Spring is on its way...

Spring… is on it way and I’m welcoming it in with these two new Thick ‘n Thin handspun yarns… check ‘em out at the Shop or use the tab at the top of this blog.

Sampling - Thick 'n Thin

I'm designing my next set of yarns... Thick 'n Thin.  I started by sampling with a roving I dyed.   This New Zealand wool roving was dyed using the casserole method... Yes, another experiment.  

I spun a thick and thin single of this roving, keeping track of how far apart I was making the slubs and also how long each slub was.  If the slub is longer than the staple length it can pull apart easily.  The distance between the slubs is a matter of taste.  I plied it with a single of "Jasmine", English Angora...thinking that it might create a soft halo.   Well, that didn't really happen.  

I knit a sample swatch, using size 8 needles.  I didn't want the thin parts to be too loose 

or the thick parts too tight. 

purl side 

To my surprise, I liked the "purl side" the best.  I would make this the "right side" in a finished project.

knit side

Which side do you like the best?

The new yarns should hit the Esty shop in a few days.  

Area 51

My Area 51

What is that mess?  Well, it is my area 51.  Where my UFOs hide... UFO = UnFinished Objects

I decided that I needed to inventory what has been stashed away in this secret area.  Since finishing is divine... there might be something in here that I can complete in a short time.  

I came up with a list of a dozen projects... Yikes!  

Where do I start?  I decided to start with the projects that I will end up selling in the Etsy shop.  

That is, after I finished my WIPs.  

Works In Progress  

I have a few WIPs I'm focusing on this week:

I've completed the spinning of the English Angora yarn I posted about last week.  It just needs to be measured and documented. 

Jasmine yarn

 And, I am almost done with the Lanesplitter skirt.  I'm working on the waist band now.

Lanesplitter skirt

Oh,  and the scarf for the church sale... a few more inches to be knit and the tassels.
Then, I'm good to go onto the first UFO....

Keepsakefiber is now on Etsy

Yes, I now have an Etsy shop which you can access from the SHOP tab of this blog.  It features custom spinning...

Ever thought about having your wonderful pet's fur spun into yarn?

and

several yarns spun this year ...

check out the corespun, cables and finger weight 

What's next... more of Jasmine, an English Angora.  

Jasmine

You can see it in the Caribbean Surf scarf   Stay tuned...