Spin A Yarn for Ewe

No, I haven't been doing much because I still have to finish the Hairy Beast and I am really not feeling it. I am enjoying the Georgia Sweater much more so that is where my attention has been.

I did get some temptation in the mail the other day though.

That is the March Spunky Club fiber. Very bright and fun and very different from the previous months which I love. Should be a nice reward to spin after the beast.

I also think the dye pot might be coming out soon. I found some lovely inspiration today in the yard.

I think roving in this color would be great, now if I could only figure out how to get it to smell just like it then I would be totally set.

I have much to show today. First, I decided to whip up one of Gina's new patterns. The Amanda Headband. I decided to use the December Beaches yarn that I spun from fiber she had gifted me from Sereknity in our exchange. The yarn turned out to look really great in this pattern. I really made no changes except I left off the beads.

This really isn't the best shot of the headband but it was the best I could do.

I also got my Rowan Luxury Cotton yarn on Saturday and wasted no time casting on for the Georgia Sweater. I really like how this yarn feels and works up. It is kind of interesting to me as it is 4 plies with 2 of one color and 2 of a slightly lighter color. The 2 lighter colored plies seem to be shinier so they may be the ones with the silk in them. Whatever the make up, it is SUPER soft and the color is perfect.

You can kind of see the make up of the yarn in this picture.

I really hope this will turn out well. The directions are good so far except not everything is spelled out so I am glad I am doing this after the CeCe sweater where so much was written out that I can use those suggestions on this lace pattern.

I finished the first bobbin of the hairy beast yarn. It doesn't show in the picture but it is there. Like I said the color makes up for it. It is hard to discribe but I really like it.

It has blues, black and then the white mohair. Other than this I have been not getting much done. I just haven't been feeling the need to work on much lately. The weather has turned nice again and the draw of being outside is too much most days. Plus now that I have yarn coming for a new project that is all I can think about.

See, distracting! (This was taken from my backyard on Wednesday night.)

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Yes, I bought yarn for the Georgia sweater already. I found a deal on EBay I just couldn't resist and went for it. I bought the Rowan Luxury Cotton DK in a color called Tang. Now, of course I would of guessed that it would be an orange color. Here is what it looks like.

Now if you are going to name a yarn after I well known beverage you would of thought that they would of gone for Gatorade for this one. The color was also one of the reasons I went for this yarn over the other 2. I really like the subtle shading versus the solid colors.

The single is done. I think it came out pretty well. Not totally great since it does have a few kinks but mainly nice even single.

I even got brave and photographed it up close.

I chose this roving on purpose because I figured if I didn't like how it came out I could throw it a way and not feel guilty. I am not even sure how this color combo came into my stash but it is not one I like at all.

I am currently spinning a roving that I forgot about. When looking for something new to spin I came across it and decided to spin it since it had been sitting around for a while. It is a ramboulliet/mohair blend and boy does it like to shed. It is going to be one furry yarn when it is done. The mohair has gone way beyond halo. The color is nice so hopefully that will pull it all together.

Sometimes for me it is the little things that make me excited. Like this. You will have to scroll down a ways to see it but my pictures are there. Very cool.

I also have been spinning but I didn't finish yet so I will save the photos for later. I have been inspired by everyone who can spin a beautiful even single lately. I mean one that you are going to leave as a single. I do so many 2 plies that I thought I would practice doing this again. I mean spinning for plying and spinning as a single are 2 different things. It looks like it is going well but I guess we will see when I get it skeined up. Hopefully I have the twist right.

I have also succumbed to the siren song of a new pattern. The one I showed the other day is now on my desk and awaiting the right yarn but I plan to work as hard as possible to get the cami done before some new yarn makes it home.

Forecast from Spunky Eclectic is done. I ended up with 241 yards of 2 ply. I have seen a bunch of this roving spun up and it is really fun to see the differences. I love how mine turned out but it is much less blue then others I have seen.

That is what is so cool about the hand-dyed stuff. You never know exactly what it is going to look like done. I am really unsure what I start on next so maybe I will just throw the roving names in a hat and pull one out.

I have been plugging away on the cami and I really do like how it looks. Hopefully I will still feel this way when it is done. I of course have been itching for another project and I was thinking about this sweater. There would obviously have to be a yarn substitution since cashmere in Southern California in the summer sounds very, very wrong. I was thinking of Rowan's Luxury Cotton DK or Debbie Bliss Cathay or maybe even Knit Picks' Shine Sport so feel free to chime in with other suggestions or big yay's or nay's for any of the ones I mentioned especially if you have used any of them. I know that knitters are an opinionated bunch and I could sure use the help this time. I would use the Calmer I already have but the gauge is way off and I think this sweater would be better in a color.

I finished the hat with plenty of time to spare. I mean finishing it all at home including weaving in the ends is tons of time. I have been known to work on things in the car on the way there so this was nothing. Since I did finish in time I took a photo before it went on its merry way to LA.

I should of gotten a picture of him wearing it but I forgot my camera, it did fit and he loved it so that was good.

I also started on the second bobbin of Forecast. It is zooming along and hopefully I can get it plied tomorrow. I just know it is going to be a great yarn. The secret project is also done and I will post pictures as soon as I know it is safe.

I ask you, what is a knitter to do when this happens? My very fun brother emails and says he loves the yarn I just finished spinning and would I knit him a hat out of it. Now you all know that I just spun what I would call sock weight yarn and this would mean using size 4 needles for this project to get close to a nice fabric and it would probably take me a lot longer then the one night that a hat normally does but what do I say...

OKAY! I love my brother and he wears what I knit him so he is totally worth the extra effort. Oh, the other part is he is visiting this weekend. Guess I should get knitting or maybe I will just have to send it on to him.

At least the Forecast roving from Spunky Eclectic. It am spinning away and almost have the first half done. I never ended up spinning on Tuesday as I started feeling kind of blah so I decided to veg out and not do anything. Nada! It was nice for a change. So here is the first single.

I love the colors as they are very muted. It almost seems like the December Beaches by Heather just lighter. I decided on this roving since March is zooming by and I swore I was going to spin every months roving before the next came. I can not believe that it is the 15th already. Where does the time go? I feel like it was just January last week.

I am still working on the cami but was stonewalled yesterday while I was out since I forgot that I needed to switch needle sizes. DUH! I hate when I am stupid like that. I now have the right needles in the bag so this will not happen again.

I was also thinking of adding another fiber of the month club since they are so much fun. Any suggestions? I was thinking maybe this one from Chameleon Colorworks. Anyone ever buy from them? I mean if I wanted sock yarn of the month there would be tons to choose from but fiber seems a little harder to come by.

Both projects are moving along. The secret one is almost done. A few more pattern repeats and we will have it.

I have also been knitting on the cami. I now have the bottom going and I like how it is looking. When I sewed up the sides of it I tried it on and it fits well. No pictures of that since it would of left little to the imagination. Here is the lump of bamboo knitting.

I really have to say that I love this Alchemy Bamboo. It has lots and lots of drape even knitted at a tight gauge (which this isn't but I swatched it). It is perfect for this type of top but I can see it being a problem for anything you want to have any substance to it.

Tonight I think will be Spinning Tuesday at my house. I have February Spunky Club roving and the Spunky Roving Gina gifted me plus the Peculiar Ambition batts to spin. So many decisions.