Knitting With My Handspun Yarn

Since I'm producing a fair amount of handspun yarn, I'm trying to knit it up when I can. Here are two projects I recently completed using my handspun.

First, a wildly-hued pair of fingerless mitts:





Susie's Reading Mitts by Janelle Masters

• Yarn: My handspun "Raisin Wannabe", 100% Shetland Wool (185 yards / 113 g per skein), 0.73 skeins
  
• Needle: US 3 (3.25 mm) double pointed needles
  
• Size: Smallest

Here's the yarn, before knitting (and the fiber it came from):




The mitts have a fun turned picot hem:




... and a little bit of garter stitch and lace for added interest:




The colors are definitely wild, but I love them in a simple accessory like this:





Happily for me, this was the kind of low-pressure photoshoot that Moana could get into:






Alas, this might have been pushing it a little...




Next, here's another handspun knitted item, that just happens to match Bug's eyes:






Percy Shawl by Sanne Kalkman

• Yarn: My handspun "Mermaid", Wool/Silk/Recycled Sari Silk/Angelina (727 yards / 74 g per skein), 0.91 skeins
  
• Needle: US 2.5 (3.0 mm) double pointed needles
  
• Size: 62 inches wide, 24 inches deep at center ( = 8 repeats of Chart A, 3 repeats of Chart B (starting with row 5 and ending with row 27, as the pattern directs), and 1 repeat of Chart C)

The yarn (and fiber):




I love how the different patterns come together in this shawl:

...Chart C
...Chart B
...Chart A

And in silhouette:

...Chart A
...Chart B
...Chart C

The whole thing:



OK, Bug, show us the proof...



Now that's just not fair! Give us a peak... please?



Pretty please, with yarn on top?



Ahhh... That's better!

Adventures in Weaving

Hi again! I'm actually posting twice in one month--I don't know what's gotten into me!

I got a Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom at Christmas, but haven't put it to very much use yet. So far I've only made two scarves (my husband has also given it a try, making some hemp straps he'll impregnate with epoxy to make a lightweight but strong kite aerial photography rig), but I have grand plans for lots more weaving projects.

My first scarf was the project that came with the loom. The box included a ball each of Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in "Blue Boy" and "Spring Green." I used pretty much all of the blue, and less of the green.



It's kind of a Kermitty scarf (well, maybe more of a "Kermit meets Cookie Monster" scarf), but it was a good introduction to basic weaving technique.

Sticking with the blue theme, here's my second woven scarf:






Sparkly Scarf by me

• Yarn 1: Handspun by me (Enchanted Knoll Farm Superwash Merino/Silk), colorway "Dragonfly" (445 yards / 116 g per skein), 0.73 skeins
  
• Yarn 2: Handspun by me (Tranquil Morning Farm Navajo Churro Lamb), color "Aqua" (122 yards / 60 g per skein), 0.28 skeins
  
• Reed: 8-dent
  
• # Ends: 58

I used two of my handspun yarns:




... and did a twisted fringe:




I don't know if you can tell, but the dark yarn is quite sparkly, thanks to Josette's magical fiber blend). This photo hints at the sparkle:



A few caveats:

I wish I'd made the scarf a little longer for ease of use. It's only about 46 and a half inches long excluding the fringe (about 56 and a half inches including the fringe. Also, the thicker, lighter-colored yarn is pretty much hidden where it is used as warp beneath the darker, thinner yarn that makes up most of the weft. You see hints of it, but it's not producing the plaid-effect I was going for. I like it anyway :)

Bug tried it out:









He says it's pretty comfy (and, of course, it matches his eyes)!

I have a bunch of yarn lined up for future projects... now I just need to make it happen :)