Yarn Barf

I've started preparing my projects for the Come-Blog-a-Long year of projects....I've decided to knit myself up 6 pairs of socks from The Enchanted Sole book that I purchased when I was in Maryland this year....

I was very excited to get started so I jumped the gun a bit & cast on for my first pair a little early...using some yummy orange Malabrigo & great fall type colors Trekking & a set of my new KnitPicks Harmony dpns, I started work on the Tree of Life socks....

Perhaps I should have started this story by telling you that last Friday my husband & I adopted 2 6 month old Shepphard/Lab puppies....here is Nahla & Nakita....

Here is my sock & my tipless dpn

Here are my girls after their assistance with  my knitting

The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook

Here's a book that I was fortunate to pick up when I was in Maryland this year...I was also very lucky to listen to a prensentation of it's creation given by it's authors, Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius

Anyone interested in fibre should seriously consider adding this title to their library...it is truly an amazing resource.

Here's a link to give you a taste...

http://issuu.com/storey_publishing/docs/fleece_fiberblad

Home from Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

Such fun!

Lots of shopping & way too much fibre eye-candy...

So as you can imagine, there was sooo much to see...even though this was my second year attending I found myself overwhelmed by the colors, textures & nifty "stuff" all around.....truly my Nirvana....

I recently knit up a Peacock Shawlette from some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn that was gifted to me in a Ravelry swap...I fell in love with this wool...it is yummy!  So beautiful to knit up & the colorways are to die for...I was thrilled to find this great blue....I'll likely use the skein for one of my Come-Blog-a-long projects....

I picked up a wee bit of spinning fibre....I promised myself that I wouldn't since my stash is so huge, but I just couldn't resist the couple ounces of camel fibre.  I've never spun camel fibre before, so I just have to try it...I may blend it with something....we'll see...Also picked up some nice alpaca/angora blend...perhaps I'll dye this up for one of my Come-Blog-a-long projects...



I found this great flat & long crochet-type hook that will work wonders on my triangle loom

Picked up some bobbins in preparation of my Winter 2011 project
Kaffe Fassett's Leopard Skin Cardi



Beginnings

I'm getting ready to start on a new series of tapestries based on the 4 seasons at my favorite place in the world from my childhood...the cottage...now I know the significance of this will not mean anything to people who don't know me, but my hope is that I can somehow transfer joy of that special place into this endeavor...

I've warped my Louet frame loom & started to pull color & texture from my stash...I'm excited that I've finally found a project to use some of my handspun....it seems appropriate somehow to incorporate it here.

Stay tuned....

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring is around the corner.....well, okay, according to the calendar it is already Spring, but today it "feels" like Spring....after this brutally cold & snowy winter today it feels downright "Summery"!  The widget on my desktop says it's gonna be 76 degrees today...we'll see....

I'm feeling rejuvenated.  My studio is tidy & organized.  I have lots of things planned for this year.  Four lines of hand-dyed wool & spinning fibre, getting my patterns ready for test-knitting, completing Level 1 of the Master Weavers Cerificate from the OHS & growing the new Belle River Fibre Arts Guild that I've started.

I have a big dye project coming up....I invested in some great dye-blanks & fibre from my fave Canadian fibrey-type stuff company www.flannelberry.com & plan to get my Spring line dyed up & loaded onto my Artfire shop (www.artfire.com/users/SkeinsandShuttles) by the end of the month; a lofty goal I know but I've committed to a new plan of action for my fibre business & I'm determined to follow it to the letter (more on that another time!)

Well I can't resist the nice weather....It's time to pull out the motorcycle, put on some leather & go for a ride...