Nerd Wars T4 - Team Precious

Team assignments were announced on Friday and I got my first choice to be on Team Precious.  Now the countdown to Wednesday when our first round of assignments will begin.  Although I have a bunch of knitted items in queue with Hobbit and Lord of the Ring themed projects, I will be submitting more handspun and woven goods each month because I am planning on knitting a shawl this tournament.

I want to knit the Tuck Shawl.  I am going to knit up a gauge swatch in the next day or two.  Ooops!  Sorry, I guess I should have told you to sit down first.  Yes, part of the dissertation assignment during Nerd Wars is that you are required to gauge swatch and get approval for your assignment before you begin.  I was hoping to use some of my stash for this but...wasn't finding quite the right color that I wanted.  I've decided I need a shawl that has blues and greens because I simply don't have anything in those colors but I needed just the right colors. 

Argh!  A few tubs of beautiful yarn that I've purchase not even counting my own yarn that I create from my herd and not the right colors.  I think I found the perfect skein at the Winter Wine and Wool Festival yesterday created by Happy Fuzzy Yarns.  I plan to pair it with some of my Sunshine of Wonder tonal dyed yarn that I created here on the farm.  Ah ha!  The best of both worlds.  Of course, going this route doesn't decrease my stash at all but...I will have an awesome looking shawl.  Now...off to check gauge.

Fiber Arts Friday - Wine and Wool

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  How have you been spending the first few weeks of 2012?  Knitting, Weaving, Crochet, Felting, Dyeing, Sewing, Spinning...?  There are so many wonderful ways to create with our craft of choice during the dreary days of January so share your adventures!

This week I spent my lunch hours knitting and my evenings knitting. I finished my Just for Him hat and even though my dear Grumpy didn't want to wear it, I found that it fit Brother Bear just as well. It's one of those patterns that fits a child or an adults head.  

I spent all of last weekend at my drum carder creating new Alpaca blend Batts of Wonder for the first ever Winter Wine and Wool Festival at the Sandhill Crane Vineyard.  I love the wine the vineyard creates and the location is great too with a newly added dining room.  I have participated in the last two festivals they had during July and with the new addition, they now can  hold an indoor event.  Seriously, what's a better way to spend a January afternoon than drinking wine and enjoy Fiber Arts? 

I will be adding some of these new creations to my Etsy Shop this weekend too.  I have also been dying some wool and silk fiber and will be starting to carry some non-Alpaca fiber in my shop. I've been working with my test fiber to use in my batts and am now ready to let the products fly solo so look forward to some new changes in my shop in the coming weeks.

I said I wasn't going to knit another Journey hat but...I am.  it's a fun pattern and I had some leftover hand spun that I thought would be perfect in a smaller hat.  Go figure, I chose Orange as the main color. It is the color of 2012. Apparently I can't keep all of the hats I knit so I am making some for heads that aren't quite as large as mine ;-)  Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts!


Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

WIP Wednesday - La Vitre Scarf

I am still plugging away knitting my La Vitre Scarf.  How is it that I don't think twice about knitting a huge cowl or a bunch of hats but with a smaller amount of yarn, I get overwhelmed with a scarf?  It's going to be a beautiful scarf once it's finished.  I knit another six inches or so this week.  I've decided not to take it to work because apparently I make mistakes when I talk and knit while working on a pattern that has YO.

I am also wondering if I should have went up a needle size.  The pattern called for fingering weight Alpaca and I am using a squishy sport weight Merino.  It will be beautiful but won't have quite the same look as the pattern called for.  Another reason to swatch for gauge. One of these days I will learn.

Fiber Arts Friday - Turning my wheels

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Knit, Spin, Weave, Felt, Crochet, Dye...FIBER ARTS!  Each week Fiber Artists from all over the world share their adventures so what are you waiting for?  Join in!

The last two weeks, I have been spending my evenings spinning (especially since my lace scarf was put in time out).  Last Saturday I met with my weaving/spinning group for an afternoon of fun.  I got into a major spinning groove then spent the next few days filling all of my bobbins.  Having an extra day off of work really added to the spinning time.  The result...lots of beautiful Alpaca blend yarns.

