Pink Magic Wrap

Hello! Here's the finished Pink Magic Wrap! I wanted something wide enough to be used as a small wrap width wise, but not so wide that it would be bulky around the neck in case the friend I am making it for is not a wrap person and chooses to use it scrunched up as a scarf. The dimensions are 9"x 50"



It's hard to get the entire length into the photo and still show the detail, so here is a close up of half of the wrap.



The picot edge done in a lighter shade. You may remember if you read about the Pink Magic yarn I spun, I had just a little of the lighter single left over after plying the Pink Magic, so I plied it with natural white from the same fiber batch. It worked out perfectly, I had just exactly enough to crochet the picot edge on both ends...whew!!!



Here I'm blocking it...you may notice the center medallion looks a bit different than the final picture posted at the beginning. Yep! That center bit went through so many incarnations. I didn't document all the false starts I ended up ripping out before landing on this and thinking that I was home free! Another thing I should mention, after it was wet blocked, some of the life went out of the yarn, so when I was steam blocking the picot edging and the new crocheted bits in the center, I ever so lightly gave a little puff of steam to the rest of the wrap. That worked nicely, the lace work is still distinct, as well as the nicely defined edges. But just that once over with the steam gave the yarn a bit of it's life back.



The problem with the center as shown is two fold (at the very least) I do not really know what I'm doing, so I just dig in and make it up as I go along, there were too many rounds to the medallion design, so that unless you placed the wrap just so, it puffed out a bit. This was not the look I was going for. In the end..it had to go, so I removed the more heavily crocheted center flower, drew the design in, and with a few finishing touches, there you have it!



I was able to get this photo of it full length on the couch. I really loved working on this project, this is the first time I have dyed my own yarn and spun for a specific project, it was really gratifying. It's even more special knowing this fiber came from a friend.

Blessings Friends!
Melissa

Fiddle-dee-dee

Well, I was hoping to have my completed project to show you, but even though I zipped through the knitting...I am working on a circular crocheted floral motif for the center of this shawl I'm putting together. I've ripped it out several times, unhappy with how it had turned out after all... what can I say, it happens. I think I am on the right track, so hopefuly that pretty pink yarn I made will soon be a finished object!!!

I hope all your projects are a success and that you are enjoying your creative time, however you spend it!

Blessings Friends!
Melissa

Pink Magic

Hey! Here it is!!! This is the fiber I dyed all spun up...with a little magic (Angelina)



Here are the two singles, if you click on the picture to enlarge it, I think you will get a better look at all the sparkle!



AHHHH, how happy was I to see these colors together all sparkly and pink!!!



The twist has been set with a nice wash and soak and the yarn is dry.



And finally,I've wound it into a tidy pull skein so I can knit something pretty with it! The small pull skein is a little of the lighter single that was left over, plied with natural white alpaca from the same friend. Now, off to knit!!!

Have a delightful week, Blessings Friends!!!
Melissa

Independence Sampler Bag

I had the idea to make a knitting bag using sort of a sampler of stitches and patterns, some of them my favorites, some I have always wanted to try. I started with basket weave around the bottom, then threw in some lacy bands, but not so open that stuff will be at risk of working it's way from the inside of the bag out, it gives a nice stretch-ability to the bag too. I also worked a swath of moss stitch, which I love and have always wanted to try. It is a very generous project bag at a relaxed 12 1/2" tall, it will really expand beyond that because the fabric is so stretchy. You can see below that at 40" around, it opens wide enough to accommodate a rather generous project.



The yarn I used was simple Sugar n' Cream 100% cotton, the variegated is called Painted Desert (00190) and the solid is Red (00095) It took two full balls, plus a little from the third, of the Painted Desert, and all of the ball of Red. It did lint up a bit, but what can I expect, right? So I ran it right through the washer! I mean were talking dish cloth cotton here, so this bag will get better with a few washings, meanwhile, I needed to help it along. So instead of my usual hand wash and block or steam blocking...plop headlong into the washer and then...you guessed it, the dryer! And after that, I took a sweater shaver to it!!! I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. I think I will try to post the pattern if anyone is interested.

Have a great week, Happy knitting!

Blessings Friends!
Melissa

And Away I GO!!!

Off I go on another exciting fiber adventure! I have been waiting to get caught up on a few projects before starting into this, knowing that once I got my feet wet...or the roving splish-splashed with color, there would be no turning back!!! I've fooled around with kool-aid a little in the past, when I first started spinning, but now I've got my colors all set, acid dyes, ready to go, and this is my test run. I used the cold pour instructions from, The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook, which offered the perfect measurements and weights for fiber etc.for someone like me who wants to dye small batches of roving or yarn. Here are my results! (sorry about the lighting)



Here I've applied the dye to one of my bundles and I'm just about to wrap it up like a fiber burrito, nice. I only mixed up three colors for this batch because I'm using a different brand of dye than used in the book, but I followed the formula from the book, I just wanted to make sure everything came out right before I went wild with mixing other colors.



Here are my little bundles, all ready to go into the steamer.



This is a hank of my hand spun that I am over dyeing. Sorry the picture is so dim, it's night time in my kitchen.



Ready, set, GO!!!



Here they are, all spun out and airing themselves on the drying rack! If I had a nickle for every salad spinner that I have converted to use for some other purpose (good thing I buy the inexpensive ones)...it worked perfectly to spin out the excess water. I am a little concerned because the alpaca I had processed into roving awhile back is not as robust ( dense, thick) a roving as one normally might see, I am wondering about the draft-ability when I go to spin. Though It fluffed up a bit after it's little trip through the spin cycle, and I have been fluffing it when I go by. The toughest part of the whole process...leaving it set in the steamer to cool over night and NOT unwrapping it! I am really excited to see how this batch spins up!

Have a great holiday weekend!
Blessings Friends!
Melissa