FO Friday: Knit, Crochet & Spin!

Happy FO Friday! Today I have a project to share from each of my fiber-related hobbies: knitting, crocheting, and spinning!

I bound off for this Mesh Top on January 5, but it's taken some time to weave in all the ends, block properly, and take some decent photos, hence the delay in sharing it on this blog. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out - honestly, I just assumed it would be a huge disaster - laceweight yarn and I aren't on very friendly terms. I'm surprised that it didn't take longer to knit, and I think it'll be nice to wear this spring. I used a pattern from Patternfish (the Filtes Shetland 1354 Open Dolman by Michelle Porter) and only used one and half skeins of Bijou Basin Ranch Shangri-La, which is a luxurious 50-50 blend of yak and silk. I have enough left over to make something fun, too (just as soon as I'm ready to get back on the laceweight bandwagon).

Last week, I crocheted these birds for our kickstarter rewards for the two people who selected the custom-made bird option. The pattern is Stacey Trock's Amigurumi Blue Bird from her Amigurumi Woodland Animals Craftsy Class. I love this pattern, it's so easy and fun to make!

This week, we delivered all of the rewards that didn't involve the actual 7" single (which is currently at the pressing plant). It's exciting to check a few more items off of our to-do list!

I haven't had much time to play with my fancy new Ladybug wheel due to the holiday hoopla, but I'd been working on a spinning project when my new wheel arrived, which meant I had to finish said project on the old wheel - well, at least spinning the single. Once I got that finished, I navajo-plied it on my new wheel, which was a slow process for me since this was my first attempt (other than a few practice runs on leftover singles). I love the fiber, which is a 50-50 Tussah Silk/Merino blend from Miss Babs. I chose this colorway, Fog Bank, for a special fiber friend whose favorite color is purple. Hopefully it's already arrived at its destination before this blog posts, because I don't think I can wait another day to share it!

All things considered, my first navajo-plied yarn turned out pretty well. I'm very excited to start a new spinning project this weekend; 2013 is going to be about spinning through my stash, experimenting with my wheel, and trying new fibers and techniques. I think it would be amazing if I could literally spin every fiber in my bin. Perhaps I should take an inventory so that I can check my progress off as I go?

Aaaaand, if you still need some lovely FO's to look at, hop on over to the Tami's Ami's blog for all the FO Friday fun you can handle!

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...

handmade by stefanie

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