Klotho Handspun

Dear the internet,

It’s been a while, but I haven’t forgotten you. Here’s what I’ve been doing.

This first handspun is called ‘flurry,’ and it’s soft, lovely Falklands wool. There’s a handful of leftover roving sitting atop my desk here, which I’ve now felt compelled to bury my face in and just… nestle.

This next one is ‘Catalina Macaw.’ I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was that the colours reminded me of, but I knew it was some sort of large bird. I scoured the internets and discovered the Catalina variety of hybrid Macaw. Lovely plumage, the Catalina Macaw.

It’s Romney, and nowhere near as soft as the Falklands, but so bright and cheerful.

As-yet-nameless, hand-dyed Romney top, in colours that remind me of the pea-blossoms in my garden. Can’t decide whether to spin it or sell it.

Some more hand-dyed Romney.

My current knitting project is a pullover for myself. Nothing fancy, just something that will fit well. The yarn is ordinary worsted wool from a pullover I’d made a couple of years ago, which fits very poorly and looks like maternity clothing. (Mind, there’s nothing wrong with maternity clothes, only I’m not pregnant.)

It is a little sad to be ripping out an entire sweater, complete with braided cables, and remembering all the time spent knitting it the first time. But it should still be worthwhile to finally have something I’ll use.

The felt purse is just about finished. I’ve just got to finish writing the pattern and take a decent photograph of it in action. Here it is blocking, stuffed with dvd cases in plastic bags to give it the proper shape.

Voilà! It’s just like the red one I made a few years ago, only larger, and with a four-strand braid for the strap instead of twisted cord. It just needs lining and a closure.

• … in which I saw friends and a matinée
• The evening was somewhat workful. I did some spinning, and even took action shots! This deserves an exclamation point due to the difficulty inherent in photographing yourself, engaged in an activity requiring the use of both hands, without the aid of a timer. Of course, it couldn’t have been all that difficult, or I’d have given up, right? The yarn on the bobbin is mostly pastel shades so far. The next bit coming up is darker. I love watching the colours slowly translate from dye to wool to yarn.
• For a while, I’ve been working towards designing the perfect diagonally-striped hat. No cigar just yet, but I’ve enjoyed combining my hand-dyed variegated yarns with solid colours. I love the variety: some parts have sharp contrast, others blend together. Because the yarns’ textures reflect the light differently, the photographs make the stripes look very distinct. In person, the pink/blue stripes are quite variable; there are parts of the pink yarn that are dark blue-violet, and nearly blend into the blue of the other yarn.
• Goodnight!