Hard Core Fibre Pr0n!

Madras fibre - Treetops Colour Harmonies


I loved Bon's comment on the last spinning post so much, I had to name a post after it and dish out some more!!


Separated/pre-drafted and balled up


Mmmm... the colours conjure thoughts of pina coladas, lolly water and tasty fruit spritzes....


Sunday spun singles

Baublery

I picked up this tackle box for a wonderful bargain this weekend from the local camping and outdoors store.



It may seem a little odd for a vegetarian purchase.. have I truly taken up fishing?

In fact no, the case isn't for organising fishing hoo-hahs but to finally put my baubles in order!!

Previously they were in such a state I barely wore any of my lovely things because I couldn't find them, or forgot I had them. So I did a complete re-evaluation and laid everything out...



But now look at the wonderous order of the baublery display!



Hurrah!! :D

The Tale of Two Fibres

Recently I made a purchase of some wonderful fibre from Treetops Colour Harmony, with gifting in mind!



This lovely merino in Rhubarb from Treetops Colour Harmonies came in to my world with some other fibre destined to be shaped and moulded to be gifted to my lovely Mum as part of her birthday gift this year. Though Mum has knit in the past the skill has long been in hiatus until recently, when she has once again taken up the needles! *crowd shouts 'Hurrah!!'*



So this year for her birthday I wanted to gift her some handspun, and spin some of it in her presence so she could be part of the process :) We would have loved to do some spinning together, but time didn't allow this visit, but next time I hope we will have a craft fantastica with loads of time for spinning, quilting, knitting, crochet.....!!

I digress...

The first yarn spun for Mum, and spun while staying in her gorgeous home, was the Gypsy JamBerry - of which I have only progress shots to share so far (though I'm sure I can grab some finished shots from Mum!)



I wanted a very exciting, alternative feel so spun a thick & thin, then plied with a thin golden thread to give a very corrogated and textured, wild looking yarn.



The rich magenta, purple and red with little flashes of gold here and there made the yarn seem like a Gypsy woman's hair, wild and curly, with the rich colours of her silk scarf and the golden glint of her hoop earrings...



The other fibre I took back home with me and have just now wound it up into an edible looking cake ready to send off!



This Rhubarb is my second experience of the Navajo ply (which I LUFF) and I'm so happy with how it's turned out :D



It feels like a nice medium weight yarn to my hand, but I'm not a terribly good judge, so I'll do my best to measure it up before I send it off to Mum! But it looks to be just the ticket for a born-again knitter ready to hit the needles again after some time off - enough yarn to make a decent accessory (hat, scarf, cowl, mittens, cushion, cozy of some sort..) and with personal interest and colour but not too daunting - hurrah!!

New yarn!

Oh how delicious!



I fell in love with Koigu KPPPM when my secret pal sent me a two skeins years ago. So when I saw the fabulous giant tree of coiled skeins over at Calico & Ivy I simply couldn't resist!

The only problem was which colour?? So many to choose from!

This colourway was so unique I was so drawn to it, and now the question is... what to knit?!



I thought of a Baktus (non Ravelry link)... but that didn't look how I wanted it to... so now I'm thinking of perhaps the Sockhead Hat (non Ravelry link). The yarn is too variegated to knit lace, and I could knit up another triangular shawl with eyelet ridges and garter ridges.. but I think I'd like to do something a little different... hmmmm!

Any other suggestions?

Commencement

This evening I learnt the circular cast on and have taken the first weeeeny step on the way to a wonderful experience....



Some time from now this homley, warm, Australian, lofty and earth-hued yarn will become a Girasole-like creature by my hand - and we shall snuggle beneath it my shweetie and I :)

Where the Wild Sash Is

Hehee!!



I just LUFF opportunities like these!!

DPN Danger!

Be warned!!

It can happen to YOU!

I bring you the next slasher movie....

WHEN NEEDLES ATTACK!

DEATH BY DPN!



Well, alright, that IS a little dramatic... But this is exactly what I saw when I pulled my wallet out of my bag the other day - My bag that was also housing my socks-in-progress.

One DPN had leapt free of the bundle and KEBABBED my (rather sturdy) wallet! It is seriously stabbed in their folks and I promise I had NOTHING to do with it! That picture is taken with a camera phone on the table of the cafe directly after discovery!

Heed ye this cautionary tale....

Back!

Well.. after an INTENSE week of step mum life including loads of fun, challenges, tender moments, frustration, laughter, tears, excitement, exhaustion, delight, wonder and learning across all fields... I am BACK!!

Plan to claw my way back in to control of my life any moment now - tidying things up around the house, finishing abandonned projects, replying to emails, updating Ravelry, uploading pictures to flickr, catching up on Bloglines and all those things that were put to the back-burner while we had a spunky 9 year old staying with us!

I can hardly wait until next time we have Scamp to stay - every time we see him we're more and more bonded and seem to have a better time than the last. This time we even did some crafting - not something this very sports oriented boy has ever seemed interested in before.

