Word of mouth can be a very powerful thing. It is the purest form of advertising and the most honest.

This week I used word of mouth, so that I wouldn’t buy fibre… It sounds quite evil but I assure you, I was quite capable of buying this fibre on my own. but I didn’t, because I hadn’t, I had let this fibre sit in this online store for weeks and weeks, knowing full well it was the last of it… and when a friend asked me for a recommendation, I sent her the way of the fibre. That’s what friends do. Although I didn’t tell her about it intially…

Now that my friend has been and gone from the store, I could go back and get the couple of tops that I’ve been thinking about that she hadn’t purchased!

I want to use word-of-mouth here again today. For the same reasons as above, so I don’t buy all the fibre! My friend Melanie who’s passion for fibre extends beyond my ‘oh that’s pretty’ knowledge, has recently started blending fibre using hackle combs and what not. She has started selling some fibre from her blog, here’s where you come in. I need you to start reading her blog, preferably before me, so I don’t buy all the pretty. It’s too late for Raspberry Milkshake, how could I walk away from that?!

I’ve begun spinning another batch of Melanie’s blended fibre, and what can I say… little clouds of joy 🙂

I love getting recommendations from friends about fabulous fibre and stripey sock yarn (more on that next time), feel free to leave a comment if you have any sources you’re willing to share, so I can help you to not to buy it all…

My original intention for these 3 separate tops of IxChel’s BFL seaweed angora was to 3 ply them together. Under the influence of fibre fumes at a lovely spin-in at Charly’s farm late last year, I was bedazzled by the combination of the 3. I’d also recently learnt how great 3 ply yarns looked compared to 2 ply.

If I 3 ply them together as originally intended, I’m probably going to get something that is between 8 and 12 ply. Or I could 2 ply them, switching the bobbins around to get an evenness of colour. Or 2 ply two of them and navajo ply the third on its own. What would you do?

One of life’s little luxuries is a pair of hand-knit socks. I wear nothing else about the house and I rarely wear them outside of home. Put simply, I feel the most comfort when they are upon my feet. Since I’ve discovered this pleasure I’ve done my best to boost my personal hand-knit sock tally. It’s true I only have two feet; but the reason I strive for many pairs of socks, is so that I’m never without a clean pair and more importantly I want to extend the wearing cycle to limit the wear and tear on them. Socks get holes…
Finally, my love of spinning and socks have come together in these…

The fibre was from The Thylacine sock club from earlier this year. I was lucky enough to score an extra 50 gms from Melanie, so I could make extra long socks (Thanks Mel!). The fibre was spun as singles, then Navajo plied to maintain the colour gradients, this part makes me excited, I could spend hours staring at the magical transitions between burgandy and bright red and back again. To further maximise my handspun, because I hate having leftover sock yarn, I used the universal toe-up sock pattern from Knitty. It was a very well written pattern and was adjustable to whatever your gauge. I would use this pattern again, it was my friend.

Just a little catch-up with my other projects: my cowl and mitts have been finished and in use for weeks; I did fall short of making a hat to complete my winter set, but I don’t really wear hats and I had another pressing baby knit to do. The Baby Yoda sweater was a fun little knit and I got to do a bit of i-cord. I’m looking forward to seeing my niece in it as soon as I can schedule a meet and a cuddle.

I haven’t done a Bendigo wrap-up, because well… the yarn fumes. The stash shelf has been rearranged to accommodate, the only thing I didn’t squeeze onto the shelf was 2kgs of Pear Tree ::gulp:: My stash and I are an island.

Lastly, I’m running a little comp over on the Richmond Knitters Blog, follow that blog and you’ll have a chance to win a skein of my handspun! Details over on the Richmond Knitters blog.

I’m off to cast-on Golden Wheat, have a great week!

Warning! Lots of baby photos ahead 🙂

We visited Marilyn two weekends ago. I am not being biased at all to say she is the cutest and most perfect baby I’ve ever met. She’s really good at being cuddled too.

These are the official blanket photos:

Yeah, not much blanket in there! But do you really need to see the blanket?

