Weekend fiber projects

Weekend fiber projects? As a self-declared yarn snob, I am not sure I would call acrylic yarn a "fiber", but it was my yarn of choice when I decided to take part in a colorwork mystery knit-a-long. I did not want to invest a lot of money when it was a last minute decision, I did not know what I was knitting, and I didn't know if I would stay with the project until the end. After all, it was a ambitious learning experience. Colorwork, a zipper, sewing and steeking! All before Christmas? As it turned out, I did not finish with the rest of the KAL participants. Obviously, since I am still working on it! I have more photos of the progress on this in my Ravelry projects.

I finished the chart this weekend. Then I "sewed" along the steek outline by crocheting on either side. Then I steeked! Woo woo! I had never done this before and was worried I would have trouble actually cutting something I had spent months knitting...even if it was acrylic! I didn't have a problem. :) I blocked it also. I didn't think blocking acrylic was necessary, but I decided it was part of the learning process and did it anyway. Then I picked up stitches and knitted along one side of the steek. I will work on the other side tonight.

I gave up the KAL when they announced what it was at the end. At the time, I was disappointed and set the whole thing aside in order to prepare for Christmas. I picked it up again a week ago and fell in love with stranded colorwork again. I re-embraced the learning process again with enthusiasm. It has been fun and a challenge. I am almost ready for sewing in the zipper. It calls for a 30" zipper and I found one online at Joann's for less than $5.

More true to the meaning of fiber project....I did some spinning as well this weekend. I wanted to get started on the brown wool - I call it Laverne and Shirley. The names of the sheep the fleece came from. It isn't the greatest quality, since it is some of the first fleece LC Guy sheared and the first I processed. It was sunburned and full of VM. I wanted to use it and ended up sending it to a mill for processing. They did an amazing job with what they were given! The girls are shown (left) and the amazing results from the mill are also shown. The bag is 3 or 3.5 lbs of roving.

My goal is to have enough brown handspun ready by the beginning of the Olympics. If I have enough, I have a project and pattern in mind to gift to LC Guy for showering me fleece. I have promising him an item made from his hard work and learning experience ever since the beginning. So it is long overdue.

Why by the Olympics? It is a traditional knitting challenge on Ravelry. You cast on when they light the torch and finish the project at the end of the closing ceremony. Do they put out the torch? I am not sure they do, so we will just say it has to be done by the end of the closing ceremony. Two weeks should be enough time....

My knitting group is participating in the challenge and we are having a party for the opening where we will all cast on our projects for our chosen event category.

Two entries in one day...Now I am tired of typing. Time to check email and then sit down for some spinning.