Friday, December 14, 2007

First spinning, non-gift and gift FOs

First Drop Spindle Spinning!

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A friend put me in touch with a wonderful lady (a talented spinner, weaver, and dyer who claims she's only an occasional knitter) who showed me how to get started spinning with a drop spindle. Next week (hopefully) she will be showing me how to ply, and eventually, I'll give her wheel a try. It's super fun - I just wish I had more time to do it (I'm still working on gift knitting, you know)!

Here's my first singles (kind of skinny):
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Bug had to "help" me with the photo shoot a little too much:
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Bug, you're very cute and fuzzy, but you're hiding some fierce, fiber-rending hardware. Watch it, will you?


Non-Gift Knitting FO

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Judith Chevron Shawl
Schaefer Yarn Judith, color "Betty Friedan" (330 yards per skein), ~1.7 skeins
US 7 Knitpicks Options circular needles (24")

The Judith alpaca yarn is lovely and soft with a slightly vinegary aroma. I alternated balls every two rows to reduce pooling. The pattern is made up of 3 sub-patterns (Daintier Chevron, Dainty Chevron, and Arrow Pattern), which are shown below. It's too bad (for me!) that this was knit as a model for Schaefer Yarn to display, but I'm getting some wonderful yarn in return (photos when it arrives).

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Gift Knitting Update

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Sheldon (Knitty, Winter 2006)
Knitpicks Shine Sport (110 yards per ball), "Green Apple" ~0.9 balls, "Grass" ~0.6 balls
US 2 (2.75 mm) dpns
US 3 Addi Turbo circular needle (24")
US B crochet hook

Hee, hee! I love Sheldon, and hopefully so will my little nephew. What a neat pattern Ruth came up with! I hadn't done attached i-cord before, and had some moments of confusion when trying to stitch together the parts of the shell, but I thought her instructions were great - and it all worked out in the end. I used the felt/embroidery floss eye method described by Bogie of Knit Flix (with the exception that I couldn't find a hole punch, so I cut my felt circles freehand). I think I took the advice to stuff the shell lightly a little too seriously, and I may have understuffed the little guy's body, so my shell is a bit baggier than expected. However, I think it looks fine, and it's pretty easy to put on and take off.

Bug was quite patient with me (and Sheldon) during the photo shoot:
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Umm... yeah. I think he thought Sheldon was bit too forward.


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Flower Scarf
Based on the One-Skein Scarf from Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet - The Happy Hooker
Ella Rae Classic (219 yards per ball), minty green ~0.65 balls
Scraps of Patons SWS in Natural Geranium and (the beigey parts of) Natural Blue for the flowers, etc.
US K crochet hook


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Basic Mittens
Easy Warm Mittens
Steadfast Fibers Wonderful Wool (190 yards per skein), copper ~0.66 skeins
US 3 bamboo dpns


And last, but not least, I'm still working on the Clementine Shawlette for a special someone. Let's hope I can get it done in time to send it across the country before Christmas (I'm actually further along than this shows - I'm working on the second half now).
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