Sadly, not me leavin', but i'm excited to have sent a lovely skein of yarn to Handspun Revolution c/o Pluckyfluff :)

An interesting opportunity to have my handspun join others from around the globe and be displayed in an art gallery.  Tagged and accompanied by what i have termed a "spinning statement" that will also be displayed.
I almost forgot how much i like to spin (and plyplyply) beads.

Also finished this week is my new favorite knit - from my first beaded handspun "stormy valentine" ... here is "stormy heartache" from heart by Kristin Ledgett from knitty.   

i <3 it  ;)

A little insight into me ... wanted to warn the squeamish! I have a rather efficient mind. I don’t always use it properly, but it is the way i am wired. That said, i am not usually one for the easiest path ... so for the few people in this world that know the real me, this should come as no surprise. My favorite knitting project of all times has been on the needles now for almost 2 years. In the Fall of 2007 I was enchanted by lace patterns courtesy of Ravelry. I visited Grinny Possum on a mission to purchase lace weight yarn. I admit to being taken in by the color, but Ann also recommended it ... so i jumped. 1350 yards or amazing was now mine, all mine!!

I chose a pattern based on my favorite wildflower and designed by an accomplished lace maker: Queen Anne’s Lace by MMario.

I cast on at least 10 times, went all the way to 50 some rows and took the whole thing apart to begin again … have un-knit about ¼ the number of rows I have knit … and yet I press on, when the desire strikes. I’ve had a new surge of energy for the Queen, reaching 94 rows where I was placing my latest lifeline … and stitches slipped off as I worked the so-called lifeline. argh.  What to do?  after finishing this post i am going to count stitches, might have only been one - in which case i will fix it.  Might be more which would be cause to fall back to last lifeline ... 10 rows ago (ouch).

Either way, Queen Anne is possibly my most favorite knitting project, ever.  Not to mention, this is wonderful education for when i finally use my handspun buffalo plied with silk of almost 1900 yards ... but that is another post for another day ;)

for those who think it just looks like a yarn mess - when done it will be blocked and the pattern will come to life :)

Today is a lovely day to think of all the "new"  with a blanket of snow softening the landscape ... watching lilting flakes accumulate.  New, clean, crisp ...

And, as promised, the 3 ply lovely from last post's singles.  There is a bit more pink to it, but still trying to figure out my new camera ...

I have all 3 spun, fairly thin:

I made the pic a bit bigger to show the hints of fuschia glittery ... can't wait to see how they look together!  stay tuned :)

lovely knit lace circle with button center adorning the card ... and might just become a scarf pin ...

felted snowfolks and a poinsettia my daughter thinks is "beautiful and wavy" ... very nifty!!

an overlook of everything including some plummy handspun near the lace card and red handspun with flags ... commercial novelty yarn, red roving and multi brown roving, blend in sparkle & green, e beads, thread, a bead book ... and i know i'm forgetting things

this pompom is so funky and wants to be an important something, hanging out with felted flower and the sparkle blend in

close up of the plummy handspun, necklace and a touch of the red handspun (daughter dear was helping with pics ...)
WOW, Kevin (aka Shoebridge Studio), you outdid yourself!!  Can't wait to jump in, blend, spin, knit and create something ;)

THANK YOU!!

:) 

Holly took home one of my favorite yarns, and admitted to me it might not ever be made into anything.  I'm okay with that, sometimes yarns just want to be appreciated for what they are ... art   ;) 

Nalbinding is something i have been intrigued by for years, so i jumped at the chance to snatch up a book and wood needle from Ursula's Alcove.  Now we'll have to see if i can figure it all out ;)

Top blue green fiber with sparkly bits is Mermaid Tail from Lunabud Knits and the bottom multi color multi fiber batt is from Blueball Mountain Spindle and Needleworks - saw it and had to have it! 

These 3 batts are from my good friend Kathleen at B & G Farm.  I was nearby when she put all three together to show a customer - i had been looking at them for hours, but not together - and suddenly, i needed them all!  Fortunately, for me, the customer went another way with a purchase and left these lovelies for me ;)
Friday was pink day, as it turned out ... raspberry wool and 2 pink shades of sparkle from Buerer's Farm.  Various pink yarns and threads from Flying Shuttle Fibers.  Oh, the one still in plastic is white with gold bits and the one next to it that seems almost white is a very pale pink.  Pink and yellow boucle cake and some sock yarn probably for the girlie.
Best deal might have been this score of handspun from Shoebridge Studio.  When Kevin is a rock star in the fiber world i will have this to show off ;)   Can't wait to knit it up, but need the PERFECT pattern ... or maybe i can just knit it up and not weave in the ends ;)

If you have your own swag to show off, leave a comment with a link so we can all see!  Also, remeber we have a flickr group so you can share pics there, too!

:)

My springtime baby's birthday was obviously in the spring, but two other important "birthdays" occur in October.  Grinny Possum celebrates 5 years this weekend - knit till you drop tonight starting at 6pm - woohoo!  And Southern Indiana FiberArts Festival celebrates with the 5th annual festival October 16 & 17 - the first time it is 2 days - so come be a part of all the fun!!  email me at fiberexchangeguild@yahoo.com if you want to volunteer for even more fun ;)

edit 10/5/2009: 

Did you catch my brain blip?  Caught it myself when telling someone about what i wrote ... i thought, um, duh, what is wrong with me?? My girlie was born in 2004 so she was 18 months old for the first SIFAF.  geesh, i need another coffee - or a nap ;)

I was humbled and honored to be interviewed for this article.  Yea, that's my quote on page 39 and again on page 40 :)   Some of you know my story (or read the Spinterview).  I always felt a little like an outsider artist with my remnants and weird spins.  Now i feel like an outside artist, but more people know about us, haha ;)

 I almost forgot to mention that this same issue (Fall 2009) has articles about raising your own silkworms AND growing cotton - now you really got to have it, right??