Ode To Fall

This is the first project that I have been involved where I started with dyed fiber materials and ended with a finished knitted object. It came about from the Fancy Kitty drum carder group on Ravelry, this was a BSKAL (Batt-Spin-Knit Along) and along the way there would be prizes! My batts won the first round prize where I got a WPI tool from Ron, the maker of FKDCs and a 2oz batt from Blushing Ewe.

It all started when I bought the polworth roving at knit night. Sharon of Stitch Jones brought in her "fiber bin of doom" and I could not resist petting the lovely wool. I had to choose between a lovely light blue roving and an orange/purple roving. I went with the Japanese Maple roving, because they are colors that I don't normally use and I wanted to challenge myself. On my FKDC I whipped up 4 lovely textured batts. Then I spun up the batts into a single and navajo plied it to make a worsted weight yarn. The scarf only took 8 days to knit, because it's done on size 11 needles.

From start to finish this project took 25 days!

Scarf Pattern Off to the Races by Patricia Bishop

Materials used in making the batts:

4oz Stitch Jones polworth roving (Japanese Maple)
1 oz Wool/Silk/Mohair
Sari Silk
Wensleydale Cross Locks
Adult Mohair Locks
Angelina (aurora borealis)
Stacey Charles Ristrato yarn bits
BFL Locks

Pumpkin Potluck Party

Last month Tami sent me a link on Facebook to a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Lattes that you make in a crock pot. Here it is. It looked like a good recipe, but I didn't have any occasion to make 12 cups of lattes. I was talking to Shelia about it at knit night and she said if I made the lattes she would bring pumpkin cookies. Then Tami chimed in that she would make pie and Angela said she would make pumpkin fudge and before we knew it, we had the makings of an awesome pumpkin pot luck party. Since Whole Foods requested we do not bring outside food in for knit night, we decided to have it at the grange during our Wednesday spinning group.

So, today was the party! I have to say it was a success. There was soup, breads, pies, cookies, chips and salsa, whip cream and rum for the lattes, and I also brought some home made goat cheese with crackers. It was quite a feast!

I think this worked so well, we should do a similar pot luck around Christmas time!!

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Here's how I made the lattes

I brewed Starbucks Verona coffee espresso strength (1 cup of coffee to 4 cups of water), but I only used 3 cups of coffee in the mixture.
8 cups whole milk
Most of the can of TJ's Organic Pumpkin
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 T of Vanilla
1.5 T of Pumpkin Pie Spice
optional - a shot of Rum for an extra kick

Put all of the ingredients into your crock pot, taste it to make sure you like the flavor or adjust the amounts to get a flavor you like. Then set your crock pot on Hi for 3 hours. My crock pot doesn't seem to get very hot, so I cook everything on Hi. Yours may vary and you might be ok with Low for 3 hours. Also, I assembled it all the night before so the flavors had time to develop. In the morning I turned the crock pot on and let it heat up.

WWSIP Day 2010

It's come around again, World Wide Spin In Public Day! It seems like last year's event was just yesterday! How did a whole year go by?? I got a little more spinning done today than I did last year, so that's an accomplishment! But I probably spun only a half ounce of fiber. I worked on a Merino/Tencel roving from the Knitted Wit. I had brought more fiber with a pipe dream of getting more done, and a drop spindle for spinning the sample fiber from the goody bag. Oh well. I got a lot of chatting done with my friends and occasionally with someone passing by. This event really got the public's interest! We were at the end of the farmer's market, so I didn't think we would get a lot of people, but we really did! From little kids, to the eldery to dogs dragging their owners in! A nice man even brought us cupcakes from a local vendor! Cool!! Christine from Upstream Alpacas came with a bin of fiber! She included a coupon in our goody bag and once I felt her baby alpaca roving, I had to by some! I bought 4 oz of her Pacific Dusk colorway - it's blue, pink and purple dyed over a grey alpaca roving! I also won a door prize! The table was full of fun prizes to pick from and I walked away with the "101 Designer One Skein Wonders" book (I think Gail donated it, so Thanks Gail!)

Unfortunately I didn't get any pix of myself this year, except this one! And LeeLoo is taking up most of the frame.



