My first single-ply yarn!

That's right, I finished my first singles yarn and I'm pretty proud of it! Ta-da!

I've been wanting to try making a single-ply yarn but I've put it off because I found it pretty intimidating. I know that to make a decent singles yarn you need to treadle slowly, and I tend to spin at quite a brisk pace. So I didn't know if I'd be able to achieve a nice low-twist yarn. But lately I've been working on being okay with making mistakes. Coaxing myself to try new things even if I can't be sure I'll do them well. I had just received some gorgeous BFL dyed by Kristin at All Spun Up on Etsy, and I couldn't wait to spin it. The colors are quite dark and they're over-dyed on ecru and natural brown mixed BFL so I thought it would be a good fit for a single-ply yarn. I had a feeling that using this for a 2-ply might muddy the colors a bit. Here's a picture of the roving (borrowed from the Etsy listing).

The stars aligned and I managed to produce a yarn that I'm really happy with, especially for my first try. Don't get me wrong - I still love a good squishy, sproingy 2 ply. But I can't believe how soft and fuzzy this yarn is! And it symbolizes a personal triumph for me - I conquered my inner perfectionist who normally would've chickened out. And especially with such gorgeous fiber - I admit I was a little reluctant to risk ruining it. But I pushed on anyway and I'm so glad I did!

Considering it's my first single-ply and the colors are completely "my" colors, I think I'm going to keep this one. This is the first yarn I've spun that I really can't quite bear to part with. It's hard to imagine it with the heat we've been having but I think I'll make a pair of mittens for winter. I want to make something that makes use of the fluffiness of the yarn. And it only gets cold enough for full on mittens a few times a year where I live, so I'm thinking they'll last me forever! I'll be sure to post pictures of them once they're done (probably in the Fall).

I can't wait to try another singles yarn! I'm pretty excited about this so you may see a few singles skeins in my shop soon (although I also just finished the 2-ply SW Merino I've been working on, which will be hitting Black Mustard Colorworks tomorrow). I think I'll make a few more that are pretty uniform in thickness like this one until I get comfortable with the speed, and then I'd like to try to spin a nice even slubby thick-and-thin singles yarn. Wish me luck!

Golden Slumbers - Handspun SW Merino yarn

My newest yarn sold in absolute record time in my Etsy shop, thanks to my having posted pictures on Ravelry. Thanks Ravelry! I thought I'd share photos here because I was really pleased with the way this yarn turned out.



I called this yarn "Golden Slumbers" because the colors remind me of snowy, sleeping woods (and because I love that song). I ended up with 195 yards of fingering weight SW Merino, weighing in at 4oz.

The roving came once again from Kristin of All Spun Up on Etsy. Her colors and fiber never disappoint, and this was no exception. I absolutely loved spinning this yarn!

Polaris - Handspun Merino yarn

I've just listed a brand new handspun yarn in my Etsy shop. "Polaris" is 188 yards of the squishiest sport weight Merino.

I absolutely love the way this yarn turned out. Blues aren't normally "my colors" but they sure are soothing to spin. And the way the predominantly cool blues and purples are balanced with warm flashes of yellow and brown.

The roving was dyed by the amazing Kristin of All Spun Up on Etsy. As always it was a joy to spin, perfectly prepped with deep, vivid tones. Here is a picture, borrowed from the original listing.

Afterglow - Handspun Superfine Merino yarn

I finally finished my fiber from the 2nd All Spun Up spin-a-long. A little behind this time around, since I've been knitting away so furiously over the last couple of months. I love the way this yarn turned out - I had a hard time deciding to list it in my Etsy shop!

"Afterglow" is 184 yards of 2 ply DK-light worsted weight handspun. The fiber was dyed by Kristin of AllSpunUp on Etsy. As always, the colors are incredible, and the Superfine Merino was a joy to spin. The yarn is soft, spring and super squishy!

Equinox - Handspun Merino Yarn

Here's my latest handspun yarn, which I'm so glad to be able to list in my Etsy shop. "Equinox" is 226 squishy yards of 100% Merino goodness.

Once again I spun this from roving dyed by Kristin at Allspunup. It's always a treat to work with her well-prepped fiber in the most amazing colors. I love the way this turned out!

Enchanted - Handspun Merino Alpaca Yarn

I've been away for about a week - camping in beautiful Tofino and Bamfield, BC. I will have pictures to post soon! I had an amazing time, but I sure missed my spinning wheel - I spent more quality time with Goliath than any other member of my multi-species family the first night I got home! Here's my latest handspun, once again a scrumptious SW Merino/Alpaca blend dyed by Kristin of AllSpunUp.

"Enchanted" 182 yards, 3.8 oz

The colors kind of remind me of the ones in "Neptune's Dream" - rich blues, greens and gold. But this time they are over-dyed on heathered grey Alpaca, creating a warm, subdued pallet that I just love.

Spin-A-Long fun!