And he loved it!
Pencil case is still unfinished due to camping and riding, shooting range adventures, reading our book, playing wii, visiting family, remote control car, learning to juggle, playing darts, bush walks, cooking, watching movies and toasting marshmallows.....

<

But we can finish it off amongst all our other adventures of next time!!

Phat Knits

For more amazing design work such as this, check out the incredible Phat Knits!



I badly feel the need for a ginormous squooshy couch/bed made from knitted noodle!!

Forecast is for Navajo

So I've been spinning up the lovely Forecast yarn from the Spunky Eclectic fibre club from years ago.....



Spinning singles as I normally do, but something was a little different...

Something was brewing.



The Navajo Ply cloud that had been growing on the horizon for a good while now finally broke!



It was a little tangley to start with so I had to leave it for an extra day for the residual twist to relax a little... but once the storm had broken, there was no going back



I am in smitten, head-over-heels, wonder-eyed love with Navajo Plying - I even give it capital letters!!



I love how the yarn feels so balanced, I don't know if that's the right technical terms, but that's certainly how it looks and feels to me. It seems round and plump and happy - and that's always good in a skein of handspun :)



It comes in at 11 wpi, so about a DK weight/8ply weight. I just love how the colours sometimes barberpole in TRIO!



I don't have awfully much to work with - around 150 metres is my guess, but I need to measure it properly - but I'm sure I can make something lovely out of it. For now I'm happy with it sitting in it's little yarn cake (yes I've wound it up already!) for me to gaze at!

The Many Shades of Stash

I've wanted to do one of these for a long time....



Hurrah!! :D

Ta Da!!

Well the anticipation for the contest has certainly been building these last *ahem* ten days... and I not only have a prize, but a lovely somebody to present it to also!

Thank you all so so very much for all the suggestions - there is such an amazing buffet of information out there to keep a novice quilter researching, bookmarking and craving for more!

Since I've already kept you all waiting for so long I shan't delay any longer in declaring the prize and prizee!

I assigned each recommendation a number and cruised over to random.org for my first ever random number generator experience!



4? Number 4 = ERIVEN!!

I was so delighted that Eriven's number came up since I had in mind sending a little thank you parcel independent of the contest anyway since she provided such an incredibley expansive tome of suggestions!! So clearly the gods of random also thought you deserved to take the booty home!

And what is the booty I hear you ask?

The main component is a skein of this delicious, delectable and delightful Handmaiden Sea Silk!


It is an absolute dream to knit with - I hope you enjoy it Eriven!

In keeping with the Quilty Theme I have a couple of fat quarters to pad the parcel and I'm sure I'll find some other goodies too ;)

Thank you again to everyone who contributed, sorry for the delay, congratulations to you Eriven and a big thank-you hug!!

p.s The delay has been so long I actually have some quilty style projects to share already!

Quilt Inferno

Lately I've become increasingly fascinated with quilts and patchwork. The feeling has been simmering for a while, but I always tried to leave it at bay since I seem to have limited time for my currant craft passions (and limited stash space!) so I couldn't fathom adding ANOTHER such obsession to my life!

But then we went down to stay with Mum in her lovely new home, kitted out with so many of the gorgeous elements she always spoke of when we would talk about dream houses etc.. In the lovely guest room the bed was all made up with bedspread and such, and laid across the top of the covers was a beautiful square quilt. I think that was the spark that has lit my quilt inferno!!


1. Quilted Gelati Log Cabin, 2. The 'Forever' Quilt---Finally Finished. . ., 3. Detail of "Spot On" Circle Quilt

I've been having a little squiz around at various books and things, trying to find inspiration and, perhaps more importantly, education. I'd like to have a few great books of colourful, textural quality magnificence to inspire me and fuel the fire, but I feel it's very important to get at least one decent book that will cover all the basic How-Tos, hot tips and so on.

After having a bit of a trawl around the internets, I thought I would put it to you, gentle reader, with your cumulative score of wisdom to share your suggestions of wonderful quilting and patchwork books and sources.

I'll be making this a little more fun, and encouraging the wall flowers out there to get involved, by adding a priiiiize!

I would love to hear your suggestions, so please leave a comment with firstly, your recommendation for inspiration or educational quilting/patchwork books or sources, and secondly what you love about that particular volume! I'll draw the prize from all suggestions received - and I'll try to cater the prize to suit the crafts of the prizee!

Let the inspirations roll!!

p.s. Forgot to give a closing date for prize entry! Let's say, have your suggestions in by the end of Sept 18th if you'd like to be in the draw for something lovely! But if it's past that date and you'd like to comment - please do!

Very Happy Very Rainbow

I have a wonderous FO to share!



Many months ago, perhaps even into the years stakes, Bekk of Bowerbird Knits sent me a most frabjulous skein of handspun!



It felt such a special skein to me, and the colours so vibrant, changeable and the yarn so finely and beautifully spun (look at the wee barberpoling!) that I lingered for a long time in contemplation.



