On the Triloom

My second weaving project is on the triloom.....this time it is charcoal merino-silk and I am weaving in a 2/2 twill that will come to a point at the center of the shawl. Great fun!

This project has taught me the virtues of spinning from the fold. The merino-silk laps from Yarn or a Tale are delightful (especially at her Yahoo group pre-order price), but spinning them from the end makes consistent drafting difficult and results in little ends of silk and merino poufing out here and there. I changed to spinning from the fold, and like magic, had the smooth even yarn I was looking for.

I am spinning up dyed merino-silk for a wide knitted border on the shawl. These colors are deep and saturated, but the yarn is terribly camera-shy, and so is the fiber. Perhaps it is the last day of February that wants to take my lovely greens and purples and blues, and make them shades of gray.

My new loom is missing a few heddle bars, so it will not be warped until I can get some. In the meantime, I am having fun planning what I will weave first. My first warp will be some millspun linen that I already have stashed....and I am still deciding on a weft.....handspun, of course.....hemp? linen-silk blend?

Since my yarn is shy, here is a sky which isn't.....

Fire and Ice

"Many waters cannot quench love....................."


Project Spectrum, Fire

Needle Felted Art for my Sweetie

In various naturally dyed, naturally colored, and acid dyed fibers, including bamboo, silk, and wools.


Second Snowflake

Knitted and Crocheted with handspun merino-tencel and silk


"And He made the stars also"

Spin-aversary Contest

About a year ago, a box arrived at the house with roving, and then one with a spindle. This yarn was the result. My first yarn!

It was the blogging community that helped me realize that my long-held dream of learning to spin was within my grasp. ( and it was a long-held dream....when my sister and I used to compare dream houses as teenagers, my house was full of children, spinning wheels, looms, and quilting frames.) So my already-blessed life holds one more little blessing.

What better way to celebrate than a contest?

Leave a comment, making sure that I have information to let you know if you win....either e-mail or blog URL. Tell me if you spin, or not. I will choose a winner by random number generator....if a spinner wins, that person gets a little gift certificate to the Etsy shop Loop. If a non-spinner wins, that person gets a learn-to-spin kit from the Spindle and Wheel shop. I'll choose the winner next Saturday.

I hope to keep learning from you all in this next fiber-year!

I still knit.......a little

Once upon a time, my babies were tiny, and I spent the day sitting, nursing them,


and knitting......

No more. Now is a little more exciting, the time for chasing....












But I still knit a little.

Verity wanted Pocketbook Slippers, like Mercy's, so here are hers in Spunky Eclectic Skinny Sock, from a sampler skein.

And here are my ankle socks in the
British Suffolk sock yarn I spun.
A little lace rib at the top to please my
feminine wishes, the color delightful to
knit.

I'll be knitting afterthought heels on
these....My guess? I'll love it. I'll get to
knit four toes instead of just two. Toes are so much fun!

Exploring the Down Wools: Hampshire

I had my dye day yesterday, and so was able to get acquainted with the Hampshire that is the next down wool to explore. This is really nice stuff. Going for a cushy two-ply this time, the Hampshire responded to my sampling with lofty softness. In fact, though it is no merino, I would say that this passes my "lip test" for comfort.

The source for the Hampshire is Kathy of Wool World. She has over a hundred different kinds of fibers and fleeces available on her site, and sells in quantities as small as an ounce....perfect for sampling! It is a wooly smorgasbord.


I wanted to paint this roving, but I gave up on it, because presoaking was ineffective. Next time I'll use a wetting agent if I plan on a cold pour method. It seems that these wools practically shed water, which can be a good quality in certain instances.

Once they took a nice hot water bath with the dye, both the Hampshire and the British Suffolk took dye like a dream. And I love the watercolor mix that comes with the hot pour method!

Below is the finished 3-ply British Suffolk. I ended up with a little over 200 yards... enough for a child's pair, or anklets for me? The hand grew even more pleasant in its steaming hot bath, and I would say that though it is not as soft as the Hampshire, it is on a par with sock yarns like Aracunia. The color is much brighter than shows here. So pretty!

Valentine

Made of cherry. Though not chocolate-covered...... I still think it is perfect.

Embracing Grey

Looking at my spinning queue, I see a lot of grey to match the February days....seemingly dull, and yet full of depth and subtle variation....




Icelandic 3 ply rug yarn, 4 oz.

Wensleydale that I am flick carding to spin for warp. Warp, you say? Trilooms warp themselves, don't they? Hmmm.....well, I have something to show you tomorrow.

Merino-silk on the spindle for the next triloom shawl.

I switched fiber clubs for the new year, to Susan's Spinning Bunny. This month natural silver baby alpaca came with silver thread to ply it with.....I think that will be a perfect opportunity to make a beaded yarn, with tiny silver glass beads that sparkle like ice crystals....I'll use this yarn to join my snowflake motifs together into.....something. A scarf, maybe?

Well, I am enjoying my grey, the depth of the natural color of the fibers....but I am still scheduling a dye day for Friday....What is grey for, if not making the most of other colors?