Sunday, March 29, 2009

It's Here, My Spinning Wheel is Here

It's been a very exciting week on Monday I received one of my fiber orders and Tuesday my spinning wheel was delivered!!!!!!!



Of course I immediately unpacked and put it together, it was pretty easy. I was able to figure out how to set it up and about 1 1/2 later I was spinning. However, it couldn't just be that easy, every so often as I was spinning my footman would just pop of the crank. I thought it was something I was doing wrong, Tuesday was after all the first time I had ever treadled a wheel. My Dad was watching me spin and saw it happen and asked about it. He came over for a closer look at what was happening and asked my why I hadn't put the screws in the pre-drilled holes. So after a phone call to the company I found out I was indeed supposed to have screws (they're mailing me some), so in the mean time I tied some string there.

Other than the missing screws my Sonata and I are getting along wonderfully I've been spinning alot. My first attempt does look like yarn and is just slightly overspun. I think that yarn is going to be crocheted into something and felted. I choose my Daffydills merino by NaturalObsessions to try first, it didn't draft as well as previous rovings I've purchased there.




Next I plyed the Neapolitan roving from Cloudlover69, I had spun the singles on my drop spindle about a week ago. I love plying on the wheel it goes so much faster than plying with my spindle.


Just today I finished plying up two more bobbins full of yarn. On the left is the other half of my Strawberry Shortcake sw merino by NaturalObsessions, and on the right is Irish Bilberry corriedale by Exetreme Spinning. Both of these are waiting to be washed and set.


And last but not least here is a peak at the fiber I bought recently.
Merino from Allspunup
Countess BFl from Cloudlover 69,
and Ireland Variation alpaca, merino, silk from Squoosh Fiberarts.
Notice a trend with my purchases lately, betcha can't guess what my favorite color is? Now I just have to decide what to do with all this lovely yarn I'm creating. I'm torn between crocheting into finished items to sell (of course I'm keeping some of my favorites) or offering it for sale as skeins of yarn.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

March Phat Fiber Box

Playing catch up with my blogging again. I received my Phat Fiber Box on the 19th and I'm finally getting my pics up. It was filled with awesome goodies once again, this month's theme was celtic.


Mine included goodies from, Liberty Fibers, The Twice Sheared Sheep, Wooliebullie, Bohemian Knitter Chic, SparkleShan yarns, Dragonmaille, Fiberphiles, WeLoveThor, Gifforadables, WhorlingTides , Vines, and more. I just want to say thanks to all of these wonderful contributors who make getting these boxes so much fun.

Be sure to check out the Phat Fiber blog at www.phatfiber.blogspot.com , Jessie is having some awesome giveaways and there is a Spring Competition. You don't have to get a box to participate in the competition, you just have to purchase your materials from a Phat contributor.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I didn't get a chance to do a post at all last week, so now I have alot of catching up to do. Let's see first of all I finished my spinning for both spin alongs.

Then I went on a bit of a spending spree on a Etsy as some of my favorite shops did awesome updates. I purchased three rovings from http://www.extremespinning.etsy.com/ , I just couldn't resist her Celtic themed rovings for March. Irish Bilberry is corriedale and Lucky Leprechaun and Cymbeline are organic wool. These rovings are also dyed using organic dyes.


I bought NightShade superwash merino from http://www.squoosh.etsy.com/



and Rainforest, South African Fine from www.moonlightbaker.etsy.com

and another super wash merino roving from http://www.allspunup.etsy.com/




But the most exciting news of all I ordered my spinning wheel this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I decided on a Kromski Sonata and ordered it this morning from the CopperMoose. Bill said it should arrive by Monday!

Oh and I almost forgot I crocheted a scarf from my handspun Strawberry Shortcake yarn. It's listed for sale in my Etsy shop.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22106077





Monday, March 9, 2009

Went to the Zoo

The weather was lovely here in PA over the weekend, so Saturday I took a break from crocheting and spinning and went to the zoo. My family and I visited Zoo America at Hershey Park. I was able to get some really nice photos of some of the animals enjoying the sunny day. The zoo features all North American animals, my personal favorites are the wolves. In particular the black wolf they've named Dakota. I always end up taking dozens of photos of him, one of these days I'd like to try painting him
.
The other photos show one of the mountain lions, a redtail hawk and two of their three bobcat kittens.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

March Spin Alongs

Several of the Ravelry groups I belong to have spin alongs, so this month I've decided to participate.
The Spindlers group has a theme for their spin along each month, this month's theme is Romance. So I thought I would spin the batt I received in my Phat Fiber box from Silver Sun Alpacas. Its called Wine & Chocolate (two things that might be included in a romantic evening) and is a blend of alpaca, wool and mohair fibers. Here is a link to the shop http://www.silversunalpacas.etsy.com/



The All Spun Up group is for fans of Kristin's shop on etsy http://www.allspunup.etsy.com/ In order to participate in this spin along everyone purchases a Spin Along Mystery Fiber from the shop. This month's is BFL top, but the color isn't revealed until you get it in the mail. I just got mine yesterday, it's beautiful blue and brown. Of course I couldn't resist purchasing some merino/silk from her shop too.
But before I can start anything for the spin alongs, I have to finish the Falkland roving I'm spinning. It's the Neapolitan I purchase from cloudlover69 and it's turning out beautiful.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Spring Flowers

Well sort of , without intending it all of the fibers in this post are named after flowers :0) My latest purchase from Natural Obsessions was 8 oz of Wensleydale in Iris and 8 0z of merino in Daffydills. The wensleydale has a totally different feel than the superwash merino, it will be interesting to see how it spins. I'm really having fun working with the different fibers, the way
each one has its own texture makes it exciting.

I just finished spinning the sample of merino/tencel I received in my Phat Fiber box from Natural Obsessions. It's called Scarlet Roses, this fiber has a much more slippery feel to it. The yarn is very shiny and silky looking. It turned out about worsted weight.


I have begun shopping for a spinning wheel. The hubby and I agreed if he can get a new power tool with some of our income tax refund, I can use some of it to get a spinning wheel. The only thing I have decided on for sure is that it has to be fairly compact due to space issuses. Since I don't have the money in hand yet there is still plenty of time to window shop.