FO Friday: So Much Spinning!

My recent guest post on the Woolery blog (click here if you missed it!) was all I needed to get excited about spinning again, apparently. Last weekend, I finished the spinning project which I had started in April: some very vibrant dyed BFL top which I had actually purchased from the Woolery earlier this year (the colorway is called Poppies in Oz, which is pretty fitting!).

If you are familiar with spinning BFL, you will be a little surprised with this fiber because it's not quite as silky as most commercially-available BFL tops. Instead, it feels quite sturdy, and that's because this particular fiber comes from New Zealand Blue-Faced Leicester sheep, whose fleece clocks in at the higher end of the micron count (remember, the lower the number, the softer the fiber!). Just because it's not silky-soft doesn't mean this fiber doesn't have a place in your spinning or knitting routine - in fact, I have big plans for the resulting skein of handspun, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

As I was saying, Rosie's BFL Top is a nice workhorse fiber, and it's an excellent deal at the moment ($10 for 8oz!). The dyed colors are bright and lustrous, and it's a pretty easy spin. I have about 100 yards of a very sturdy 2-ply bulky weight yarn which I spun from just one 8oz package of fiber.

Once my in-progress spinning project was complete, I couldn't resist tackling the Jacob fiber I'd just dyed for my guest post. This is some of the fiber which I won during Spinzilla last year, but you can get it from the Woolery here and here if you'd like to give it a try. This Jacob sliver is part of the Canterbury Prize Group from Louet, which is a group of carefully selected fibers selected with care in cooperation with growers in New Zealand, England, and throughout the globe. Each package includes a certificate which shares details about the growers and fiber.

The Jacob sliver took dye beautifully, and I was excited to give it a spin. My original plan was to divide the top into two halves and spin singles to ply together, but then I thought it might be more of a challenge to divide it into thirds and spin thinner singles than I typically attempt. It was a little tricky at first, but eventually I got the hang of it.

The fiber drafted easily, and I did a fairly decent job of matching up all three plies in terms of color placement. I really like the barber-pole effect of one ply for each color transition.

The result is about 110 yards of a colorful 3-ply; the yarn is definitely a bulky weight, with a WPI of 6. I decided to wind it into a cake so that the gradient effect was more evident:

Thanks for joining me this week - have a safe & happy holiday weekend! Also, don't forget to enter my Manos Alegria giveaway which ends next Wednesday!

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

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