My scarf is fixed now thanks to KellyJ so...I will attempt to stay away from my spinning wheel and finish the scarf for my friend. I am still very confused with fixing a dropped stitch when YO are in involved and no knit rows but I know as I continue to knit and become more comfortable with various patterns, I will get it.

I have been spending time with my Jacey Boggs Spin Art book and DVD.  I really am digging how she demonstrates and explains the various Textured Yarn techniques.  Now, share your adventures in Fiber Arts.


Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs

WIP Wednesday - Just for Him

I'm in between Nerd Wars Tournaments this month and I didn't want to start any major projects so I went through my collection of patterns and decided I needed to knit a hat that a man could wear.  I thought Grumpy might like it but he said he didn't want to "mess up his hair" so he is holding out for a woven scarf.  Alas, this hat will either be gifted or sold.

The pattern is called Just for Him written by KellyJ for Kalamazoo Knits.  I am using my handspun yarn from my Pedro in Lime Roving and Ella Rae Kalemsoft yarn to created the stripes.  I am not one for purling so the K1P1 ribbing is a good way for me to practice consistency before I start my next project that will require a lot of purling on tiny needles.

My Long Weekend here at the Farm

I adore long weekends and this weekend was no exception.  We finally got the Winter slow that we have been longing for here in Michigan. 

The Cardinals make their appearance in my Pear trees when the snow is crisp in the air and the Alpaca barn just sparkles with the January sun reflecting on the snow.

I have been busy with my spinning wheel plying all the bobbins that have been filled and working on knitting projects using my handspun and various stash yarns.

Brother Bear is finally feeling better after missing a week of school so Grumpy hooked the sled up to the tractor and took the Bears on a Monster Sled Ride and we have simply enjoyed our family weekend together.

We sold Sweet Petunia of Wonder this weekend and she left for her new home.  We will miss her dearly but at least her new farm isn't too far away.  We have four more girls left to sell so take a look at our farm website if you are interested in Black or White Huacayas with Gray genetics.

Farm, Fiber Arts, Family and Fabulous Snow...what more can a gal ask for?

Fiber Arts Friday - Weaving in the New Year

Welcome to Fiber Arts Friday!  Another week has passed with lots of knitting, weaving, crochet, spinning, sewing, felting and so much more.  How do we do it all?  Where do we find the time?  Check out the amazing Fiber Artists who have linked in to share their adventures and find out.  This week, I am sharing more of my weaving adventures.

During the Christmas break I warped my new 32" Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom with Mercerized Perle 8/2 Cotton in Red and Green with Silver Nylon.  I am working on a project for Christmas 2012.  Yes, you read that right.  I've decided that if I wait for the holidays to get here, I will never accomplish any projects to enjoy.  I warped about nine feet of length which will give me enough to make a towel (or two), maybe a pillow cover or a cloth for my fireplace mantle or maybe mats for my end table or...as you can see, the ideas are endless.  Wait!  I may even make a holiday hat out of the fabric.  I don't know.  I started with the 7.5 dent reed which won't create the tight weave that I would want for a towel so...I am going to experiment with this first part.  I may weave a couple of feet then change over to a different reed.  Who knows.  What I do know is that I have a whole year to work on this...if knitting and spinning don't distract me.

I am enjoying the experimentation.  Right now I am slowly working through a Spanish Lace Finger Weaving Technique.  Now...share your adventures in Fiber Arts. 
Fiber Arts Friday ! 

To participate:

1. Submit your blog article using your current blog address NOT your complete blog  i.e. you would submit 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com/2010/02/e-i-e-i-doh.html  

NOT 

http://wonderwhyalpacafarm.blogspot.com

 Link back to Fiber Arts Friday from your post so that your readers can come and see everyone else’s projects! Text link to  WISDOM BEGINS IN WONDER!   

1. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what helps us all connect!

Check out these wonderful blogs