Monday, February 28, 2011

Odds 'N Ends

Listening to the Wailin Jennys and watching the snow fall outside. What more can a spinner need for inspiration!? Just thought I'd post a few things I've been working on over the past week or so. Nothing fancy as I'm still learning and very much a beginner. But I had fun with each of these projects. Each made with yarn I spun so that makes them a bit more special to me.

Knitting my first pair of gloves. It's fun! I'm using some old handspun wool that I've had laying around forever. So it's some early spun wool and far from balanced! I've knit mittens before but I've never ventured into the world of fingers. I think I'll give each finger a different color, just for fun.

A simple scarf. Garter stitch so it was a good take with me project. I knit this mostly driving to and back from Boston. Well I didn't do the driving. It's a bunch of different fibers, Finn Sheep's wool (my personal favorite wool), alpaca, llama, and other wools that I can't remember. I was just using up naturalish left overs.

Believe it or not I finished knitting this vest over 2 years ago! But I couldn't find the deer antler buttons that I wanted to use for it. I finally found the buttons! So I sewed on the buttons and blocked the vest. Nothing fancy for sure but I like it. It's a Shetland/Finn wool blend. If I were to do it again I'd knit it tighter on smaller needles. The buttons came from an antler I found in the woods. A fellow spinner had her husband cut it up and make buttons out of it. Love it!
Here's a close up of the buttons:



That's it for now. Happy spinning and knitting!
Mary
Posted by at

12 comments:

  1. The BUTT'RY and BOOK'RYMarch 1, 2011 at 2:54 PM

    Hello :-)
    Sometimes you just fall into a great blog by chance! I am not even sure how I found ya,But I figured I should follow you!
    Blessings, Linnie of the Bleat'n Hum baa Farm'n Fiber

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary DunnMarch 1, 2011 at 5:08 PM

    Welcome Linnie! Glad you found me :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. feetupandknitMarch 5, 2011 at 10:41 PM

    This is one gorgeous job. And, having seen the vest in real life, I can say that the buttons are a perfect fit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. feetupandknitMarch 5, 2011 at 10:46 PM

    Working on a pair of striped socks tonight while talking with friends. Amazing how much a cuff grows when you're visiting.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mary DunnMarch 5, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    Thanks! Like I said, I if I were to do that again I would knit it tighter with smaller needles. Maybe the swatch idea is a good idea. Again...a shift :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mary DunnMarch 5, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    I can't wait to see some pics :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. feetupandknitMarch 6, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    But the drape of the brown vest is very nice. It's often mostly about drape. The other thing, and something that I seem to worry about more than others, is the stretchy-outy factor. How long until it stretches out too much? I always try to get the snuggest gauge I can while still maintaining a nice drape.
    Socks don't need to drape; you want them knit as tightly as possible for strength. I feel like the continuum ranges from the necessarily dense sock to the exquisitely airy, drapy lace, although don't be misled by lace. Everything needs a "keeping gauge"-- a gauge at which it will keep-- keep together, keep shape, keep wearing, keep pleasing.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mary DunnMarch 6, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    Hummmmm....very cool Lesley! I've heard about this "drape" and notice it on beautifully knitted garments. I have also wondered how people manage to get such beautiful drape. I think you are about to lead me down that road! YaaaHoooEeee! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. feetupandknitMarch 6, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    Gladly. I'm still learning about drape--every time I knit something.L

    ReplyDelete
  10. feetupandknitMarch 6, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    Love the gloves. You are getting adventurous.

    ReplyDelete
  11. feetupandknitMarch 13, 2011 at 10:16 PM

    I had the most incredible weekend at "A Wrinkle in Thyme" sheep farm. I watched a lamb being born and got to meet many sheep and 17 lambs. I learned wool dyeing and just enjoyed smelling the barn. Met some nice fiber people. Bought a fleece--Mary we'll talk about this! Now I wish I had a drum carder, of course. A WONDERFUL birthday weekend. Received unspun fiber from three separate friends, all of it lovely. There are not enough hours in the day.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mary DunnMarch 13, 2011 at 10:48 PM

    That sounds so lovely Lesley!! I can't wait to hear all about it. Maybe coffee and spinning next weekend for an hour or two? Seeing a sheepie born!? OMG how lucky were you? :)

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)