Let RSC 2008 commence...

and wowee, Tina has truly done it again!

Honestly, I was aware that the first package of the 2008 Rockin Sock Club would be sent out in January, but I have been so busy spinning (with a few knitting projects on the side :) ) that I just haven't even been thinking about when it would get here. So I was surprised to find it in my mailbox just now!

It is truly truly scrumptiously gorgeous! Colorway is "dragon dance" (printed on the inside of the ballband is my dragon's name: Norbert!!! I love it!!!!) The colors are red and burgundy and pink:


I know I say it with every RSC package, but "this may be my absolute favourite color!!!"


The pattern is "Serendipity" by Adrian Fong :The intro to the pattern reads:
Take a simple lace stitch,
and a handpainted yarn
Sometimes, magic happens.
It's "Serendipity!"


We also got our usual mini-keychain skein of yarn. We also got 2 fantabulous badges (if you're English like me) or buttons (if you're American).


The pic below shows the badges again with a bumper sticker we received:


I should really finish some projects before starting this one, but I just can't wait!!! I shall be casting these babies on immediately!

Sorry for the lengthy absence...

I have just been so busy! The biggy news, I got a beeeoootifoool spinning wheel from Santa! It is an Ashford Traveller with double treadle, and I just love it! Haven't gotten around to taking a pic of it yet, but will do so soon and get it uploaded.

I have spun up a few skeins of yarn now, and overall am very happy with them! These pictures are of Romney in colorway "goblin eyes", the october fiber from the spunky fiber club. I am so in love with spunky's fibers. I love that every month we get not only a radically different color to previous months, but the fiber is different too! Having the opportunity to try new fibers and new colors is just so important with spinning, as I have quickly learned that the finished yarn often bears little resemblance to the roving! This is a picture of the roving:


Single on the bobbin:

2ply skeined:

December's colorway was a very bright "party dress", fiber is Corriedale.
I basically got two skeins from the roving. The first is red plied with green:


The second is green plied with turqoise:


I don't think there is a spinner on the planet who doesn't buy from Spunky, but just in case you happen to be one!! check out her website here. She truly created works of art in her fiber, the colors are always just beautiful. She also has a blog here which I have found so useful as a new spinner. There are a few tutorials as well as some free patterns etc.

RSC Raven

So Octobers kit arrived from Rockin Sock Club (a few weeks ago actually, but I have been busy and haven't found time to post...) It is from the Raven series, and is a beautiful deep burgundy color. The pattern that came with it is inspired by the Edgar Allen Poe poem "The Raven". Although I love the pattern, I don't think I will use it with this yarn. We will have to see...


Funny story about when it arrived. As you may (or may not) know, we have recently moved to Arizona from North East England. In England about the worst insect you can find is a garden bumble bee. Nothing scary at all. In Arizona however... between rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, scorpions, tarantulas and a host of other nasties, it is a different story. To say I am jumpy about insects is an understatement. Can you imagine my reaction then when I opened this months kit to find 3 HUGE spiders in there. I kid you not, I froze with fear and could not BREATHE for all of 5 seconds, I THOUGHT THEY WERE REAL! Afterwards thought it was hilarious, but for that space of time (which felt a whole lot longer than 5 seconds) I seriously couldn't breathe! It was a little gifty from the Blue Moon ladies in celebration of Halloween (kit arrived a week or so before Halloween).

On another note, I have finished one, and am past the heel on the other Summer of Love Lace sock in Rockin Sock yarn, Nodding Violet colorway. I haven't grafted the toe on this one yet. I am pleased with how they are turning out. The color pools on the lace cuff, then feathers beautifully around the foot. They will be a gift, need to hurry and get them finished in time to post for xmas. Should make it OK (although knitting time is severely reduced lately by pesky situations life throws at you, as well as time spent on spinning, my new found passion!

Aspen spun...

I recently spun up my September fiber from Spunky Eclectic club. It is a beautiful Merino Tencel fiber in "Aspen" colorway. I spun it on my new drop spindle, and had so much fun with it! It was just gorgeous to work with, and the colours are amazing! The tencel gives it the most beautiful shine! This isn't the greatest picture to show off the colors, but here it is as a single:


As I don't own a wheel yet, my only option for plying is using my drop spindle. I really would have liked to ply it with itself, but I decided I wouldn't have enough yards, and as I was using the spindle it would be a lot easier to ply with another yarn. I therefore decided to ply it with some Rowan 100% Alpaca that I already had. The alpaca is the larger ball underneath the Aspen:

I have already plied and used the yarn to make a cowl, which I LOVE! Not sure how much use I will have for a cowl in Arizona though :) I haven't taken pics yet. I will take some soon and get them uploaded. Things are pretty hectic still (hence I haven't really posted since before we moved!) but hopefully we will start getting more settled soon...