I have finished spinning my yarn for the AllSpunUp spin-a-long! How it worked is that a number of people signed up to purchase fiber dyed in the same colorway and then we'll all spin them up and share the pictures. It will be very interesting to see how the same fiber in the same colors will undoubtedly produce different effects with each spinner.

Here's mine - "Neptune's Dream" 80% Merino, 20% Silk, 100% gorgeous! Kristin really out-did herself with these colors.

This blend is heavenly to spin and the yarn is so soft, with a bit of shine from the silk. I am so happy with the way it turned out. It should create a striped effect when it's knitted up, with fairly prominent solid aqua and navy stripes separated by the blended yellow/orange/brown bits. It was very interesting to spin it, and I hope someone will find it just as fun to knit with. That's right, it's for sale in my Etsy shop!


This is what the original roving looked like. Isn't it lovely? I can't wait to see all the other yarns, and I sure hope she does another one of these soon!

Earth Child - Merino Alpaca handspun yarn

Well, it's been a while. Pemberton was an interesting experience - after getting caught in the Airport snag on the Thursday night, I decided to defect and head home early on Friday. I caught a Greyhound bus and got home by about 9pm. I just didn't relish the idea of spending another 3 days in chaos. I know, I know. The music was amazing. But you know what? Having gotten swept up in all the hype of the festival, I never really stopped to ask myself if any of these bands were all that high on my list of favorites. It's too bad it was a lesson that cost me over $300, but I think I made the right decision. The rest of the weekend I experienced a lot of cool coincidences, connections with great people, etc. that lead me to think I way wise to head home when I did.

Anyway, I'm back to my spinning, after having hurt my wrist fairly bad and having to hold off for a couple weeks. Man, did I miss it! The fiber I chose to get back into it was perfect! It's 70% SW Merino, 30% Alpaca, dyed by the incredible Kristin of AllSpunUp on Etsy.

"Earth Child" 224 yards, 4oz - available in my Etsy shop now!

I am so happy with how this yarn turned out! Besides the fact that these are "my colors", this fiber blend spins up soooo soft and squishy.

Here's a picture of the roving (borrowed from the listing). Any spinners out there - I suggest you check out Kristin's shop asap. She really is amazing with color.

Dappled - SW Merino handspun yarn

I have just added this yarn to my Etsy shop today. "Dappled" is 185 yards of 100% Superwash Merino goodness.

It was spun from gorgeous hand-dyed AllSpunUp roving. After the last yarn I spun, which took quite a long time to finish, I wanted a quick and soothing spin. This roving was a dream to work with, and I love how the colors turned out!

One for you, one for me...

I've just made my first trade with a fellow crafter on Etsy. To tell the truth I feel a little starstruck because it was one of the very first sellers I ever took notice of on Etsy, long before I started selling. Val of Actual Size Creations makes incredible knitting messenger bags, which I have been lusting after since I first saw them in their well-deserved spot on Etsy's front page. On my current working-part-time budget, I haven't been able to justify buying one yet but I dreamed of treating myself to one of her bags someday. Well, I made a comment on a Ravelry update post she made about how much I loved her work and she mentioned that she's always open to trade and that she liked my handspun yarns. Long story short, this bag is going to be mine!!!

It looks incredibly well-made and functional, as well as really unique (I love the zigzag of the needle pockets on the front!) I cannot wait to get it (it's on its way to me now). Val also sells beautifully dyed sock yarns in her shop - check them out!!! This one's my fave.

Oh, and my end of the bargain was this handspun yarn, and a couple of fabric headbands.

"Summer Showers" is 276 yards of fingering weight BFL, dyed by the amazing Kristin at AllSpunUp. I hope she likes it as much as I know I'm going to love my bag!

Sonora - BFL handspun yarn

This is the yarn I spun from my second batch of All Spun Up roving. This was a custom dye job that she did for me to recreate a colorway that had already sold in her shop and I was sorry for missing out on. Here's the roving...

And here's the yarn...

I am so pleased with the way it turned out! The colors work beautifully together, and it's a light DK weight (something I've been striving for - especially challenging with Goliath). It's now for sale in my Etsy shop.

More spinning, finally!

I have finally been blessed with my very own spinning wheel! Once again, I have Lynne at Knitopia Wools Co. to thank, since she's been keeping me in mind since the workshop in March and she alerted me to a great deal on this used wheel. It was a bit of a challenge to get used to it at first, since it is an older wheel and it's much more aggressive than the wheels I've used so far. But, I think we're pretty well-acquainted now, and I'm starting to produce things like this...

This yarn was spun from the gorgeous roving hand-dyed by Kristin at All Spun Up on Etsy. It's made of 50% alpaca, 30% merino and 20% silk. It is very soft and smooth, and the colors are unbelievable! It's currently for sale in my Etsy shop.

This was the roving (sooo beautiful) in various states of progress...

Isn't Kristin's eye for color amazing? I would strongly suggest that any spinners out there check out her shop. Her hand-dyed roving is seriously addictive! She also carries a few handspun yarns, which are gorgeous as well! I purchased this sock wool from her a little while ago, and I will have pictures of the resulting socks up here eventually!