Fiber Friday: Tour de Fleece, Week 2

I've spent a lot of time spinning and knitting this week (at least it seems that way), yet I only have a few totally finished skeins to share here on my blog. How is that possible?! Well, the incorrect replacement part for my broken wheel has now been shipped to me twice. TWICE. I don't want to name names, because the company I ordered it from has been sufficiently apologetic both times, and I think they might even expedite shipment this time for my trouble. Alas, my Museum Grudge Match spinning project is still very much in limbo, but as I said before - at least I have a backup wheel!

On the plus side, I was able to finish the Organic Polwarth from Classy Squid Fiber Co. which I started after The Unfortunate Incident occurred. I plied both singles together last Friday afternoon and the resulting skein is SO soft! The resulting skein is approximately 215 yards of 2-ply sport weight.

Over the weekend, I spun 8oz of superwash merino/nylon from Cloudlover in the Quick's Point colorway, which I bought last fall at the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival. I was all set to ply them on Monday's rest day, but then a big box of fiber arrived on my doorstep and derailed my spinning plans for this week (more on that in a sec). It wasn't until yesterday that I had my wheel free to ply this project, thus driving home yet another reason why I really like having two spinning wheels at my disposal. I didn't get all the way through the bobbins before it was midnight and I really needed to think about going to sleep, but here is what the plied yarn is looking like so far:

The box of fiber I mentioned is something I was sent by the folks at Louet to share here on my blog (as their Spinzilla team captain two years running, there are fibery perks!!). What arrived on Monday was the July Spinzilla Fiber pack, which is a jaw-dropping selection of spinning fiber - just over three pounds of fiber, to be exact! As I mentioned on Wednesday, I have already started spinning with this fiber, but since I don't have any finished skeins to share just yet, I thought I would give you an overview of what is included in this month's fiber pack (they will be releasing more discounted fiber packs each month between now and Spinzilla in October):

1/2 lb Optim 100% Merino Top
1/2 lb Wool/Linen 60/40 Top
2 oz 100% Cashmere
1/2 lb Dyed Merino Top in Tawny Gold (I believe they send random colors?)
1/2 lb Super Fine Flax Top
1 lb Grey Gotland Sliver
1/2 lb Dark Coopworth

I'm spinning the Coopworth right now and it's a very easy spin - it practically drafts itself! I really love the rich chocolatey color. There is a little vm, but that's to be expected in a natural fiber, and it really hasn't slowed me down much.

The flax tops are intriguing to me - I plan to spin the wool/linen top first before giving the 100% super fine flax a try; I'm thinking that would be a great choice for the Challenge Day on 7/23. The dyed merino, cashmere and Optim are all quite soft - in fact, the Optim feels a little softer to me than the cashmere, I'm not sure how that's possible! They should be a luxurious spin that's only a teeny bit challenging due to the short staple length of the fibers. Weirdly, the fiber I am most excited to spin is the grey gotland sliver. I've spun gotland before, but this seems a little loftier than the roving I'd previously used. I am interested to see how it spins up, though I think I will save it for last!

Here's the clincher: allllll of these fibers are value priced at $75 (if you purchased each thing separately, the total retail cost would be almost $200!). Resist that if you can!

Spinzilla 2015 Fiber Packs from Louet are available here.

You may like to know: I was sent this product in exchange for a review; all opinions are my own.

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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