In the Club

Some people who dye wool fibre have a Fibre Club. If you join it, you pay each month (or whatever time frame) and you get a surprise in the post. With Kathy's Fibre, she lets us know that "the next Club is on the website" and there are a certain amount available until it's sold out.

I've had my eye on the Southern Cross Fibres Club for ages. I added my name to the waiting list a few years ago, and last year in June, when I asked, David Shulz said I was 149th on the slow-moving list.

This month, I finally got in! I had ordered some "coordinates", which anyone who is quick enough can do, and he wrote back saying "Didn't you get my message? You're in the Club now!" (My silly old hotmail address was hacked a while ago, and I haven't been able to use it since).

So this month I got some new fibre called "Eider". Good to try new things. I had asked for two green coordinates, and now that I'm in the Club I'm getting one of each of the two colorways he makes every month. So these four:

Water

Lily

And Olive (dark) and Cedar (light) to go with the Lily

It's not a soft wool, like Merino, more like Shetland or Finn. In other words, probably good for tough things like socks or jumpers. I've spun up the Water already, as part of the Tour de Fleece.

Eider. "Water".

Shetland. "Gorse"

South African Superfine. "Vetinari"

Finn. "Quiet Shade"

Merino. A 2ply mix of "Death" and "Jewel"

Merino/stellina. "Autumn Shimmer"

That's all the spinning from the Tour de Fleece this year, plus a little bit of the leftover "Death", which got added to some green Shetland a few days later. Total length of singles spun (between July 4-26) was 4993y/4565m. I put them all into classes and things, in the Harry Potter game, plus this one

Shetland in "Foliage" and merino in "Death". Half the skein is a 3ply of both (2 green, one purple) and half the skein is N-plied green).

I'm spinning one last fibre now (the brightly colored one I got from Bendigo) and then... NEWT 8 begins!

Bendigo 2015

Firstly, I finished my Sprig top (extra length and short sleeves) just in time to wear to Bendigo.

 It's asymmetric, which requires a bit of concentration. You start at the top of the left shoulder, going back and forth, adding stitches, and you end up with an uneven neckline. Then you make raglan sleeves, and sew about a zillion k's of stocking stitch. And after that you have many, many rows of charts to follow, making a cabled edging with its own icord edge.

I like it. It's actually this color:

This is me, sitting in FunBugs while the kids ran around playing for 4 hours, knitting on the neck. On the one long needle I've picked up the light green stitches, and on the other I'm knitting the cable chart, back and forth, and every time they meet I knit two stitches together. Neat!

The Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show was terrible.

I had to put up with this, and in the middle of Winter! hehe.

Here's Kathy's Fibres, one of my favorites.

I got these two in a colorway called Goldfields. One is merino and sparkly stuff, and the other is Merino/alpaca/silk.

Also got this Optim (merino) in "Sunset" because I knew Jasmine would want it. :)

Got this one from Gin and Tonic Yarns, mainly because of the cheeky Aussie name: "A dingo took my ANZAC biscuit!"

These three DK yarns from Moseley Park (and one BFL sock yarn on the right). These DK yarns are from Mum (who gave me Bendi money for my birthday). Thanks, Mum! I'm planning to make the kids each a hat from them.

Tundra from Ixchel which is ... Quiviut, Angora, Cashmere, Merino, Silk and Tencel! I can't tell you how soft it is! I'm making this one "From Kelly", since she gave me Bendigo Money for my birthday. Thanks, Kelly!

Merino/Alpaca/Silk from Moseley Park (love this mix)

And BFL/mohair from MP. Not the usual 75/25 mix I normally get from Kathy's Fibres that's so nice for socks, but then, I might 2ply it with some straight BFL, and that will make the mix right.

Sock needles. Love ChiaoGoo. Thought I'd try their bamboo needles for a change.

From the competition cabinets: Amazing lace,

awesome weaving,

cool felting,

and some creative little cables

Lunch :)

I also found some Madelinetosh Vintage. I could spend all my money there, but I only came home with three. Espadilles, Daffodil and Whitewash. (The names underneath are the Ravelers I pinched the pictures from, since mine are terrible.)

3pommes

ashe

eatlynch

And then I wandered home a little earlier than usual. I did see the fashion parade, but didn't see anything worth taking pictures of. It's wool, but it's generally not knitting. I got some dinner and stopped at Lake Weerona Park and watched people, and knitted... but more on that next time.

I've got some more spinning to do.

Jasmine 7

A few people have commented that she looks quite tall now, for a seven year old, so here is an old shortie photo...

from a mere 5 years ago!

Standing in practically the same spot, but with slightly longer legs :) 

Happy 7th Birthday, Jasmine! I know you'll outgrow this one in no time, but I do love watching you grow. You get smarter and kinder and funnier every day, kiddo!

 Pattern: Paprika
Yarn: Bendigo Woollen Mills Stellar 12ply in Garnet
Yarn used: 500g (2.5 balls) = 650m

 

June

 More things from June :-)

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Adipose

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Also a wheat pack cover

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A balaclava for Zac that matches his gloves (same blue wool). Pattern: Antifreeze.

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It's a bit big for him, but it should last him through many years of mischief.

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This merino is in the colorway Opal. I don't like it much, and don't know why I have 200g of it. Also, one of the Kathy's Fibres Club fibres is almost exactly the same... and I have 300g of that.

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Found a use for it this month, though, along the edge of a scarf warp that was too long and far too thin.

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Not that 3.2m is too long! But I ran out of yellow for the warp. And then, somehow, I had too much for the weft, in spite of the wider warp. Must remember: need about 20% more for the warp that you need for the weft.

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Loved spinning this, though. BFL from Southern Cross Fibres.

  I'm going to increase my stash of BFL socks next term, starting with a NEWT in August. My plan at the moment is to knit up 8 pairs of socks, mostly with that Hedgehog Fibres Twist Sock I got, which is 80% BFL and 20% nylon. My socks seem to last about a year, with me rotating about 12 pairs and wearing them most days. I do a fair bit of darning. I think the merino/nylon mix that's so common for sock yarn is just not tough enough for me.

Next: I'm going to focus on Jasmine's birthday top, which I have 6 days to finish. I might be able to do it. It would be easier if I didn't have to work! lol. But I'm down to the hem, and most of what remains is stocking stitch hood and ribbed edging. We'll see. It's up to 300g. Maybe another 200g?