duckyknits

I finally got my order  of soy silk so I got busy dying yesterday:

I've been needle felting snowmen and santas too. I need to finish up a few needle felted playmats too.  Sock pair #4 is almost done! I'm still searching for the perfect hat pattern. I will need a few projects to  take in the car with me on Thanksgiving for the long drives so I hope I find it soon.

Things are getting a bit frantic on the crafting front.  I have wool, soy silk and milk fiber soaking in my kitchen sink, strands of bamboo top hanging over my kitchen chairs and piles of wool on my couch waiting to become snowmen and santas....not to mention the knitting projects...a scarf in my car, a sock in progress in my purse and some mittens on the coffee table.

I have cut out fabric waiting to become pajamas in my sewing room too!

I'm feeling a bit  frenzied.  I'll never get anything done with my time so divided so I need to make a priority list. I'm a big fan of lists.

I did get a little play mat done and some bamboo dyed. I love how shiny it is, but HATE rinsing it out after dyeing as it just takes FOREVER even with synthrapol. I dyed my hands purple because I didn't wear gloves during the rinsing. They were REALLY purple this time.

Pairs of socks that is....

I cast on right away for the next pair -

I'm trying to get the bigger men's sized socks done first.

I finished the green hat and have just one more hat to make for Christmas. I'm starting to think I might be able to get all my knitting done.....but something always comes up! I really need to get going on some needle felting projects. People have been asking me for playscapes and creatures for Christmas. I have a feeling the next few weeks of crafting will be making things for my etsy shop and not for my own friends and family....which is a good thing I suppose as my daughter's dance school is  a swirling money-sucking vortex  expensive.

Avert your eyes Mindy, here's the stress inducing, speed-knitting-inspiring countdown:

41 DAYS!!!

I made some pencil rolls....Canvas on the outside

Orange faux suede on the inside. I want to make something like this for my double pointed needles....after the Christmas crafting is done that is....48 days left!

I started doing watercolor lessons with my kids. I'm definitely not acting as teacher, but  as co-learner in this. We're using The Watercolor Workbook by Ann Elsworth, which is great!

The first lesson is to make a color chart to practice mixing colors. I think just the charts are going to be beautful, and it seems that you can already see how different our styles all are just from this simple exercise.

Daisy got fed up with us ignoring her so she tried to get in on the action-

She does have eyes under there-really!

Big Ugly Hat....the Jayne hat (from "Firefly Serenity")

Working on a long hat...kind of like Link's hat from Legends of Zelda:

And I made a baby hat for a friend off a friend's baby....very fast knit from bulky handspun:

The CHristmas knitting continues...I have 3 hats done,one to go 2 pair of socks done, 5 more to go....plus some sewing and other craftiness to do still....

ONLY 49 days left!!!!

Not much knitting got done this weekend....did almost finish a Jayne Hat for a certain Firefly fan I know....just have to make the pom pom. It's REALLY funny looking...which I suppose is the point!

I did some spinning:

250 yards, light worsted merino.

I dyed a bunch of rovings and some more yummy yummy mulberry silk. The silk sure STINKS when it's wet, but when not all all when it's dry... I can't stop petting it. It really is the nicest fiber ever!

Got some more rovings done...and a few other things:

I'm trying to get a good start on my Christmas knitting.....have quite a few pairs of socks planned and hope I can get them all done! I want to get some sewing and other crafting done too. So the plan is to finish:

4 hats (one done!)

7 pairs of socks...I know that sounds insane.... but is possible (and I have one and a half pair done already).

1 scarf

2 pair pajamas sewn

3 batches of soap

I need to still find a nice hat pattern for my mom, I'm  thinking a slouchy beret type of hat....and I need  a scarf pattern that's interesting but not too complicated to make for someone else. Ideas?

It wasn't as wooly a weekend as I would have liked. I didn't get to go to Rhinebeck

But I played with wool all weekend at home. I carded lots of batts, finally using up some of Chewbacca's haircuts....and I dyed some rovings...this is just some of them:

I did some spinning....just a single, got a whol lot of yardage out of just 4 ounces of merino...it's over 280 yds!

I love my new bulky flyer!

I could ply all 196 yds of this on the one bobbin. This merino is so very very squooshy!