Last weekend after completing my Winter set mitts, I cast-on for the ‘Snug’. I was inspired by Marilyn’s cuteness and also her parent’s admiration for my hand-knits so far. I made some quick progress on the hoody early on and I was certain it would be finished in time for this weekend. But then I lagged behind after having a particularly busy week (not to mention some grueling gym sessions; I showed up to a cycling class at 7:30am on Monday morning to find I had signed up for a RUNNING class, yep, that was pretty funny, not).

This morning I woke and discovered I would be getting a visit from my newest niece. Needless to say that was all the motivation I needed to push through and complete the hooded cardigan in record time. Little Marilyn gave me a bit more time by pee-ing everywhere at her home, giving me an extra 20 mins to complete the button band and sew on the buttons, 5 mins before their arrival. I love this baby! Once again the parents were thrilled. I was thrilled that they were thrilled.

I’ve cast-on for a Baby Yoda Sweater. Alert the media, I have discovered the meaning of knitting.

I have lots to catch you up on, but unfortunately I can’t do it all here today. I need photos remember!

I’m participating in Tour De Fleece, which basically means I’m spinning everyday for 2 weeks bar 2 rest days (I took an unplanned rest yesterday shhh). I’m a part of IxChel’s spinning team, and I whilst I picked out three hanks of fibre to spin with, I already feel I’ve deviated from the plan! I have many different fibres of Charly’s that I haven’t even tried and I thought it would make sense to have at least tried them before I embark on another Bendigo Show.

So far I’ve spun (but not plied, I think I’ll leave that to last, or when I run out of bobbins whichever comes first), 100gms of BFL seaweed bunny and 100gms of Cashmere Fling. This morning I began preparing this Navajo Bunny fibre, I stripped it down the most I’ve ever split a braid before to approx 16 sections. And then, there it was, the fibre told me its purpose. I don’t know whether to be happy or sad, I like having frivolous fibre/yarn which serves no purpose up until it is needed! The fibre didn’t whisper, it shouted, damn and I thought I had other plans, oh well.

In the new little niece update. She is gorgeous and so far has been the perfect baby for my sister, I’ve seen her once outside of hospital and got a very long cuddle (her head was very heavy!). My sis and her hubby have also been the perfect knitted gift receivers, so I’ve cast on a ‘Snug’, which is a hoody cardigan. A girlfriend at work said cardigans with hoods were the best thing when she had hers. No hat to lose, and when theyre all snuggled up, you pop the hood on and they fall asleep on your shoulder… apparently! I’m hoping to have it done for next weekend in time for another visit.

I’ve had a couple of knitting casualties recently. There’s the charcoal swing coat: I washed it for the first time to finally settle down the puckered pleats. The pleats looked a whole lot better but the cardigan grew exponentially and is destined for a frogging.

Then there was my first pair of socks to wear through a hole (I knit them for Damian but they were reclaimed), the fact it was probably the second pair of socks I knit I was willing to accept this from the yarn.

This week I popped on these socks and almost the exact same thing has occurred. Same injury, same yarn, socks which have died before their time.

The decision was simple, unfortunately I won’t be continuing with my ‘Diversion Socks’. My Jitterbug stash will be used for stripey cardigans and shawls. It is a lovely yarn, I just can’t be using it for socks, it’s too heart-breaking.

In other more positive news! I’m competiting in TDF or Tour De Fleece this year. My sizeable IxChel stash needs a pruning and what better time to do it right before the Bendigo Sheep Show. The two organisations must be in cahoots!

Here’s where I’m starting out: 3 braids of IxChel BFL Seaweed Bunny, to be 3 plied into something like an 8 ply.

And here’s what I achieved from my first day of cycling/spinning

I’m looking forward to getting a lot of spinning done, so my Bendigo purchases will be made with a lighter conscience.

Dear blog, I know it’s been a while. The weather has been so dismal there’s not been a lot of impetus to take photos and no photos means no blog entry.

I’ve been knitting more than I’ve been spinning and I have things to show, but instead I have some news…

Yesterday morning I got a message to say my sister had her baby! Well, I was a little shocked. The little one was not due for three weeks and guess who hadn’t taken final photos of The Baby Blanket!

Visiting my sister I have to say was a little freaky, in all sense of that word. Her baby daughter looks just like her when she was born, how very frightening and very confronting! The blanket was very well received and I predict this baby is going to be very well dressed in woolens I tell you. I’m so happy it’s a girl because now I can make cute girl things in pink; I think my niece and I are going to get along just fine.