So, I hope Tami posts a couple on her blog.


Check out my awesome goody bag - it was stuffed to the brim with fiber samples from local fiber artists and other fun things:



Handmade pink flamingo bag (probably made just for me ;) ) from Duffy
Raw alpaca fiber from the Cupcake Factory
Merino/Silk from Dicentra Designs and a coupon for Cindy's new shop donated by Cindy of Urban Fiber Arts
BFL, a pencil and a coupon from Knitted Wit
Merino from Stitch Jones
Corriedale, a pin, and a coupon from Pico Accuardi Dyeworks
Baby Alpaca and a coupon from Upstream Alpacas
BFL from Rogue Adventures
A generous sample of Rosemary Spearmint soap from Peace of Soap Company
A Handmade i-cord distaff made by me!

Tour De Fleece

This was my first year participating in the Tour de Fleece - a spinning "competition" that happens during the Tour de France. I joined Team Rookie, Team Batty and Team Lendrum. All of my yarns were spun on my new Lendrum, but some had to be plied on my Ashford due to the nature of the yarn. I feel really good about the yarns I made and I hit my goal of spinning for a minimum of 15 mins each day (but really I was able to spin at least an hour or more) I had forgotten to take the rest days, but there were a couple of days I could not spin, so I figured it got evened out that way. Only 8 of the 9 yarns are pictured, apparently I forgot to take a photo of one before I entered it in the local fair. Most of my yarns were spun from Batts, except the top right blue yarns, they were spun from a roving. Total distance of yarn made was 2511 yards (I'm counting each ply made) which equals 1.42 miles! Wow, that seems like a lot when you add it all up!! I would definitely participate again.

Black Sheep Gathering!

As you may remember, I was in labor last year during the BSG and did not get to attend. I think I made up for it this year though! Check out all the fiber I got!


1 Jenkins Kuchulu spindle in borneo rosewood with a redheart shaft
1 (huge) Alpaca/Wool batt from Superior Fibers
1 mystery batt from Fantasy Fibers
2 bags of assorted Wolf Creek Wools fiber from Sweet Grass Wool
1 handpainted roving from StitchJones (that I actually bought before the show, but I’m counting it anyway)
a goody bag from the Knitmore Girls podcast


Before we even got through the parking lot, I ran into my friends Jamie and Blas who own Urban Fauna Studio They drove up from San Fran for a speaking engagement, and made a side trip to BSG.

Once inside, I headed straight to Stitch Jones' booth to say hi to my friend Sharon. Then the shopping began! My mom and I each got a bottle of hand lotion at Lost Valley Alpacas in Sweet Peaches. At Fantasy Fibers, I snatched up one of the last mystery batts they had in stock. Across the way at Crown Mtn Fibers there was a Knitmore Girls podcast meetup. I have been friends with Jasmin and Gigi since Stitches West last year and they love seeing Hazel!

After the first hour (which seemed like 10 minutes to me) my mom, Owen and Hazel took off to find lunch, leaving me to shop. I met up with Cindy, and she and I enabled each other into getting the mini Jenkens spindles and then she enabled me into getting some fiber from the Sweet Grass Wool.

Again I time warped another hour and the four of us found a park in Eugene to have our TJ's picnic lunch.

Then it was back to the BSG, but this time we focused on meeting the animals. Ohh, was Hazel enjoying this. She got a kiss from a Shetland Sheep, and she got to see cute Pygoras, BFLs and Romneys. Not to mention the Alpacas in the the Alpaca barn! She used her new walking skills to lead us from stall to stall. On the way to the Alpacas we ran into Lisa (slumpyfumbler on Ravelry) and she enabled me to get the HUGE batt from Superior Fibers.

Before we knew it, it was time for the market to close and for us to head home. I am beat!

More F.O.s

I've been a busy little knitter! I thought I was all done with shopping for presents, and then I went to this new yarn shop that opened last weekend (Make One), and since then I've been inspired to make more stuff with the yarn I bought! I am working on a cowl for a friend's birthday, but it is after Christmas, so it's not critical knitting right now.

