Spin A Yarn for Ewe

I have decided that knitting lace really leaves you with not a lot of good progress photos for the blog. I finished the blue version of MS3 through clue 4 and am plugging away on the grey one. I am debating now whether to make it longer or not since the flower pattern is rather boring. I am also going to check if there is someway to make it longer without doing 11" more. Kind of a shorter lengthening. There has to be a spot, right? Anyone want to take a look at their pattern and let me know or maybe it has already been asked but with all those emails I probably erased it.

Since I really can not stand to leave a post without pictures I have some of yarn I just got from Heather.

It is really hard to hold off winding this right up and casting on. The color is perfect. She calls it Pebbles in the Sand and that is exactly what I asked for. It is zephyr and soft as anything.

She also included these super cute stitch markers which will come in perfect for lace knitting as they are just the right size. Oh, and there was a great smelling candle too. Love it! I am really thinking it is going to have to be this. Good thing the pattern isn't out yet or start-itis would be setting in.

I have actually managed to do some of both. A lot more knitting then spinning but that is because that fiber is in time out.

MS3 is moving along. For those not knitting it, we are on clue 4 which is the only one for 2 weeks so it is extra long at 135 rows. I am currently 46 rows shy of completing the blue shawl and I haven't even started on the cobweb grey one but I still have quite a bit of time left but I do have to do an extra 80 rows on the cobweb one to lengthen it since it is running a little on the short side. Those size 2 needles will get you every time.

I love how it is looking and can not wait to see what is up next.

Now the fiber...like I said I have had to back away from it for now. I spun a bunch of it and love the color.

The VM and the fact that it gives off so much dye when you spin it makes me just want to scream. I should of taken a picture of my hand after I finished that much there, it was almost dark blue with so much dye. I will probably just suck it up and spin the rest as a break between the 2 shawls.

I have also heard that there is going to be a rectangular version of the Bee Fields Shawl coming out so I might wait to see that one before jumping in. Plus I have my hands full enough now.

I was so excited to finish off clue 3 on shawl 2 so I could start on the alpaca. I loved the colors, I had the beads and the silk ready for plying. I decided to sit down and predraft and YUCK! Don't get me wrong, the fiber is soft as anything and the color is great but it is FULL of VM. I mean very full. I could not go 4" without having to pick out stuff. I understand some VM but....come on.



See it is beautiful but some of the fun has been taken out of it plus I know I still have tons to pick out when I spin it. Guess I will just have to see past the yuck and enjoy the softness of the alpaca.

I have been knitting away on the MS3 stoles and have cobweb done through clue 3 and blue is about 1/3 done. Should be done by the time clue 4 comes out. Still loving them.

I also finally got my invite to Ravelry. Wow, is that place cool but talk about a time waster. I have to force myself to get off sometimes. I have also found a new pattern that I am obsessing over, Bee Fields. I LOVE this shawl but I am not sure whether to order the kit or just the pattern. I am thinking that some yarn that I am having Heather dye might be the perfect color for this. Guess we will see. Worst case the yarn will be made into something lovely and lacy and I will buy the pattern for sure.

I decided to today that it has been a LONG time since I spun anything or dyed anything for that matter. So since I am home with a sick little one I decided to break out the dye pot. I dyed some silk to go with this great alpaca I got from the Sweet Sheep.

This is my last one, I think, and it is beautiful but only 2oz so the silk is to stretch it out and add beads.

I also did 2 bundles of merino just because it filled up the pot and will leave me with something fun to spin besides the tons of stuff I already have. You can never have too much selection I say.

Here is Ocean Waters.


And here is Prepster. I know my 80's are showing through but that is what came to mind when I saw it.


Both should be fun yarns.

I also did some spinning. Well, plying of some left over bits. This is left over Nightshade with left over Midnight Blues from my brothers hat. I wasn't too sure this would look good together. Here it is before.

And here it is done. I think the finished yarn is great.

