Beginnings, new and revisited

New Beginnings: I took the pile of squiggly frogged yarn and recycled it. Third times a charm! 17 colors changing every other row. I need one with less color changes to alternate with because my hands were getting sore felting the splices. They are really really smooth now though :-) Alba Revisited Tahki Donegal Tweed - yes, yet another CPH. But I really wanted to try the yarn and I need a sweater that I can leave on my chair at work. I was surprised when it showed up. It is definitely a long wool I think and it isn't soft, but it wasn't bothering me to handle so I'm looking forward to this one. Sweater Swatches - I've been working on tonal dyeing roving and fleece. This is a sample I did in a dye I hadn't used before and had no idea what color I was dealing with. I got everything from soft yellows through fall leaf oranges through almost a burnt orange/brown. I test knit a sample to see the effect and I like it. I'm debating taking on the challenge of spinning for a whole sweater - in reds. We'll see. I also swatched for St. Aula but the photos didn't turn out and I haven't found the color combination I want so that has to wait. Seaweed is swatched and ready to go. ..........And then we come to this morning. I have been sick, the winter cold thing, and all I have wanted to do is sleep. Sweet sweet sleep for this achey tired body. So I did that for most of yesterday and went to bed at a decent hour like a good girl. And woke up at 3am dreaming that I was almost done with this: I couldn't go back to sleep so I went digging, found her dusty box, dragged her out and curled up on the couch to figure out where I left off. I never fail to be startled every time I pick her up again how much I love her, fits and all. I won't bore you but I made some progress this am and I am excited that I am now within 24 rows of binding off the shoulders. Does that count as half-way done? I also realized that I have never done sleeves and should probably practice the sleeve itself with it's shrinking circumference before I try it with the longer floats so I surfed over to the one I knew would not, could not, let me down in having a beautiful and rhythmic fair isle. She didn't, and I'm swatching. Happy Sunday!

It's just like falling off a bike........

My head is spinning. My fingers need to be spinning for the nephews mitts but I've been slowly digging through my stash, and cruising yarn stores, and searching online and....... I have no pretty pictures to show. I realized I need to frog the first sleeve cap on V since I was not paying attention. I frogged the edging for Alba since I had cast on for Alba the second time for a larger size, which I no longer need. I frogged an afghan project that I never liked and gave away the yarn because I would never use it. I frogged a sock cuff in a yarn that I just do not like and decided I didn't have to finish it and could donate the yarn to someone who would like it. I tossed a bobbin of fiber that I know I won't use because it itches and accepted that I don't have to spin it anyway. It will make great stuffing for dog toys instead and the remaining roving may help being donated to a new spinner that needs practice fiber and is not as sensitive to the itch factor. I am working to clear out what bogs me down and add to my stash those that I love. So all I have to show right now is piles of squiggly frogged yarn. But I feel wonderfully liberated! And now I feel clear to indulge in startitis - pics next time!

Holloween Treats!

Trick or Treating was was awesome this year - it was in the 60's and not a drop of rain, a rare gem of a Halloween. I love watching the kids scampering all through the neighborhood all dressed up, makes me feel like a kid again myself. While I didn't roam the neighborhood in search of candy treats, I did receive a beautiful treat from Scotland. I finally broke down and ordered from Virtual Yarns to see what all the fuss was about with the Hebridean, other than the obvious fact that the colors are fabulous. I like the Seaweed Wrap with the combination of open work and texture and I realllllly wanted to do it in Red Rattle - but of course they didn't have enough 2 ply in stock so I had to switch so I chose Witchflower. I thought it would have a bit more purplish heather to it than it does, but it's still pretty. I also ordered a few samples of 3 ply and as you can see by the photo, dove in before even thinking to take pictures. This stuff is awesome! Wow. Dense, scooshy, and not itchy all at the same time. I must say all of her research and planning for yarns that meet the specific criteria for traditional designs paid off. Just playing with the stuff makes me want to frolick in the land of crazy cables. But before I jump off that bridge, I have to play with colors for St. Aula and see if a stranded sweater in 3ply is a good idea for me or not. The Red Rattle I had to get just because I wanted to see the color in person. It's an exact match to my pillow cases - my favorite shade of red. I love the color shadings in Storm Petrol and was quite surprised at how much I like the Solan Goose, have to see if it's too much contrast though. The Limpet was a substitution - I had wanted Kelpie but they ran out so I got a nice note from with a complimentary substitution of Limpet. I love this shade of purple! And lastly, Spindrift. I was looking for a shade that would mimic a golden color without being orange or too yellow. Spindrift may be too brown for my taste but I love the little flecks of blues and purples so I'll have to check it out. There were so many other shades I wanted to try but they were sold out of in 3ply. Some day :) Well the temp has dropped down to the 40's today so I'm off to swatch and make some baked potato & cheddar soup, yum! Happy Sunday!