Christy's Challenge part 2

Of course I couldn't wait long to start knitting the beautiful yarn.

I have picked the same pattern I have knitted last as it was on the list of patterns to choose from.

Dragonfly wings by Boo Knits

It was just a perfect match for my yarn.

I have started it on Friday September 4th as it was a long weekend I knew I could be done quite fast.

It was finished by September 9th.

The blocking went well and with the weather collaboration it was dry in about an hour.

I just love how it turned out, feather light with a nice drape.

It took me a while to post it as my computer was having hiccups now it is fixed, I'm glad to have a geeky son that could help installing the hardware for me and clean the dust bunnies.

Now it runs like new.

Christy's challenge...

While browsing on Ravelry I found this challenge.

I received about 100 grams of beautiful Cotswold locks.

Already washed and ready to card.  I decided to card instead of combing because most of the locks were a little too short and It would have wasted too much and I would have ended up with a very skinny skein.

I turned it into a huge batt.

Started spinning away...

and plied...

Then it went for a colorful bath...

Here is the resulting skein for the contest entry.

I really love how it turned out beautiful and lustrous.

Now I wonder how long I'm going to be able to wait before I start knitting this yarn...it's just so tempting.

Pickwick locks in progress...

Back to last fall...

One upon a time there was some raw and dusty locks.

I did washed them.

Then I got really busy and couldn't work them for awhile.

I have decided to dye the locks turquoise.

They are so pretty...but life got in the way again, the weather was so gray I couldn't take a decent picture either.

Now here are the pretty locks sunbathing ;)

And a super carded batt.....

Ain't this lovely to see fluffy wool ready to spin?

All used up...

I just finished knitting all the yarn spun from my Pickwick fleece...

fingerless mittens and this mini skein is what I got left.

The pattern is Dalkey from Carol Feller, but I didn't make the rolling rows as I did the first time.

Few pictures from the garden...

Lots of fruits and vegetables growing.. so little time to weed...

Emergency room knitting part 2

I've spent so much time at the hospital the last few weeks, I did most of my knitting waiting at the emergency room. I knitted a second neck warmer for myself and a hat.

As you can see it's very plain...

no patterns...just things I have done over and over the years

I couldn't simply focus anymore... I guess too much stress lately didn't help me.  Lucky me my brother is doing better and even back to work.  Now it's time for me to relax a little.

This week improvising...

I offered to knit something to a friend, a winter hat was the chosen item. I looked around for a pattern but couldn't find a hat with a folded brim large enough to cover the ears by a double layer when it's cold and windy and unfolded when it's not as cold... The plan was to use some of my Pickwickflock stash, the yarn is beautiful by itself so I didn't want an over crowded motif... so I decided to only knit twins narrow cables... there my idea becomes a project,

it went fast... really fast.

not bad for an improvised hat...

I even got the time to wash it

Today it was ready to go to it's owner.

Pickwickflock...cotswold lamb fleece to yarn

Test skein

It was lovely to spin. It's soft, lustrous and a little fuzzy.

Test knit

I knitted it with 4mm Knitter's Pride Dreamz, as it got some fuzz I did try larger needles as I would do for mohair to see how it would react.

Now the real deal!!!

376 yards/150 grams

It is very nice, soft, lustrous... still need a good wash.

The final result...

washed with shampoo and rinse with some hair conditioner, then I used the salad spinner to drain off all the water and to finish a good whack.  The photo is showing it drying.

I named the first skein Big Pearl... and I think it deserved some little ribbons.

This one is even softer as I didn't twist as much as the test one, and it really does make a difference.

It even got a twin!

Pickwickflock... processing my fleece

First thing I did was pulling the locks, so that way I can pick up any second cuts and then I put all the locks I'll be washing in my "large" salad spinner basket, filling up the kitchen sink with very hot water adding some dish soap "Dawn" original *blue  

I'm just taking the basket right into the water and do let it sit for 10 minutes, I do not let the water getting cold and I don't put too many locks so there is lot of water around,  when done all I have to do is taking the basket out and let it sit in the spinner while I fill up the sink again with very hot water for the first rinse, putting the basket back to the sink and let it sit for 10 minutes and I do another rinse the same way.  For the very dirty parts I just take it apart for a cold soak few hours and later wash as previously mentioned.

When I'm finished with the rinses I take the basket out of the water, all the water just draining off without manipulating the fleece, I put the basket in the bowl put the top on and I do spin all the water out, it's making this the easiest way to wash even if the weather is not perfect.

The same locks all dried up, you will probably notice there is still some lanolin and yes I do this on purpose as it is making the wool easier to spin, if you ever find out you "over washed a fleece just use some good quality hair conditioner while rinsing after dying or while washing after spinning, it's better than using liquid fabric softener as wool is hair after all.  I do this too with finished projects too, you can always add few drops of lavender essential oil for a fragrance on the plus side it is a natural moth repellent. 

a lock next to some tussah silk top

Combing the tips

processed on my hackle and dizzed... fluffed like a cloud

Spinning on my wheel

Pickwickflock... Raw ram lamb fleece

Today I just received my firsts lamb flee from *Pickwickflock on Ravelry, it was fast as it's been shipped from the UK on Monday 7 and delivered in Canada by Thursday 10, it is a very nice fleece and it does smell good too, and it is soooooooooooo soft!!!!!

Nice shinny locks, average 5 inches quite long for a lamb :)

almost no vm , 

few dirty tips...

so I did a washing test...

as you can see for a first wash it's looking good

after the rinse I used a salad spinner, it's the best way to get most of the water off without hurting the locks structure,  it's not dry yet but you can see it's pearly white, lustrous, so mostly in average this won't need more than 2 washes and 3 rinses to have sparkly white tips, so it is an easy to wash fleece.  But I will see when fully dry I might just keep it that way as I want to keep some lanolin for spinning, and as per usual I always wash my yarn when done.