Dye - ing to knit!

I'm enjoying getting back into the swing of things, custom knitting wise, I have several orders that I am looking forward to seeing finished. The designs have been incubating in my mind for weeks now. I love how the finished project always looks so much better than the original inspiration :)

Our theme this week is rainbows.

I still don't know the name of the spinning wheel I have bought, but I do know that it looks very much like a Haldane Orkney, but is not a Haldane Orkney.

I decided to try out my new dyes. I used the skein of home spun - my first homespun that I posted about a couple of days ago. The dying process made the wool fluff up a bit more than I would like, so I may dye the fibre first from now on. Well from the next one on because I have already spun a bobbins worth of undyed merino!. I hung it to dry in my kitchen, it dried really quickly. I am happy with the colours other than the green, forgot to leave a space for the green and tried a botched version which I don't think was very successful!

I don't know what I will make with it. It is only about 50g worth of yarn. I haven't yet discovered how to work out the yardage, but it is about 17 full wraps of a large niddy noddy.

Spinning antics and order updates

So after a day or two of spinning, I realise that the bobbins which are positioned on the front of the wheel are just there to rest. I need a lazy Kate - or Jane as I had in my head lol!

Yet again DH comes to the rescue!!!!!

He disappears up to the back building and is gone long enough for me to forget to wonder what he is up to.

I'm getting on with a pork roast, so am absorbed in cooking out the kitchen. DH calls me into the living room and presents me with --Ta daaaaa!!!-- a home made lazy Kate, YAY!!

I was happy with as it was, but DH went back upstairs to finish it off.

In the mean time, whilst the food was cooking, I set about making skeins out of the wool that I had spun. It has come out as a dk/worsted weight. Now I have to decide what to turn them into?

Hubby then reappears with my freshly varnished lazy kate, complete with finials. Ooo he's a clever clogs. Hugs and kisses to him.

I'm planning on reopening my customs slot on my website from 1st May.

My list should be a lot shorter by then.

Elaine here is your supernova waffley good soaker. It will be finished by tonight, i'll start on the lime flower tomorrow.

Hannah, I have your wool -at blumming last! - I'm just waiting for your revised measurements.

Wonder wool Wales was WONDERFUL!

Yay. I've been to Wonderwool Wales, and yes as the title says, it was wonderful!!

I was asked for a finished project in action shot so here are myself and Cassie wearing the jackets I made.

Cassie was such a good little princess, she only woke for a feed and went straight back off to sleep giving mummy plenty of wool stroking time, I took full advantage by meeting up with Gemma of Krafty Koala, and Nic of Nics knots.

I picked up Hannahs wool, bought some lovely 'country' for the store, Picked up some untreated merino and bfl fibre - for later ;) and some rainbow dyed merino.

I also bought a range of dyes.

I went to meet the talented Natural dye studio people.

I have been saving for absolutely ages for a spinning wheel, but never taken the plunge and bought one, Hubby persuaded me today :) We bought this lovely lady today, she was calling to us from across the auditorium, :)

She's a reconditoned wheel, the seller didn't know what type she was - if anyone has any ideas please let me know.

As you can imagine I couldn't wait to get her home, as we travelled the 2 hour journey home, we passed field upon field of shep, both commenting on how this one would make a nice fleece or that one didn't look like she'd have a soft fleece :)

I sat straight down and got on with loading her up. I did all that I have been reading I should do (reading for months- nigh on years!), yet time and time again I couldn't do it!!!

I thought I was doing everything correctly, but no, I just could not get the fleece twisting thereby turning into wool HOW FRUSTRATING!!!!

I you tubed spinning to see if the videos would show me where I was going wrong.

Whilst I was watching them, I am aware that hubby is messing with the wheel. Grrrr! It's my precious!! LOL!!

It looks like I'm doing everything correctly, so I go back to the wheel. I go as slowly as possible, step by step and OOOOO WOOO HOOO I am spinning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yee Ha Cowboy!!!!

After a while, this is what I produced, my back is kiling me and calf is pumped lol!

I'm looking forward to my new hobby!!!

Cassie pics!

Mitten Appeal Update.

Thankyou so much for the response I've had to the mitten appeal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have people knitting all over the world, I am amazed at the knitting love out there.

I thought I should say thankyou as they arrive,

the first pick is of some I have in my knitting bag, I'm using up my left over pure wool first (soft baby pure wool, not the itchy stuff)

The second picture is of the mittens Clair from Flowerpot tots has made. Thankyou Clair.

I know of at least 30 pairs waiting to be sent to me, so Thankyou to Teabelly, sugarfix and Chantelle. I'll update every now and then until our grand total of 100 pairs is reached.

One of the neonatal nurses called to see Cassie today. I told Annette of our goal, she was really pleased we were making mittens, they are always running out of them, she thought it may be because parents like to take a pair home as a happy keepsake of their little ones time in NICU.

I know that some Goddess Mums are making some over on www.mamapacks.co.uk Thankyou ladies.

I know some ladies on www.clothnappyaddicts.co.uk are making some. Thankyou also ladies.

My little woolly bum.

Cassie modelling the smallest soaker in her collection. Hmmmmm, me thinks I might have to make a smaller one!

I made the soaker with wool sent to me as a present from Kel of Minnie O Nappies.

She has a Clwt Twt size 1 unigrw on underneath the soaker.

:) Any excuse to post a piccie of my beautiful baby.