Knitting :: Cowl For A Friend

Last November I spun and knit this cowl in a matter of days. The fact that it was on drop spindle is what amazes me for bulky weights on a spindle are not my forte. I should say Single bulky weight. But it turned out very nicely and I do believe my friend was quite pleased with her cowl. It was a birthday present and since I spun and knit it quickly I did not keep proper notes and write down the pattern like I should have.*Ehem. Cough.

One of these days I will spin up more bulky yarn and write out the pattern for all of you. I'll keep you posted if/when that happens.

Treasury Time :: Plum

Plum Floral Crown. Brid... rosesandlemons $38	Peacock Corsage or Hat ... HappilyFeather... $29.95	Bridesmaid Bouquet with... VVDesignsShop $55	Sola Shell flowers -- ... SuperiorCraftS... $24.95
ADELAIDE - Plum Purple ... TheHeadbandSho... $30	Plum, Grey & Purples - ... VellaWovens $60	Marbled Puni Collection... TurquoiseOwlFi... $20	Italian Plums and Anise lemonbird $12
Perfect Plum Kit - Set ... WillowTreeMine... $16.95	French Lace Plum Embroi... ShadesofGloryF... $28.99	Vintage Style Purple Pl... berratosun $80	Masham Plum Ombre Batts... TheSheepsCompa... $20
Plum Purple Lily Earrin... VestasStudio $12	HandSpun Bamboo Yarn Pl... kittygrrlz $32	Velvet Flowers Yoyo Mil... MaryNotMartha $6.25	Purple / plum Romantic ... cuteNtrendy $5.5

My Plum Punis seem to be quite popular for Treasuries. I do wish someone would decide to buy them and spin them up! But it is nice to see that they are loved in other ways. I'm sharing the latest Plum Collection Treasury. Feel free to stop by and visit the Treasury on Etsy. If Plum is your color, then there is sure to be something you will like!

Shop Update

There is a shop update as of today! Feel free to stop by and check out the goodies!
I would have listed more today but it was one of those days where little errands kept popping up and things needed to be done. Not to mention it was raining. And thundering. In fact there was lighting in the mix too so let's just say we were having a regular Thunderstorm! And when it storms I just want to curl up all cozy inside and enjoy the weather. A book, a snack,  a cuppa= Perfect. I didn't do much curling up though. There was a lot of tromping about through puddles and mud, in and out and all about. I felt quite damp by the time I arrived back at the house.
But once I was home and cozy, and had my coffee & an episode to get in my Doctor Who fix for the day, I buckled back down to shop related projects like batts and photo shoots.

So stay tuned, there are more batts and roving coming soon!

Introducing....Penelope!

 Yes, I do name inanimate objects. I think we covered that in the last post. 
Moving on. 
My exciting news is...(.drum roll please).....I bought a spinning wheel in March!
I had absolutely no plans of getting one anytime soon. But my Mom had been hunting around on the internet and told me about the excellent deal she found on a brand new Ashford Kiwi 2. It came from a reputable fiber company in Washington State, and after some deliberation, I placed an order. 
I was quite on pins and needles waiting for it to arrive. Well, finally it did, on March 21st and I was more then ecstatic.
The wheel also came complete with 1 pound of fiber, a niddy noddy, and a maintenance kit with extra parts, oil, etc.
For those of you who are new to my blog, this is my first spinning wheel. I have been a drop spindler for 4 years now. And while I have become very proficient at the drop spindle, and love my spindles dearly, it will be quite nice to be able to get a skein done faster and maybe spin some yarn to sell. That was never really an option with a drop spindle as there is so much time invested in a skein it would have to cost a fortune when sold!

 I have named my wheel Penelope. That was already decided in my head for quite some time as it seemed like the perfect name for a wheel. So Penelope it is. I actually didn't get to do any spinning on her until the 22nd. The wheel arrived unfinished so it had to be waxed to keep it clean and prevent any warping. I wanted to assemble it all then and there but I waited patiently (or maybe not so patiently) for it to dry.

