Quick cold weather projects

Somehow I let autumn sneak up on me this year... all of a sudden it's 50 degrees out there?!? So of course I'm packing up my shorts and pulling out the sweaters, but I'm also inspired!
I need a quick project that I can enjoy this weekend, in this chilly air: Arm warmers ;D

Stripe experiment: pseudo-fractal striping

If you've ever tried to create a 2 ply self striping yarn, you know how hard it is to get the colors to align perfectly without breaking and joining your singles. Fractals spinning is a bit easier, but still involves some degree of measuring and aligning your singles. But no matter how much measuring you do, they never align just right. So what if you didn't need them to align "just so"? What if you wanted the variegated stripes of a fractal, but with a little less effort? Try this simple technique: Ply your self striping singles on themselves.

First, when we're talking about stripes let's make sure we're talking the same language. A stripe is a block of color(or color combination). Stripes can be even, meaning they are the same length, or they can be varied. In addition, stripes can be solid (meaning a solid color or color pattern) or they can be variegated (including multiple colors or color patterns). The technique I'm describing here creates a yarn that is both varied in the length of the stripes, as well as variegation within the stripes


So let's dive in!
Start by spinning a self striping singles in what ever colorway you like. For this example I've chosen two of my favorites this fall, from 2 merino batts: 1 painted in teal/lavendar/gold/maroon and the other a bright lime green. You can see the stripes in the spool, and they're fairly even throughout the skein, but they don't have to be. If I had varied them a little more, maybe had some more green in some spots, it would've just given more variation in the stripe repeats.

Self striping singles on the spool

same singles in a center pull ball

Next step, and I know this one may be a bit controversial, create a center pull ball with your (rested) singles. You're going to spin this singles back on itself starting with both ends of your center pull ball, so there's no waste with this technique! Check out the color patterns as you spin... see where the greens came together, where the same batts came together, and where that overlapped.

You should be able to predict the stripe effects that you'll get when you knit this up! My stripes are relatively short, so to maximize I'll likely make this skein into a scarf... But if you're not sure how your stripes will work up, a swatch is definitely the answer!

As I mentioned, I'm making mine into a scarf. Check out my progress on Ravelry ;D

Plied yarn on the spool 

Plied yarn in a loose skein

Getting back to spinning, with layered batts

Spinning a self striping yarn from
a layered batt

Wow, it's been 6 months but I'm back in my craft zone. So what was the first thing I did with my new and improved space? I got right to spinning. Well, almost... first I had to prep my fibers! And my prep of choice these days: a well carded batt. Why? I'm so glad you asked, because after years of spinning everything from pencil roving to freshly picked fibers, I can now appreciate a carded batt for the versatility and choice it provides me and the finished yarns I'm creating.
Firstly, by carding my own batts, I can combine fibers in any ratio I want with full control over the amount of incorporation: from fully incorporated for a homogenous blend, to minimally incorporated for a layered (or side-by-side) effect. It's a great way to take advantage of both your longer stapled fibers that may be less soft(ex. Jacob), as well as your short staple fibers that are incredibly soft (ex. Camel). It also provides an opportunity to add in whatever fixins you might have on hand: tencel, firestar, sari silk. Whether your creating a wild art batt, or a sophisticated luxury fiber blend, the batt wins!
Today, I'm going with a layered batt. This batt was inspired by colors I'm seeing in all the stores this season: camel, teal, and graphite. Just to add a little interest, I'm going to pull equal parts of each of the main colors for each layer from my stash, as well as a small amount of contrasting colors to pre-mix in each layer for a heathered look. I'll card each of the main colors separately, with the contrast colors and some extra soft alpaca fiber, at least 2 times. Once I have each layer sufficiently blended, I can begin my layered batt. This is a simple technique achieved by adding each layer of color to the drum evenly. When the batt is removed, the colors remain clear and distinct.
Now, I have a decision to make: how to spin. I can go a few different routes from here.

1. If I want a homogenous blend of colors in my finished yarn, I can simply pull strips off the batt and spin all three colors together. 
2. If I want a self striping yarn, I can divide my batt vertically into any number of equal parts, pull the color layers apart and spin them individually. Spin equal amounts to two spools if you want 2 ply.
3. If I want fractal stripes,  I can divide my batt vertically into 2 equal parts, then divide one side into smaller equal parts then the other. For each side, pull the color layers apart and spin them individually. Spin each side to separate spools and then ply together.

I've chosen option 2. And here's what it looks like on the spool. You'll see the colors come apart pretty cleanly. This would look great plied with a light heathered grey... stay tuned ;D
I know a lot of you spinners out there are hooked on spinning from prepared top, but if you haven't already, I would definitely suggest giving carded batts a try

The pre-carded fibers for my batt.

This is what the batt looks like in the
carder. You can clearly see each
layer of color.

This is what a strip of the batt looks like,
and easily separates by color layer.