Well, both of my MS3 shawls are done and waiting for the next installment. Gina asked if it was hard to keep up and I have to say no. I really don't have any other projects going and each clue has a manageable amount of rows. The first one was 100 rows long but it starts with only 2 stitches so the first 50 fly. Clue 2 was only 50 rows as it is now a rectangle but still manageable. It is especially easy if you don't use beads. The beads do slow me down a little but they really are great looking on the blue version. I didn't use beads on the cobweb version as I thought it would weight it down too much and I wanted something incredibly light.

I promised last time that I would finally take pictures of all the great stuff I have gotten so here you go. First up is the HollyEQQ Batty Babes installment.

This is the Dynasty Batt which this picture really doesn't do it justice. It has flax in it which I have never spun so if there are any hints I need please let me know. The other batt is the Emerald City.

Based on my steller photo of it you are probably wondering about the name but it has sparkly Angelina in a emerald green in it and it is SOOOOOO soft. I mean soft to the point that I almost don't want to spin it up.

Next is the Sweet Sheep's installment for their club. It is a great superwash merino

in Berry Blitz. Which has pinks and purples running through it. I of course love it since it it pink.

The finally group of stuff is from Gina. This is what I got in the trade for the Koigu.

Lacey Lamb in a beautiful rose color plus a few extra treats like tea, candy and 2 patterns. She always spoils me. You can see the extra pressie I sent her at her blog. She also sent me a while ago (bad blogger) a prize for knitting one of her patterns and taking a picture with it on.

Spunky Batts in a very fun colorway. Totally different for me but I really love them. They have sparkle in them too and I love the sparkle. There was also a great bar of soap but since that has already been used so I will spare you the photo but I will tell you it smells like heaven.

Gina also gave me this award.

It was fun to see as I hardly think of my blog as rockin' but I do have fun. So the 5 people I think have rockin' blogs are:

Amanda
Loribird
Heather
Briana
MaryKay

MS3 has totally taken over my knitting life. I am having so much fun with the "mystery" part that I can not stop. I am cruising along with Clue 1 and 2 done and Clue 1 and Clue 2 halfway done. Yes.....I have 2 of them going. The first one is with beads and using the Spunky Yarn I over dyed.
This one has only half of clue 2 done but I am still loving the way it looks.

The second is without beads and is using a cobweb weight alpaca from Spritely Goods.

This one is going to need some good blocking to bring out the pattern but I know it is going to look great. It is totally gossimer fine and I love that about it. I love them both and they are going to look so totally different that I am sure that no one will ever know they are the same pattern.

I have some loot to show since I have been totally remiss in posting it so stay tuned for tons of great pictures...as soon as I take them.

This Mystery Stole 3 thing is SO MUCH FUN! I am having a great time working on it. Clue 1 was posted last Friday and I finished it yesterday afternoon. I would of been done sooner but since it has beads in it working on it in the car is a little harder so I made it an at home project. The yarn is perfect with very subtle shading and the mix of beads works well with it.

I can not wait for clue 2. If you aren't doing this yet you have until Friday to sign up!

I am also almost done with baby sock 2 and I even did the stitch moving around thing with the magic loop without consulting the book. I think I finally get how to do socks this way but I am glad they are just baby socks or they would never get done. Yes, you heard me, I don't like knitting socks. I know, I know I should like knitting them but I don't and living in San Diego makes wearing wool socks something that never happens.

So since I have now confessed my deepest knitting sin, does anyone want to trade 2 skeins of Koigu for some lace yarn? (You can click on the picture for a larger shot and the color is maybe slightly off but they are more blue green then any other photo I have seen online.)

I have had these 2 skeins for a while now and even though I want to make myself knit them into socks I just can't and I haven't been able to find anything else I want to make with them. So if you have some lace weight yarn, in a subtle hand paint or solid, very soft and at least 880 yards email me.

Hope everyone has a great 4th. We are going to a small community parade and fireworks at the high school later. Should be a fun night.