Spinning for braids

As a part of the master spinners course in level 2, you are required to spin a yarn suitable for braiding (among other end uses). This is my braiding yarn and the braid I created using it. Its 100% yearling mohair. I dyed half the yarn with beets hoping for pink. I got yellow beige.... Oh well it's colour. And I learned something while trying it, so it's a winning situation!
Another Module bites the dust.

~Kara

Lace

I started this yarn in August. I finally had finished plying by New Year's Day. It just finally came off the bobbin and I'm able to share the loveliness that it is! It's 525 yards of merino/bamboo/silk, weighing in at 3oz/85g. It's two ply, as I really want it to eventually be a lace shawl. I've got 3 more oz of the top that I might just finish by New Years next year!

~Kara

Single Colour Challenge- Done!

Here it is! All spun up. Again, the colour isn't coming through well, but I think it's the shade of chartreuse this phone cam doesn't love. The batt weighed .9oz, and I have approximately 120 yards. The goal was to "dust" the mohair into the verigated core. I believe I've accomplished that goal. It will become a light fluffy but warm scarf!
Now just to head over to the Fancy Kitty Lovers group and show off the lovelyness!
~Kara

The last of it

This is the very last of the wool I have to wash. And I'm washing it today. I'm so happy to finally be done! I know more will come, but for now this is the end of it.
~Kara

Single colour challenge

Over on Ravelry, in the Fancy Kitty Lovers group, they are holding a single colour challenge. The rules are basically card up some fiber in a single colour, and spin it up! I chose green. Unfortunately, this picture is not showing the color most accurately. It's slightly brighter and more yellow green. It's kid Mohair with a bit of soy silk. I intend to core spin it onto the green crochet cotton. Hopefully today..
~Kara

Woollen

I was having troubles with my woollen spinning, specifically from rolags. So, to twitter I go, lamenting the fact that it made no sense that I couldn't spin woollen from rolags, but I could from carded slivers. In swoops Michelle Boyd, aka @spindleprincess, to the rescue. She suggested my rolags were to tight, and that I ought to shake them, to fluff them up. It worked! Look at these amazing results! The first pic is before the amazing Michelle saved me, the second is after .
Thank you Michelle!! I will never forget now that woollen spinning requires a soft touch, beginning to end.

~Kara

Oh hey. It's January 1.

Well. Time sure flies when you're having fun?  Or something along those lines.  I've tried to get myself to fall into a schedule, because flying by the seat of my pants is obviously not leaving me as productive as it once had been.  This hasn't worked out so far.   So, yeah, boo to resolutions and all that jazz, but I might actually make a few and try extremely hard to stick to them.  Maybe I'll get sticky notes and stick them up every where to remind myself of what I've promised myself.   Sit down and write a proper schedule of daily activities, and add in things that need to be done as they need them and start to prioritise.
My firm but flexible list of things that need to be done:
1) Finish up my homework.  This one needs to be done by the 20th of February, because I plan on taking an online course through Olds college at this point.  (The same college that I do my Master Spinners course)
2) Make time to spin for stock. The more things I have, the more likely I'll be able to fill a shop to the point I think is a reasonable level (I can't stand visiting an online hand made shop and there are 5 things...)
3) Take time to blog at least twice a week.
4) Sort and finish organizing my craft studio.
5) Take more classes through Olds College online.  There are 3 or 4 classes I could truly benefit from.

Of course, there are more personal goals, but I've been trying to keep the whole personal life stuff off the blog.  I'm not sure if that's a fabulous thing, or a bad thing...  But suffice to say, I'm human and I have human struggles!  Go figure ;)

What I do wish for everyone is that you all have a wonderful 2013, full of love, laughter, and enough.

~Kara