From Stitches Midwest!

Vehicle in the hotel parking lot.

Merino/Tencel

I am currently spinning some roving that I picked up at Hank of Yarn in Southaven, MS. The colorway is called "Hydrangea" and is by Abstract Fibers of Portland , Oregon. I love the color combination, but the fiber ratio is 50/50, and I'm not sure I like the way it spins.

More Ashland Bay Merino

Latest spinning project. 100% merino. Colorway is Mojave. Hope to get enough 2 ply at a nice weight to make a shawl, maybe close to a 2 ply sock weight. I'm almost half way through the top, which I split evenly into 2 oz. pieces. Throughout drafting the fiber, I have tried to be careful to NOT run my finger from the orafice to the drafting zone, hoping that the resulting yarn will be a little more airy than a regular worsted spun yarn..  The main challenge that I am having at this time is that some spots on the current single are lace thin and not spun tightly enough to hold together.  I've experienced breakage of the single, especially when trying to join another piece of top, more so than ever before. It has been very frustrating.  I think the answer is that I need to go ahead and order a lace bobbin that will have a higher ratio for spinning than my current regular bobbins that came with my Louet S10.  I'm thinking my next payday is the time.  Should improve the second half of singles that will be plied with the one already almost finished. At least I hope so.

Until later, keep knitting, spinning or whatever your passion!

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Morning Surf Scarf

I'm using my handspun yarn, spun from Roan Mtn Morning by Ms Babs Fibers, to knit a pattern called the Morning Surf Scarf by JackieErickson-Schweitzer. I love the way the yarn is striping! More later...

Improvising

There are no little one year old children around here now, and I needed a way to show off my latest finished project. So I improvised.  Mr. Bunn was a willing model, and here is the result.  This baby's beret was knit by combining two different patterns.  So does that make it my creation?. Feels like it!  It was knit with a superwash wool and nylon sock yarn, the name of which eludes me because I lost the skein band.  My receipt for the yarn is no help, unfortunately. 

Now I'm working on a shawl pattern by Brenda Patipa that I bought at Stitches South last month.  I'll post a picture when it is done.

Until then, keep knitting, or spinning, or whatever your passion!

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The Beginning Singles

Here's the beginning of the Roan Mtn Morning singles. I just had to spin a little bit more when I got home from work today!  At first it seemed a little harder to spin than the 100% merino that I did, but I think I've gotten a feel for it.  So far, I'm happy with the result.  I'm trying to consistently spin small singles,  in hopes of a almost sock size 2 ply yarn.  We'll see..

Until later, happy knitting or spinning, or whatever your passion.

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A Pretty Merino/Bamboo/Silk Blend

I finished all the pink Ashland Bay merino top, finally! I posted a picture on Twitter and FB of the skein hanging to dry. I think I was able to get about 250 yards of 2 ply that can be knit with a size 6 or 7 needles. I'll have to come up with a project.

This is my newest spinning project.  It is a merino/bamboo/Tussah silk top in the colorway Roan Mtn Morning from Miss Babs Hand-dyed Yarns & Fibers, and I purchased it at Stitches South.  Her website can be found at www.missbabs.com.  I'm a little nervous to spin this because this is the first merino/bamboo/silk blend that I've tried to spin. It has large repeats of color which I would love to keep in the final yarn. May have to Navajo ply it.  I would like to get a nice 2 ply I can knit into a shawl.  I'll keep you posted!

Until later, keep knitting, spinning, or whatever your passion,
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