Thursday 31 March 2011

Beaded yarn

I found a video on youtube that showed a very nifty way of attaching beads to hand spun singles. I had to try, and it was lots of fun, and turned out to be quite beautiful. I made four in a quick pace. :) Here is the video if you want to try it.

Cultivated Carrot

Forest Floor

Lingonberry

Bubble on the Fountain

Fishy!

A fishy hat for my nephew Conrad's Birthday! 
It is made from this exelent pattern: Fish Hat (Dead or Alive?)




Sunday 27 March 2011

Don't underestimate pleather

Very ugly but charmy and perfect for my back, office chair purchased. Note the blue and pastel fake velvet cover and the pleather edges. 
Yes, it is ridiculously horrible, but I do spinn a lot and I really need something comfortable, straight, padded and with good back support to sit in. It is fabulous and I love it. It sort of matches my spinning wheel tool.


Friday 25 March 2011

Vintage glass

I Found these great vintage glasses at a Dutch seller on etsy, Mod Vintage, again etsy is such a wonderful place, I had to buy them. As all people, who wears glasses, know, it is not the frame that is expensive (well it can be) but the glass. And I have crappy eye sight so for me it is really, really expensive. They are quite thin and light but still impressive in colour and design. I bought blue ones because I have blue eyes, but there was some gorgeous green frames there too, my mom, with her beautiful green eyes would look great in them. 


Tuesday 22 March 2011

Kool Wool

Lots of dyeing going on, strange substances with icky fruity smells bubbling away on the stove. I need a bigger pot! And yes the red really is that red.


Monday 21 March 2011

Stay Put!

I don't think I ever showed you this scarf I knitted of my own hand spun lace yarn. It is a pattern called  Traveling woman, but my version is called stay put woman, because it is for me and I like to stay put. :) In any case I am extremely happy with it, it is soft, warm and beautiful, and I am also proud of myself for being able to spin lace. There are lace yarns in my etsy shop now, and more to come. I have bought some angelina glitter, so expect glittery yarns in the future. 




Friday 18 March 2011

Banana and drinks

Banana fibre and KoolAid in the mail today! Now there will be blending and colouring right and left. :)
The banana fibre is like silk, or maybe like a synthetic silk. I will use it in small amounts as an accent in yarns and batts.


The colour/flavours of the KoolAid are from top left; Pink Lemonade, Arctic Green Apple, Lemonade, Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade and Strawberry. KoolAid is the perfect home dyeing agent, it is safe, you don't need masks and you can use the same utensils that you use for food, wool need citric acid to take the dye which is the main ingredient, it is all you need in one small little package and it comes in a huge variety of colours/flavours. I ordered them conveniently from KoolAid World.


Thursday 17 March 2011

German candleholders

Gorgeous vintage German candleholders from Amsterdam and 1001vintage, via etsy, arrived in the mail today. 
I love the post office when I get my parcels, and I hate it when I don't. 
Lovely industrially modular, aren't they. Etsy is a wonderful, wonderful place, you can go shopping in the whole world at once, in the two best categories ever; hand made and vintage, these are of course vintage.


Spinning, the DVD

I bought this DVD, Start Spinning, with Maggie Casey and Eunny Jang. It is most instructive, it goes through all the basics about different kinds of fibre, how to draft in different ways and even a bit about carding. I finally understood what a long draw actually was, a technique I very much enjoy now that I know how, and I got really interested in the Schacht Matchless spinning wheel. This DVD is perfect for any spinner who, like me, does not have any one to learn from and to watch. 
And I must say that, as a bonus, Maggie and Eunny is so mild and friendly, the tempo so calm and the music so soothing that it is an exelent backdrop for a nap in the sofa.



Saturday 12 March 2011

Uses of the Microwave

I dyed some of the Gotland locks in the microwave. The golden orange, a very successful colour if I may say so myself, was dyed with orange KoolAid. The blue green was dyed with food colouring, it was supposed to be green, but all the yellow was still in the bath for some reason, not enough vinegar perhaps, it was certainly heated enough. 


Friday 11 March 2011

Yarny Thursday

Yes, I know it is Friday, but it was Thursday just half an hour ago, pretend it is Thursday!




Leftovers (sold)

Leftovers (sold)

Wednesday 9 March 2011

Apple Juice




Gotland in my house.

After being involuntarily left wool free for several days, this arrived today from Gammeldags. Lovely curly, smelly, full of "nature" gotlands wool. Currently some of it is becoming slightly pink in my microwave. There is a lot of work to make yarn out of this, but I have to say it is calm, mediative work. But still it is very good that my very own drum carder is on its way over the Atlantic. :)




Monday 7 March 2011

Mmmm, lace

I am selfishly keeping this to myself. :) 
Turquoise with splashes of dark blue and grey, spun in to thin, thin lace. A bit bumpy but glorious and soft. I am doing a lacy scarf from this, Travelling Woman. Ill spin some more lace weight and put up on etsy, as soon as the next wool order arrives.



Friday 4 March 2011

Architectural Cowl

Architecturally constructed cowl made from the lovely half silk half merino yarn my husband bought in Vienna. So soft and warm and I love the pattern that kind of folds in on itself.



And an interestingly constructed necklace from the yarn that was left. Decorated with a vintage, shiny, big, black button.



Thursday 3 March 2011

Yarny Thursday

Where did last weeks yarny thursday go? I have no idea, so lots and lots to show you today then. Enjoy the extra big yarny Thursday display for today!