SAFF Purchases

I didn't have a lot of money for my trip to SAFF this year, but I did buy a couple spinning things.

A pretty, buttery yellow sweatshirt, that says, "I Spin to Knit".


Here I am wearing it (I couldn't smile, because I was exhausted after SAFF):


And another 8 ounces of beautiful "English Garden" roving from "Shepherd's Corner". I already have 8 ounces in the same color, which I bought last year. Now, I have a pound! :D


I also bought some yarn for knitting, a pattern book, and a bar of handmade soap for sensitive skin. Here's my total haul this year:

SAFF 2007

I had a WONDERFUL time yesterday at SAFF (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair) in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

The weather was perfect, the yarn was gorgeous, the animals were sweet, and the spinning wheels were beautiful.

More Roses

I still haven't spun a thing. I'm a BAD spinner. I've mostly been knitting and sewing lately, but that will soon change. I'm going to SAFF in a couple weeks!!! (Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair in the mountains of North Carolina.) I'm sure that seeing all that fiber and handspun yarn will light a fire under me. I'm so EXCITED!!!!

Last night, my hubby walked in the door with a dozen roses for me. He's in the dog house right now. I'm still pondering whether to let him out or not. ;)

Roses for Healing

I haven't posted anything in this blog in SO long, so I decided to show that I am still alive.

I was sick for the past week with a stomach virus, but I'm finally on the healing road. Last night, I bought myself some roses to help cheer my heart.

Aren't they gorgeous in my new craft room?

Cashmere Yarn

I can't believe I never posted photos of the beautiful cashmere yarn I got after unravelling that sweater.

The first thing I unravelled was the turtleneck:


After that, the front and back of the sweater went fast!


In the end, I had 14 ounces of heavenly soft cashmere yarn!


I did a search on Google, and realized that I have about 100 dollars worth of cashmere yarn now. And I only paid $3.79 for the sweater at Goodwill!

Waiting for New Craft Room

I'm in the process of re-modeling my craft room right now, so all my stuff is piled up in the living room.

Since I can't spin, I've been concentrating on knitting and playing PC games in my spare time.

Tonight, I got a decent score on Chuzzle. Over 800,000 in classic mode. That game is too fun.

Weaving & Unravelling Old Sweaters

I haven't posted in FOREVER, because I've been busy doing knitting projects, and learning to weave, and buying sweaters at thrift stores to unravel for the yarn.

I've started a HUGE project in the Knitting Help Forum, where we are making blankets for charity. Each of us knits a portion of the blanket, then mails it to the next person so they can continue knitting with the same needles. We always include gifts for them also, just because it's fun to do!
http://blanketfinder.blogspot.com/

Right now, we have 5 blankets in progress, as well as 6 shawls!
There are almost 100 knitters involved in the projects! COOL!!!

Learning to weave has been an interesting challenge. I've been thinking about weaving for the past two years, but didn't think I would be able to afford to do it. The nice looms are so expensive! I've been watching some auctions on eBay, hoping to one day get a floor loom, but no luck so far. I did get a table loom, though! Not a fancy new one, but it still works!

It's a Spears Weaving Loom, Size 4, which will weave items up to 16 inches across. I won the auction, and was able to purchase it for less than 40 dollars, with the shipping included.


It was easy for my hubby to put together for me, but the actual weaving has been quite a challenge.


I've been trying to decifer the instruction booklet, and looking at websites for the past two weeks. I've also been reading a book I won on eBay a while ago. It has LOTS of great information. I'm so glad I got it.


I've decided to try making a simple cloth, using some cheap cotton yarn I've had in my stash for a while. (Aunt Lydia's Crochet Cotton)

To start off, I had to cut 84 warping threads. They are each 87 inches long. THAT took a while!


Next, I put all the threads on the loom, according to the directions in the book.






Then, I realized that in order to wind up the threads on the top bar, I would have to unhook the threads from the bottom bar! (Oops!)


Finally, I had the warp threads all put on the loom, and tightened up.


