Lots of pictures today! Partially because someone on ravelry taught me how to use the Macro setting on my camera, and partially because I can!
Yesterday I finished spinning singles for the Spunky Club SAL/KAL out of some beautiful Shetland I got from Spunky Eclectic in "Brain Freeze". The first 2 oz of singles were underspun, and had to go through the wheel twice, breaking a couple of times. I was annoyed and took it out on them with a vigorous hot/cold wash and whacked out my frustration on them. (Quite theraputic) The crazy picture at the top of the post is what the second 2 oz looked like after I took them off the niddy noddy and before their matching bath and beating.
I even took the obligatory picture with a penny (if you can see through the grime, it was the only one I could find) so you can see how thin it is. I'm calling it laceweight. (I really need to get a WPI guage, for now I'm just eyeballing things)
As soon as the singles were dry I cast on for my very first lace weight shawl:
I'm really loving the challenge. I've only knit a little bit using yarn this thin, and this is my own yarn! And I've done lace, but I've never done laaaaaaace, ya know? So this is all new and exciting and therefore taking extra long because I keep pausing every couple of rows to admire and giggle like I'm twelve.
This is what I made from my Christina Marie Potter corriedale fiber I got a few posts ago. I spun each of the colors seperately and plied them together in my very first 3 play. I estimate this to be about sport weight and was approx 230 yards before the wash. I'm hoping it's enough for socks, it's been awhile since I've knit socks out of yarn this thick so I'm not sure of yardage requirements. Toe-up is my friend. :)
And last but DEFINATELY not least is a semi-clear picture of the goodies I got in the mail today from North Star Alpacas that does not do justice to this beautiful fiber! I have 4 oz of handdyed Alpaca/Wool/Mohair and 2 oz of natural black alpaca. That's a pretty notecard at the bottom featuring one of the contributers of this black fiber that is so soft I just want to curl up and nap with (if I didn't think it would hurt the fiber either from smooshage or drool). Maple sends a lovely sachet that smels divine with all her packages and she sent me a little packet of un-washed alpaca (bottom, right corner) to try.
Let me tell you, I'm pretty sure those alpacas are cleaner (and smell better) than me! I can't believe this is UN-washed fiber! It's so soft! And fluffy! I can't wait to spin this up. There will definately be unwashed alpaca in my future, I can see (and smell! it.
And if you made it this far I am off to work on my shawl. Castle is on in twenty minutes and I must drool over my Nathan Fillion. *pets pretty Nathan and throws one more picture into the post before I go....*
