My first real yarn!

Well, well. After my last post I "just" had to ply something together to share my first real skein of handspun with you. Ha! Little did I know that plying would take me a good 4-5 hours of time! Anyway, I recently shared some work in progress pictures of this hand spun project and now I have the FO for you.

I can't wait to cast on and actually knit with this yarn, but for now I just carry the skein with me everywhere I go... yes, it's in my purse... because I just love admiring the pretty colors! When I finally do cast on, I think I'll make a shawl with the yarn... perhaps the textured shawl.

I was impressed with my ability spin thin yarn. The 4 ounces of fiber yielded 480 yards of 2 ply fingering-weight yarn.

I also have another spinning project in progress. I have one pound of BFL that I am spinning up for a sweater. So far I have 2 skeins. One skein is a dk weight and the other is a fingering weight. These two skeins used to be one skein, but I spilt it into two when I realized that I started spinning thicker yarn and got thinner as I progressed. Beginners error! I'm hoping the rest can be spun up at the fingering weight.

CSA catch up!

I've missed blogging about CSA treats for 2 weeks. This weekend, I'll play catch up!



July 4...











July 11...






July 18... first pepper and tomato!









Lots of spinning to share... but first I have to ply something together! ;)

Feeling blue and brown

Two of the projects I am working on right now are in the blue and brown color family.

First up, a quick knit from leftover sock yarn from my Spirit Trail Fiberworks Charade socks. This is the tiny shoe pattern by Ysolda Teague. As with most of her designs, this one is very clever, with minimal seaming/finishing involved.







I'm also getting in my spinning practice. A friend bought me a surprise gift of Sheep Shop Yarn Company merino roving in "Royalty." So far, I've spun up 1 of the four ounces. I am still a pretty slow spinner, but my product is getting more consistent as I go. Here's a picture of the roving, pre-drafted roving, and spun single ply. I have no clue how this is going to knit up. I'm thinking this will make a lovely winter shawl or scarf.