gotta take a selfie.

Over the summer, I participated in craft swap on Craftster.org.  It was a trading card swap.  Each participant was to make a whole bunch of their own trading cards that represented their own image. Instead of putting an actual picture on mine, I chose to do a self portrait in needle felting.  As well, a while back I did a self portrait in yarn as well, so I wove a little flag out it and used it on the card as well. I used Pixelmatr for Mac to edit the image until it was what I was thinking it should be.  Here's the end result:

Pretty close likeness, if a bit cartoonish... More practice I guess!

Happily Creating,

~Kara

The in between things

You know, I have to be honest.  I'm really, really, really looking forward to September first.  The kids head back to school on September first.  This week has been full of everything and nothing all at once. The everything: kids needing this/that/the other, school supply runs, new pets, general house maintenance that keeps getting interrupted due to the kids needing me.... The nothing: fibre fun!  I've not made a single thing in the past week.... Did you know it's next to impossible to lace knit when your kids are all over you? Both literally and figuratively... But, I've got some pretty pictures of things I've made in the past few months heck, lets make that in the past year... So I'll share those, in hopes that I can remember what it's like to make things! ;)

This fibre is called Loons on the Lake, and was a part of the Heritage Spinning Box.   It was on 100% merino top.

This one has no name. it's just pretty... still on the merino top base... 

This is a swatch that is intending to show that this yarn would be suitable for a pair of adult socks. The fibre blend was 80%cotton 20% nylon (faux cashmere nylon).  This was for one of the assignments in the Level 5 work book of the Master Spinner program.

This one is a 50/50 blend of merino and baby llama! It's so soft! 3 ply.

See, I have been up to lots... just not lately... ;)  10 more days!!!  10 more days! 10 more days!!!! 

Happily Spinning,

~Kara

Adventures in Lace

I took a little time last week to cast on a swatch of a rather nice rectangular shawl for my Wedding Ring Shawl project.  I was really quite frustrated after 3 attempts to cast on 12 stitches over 4 8 inch long knitting needles.  Fourth attempt I gave them up and went with a small circular set I had on hand.  

Obviously that fourth attempt was the ticket, and I managed to get through the basic increase in the centre of the shawl. However, I kind of want to see what comes of the rest of the pattern so I'm thinking of doing the math to figure out if I can do all the patterns in the shawl in this one small swatch.  I suppose it depends on just how adventurous I get... 

Happily Spinning,

~Kara

When your Genius says so.

I'm not sure where I read it.  Or, I may have heard it while watching a documentary, as the images in my head are so vivid as to make me believe I saw it as well.   Long ago, the word genius did not mean someone who was incredibly intelligent, it meant that the ideas that came to you, and especially to artists, inventors, scientists, were given to you from an outer force.  This force was called The Genius.  One recounting of a genius story was that an author (who is well known, but heaven forbid I remember those details!) could feel her genius coming at her.  She would be out in a field picking berries, and she would have to run to the house for her pencil and paper before her genius flew past, leaving her alone, without capturing that story.  If at any time, I find that essay/post/documentary, I will share it. It was great.

My own genius spoke to me last week while we were camping.  I had brought along the most gorgeous Shetland fleece that had actually rood. (Roo'ing is the shedding ability some primitive sheep maintain) and a set of hand carders.  I was carding up fine, tiny, little rolags,  when my fingers began to itch for a spinning wheel.  The words wedding ring shawl whispered though my mind.  And I knew my genius was speaking to me. The moment we got home (and unpacked, and slightly settled) I got my husband to rig up a little platform for my lace flyer so that it could sit on my Ashford Traditional spinning wheel in just the right way to work. And then I spun.

And then I plied.  This little sample is only 3 grams, and 48 yards long.  Now if I mathed right, then this 2 ply yarn will measure up at 7168 yards per pound, and a Bradford count of 48.4s (Which means I'd get 48.4 skeins, that measured 300 yards- because I spun woollen- out of 1 pound of wool, which then if you math, that only makes sense when you know that it's the singles that the bradford count measures)

A friend of mine has 3 books on shetland lace shawls she's willing to lend me.  So, I'm going to swatch this up before I spin on.  I want to be sure this is fine enough, and that I have enough fibre... 

Happily spinning,

~Kara

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Tour de Fleece - finish!

Phew! I made it!  I managed to get a couple more yarns spun up in the last week of TdF.

A BFL merino blend, plied with a merino silk blend.

A merino and pulled sari silk blend, spun and plied on a spindle!

The big finish pic!  

I haven't managed to measure or weight more than two of them, but I would doubt I'm sitting at around 900-1000 plied yards... I'm impressed with how productive I can be in the middle of summer, while carting the kids about to activities and lessons! 

Happily Spinning,

~Kara

Tour de Fleece week 2.

Day's 7-14 have not been as prolific as days 1-6, but I've been spinning pretty much every day anyway!

This one is my Fibery Goodness Beta Bobbin Challenge yarn!  I've got buttons (not fibre), they are blue (part of the challenge), leather bows I cut from a piece of leather (which I found at the thrift store for 25¢!).  All of which are parts of the challenge!  I think it turned out nicely!

Miss Jos and I were cleaning up The Shed-io, and she made a batt in the process. I spun this one up over 2 days

Once the Shed-io was straightened out, I made a couple of these batts, and then....

I spun them up (well, some of them) at the Saskatchewan Handcraft Festival!

Happily Spinning,

~Kara

Tour de Fleece! 2016!

Every June we spinners spin along with the cyclists spinning their wheels through France, racing in the Tour de France.  Many spinners watch the races while they spin, but I'm not one of those people.  I generally watch something on Netflix or Shomi, or listen to an audiobook while I spin.  I've managed to spin up 2 yarns in the past 8 days.  One, a 3 ply, the other a 2 ply, both around the 8-10oz weight wise.  I've yet to measure or officially weigh them, but there's lots there!

This is a 3 ply merino, three colours plied together.

This is a Coopworth Corriedale blend, with some pulled sari silk mixed in for texture.

I've got another yarn currently being plied, and I'm hoping to have a 4th yarn finished by mid week!  In a way, I wish there was Tour de Fleece every month... It sure ups my productivity!

Happily Spinning,

Kara

Distracted

I have this thing I do. I get so stinking excited about something and I dive in head long and I forget about all the things I had already committed to.  I often forget to check myself and my responsibilities before agreeing to more responsibilities.  For example, (and this is one I don't regret, it's an amazing organization)  3 years ago I agreed to start up a Girl Guides program here in our town. Of course, at this point I didn't realize my "Thing".  But I stay committed to that, the girls are amazingly fun.  I have chosen to drop some other responsibilities though (Moderating for Craftster.org) and have gotten really good at saying "no, that's not something that would make my heart sing. I like your cause/group/association, but not enough to be fully present in it, and give it my everything." i think it's okay to do that, to give yourself permission not to be super woman.

That being said, I'm at most 8 fibres away from completing my in-depth study to become a Master Spinner.  That's it. 8 fibres, spun 4 different ways.  And a lot of reading, and writing.  But I think at this point I can give myself time to write.  It's going to be a busy summer, the kids last day of school is tomorrow, and they start again in September.  But I'm going to have a lot more time come September (They're all in school full time next fall!!) I'm going to get back into this blogging thing.  I'll kind of pick up where I left off, do some flash backs to previous Fibre Weeks and previous levels of the Master Spinner Program.  And fill you all in on where I'm currently at with all that and everything else.

Wish me luck! I'm easily distracted, but I won't be anymore!

~Kara