The yarn shown is my very first skein of wheel spun yarn EVER! It was a single that I then navajo plied for a nice heavy-worsted, three-ply. I am very pleased with the way it turned out.
Thus far I have spun six skeins on my wheel, all in varying weights and yardages as I practice my spinning and get used to the differences between wheel spinning and spindle spinning. 
I'll have to share my photos as I progress. It took me a little while for me to actually like my wheel because I find spindling much easier. But now I am getting the hang of it and I find myself quite fond of Penelope. She's a simple but sturdy little wheel and though I still have a vast amount to learn,  it is nice to be gaining a better understanding of how things work with a wheel.

I am so very thankful to the Lord for making this opportunity available. It has certainly been a blessing thus far. I look forward to sharing more with you as I move forward in my Spinning Journey!

Liebster Award

I was recently nominated for the Liebster award by Una from Great Balls of Wool.

I was quite delighted to receive the kind nomination and I had so much fun answering her questions!

Here are her questions and my answers:

Which of the four seasons do you like best?

I find that as I get older I grow more fond of my least favorite season, there are such wonderful delights in all of them.

But I am very much a warm weather, outdoors type of person, so I would have to say that it is a toss up between Spring and Summer. I love being able to go outside without bundling up. I love all the plants flourishing everywhere. Green. The sweet smell in the air. Bonfires. Swimming. Being able to do my fiber-y things outdoors: fiber washing, spinning, hanging fiber to dry, knitting, carding, dyeing. Drying clothes on the line. Burrowing my toes in the newly tilled soil. All the outdoor activities: biking, walking, running, kayaking, tennis. Picnics. Rising early with the sun and going out to enjoy the day. The cheerful singing of birds.

My list could go on and on! 

Do you exercise?

Yes I do. Every morning. In the spring I also like to incorporate walking into my early mornings. I am trying to get back into running after a rather long-ish break due to health reasons.

What is your "guilty pleasure" food?

Probably chocolate. *blushes* I LOVE chocolate, of all sorts.

What was the last item you knitted or crocheted?

My Happy Shawl! Which was knitting and will soon be blogged about. I finished it while I was away and now it just needs to be blocked.

When did you last buy wool or yarn?

Hmm. I buy wool quite often for my shop, in one form or another. Let me see, I believe it was on March 1, 2013. I purchased an ounce of "Emerald Isle" Punis from Kate of Gourmet Stash on Etsy. They were such a luxurious treat to spin up. I highly recommend the spinners out there pop by her shop and check out all the goodies.

Did you enjoy your school days?

Yes, I did. I was not fond of arithmetic, but still scored decently in it. Summer Holidays were, of course, looked forward to with great delight and it seemed as if they would never end. 

If you could have only one, which would it be...dishwasher or microwave?

Oh a dishwasher for sure! I don't believe microwaves are healthy. Dishwashers on the other hand....if you get a good one it frees up all kinds of time to spend on other things. Like fiber and spinning! 

Do you follow any sports?

No. I used to follow Nascar, but not anymore. There is always the occasional football game. But I have never been into really any of that. 

Although I DO enjoy the Olympics when they roll around! Especially the downhill skiing, swimming, and skating events.

Do you have any pets?

I do! I have one darling Siberian Forest cat, named Sadie. She has the most amazing and unique personality of any cat I have ever met. She practically does everything but speak English! Even so we have lengthy conversations, though I'm not always sure what they are about. Sadie likes to sleep with me every night. She drapes herself all over me and generally gets in the way. But I don't mind. 

Other fun facts about Sadie: She comes when I call. She meets me at the door when I get home. She stays put when she is told. She thunders around the house by spells and acts like a complete lunatic. She ADORES boxes, the smaller the better. She eats flies and moths. She is super cuddly and friendly to everyone. She has learned to leave my spinning alone. And she gets embarrassed quite easily.

