Under the sea

What have I been up to all week? Not a lot except spinning with a tiny bit of knitting but nothing to show off yet.

This is the first completed spin that just came off the niddy noddy this morning. It was some roving a friend asked me to spin up and it was glorious. Lovely long staple that just slid out of my hands. I wasn't so sure at first when I was predrafting but as soon as the spinning started it was wonderful.

Check out the pictures:
Now I don't have WPI details as I forgot to do this before I made the skein all pretty. There is however 100gms of what I would say is light-normal fingering. It is a little uneven as I still have an awful lot to learn about spinning but it does give it character.

What do you think Kel? yes and I know I'm supposed to be getting the kids to school but they'll keep ;)

Keep smiling :-)

Natural Spin

Now this roving has been sitting in my stash for a very long time. Longer than my spinning wheel sat idle waiting for me to gain the confidence to put it to good use.

But now it is spun. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it but I have to admit it was very enjoyable to spin.

Source: Queensland Spinners, Dyers and Fabric Artists
Weight: 540gms
WPI: 13

Now I can get on to the luscious merino roving I bought at Nundle.

Keep smiling :-)

Hardly Done

I've become addicted to plying yarn.

A little while ago I bought some yarn from 100purewool with the intention of making a shawl. It has been languishing in my stash until I had this wonderful idea. How would it look plied?

Originally I started plying as a two ply but then I started thinking about 3ply. It looked great.

Then I thought how would this look cable plied. So off I went again.


I was so excited with what I created I didn't even take time to either set the yarn let alone photograph it. I just had to knit it and I already knew the pattern - Elizabeth Zimmermann's "Knitted Garter Stitch Blanket"

Then disaster struck - I ran out of yarn and after a fun time at Nundle will have to wait a little while before I can order more. I'm going to need at least another 6 skeins to complete the blanket how I want it. Oh well, good things come to those who wait. It isn't like I don't have other projects to work on :).

Here is a picture of my cat Sammy.

Trust him to find the most comfortable, not to mention expensive, place to sleep - atop my Silk Garden Rib Warmer which looks a little like this:

Keep smiling :-)

Current Projects

Here are a few projects I'm currently working on.

On the wheel I've finally completed the Muted Colours with Green.

Fibre: Qld Spinners and Weavers Merino Hand dyed
WPI: 14
Weight: 240gms
Project: socks I think

I've also picked up the Laminaria Shawl again. Finally finished the star stitch pattern and I'm now working on the Blossom pattern.



Plying is the plan for this yarn from 100 pure wool. I have 3 skeins of the lace weight singles in Hardly. It will be interesting to see the results.



Keep smiling :-)

Home again

Back from my trip to Nundle. Had a wonderful time. Nothing better than spending time with fabulous friends knitting, spinning, shopping and eating.

This is the view outside our cabin. You couldn't ask for more.



And a little retail therapy.
6 balls Nundle Woollen Mills Retro 4ply. 2 each in Iris, Kelp and Ironstone.


1 kilo of 21.2micron merino in natural


205gms Optim and Camel

The NWM Retro in Ironstone is already becoming a pair of Classic socks.


I plan on spinning the merino on the spinning wheel and then having it dyed while I think I'll leave the Optim/Camel for the spindle and something laceweight.

Keep smiling :-)

I've been bad

That is as a blogger. Can't believe it has been a week and a half since I last posted. It's not like I haven't had anything to post either. I've been busy and my lovely postman has also visited. So here is a long blog.

Firstly a few completed projects:

Pattern: Dulcie
by: Woolly Wormhead
Yarn: my own handspun
Needles: 4.5mm circulars

Pattern: Spiral Socks
by: Myself
Yarn: Dyelicious Hand Dyed Yarns - Wool/Nylon
Needles: 2.5mm circulars

And some Spinning:

Starting Yarn: DHDY Lace Silk and DHDY Lace Merino
Weight: 210gms of Fingering
Plans: woven stole

And a new project. I realised I need something I could take along to my knitting group, work on and not have to pull undone when I returned home. It will be made up of a number of squares in varying sizes. Each square is complete by making triangles using short rows.
The yarn is Kauni Effekgarn in colour way EH - blue/beige/chocolate and was bought at Astrid's Dutch Obsessions. I love the large swatches of colour and the changes are so well done that at first you don't realise you're changing colours. Needles are 3.25mm circulars.

And from the postman
Well actually Knitting without Tears came from Borders. The other two from Amazon in the US and Japan. The 1000 knitting patterns is absolutely worth the money (even though 300 of the stitches are crochet). I've already gained much inspiration. And of course Elizabeth Zimmerman is a perennial favourite. I don't know why I've avoided her books until now but I've become addicted.

Well I can't promise to be good this week. Tomorrow the family is going to Lismore for the day and then on Thursday it is off to Nundle with my wonderful girlfriends.

Keep smiling :-)