Blending

Not sure if I have shared these before but finished blending purple angelina into the remaining tops left over from when I spun up the lacy socks wool.  Might get this on the wheel soon after I finish off some new tops I purchased.

Pics are a bit dodgy with the old camera but the colours in the braid are much softer than they appear here.

Also finished plying off my merino/nylon/angora blend which I put with some pale blue tops I dyed last weekend.  Came up better than I thought so will have to set to and skein these off the 4 bobbins and get them washed to set the twist.

Now to find a men's sock pattern to suit some handspun ready to start the last of my gifty socks! 

Finish

This men's beanie is an 8ply rib and is all finished.  Wool is handspun merino/alpaca.  Very pleased with it!

Scrapbooking

Yes something other than spinning or knitting lol.  I felt like making a start on a little album for Tess.  Too many cute photos lol.  Also made some cards too as scraps became available.

Finish!

The socks are officially finished.  Thought I might make a pair for myself as these will be gifted later in the year to Lance's sister along with a pair for her partner and a couple of wool/alpaca beanies which I might get on the needles tonight.  They are sitting a bit wonky for their photo but there is no bump on one side.  Just need to wash them up and block them properly before I post them.

Not sure if I have already shown this or not but it is the wool blended with blaze angelina.  Mine I have found out is the non heat setting variety so all is good.  There is just a hint of sparkle all through it which is a little hard to see in the pics I have taken lol.  I fulled it after plying off with a cone of 2ply stella from BWM.

Next on the wheel had better be some more sock wool for Deb's partner lol.  Was going to use the camel blend but decided I would like to knit that up for Lance and myself instead.  Alan can have some merino/alpaca instead.

Where is this year going....

hard to believe we have just had the Labour Day weekend!

Haven't done much spinning but over the last week and a bit I have finally finished all the alpaca I was carding and also a lot of blending done on the board with all those lovely new to me fibers.  I am having a spinning day with Mum today and will make a start on one of them.  The socks are also on the home straight with the second one just past the heel and should hopefully have another pair on the needles by the weekend. 

Well I will drop some photos on here including a gorgeous cake that Grace spent the entire day making yesterday and be back to catch up on your lovely blogs in a few days.

 This was what I navaho plyed a couple of weeks ago all washed and looking gorgeous.  About an 8ply.

 BWM tops blended with nylon for Mum.

 BWM tops and llama for me.

 More BWM tops with some blaze angelina.  Cant really see the sparkle in the photo though.

 Merino/nylon with angora rabbit blended.

 The last of the blends for the moment is bluefaced leicester/soy and BWM tops.  Will dye this up after I have spun it.  Was going to spin it up as it was but the BFL was so short in length it was a real pain in the butt.  Much better blended.  BFL normally has quite a long staple but this stuff is about 1.5 inches if Im lucky lol.

Grace started baking at 9am and finished decorating at about 4pm.  No packet mixes or pre made icing here.  All done from scratch including the coloured sugar crystals which she did make a little while back.  Butter cake with butter frosting.  Very rich but very delicious too.

Socks! Alpaca etc

Well I have started a pair of socks from the blend I spun up the other week.  18 WPI (wraps per inch) so I am really happy with it.  First lace pattern too.

I also received some alpaca that I found on ebay last week so it has been washed and dried.  I have been carding it up the last few days. Love the colours!

Also finished off and washed up a blend of merino, camel, silk and plyed it with blue/grey merino.  So lovely and soft. 

Also have been busy spinning up 200gms of merino roving and navaho plying into this.  Looks great and Grace was eyeing it off as it was going onto the wheel during the week.  I have worked out that for a 5ply upwards it takes me about 4 hours  to spin up a 100gm single.  Not too bad! This is roughly an 8ply.

Lastly I tried another new technique as I had some leftovers on bobbins.  Its a cable ply where you ply two singles together twice.  Next you put these two lots plyed together again (ie 4singles together) in the opposite direction.  It was really overspun until I washed it which relaxed it but I am not real happy with the result.  Will perhaps have another go at it adding more twist to the first lot of plying because when you put it through on the last ply you are going in reverse which actually removes some twist. 

Now this is what a cable ply should look like lol.  The cable one is attached to the wooden WPI thingy.  The other yarn type is a navaho or chain ply.

 There are so many interesting types of yarn that can be made rather than just a boring old 2ply in various thicknesses.

Well off to do a little secret sewing and make Lance a couple of nut loaves.