My New Project – yarns to be used.

For my new project, I am using a selection of yarns. The first is a combination of the rolags I bought at Festiwool, Hitchin and some grey merino I had in my stache.

I am also adding in some of the very white Polworth fleece, which I hand-carded recently:

I also have some purple and grey merino which I will work in.

This is how the finished project will be: a short waisted button-up cardigan with a large collar:

So far I’ve done the back up to the armholes in a plain purple merino. First picture gives the true colour and the second picture shows the detail with the flash turned on:

The flash sure makes a difference, doesn’t it. The first pic is very accurate.

This project will not be finished quickly. I am still spinning the wool into yarn and in between I am working on other projects. However, I will come back and show you as and when I finish each section. I don’t have enough of the purple to finish the back so I may use the mixed purple and grey from the armholes up. Let’s just wait and see shall we.

Meanwhile, five weeks to go until my new grandchild appears. It’s getting exciting. Pity they are in South Carolina. We won’t be visiting very soon!

Oma

A new project for a new year.

When Larry and I were at the Festiwool wool fest recently, I bought some interesting rolags. As you can see from the picture, the rolags are multi-coloured. What you can’t see very well are the sparkly bits running through them. I’ve been spinning them up lately, mixing them in with some of the white Polworth yarn that I spun from an original fleece in the summer. I intend to make this cardigan:

which is available as a button-up or zip-up version. I shall make the button-up version this time. I have made a start, knitting the back, up to the armholes, in a purple yarn which I had spun up ready. I don’t have enough of the sparkly rolags to make the whole cardigan.

If you would like to see more of the Festiwool get together, you can click here.

I’ll let you know how I’m getting on with the cardigan in a future post.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Oma

Fibre-East Festival, 27th July 2014.

 

These delightful black piggies were part of my day last Sunday, when Larry and I went to the Fibre-East Festival at Redborne Upper School in Ampthill. There is a farm on the school where the pupils can learn animal husbandry. The animals were extremely well kept and happy and the pig-house even had piped music installed to keep the pigs entertained.

 

There was a farm shop, where I bought some fresh eggs and some honey and in the freezer there were all sorts of home produced meats.

Here are some pictures of the fibre festival itself. Larry and I had a wonderful time looking around and it has inspired him to take up weaving!

There was have-a-go spinning for beginners:

 

There were weaving looms galore.

 

Lots and lots of yarn. Here I am checking out some wonderful, purple art yarn.

 

Bales of roving in all natural colours and livid ones too.

 

Hand-made drum carders:

 

I was interested in those but they were very expensive.

 

Just look at these gorgeous colours:

and of course there were sheep!

 

 

 

and a sheep shearing demonstration:

and the fleece was for sale too. I didn’t buy one. I am still working on the one I’ve got!

Have a great weekend, whatever you do!

Oma

 

The Polworth Fleece

 

 

The Polworth fleece, which I acquired recently, was quite dirty so it needed a good wash. It’s amazing how much dirt came out of that fleece during the three washes I gave it.  It’s important to use hot water for washing and not to agitate the wool. The results were good.

My husband very kindly made me a lovely drying rack so I could dry the fleece in the garden in the sunshine.

 

 

Next I needed to card the fleece and that is a work in progress. I was anxious to try spinning it to make sure I was carding it properly and after a few goes I think I’ve got the hang of it. I’ll leave that to a future post.  Suffice to say that I will probably have enough to make a pretty shawl so now I’m looking around for patterns.

Have a lovely day in the sunshine if you can.

Oma

 

The fleece(s) has arrived.

I have now received the fleece(s) I was promised and there are some of different types. The Polworth looked the dirtiest so I have started with that one. Picture above showed how it arrived.

 

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

  P0lwarth is a breed of sheep that was developed in Victoria (Australia) during 1880. They were of one-quarter Lincoln and three-quarters Merinobloodlines. They are large, predominantly polled sheep with long, soft, quite fine wool and produce good meat carcases. They were developed in an attempt to extend the grazing territory of sheep because the Merino was found lacking in hardiness in this respect.^[1] A dual-purpose (meat and wool) breed with a major emphasis on wool production.^[2]

Characteristics

Mature ewes weigh 50 to 60 kg (110 to 130 lb) and mature rams weigh 66 to 80 kg (146 to 176 lb). Ewes are excellent prime lamb mothers producing lambs that have good lean carcases. The high yielding fleeces weigh an average six to seven kilograms, with a fibre diameter of 23 to 25 microns^[3] (58–60s).^[2][4][5]

The Polwarth Sheepbreeders’ Association of Australia was formed in 1918 and the studbook closed in 1948.

