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....*

Zebisis Designs


I seriously doubt there are many people out there who haven't heard of Zebesis Designs, but on the off chance that you haven't, this is the place to get some of the most beautiful spindles I have ever seen.

Example A:


Gorgeous, huh? As if that's not awesome enough, she also sells fiber. I was lucky enough to get a silk sample in my Phat Fiber box (see previous entry) and the stuff is amazingly soft. I haven't been able to stop petting it long enough to spin it.

If I hadn't just got my Joy I would be so tempted by the club too. She has a spindle and fiber club, which I think is the coolest idea.

My March Phat Fiber Box arrived today!!!


It really was a great month for samples. I think everything was extra fluffy because the box seemed extra full, although when I counted there was about the same number of samples as I got last month. It just feels bigger.

The yarn:

Top left corner is two samples of cotton from Sheeps of Egyptian Cotton. Soft and super beautiful. They also included a bag of tea which I promptly passed on to my mom, the tea drinker in this house.

Bottom left corner is handspun from Simply Twisted Yarn. I'm not sure what fiber it is but it has a fabulous sheen.

Next to that is handspun from Melissa's Kre8tions. I love the blues and greens in this skein.

More handspun from Artemisia Ink Studio Arts. Corridale-Merino cross wool, undyed. This stuff is so fluffy it feels like Fleece!

Hand dyed Wool and Mohair yarn from Plum Crazy Ranch and Fiber Art. (is it just me or is it impossible to find on this site where to buy anything?)

And last of the yarn, but definately not least is some sock yarn in "Crock O Gold" from Sweet Pea Fibers. Very soft, as well as a fairly large sized sample. I can't wait to knit this one up.


Calizona Designs is in the yarn picture too, but they deserve their own seperate section. My envelope included stitch markers, a sample skein of yarn, a knitted headband pattern, a beautiful pendant, and a $10 Gift Certificate!!

The Fibers:

I let out a little squeal when I realized I had a fiber sample from Zebisis Designs (bottom right corner, pink). I've admired her spindles for months and the silk top with noil sample is divine. I absolutely can not wait to spin this up.

The soft green all the way to the left is from Tactile Fiber Arts. There are two naturally dyed colors of BFL fiber. Super soft!

Second to the left is a braid of wool top from Feeling Sheepish. (if you scroll down, there's a picture of my cat right after he gave it a big lick. Apparently Feeling Sheepish top is kitty approved) It's soft, squishy, and the colors are amazing! I will definately be placing an order in this shop sometime in the future.

The green braid of fiber is from cloudlover. The colorway is "Loch Ness" and it's Hand Painted BFL wool. Wonderfully squishable and lovely shades of green.

All the way to the right is a 1/2 ounce of BFL locks from Altered Visions. Great colors. They look all fluffy and ready to spin, no flicking necessary.

Okay, top left hand corner is a little ball of roving from Natchwoolie. The color is hard to describe, almost a greenish brown (in a good way, hehe). I love the way it's tied with handspun into a little ball.

Top right is a batt form Artemisia Ink Studio Arts. (Huh, I just realized through typing everything up that I got handspun from there too) Soft grey/blue/purple colors, merino wool and grey mohair blend. 3/8 oz in "March Storms" Really pretty, I'm looking forward to spinning this as well.

In my little envelope of business cards and coupons was this little gem:


There's a little debate going on in my family as to whether the animal is supposed to be a poodle or a black sheep (I say sheep). It's a beautiful stitch marker from Yarndemon Designs that is so beautiful I just might put it on a chain as a pendant.

While I looked through the box Mr. Muggles (our very own Blog Kitty) lay across the box top and observed and cast his approval over things.



As mentioned above, he particularly loved the braid of fiber from Feeling Sheepish. He gave it a good lick just before this picture was taken.


When I attempted to nudge him off to close everything back up in it's box, he objected strongly.


Yes, those are claws digging into the cardboard. Apparently he decided it was his box. (When he wasn't looking I yanked it out from under him)

Phew! Okay, I think I got everyone. There were a couple of patterns in my box too, but it's too hard to take pictures of those without giving away the instructions. :P

Anyway, I love everything (although I might try and trade for a shawl pin and/or a cupcake stitch marker) and am very happy I managed to snag a box this month. I don't know if I'll be able to for a couple months, but I reccomend anyone who can get one of these. It's more fun than you can imagine!