There is one F.O. that failed. I made one of those slippers that the Yarn Harlot was raving about, because I thought it would be a fast knit. Well, the 90 minutes turned into 2 days because I *could not get gauge*. When I got stitch gauge, my row gauge was totally off and I ended up ripping back a few times to get the correct measurement. I only made one slipper and when I felted it, it looked like a freaking baked potato, I kid you not. It was pitiful. Also, it didn't fit my foot. I brought it to knit night and my friend whose name also happens to be Rachel took it to fix it and make it look good so she could give it to her mom, who coincidentally only has one foot! I call that serendipity! I still plan on making another slipper, but maybe a darker yarn would felt better.

These are the same fingerless mitts that are in my previous fo post, using the left over yarn from those mitts, but these are shorter.



Roving from Susan's Kitchen that I spun up and plied with a thread of beads! It is very pretty in person. I am giving this to my mom, but she may end up asking me to knit something up for her.


Duet by Linda Wilgus, from the Winter Knitty
Yarn is Cascade Rustic
This is for my sister in law. I'm giving it to her as a scarf, I don't know if it's stretchy enough to wear as a hat. The linen is making it stiff. A note for people using this yarn. It bleeds dye like crazy! So wash wash wash, and use vinegar to help set the dye.


A Simple Yet Effective shawl, out of some of my handspun (Everything but the kitchen sink is in this shawl, even some beads). This is for Owen's grandmother!

Spinning App!

Do you have an iPhone or iPod Touch? Are you a spinner? If so, you NEED the iSpin Toolkit app! There are so many great features in this handy, user-friendly app. Each tool on this app has instructions on how to use it, what the calculation is for and why it is helpful to use it while you are spinning.

My favorite feature is the WPI gauge. I have yet to find one that is so easy to use, and there is even a chart with the standardized yarn weight to compare your yarn to!

Another great feature on this app is the calculators, there are 13!! With all of the calculators, it will be easy to replicate your yarn if you run out and need to spin more! The calculator I can see myself using ALL THE TIME will be the niddy noddy calculator (it even remembers your niddy noddy length!) It is so convenient to have!

With all of the great features of this app and having it handy on my iPod Touch I can see myself becoming a better spinner!!

Street fair

Went to the palm springs street fair tonight and found some spinners! too bad i left my turkish delight at the hotel and lucky there was an extra spindle in the booth. hi to leslie of lollyarn!

Oregon Flock and Fiber 09 - Day 1

OFFF in a nutshell: I bought way too many pretty things, met FRANKLIN HABIT! (and may or may not have gone fangirl on him), created a new spindle group called "The Delights", spent all day spinning on my new spindle and made a few yards of yarn, hung out with all my PDXKB and PDXSpinerati peeps, did not knit a stitch, and did not see any of the animals.


First thing after Angela and I got there was buy a Jenkins Turkish Delight drop spindle!


I did a self portrait and kinneared Franklin Habit at the same time! Cindy did take an actual picture with me and Franklin together, but I'll have to wait for her to post it on her blog. I'm going to see him give a talk on Monday, so I did not hog too much of his time.


Me and Michele spinning on our Turkish Delights



Tami took this picture of "The Delights": Tammy, me, Michele, Duffy, and Leila
I inspired Tammy to get a TD spindle, Michele inspired me and Leila inspired Michele (see this chain reaction thing going on?) Duffy is an honorary member with her top whirl spindle.


My purchases:
Pink BFL and pastel Merino/Tencel from Knitted Wit
10oz of BFL (the blue/green pink) from Dicentra
Turkish Delight drop spindle from Carolina Homespun
A rare gem and a skein of silkie and a pattern from Blue Moon
1oz of white pygora (Cody) from Foggybottom Farms

Pearl's Shawl

This is the project I've been working on the last month. It is the Leaf and Nupp shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia. It is made with fiber from my rabbit Pearl who passed in July. It is my tribute to her, and I think I did pretty darn well if I may say so! I only had 14 yards left after I cast off, that was cutting it really close at the end, so I skipped a purl round on the edge and I only used one strand instead of two for the bind off. It has a gorgeous halo, it is so light, but it is very warm :)

WWSIP Day

World Wide Spin in Public day! Had fun spinning with my knitsibs. Actually, I was more like a bee flitting from person to person talking, that I didn't get much spinning done. I did ply my blue/green roving from bel tine farm (a roving that I bought a year ago at Black Sheep Gathering, my very first roving purchase!!) I re-learned how to use hand cards (that were actually dog brushes). I even bought an alpaca fleece from the trunk of Carissa's car - hehe to anyone else it might have looked more like a drug deal.


