Monday, January 7, 2008

My first homespun yarn....



As promised, here are pictures of my first homespun yarn--a sample of the finished thing and the work in progress. I am so pleased and excited. After a year of making bad yarn, here is something I could knit with. Now the only dilemma is to knit or to spin right now?

Sunday, January 6, 2008

First Finished Object of 2008




Meet the "Knucks". These were fun to knit and I may not be afraid to do gloves after this. Admittedly, fingers are a little tedious, but not all that scary! I used a ball of Anny Blatt in my stash and they'll be given to their recipient today. The blanket underneath the knucks was a gift for me from my friend Chris. I love receiving homemade gifts and I don't receive many of the fiber kind! So, it felt very special to me as well as being very beautiful. Thanks, Chris! On other exciting crafting fronts........

I learned to SPIN yesterday!! Now, I have made bad yarn in the past and I know the principles of spinning, but I have never had full success. Yesterday I decided to visit Carolina Homespun. I thought that perhaps a top whorl spindle with a hook might be easier than the bottom whorl with only a notch in the stick. Carolina Homespun is in the Excelsior in the owner's garage. It is an online store that is open very limited hours to the local public. It is packed with wheels, spindles and fibers. So, when I walked in and another girl did too, the owner invited us to sit down and she showed us how to spin. I've watched others spin, but to have someone watch me spin and guide me through it made all the difference. Morgaine was so helpful and generous with her time that I vow I will buy all my spinning products from her! I'll post pictures of my yarn soon.

By the way, from now on my blog photographer is Noah. He loves his new camera and is happy to shoot pictures for me.