It's A Beautiful Baby...Scarf!

Today we welcome to the world a brand new, beautiful baby scarf, knitted from HANDSPUN!!! My first completed project knitted with my own yarn. Wahoo! Yes, it's chunky, not delicate and lacy, but it's my very own, and perfect in my own eyes. Though weighing in at only 8 ounces, this baby is long - about 78 inches!!! Great for keeping one's neck cozy in the midst of winter.

The original intent was to gift this to someone, but it's a wee bit bulky, so I'm afraid that the recipient might see that and miss the handspun, handknit, made-with-love elements. It'll keep Hartland Ziarniks warm.

Done in a free Ravelry pattern - "Easy Drop Stitch Scarf" - this knitted up FAST on US size 8 needles. Took just two days, really one day, given the fact that I worked from 9 to 5 at school yesterday, and spent half of today driving my younger son back to college.

The Incredible Morphing Sock

I finished the first "Aidan" sock - cheating, as the pair is supposed to be knit simultaneously, but the yarns got all twisted and I got annoyed, so I abandoned the Simultaneous Ship and carried on with just the one.

This sock positively freaked out Zig, Abe, and Stu, as it looks like it would fit a very skinny chicken leg:

Fortunately, when slipped onto a sock blocker, it morphs into something that might actually fit a human being's appendage: Why so skinny to begin with, you ask? Well, the intended recipient has, to be blunt, skinny legs, and "normal"-sized socks are too loose for her. These socks are actually meant for children - this pair is the child's large size.

Sock #2 proceeds apace...

Finishing Up

Today I plied a cake of black merino into 120 yards of soft 2-ply. I purchased the roving from Enchanted Knoll Farm in Detroit, Maine. It's lovely, laced with sparkly bits and recycled sari silk threads. The colorway in Aurucana, named after a breed of chicken with iridescent black feathers. I have another 4 ounces to spin up. I think it'll make a lovely scarf for someone's Christmas gift...

Continuing with the theme of finishing things up, I completed the 2-at-a-time "Twilight" socks I started on the 18th. Knitted using Koigu - I think the colors look like stained glass. Very pretty. Another Christmas gift!

I just found out that I have to go in to school tomorrow - my unlimited hours for spinning and knitting are drawing to a close. But there will still be time in the evening, and if I get up REALLY early...?

Ruit Farm Coopworth

Just finished plying up the second half of one pound of natural white Coopworth that I purchased in July from Nina Ruit of Ruit Farm North in South Bristol, Maine. I washed it and it's drying - it'll need at least one more washing to get completely clean. Not sure if I'm going to dye it or knit it up sans couleurs. We'll see.

Given the damp we're afflicted with here in Connecticut, I wonder if the yarn will ever dry out!

Rockin' Sock Blockers

I finally ordered myself two pairs of socks blockers - small and medium. They're from KnitPicks and very reasonably priced - $13.99 each. Here are the two most recently completed pairs of socks, drying nicely, thank you very much.

And it looks like...

this. I'm not too happy, but, on the other hand, I'm not too disappointed with the result. Just not sure what I'll use it for. I've washed it with Eucalan several times, but it still smells like fruit punch. I guess there are worse things to smell like. I am surprised that the Ice Blue disappeared - there are only tiny glimpses of any sort of blue at all. This is Corriedale, which isn't very soft. I imagine it will felt well.

Maybe a felted purse or pouch?

Kool-Aid Venture #2 - Mud?

It's too early to tell - the roving is cooling on the deck - but I think I might have just created the muddiest mud ever. Using Tropical Punch and Ice Blue, with a bit of Lemonade mixed in to the Ice Blue, and a indeterminate amount of green and blue food coloring thrown in for good (bad?) measure, I just nuked 4 ounces of lovely white Corriedale, quite possibly sending it to its doom. But who knows? Maybe it'll come out a beautiful shade of...brick? Blood? Madder? Burnt umber? Stay tuned...