Escaping Suburbia » Crafts

Embers Shawlette

Kate — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 05:14:50 +0000

Thought I would share what I made with the gradient spun yarn that I posted about the other day. This is a crocheted shawlette (this is all the yardage would allow for). The pattern is called Critron (Ravelry link) and is a crocheted version of the Citron knitted shawl. Planning to wear this as a scarf this winter.

Embers – a gradient spun yarn

Kate — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:39:39 +0000

I’ve been careening madly around the internet posting photos of this yarn. Well, on Ravelry and in a Picasa web album, anyway, which goes on G+ which feels very much like the entire internet sometimes…

POINT being, if we’re connected anywhere else, you may have already seen this, sorry. But really, if this yarn isn’t screaming for attention, I don’t know what is.

"Look at meeee!"

This is my latest yarn, and probably my best spinning result ever to this point. Especially as I did a chain ply (aka: Navajo ply), which I’ve needed to practice.

I’ve really been wanting to spin a gradient yarn after seeing friends on Ravelry produce simply gorgeous skeins from gradient-dyed rovings. I found this bold roving of Merino/Silk at Fiber Optic Yarns and snapped it up, even though the colors scared me a little. I love orange and yellow! But, yeah… no… scary.

I knew I could not split this in half and then try to ply the two singles together… I wanted NO barber pole effect! The spinning took several days and I think the plying took about a day. It’s all a blur.

Anyway, I’m really excited about these results and cannot wait to spin another gradient. There is some un-dyed roving in my stash and a couple of new green dyes… new project!

Button Ring

Kate — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:05:53 +0000

A while back I was on a bit of a button buying binge. (Don’t think I didn’t work on that sentence!) I love cute buttons and use them for the flower-centers on my hats. So, anyway, a few weeks ago I was sort of ditzing around with my beads, and I have this ring base, and this fabulous black and white button… so here’s what I made:

The center button matches the ring base nicely, and I like that it’s not perfectly round. It offsets the uniformity of the black and white button. Had a bit of trouble with the thread because the center button has four holes and the black and white only has two.

It’s not really my style, but I think it would look cute on someone… saving it for the holidays!

Tour de Fleece 2011 – Days 12-14

Kate — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:37:48 +0000

I’m so happy with the yarn that came from these three days! This is one ounce of fiber that became 234 yards of laceweight singles yarn on the drop spindle. It was starting to get really difficult at the end, and an ounce was about all I was going to get wound on… I wonder if that will improve with time as well.

I just love the way the colors look:

The fiber is more of my beloved Dicentra Designs. I never thought the drop spindle would captivate me; it just never clicked before. But now that I’m getting the hang of it, I love it. I thought I might go back to the wheel after I finished this yarn, but no, I pulled out the spindle again on day 15! Production is way down, though… this takes me forever.

Tour de Fleece 2011 – Days 9-11

Kate — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 14:22:44 +0000

Days 9 and 10 are from the drop spindle; on day 11 I finished up some yarn that was on the wheel.

Tour de Fleece 2011 – Days 5-8

Kate — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 01:45:37 +0000

Well, I had the best of intentions to spin every day of the tour, but it just didn’t happen on Friday. I was getting ready to vend at the “Crazy Daze” event in downtown Albany on Saturday. (Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the sun and the bargains!)

Anyway, here is my progress from days 5, 6, and 8:

I’m particularly happy with day 8… I spent the day practicing with the spindle, and by the end I had a little under 100 yards of lace weight singles yarn. I am starting to get it, whoo hoo!

Tour de Fleece 2011 – Days 3 & 4

Kate — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:03:44 +0000

Day 3 – plied the baby camel

Day 4 – started this BFL from Dicentra Designs

Totally loving these colors!

Tour de Fleece 2011 – Days 1 & 2

Kate — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:40:01 +0000

July 2-3: Baby Camel