My Wool Blanket

When I had first started learning how to spin it was on the drop spindle. YouTube had shown me how, but it was the hours of  practice that gave me the many small skeins of bubbly beginner yarn. 

I used the yarn to make blanket squares. My bubbly yarn evened out when I bought my spinning wheel. 

I have tried to replicate it on my wheel.

I am hoping it looks better after it's dyed or at the very least more lumpy.

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A Dye Day

So far my favorite part of the whole process of making yarn is dying. I can't draw, let alone paint a picture like my grandmother. But hand painting a skein makes me think of painting in water color. 

I usually soak my fiber in a container of water with about a cup of vinegar untill the fibers are soaked completly. This makes it easier for the dye to get to every fiber.  

I thought about going to the dollar store and buying squeeze bottles for ketchup and mustard, but I found that reusing water bottles would work just as well.

Unfortunately my green came out a little washed out, but I don't think I put enough dye in the bottle. Oh well, that's what this is, a learning experience. But I think I am going to focus on green the next time I dye.

A rainbow sausage! I pop it in the microwave and run it for 5 min on high then let it cool for 5. I repeat this process till the liquid is clear. 

Once it the rainbow sausage has completely cooled, I cut it out of the plastic and rinse it in the hottest tap water and Dawn dish soap till the water runs clear. Then hang dry.

Time to get back to work. Oh and if you are interseted in buying some of the yarn I will be posting a lot on Craftywitchcorner

The First Three

Good Morning!!!!!

I finished the first three skeins of my challenge!

 Each skein differs in length and I can't figure out if it's a good thing or a bad thing. 

I really liked how the colors turned out after before I plied, but they look even better after I had plied them.

I had first dyed the whole skein a Kelly green using a supermarket dye in my dye pot on the stove. Then painted it with acid dye and heat set it in my microwave.  I love dying yarn. Seeing the final product, it's like presents for my visual senses!

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88 Skein Challange

I mentioned my  88 skein challenge in my last post. And how I would like to become better with the mediums I am currently working with. I have only had YouTube as a teacher. I have never been shown how to pin by a real live person. But I think I have done well for myself. The yarn I make stays together and isn't over spun. I like how it knits up. Ok enough bragging.

Why did I choose 88 as the number of skeins I should make for this challenge? The number just popped into my head. When I did a search and found that the Chinese feel the number 8 is a lucky number. Besides if spinning up 88 skeins of yarn doesn't improve my knitting even a little, then I NEED classes.

I wanted to start from square one when I decided to take up spinning. So when I found some free fleece on Craig's list, I decided it was a good opportunity to learn via the Internet. I felted a few bowling ball size pieces of wool learning how wash it properly. 

What I am working with for the time being, is a very soft mixed breed of sheep. I haven't ever worked with softer wool and I bought a garbage bag full! 

So back to my Challenge. I want to complete all 88 skeins before the new shearing season. Not only will I be a better spinner, but it will justify buying more fleece!

I invite you to follow along and watch my progress. Or if you want, challenge yourself! I would love to see pics of what everyone is working on. It doesn't have to be just knitting. Send your pics to my e-mail Craftywitch78@gmail.com and I'll blog about them! 

Creative Resolutions

It's resolution time again! Loose weight, become better orginized, finish W.I.Ps...and all that. I would like to become a better blogger and improve my crafting skills and create and complete a few goals this year. 

I want to start with fiber. From start to a finished product. I want it to be ready to knit into all sorts of wonderfull things in time for Christmas knitting to begin.

"The greats weren't great because at birth they can paint, the greats were great becasue they paint alot" ~Macklemore~

My first goal is to start a personal orginizer.  You can see my personal progress in my blog Beautiful Me. But this thing is awesome for orginizing my thoughts.

My second goal is going to take a little longer. I want to challange myself to make 88 skiens of hand painted yarn. I have already washed all the fleece I plan on using, so all I need to do is start brushing! 

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Fingerless gloves and mittens

My first pair of fingerless gloves were when I worked for Kirkwood Mountain Ski Resort. My mother had given them to me and I wore them till they fell apart. Fingerless gloves were high on my list of things I want to make for myself.

It took me forever to to find the right pattern. I was attracted to the embroidery the designer put on her gloves.

 These are a slight variation of the ones if the above picture. I have some practice to do on them. I need to cast on the fingers a little looser and maybe use a smaller size needle on the cuff. But that is my own skill that I need to improve on. I started a favorite pattern link list in the side bar of messiness. 

 I also found that everyone likes the fingerless mittens too. Make it easy for me because they are so quick to stitch up. 

I used The hand painted roving I made earlier in the year to make a pair for my grandmother.

I made this pair for my daughter.

My sister requested a pair for a Christmas present. I hope I can get them done in time. The pattern I use I incorporated from a different pattern. But there isn't much left of the original pattern that I haven't changed. I am still reluctant to call the pattern my own because I started with an already published pattern. Might be worth doing a little research on.

I also splurged on myself and bought myself some new double pointed needles off EBay. I keep taking them out and looking at them then putting them all away again. 

It also had snowed about a week ago. Goggle had added in the snow affects. I am still trying to figure out Photoshop so this isn't my doing. I am still working on the free online class for Photoshop, but it's hard to find a good chunk of time every day to dedicate to an online class. I havnt given up on it, it's just taking longer than I want. So I went back to youtube and started looking for any beginner PS tutorials and found TutorialsForGraphics. If you are not use to the gentalman's accent, be patient, he gives a lot of very good information. I had my PS open so I could follow along. 

Well that is it for today! Thanks for stopping by and please follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pintrest

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First snow!

Woke up to a beautiful snowy morning! I am not just talking about the glittery white blanket that seems to mute the neighbor hood. I am talking about the fact that I prepared to be snowed in! There really isn't enough on the ground to make me "snowed in" per say, it just gives me the excuse not to go out. So I am spending the day at home.

I am glad there was enough snow for the kids to find a small hill to sled down. They had a lot of fun.

 

I have been really into stitch markers lately. They are quick and cute and fun! Unfortunately, I had misplaced the first set and had to make a second one for my store.  

I was experimenting with some beads I had packed away and came up with this. I love them so I am making myself a set and a set for for my store.

Wasn't quite sure how the black was going to turn out. I was worried the black would break up to the point it wouldn't look black. It happened once. . .  wasn't what I wanted but it looked kinda cool.


Well that's all for today!  Thanks for reading!

I got presents!

My family really love the finger less gloves I made my daughter. More I have a few orders for Christmas. But I had stopped spinning in order to trim down my stash. Now I have an excuse to start again.

 I received a wonderful package in the mail from my good friend, Jackie. She has been making some really cute things.

Her "sweet treats" are made of polymer clay.  


Cookies, doughnut, and M&M jewelry!

 

There were also these based wrap bracelets and these rings.  








One fit my pinky and one fit Elizabeth's.

 That's the great thing about having crafty friends. It always ends up being an extended version of show and tell but with an appreciative audience. 

chocolate chip cookie earrings!

I also managed to get the Stitch Markers finished and in my store.

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Quiet Sunday

I spent the morning teaching my son how to sew a seam. Using a black marker I drew a line along 2 of the edges of a piece of corduroy.  

He worked very hard staying on that line and was rewarded with a new pouch for a small toy or two.

I also decided to try my hand at designing my own  fingerless glove. I finished the first one this afternoon. I'll probably start the second one while watching Walking Dead.

I really like making stitch markers. It gives me a chance to use my new wire wrapping super powers for something useful.

I'll have these stitch markers in my Etsy store tomorrow!