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.