I also recently received Octobers fiber from Spunky:


It is called "Goblin Eyes" and is Romney. The purple is less blue and more deep purple than it appears in the picture, but other than that the colors are pretty true. Haven't started spinning this one up yet, but the pictures from others on the Spunky club site look gorgeous!

New Drop Spindle

Yesterday we visited Kathy from Unique Designs by Kathy at her shop in Tucson, Arizona. What a fabulous time I had! The shop is adjacent to her home, which meant that she was able to show us around introducing her animals, whose fibre she sells in her shop both as handspun yarn and roving. We met her llamas, sheep and goats, who all seemed so happy and content there. It was great to be able to "put a face" (so to speak!) to the fiber in the shop.

She then showed me her work in the shop. There were beautiful wet felted pieces in the form of bowls, hats, bags and landscapes to hang on the wall (check out her website here for some pictures of what she sells), as well as knitted items, and of course the yarn and roving. Kathy is just so friendly and helpful, I am a new spinner and I learned so much from her in our short trip yesterday! She also sells a line of handspun yarns that she calls "hidden treasures" Wow! (see pictures on her blog here, although they don't do the yarn justice! Has nothing to do with Kathy's photos, you just can't capture in a picture the textures, colors and beauty of these yarns). There is a mix of fibers in there for a textured effect, including ribbons, and then periodically there are beads, buttons, feathers etc. Truly wonderful works of art. I felt so inspired being around her store and seeing her work.

I bought a GORGEOUS new drop spindle from her. It was made by a gentleman from Kundert Spindles, and I am just ecstatic over it! It is Maple, with accents of Red cedar, Maple and Bloodwood on the whorl. It is truly a beautiful piece of art, and was hand turned to create such a well balanced spindle. The one I was previously using was a homemade DIY job, which worked well, but oh my gosh! After using this new spindle last night, I could never use anything else again! The quality of what I was spinning increased ten-fold and it was such a pleasure to use! I feel like a real spinner now!


I also bought roving from Kathy. The brown and black in it is from her llama, then I think she said the colored fiber was Shetland. It also has some angel tinsel through it. I started spinning it last night, and am really pleased with how it is turning out. It looks silvery grey, with flecks of the tinsel shimmer, then tweedy bits of orange and white.



What a cutie model demonstrating my new spindle:


As a note, if you happen to be around Tucson, Arizona on Saturday 3rd November, Kathy has organized the "Tucson Wool Festival 2007" to be held on her property.

Rockin Sock yarn shipment

Upon arriving in Arizona, one of the immediate benefits was that I had a shipment from the lovely Blue Moon ladies waiting for me... some of my favorite yarn! I just LOVE Rockin' sock yarn! There are others that I really like a lot, but I think this is my favorite for socks. It has such a lovely smoosh and spring to it, and the colors are always so fabulous!


I got (in order from top to bottom):
Sugarplums in Mediumweight
Mesa in Mediumweight (seeing as I now live 'round the corner from Mesa!)
Nodding Violet in Lightweight
Philosopher's Stone in Lightweight (possibly my fave colorway of them all!)

I also got a skein of "Downpour" in lightweight, which are nearly a pair of Cedar Creeks.


They are a little big for me as they will be a xmas pressie for my hubby (hence just a plain cast on edge instead of the pretty picot edge in the pattern). I am really pleased with how they are turning out. They are fun to knit, and I got into the pattern straight away, didn't take long to be able to knit them without referring to chart.

Apologies...

OK so first of all apologies that I seemed to have fallen off the face of the planet! In actual fact we made the move from UK to Arizona on 27th Sept, and it has taken me a while to get sorted out and find the time to take pictures etc! I have had very little time to knit or do anything that could be classed as "me time" (inevitable I think with so much going on), but I do have a few things to show you...

Firstly I have started spinning my BFL in "Embers" colorway from Yarn Yard. *Remember I am a new spinner!!* Because I am a newbie it is slubby, but I am really pleased with the results, and the colors are gorgeous! I am not sure what the wpi are yet.


I also received my first package from spunky fiber club, and it is just so gorgeous! Just truly, beautiful, and so shiny! It is 2 ounces of Superwash Merino Tencel in "Aspen" colourway, apparently inspired by "the Yellow Aspens, the big teal blue sky and the large mountains [with] snow caps". Can't wait for my new kit to arrive!