New yarn

Mmmm I got some more yarn, jaggerspun. The colours are so bright and happy! Now to start planning which draft I shall use!

Saori weaving

I thought I would share some pictures of some saori weaving I did months ago! But I've been thinking about doing some more again recently. It's basically free style weaving and is fun!! Here are two pieces I have done, the blue one is my favourite.

Also our dog broke the christmas tree to today. She jumped on the arm of the chair next to the tree and fell off into the tree, breaking a branch. Oops! Don't worry she is ok, but our fake tree isn't so! 

Today I turned 24

That's right today I started a new year of my life. I know I'm not old but seriously when did I reach 24?!?! I still feel like I'm 18! But I think despite all that's happened (if you exclude what's  happened) I think I happy with where I am in life. 

I got some awesome presents off my family :) I will show you a few hobby related ones! 

Firstly off my Dad I got the book I wanted by Janet Phillips 

He also got me a mug set... Herdy wool journey mug set :D:D

My brother Craig got me a book on teddy bear making techniques :D

And my eldest brother Adam got me a t-shirt with my blog header on it!!

Thank you to my family, they are awesome. 

But I feel that I should set the tone for my new year. I love learning, knowledge is awesome and I want my brain to sponge it all up! So I learnt a new spinning technique! Navajo plying! I always thought it looked very complicated but I saw a video that explained it very well, so off I went and plyed an unloved single that's been hanging around for a while! 

Well I loved it! Really loved it and I can see myself using it loads! 

I think I will finish with a picture of what's currently on my loom. I hope you had a great day too! 

My last handspun yarn

I thought I would share my last handspun fibre that I odd earlier this year.

Firstly is some polworth in colour way Lauren from yummy yarns! I chain ply-ed it. So I made four singles. Made two lengths of two ply and then ply-ed them together to make a four ply yarn. I didn't like polworth! I kept loosing the yarn up the oriface! 

The next is merino/ cashmere mix I got at woolfest this year from hill top cloud! It was SO lovely to spin and I did it in no time at all :) I spun 200 grams and made two skeins of it.

Did I mention how much I love it?

Now I just need to use them for something! Any suggestions? I would knit it them but I get RSI. Maybe I'll weave a scarf! 

Threading

Only 240 threads to thread through the heddles. I'm liking the tencel :) this is a four shaft pattern from 'the handweavers pattern directory' p71 bottom draft. 

Right time to continue to thread! 

Dye another day

Yesterday I was at wickerwool with Cathy from Lazykate, she was showing us how to dye yarn and fibre. We started off using acid dyes on yarn, I used my acid dyes from ashford that I got earlier this year (but hadn't used yet! ).  Cathy explained it very well and what seemed daunting and hard wasn't at all! I now really can't wait to start doing my dying at home.

This is what my yarn looked like after I had painted and set the dyes

I really like them both and look forward to experimenting more! Here the are re-skeined! 

To see what the others did and hear about using natural dyes cheak out Cathy's blogpost http://lazypeasant.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/eclectic-dye-dya.html

Happy weaving/ dying! 

I'll leave you with a picture of our christmas tree

Another off the loom

My friend came to stay at the weekend, and another is staying with a local friend so we had a mini reunion. It was a lovely weekend, but come Monday morning the weaving began again and I finished my advancing twill. I like that I tried something new and you can see the pattern when I lay it out but, I'm not a fan of it. I'm also not sure what to do with it lol

Anyway here is a picture of it 

I have now started to warp 8/2 tencel yarn, which I have never used before. It's very smooth and shiny. I have decided to very a gothic cross pattern. So more updates on that later this week. Tomorrow I'm taking some undated yarn to wickerwool, so I can be shown how to dye it by Cathy. I was going to wind it into a warp but I don't have time to do that so I will just have to dye them as skeins! I will show you the result tomorrow!

It's December now so I can say Merry christmas!