These arrived last night from jumbukjulie!
I'm particularly excited about the Jade and ruby colourway - in my mind I call it toffee apple ^_^
Jade and ruby
Concrete
Inky
Jade and ruby
Concrete
Inky
This turquoise, celadon and lavender yarn started as milk fibre from moonlightandlaughter and has a little story behind it...
After favouring the fibre on Etsy, I returned to look at the listing many times over several months, hoping for a discount that would justify buying it. It was so shiny with interesting greens and browns (not colours I usually am attracted to).
The day I returned to find it sold was very sad, and wished I'd bought it while I had the chance.
Then one day before Christmas I was at my friend's house and I spotted some shiny green fibre tucked away on a shelf. She had bought the fibre for my Christmas present! (as a chance gift without even knowing how much I had wanted it).
I spun the fibre into singles then plied it with cotton in an attempt to keep the colour true to the original braid. The best way to do this seemed to be to hold the single tight and allow the cotton to wrap around it. I don't think I quite did justice to the original, but the colour is mostly reflected in the finished yarn.
The last part of this fibre's journey is to find the perfect project. It's been at least a year and I still haven't discovered what it wants to be...
After favouring the fibre on Etsy, I returned to look at the listing many times over several months, hoping for a discount that would justify buying it. It was so shiny with interesting greens and browns (not colours I usually am attracted to).
The day I returned to find it sold was very sad, and wished I'd bought it while I had the chance.
Then one day before Christmas I was at my friend's house and I spotted some shiny green fibre tucked away on a shelf. She had bought the fibre for my Christmas present! (as a chance gift without even knowing how much I had wanted it).
The last part of this fibre's journey is to find the perfect project. It's been at least a year and I still haven't discovered what it wants to be...
Like my bluestone and kookaburra handspun, this yarn started out from two complementary braids from jumbukjulie.
The braids were separated into piles of corresponding colours (three colours for this yarn), then spun into singles and double plied.
I tried a little sample of Navajo plying again with the scraps from this project, and it actually worked. Next time I get some coloured yarn I plan to try this type of plying for the full project. Any tips?
I tried a little sample of Navajo plying again with the scraps from this project, and it actually worked. Next time I get some coloured yarn I plan to try this type of plying for the full project. Any tips?
This handspun started from two complementary braids from jumbukjulie.
The braids were separated into piles of corresponding colours, then spun into blue singles and brown singles. Most of the singles were plied together as straight colours, but a middle section combined the two to create a gradient.
This project gave me some hope that bright coloured hand dyed fibre can be toned down a little for easier use in projects.
The braids were separated into piles of corresponding colours, then spun into blue singles and brown singles. Most of the singles were plied together as straight colours, but a middle section combined the two to create a gradient.
This project gave me some hope that bright coloured hand dyed fibre can be toned down a little for easier use in projects.
Going back to study has somewhat dampened my blogging schedule, but have been meaning to report back on our adventures at the Bendigo sheep and wool show.
The website gave us no indication how exciting the show would be. I had thought perhaps we might get to browse a few stalls of woolly goodness. Turned out there were five large sheds of beautiful yarn and fleece!
It was wonderful to discover some Australian based indie shops, and finally be able to experience the excitement I am always hearing about on podcasts!
Our favourite shops were Moseley Park, Raxor, Spun out, Ixchel Angora Bunny, and Wool n wire
I am terrible at actually buying things, and can talk myself out of anything, but I came away with a nice little collection.We also visited the Bendigo Woollen Mills while there, and I picked up some staple colours.
The website gave us no indication how exciting the show would be. I had thought perhaps we might get to browse a few stalls of woolly goodness. Turned out there were five large sheds of beautiful yarn and fleece!
It was wonderful to discover some Australian based indie shops, and finally be able to experience the excitement I am always hearing about on podcasts!
Our favourite shops were Moseley Park, Raxor, Spun out, Ixchel Angora Bunny, and Wool n wire
I am terrible at actually buying things, and can talk myself out of anything, but I came away with a nice little collection.We also visited the Bendigo Woollen Mills while there, and I picked up some staple colours.
Yay lovely fleece arrived last night from jumbukjulie. I love to discover Australian handdyers - if you know any good ones let me know :)
~A fleece to yarn to hat story today~
Fleece: Multicolored combed wool top, Colonial Blue, from feistywomandesigns
Fleece: Multicolored combed wool top, Colonial Blue, from feistywomandesigns
Spun into a tight two-ply
Beret pattern: Crooked paths (rav link) by Melissa LaBarre
(Knitted in 6 days while driving around Tasmania ^_^)
Eee ^_^ thanks so much Bonito Club for letting me borrow your ball winder so that I could make all my yarn into cute little squishy pucks. I had to wind up some my handspun and my birthday socks-that-rock and dyeforwool yarn. I did it for a bit too long and Friday night vanished into yarn winding and Scarlet Pimpernel watching :p
Am going to wind some of SlightlySquiffled's handspun too once it's dry :)
Am going to wind some of SlightlySquiffled's handspun too once it's dry :)
Finished my first handspun hat ^_^ Had to knit it almost twice because my head is small and didn't fit the pattern but after ripping back to round 32 and re-inventing the pattern from there without the extra increase rows it fits perfectly ^_^ I might have already started knitting another :p
fleece to hat...