All the work I had done so far took quite a while. It was time consuming, because I didn't really know what I was doing yet. So far, I had spent about 4 days trying different things.

Today, I finally tried the actual weaving of the cross threads (the "weft"). It's not perfect, by any stretch of the imagination. But, HEY! I'm still learning!



Originally, I was going to use this cloth as a bath mat, but now I can see that it will be too thin and open for that. So, I'll probably use it as a kitchen towel. I will probably have to sew the edges to make it look right.

It's fun to learn to weave! :)

In other news, I was lucky enough to find an AMAZING deal at the Goodwill Thrift Store the other day. A 100% Cashmere sweater!!!! OMG!!!!


I also got some other great deals, but this cashmere sweater just blew my mind! My knees went weak when I read the label inside the sweater!


Now, I'm unravelling the sweater to get the cashmere yarn.
I wonder how many ounces there are?

The Silver Grey Alpaca is SPUN and PLIED!

Tonight, I finally finished spinning all the silver grey alpaca. SO SOFT. I really enjoyed working with it.

I started out with 8 ounces of roving. Now, I had 8 ounces of a spun single. So, I decided to ply two singles together to make a nice, chunky SOFT yarn. BEAUTIFUL!!!


And SO SOFT! I can't stop touching it!


I'm planning on making a hat and scarf set for myself. After all, I deserve it! :)

I had a tiny bit of alpaca left after plying, so I plied it with a confetti wool single I had in my craft room. It turned out nice too.

Silver Grey Alpaca Top - Handspun by Me!

Last night and tonight, I've been spinning some beautiful silver grey alpaca top I've had in my fiber stash for a long time. It is GLORIOUS to work with!

More Spinning!

I've really enjoyed spinning in the past week. I think a fire must have been lit under my spinning chair! I can't seem to do anything else! I haven't even been KNITTING this week!
ALERT THE MEDIA!

Here are some photos showing my spinning this week:

Purple Merino on the wheel


Purple Merino on the bobbins


Purple Merino wet and drying to set the spin on my PVC Niddy Noddy


Purple Merino finished, and ready to be mailed to a friend on the Knitting Help Forum


A one ounce sample of merino silk, in the color "Autumn", handspun on my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel


Tonight, I'm working on some beautifully soft silver alpaca I've had in my stash for a while. I'll post some photos of that soon.

Confetti with Blue Merino

Confetti with Blue Merino, originally uploaded by Unkoine.

I did a spinning demonstration today at Cottage Yarn in Mint Hill. While I was there, I worked on spinning some "confetti wool" roving I got on eBay from Copper Moose Productions.

I'm VERY pleased with the results. I spun two singles, then plied them together to make this pretty yarn.

The photo shows the confetti yarn, along with some deep blue merino yarn I made earlier this month.

I'm finally getting this spinning thing! :)

Winnie the Pooh Dress

Winnie the Pooh Dress, originally uploaded by Unkoine.

This morning, I started working on this little dress for our grandaughter. I used some Winnie the Pooh fabric I found at Walmart, and NewLook pattern 6578. It only took a few hours to make, and now it looks so cute! I added some bright red heart-shaped buttons to add just the right finishing touch.

Here's a closer view of the buttons:

Dora Explorer Top Shorts Finished!!

Dora Explorer Top Shorts Finished!!, originally uploaded by Unkoine.

Yay! I finished sewing the Dora Explorer top and shorts for our granddaughter Hailey. She LOVES Dora the Explorer, so she should be a happy girl when she gets this. :)

I used Butterick pattern B4776

It was quick and fun.

I changed one thing, though. The directions called for making button holes on the straps, and sewing buttons inside the flap on the front of the top. I didn't want to do that, because then, you wouldn't be able to change how long the straps are. I like it better this way, because if she needs more or less room with the straps, all you have to do is move the button.

Plus, I really like the "Ritz Cracker" buttons I found, and I want them to be seen!

My Wish List

Sometimes, I like to dream of what I want for my birthday or Christmas. Other times, I forget what I dreamed about. :P

So, here is my list for my future reference.

