From Silk to Yak

{ November 10, 2009 @ 6:46 pm } · { fiberlicious, the awesome }
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Between being sick and caring for my poor little wee fluffball, who did a number on her back last week, I’ve missed more than a little time at work and I’ve had more than a little couch time.

My poor medicated Madori…

So, in between naps and medicating and trips to the doctor and trips to the vet, I’ve managed to get some significant fiber work accomplished.

First, I finished “Soleil,” the two ounces of tussah silk top that I got from Shadeyside Farm at Rhinebeck in 2008. And I’m ridiculously proud of the final yarn.

A solar flare of silk
A solar flare of silk

It’s 379 yards of light fingering weight, Navajo plied, and I believe it’s my most evenly spun yarn yet. It’s also a testament to the practice I’ve put into my Navajo plying. No chain bumps here!

I just love me some silk

Not sure what Soleil’s going to be yet. I’m still trying to decide how I can best show off this colorway, especially since it’s going to stripe. But for now, I’m just really enjoying admiring it. And man, I just love working with silk tops!

I turned this delicious 2 ounce bump of 50/50 blend of merino and brown yak fiber from the Yarn Tree in Brooklyn, NY…

Ummmm…yak….

…into this 265-yard hank of light fingering Navajo plied loveliness.

Yakkety-yak….

This was a challenge to spin. It was my first time working with a short-stapled fiber, and even with the merino in the blend, it was still a painstaking process that took a lot of concentration while working with it. It was also my first time using my Kundert spindle, which I did enjoy. It spins like nothing I’ve ever seen, however, the tapered shaft was a little problematic. A couple times, the fine single broke and the spindle dropped…and the cop slid right off the spindle. I was able to slide it back on and didn’t lose any yardage or get any tangles, but it was traumatic. A good lesson for using this spindle.

Despite the learning curve, the final yarn is soft and squishy and just naturally beautiful. I love how the natural verigation in the merino and yak play with each other throughout the hank.

So pretty…

This is destined to be the main color in Selbu Modern (Rav link), with a contrast of some similar weight single-ounce handspun cashmere down that I finished plying last night. More on that after it gets a nice bath.

I also finished a new sweater, started a Shetland Triangle (Rav link) out of some of my ribbon-winning handspun and started a new pair of very funky socks. Stay tuned!

Rhinebeck 2009!

{ November 1, 2009 @ 12:45 pm } · { fiberlicious, the awesome }
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Another event kept me from the New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck this year, and I’m sorry I missed it. Despite that, I did some representing at Rhinebeck…and Rhinebeck was good to me!
Yay!!

I sent four handspun skeins to Rhinebeck, and three of them came home with pretty pretty ribbons. This was my first time competing in a fiber festival, and I don’t believe it’ll be my last!

And now for the winners…

Cloud Nine took fifth place in the Novelty Skein class!

Yay, Cloud Nine!!

My beloved Pleione took second place in the Blended Skein class!

Yay, Pleione!

And Purple Passion took first place in the Novice Skein class!

Yay, Purple Passion!

I finished Purple Passion only a couple weeks before I sent in my entry, so it never got a mention here until now. This is a monster 610-yarn skein from 4.1 ounces of punta wool and mohair-blend mill ends from FiberFancy.

Adored this spin!

I couldn’t put the spindle down with this, it was so much fun. Beautiful color, drafted beautifully, a real joy to spin.

Lovely verigated purple waves

A bunch of my fibery friends did make it to Rhinebeck this year, so I did get a very enthusiastic on-the-scene report. They thought, however, that I only submitted three skeins. So Pleione’s ribbon came as a lovely surprise when my stuff made it home this week, as it happened to be the forgotten skein.

My fibery friends also brought me home a gift…

Pretty, pretty mix of colors!

…8 ounces of sari silk thrums, which are currently making their way little-by-little onto Monster as a funky art yarn.

Twisty tussah silk threads

I’m thinking of plying it with a thin black merino single, maybe with some black-dyed mohair locks tail spun in…you know, for fun!

So, yay for Rhinebeck 2009! And look out Rhinebeck 2010…I’ll be back for sure!!

An Attempt…

{ October 20, 2009 @ 9:21 pm } · { FO, the awesome }
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….to make up for two and a half months of blog negligence. Egads, I’ve been so bad!

So here goes! First, I finished the Twisted Tweed  (Rav link) socks…

Pretty twisted!
Pretty twisted!

…but because of yardage concerns, I had to make them smaller than I usually knit my socks, and they’re a bit too snug for my big feet. So, someone’s getting a great gift!

Next, I whipped out another pair of socks, which do fit and which I wish I could wear every day because, man, this yarn is just awesome.

My Lovelies
My Lovelies

These are the very viral Kai-Mei (Rav link), which have, of course, been made by eleventy-million knitters worldwide. These, however, are made from Aleyska by Pagewood Farms…and they are part cashmere…yeah. You could write poetry about this yarn…and that’s not an exaggeration. Yeah, I love these.

