Craft Expo jollies and Jitterbug fish scales

I popped into the Craft Expo at Newcastle Entertainment Centre today to have a look around. I was kind of disappointed that it was mostly geared towards quilters and bead fans but I did manage to find a yarns galore stall hidden away in the back and of course I'd been looking for yarn with little hope of finding any so I was delighted when I discovered a skein of Colinette Jitterbug and a skein of Noro Kureyon Sock yarn. I bought them both of course. :oD

I've already started knitting the jitterbug up into a gorgeous sock pattern by Cookie A (a most amazing sock designer) which you can find for free on Knitty.com. Its called Pomatomus and looks kind of like fish scales. This is the first time I've knitted socks from the top down and its apparently quite a challenging pattern so we'll see how far I get with this little escapade.

Suddenly hectic

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to blog or spin or even knit that much. Why? Because I have gone back to full time study. I am learning all kinds of interesting things; like how to use my camera properly for one. This is exciting to me because I hope to one day be able to take REALLY good photos with my new found knowledge. Here are some of pics I took during my photography class last week.

(c) Scolley 2010



(c) Scolley 2010



Yep, I even take my knitting to class
(c) Scolley 2010

Being a full time student might have slowed down my spinning but it sure hasnt stopped me spending my dosh. I recently purchased some equipment I've been needing for quite some time; a niddy noddy, a yarn winder and a maintenance kit for my wheel. I have also been buying fibre like its going out of fashion.

I took delivery of some lovely mulberry silk top which I then proceded to dye a pretty variegated blue/purple/pink/white colour. I still have 112g of this silk undyed and waiting to be transformed into something incredibly vibrant. As part of the same order I also got some cool pale yellow thread that I'm thinking will ply really nicely with some of the other fibre I have in my stash.

The 104g of mulberry silk that I have dyed
using food colouring...braided and ready to spin



Still waiting to be dyed



Mellow Yellow thread from EGMTK

I purchased some very pretty BFL/angora bunny/silk braids from the delightful Ixchelbunny, and next week I am expecting the delivery of three fibre clubs. I love fibre club week...its all very exciting.

200g of Hopeful Monsters

Have fibre will travel

Yesterday I received another amazing fibre delivery that I wasn't expecting, but oooh my goodness when it arrived I was totally gobsmacked. Talk about the softest most lush fibre I've ever felt. If you want to experience this incredible fibre for yourself check out Ixchelbunny.

Totally smooshy super angorino fibre
organic 17 micron Merino and Bunny blend - 'Fuzzy Boots'

South American Wool & Bunny
'Classified Materials'

1250 metres of 2ply Silk hand-spun
'Black Hole'

My second wheel was also delivered yesterday and of course I've already taken it for a test drive and it spins so smooth.

My awesome Ashford Traveler

Fuzzy Boots on the bobbin

I'm very happy with this wheel. Tomorrow I plan to take it out for my first location spin...gotta love portable spinning wheels.

Fibre club addiction and Niebling love

When I first started spinning about three months ago, I excitedly signed up for three fibre clubs. This means I'll automatically have three different wads of fibre sent to me in January, February and March this year. I cannot even begin to tell you how exciting it has been to receive the first installments of my fibre clubs for Jan.

The Ewe Give Me The Knits fibre club was the first to arrive. Its a lovely 100g braid of Merino and Milk in relaxing shades of green, blue and yellow that make me think of a shady pond in the forest. I'm looking forward to spinning it to see if the colours spin up to look as soothing as I think they will.

That week I also ordered some lovely hand painted merino braids from EGMTK and they arrived with my fibre club parcel.

The second installment to arrive was my Ixchelbunny fibre club; an incredibly soft angora bunny and silk blend in some of my favourite colours. I think this braid will make some of the softest yarn I've ever felt and I'm thinking I might even ply it with a strand of straight silk to make it even more special.

The final installment of my fibrey goodness to arrive was the Ixchelbunny Funky Bunny Batt Club. I opened this and almost fell over. Its the most beautiful fibre I've ever seen and I think its going to just sit in my stash till I can figure out how to do it the most justice.

I think if these three amazing fibre deliveries are anything to go by, the next two months are going to be pretty exciting. I cant wait...which is proven by the fact that on Friday I ordered more fibre and some silk yarn...somebody stop me...on second thoughts, nahhh that's ok...lol.

For Christmas last year I bought myself a copy of 'Knitted Lace Designs of Herbert Niebling' by Eva Maria Leszner. One of my Christmas presents was a lovely Japanese tea set from my partner and I decided it would need a doily to sit upon. So on Christmas day I started knitting my first Niebling doily from the book and today I finished it. It's not quite dry yet but it is all blocked out and looks lovely. I'm very happy with how this has turned out. After all, it is officially my fourth finished lace item and the pattern was very intricate. I have to add that I am also now completely addicted to knitting Niebling.