Knit Picks "Options" knitting needle set.
Some soft Malabrigo wool yarn. (I like the colors Vaa, Forest, Bobby Blue, Emerald, and Cinnabar.)
Knit Picks "Essential" Sock Yarn, in sets of two skeins, in the colors Dusk, Navy, Black or Cocoa.
Knit Picks "Memories" Sock Yarn, in sets of two skeins, in the colors Redwood Forest, Yukon, Fly Fishing, or Cape Cod.
Knit Picks "Gloss" yarn, in the colors Dusk, Woodland Sage, Cocoa, or Black.
Knit Picks "Shadow" yarn, in the colors Sunset, Lost Lake, or Campfire.
This knitting pattern for a pretty cape.
"Big Girl Knits" knitting pattern book.Sally Melville's books
"The Knit Stitch" and "Color"
See the fall foliage in Pennsylvania.See the BIG mountains in Colorado.
Go to Scotland and Ireland and Hawaii.
Go to several beautiful art museums.
Meet Craig Ferguson.
Get a photo of Columbo, signed by Peter Falk. Or better yet, meet Peter Falk, and get him to sign the photo I already have!
Learn how to make a quilt, and work on it with a group.
See a Broadway play, preferably one with Nathan Lane in the cast.
See some historic homes, like Monticello.
Take art lessons, and learn to paint and draw.
Learn ballroom dancing with my husband.(I'll need to get my knee fixed first)
Go to a "fancy-schmancy" hotel with my husband, and get room service!
Go to the "behind the scenes" and the "candlelight" tour of the Biltmore Estate with my husband.
Ride the "gourmet dinner train" at the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad.

Sockintines Socks

Sockintines Socks for the KH Forum Sock Swap, originally uploaded by Unkoine.

FINALLY!!! I finished making my partner's socks in the Knitting Help Forum Sockintines Sock Swap! Yay!!!

I used Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn, and knit the socks with the free online pattern "River Rapids Socks" by Sockbug.

I'm really pleased with the final result. I hope my partner enjoys her new socks!

It took about a month to make them, because I was using fingering weight yarn for the first time, with size 2 needles. And of course, I was actually living my life at the same time. :)

Sockintines Socks - Legs and Heels

Sockintines Socks - Legs and Heels, originally uploaded by Unkoine.

I'm making socks for our Sockintines Sock Swap in the Knitting Help Forum. (www.knittinghelp.com)

In this photo, I had finished both legs, and turned both heels.

Last night, I finished both gussets, and started making the long, boring foot. The only excitement left is the kitchener toe, which is actually pretty easy for me now.

I just LOVE this beautiful, velvety soft yarn goodness. Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in the colorway Sonatina. GORGEOUS! I found the free sock knitting pattern online by Sock Bug. It's called "River Rapids", and is an easy design that turns out quite lovely!

I'll hate to say goodbye to them when I mail them to my sock partner. (But I do have two more skeins of that yarn in another color for ME!)

My Fuzzy Furry Steering Wheel is Famous!

I'm such a proud knitter. :)

A little over a year ago, I designed a fuzzy steering wheel cover for my car, because our summers here in the south get SO HOT! (It gets kinda cold in the winter too) I also wanted to find a use for all my skeins of furry eyelash yarn. Why did I buy so many skeins of that yarn?


So, after making my wheel cover, and getting compliments everywhere I went, I thought, "Hmmm....maybe I should make a pattern for other knitters to use as well." So, I sat down at my computer, using my handwritten instructions as a guide, and made a nice looking document with the pattern instructions and a decent photo. I also published the design on my blog and website.

I had NO idea it would become a popular knitting pattern, but it did!

This month, my "Fuzzy Furry Steering Wheel Cover" is being featured on Fiber Femmes:
http://www.fiberfemmes.com/pattern4.htm

Cheers!

New Year's Resolution 2007

I have never made a New Year's Resolution in my life. But this year, I am.

I resolve to exercise, and eat nutritious food.

I've written all about it in one of my other blogs:
http://sandyhealthlog.blogspot.com/2007/01/new-years-resolution.html