Spinning

I am a bit late in my usual Monday night post because I couldn't use the computer last night, but better late than never.

Renovations are the main thing that is happening, but I did dye up some fibre, one last time in my old kitchen (now there is nothing there but bare walls and a nice new hardwood floor).

This was a commercially prepared top - 20% silk, 30% alpaca and 50% merino wool, that I dyed shades of red and pink (I know - the usual, but they are my favourite colours, and I didn't have the time to come up with something more creative. I just needed a change from knitting).

It is showing up much brighter than in real life.

I blended the fibre on a blending board after dyeing so that the yarn would be more tonal, rather than striped. Halve of the fibre was blended with some gold angelina, and the other half with some yellow silk noils.

The two bobbins of singles are spun, just the plying left to finish (the colours match the Akerworks bobbins well - really are my favourites).

Yesterday I was surprised to wake up to snow on the ground, but it was gone by the end of the day.

I was also surprised to find some little pale blue flowers too - I think they are called Siberian Squill. It is fun to see what is growing in the gardens - I also saw some tulips coming up, I wonder what colour those will be.

All the best!♥︎

Another Type of Creativity

With all the renovations going on I haven't had much crafting time, but I did finally get a vest that I have been working on into one piece. 

this photo is washed out

It started with the back and knit until the end of the armhole, and then stitches were picked up for each front. Now that everything is joined into one, it is much easier. 

closer to the true colour

The pattern is Capture a Cozy Moment by Carol Sunday (a paid for pattern on Raverly). It is a very straight forward pattern, with a lovely brioche collar (all knit stitches, not a purl in sight!). I am using some handspun Merino, that I dyed and spun a few years ago. I don't have enough yarn to make it like the pattern, but it still should be a good size for a vest. I will just keep knitting until I run out of yarn.

In the top photo you can also see what we have been working on - new hardwood flooring! I get to lay out the boards - another type of creativity - joins can't be too close, needs a good mix of colour and lengths... lots of fun, and so worthwhile.

With all the boxes of flooring being used the little cat lost her favourite perch to look out the window (I did put in a new box for her to watch the birds).

Now for more photos of my surroundings -

the full moon last week

raining in the distance

so calm

full moon reflecting on the pond

coming home after Easter dinner

 All the best!♥︎

Weaving

 I recently wove a table runner for my sister -

The brown warp was a commercial yarn (Harrisville Design Shetland in the colour way Teak), and the natural was some hand spun yarn from one of the raw fleeces I was given (the person who gives me the fleece is a friend of my sister). The style of weaving is Overshot - a two step weave, with two colours/shuttles.

fresh off the loom

With the warp I experimented with different treadling patterns to create different designs. More details can be found on my Ravelry page.

This was the first time that I wove a whole project in overshot, and I can't wait to try it again.

The overshot sampler project was from this book - Next Steps in Weaving by Pattie Graver (I really recommend this book if you are a new weaver or what to experiment with different types of weaving).

Now for some photos of our area -

a flock of swans!

water in the ditch at sunset

wide open spaces!

All the best!♥︎

Painting

Since I have been blogging every Monday for over a year I don't want to stop, I don't have much to talk about. The only thing going on around here seems to be home renovations - which are going well.

This is the fifth home that we have renovated (one of our homes didn't need work). It is exciting for me when it is painting time (that's always my job and I love it). It is when our house really becomes our home. We changed things in our bedroom - removed a couple of small closets and added a walk in closet by taking some space and giving it back in another spot to the adjoining bathroom - making it a better layout.

After a warm weekend the snow has really gone down and the pond is full (like a private lake - it does have a dock, and my son takes a little boat out on it).

All the best!♥︎

A Little Crochet Project

A little finished project this week - every time I crochet I remember how much I love it!

The pattern is Easy Peasy Catnip Mouse from Mollie's Blog of Stuff. I made it from some of my first handspun yarn - so it is quite dense with lots of twist, it should hold up quite well. I stuffed it with some leftover wool batting (no catnip). It is a very easy pattern. The tail is the start of the project, with a row of single crochet to give it the twist, and for extra strength (which is good, since Maggie likes to hold the tail with her teeth, and kick it with her back legs).

Although she didn't seem too impressed at first,

She loves it. As I am writing this, she is busy playing with it.

The snow is really melting around here -

early morning ice

snow in the fields is almost gone

lots of water in the yard

All the best!♥︎