Month: December 2009

- saffronknits 4 Comments

all I want for Christmas is handspun

The Fiber:
Superwash Merino in the colorway ‘Kaleidoscope’, dyed by Spincerely Yours.

The Yarn:

The top was split lengthwise in half; each bobbin spun from opposite ends to create a 2-ply barber pole effect. 3.9 oz / approx 401 yards.

I am very happy with how this yarn came out. It’s consistent and very soft and shows that all the work I’ve done to learn and improve my spinning is paying off, but I don’t love it.

Part of that is having too much green and another part is not being a huge fan of barber pole yarn. But with that said, I am holding out to see how this yarn will look knit up. Up until this point, I’ve been spinning for the sake of getting the yarn I want, with no regard for how it will knit up. Time to take it a step further. After I wind it into a ball (after the requisite period of just petting and squishing the skein), and determine wraps per inch, we’ll see what this yarn wants to be. (I know what I want it to be, but I’ve learned that Yarn can be a bit stubborn in that regard.) :)

I will end with a tip for you:

When wet finishing your yarn, it’s important to remember that the yarn is superwash, or else you’ll spend five minutes beating up your yarn, wondering why it’s not fulling & fluffing up. (Granted, this was my first superwash wool yarn, and I’m used to non-superwash yarn. Yeah. That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! ;) )


I wish you peace, joy and lots of squishable fiber. :D

- saffronknits 1 Comment

happy handmade

It is cost effective to practice a project on copper wire before before working with silver but you can end up with something you really like.

These earrings are very basic and were really easy to make. I wasn’t sure about it after I made the spirals but the hammering and texturing really made a difference. Sometimes the simplest things can be come something very nice.

They’d make a nice Christmas present, don’t you think?

- saffronknits 2 Comments

patty-cake, patty-cake, baker me!

I’ve never really successfully baked a cake from scratch. Something always goes wrong. So, finally, I realized that the thing to do was ask my mom for help. She makes this awesome pound cake and a couple of months ago, we got together and she guided me through the process of making her ‘famous’ pound. (Actually, it’s only famous in my mind ;) ).

It was a success!

A yummy success!

So much so, that I asked for a mixer for Christmas. :D

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happiness is being warm

I take my handspun shawl with me everywhere. Any moment I can steal to add a few stitches, I do. I’m not sure how many stitches there are per row but recently, in about an hour, I managed about three rows – but I don’t mind. It’s not about completing it, it’s about the knitting and I really like knitting on it – truly mindless, joyful knitting. And because I have it with me at all times, it’s big enough that I can put it on my lap while I’m driving and it keeps my legs nice and warm. :)

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Spinning is going nice but slow. I think the honeymoon with my wheel is over but what I’m left with is the love of spinning but not the overwhelming desire to stay up until 1:00 am finishing a yarn. I finished plying the pink yarn but haven’t skeined it up yet.

Currently I am spinning some superwash Merino – in the colorway ‘Kaleidoscope’ dyed by Spincerely.

You can see better pictures on her Etsy shop. It spins like buttah. I split the top vertically in half and will spin a 2-ply, starting at opposite ends for each bobbin. I went down on the ratio and I can tell that I’ve improved. Drafting at this ratio has become easier.

Spinning every day this month? So far so good.

Until next time. :)

- saffronknits 2 Comments

love knot ring

This is my 2nd attempt at the love knit ring in copper.

Not bad for a first try plus it fits! :) I already know where I want to make changes to improve to look of this ring. Ultimately, my goal is to do it in sterling silver in a heavier gauge. :D Question is… should I make it for me or someone else. Hmmm … decisions, decisions… ;)

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discovered on my internet travels…

I love trolling the internet for cool fiber stuff. This is some of what I found today.

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This is a cute free pattern – Tiny Angel Doll (ravelry link)

I have not knit this, but it’s so CUTE! and seamless! I have never made a knitted stuffie but this makes me wanna try!

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bowerbirdknits just posted a cool blog entry about some cormo (Corridale + Merino) fleece she processed. Even if you are not interested in processing fleece (which I am not), it’s still interesting to see someone document their process. It doesn’t hurt that she dyed it a lovely blue. Can’t wait to see the yarn she creates with it!

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Spincerely Yours on Etsy is having a SALE! My favorite place to buy spinning fiber. I currenly not able to buy fiber at the moment (which is killing me!), but that’s no reason you shouldn’t! Now’s the chance to try her fibers if you haven’t yet. My faves that I currently see in her shop … Delileh in superwash Merino. (I spun a very similar colorway this summer) … Induna is gorgeous with, as she describes it, cranberry/burgundy and white; intermingled and … Aphrodite in a superwash Merino/Tencel blend with purple, reddish purple, magenta, pink and white – all playing very nicely together. And if you’re not a spinner – she has some lovely colorways of yarn too! (I know this sounds like a paid commercial, but I just simply love shopping at Spincerely Yours… and I have the stash to prove it! ;) )

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Ok… enough of that! I’m off to spin – Day 5 – so far, so good! It’s time to ply! :D

P.S. I got all the jewelry tools and supplies I ordered. I’ll try to get pictures soon! :)

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now… where was i?

Spinning-wise, I mean. When last you saw my spinning, I’d finished ‘Parasol’, a squishy, sparkley, very pink skein of yarn…

When I sat at my spinning wheel again a few days ago, I was motivated to spin some more yarn for the hand spun shawl. I decided to work with two ounces at a time and I have finished the singles for the first two ounces.

It’s just waiting to be plied. I spun this in more of a woolen style than the previous yarn because the fiber is commercial combed top. The fibers are very aligned and I didn’t have the concentration or energy level to do a more worsted yarn.

When that was done, I went back to what had been sitting on my wheel, waiting ever so patiently.

I know! It’s pink! I don’t know what is up with all the pink in my stash. I don’t wear pink. I don’t buy pink stuff. I don’t even buy pink yarn. But for some reason, in fiber, it really catches my eye. It is rambouillet wool that I dyed myself – pink with splashes of red. It totals about three ounces. It’s going to be 2-ply yarn.

Dave reminded me that I can tone down all the pink by being daring and actually taking two different colorways and *gasp* spinning them together. I’m not there… yet. One day, perhaps. :)