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The four day weekend lived up to its promise. I knitted on the Sunrise shawl both inside the house and in various public locations. It's going well, and I'm around 14 rows from finishing. I'm shortening the pattern slightly, partly because I don't want a big shawl, mainly because I fear I am going to run out of wool. I have been doing desperate calculations, based on the idea that seven rows take ten grams. If I'm lucky I will make it to the end, otherwise I have some nearly white sock yarn that matches, I can cast off in that.

I spun and Navaho plied 105 meters of alpaca for Leon's scrunchable hat . I learnt that fibre preparation really impacts on the finished product and that my ability to card dirty alpaca is not very high. Also that spinning 50 / 50 silk alpaca mix is fun, fun, fun and I want more of it.

I plied together some natural brown wool, that I am going to use for my owls jumper. I was not too enthusiastic about my attempt at long draw until I plied it, but now its soft and strong and bouncy and I love it. I've been wanting to knit this jumper since I first saw it, and I think knitting it out of handspun will be amazing.

I also took advantage of Webs free postage offer. I bought 3 lots of sock wool - Malabrigo, Dream in Colour and Aranchino, and 150 grams of laceweight Malabrigo for a Lettuce jumper I have been obsessing about. I'm a little bit in love with Hannah Fettig, and with knitting jumpers out of laceweight. Oh and some spinning fibre...

I don't feel too bad about adding to the stash, since its 450 grams of wool, and I am taking 500 grams out on the first of next month, and the handspun I will be knitting for rest of November will create some real room in the stash box. Hopefully.

My parents are away and we've had their half Bengal, Fern, staying with us. wherever you look in our plce there is a spotted cat. Here's the beautiful tarragon, helping me knit my shawl.

Other than the fantastic weekend I am sulking a bit, because I have to work for a living and it's really cutting in to my crafting time. Still it's only two days until the weekend. Here's hoping my blocking wires arrive before then, so I can get the shawl off the needles, blocked and ready to wear for Monday morning. If this shawl won't cheer me up, nothing will!

Comments

  1. i am super excited to see that shawl of yours in the flesh, we've missed you!

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