So much to do...

So I know it has been a few weeks since you have heard from me last. I am busy behind the scenes doing loads of things for the move back to the USA. Why so soon you might ask? Well, we are actually now leaving at the end of May. My shop will still have everything (including new things) half priced until July 31st.

So let's break it down:

Knitting:

• Evenstar
• Oh evenstar how you will never end! As of writing this i am on row 66 of 72 for the main body then its 3000 beads and 56 repeats later and should be off my needles.
• Still light is in HIBERNATION
• Cardigan for Mr. Native Farmer -- hibernating until Evenstar is DONE.
• 2 linen/cotton hats (Jared Flood's Turn a square) in blue are DONE
• A Wind and Coil slouchy hat in the Franklin colorway DONE
• Plans for many more projects in the future.

Spinning:

• I finished many of my singles and I have dyed some new fibre to spin up (like I needed more right??).
• Plans on dividing up the yarn and seeing how much I need to spin in the next 30 days!

PhD

Yeah, for those who are interested I am in my Results Chapter (thats 5 out of 8), with a submission deadline of March next year.

SHOP NEWS: Ceaberry's Haberdashery

• Stitch Markers
• I will be making some more stitch markers in the near future, including snagless, sea glass, and fun sets.
• Fibre
• I will be holding off on fibre and batts for now... more on that later.
• Yarn
• I have some EXCITING new bases and some good old standbys in spring/summer colorways! Look for those later next week.
• Hand-spun
• I will be putting up my hand-spun for sale periodically.
• SALE!!! There is a 50% off sale already on everything in my shop and if you are a member of the ravelry group you'll find a further code for more off. 

So that is what has been happening behind the scenes... now just to let you know that today it has been hailing (yes HAILING) on and off today and there are two videos below to prove it.

Episode 73: Enjoy the Co-Host!

Show Notes:

Works in Progress:

Smokin'

Grand Left and Right Mystery KAL

Even Star

My own pattern

Centrifuging:

1. ITW Children of Time -- plied but not washed
2. Dyeabolical Whirligig -- plied but not washed
3. My batts -- Single Yarn
4. Highland Handmades Throne Room -- Deciding whether to ply it or keep it single
5. Hilltop Cloud Rusty Nail -- Single Yarn
6. Easy Knits -- Polworth/Seacell and Wensleydale/Silk

If you want specifics on all the yarns please go to ravelry:

1. ITW Oct 2012: Bodhi = 63.4 yards 
2. Unknown
3. Ceaberry's Haberdashery Tartan Light =  68.3 yards
4. ITW Closing = 65.0 yards
5. Border Mill: Rose Grey Alpaca = 152.8 yards
6. Dyeabolical Sept 2011: Whirligig w/extras = 26.0 yards
7. Hilltop Cloud BoB July 2012 = 48.8 yards
8. Hilltop Cloud Coline 1229 = 81.3 yards
9. Fibre Forager Pink/Brown/Purple Silk = 48.8 yards
10. Loop! Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump: Tigers eye = 43.9 yards
11. Loop! Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump: Kaleidoscope eyes = 61.8 yards
12. ITW Aug 2012 Pamukkale = 35.8 yards
13. Feb 2012 Dyeabolical Rainbow Agate = 55.3 yards

Rehooched the cowl into a hat:

Well... I did promise spinning

I know in my podcast I promised some spinning. Trust me, I have it... 886ish yards of it!! But while I have some more to show you next week on top of what I am about to show I just want you to know that I can single spin around 4oz in 45 min in a dk-aran weight when 3plied and sport when 2plied. Some of these have been singles for a long time and some have been skeins waiting to be washed for a really long time. I will start with what is waiting to be completed:

1. ITW Children of Time -- plied but not washed

2. Dyeabolical Whirligig -- plied but not washed

3. My batts -- Single Yarn

4. Highland Handmades Throne Room -- Deciding whether to ply it or keep it single

5. Hilltop Cloud Rusty Nail -- Single Yarn

Ok now to the fun stuff:

My own pattern: Trekkie Style made from Fibernymph Dyeworks Star Trekkie Colorway. Test knitting for this pattern will be in the works soon.

