From handspun to shawl…

Hello there? Remember me?! I’ve been M.I.A entertaining visitors for the last couple of weeks, lots of fun, not much knitting! It’s been very good for my elbows though, and I’m back in action again now, with a project to share which will hopefully bump me up to at least second place!
This is some of the fab roving that Emily dyed for my birthday, using neon food colouring. I started spinning it back in April. I wanted to challenge myself to go finer than I’d managed before, with such a generous amount of fibre though, this made for a LOT of spinning!

Eventually, I ended up with this little beauty of singles.

It still amazes me how different fleece can look after spinning. The original roving was really vivid, a real knock out pink. The singles here are much more subdued, the white has toned everything down.

From there on to plying, I’m a Navajo plying addict now, and although I knew I wouldn’t end up with a striping yarn, I really wanted a three ply as I’ve realised that I much prefer the knitted fabric this creates.

Here I am plying away in the sunshine (yep, the sock is still on the wall!).

I love the finished yarn (modest as ever!). Not quite down to a sock weight yet, but I’m getting there slowly. And the skein has a sound  380 yards to play with – fab!

And so……I cast on straight away, and soon(ish) after, I had a handspun shawl to gift to a good friend as a much belated birthday present. The pattern is Multnomah, a nifty little combination of garter stitch and feather-and-fan. Easily memorised yet still effective.

 

 

 

 

 

I think the colours work really well with the pattern – hoorah!

So lets see if this project has clawed back a little of my dignity regarding the scoreboard:

380 yards 3-ply handspun = 1140 yards singles = 11.5 points!

Plying = 1 point.  Simple scarf/shawl = 1point. Knitting yardage = 360(ish) = 3.5 points. And the Multnomah is a new pattern for me so that’s one more, giving a grand total of……18 points!  Back in second place, whoop whoop!

Nice to be back with you everyone, and if I can organise a little bowling trip this week, I have a corking project to share with you – watch out ladies, i’m back in the game!   😉