I'm working on my very first original pattern: a lace crescent shawl, constructed top-down in Cascade Yarns Kid Seta (the new version). Here's what I have of it so far:
It's been a while in the making, and I know it will be even longer before I finish, but I'm logging the progress and writing down just about every row, so I should have a pattern to publish by the time I bind off. For those of you with a Ravelry account, here's the link to the project: Cottage by the Sea shawl
I've also made some strides in hand spinning; I made my very own drop spindle, using the tutorial from Of Wool and Loveliness. I made mine as a low-whorl spindle, and it really did only cost $1.75, plus the time to assemble it. Last Friday, I drove up to Old Town Temecula and made a second visit to The Wool Lady; I visited her shop for the first time a couple weeks prior, and absolutely loved it! She is very friendly, and she's willing to give advice for whatever craft you do or want to learn. Her shop carries a selection of high-end commercial and locally crafted yarns, hand dyed and undyed roving, buttons, some shawl pins, and supplies for all manner of needlecrafts, including rug hooking. On my first visit, I purchased a bottle of no-rinse wool wash (which works really well--I also use it for spritz-blocking); this time, I came home with a bag of gorgeous, multicolored hand-dyed wool roving (see below).
I was originally going to buy the undyed, or maybe some dyed with a single color, as I'm usually a little nervous of pooling with variegated yarns, but I just couldn't resist those colors! I was also a little apprehensive about spinning it at first--the thought of messing up and "ruining" it teased me, much like that one obnoxious kid in elementary school that connivingly shouts "you're gonna miss! you're gonna mmmmmiiiiiiiiiissssss!" when you're playing basketball with your friends at recess. Nevertheless, I bought it with the intent of spinning it, so what else could I expect myself to do with it?
So, I just held my breath, parted out and drafted some fiber, and spun away. I haven't gotten around to spinning as much as I would like, but so far, I'm in love with the results.
Learning this on my own has been interesting, to say the least. Next time, I'll get into my thought processes on spinning, how I learned, and maybe, if you'll pardon the very deliberate pun as I giggle at myself, what got the wheel turning!
P.S. My apologies if anyone had already thought of the pun in my post title... and to any fans of G. Love and Special Sauce, or the Chambers Brothers, that I may have offended.
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