Just another Calorimetry

Pattern: Calorimetry by Kathryn Schoendorf
Details: on Ravelry

I wanted to do some experimenting with handspun singles and this project fit the bill. The wool blend is dyed with Wilton’s food colouring.

Friendship Bracelets

You gotta love them! Cheap, portable and hours and hours of entertainment. I was digging through some of stuff and thought it would be fun to try these again. I still had a stash of fingerloop braided ones.

Fingerloop Braids c. 1990

I started doing some online searching and came across Friendship-Bracelets.net. I had no idea that there were so many different techniques. The drafts make the patterns so easy to follow and you can even create your own.

Pattern: Leaves and Pattern: #47984

Pattern: #412, Pattern: #42906 and Pattern: #48894

Oops, looks like there is a working in low light dye lot issue with #412. I can’t complain too much since I did score a huge bag of embroidery thread at the local op shop for near nothing. I love using the loop starting technique but there needs to be an even number of each thread/colour on each side. I also find that estimating the length of thread needed is a bit of a challenge and tying more on can be ugly. These were just samples, so I wasn’t concerned with the final length.

Pattern: #48894

Pattern: Leaves

E. (age 10) gave this one a try, but it as a little too hard for her to keep the tension right on the outside floating threads. She’ll get it with a little more practice.

Now I am really itching to get back to weaving. I just need to get my Inkle loom set up.

Tree in the pot, sort of

I finally got a pot large enough to try dyeing with Eucalyptus. The Cormo fleece was slightly felted from scouring several years ago. My technique has gotten better, but it was a bit of a struggle to comb it out. Overall, I am happy with the results, especially because no mordant was required.

Breed: Cormo
Wool prep: worsted, combed with dog comb
Wool spun: worsted, 2-ply
Dye: Eucalyptus

Plant Craft Cottage

Plant Craft Cottage

The volunteer-run Plant Craft Cottage Group at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne recently celebrated its 3oth anniversary with a special “Forest Fantasy” exhibition at the heritage-listed Plant Craft Cottage. They also have a natural dye group and an amazing reference collection. I could have spent hours looking through the archives.

Naturally dyed bands and braids

Naturally dyed yarn

Counting Sheep in Bendigo

We made the much anticipated trip up to Bendigo for the Australian Sheep and Wool Show with a side trip to the Bendigo Woolen Mills and Bendigo Pottery. There were so many sheep. I had no idea that Merinos could get so big. We definitely needed three whole days and I still don’t think we saw everything. Bendigo is a very lovely city with fantastic antique stores. I can’t wait until next year!

Merino sheep

Merino fleece on sheep

Merino fleece close up

Lincoln Longwool fleece

Bendigo Woollen Mills

Bendigo Pottery kiln

Bendigo Pottery

Bendigo Pottery

Lincoln Longwool Runner

This project is one of two that I did for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show to focus on the heritage breeds of Australia.

Breed: Lincoln Longwool
Wool prep: worsted, combed with dog comb, tips cut – too dirty
Wool spun: worsted, 2-ply
WPI: 12
Dye: eucalyptus (E. cinerea), walnut (Juglans regia)
Details: on Ravelry

I had some trouble cleaning this fleece and ended up slighting felting it. I would like to work with it again for a weaving project.

Combed Lincoln Longwool

Scoured Lincoln Longwool

Straight off the sheep Lincoln Longwool

Coffee & Cream Caplet

This project is one of two that I did for the Australian Sheep & Wool Show to focus on the heritage breeds of Australia.

Breed: Cheviot
Wool preparation: worsted, combed with English wool combs, tips cut
Wool spun: worsted, Andean 3-ply
WPI: 9
Dye: coffee
Pattern: my own
Details: on Ravelry

I was given a small bag of raw Cheviot fleece, I wish I had weighed it first. I scoured and combed it (tips cut) with Indigo Hound English wool combs. Then I spun a single bobbin of worsted yarn and Andean plied for a rounder 3-ply yarn, 9 WPI. I still wasn’t sure what I was going to make but I knew I wanted something with greater stitch definition. After spinning, I felt that I had two much white so I dyed half of it with used coffee grounds.

The pattern is my own but was heavily influenced by “Knitting Brioche: The Essential Guide to the Brioche Stitch” by Nancy Marchant. I am particularly happy with the neckline. The entire piece was worked in the round with two strands of yarn at all times. To compensate for the stretch in the neckline I used a two-color reversible increase (p. 87) and then a braided bind off (p. 83).

Handspun Cheviot dyed with coffee

Combed with Indigo Hound Wool combs, tips cut

Scoured Cheviot fleece

Straight off the sheep Cheviot fleece

Float Stole

Pattern: Float Stole by Melinda C. Hunt
Details: on Ravelry

Suri Alpaca Blend: 65% Suri alpaca/20% Merino wool/15% Tussah silk
Autumn Silk: 60% wool/40% silk

While the Suri Alpaca Blend was an absolute delight to spin, I could not match the fineness of the Suri Elegance. To get the same openness, I decreased the pattern by 50 sts and used a US 5 needle. I cast off with US 9.

I would have liked one more pleat but I had a bobbin disaster when I lost an end while spinning. Tried all the tricks (tape, toothbrush and wet fingers) but they were to no avail. I was going to take a photo, but it’s better not to look. It was a dreadful matted mess by the end.

The finished multicolour edge is my second attempt. The first version had similar colours but was 100% wool and didn’t have enough sheen to coordinate with the Suri Alpaca Blend. I am much happier with the final version, even if it did require stash acquisition!

 

Quiet Steps

Pattern: Non-felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura
Details: on Ravelry

I used some early handspun yarn doubled and a very rustic blend of Merino, N.Z. Romney and Alpaca, guard hairs and all.

Berwick Show

I spent two days at the Berwick Show, the first day was just to have a look around and the second day was spent behind the spinning wheel. I met some really nice people and it was great seeing all of the different sheep as well as other fibre animals.

I love the ingenuity of this handcrafted spinning wheel. My favourite part was the recycled luggage handle and wheels.

It’s showtime!