Which is best....sea view or mountain view?

Hmm. I have only ever been to the sea once. And I thought it was gorgeous. I have seen many photos and movies of it and it is amazing. I'm sure living by the sea in a tiny cottage would be superb  But to speak from my own personal experience, at this stage I would have to pick a mountain view. I just love mountains. Tall, gorgeous, tree-covered or snow-topped mountains, looming in the distance.

Maybe someday I can experience the sea more fully. I have a feeling if I do, there will be no going back and it will ever more be the sea for me.

If your house or apartment had a name, what would it be?

Oh my. This is a difficult one. I am forever naming things. My spinning wheel is Penelope. My cell phone is TARDIS.  My laptop is Sabrina. But a home, now that is a whole 'nother kettle of fish.

I guess off hand I can't say. It would depend on the house, what it looked like, where it was situated, etc. And I would put a great deal of thought into it before settling for sure on a name.

Alright! That was fun. Now I do believe it is my turn to nominate four lovely bloggers.

So without further ado:

Tina of The Quiet Home

Kate of Gourmet Stash

Lucy of Attic 24

Kellie of Accordion to Kellie

My questions for you all are:

#1. If you could live in any time period, which one would it be? and why?

#2. What is your favorite way to spend your spare time?

#3. Are you in indoor or outdoor type of person?

#4. Do you have any pets or farm animals?

#5. Do you have a hidden talent?

#6. What was the last item you knitted, crocheted, sewed or spun?

#7. Do you (or have you) play(ed) a musical instrument?

#8. Are your tendencies more extrovert or introvert?

#9. What inspires you?

#10. If you could visit any country, which would you pick? and why?

That is it! Feel free to play along if you like, or if not that is fine too!

Have a beautiful day my friends!

Back to carding

After a month without my hand cards it felt good to be wielding them again. Color and texture galore! The puni pile is growing! I am not sure yet if I will be selling these punis, or if I will spin them into yarn and sell the yarn. Any thoughts?

My project corner.

Hello my blogland friends and family! It's lovely to be back here with you.
My trip is winding down and as you can see from the photo, I still have plenty of projects!
I always over-pack. I like to be prepared for every situation and mood. Since I was going to be gone for a month I didn't want to run out of projects. My family kindly sent me some sock yarn which was a nice surprise. So between my cowl, sock and shawl I'm quite set on knitting projects. I'm trying to decide which of the three to take on the plane. Between layovers and delays one never know when knitting would come in handy!
I'll probably take my cowl as it won't be done, it is on circs so I won't be dropping and losing needles in the nooks & crannies of the plane, and the pattern is fairly simple.
What about you? What projects are you working on these days? I'd love to hear from you!

Reviving Languishing Lace

Some of you may remember this spot o' lace knitting from this past summer.  It hasn't been foremost in the front of my mind mainly because I had other things I needed, or preferred, to work on. But as I was sorting through projects to take on my trip I realized that this would be an ideal knit to take. I wasn't going to bring many projects so this would be the perfect time to get some work done on my cowl.
There are lots of sitches and just doing one row takes quite awhile.
But in the evenings when we are sitting around relaxing and I am too tired to spin, I pull out my cowl and slowly putter through a row or two.
It's not progressing in leaps and bounds, but it is slowly growing.
And that makes me happy.

Snowstorm

We had a snowstorm shortly before I left. It was nice and deep and such fun to trot around in and take photos of.

Trip Update & Forays into Felt

Hello, my friends! It's nice to be back with you! The last two weeks were extremely busy ones for me. I've galavanted off to another state to help a dear friend in her last week or two of pregnancy. Before I left life was a flurry of preparing for a month away from home. There was sewing to finish, clothes to wash, items to be sorted, lists to write, cleaning to be done and setting up everything related to my shop so it could stay up and running while I am gone.
The last day or two was quite hectic but finally on the 11th, after hugs all around and my amazing family seeing me off at the airport, I was safely on my way with all the loose ends wrapped up.