Hazel and I in our matching February sweaters - a picture I've been waiting months to get!


Alpaca/Merino/Silk
4oz, 200 yds, fingering weight


Goody bags for the first 20 people! All donated by local fiber artists! clock wise from the bottom left:
Raw alpaca fiber from the Cupcake Factory
NZ Romney/Perendale roving from Woodland Woolworks
Gotland Lamb locks that Shelia shipped home from Sweeden
BFL from Dicentra Designs
Corredale and BFL from Knitted Wit
unknown fiber from Stitch Jones
I gave away the rest to a lady who was just learning how to use a drop spindle.

spinning goodies

I've been trying to get my bobbins emptied before the baby gets here. I finished 2 skeins!

This is Stitch Jones "Earth Angel" Merino, 134 yards of a worsted weight. I am going to make a pair of fingerless gloves with it. Hoping it will be easy for hospital knitting.


Another Stitch Jones fiber - "Quince Blossom" 130 yards of a heavy fingering weight Baby Alpaca


I found this fiber at Cost Plus World Market (after seeing Carrisa spinning it at WWKIP and Bobbie's blog post on it). Yes, I broke my fiber diet, but I didn't know how long this would stay in the stores, or if I could find it! Who can resist natural hand dyed alpaca from Peru??


I took the Which Ewe are You quiz, this is what it came up with for me:

Camp Pluckyfluff Re-Cap

Click for larger image

This was such a fun camp taught by Lexi Boeger ! There were 5 students (including the owners of Urban Fauna Studio, Jamie and Blas). The day was filled with spinning and drum carding and playing around with different techniques. I think the most important thing I learned from this class was to just "Let it go through the spinning wheel" it was hard for me to not draft and make the perfectly thin yarn that I'm used to making, so this was a biggie!!

This was the first yarn we made and we learned how to make coils, granny stacks and twists.


The second yarn was a drum carded batt that I put in everything but the kitchen sink - BFL, alpaca, wool, mohair, wensleydale, flash, angelina, sari silk, merino/tencel, bamboo, snippets of ribbon yarn, tinsel, recycled coke bottle fiber and even some shredded money.

We broke for lunch and ate at a Pho restaurant down the street. I became addicted to the coconut bubble tea and had to go back on Sunday to get another one!!

After the break we came back and learned how to attach things to our yarn - felted baubles, sequins, ricrack, feathers, and my personal favorite yellow easter chicks (I am planning an Easter yarn with some of these attached to it).



The technique I really liked, but didn't have much to practice with was spinning carded mohair locks and angelina fiber over a core yarn to make a whispy airy yarn. The effect was so pretty, however, I didn't like the color of mohair (yellow) and I used too much fiber at once so mine was not as airy as it was supposed to be.



Last we learned how to spin fabric and tail spinning. This is still on my bobbin, I didn't like the fabric technique very much, it made too dense of a yarn and the tail spinning was not working well for me because of my cor yarn.

There was one other lady in the class who had the same wheel as me and even had the jumbo flyer on it!! That was neat!

First Art Yarn

Some of the yarn i made at camp today

Pearl's first yarn!

Yay, I finally finished up the yarn from my angora rabbit Pearl!

I carded her fiber with a Merino/Silk blend.
The content is approx 40% Angora and 60% Merino/Silk


Look at the bobbin! This is a new jumbo bobbin and I pretty much filled it up. It took me almost 4 hours to ply!


Finished yarn. I have not washed it yet, so I do not know the actual weight of the yarn, but right now it is between lace and fingering weight. It is 697 yards, 4.9 oz. I plan to leave it undyed and make something lacy for the baby that will be more of an heirloom piece rather than a functional piece.