handmade by stefanie

I love everything about my Ladybug , right down to the bright red drive wheel and the teeny tiny ladybug that cheers me on as I spin (it's located in a unique place for each wheel)! It's modern-looking, well-constructed and easy to use with minimal upkeep required. It's a fantastic wheel for folks who are new to wheel spinning, and it will still be your go-to wheel once you level up to intermediate or even experienced! When my wheel arrived on my doorstep a few years ago (from The Woolery , if you're wondering), there was minimal set-up and I was up and spinning! The standard wheel comes with a regular flyer assembly, 3 bobbins, a fast whorl and a medium whorl, and a threading hook. It features Scotch tension and double drive options. Image © Schacht While many wheels require frequent maintenance, the Ladybug wheel was designed to require very little. Each time I sit down to spin, I only have to add a few drops of oil to the flyer shaft - the spinning wheel hub...

My Panoramic Stole is done, and ahead of schedule, too; I wanted to finish by the end of this month at the latest, though my real goal was to bind off at the close of this coming weekend. I did end up omitting a panel, as I was running out of yarn: I have 14g left over, which is definitely not enough to make it through another mesh panel, let alone the short-row garter section. I was a little worried about cutting things short, so to speak, but everything ended up just fine - my shawl is very close to the 80" length listed in the pattern, in fact. I'm sure that if I wanted to block to the specific dimensions given, I could easily hit those marks! Here's a shot of it blocking in my yarn room. Once it's dry, I'll be sure to take an "action" shot of me lounging around the house in my pretty new shawl! The pattern is from Coastal Knits , which my husband got me for Christmas, and I used two skeins of Malabrigo Sock in Chocolate Amargo. In other exci...

I've been a non-participating member of the Spin Your Stash group on Ravelry for many years, but I think the time has come to quit lurking and be a joiner! My spin-o-lution this year is simple - to spin through my stash. Last week, I took stock: 1. Multicolor Merino Roving , 6.6 oz - purchased at the Yarn Barn of Kansas 2. Natural Black Alpaca Roving , 4 oz. - purchased from New Era Fiber at Stitches Midwest 3. Charcoal 70/30 Alpaca/Silk Blend Top , 4 oz. - purchased from Spunky Eclectic 4. Natural Cream Finn Top , 5 oz. - purchased from Spunky Eclectic 5. Dyed Falkland Top (Cloudy Night colorway) , 4 oz - purchased from Pumpkinhaus booth at YarnCon 6. Natural Merino/Silk Fiber , 4.75 oz - can't remember where this came from! 7. Red Alpaca Top , 6 oz - originally purchased from Spunky Eclectic in a natural cream, dyed by me back when I still worked at Lorna's Laces. 8. Light Brown Romney Top , 4 oz - gifted by a friend 9. Dark Brown BFL Top , 6 oz - purchased ...