For the First Time, Introducing... My Hand Spun

It is a bit on the rustic side. But I don't mind. I'm learning so it's okay. Which, by the way, what I'm trying to learn is the long draw. It's starting to come together. Which, by the way, means the yarn I'm trying to learn to spin is not falling apart as I spin. This is probably why my yarn is a bit on the rustic side. Not trying to make excuses. But, well, it's kinda hard. I love doing it. What's wrong with me? Not really sure. Kinda hard to explain.

                   Ignore the date found at lower right hand corner.

This is a wonderful pattern created by Yolanda Teague. You can find it on Ravelry and is called the Cloud Bolero. I was lucky. Got the pattern back in 2010 when it was still free at Yarn Forward Mag.

Okay, wrong. Cloud Bolero is no longer available but a new version is. There is a link from the Cloud page to the new pattern. She also has some notes on the differences between them at her blog. That link also on Cloud page. Yolanda Teague on Ravelry

And so the above was made with one of my hand spun yarns. It was dyed with orange osage wood chips in an iron pot over an outside fire. Another story for another day. I did not care for the color so I over dyed with tobacco. The roll your own type. For real.

                     Here is the tobacco simmering. Horrible smelling stuff.

                                                 And here is the dye.

      This is how it came out. Added a bit of rustiness to the color which I liked better.

And here is a sweet little something for a sweet little person. This was spun up from wool shorn from a local Jacob sheep. The cocoon was so very soft. Baby's need soft. The mommy was very pleased.

And so this is what my PVC/bike spinning wheel has helped me to create. There was more but has been knitted or crocheted into something and given away.

A quick note on the two pattern links I put up on how to make a PVC spinning wheel. It seems one of the links is dead. That would be the free pattern. I will say the other pattern is worth every penny of the $7.00 price. And it will help out a fellow crafty person. Hey, run don't walk and get you one.

                 There were some needed changes. Will post on that soon.

Have a good day.

Well, Well. Blogger Has Fixed the "Browse" for Pictures Bug.

Glad to see it.

And now I would like you to meet some friends of mine. Are they not cute?


Meet Sally  A Ravelry pattern. Of course.







And this is Jack Skellington   He's such a doll.

Why can't I start writing at the left like a normal person? Blogger has gotten weird. This is annoying. In fact I Do Not Like It. Alignment has to be clicked for each sentence until blogger gets the point. Weird.

Yes. I am done bitching.

To He who listens: I am thankful to Blogger for the pleasure of its use and am grateful. I will stop being a stick-in-the-mud about change. Amen.

Umm. One more thing. I just gotta ask. What is up with the strange misshapen white part around Sally? aaahh well. Again with the mumbling, "don't be a stickinthemud..."



Been Hanging Out at Ravelry

Been having all kinds'a fun. Guess that's why I've not been posting. I'm sure some of you's understand. Been there yet?

One of the forums I like visiting is the testing pool. Which is a place where a person can pick up a pattern to test for a budding designer or two. It helps to broaden the brain. The talent that's running loose there, it astounds me.

I want some of this talent. I want it. I might be thinking, beneath what lies above, hiding under the upper realm, the actual sneaking side of the mind, that some of this smart shit will rub off one me. Am I deluding myself? I might be, but, why not see. That's my way of thinking. Then again my way of thinking isn't all that talented. Hmmm, a conundrum of sorts.

I do have a my first free Ravelry pattern for your enjoyment. It's the same free knit scarf posted elsewhere on this blog. If you do download and decide to knit one up, tell me what you think. I hope you find it fun to make.

Another faved Ravelry group is the West Virginia Fiber Artists. Especially the Stitch & Bitch forum. A very funny bunch of ladies. Now go join Ravelry.com. You have already? Yip, swat's I'm talkin 'bout, right there.

Have I any wool? Yes sir...

2 bags full

This one I am currently working with. Pretty soft and very fine.

I think I'll save this for my PVC spinning wheel. Wonder how the color will come out when spun and made into yarn? The brown is real pretty but the white is a little stark in comparison. Will be interesting to see.

I wanted to show some projects that use up all those small leftover balls of yarn. Those which I annoyingly just cannot throw away.

granny square cap

3 long print yarns were used here. Easy coloration, fun to make.

head bands...

These are versions of the headband pattern posted elsewhere on my blog. The top two are the dc post stitch/s and the bottom two are in the extended sc stitch also posted elsewhere. The blue and green used peaches and creme's double WW cotton . Deft Blue and Apple Green. The others are also in their cotton.

handbands...

and more handbands...

plus one more for a little tike

This one and the dark blue above were finished with slip st at the edges instead of reverse sc on my other headbands. This was done at each front post dc st skipping the back post sts.

a close up of the post stitch