My flights were thankfully uneventful. I do love flying. There's just something about it. I love getting a window seat so I can look out and marvel at the beauty of God's creation. I'm often awestruck and a little overwhelmed thinking about how tiny I am in the grand scheme of things, and what a great & might God I serve. And then I'm completely humbled that he would  ever choose me to be His child.

But on to my felt. In my last post I told you a little about what I was working on & I'm finally getting around to sharing a few pictures with you.
I don't have one of my journal cover. But I do have photos of the lovely book cover I made from scratch. I didn't have a pattern and it was such fun! I just brainstormed and measured and stitched. And this was the end result.  Let me tell you, it makes reading a luxurious experience! I was sorely tempted to start reading my trilogy before the trip. But I refrained and didn't crack the spine to read until I was on my first flight.

Tracing, Cutting, Stitching.

There has been a lot of this going on lately.  The felt, embroidery floss & scissors are scattered about and there are leafy projects taking shape. I have an extended trip coming up and I decided it would be lovely to have a handmade journal to chronicle My Adventures in. I made three of them as Christmas gifts and they whip up quite fast. For my journal I used the basic dimensions from Kata Golda's "Hand-stitched Felt" but I changed around the inside cover and came up with my own front cover design. I can't wait to show it to you all! But currently I am blogging with my phone app and I only know how to load one photo at a time and have the post still end up looking neat and tidy. Blushes.
But back to felt.

Today I lost my head for just long enough to start another felt project. I have so much to get done this weekend that to take on another project was a little silly if me. But I suddenly decided a slip cover for my book trilogy I was taking on the plane would be ideal. I'll just swap it from book to book as I progress through the trilogy. So out came the measuring tape and in no time at all a book sleeve was in progress. I'm just winging it and thus far it is sewing up quickly and looks beautiful. Of course it's hand stitching so it won't be done until tomorrow sometime.
I had to reluctantly set my sewing aside to do some cleaning. When I was sick a couple weeks ago my room rather went to shambles. I don't want to leave it in such a shocking state for a month so
clean it I must!
But now it is late evening and I can once again sit down with my stitching, a spot o' tea, and perhaps pop in a Sherlock episode.  Sounds quite ideal and relaxing right now.
That being said, I'm off to put the kettle on!

Farewell, & Happy Wednesday my friends! (Or Thursday, depending on where you are in the world.)

And we have a WINNER!!!

Although many people like to use the random number generators, I am still fond of the old fashioned way of doing a drawing.
This afternoon I carefully wrote down each name on a neatly cut slips of paper. They all went in to the gravy boat and were mixed around quite thoroughly.  Then I held it above my head and whisked out a name.
And the name was....drum roll please....Karen of Kareninkenai!!!! Congratulations Karen, I will be contacting you shortly for your address.

To everyone else, thank you so much for all of your beautiful comments! It has been a joy meeting all of you. And although the giveaways are over as of today, I will still be stopping by to all the wonderful blogs I have not yet had a chance to visit!

Have a blessed day my friends!
~Holly

Sneak Peak!

Just a little sneak peak with tomorrow's giveaway Snack Mat! 
If you haven't entered please scroll down to the "Grow Your Blog" party post & leave a comment. See you tomorrow!

Snowstorm!

In the winter time there is nothing more beautiful then a thick blanket of snow covering the landscape. This past weekend we were blessed with an abundant amount of snow. I suppose there are many people that don't see a snowstorm as a blessing but when there has been a severe lack of snow and rain for at least a year, well, I think snowstorms look pretty good! 
It certainly is perfect weather for  knitting, spinning, and drinking hot tea by the stove!

Wishing the best  to you and yours this beautiful day!

 P.S. The snow already melted,  thanks to rising temps and rain. But I am sure there will be more in the forecast.