Thursday 19 November 2015

Ever closer

Big events are creeping up, this is both exciting and nerve racking at once. 

Sunday sees the first Winter Woollies wool fair. Because I thought I would solve the issue of no wool fairs around here by organising one!
This week has seen me cleaning and tidying the venue, painting the walls, sorting out posters and signs, layouts, toilets, tables and dyeing stock for my own stall (yeah, I have  a stall at the event as well a running it, me, mad, why do you ask?!)

The weather has turned cold and grey, there was talk of snow. I'm sure it will be fine.

Obviously the festive gifting season is approaching too. Some of my crafting for that is in hand. However, I am certain I will think of a few more bits I just have to make, and there are some socks that still look a lot like a skein of yarn (it is now navy blue yarn though, so an improvement over a week ago).

On the needles:
Obviously, with socks that need making, I cast on for something entirely different. In my defence the sock yarn was still drying. More of a problem is that this now occupies the needles I need for the socks.
Thought I would use up some sock leftovers and have a go at an unusual construction. This is the first of a pair of Hexagon mitts by Sybil R. A little fiddly, but fun to try something different. She has a pattern for pieces of eight mitts too that I want to try.




Off the needles:
I was already to take a photo of the stripy socks that I shared last week now in their finished state. then I realised their intended recipient might happen to pass by the blog, so thought it best not to put a picture up. They are done though, ends woven in and everything. All ready for wrapping.

Playing with colours:
Since the dye pots have been out to get ready for the show I have had a chance to play with colours. Last week it was a green gradient custom dye, which I handpainted. It came out like this.

Having rediscovered how much fun it is to hand paint yarn I am planning to try my hand at some self striping as well.

With the last of the yarn dyed I filled the pot with some raw alpaca from a fleece I was gifted. Threw some dye in a have been cooking it this morning. The colours have all blended, but I will not be able to see how it looks until I rinse it tomorrow (too hot at the minute, don't want to make felt!) 

I realise that looks purple in the photo, it is, in fact, bright green, blue and turquoise.
The raw fleece always makes the pot filthy, so I only do this right at the end of the session when the pot will be scrubbed out anyway. It makes for interesting, and unpredictable colours. As a bonus it washes the alpaca in the process.

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