I Won a Moosie!

I can't believe it! I was one of the 3 winners of the Funky Hat Contest at Spindlicity.com! If you have never checked out this online spinning magazine, it is worth a look. I won in the category of "Most over the top". The prize is a Moosie spindle from Jonathan Bosworth at Journeywheel.com. The Moosie is my most favorite spindle. It is made from moose antler (no moose is harmed in the acquisition of antlers), and it spins forever!

I really enjoyed the task of creating a "funky" hat from scratch. This is the first item I have completely designed. I usually use an existing pattern, or alter a pattern, but this time I created the design myself. (See a picture of the hat from the post on November 10.) It was fun to spin, fun to design, and fun to knit.

I am off to Germany and England on Thursday for the holidays. I will post again when I return in January.

Peace and Bliss to everyone this holiday season.

A Year in Fiber

I have been neglectful of my blog once again. I have been spending more time spinning and knitting than blogging, and, that is as it should be. Nevertheless, I am posting photos of completed projects that I never got around to posting earlier in the year. New Year's Resolution: I will post at the time of completion!

Early in the year, I spun and knit a sweater in three weeks for the Knitting Olympics - see earlier post. That taught me that I can actually complete projects in a reasonable amount of time! So I then spun and knit the green stripe shawl with light green merino and a naturally dyed, slightly courser wool.

I liked the simple shale pattern so much that I then knit a sandlewood brown linen shawl from commercially prepared fiber. It is so comfortable to wear.

Again, the pattern was so easy yet beautiful that I knit a commercial organic, naturally colored cotton shawl for my mother's 90th birthday.

I also have been working on washing and carding a Corriedale fleece (see earlier post on the Breed Exchange). Here is a photo of some of that fleece dyed using Cushing Dyes. It has been fun to experiment with the dyeing and I know that I will continue dyeing experiments next year.

In the fall I knit another shawl, using Morehouse lace yarn and their pattern. I absolutely love this shawl. It is so soft and I get comments on it every time I wear it!




















My cat, Libby is sitting in the middle of a quick crocheted scarf I made out of handspun Grafton Fibers wool.
I have recently completed two pairs of socks, a scarf a headband and a coffee cup holder, but those are Christmas presents so I can't post photos yet.

Next week I am off to Europe for Christmas. I am dropping off my son in Germany to spend Christmas with his dad (there on sabbatical for a year), step-mom, sister, step-sister and two half-brothers. His grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins are German and live south of Heidelberg, so he will have a chance to visit with them as well and have a traditional German Christmas. I will spend from December 22-January 1 in London, then go to Bremen, Germany to spend a few days with my daughter who is spending the year in Germany with her dad and family. My son will go to Berlin with his dad and family for a few days so I will have my daughter to myself. She can show me around her 'home for a year'.

I am looking forward to the time spent by myself in London to sightsee and knit and spin. I will keep a scrapbook of my experiences as well as take many photos. I will post a few when I return. (As part of my New Year's Resolution! :) I am also looking forward to the time spent with my daughter. She was home for Thanksgiving, but I miss her again already.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful, love-filled holiday season.