No Kitty, Inspiration Yarn, and Hand-spun

There will be no Kitty for last week due to a special two kitty one this week! I have been working hard on a lot of things but I will be back to posting later this week. I have been ill for the last week and I am trying to get over it. My normal schedule should resume after this week!

For your viewing pleasure:

This lovely yarn is Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend called Wildflowers. I have some good ideas on what to use this in as a nice springy project.

The above is my Yak, Merino, and Silk hand-spun used in the hat and scarf I am working on at the moment.

The below is the supposed to be royal purple hand-spun yarn for the tea cozy I am working on. I for some reason couldn't quite get the color, but it is royal purple.

WIP: Eclipse Hat and Scarf

I am using beautiful yarn from Manos Del Uruguay Silk Blend called "Eclipse" and my own Hand-spun from Silk, Merino, and Yak. I am super excited about these two projects. The first one is the hat from Spin - Dye - Stitch by Jennifer Claydon  and the second is a lengthwise scarf using her technique for dropping stitches while binding or casting off then weaving in hand spun yarn. I really do recommend this book.

I saw this yarn and knew exactly what I would do with it.

My hand-spun actually looks pretty decent.

I love the patches of grey in the hat and the scarf is starting to get to be a nice
width. The hat is not finished I am planning on a flower in a hole that is a bit
big on the join. Should be a nice set!

Inspiration: Fabric, Beads, Yarn; A WIP: Clutch and Border Collie; and WIP: Spinning

I figured instead of 3 posts I would put them all into one HUGE post!

These are discounted bits of fabric! I see a bag lining or pillow backing
in their futures.

Oh glorious beads! I love my two turtles and chinese face paper bead!

Isn't that just beautiful!

That cookie yarn clutch is coming along nicely!

October's Rogue Adventures Colorway, spinning up nicely.

This is the silvery steampunk Yak, Silk, Merino blend!

Start of the border collie!

Inspiration: Artesano Alpaca and Pattern

So, I think by now most reader's of this blog know how much in love I am with June Gilbank's designs. I do love many Amigurumi websites and patterns and I am constantly finding new and fun ones. However, June has come out with a pattern I can not pass up. Upon the request of my mother I have acquired June's new AmiDog Border Collie pattern (Ravelry Link)! Why? Well, we have a lovely border collie named Betsy. Miss Betsy came to us through a very tight rescue. She was going to be put down that day and we drove from WV to KY to save her mere hours before she was to be put down. I will be adding to June's design a small embroidered collar. I am still figuring that one out...

Such a beauty! Miss Betsy Christmas 2010.

The yarn I am going to use is one of my favorites! The Artesano Alpaca.

And the collar? Scappa to the rescue!

The green on the top right will be the collar! I will use my
crochet thread to embroider her name on it! I need to find a small buckle.
I think I know a store just for that ;) If not I have a back up store.

Inspiration: Let's Knit Cookie Yarn

I am not one for liking yarn that is artsy, bobbles, puffs and pompoms just are not my thing. Well, for my Let's Knit January issue I got this yarn. It reminds me of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream which is my favorite! So let's just say it has grown on me and it is pretty neat. Now what to do with it...

P.S. My other gifts from Let's Knit, November and December, were Bamboo knitting needles, Warm weather booklet, a crochet hook, and 3 balls of yarn for granny squares. I may get them in their own post soon but if not I at least mentioned them here.

Inspiration: Artesano Aran

So I do have a green skein of Artesano Aran (Dawn). Now I own another skein of green, one of pink (Sunrise), and one for brown (Oak). I will be putting the pink and brown together in a project. The greens will be a lovely hat/scarf/handwarmer combo.

Inspiration: Rogue Adventures October Fibre Club!

This lovely bit of fibre is from the October colorway. It did not come in before I left for holiday. So now I have it to spin up! I am soo excited about it!

It is 4oz of Merino Silk! So beautiful for October (my birth month).

Inspiration: Fat Quarters!

I love both of these! They may show up in some projects soon!

WIP: Spinning Lessons -- Some Samples

This sample box was from The Fibreholics! I am working on spinning them up on my new Spindolyn. I will post photos when I get some more of them done up. I have finished the blue fibre and and started the one from LaalBear (Second one from the left on the top).

Here is all that was in the bag!

That is 46% Alpaca, 42% Falkland, 11% Tencel, 1%Angelina
From: www.MandaCrafts.co.uk

100% Corriedale from My Heart Exposed Yarn & Spinning Fibre

100% Corriedale from LaalBear

100% Superwash, treated merino from Freyalyn's Hand-dyed Fibres

Merino/Nylon from The Thyacine

AND a 5.5mm Circular needle!!

Here is the lovely package it came in:

Inspiration: Alpaca Andean Child Poncho!

So, I was reading in the new InterWeave E-Mag SpinKnit about the Andean knitting techniques. Since it seems the BEST book for this is out of print I am guessing how to do it the way they do. This project is for a friend who will have a 2 year old by the time I am finished with my poncho... The pattern only goes up to 18months... If ANYONE reads this, and happens to have a face circumference and chest width and length of a 2 year old that would be awesome. The closest pattern I could get is 2.99 and well... I really don't want to pay for a pattern I probably wont use. The pattern I am using comes with the SpinKnit E-Mag.

So... Since I really can't spin that much yarn, well if I have any hope of finishing this before next christmas (or at my rate of spinning 3 christmases from now lol)  I bought pure Alpaca yarn. Matter of fact it is Artesano yarn. *Gasp, Artesano in the USA? You may ask* Yup, from OnePlanet Yarn and Fiber. The only online seller in the USA according to Aretsano's website, well it maybe listed as such but I bet there are a few out there.

Here is the lovely box. The yarn was wrapped in blue tissue paper in a clear bag. That was tied with ribbon. It was soo cute!

Lots of Artesano Inca Cloud goodness!

All of these are natural Alpaca colors! It is what the pattern called for in this case.

FYI if you have a business card and I order from you, it will be displayed
and I keep them all on my cork board. I go back to seller's again and again.

Inspiration: Bridal White, White, and Black AND WIP: Thread Amigurumi

I am working on a thread amigurumi. It should be cute looking when I am finished! The pattern is called Zoe in a snowflake dress and is offered on Owlishy's Etsy and Ravelry store.

The three crochet threads I bought for the project:
Bridal White, White, and Black.

The start of the head of the project. I am using a 1.25mm hook!

New Fiber

So, long time no write on my part. Thank you to the one other person who has commented on my blog. Only when uploading the backup to my blog here to Wordpress did I see it.

On with the goodies. I got these fibers in from the PHAT fibre October sampler that were "left over." I love Steampunk so I couldn't resist. From Hampton Artistic Yarns and Nachwoolie.

So... I kind of don't know which one goes with which description. You can tell a few of them but I will post them as I figure it out... Any ideas?

This is from Hampton Artistic Yarns. So beautiful! 

Isn't it just golditastic! I love it! From Natchwoolie

New Inspiration

I know in the last post I put up some inspiration yarn... Here is some more I didn't have to wind!

This has a special purpose I can't indulge yet! These are Scottish yarns.

The colors kinda give it away but you'll never guess what will become of these.

Ball Winding and Inspirations

Along with winding MORE balls of yarn, some of them are new inspiration yarns!! Lets pull out the beauties to show you:

Remember these previous yarns?

Yup, they are in strange outer pull balls. No longer!!

Forgot about this? I did... until now!

Now for the new ones:

So soft, and just wonderful.

I know what you're thinking, isn't this a chunkier version of the one above.
No... *cough* I would never do that...

Darker version of the ones above... Not at all.