In the beginning...

... well, not quite the beginning but as close as it gets at this point... there was fiber! Beautiful, fluffy, colorful, yum yum yummy fiber!!!

This deliciousness came from the fabulous Roo at Moonwood Farm! And, as you can see in the first picture, some fun extras! (You will find the most generous people in the world of fiber!) I came to know Roo at Moonwood Farm through the Phat Fiber Box samples. I had three top favorites and perused each shop for the perfect purchase. Roo just happened to have the fiber that was MADE for my first sweater, the February Lady Sweater. She dyed and carded this very fiber JUST FOR ME! How fun is that?
So anyway, I just wanted to give you a glimpse of my fibery life. I am currently working on opening my Etsy Shop, a pair of socks, a washcloth, scarf, and some cuffs... oh, and spinning everything I can get my hands on! I am loving every minute of it!
Squish to all!
LC

Yarn!

As promised I spun up some red, white and blue fiber on Memorial Day! It turned out pretty nice (if I do say so myself). This little beauty is my first 2 ply yarn too! One thing I learned was that when you spin (or ply) the two yarns together you spin it the opposite way than you spun the original yarns. Crazy isn't it? I don't know but I don't think that would have ever crossed my mind.
Memorial Day Yarn

Most of the spinning I have done since the introduction of Spinderella has been scrap yarn or practice yarn. I have done a LOT of practice treadling too just to get the speed under control. It is really easy to get excited and start running on that thing! Just recently I have learned how to set the spin in hand spun yarn. Here is one of my first (and favorite) yarns I have spun and set.
Electric Slide
When you finish spinning the yarn you wind it off the bobbin onto a niddy noddy (or the back of a chair if that is all you have). I WILL do a video of this SOON. This is a way to keep the yarn from tangling and a way to measure the yardage.
Spring Fling

Now after you wind the yarn and tie it... it is time to "set the spin". The first step in this is to run some really hot water into a sink or bucket. You place the yarn in the hot water and let it sit until the water is cool. I suggest doing this with only one colorway at a time in case bleeding occurs. After the water has cooled you remove the yarn and place it on a towel. Fold the towel over the yarn and press the water out so that you do not agitate the fiber. Then hang the yarn over a hanger or door knob or something. If the yarn spins back on itself use a couple of hangers as weights at the bottom of yarn. When it dries... you have ready to knit YARN!
Pretty Pink

All of the fiber used to make these yarns was from the Phat Fiber Sample Box. Last month I got the "Just Fluff" box. Boy was that fun! I opened up the box and took out some fiber... when I looked back at the box it was full again! It was like Mary Poppins bag! Never ending fluff!!! Well, sad thing is... it did end. But I will have another chance at a Phat Fiber Box this month! Hope everyone is having a great week! Happy hump day!

LC

Making yarn...

My boyfriend says that making yarn is like making paint before you paint a picture. I kinda liked that.

LC

Trinity Ridge Alpaca's Open Farm Day/Spin In

Saturday, Trinity Ridge Alpaca's had an Open Farm Day/ Spin In. My boyfriend and I took the afternoon and visited the farm. What a wonderful day! Steve and Janet Hancock were delightful hosts! Steve took us for a tour of the farm and introduced us to the animals.

We met a few funny characters...
... the two-headed alpaca...

... the "happy" alpaca...

... and the alpaca hand puppet....

These animals are too funny! We learned tons of stuff about alpaca's. About their eating and breeding habits and so on. They are very interesting animals.
This was my personal favorite. Her name is Showtime. I got to walk her on a halter. It took me back to the days of showing Santa Gertrudis Cattle. Only this girl was a bit easier to handle. And soft as a bunny!

Over all these guys are pretty laid back. I like their style!

And to top it all off... I took home some (favorite ever) fiber! I want to figure out a way to be able to wrap my body in this! Oooh! I guess I can spin it and knit it up! How about that?

Oh my, my heads-a-spinnin!

Don't worry... my zest for all things fiber has not diminished! I have just been so busy stuffing my face with information I haven't had time to spit it back out! I find something new EVERY day either on the internet, in books or just by trial and error. It is absolutely fascinating! I have been to my LYS (aka Local Yarn Store... that took a while for me to figure out) The Woolie Ewe. It is delicious. I have joined a small knitting circle (there are only three of us). I have also been knitting a bit with my sister... who I found out knits totally different from me. It is so crazy! We get the same end result but the process seems so strange. Maybe I will get her to do some videos for you too. Speaking of videos... I don't have the technology to do videos at this time... my sister has a camera that does though. So, all videos will be at her convenience (and she has a new baby).

I have BIG fibery plans for the next few weeks! This weekend I am *crossing fingers* going to Trinity Ridge Alpaca's Open Farm Day/ Spin In! How fun does that sound? And it is just a hop, skip and a jump from the casa! Then of coarse we have Memorial Day on Monday. I might just spin up a little something red, white, and blue! And then... next Friday night... The fantabulous Yarn Harlot, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, is going to be in Plano, Texas! My sister and I are so there! I must make something small and fibery to wear that night... has to be springy... any suggestions?

Anyway, I just wanted to check in and let you know everything is OK. I am having tons of fun!

I will definitely be posting pictures soon.

LC

ps. I had a dream that I curled up into a yarn ball! It was orange!

One row too far...

Last night, after a completely unproductive day with a migraine, I decided to do a little knitting. Yesterday was the one week one day marker in my knitting story. I have been practicing stitches like a mad woman. I even did a little swatch to check out the pattern I wanted to try on my first project... a scarf. I had it down... knit, knit, knit through the back, purl, knit, knit, knit through the back, purl, etc. I finally felt like a knitter! I had found my rythem! And then it happended... I knew I was feeling sleepy. I told myself, "One more row!" And then I did it. I dropped a stitch. At the end of the row I had 29 instead of 30! I dragged myself off to bed where I proceeded to beat myself up for at least 30 minutes before I finally fell asleep. Guess what my first thought was when I got up this morning? What will I do? I have heard that fixing knitting mistakes is almost impossible. Well, I am going to give it a shot. I think I can see where the accident happened. I am going to fix the problem. I will not let myself give up and start another project. I will not unravel the whole thing. I will figure it out!

Wish me luck!

LC

ps. Any tips or suggestions will be appreciated!!!

*Cast on* this!

Today's lesson is Learning to Knit: Part One-- Casting On

Step 1: Start with a slip knot on the needle in your right hand.

Step 2: Hold the end of the yarn away from you. Wrap the yarn around your pointer finger. The ball of yarn should be the strand closest to you.

Step 3: Take the needle over the strand closest to you and point away to the other strand.

Step 4: Go over the strand furthest from you.

Step 5: Point the needle down.

Step 6: Point needle back toward you and pull through pointer finger and middle finger.

Step 7: Let strand on pointer finger go.

Step 8: Pull tight...

tighter...

Step 9: There is no step 9... if you have done it right (if I have taught it right) you will be ready to repeat the steps until you have enough rows for your pattern (or your ugly practice square... like me).