Polwarths are now mostly found in the higher rainfall regions of south-eastern Australia that have improved pastures. Polwarths have been exported into many countries, including South America where they are known as Ideals.^[5]

 Polworth Sheep

First I washed it, three times. Then after a thorough rinse, I put it out in the sunshine to dry.

 

Larry bought me some carding combs so I could stroke the fleece into submission!

It’s important to keep one comb for the left hand and the other for the right. So I marked them to make sure I didn’t get them mixed up.

When the fleece was washed, dried and combed, it looked like this. I have stored it and can’t wait to try spinning with it soon. It looks like a cloud of happiness to me 🙂

 

I’ll come back and show you as soon as I start spinning.

Oma

Spinning and Knitting Project finished.

 

The above four yarns were spun by me during the last year.  Question was: what to do with them when they are finished? Answer: find a pattern that you like and adapt it.  Easier said than done.

Then I saw this pattern in an old ‘People’s Friend’ magazine. I thought it would be just right. It was just right for someone short-waisted, like me, and lots of opportunities for using more than one colourway.

My spun-off merino knits up like Aran so knitting with 5mm (u.k. needles) I began.

 

…and here is the finished result. I’m pleased with it.  It’s not at all itchy and very comfortable to wear.

 

The colour panel at the back breaks up the vast expanse of lavender yarn and compliments the front panels.

I like the way it sticks out at the front.

 

 

Now on to my next project, but first I need to make something with the left-over yarn from this one. Any ideas?

 

Oma

 

A new raw fleece cometh.

I am currently spinning with this beautiful dark purple roving, which I bought from E-bay. It’s a very soft merino. It spins up quite quickly and is a joy to work with.

 

So far I have several spools of it and some of it is already in use. More of that another day.

 

However, I am excited about getting a raw fleece to work with, later in the week so I will be back on here to tell you how I’m getting on with that. I’m not sure what I’m getting yet, but it could well be a long staple variety, like the one in the following video. You will see how http://www.taylormadeyarns.co.uk spins up an art yarn using a Wensleydale fleece. It’s quite fascinating. Do take a look:

Oma

Millie likes the radio.

Millie is my six year old calico cat. She likes to sit on the window sill and listen to the radio.  Isn’t that cute?

Since the New Year began, we’ve had so much rain and high winds, that it’s been difficult to get out much. I don’t know about you, but I’ve become a bit lazy! I enjoyed Christmas a lot and got used to the routine of eating what I fancied and slouching around watching lovely cosy films on TV. I’m in the fortunate position of not having to go back to work because I’m retired so at long last, I can enjoy life without worrying about that annual return to the workplace. I do miss my jobs, but I love being at home so much that the days just fly by.

I’ve been spinning. This is my latest spinning project: a lovely lavender roving in Merino, which is a delight to spin with and will be fun to knit with later on.

Have you got any new aims for 2014? I don’t make resolutions, but I do have aims. This year’s aim is to study the Druids. In my Wiccan world I try to study something different every year so that gradually I get more knowledgeable as the years go by. The Druids have always fascinated me so I look forward to reading more about them and perhaps sharing some of it with you.

I so enjoy blogging with all of you. I’m looking forward to following you through this New Year and trust that it will be a good one for all of you.

Oma

Spinning my dreams.

I’m getting on with the capelet that I started recently. I wrote about it here. However, I didn’t think the lilac colour mohair wool, as shown in the pattern book, was a very good match so I’ve been hunting for something a bit more appropriate.

I think I’ve found it – Eureka! I love this. Perfect Autumn colour. What do you think?

I think it goes really well with the main colour:

but I’m not finished yet. I may extend the capelet to make it wider. First I’ll wash it and then decide…

A New Project just started – knitting

I started my newest knitting project the other day.  It is going to be a cape as shown in ‘Jane Austen Knits’. I think it looks really pretty and I knew I had just the yarn for the base of it.

Here is the pattern:

As you can see the base is a thick brown worsted yarn – just right for warmth and the overlay is a fluffy mohair in a gorgeous lacey pattern. The handspun yarn I made myself last October is just right for the base:

But I’m not sure about the colour of the lacey top layer. I think I may choose a light beige to do that.  What do you think?