A New Journey Begins....

I recently posted about camping at Lake Cachuma and visiting Village Spinning and Weaving in which I bought two pounds of Merino.  A new journey begins as I start to spin for a shawl called Sleeves in Your Pi.

I have chosen a Pumpkin and and Nutmeg Merino Top that I plan on blending together to have a slight variation throughout the shawl.  I hope that I am not biting off more than I can chew!!!

Also while I camped, I was able to complete 4oz of a Merion/ Silk Blend and Navajo Plied it.  This is what it looks like now that I have washed and thwacked it.  I have just under 300 yards.

Not sure what I am going to make, perhaps some house slippers for the fall/ winter would be nice.  I plan on swatching it this evening.

  

My *NEW* Treasure

Those that *know* me, know that I love to shop at Thrift Stores.  You never know what you might find.  I usually shop for antique sewing machines, sewing notions, quilts, spinning and fiber related items, and early American furniture.  Some I keep, others I will resell on Craigslist for a profit.

My recent trip proved to be a worthwhile stop.  Upon entering the store, I noticed a very small chair.  It was in great shape, no scratches or cracks.  Not sure the maker, I presume it to be hand made by a craftsman just from the detail and workmanship that went into it.  What attracted me to it most, was it's size.  It is wide enough for an adult to sit on, but low enough for a child to sit on as well... or perhaps, to be used in conjunction with a spinning wheel!  It also has a high back, which was very appealing to me at the time.  

As you can see, it goes perfectly with my Ashford Traditional Spinning Wheel.  The best part about My *NEW* Treasure, it was ONLY $5.00!!!

First Spinning Project finished....FINALLY!!! Whoo hooo!

Remember way back in May when I spun my first Shetland yarn 'First Born'?  Well, I FINALLY finished knitting it up just last night into a wonderful Icelandic looking cap in which I used a free pattern from Ravelry called In-Between Seasons Cap.

Here is a recap of the process:

I am really happy with the results of my first spinning attempts and the cap.  It will be perfect for those chilly days working and diving off our local dive boats.  As a matter of fact, I will be DMing the Great Escape this coming weekend to Santa Barbara Island.  What a perfect time to show off my new cap!!!

Keep on Spinning! ...and Diving!

Jan in Cali

Happy 'Spinning' Anniversary to me!

Relaxing, Camping, and Spinning at Lake Cachuma

Today marks the third month that I have been spinning!  Whoo hooo!!!  The addiction and the craze has taken a stronghold on my being.  Today, marks Ashland's 3 month and Grace's 1 month Birthday!!!

Grace and I just returned from camping at Lake Cachuma here in CA.  We were camping on a beautiful bluff that overlooked the lake.  During our 4 day stay, we completed the 4oz of Merino/ Silk and even Navajo plied it.  It is now ready for the niddy noddy.

The Navajo Plying did not go as smoothly as it did on Ashland, but hopefully after streatching it out on the Niddy Noddy, washing and 'Whacking' it will become what I intended it to be.

We were going to visit the alpaca farm 'Ranch of the Oaks' however, due to traffic and the fact they had out of town guests, we weren't able to visit.  I did not leave the area however without fiber.  We managed to go to Solvang for a couple of hours where I spent some time at Solvang's

Village Spinning and Weaving.  I came away with not one, but TWO pounds of Merino Top.  One pound of Nutmeg, and one pound of Pumpkin to make myself a nice fall sweater.  I certainly hope that I'm not biting off more than I can chew.  LOL  I tend to do this with all of my hobbies.  I don't just dabble, I jump in Head First!

Burning the Midnight Oil.....Once Again

You would think that I would be tired.  My daughter and I drove 6 hours today returning to California from Arizona.  Upon arriving home, I did the usual household chores; then it was off to sewing, quilting, and then more spinning.

I took my Joy with me to Arizona.  I started to spin a Merino/ Silk blend that was hand dyed by Fluff Fibers (Etsy).  I hope to Navajo ply and to have enough yardage for a pair of socks.  i continued to spin this evening, for it's' too hot to go to bed (no AC).  Mind you, it was hot in AZ, but at least it's a dry heat, unlike here in California where we tend to get some humidity.  Ugh.

Anyway, here are some pics of what I have done so far:

While visiting AZ, my daughter and I snuck off to the Fiber Factory in Mesa.  Very nice shop with wonderful friendly staff.  Outside there shop is an over sized stuffed pink chair.  I couldn't resist taking a pic of my DD Briana.

I came home with 4oz of hand dyed BFL.  Not sure what I will spin to make, perhaps more socks or maybe a nice pair of fingerless gloves for winter.  Project TBD.

What I have been doing lately....Spinning and Diving!

This is Shetland Roving that I bought from a fellow knitting friend whoose sister works for a fiber mill.  I decided to spin it Lace Weight, in that my first attempt failed (see Burnt Orange Shetland).  Second Time was the charm!  I plan on making a lace scarf or perhaps a small shoulder wrap, depending on yardage.

After being out of the water for what seems several weeks, my boyfriend and I went diving at Anacapa Island which is part of the Channel Islands National Park this past Saturday.  Being a 'Nudi' fan, I spotted this very usual Nudibranch, one that I hadn't seen before.   I have yet to send his photo to my nudi expert friend's for proper ID.

I continue to work on making a carrying bag for my Ashford Joy.  It's a work in progress, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I am NOT a seamstress, so installing zippers will be the challenge for me.  It will have to wait until next week, for I will be traveling to Az to visit my mother for the next few days.