Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Projects Abound

I quit my full time job 3 and half months so I could knit, make yarn, and sew full time. Not only have I loved every minute of it but it also feels very surreal. It's something I've dreamt about doing my entire life. Now when I wake up with a remnants of a dreamt up sweater, I can take the time needed to sketch it into my notebook instead of shrugging it off as something I can only dream of making. Needless to say, I got to a point with my creative self where not only could I not balance my creative energy but I it kind of felt like I had left it for dead with a little note saying, don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can. In the mean time, here's some needles and yarn.. make something.  Now my creative self and I are two peas in a pod spending late nights together pulling apart over sized fugly mohair sweaters by the fire (to recycle the yarn of course), spinning first thing in the morning while watching entire series of Parenthood and Hart of Dixie. Yes, I like that show, it's cute and happy. I've had piles of bird shapes gaining on my and over taking my sewing table. And now I make more special trips to see fiber friends and buy their yarn. This past weekend my partner and I made the journey to visit Bill of Hope Spinnery and of course by some yarn! I bought two lovely skeins. One of orange the other multi colored with orange. It's sitting in the dream pot. Aka my basket waiting to tell me what they will be. The next day we just crossed the bay to attend Picnic and to of course... buy more yarn. I found Rachel of On The Round selling her lovely fiber and of course, I bought yarn. 3 skeins of this lovely pale variegated pink. I noticed not until I got home that the color way is called Lamb. I Really Really love this yarn and I am really looking forward to knitting something special and small with it.  

So with all this collecting and gathering, and creating, there is also listing. New batches of yarn and birds were added today.

Today I listed a few new items in my etsy shop. Fresh handspun Maine Island yarns dyed with various plant pigments.  

I also added a few special birds to make this holiday season a bit more festive. 


And a few upcoming projects working their way through my fingers are some knitting needle cases. I have 4 in the making. 

I've been working on a new fair isle inspired child's mitten made from plant dyed maine wool.

I've also got a fresh new batch of dyed wool to spin. The last of my Maine Island fleece. Consisting of madder, cutch and fustic.

A few other things that I'm still working on is a hand knit Christmas stocking for the sweetheart. A hand knit hat in a chevron design that I have frogged 3 times included numerous back picking. Next time, it ends up in the fire. But I'll show pictures if it makes it off my needles alive! 

Then waiting in the wings ever so patently is a what I hope will be a sweet, shiny, fluffy weaving project. I've recently inherited from a very nice lady a tiny metal table loom. After the holidays I imagine that things will get oiled and will be reinstated to a place of glory weaving silk rovings. I can only hope. 

Off for a walk now before the sun sets.