FO & Fiber Friday

Last week, I discovered that my blog readership was comprised mostly of enablers! Not that I'm complaining, since I rather liked the encouragement to work on as many projects as I like. I haven't been allowing myself too much freedom in that regard, but the gloves came off last weekend and I have to thank my blog readers for that! First, I started a very simple baby hat while on the bus; you may recognize it from last week's post, though I ended up not following a pattern after all (I didn't want to consult a chart while on-the-go). A few days later, I was done with my Cutie Patootie KAL/CAL baby hat! I used Cotton Comfort from the Green Mountain Spinnery, and I probably have enough left over to make another baby hat, or perhaps some matching booties!

Over the weekend, I also started crocheting a retro mushroom potholder (available for free on the Lion Brand Website). I never thought I'd be the type to make a potholder, but I couldn't resist this awesome pattern. Also, I am going to make all of the birthday and holiday gifts this year instead of doing the store-bought thing, so I've been looking for useful items that are quick to make. I used Dishie yarn from Knit Picks (though I was careful to use my Paypal account when checking out - the last thing I need it to have my debit card number stolen again), which was really nice to crochet with, though one of the colors I ordered ended up being much darker than I was anticipating. Buyer beware when purchasing yarn online, right?!

The big FO to share this week is my destash Constitution Hall Scarf, which I actually finished a week ago last Thursday night, but didn't get a chance to block it til last weekend (and I still need to properly block it so that the lace edging looks the way it should). I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, though I ended up making it a tad shorter than the pattern calls for on account of I ran out of yarn!. I think it'll still do the trick, plus I was able to block it to be a little longer and skinnier than it was when I initially finished it. The two sides are slightly uneven due to the running-out-of-yarn issue, but I doubt anyone will notice when I'm wearing it.

I also got a few more treats in the mail this week: my first shipments from the Sweet Georgia Fibre and Sock Yarn clubs! I hope this isn't a spoiler for anyone, but I am just too excited not to share today! The fibre is Merino+Tencel (a 50/50 blend) that is very shimmery and lustrous; an informational card is included to share special characteristics of the fiber and suggestions for how to spin it and what to make with the finished yarn. The skein pictured below is Twinkle Sock, which is a 3-ply 50/50 blend of superwash merino and tencel; the informational card gives a fiber overview and suggestions for projects that are best suited for the yarn. Both are dyed in a special colorway called "Bubble Bath" which is a mix of blues and purples inspired by the iridescent, transparent colors of soap bubbles. I haven't decided what to make with either of these just yet, but they will both be excellent for summer projects!

This new fiber has proved to be just what I needed to finish the merino that has been in progress on my wheel for several weeks, and last night I also spun through my art batt from YarnCon! Since this post is long enough as it is, I hope you'll join me back here tomorrow for a special edition of Spinning Saturday for all the details!

For more FO Friday inspiration, visit the Tami's Amis blog!

Have a crafty weekend!