Warm Memories Wrap - FWA KAL 2017

Warm Memories Wrap

Working on a KAL project with the Franks Williams Aussie Spindles (FWA) group over on Ravelry

The objective of this KAL is to knit something with our handspun yarn, from a select group of knit designers who contributed prizes to the FWA Tour De Fleece game in July 2017 !!

I chose Seaside Sparrow by Susan Barstei, a wrap that you can button up to wear like a like a poncho, or several different ways. Love the possibilities.  The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn, but I'm using it like a stash buster so I can use up some of my older handspun, which ranges from bulky to fingering. I had this yarn set aside to crochet another big vest for me, but when I joined the KAL, I decided I could transfer that yarn to the Seaside Sparrow !

Starting in September 2017, we had 2 months to spin the yarn we wanted to use for our project, luckily for me I had all my yarn spun up !  

Then November 1st we could cast on and get started knitting !!!  I thought 3 months, no problem getting this done.  Very simple pattern and mostly bulky yarn will make it a quick knit !!!

However, come the end of December 2017, I was just barely halfway done !!! Yikes !! and only a month left to finish !!  Now I'm wondering if I'm going to be embarrassed the end of January and not be finished with this simple knit ???

January 21, 2018 and I am "almost" done !!! Yahoo !!  Have to finish up the green yarn and put the last of the white yarn on the end and block !!

Last thing - I must find Buttons !!! That is my job this week;  more paper for my dollhouse and buttons to finish my wrap.

January 25, 2018 - So close to the end !!! I finished the knitting and wove in the ends.  Here is it with the buttons I found.  Was really disappointed in the lack of button selection in Cedar Rapids. Hobby Lobby and Michaels have a very tiny selection. I wound up at Joann Fabrics, who really didn't have much of a selection either, although they had more than the other stores.  I remember when Joann Fabrics had 2 long walls of buttons and it could take you an hour or more to pick out buttons for a project !!! The good old days !!

You see all yarn that was left by the time I bound off !!  Have to figure what yarn I'm going to use to attach the buttons

Now for blocking !!

January 28, 2017 !!  Final Photo !!!

This was a very fun project. First time I have knit with so many skeins of my handspun yarn.  I've never been really happy with any of my yarns, but working with them was a totally different insight as to just looking at the skein.  I think knitting is very forgiving of the thick/thin of my handspun.

The opposing stripes and the gray/white really make for some wild dynamics

 

Mosaic Knit Cowl

I do a little bit of knitting. Enough to keep my hand in, so to speak. I like to do something really different if I can with each knitting project to learn a little bit more.

This time I tried some Mosaic knitting.  A couple months ago, Chris Thomson taught this class at R. Rabbit Fiber Studio. 2 sessions and I learned alot.

Somehow though, I missed the instruction that you have to repeat each round 2  times. Oops !!

Almost done !

I'd get a couple inches of the pattern going and think it's just not looking good. The yarn colors were blending together and I wanted that distinct mosaic look.

I thought maybe the yarns did not contrast enough. I took it apart 3 times, changing yarn colors each time.  When I got back to the 2nd class, I found out I needed to repeat each round and THAT gave the colors the boost they needed to stand out more.



So, 4th times a charm and I have a handsome cowl ! The pink yarn is my handspun !!

Finished and Blocked

The Hush of Winter

The Hush of Winter

Finished product - very soft and colorful

I was searching Ravelry for drop spinning groups and came across this rollicking spindle party, the FWAussieSpindles !!!

I decided to join the group and jumped right into their January theme - the Hush of Winter.  I needed some help to keep me focused on spinning so I was ready for the challenge !!

One single ball spun and working on the second

My starting photo was to finish my a couple ounces of Silver Horses roving that came from Fiber Curios and  Sundries 

It's gorgeous stuff made with BFL, Teeswater and recylced Sari Silk.  It was easy to spin and so soft when I was done.

I only had 2oz, so I'll have to find something special to do with it !






I made it through the various stages as we wandered through January. Several really nice prices were given out by random drawing and there is a chance a person could come away with some nice roving or fiber related tool !

Here it is plyed. All done with the spindle !!!