awake enough to not make silly mistakes.
Happy Crafting!

Mums goody bag of fibre

My mum is a childminder and we asked an awesome fibre supplier if they would be willing to donate some fibre for the children to feel and see what it turns into...yarn and on to be knit or crocheted etc...
Fondant Fibre kindly made a generous contribution:
Bits of fluffy fibre in a variety of colours and some mini skeins :)

Some awesome big and colourful pom poms, my mum is totally in love with these lol and the little girl was stroking her face on them saying "aww nice!"

fibre and a span skein of bowmont

Very colourful dyed long haired fibre...I'd love my hair in these awesome colours!

Fibre and a span skein of romney

My mum is thrilled and very grateful, and even I hadn't anticipated such a lovely variety :)
Many thanks to the wonderful Deb :)

Edward Foster FREE art workshops

Anyone in the Accrington area, Edward Foster, and amazing artist is running some free art workshops at the local library :) If you can get down you'll have fun and learn new skills :) Call the library for more info and to book...Dates and times below:

ART TUESDAYS
August Art Workshops at Accrington Library, Lancashire
FREE drawing and painting workshops for all ages and abilities taught by professional artist Edward Foster.
10am - 11am - Family art workshop no 1
A fun hour of drawing and painting for all the family
11am - 12am - Family art workshop no 2
A fun hour of drawing and painting for all the family
1pm - 4:30pm - Art in the afternoon for adults.
Learn the skills behind good pencil drawing and acrylic painting so you can draw and paint all kinds of subjects including animals, people, cartoons, and much more.
6:30pm - 8:30pm - Evening art workshop for adults
Learn the skills behind good pencil drawing and acrylic painting so you can draw and paint all kinds of subjects including animals, people, cartoons, and much more.
DATES:
Tuesday 5th August
Tuesday 12th August
Tuesday 19th August
Tuesday 26th August
For more information please ring the library on 01254 872385

Enjoy!

Tour de Loop + generosity!

Fresh Stitches is doing a Tour de Loop thread on ravelry, anyone who knits, crochets, weaves etc can participate so why not check out her blog and group.
It's a bit of fun, and an excuse to find the time (if you lack it generally) to craft!

My mum is a childminder and asked a fabric company, Nova, if they would be willing to donate some fabric sample for a tactile box...she was stunned when they're parcel of 25kg arrived packed with amazing fabrics.
With there being so much she is hoping to make some cushions and wall hangings with pockets for the children to play with and store toys. A huge thank you is most definitely in order. This image shows just the top layer, and the fabrics themselves are so luxurious and the textures are brilliant. I love the tree print one visible so much I'd want it as a piece of furniture lol

I finished the scrappy scarf, I know I mentioned but here I am in it anyway...can't decide whether to keep this for myself, gift it, or what..? Suggestions welcome!

I'm still getting over the generosity of people...I mentioned I couldn't spin so someone offered to post me a spindle to try and learn during tour de loop. I said I honestly wouldn't know how so instead they bought me a tutorial (advert) form interweave online called Respect the Spindle, which is amazing, it looks so easy, though I know it won't be to start with...And another lovely lady I've mentioned before (FF) has said she'll post me a spindle and some fluf to give it a try...so between them I will learn to spin and be able to try making handmade yarn :) excited but nervous! Although it could get costly if I take to it like a duck to water lol
Looking forward to the spindle arrival, I've learned there are lots of kinds so no idea what's coming!

Happy Crafting!

Laptop still down & update

I'm not so patiently waiting for a new laptop charger to arrive, and hoping that's the only problem. In the meantime I've been knitting loads :) and unfortunately frogging loads too...I've never ripped back so much ever until I set my goals on stash dash lol typical!
I knitted 3 ridge repeats on the hitchhiker this morning, to rip 4 back and reknit 1 before I needed a rest. Gutted, but at least I could fix it, still haven't figured out how to fix the lace part of the trillian :(
I got the scrappy bias scarf finished :) it's 88" long but rather narrow.

Happy crafting!

mail art received and scarf

sorry for the rushed post my laptop isn't charging and battery dying...
received my mail art all the way from argentina, isn't it colourful :) lovely!

and i cast on a scrappy scarf :)

really hope i can sort my laptop out!
enjoy tour de fleece if you're taking part :)
happy crafting!

Fondant Fibre Fan!

I have more lovely yarn :)
The first being to make a gift for my mum :) It's superwash merino 4ply in the petunia colourway :)

And then I saw a pastel shaded yarn, which usually I don't go for but this was so nice it was a must. It's superwash polwarth 4ply in the tea with Miss Havisham colourway.

I got a couple of super cute stitch markers :) a tasty tea bag to try and a little note on the back of the needle gauge info card :)

Then I got a sample of what looks like a handspun in rich yellow with blue and a kind of turquoise colour, also very soft, but not sure what fibre this is.

And a sparkle sample, again not sure on the fibre but it's very soft and super nice sheen to the sparkle.

I've never knit with handspun or sparkle before so really looking forward to giving these a go :)
Deb over at Fondant Fibre is super lovely and very generous and uplifting to talk to.
I have so many knitting plans, must knit faster, but preferably without ruining my knits (still not fixed the trillian yet, my brain just can't sus it for the minute).

Hoping for a miracle!Happy Crafting!