Trekkie Style with Joris Dr. Who Style

The fair at Ocean Terminal:

Rehooched the cowl into a hat:

If you want specifics on all the yarns please go to ravelry:
ITW Oct 2012: Bodhi = 63.4 yards 

Unknown 

Ceaberry's Haberdashery Tartan Light =  68.3 yards

ITW Closing = 65.0 yards

Border Mill: Rose Grey Alpaca = 152.8 yards

Dyeabolical Sept 2011: Whirligig w/extras = 26.0 yards

Hilltop Cloud BoB July 2012 = 48.8 yards

Hilltop Cloud Coline 1229 = 81.3 yards

Fibre Forager Pink/Brown/Purple Silk = 48.8 yards

Loop! Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump: Tigers eye = 43.9 yards

Loop! Self Striping Spontaneous Spinning Roving BULLSEYE Bump: Kaleidoscope eyes = 61.8 yards

ITW Aug 2012 Pamukkale = 35.8 yards

Feb 2012 Dyeabolical Rainbow Agate = 55.3 yards

OMG right?! Seriously, I LOVE spinning. I will put all the details in my next week show notes so if you don't go on Ravelry don't worry it will be on there and here by the end of the week. And last week's show notes did not show up so I am trying to get them in the blog post as well!! 

HAPPY CRAFTING!!!

Episode 72: Mr Native Farmer!!

Show notes by 26/March/2013

Best laid plans...

Sigh... yeah yeah I know. I will be podcasting this week, and a small update for the yarn festival. I will be outside at the beginning and about midday video recording my podcast!! (I wont be recording stall holders and the like due to the fact I know not all of them appreciate it so I will outside the venue (or in the lobby if the weather stays how it says it will) so come by and say hi or find me drooling over all the goodies). If you live in the area I am part of the Town Mouse Knitting group and we will be having our meeting on Thursday at I heart cafe in Leith. I am easily recognizable from my photos here on my blog and with the 6 ft tall red-headed shadow I will have for the day. If you see him alone he comes when called "Dana."

So... besides that I have been working on things I swear! Here is a quick list:
1. Joris Dr Who Version
2. Baby hat (finished)
3. Evenstar
4. Still Light
5. Tunisian Crochet Shawl
6. Staggered Rib Scarf (finished)
7. Loads of spinning!!

So I do have things to talk about and getting time to record with PhD stuff and showing my LBF around Edinburgh has been hard!

Oh... it snowed in Edinburgh about 2 inches over 2 days. Hopefully the weather man is wrong about Saturday but it might be classic Edinburgh weather.


Again one more time:

OK so those in Edinburgh in March come down on the 16th of March for the first annual EDINBURGH YARN FESTIVAL!!!


Shameless plug, since I am one of the resident fibre artists/podcasters here I will be there almost all day but do not come to see me only! The line up is AMAZING and I hope to see everyone there and have a few fan girl moments of my own! (if you do not know what I look like click on the profile link, that's me!) Hope to see you there!

Crafting behind the scenes

I have a few things planned for the next week including my thoughts on broken rib knitting, a video cast, and a few updates on spinning and knitting!!! Please stay tuned because I am excited to get back in the groove of podcasting and blogging!!


OK so those in Edinburgh in March come down on the 16th of March for the first annual EDINBURGH YARN FESTIVAL!!!


Shameless plug, since I am one of the resident fibre artists/podcasters here I will be there almost all day but do not come to see me only! The line up is AMAZING and I hope to see everyone there and have a few fan girl moments of my own! (if you do not know what I look like click on the profile link, that's me!) Hope to see you there!

Spinning Cross-Stitch Thread Single Ply

So I got this lovely fibre from Into the Whirled called "Bodhi" and it is 50/50 Merino and Silk. Yep thats 50% luscious merino and 50% perfectly prepared silk. So I split the fibre in half since I do not need 4oz of cross-stitch thread for the project I have in mind. Then I pulled them apart into smaller nests to be able to spin them fine, like I needed to, ITW's fibre prep is always amazing.

Simba thinks it was terribly exciting:

Ok so onward after  kicked him out of the chair.

So I had my Ashford Traveller on the smallest whirl and started spinning as fine as I wanted it. I knew it was going to be single ply so I just approximated the size I wanted.

 

I pulled it off the bobbin and onto my Niddy Noddy and washed it under tension and then sprayed some SOAK mixed with water on it to set the twist. REMEMBER: Silk means cold water ONLY!! Or you can kiss that lustre good-bye.

I do not worry about the over spun areas because of the cross-stitch it wont matter.

Simba?? You still awake?

Guess that's a no, and yes that's him hugging the duck in the previous picture.