I also finished a second pair of pedi socks, this time using some of my handspun and this time they’re for me!

Now I needs the pedicures!
Now I needs the pedicures!

Simple, cute, quick and it was nice to use some of my own yarn for these as well. The handspun is “Fuego,” a 2-ply merino/tencel blend, and the coordinating yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock.

There’s also been stash enhancement and spinning and new projects and Rhinebeck, which I didn’t make it to this year but at which I did represent….more on that to come as I try to be a better blogger!

Look! An FO! It’s the Technicolor Scrap Scarf!

{ August 1, 2009 @ 5:17 pm } · { FO }
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It’s done! It’s done!

The Technicolor Scrap Scarf
The Technicolor Scrap Scarf

It’s done, and I love it!

This one was slow goings for a while, but the effect simply can’t be denied: The mock-woven look of a simple linen stitch is just so wonderful!

:::swoon:::
:::swoon:::

I left the fringe uneven and in 10-strand knots. I put in half-braids while I was knitting it because, as I got to the last couple of inches, it was getting a little unwieldy and a bit of braiding kept the fringe from tangling. I love the look, though, so I’m going to keep the half braids.

Only looks like it came off a loom
Only looks like it came off a loom

The final scarf is a little more than six inches wide and is 53 inches long without the fringe, 77 inches with it. I normally like my scarves on the longer side, but I think this one is just perfect.

I have to admit: The animal-fiber content (especially the alpaca) is a little difficult for me to wear. But, the scarf hasn’t had a wash yet either. I’m leaning toward adding this one to my personal collection…

…but if I can’t take the fibers, my lovely may become a fabulous gift!

Spinning, spinning, spinning…and a wet mutt

{ July 27, 2009 @ 7:59 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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Another week, another finished yarn!

Whats pink and green and wool all over?
What’s pink and green and wool all over?

This one was for the Ravelry Spindlers July challenge, which was to spin a “Renaissance” inspired yarn. You could interpret Renaissance however you wanted, so I went with this:

Michaelangelos Creation of Adam
Michaelangelo’s Creation of Adam

This was my first challenge, and it was a fun one to do. So many inspiring artworks from that era, but this one called to me because it matched a braid in the stash.

This is 100 percent merino, 4 ounces, hand-dyed by FiberFancy. This is the first of the fiber from FiberFancy that I’ve spun up, and it was very nice to work with. Merino is definitly growing on me as well. At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of merino, but I’m having an easier time with it lately, and I love what a soft and squishy handspun it makes.

Wonderfully soft merino
Wonderfully soft merino

I wound up with a little more than 208 yards of Navajo plied yarn, in the neighborhood of aran weight, spun on Little Joe and plied on Monster. I handsewed in about 160 2mm unakite beads and while the final product is just what I was going for, my methodology was…somewhat lacking. Next time I do a beaded yarn with beads this tiny, I’ll try thread plying with them prestrung on the thread. Sewing them on was tedious to say the very least.

A pain...but worth it
A pain…but worth it

I actually have, wonder of wonders, a knitting FO to show soon! Very exciting!

For now, though, I’ll leave you with a little wet mutt.

Shes so little!!!
I fits in da kitchen sink!

I picked up this Splish Splash shampoo for her at Petco, and she just smells so lovely!

Silly puppy, plus a WIP

{ July 13, 2009 @ 8:14 pm } · { Madori, wip }
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Madori has developed a curious little quirk: She’s completely enamored with fresh, clean sheets.
There she is, stalking me, just waiting for the fresh sheets to be on the bed
There she is, stalking me, just waiting for the fresh sheets to be on the bed

It’s a little weird, though I myself enjoy clean sheets, so maybe she just picked it up from me. Either way, she just gets so excited.

Soooo happy to be on the bed!
Soooo happy to be on the bed!

She whines, she squeaks, she can just barely contain herself when she sees those sheets come out of the laundry bin and get made up on the bed.

 

Madori loves the clean sheets
Madori loves the clean sheets

Such a silly puppy.

The knitting has slowed down as I’m gradually slogging my way through a mindless-yet time-consuming project.

The Technicolor Scrap Scarf
The Technicolor Scrap Scarf

I’m really digging how it’s coming out, but these are some long, long rows. I cast on 500 stitches on a US 4 Addi Turbo, so each row takes about a half hour. And I’ve done a lot of rows.

So worth it for all the little woven stitches
So worth it for all the little woven stitches

It’s about five inches wide now and I’d like to add at least another inch and a half to it before it’s done. And, in the mean time, I’m using up a whole mess of my sock yarn scraps…which is all this is made of! Genius!

So styling...cant wait to wear you!
So styling…can’t wait to wear you!

I’m using this pattern (Rav link) and while it’s very simple, it’s really a great effect. But man…so much work…

Miss Madori has also taken a charm to sleeping under the bed, on top of the storage bins under there.

This particular bin holds sweaters, misc. craft stuff...and all my fiber!
This particular bin holds sweaters, some misc. craft stuff…and all my fiber!

Such a silly puppy!

Oh, no! Another craft!

