Saturday, June 23, 2007

A Little Bit of Everything

Not giving up on the spinning yet! Even with my really amateurish lumpy-yarn producing skills, I can see/feel the difference between the spindles.


Clockwise from the left, my heavy-duty Cascabeles had me spinning a really chunky yarn which I crochetted into a baby hat. The Forrester, a little lighter, got me producing something more worsted. The tulipwood Bosworth Midi, the latest addition to my spindle collection, is my favorite so far. I can spin thinner and more even yarn. Sheila Bosworth test-spun the spindle before sending it to me, and when it arrived, I dissected and studied the small sample of fiber and spun yarn she left on it. (Hey, I'm desperate; there are no spinning classes around here!)

...and if I'm spinning, I will eventually need to use this Niddy-Noddy. (As if I need more things to collect...)

I'm knitting too; an organic cotton baby blanket (pic soon), and a thin scarf made by alternating every couple rows between some Koigu and STR.

Here is a close-up of the 2-Colour Star Stitch Pattern found in Harmony Guide's "44o More Knitting Stitches". Using 2 contrasting solids would make the "stars" pop out more, but I'm liking this Impressionistic look.

Continuing with the stash-busting, I used the leftovers from the Flore hat combined with some Reynolds Saucy Sport to crochet a market bag. I'll take it for a test run soon.

12 ply yarn:

Monika said...

You've been quite busy. Your spinning will get better as long as you keep practicing. It's the only way. I love your blue yarn and baby hat. But the real great thing is your new thin scarf with the star stitch. It's just wonderful! Tell us how many pounds of groceries you could get into your market bag. These things stretch enormously! ;o)

Anonymous said...

You have been doing some incredible things. I liked hearing about the different spindles and the different results you got. I am still a spinner wannabe. The scarf is lovely. I like the stitch pattern and the yarns you chose. The market bag is great. Wow. You have been busy.
Punkin in Oregon

Rachel said...

Wow you are industrious! That's so cool you can spin that wool up so nicely. I really like the color of hat you chose, too. Nice blue.

Ren said...

oooh, your scarf is so pretty! i really like that stitch pattern. : )

Dipsy said...

What a very, very beautiful stitch pattern this is, and it looks just perfect with the yarn you're using! Ahhh, I already have images of socks and whatnot in my head with this pattern! ;) Gorgeous!
And so is your market bag, it seems to be just the perfect size to do quite a bit of shopping, and the colors are so awesome too! Great job!
Your spinning seems to get better day by day too - it's so interesting reading through your experiences with the different spindles and results!

Marcy said...

Nice spindles! Keep at it; it will come. Meanwhile, this might be helpful: http://youtube.com/watch?v=drXid5cT0y8
:D

hakucho said...

I LOVE the two color star stitch...such a pretty color combo!!
Pretty market bag, too!

Keep up the great work with your spinning...not in the cards for me , but I love seeing others spin :)

happy knitting & spinning :)

Rachel said...

Gorgeous new header! Love it!

hakucho said...

You've been nominated as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! :)

Amanda said...

Wow.. All your work is so beautiful, but I especially love the 2 color star stitch scarf. I'm going to have to look into that stitch pattern.

misplacedpom said...

The scarf is gorgeous! What does the back look like?

Jillian said...

The 2 color star stitch pattern is so beautiful. i love patterns with lots of texture like that. i also like honeycomb stitch patterns.