Changes to make it a smaller hat (or for use with thinner yarn)
Pattern: Etoile hat (free) by Linda Irving-Bell
Fleece: Merino Medley from natchwoolie - then handspun
fleece to hat...
follow pattern to row 34
34) yo, ssk, k3, ktog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k3, ktog, yo, k1
36 and 38) as for row 34
40) k1, yo, ssk, k3, ktog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, ktog, yo, k2
42) k2, yo, ssk, k9, ktog, yo, k3
44) k3, yo, ssk, k7, ktog, yo, k4
46) k4, yo, ssk, k5, ktog, yo, k5
48) k5, yo, ssk, k3, ktog, yo, k6
50) k6, yo, ssk, k1, ktog, yo, k7
52) k7, yo, sk2p, yo, k8
53) knit
Dec round) I did ktog, p1, k2tog, p2tog to last 8 sts, then ktog, ptogx2
Then the ribbing
Just finished and added to etsy:
One of a kind twined gloves made from a blend of my handspun yarn sourced from Inspiration Fibers with little highlights of bright blue firestar amid cream and brown wool combination, and Bendigo black yarn.
These gloves are double stranded which means they have no stretch and are sadly just a bit too small for me :(
**Yarn**
Handspun: cotton, bfl, peruvian wool, shetland and firestar
Black: pure Australian wool
**Size**
xtra small
16cm / 6.25in circumference around fingers & wrist
16.5 / 6.5in long
One of a kind twined gloves made from a blend of my handspun yarn sourced from Inspiration Fibers with little highlights of bright blue firestar amid cream and brown wool combination, and Bendigo black yarn.
These gloves are double stranded which means they have no stretch and are sadly just a bit too small for me :(
**Yarn** Handspun: cotton, bfl, peruvian wool, shetland and firestar
Black: pure Australian wool
**Size**
xtra small
16cm / 6.25in circumference around fingers & wrist
16.5 / 6.5in long
These are the result of my happy stranding discoveries post
Despite not feeling any different, I think my spinning is getting a bit neater. I finished spinning this lovely Medley top from natchwoolie the other day. The reason I loved the look of this fleece was the question of how to combine the light and medium brown colours
In the end I went with the majority of each colour plied with itself and then a middle section where the colours are plied together
Not sure what this will become yet - unsure what this mingled brown colour would be best for - any thoughts?
In the end I went with the majority of each colour plied with itself and then a middle section where the colours are plied together
Eep look what arrived in the letterbox today from lylianmae!
It's sooo pretty and she has some rather timey whimey fleece for you Who fans too :)
Before I can spin this exciting batt, I need to finish what is currently on my wheel - which is this completely gorgeous Merino Bamboo blend from extremespinning
I find it difficult that you need to decide whether to ply your handspun before you start spinning (so that you spin your singles in the correct direction). I have been doing some swatching to try and help: (knit + crochet)
It's sooo pretty and she has some rather timey whimey fleece for you Who fans too :)
Before I can spin this exciting batt, I need to finish what is currently on my wheel - which is this completely gorgeous Merino Bamboo blend from extremespinning
I find it difficult that you need to decide whether to ply your handspun before you start spinning (so that you spin your singles in the correct direction). I have been doing some swatching to try and help: (knit + crochet)
Hello lovely readers - it's my 2nd Blogeversary!
After finishing school plus five years of full time study, I suddenly no longer needed to feel guilty for just creating things again. But somehow I felt a bit lost getting home from work each day, not knowing what to focus on and not feeling very happy.
I started up this blog, began designing patterns, and during the last two years have got to know many lovely creative people all around the world ^_^
Thanks for all your support along the way, and enjoy some pics of yarn spun from this amazing Inspiration Fibers fluff below
After finishing school plus five years of full time study, I suddenly no longer needed to feel guilty for just creating things again. But somehow I felt a bit lost getting home from work each day, not knowing what to focus on and not feeling very happy.
I started up this blog, began designing patterns, and during the last two years have got to know many lovely creative people all around the world ^_^
Thanks for all your support along the way, and enjoy some pics of yarn spun from this amazing Inspiration Fibers fluff below
Think this bamboo handspun is destined to become a Ceres Scarf :p The 355 st cast on almost killed me though


