{ July 2, 2009 @ 9:09 am } · { FO, Sew what?, the awesome }
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Yup, that’s right. Another craft. Someone please stop me.

Or, maybe not…

Sew cute
Sew cute

See, it’s kind of knitting-related!

Here’s what happened: Last weekend, I decided that I absolutly hate that each and every one of my knitting and spinning projects is in a plastic bag. There’s nothing wrong with plastic bags, mind you. But they’re ugly. And I like my pretty fibers and pretty stitches and pretty spindles to be, well, pretty. So, I decided to pull out my dusty sewing machine, clean it up, remember how to thread it and try my hand at something new: project bags!

And I think I had some success.

I like the pretty!
I like the pretty!

I used this pattern for these two and dug the fabric out of my old stash because, yes, there is a fabric stash, too, albeit small. This is a pretty simple and straightforward pattern, nothing really intricate or difficult about it. But, my sewing skills are nothing to write home about, so it worked perfectly for me. And, there’s a total instant-gratification element to these; each one took about 45 minutes, from cutting to finished.

And they’re perfect for small projects, like a pair of socks….

A perfect fit!
A perfect fit!

…or a small spindle and a couple ounces of fiber.

Is that silk I see??
Is that silk I see??

This actually deserves a moment of pause. This is 2 ounces handpainted tussah silk from Shadeyside Farm in the “Soleil” colorway and it’s so amazingly pretty.

Ooooo, shiny....
Ooooo, shiny….

I’m spinning it on a 1.1 ounce stabilized turquoise-whorl spindle from KnotMyDayJob, which is pretty weighty for its very small size and spins a nice, even single. Plus, it’s just an amazing looking spindle.

Ill give you a moment to compose yourself...
I’ll give you a moment to compose yourself…

I also tried out this little pattern and made this little cotton bag out of a couple of fat quarters.

Love the dotty stripes
Love the dotty stripes

This one required making my first very buttonhole, which was…challenging. I couldn’t figure out how to use the automatic buttonhole foot on my machine (and have no idea what happened to my owner’s manual), so I did a manual buttonhole. It’s not perfect, but it worked out ok for this project, I think.

And look what’s inside!

Its Greensleeves! And some fiber!
It’s Greensleeves! And some fiber!

Have I mentioned I love merino/tencel? Yeah…

I think in the future I’d make this bag a little shorter and the other bags a little taller, but these were great learning experiences. So, there are definitly more hand-sewn bags to come.

There have to be; I have a lot of projects going and must get rid of the plastic!

Tragic!

{ June 30, 2009 @ 9:00 pm } · { Fail! }
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A spindling tragedy occured at la Casa de Weasel:
Oh the humanity!
Oh the humanity!

Oh horror of horrors, it’s not supposed to do that! My beautiful Butterfly Girl spindle dropped, and the whorl completely detached!

The worst part was that I had a nice little cop built up on the spindle shaft at the time, and it slid right off into a little wad of singles.

Luckily, I was able to save them…

Whew...theyre safe
Whew…they’re safe

…and didn’t lose even an inch!

Now, I just have to get the spindle back up and running. My first repair attempt was a total failure. Second attempt coming soon in hopes that I can avoid sending my beauty across the country for professional help.

Wish me luck!

Flashing Some Stash: A Fiber Photo Post

{ June 27, 2009 @ 8:45 pm } · { Uncategorized }
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These beautiful fibers are by FiberFancy, Shunklies and DragonFibers. Photography by yours truly.

Full details available on Ravelry.

My First Tweed

{ June 24, 2009 @ 8:55 pm } · { FO, fiberlicious }
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How can you not love a good tweed?

Shetland and Silk
Shetland and Silk

This was so much fun to spin.

It’s definitly not the softest of yarns. While it’s squishy and lofty, I wouldn’t want it directly on my skin. But, I think it’s really pretty, and I love the natural colors, which are so different from anything else I’ve spun so far.

Im a little bit British
I’m a little bit British

I did end up going with the Navajo ply, and I’m glad I did. It looks fantastic. This attempt at Navajo plying was far more successful than my first attempt, much more even and less noticable chaining bumps. I spun the singles on Joe and decided to ply on Monster, which was a really good choice. I can definitly tell the difference between plying on a lighter spindle and plying on a heavier spindle now. I also took my time with the chaining, and didn’t try to chain while the spindle was spinning. 

The final result is a solid worsted weight, 129 yards of tweedy goodness. Like almost all of my handspun, I don’t know what this will become. I just really enjoyed the spin.

Ummmm....silky tweed....
Ummmm….silky tweed….

There was some VM in this top, but not so much as to make it troublesome. Overall, I can’t say enough good things about Shunklies…and I have to admit I’ve been admiring some of her other British breed tops. Herdwick, massam and manx loughton…ummmm…..

It’ll have to wait, though. I’ve engaged in a little stash enhancement lately (Damn those Etsy sales…but they were such good deals!!), so a sampling of British wools will just have to wait for now.

Up next: Some stash flashing!

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