Oohhh! It could be THIS or it could be THAT! Hmm... will that do justice to such a wonderous skein...? How about THIS!

And so it went on for some time..



Eventually I decided that the Lace Ribbon scarf would be lovely as the zig-zag bars of stockinette would show off the fabric of yarn, and the laddered bars would show of singular strands.



But the mojo never took off, though it started well.
While lovely and full of potential, this project was not the TRUE love of this yarn, so I frogged it out and sat for a good while longer, contemplating

Finally I decided to throw caution to the wind as this is a HAPPY rainbow yarn and shouldn't be tied down and caught in restraint by serious contemplation - it needs to LIVE!

And with that gusto in mind and the magic flutterings of a joyful project conception - I cast on and the creation began! It hibernated on and off for a little, but once complete I wasted no time in the magic blocking ceremony!



(plushie bread for size comparison)



Macro shots of blocking lace/knitting are my FAVOURITE!





It turned out much larger than I had anticipated so is wonderful to wear, and is a lovely light drapey article like a technicolour gossamer web - all things wonderous and delightful!



I am so very very happy with my very happy very rainbow knitkerchief!!


(Here making also making friends with my new winkle-pickin cowbies!)

Ishbel!

At last... Ishbel!

I have yearned for so very long to cast on for Ishbel, using the fabulous skein of Solis malabrigo sock yarn I've had marinating in my stash since being so kindly gifted to me byJolene.

I've always thought the yarn would knit up so beautifully into an Ishbel, with the lace resembling kelp fronds in shades of aqua and teal - delicious!



So now at least Ishbel is on my needles and I am LUFFING it! :D

Social Knitworking, - awesome!!

OH my goodness!!

I just love stumbling across these fantastic knitterly inventions, experiments and new gadgets!

Check out the Social Knitworking new to the scene and in development!

Forecast for spinning

I've had spinning on the brain lately, so this R&R the forecast was for spinning!



This fibre has been marinating in my stash for some time - it's the lovely Forecast from my time in the Spunky Eclectic Fibre of the Month club, and the subtle shades are just gorgeous!



Truth be told I started spinning it up last R&R but was glad to go back to it again this break to finish it up...



I still have a little to go though as I got sidetracked with other spinning projects (more on them later) and now I'm glad I was delayed actually, as the Spin Control I ordered has arrived - WOot WOot! SO now I can look through the book and figure out how I want to ply this up. I had been pondering attempting a Navajo Ply perhaps...

Settle

Where to start after such a long time of blog absence?
Well, with the biggest, juiciest, most exciting news of course!!

We..


are...


LAND OWNERS!!!



6 months ago we first saw this block and began our journey of research, deliberation, excitement and the roller coaster ride of finally reaching settlement! In March we flew over to view the property (blog post 'Trippin to Tassie') and found that every need, wish and possible imagined element was ticked off our checklist by the the joys this block has to offer!

It's a big commitment, and we've taken a mortgage which is something we never wanted to do, but after doing an extensive, far-reaching, no-money-limit search of the rural market in Australia we couldn't find anything else like this - so that sealed it.

The biggest issue to face us is moving states, moving all our gear across to the other side of the continent, and the biggest upheaval - moving away from family and friends. I'm a very family oriented person so it was a big decision but I've come to terms with it and made the conscious decision to take on board all that it involves - so now I'm happily looking forward to our times on our block!

We still have to build, so it will be at least a year before we can be working ex-Tassie, but we have finally taken that first step towards the life we aspire to, and it feels like coming home! Whoooot!! :D

Spin Control Pending!

How very exciting!

I've just placed my order for Amy King's much talked about Spin Control.

I've been wanting to invest some time into developing my spinning skills and technique and this may be just the book to get me on my way! :)

The Mystery of the Disappearing Knitter

Well it's not really a mystery, sorry to disappoint there - false advertising in the Post Title...



The main causes of the disappearance have been;

* 8 days in another state of the country.
* Working 11.5 hour days in the office - FLAT OUT for the entire time.
* No internet in camp (stupid Telstra) and no time (see point 2.) at work to blog.

The lack of new pictures in posts is due to;

* Work has brought in a new filtering system to stop people visiting dangerous non-work related sites such as.. *gasp* FLICKR *lady faints*
* Point 3. above

But I will do my best to update as soon as possible and in the best form possible on the following things;

* Fabulous trip over East to Canberra and the SNOW
* Finished knits and on-the-go spinning projects
* Update of 52 in 52 progress
* A most exciting and significant development..!!

For now, I leave with two links you've probably already discovered, but just in case you haven't checked them out yet or missed the reveal;

* Twist Collective is out! With MANY fabulous wonderous patterns, including a wonderful cardigan of interesting construction by the lovely Ysolda!
* And for more Ysolda, Whimsical Little Knits 2 is on the way! I'm over the moon as I'm very smitten with WLK1 :D