Whether I'm painting, quilting, or spinning,  I'm always looking for inspiration... and here it is!
OK, so it's no secret that autumn is my favorite time of year... and mostly because the of the amazing show the garden puts on just as it nears the end.

This week was the first chance I had to catch it on camera. As I let the dogs out one morning, I noticed the sun coming through the red maple leaves which already have such a beautiful color palette of dark reds and purples. But when the sun comes through them you get a whole other experience of olives and golden tones.


Then there was the peppermint. It gets these cute purple flowers on the end of vine like stalks, which normally hold dark green leaves, but now are beginning to turn pink with touches of yellow!

  

The miniature pink roses are actually still in bloom, but have begun to show these pumpkin like "hips" that are perfectly suited for the season. This crazy ornamental grass just showed up in my garden this year(I think it blew in from the neighbors yard), but it's a great fit. And with it's purple plumes on blue-green stalks, it has a subtle cool palette that I can't resist!

 

What's on the wheel

Well, after completing a worsted spun lace weight single (6.25oz) of this beautiful merino top from wintryflowerbydesign on etsy, I set it aside to rest and moved on.

My next project is this awesome kitchen sink batt I got on a recent trip to NY. It's got everything from alpaca to nylon, merino and others... And omg, the colors! The main colors are green and blue, but there are hints of rust pink and purple that really make it unique.

So what's the plan for this amazing fiber?
Well, I know I want to use it to make myself a scarf for my November trip to London. And I know I'd like it to be as unique in texture as it is in color, so I'm going with a thick and thin single. But there's a lot of variation in there so I'm going to tie it all together by plying it with a navy single I'm spinning from some really soft merino I picked up ages ago ( bonus points for stash busting with this one!)
And so far I'm feeling pretty good about this plan... I haven't exactly chosen a pattern yet, but I think I'll go for something in a simple stockinette in order to really let the yarn show, and get it done in time for the trip. Maybe something with some embellishments too, like a couple of cute buttons. If you have any suggestions feel free to send them my way...

I started spinning this batt by peeling apart the layers of color so that they were mostly in one color family but with a little bit of accent to it. So I have teal and green sections with accents of rosé, and purple blue sections with accents of beige... Take a look, it reminds me of a real patchwork quilt ;D

Kits are here!

Wow, I have been wanting to do this for so long!
I don't know about you, but my favorite part of making ami's is choosing the supplies, matching up fabrics, and mixing up the colors! Unfortunately I can't finish them quick enough to keep up with my imagination. This means all those dolls I dreamed up but couldn't get to myself will now be up for grabs in my etsy shop ;D

I've started off with Mia (a bunny), but I'll probably be expanding to make other patterns available as kits soon.
The kits include things like:

• hand dyed/painted wool


• fabric pieces for sewn clothes(serged)


• felt for eye details


• coordinated custom fabric covered buttons


• hand made glass eyes

Each one is unique. I only hope that whoever ends up with these kits are kind enough to share the FO pics with us!

I spoiled myself at yarnparty 2011

How could I resist, it was my birthday after all ;D
It all started a few weeks ago when my awesome husband asked, "any special requests for your birthday?"... well since you asked! And off we drove to Savage, Maryland. When we got there I was a little concerned because parking was a challenge(the place was packed!), but once a got inside the Savage Mill building I was pleasantly surprised. It's a charming place filled with little shops including paper crafts, pet stuff, paintings, beads, quilts, and more. So we made our way over to the main hall where the yarn party was being held and walked on in (no fee to get in!). The floor was crowded but manageable, and I made my first sweep around the room in about 5 minutes. Then in the next 2 passes I picked up all the items I had my eyes on and well... I came home with a great big bag of fancy hand dyed, hand spun, hand sheared, and all around awesome fibers... so I thought I'd share my favorites with you here!

February CAL???

Well, now that the holiday hustle is over... I'm thinking about our next CAL ;D
Of course February means Valentines day (at least it does in my house) so I automatically started thinking of love birds, puppy love, and all that stuff. But maybe your not into Valentine's mushiness? So I want to hear from you! What do you want to see in our next CAL?

BTW: I've opened it up on the ravelry group too... join us over there for more about our next CAL!

I ♥ my LYS

I was fortunate enough to go on a few trips this year, and each trip had at least an afternoon set aside to find a local yarn shop. I'm always jealous of the selections they have since my area is strictly limited to "craft shop" yarn. I could spend hours just dreaming up what to make, but then my husband says "are you going to buy anything?"... Well, that's how I end up with a single skein of just about everything in the place!

I don't mind buying online, but I would love to have a great yarn shop around to get a real feel for what I'm buying, and that instant gratification!

Do you have a LYS that you love? Do you own LYS? I want to hear all about it!


Here are 2 of the shops I visited recently:
Newbury Yarns in Boston MA: http://newburyyarns.com/
Strands and stitches in Laguna Beach CA: http://www.strandsandstitches.com/