Happy New Year

Well it is almost 2014!  I hope that everyone has a happy, healthy New Year with lots of creativity lol.

Summer sunset from Inverleigh Farm.

 Aren't they just gorgeous rolags in the top photo!  The bottom one shows a single strand bobbin which I navaho plyed to make sure I ended up with lovely long colour runs rather than a barbers pole look.  Of course no photos of it in skeins because I was just so excited to get it washed, dried and balled up ready to knit!

Christmas is done and dusted for another year...

 and as of the 27th everything we put up on the 1st December has been taken down and packed up.  Usually make use of boxing day but was late this year lol.

These are the lovely gifts that I received from Ofaigh in the Santa Sack Swap!  I was spoilt!  Thanks Ofaigh and I hope you enjoyed what I sent to you too.

I made two sets of these felt ornaments and have given one set to my mum to go with the ones I created last year.  All of these were pics I seen on Pintrest and had to work it out for myself.

The beaded wool I spun has now been finished into a knitted scarf!  I am very pleased with it.

I also received my Majacraft blending board and have been having a bit of a play on it today.

A few weeks back I made a tensioned lazy kate for when I am plying.  The one I have with rods in it just flies too fast and also the rods fall out and it is a nightmare lol.  I can do up to 4 plys but one of the dowel rods snapped when I was hammering them in so will have to get a little more dowel next time I am in Bunnings.  I believe it only cost me about $10 - $15 to make as I already had the board and paint.  Had to be black as the board was blue lol.  A new one would have set me back anywhere from about $80.  Works very well to hold the bobbins when I am winding them into a skein for washing too.

Today I finished spinning some leftover black merino and started plying it with a mottled grey merino and blue overlocker thread strung with black beads and sequins.  Will have to be careful when blocking this one lol that I do not melt the sequins.  

Yesterday I begun spinning up this alpaca tops from Bendigo Woollen Mills so it can be plied with another mottled merino fleece of which I have pictured below.

 Don't the look lovely when put together.  ALpaca/merino is so soft!

I have also been busy today winding all these finished, washed skeins into balls.  Couldn't believe how many I had sitting around waiting. 
Notice the lovely blues through to lemons.  Inverleigh farm rovings!  18 micron merino.  There are some pics on facebook that I will pull off and share.

Santa Sack Swap

Hopefully Lyn will have received and opened up her presents from me for the Santa Sack Swap.

Christmas Cards 2013

Over the last couple of days I have made my Christmas cards for this year.  Now all I have to do is write out the envelopes and get them in the post.

Spinning

There hasn't been a great deal of spinning but I have been very busy prepping an entire white merino/poll dorset cross fleece.  SOme photos on that later lol I am currently up to the carding stage and putting it into rolled batts ready for spinning.  I have done a little on the Deep earth colour way from www.ewegivemetheknits.com.au

Knitting and crochet

The crochet jacket is now finished and I have started a new scarf with the beaded handspun.  Plus I am also making a granny square rug with some acrylic yarn that I was gifted.

Old chair

 Remember this grotty old chair.

Look at her now!  Striped back to bare bones and french polished and finally a new cover.

Sewing

With a little help from Merlin I succeeded in getting all the strips sewn together and it is now bordered and sandwiched ready for quilting.

Yes more woolliness but the machine is coming out tomorrow

Lance's stripe socks are finished and I have only to do two sleeves for this crochet jacket. 

I have also finished spinning all Grace's purple, overdyed the beaded yarn I spun and did some more blue/grey merino. 

Horrid photo but it is brown really and not black lol.

I have also had my first try of Navaho (chain) plying as well and am so happy with the new wheel.  So much easier to control the tension etc on a wheel with scotch tension.  I liked the colours in the EGMTK Deep earth merino, suri alpaca and silk blend that I purchased a few more bags and will navaho ply all of it to hopefully keep the colours nice.

I have also posted off my xmas swap box today now that my partner has returned from her holidays.  Keep an eye out for it soon Ofaigh!

Tomorrow will see the machine having a run while I have some mending to do and make a small bean bag for Tess.

Garden

Well I am very pleased with the front garden as it is looking and smelling amazing.