A Spindle, a Darkness, a Fever, and a Necklace

I've spent the last few weeks busy with my homemade spindle hand-spinning some yarn.
This homemade spindle was quite the disaster and I will immediately be purchasing a real spindle. The process would have been much quicker, but even with a couple old cds, I made some desirable yarn.

First I got an 8oz bunch of wool roving. I started by just spinning the white.

I did about half on the spindle and half on an actual spinning wheel. The spinning wheel is exponentially easier and faster and better, but they cost about $700 so I won't be getting one of those really soon.

I knew I didn't really want the white so I dyed a bunch red, and some purple with Kool-Aid. Turned out great!
Hanging to dry.

First you soak the wool, add about 1 cup of white vinegar, 3 packs of kool-aid, boil and stir until all the color is absorbed (about 20 minutes), then let cool to air temp on its own.

After dying it I had to re-card the fiber using a drum carder. Really fun and awesome!!! I blended the red and purple. Again, costs about $600. WAH!

I spun the rest of the wool on the spinning wheel, then decided to ply the red and purple with white.

I'm definitely going to overdye this yellow so that its yellow, orange, and brown!

I made another bundle with triple ply white and some of the awesome fibers I bought a while back.
Hanging to dry.

After you ply them you have to wet it so it stays.

Short Scarf

I'm finally done with one of my many projects, a short scarf!
This took me a long time, maybe 2 and a half weeks, but I don't have much free time to work on it lately so it shouldn't take that long if you can dedicate some time.

I cast on 44 stitches
I alternated knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2

this is what the scarf looks like unstretched

and stretched out!

I did this the entire length of the scarf until I got to where I wanted the button holes to be.
I just measured by putting the scarf on my neck every so often. This is going to be different for every person depending on how tight you want it and what type of yarn you use, and what size needles. Mine was about 23 inches until the button hole row.

I followed this video on how to knit button holes. It was pretty difficult! Watch the video LOTS of times before attempting this. Then you still have to watch the video while doing it...

The video shows how to do a 3 stitch button hole. I needed a large hole so I actually did a 6 stitch hole. Just modify instructions to fit your button. My buttons were about an inch wide.

After knitting and purling a little more (I did about 4 inches), cast off.

Then add your buttons! The length of my scarf required that I have vertical buttons with horizontal holes.
All done! Here is the final product!

and if the grounds not cold...

Pixies, Nov. 5th 2009

Little Owl

Today I found a wonderful place!

It was full of many amazing things that I wanted to buy!!!
I purchased some beautiful hand dyed, hand woven yarn, and some felting needles.

I tore some apart and created this little friend that sits just right on a quarter.