Fun with Fiber

Every time I sit down to knit, I'm right next to my stash. No matter how enchanting my current project, something in that stash entices me. The handspun yarn I bought in November was especially alluring. It didn't take long

It was just so delicious to knit with this wonderfully soft, handspun yarn. Unlike many commercial yarns, I could smell the lanolin and the yarn just felt.. well.. lively. It took a few tries to find a pattern that complemented the texture of the yarn and the slight color variations of greys and creams. The first couple of attempts seemed to compete with the yarn, but I finally ended up with a simple woven cable pattern.

I love it.

Besides, it's the first thing I've managed to finish in a month. I know that doesn't really seem like a long time, but I got addicted to that finishing rush after completing 9 projects in December. So I evaluated my WIP's and decided that Irene's socks were the closest to done and finished them.

Yarn: Fleece Artist Basic Merino Socks that Irene bought in Canada.
Pattern: Victorian Lace Socks from Six Sox Knitalong

I highly recommend the yarn. The pattern turned out well, but I probably won't make it again - I found the "mini-melon" stitch somewhat annoying. Fortunately, I only had to do it every 8 rows. Also, these were the first time I've done a short-row toe. I did it as written in the pattern. It was nice to not have to graft, but I'm so used to grafting that it would have been faster!

Meanwhile, knitting with handspun re-inspired me to spin. I kept working with the one fiber I owned, even I found it difficult to work with. The fiber is a deep violet with some ocher streaks - very similar to my rug. Add-in the fact that I mostly spin in the evening, without particularly good light and it makes for a squinty experience. Even so, I managed to eke out a ball of yarn. As I wound the ball, the yarn was like a record of learning to spin. The most recent yarn was thinner and far more consistent. The first bits have huge variation in size and twist. It seemed to me that I'd earned some new fiber!

Off to Shuttles! I picked up Maggie's new book and some fiber. Even though I had a great time fondling all the fibers I had no idea what to buy so Maggie helped me out. She steered me away from the cottons and silks, the hemp and the linen. Also no blue-faced Leicester (I just love the name). The feather-light buffalo was tempting, but pricey and was dark - I'd had enough of dark fiber for a while. I bought a couple ounces of basic Merino:

Then some pretty stuff with sparklies. Not too many - just enough to speak to me. I also love the colors. This is Alpine Meadow Artisan Fibers, Soft Wools in Alpine Sunset.






The real splurge was the Llama / silk blend. I was delighted when Maggie said it'd be an excellent choice, but then I put it back on the shelf. They were only selling it by the bag and I'd really wanted to buy smaller quantities to experiment. Eventually I came around and added it to my pile of purchases. Later than evening, I headed to punkin's for a pizza party. I was so excited about my new fiber that I had to try it out. It's so easy to work with! Much faster, softer, and easier to see. Isn't it pretty? I'd love to spin a really thin yarn with it, but my spindle is bit heavy for that. Another trip to Shuttles may be in my near future!