I finished my new creation..a Pumpkin Lady pin cushion. All hand sewn (I think Moda fabrics from my stash) stuffed with rambouillet from Shannon Kennedy-Kahler beautiful babies. She is just lovely n fun

Here is the quilt I made for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in ILL for their charity auction

       I want to share my thoughts on Indie dyers and sock yarns. As much as I love making my own yarns some times a beautiful skein jumps up, bites you and says “Take Me Home”. This was such a case with local indie dyer Desert Panda Fiber Arts and her Pocket full of Rainbows skein.  All of her skeins are dyed in smaller batches, with vibrant color and reasonable prices. This skein was a Instagram contest win but I was ready to purchase as soon as I saw her first batch for sale. It is 75/25, Merino/Nylon blend of 3 ply sock weight, 415 yards and super soft. As a person who is into texture I call it just Yummy!  When in a skein it is silvery grey with a splash of bright rainbow, of course when caked it looked very different, but just as lovely.

 

 Not all sock yarns are dyed to look great in other projects due to the color pools or the self striping. Picking a pattern to let it shine is key and with that in mind I hunted Revelry (with a cowl in mind) finally landing on Like Honey Cowl by Liz Abinante. The pattern originally calls for a DK weight so I needed to make a few adjustments. The cables are simple and smocking is fun. Smocking was a new technique for me and looked difficult until I tried it, it was a piece of cake. The color pooled in wonderful bright mottled against the silvery grey. The fabric is light and soft making this a great spring or fall cowl to wear. So when all is said and done, I highly recommend this dyer and thinking outside the box with a sock yarn. Check her out at desertpandafiberarts.com

        Spinning has become my go-to when I need to calm my mind, to find a place of mental meditation. But on days when I can’t take the time to sit at my wheel, spindles are starting to become my lifesaver. This was just one of those days. I’m going to move outside with my spindle, sitting in the garden and spinning just recharges me. I listen to birds, play with the pup and flick my spindle. The feel of the fiber, the change in the staple length or just the pattern as the cob is formed can shut the craziness of the world out. 

          Merino wool is one of the most popular breeds and well known. The Merino sheep is a medium sized animal with horns or with scurs, these are little numbs were a horn would be. There are 5 types or merino breeds; Booroola, Delaine, Poll, Fonthill, and Peppin. The wool is fine and considered “next to skin” soft meaning it is easy to wear as socks, light weight sweaters and such without making most people itch. But it’s has the draw back of felting easy and pilling so isn’t not as durable for outerwear. Most people are familiar with merino socks being for sale on the web. The fiber has a short staple length, elastic tendency, with a high natural grease (lanolin) weight and is a crimpy wool. Merino is also sold as a Superwash, though not one of my favorite due to the effects the process of making it such has on our environment. That being said _superwash does have it place in modern living. If you love to knit your own socks or make a baby item it can be handy. Superwash Merino has had the scales removed chemically so it can handle a run through the washer. Merino fiber can be slick to spin, superwash is for sure, this can make it tougher for a new spin but a great challenge. It can take a good amount of twist without becoming ropey.

Merino can be spun in both worsted or woolen prep and is lovely as a 2 ply or Navajo plied. When knitted up it makes a warm yet lightweight fabric and can be warm year round in some parts of the world. The luster is not strong but blends well with silk and other luxury fiber well to add a sheen.     

 Now that all the fun facts of this wool breed is done, it is one of my favorite to spin for soft squishy yarns. My first spins were all merino blended up in batts and I made a large warm simple shawl from them. It’s also the major percent of fiber used in my current Turkish spindle project, which was my first post. Merino sheep are raise all over the world and is fairly easy to get for spinner to work with. The cost can be a bit more depending on the quality and lots of indie dryers work with it for art batts, rolags and puni, along with great dyed braids. Check out Merino products. Being a spinner I say spin away, but most of enjoy it and use your yarn when you are finish spinning. 

Okay I think I finished my Disney themed kick ..😉🥰🤣. These are to protect my DPNs while working a sock. I decided to call them my sock pockets. Little snaps hold things in place.
🦉💜🐏🐑

happywitch #spinningdream #crooknlamb #ItsSoFluffy #wemakeyarn #handspinnersofig #hendersonlife

Time for tool bags. The larger bag has a pocket for papers or ruler and a wrist handle for a quick grab n go. The smaller is perfect for scissors, stitch marker or a tin of mints. Yes Disney is my theam. This tote will be full of all kinds of bright fun stuff. 🦉💜🐏🐑

happywitch #spinningdream #crooknlamb #ItsSoFluffy #hendersonlife

Using a Turkish spindle for the first time was addictive with this light weight study and fun colored 3d
printed spindle from Turtle Made. As time passes you will find Halloween or Samhain is my favorite time
of year and the colors of purple, orange and green call to me. Fall colors are my go to but when it comes
to creating yarns I try to step out of the box. I love to search pictures of mother nature beautiful

creature and flower for inspiration. This spin was inspired by an image of the Raquet Tailed Roller bird. A
blend of merino dyed in a vibrant teal, cream white mohair and alpaca in buck brown and brown/black.
My fiber was blended on my 120 TPI cards into rolags for woolen prep, total fiber weight of 92.8g/3.3
oz.
My first turtle was a bit wonky at first. I watched a few you tube videos and knew it was over and
under to wrap my cross bars. But, my brain got it backwards and I did over one under two. Thankfully
after showing my girlfriend my progress after my first rolag, she told me to wrap under one bar and over
two. So with that I switch it up and went to work. Over a few weeks I got my spindle full, the wrap was so pretty,

I pulled the bars and decided to try plying as a center pull ball. At first I could not find my
center but with the help of one of my many crochet hooks I was ready to work. Normally I ply on my
wheel unless it is a sample, but I wanted to stay true to a spindle experience. So out came my ply
spindle, a heavier wooden top whorl. At first it was hard to keep the ball under control but eventually
things smoothed out until I hit the wonky spot where I corrected my wrap technique and in was hit with
yarn barf. The joys of working out my beautiful finely spun singles to ply was probably a 3 ring circus
show to watch but after the use of the footboard on our Cal king I got it all worked out and balled as a
two strand ball to ply. In the end my first “turtle” gave me 150 yards of lovely lace weight 2 ply yarn. I
still have 66g/2.3oz to spin.