With everything that has been going I've had the hardest time getting any knitting done... apparently it's not helping de-stress.. I have however taken to the outdoors a little here and there. Not something I usually do in town (I'm a country girl at a heart, what can I say).. but this year is my second year with gardening and since I spent the time expanding my little dirt patch, I figured I ought to tend to it here and there.
I had gotten a little over zealous and planted the entire seed packet on, well.. everything!! Now I have to go through and spread everything out! Honestly, I didn't have any faith in anything I had planted.. and it would seem that everything has sprouted!! Good thing though, because I will have a lot of home made pickles.. mmmm... And my potato plants have decided to grow sideways, and here I thought they were not going to grow at all lol... surprise!! They've made a meter away from where they were planted..
Anyway, aside from a very full and happily growing garden (and who said it's too early to start growing in the interior of BC?) I suppose at some point I ought to get some knitting done...

Well, it's definitely been a while since I've added anything to my blog.. and well, I'm not sure I could say it's a lot.. but here goes... ;

Pretty sure I mentioned my spinning wheel.. yay!! Still love the daylights out of it hahaha... how can you tell I love it! So much so, I ran out of my humble little stash of raw wool. In fact, I've been trying to track down some local sheep owners (any who are selling fleece)..

Spun some yarn. Learnt a few things, and in doing so, have realised I'm going to need some wool combs.. Those are a bit expensive at the moment.. but thankfully, I found a mini tutorial on how to make some. Well, I don't have the tools to make them, so I plan on convincing one of my Uncles to help me out with that. A bit of a trade really.. home made perogies and home made bread, mmmm so tasty!

Oh yes, and I started knitting a sweater for my husband. So excited to have found a pattern for "The Dude" sweater.. gotta love it really.

Here are a few pictures...

Uck... I mean OK sure, the blue and yellow/orange work OK together.. but oh did it turn out scratchy!!! And I really don't like scratchy :(

The two spools of thread to the right turned out to be singles.. Thinking of making a little something light and lacy with those.. just not sure if it should be a scarf, cowl, or shawlette.

Ooooh... a nice soft fluffy single!!! Funny thing about it.. it is really crazy close in colour blend and weight as the previous single I spun on my drop spindle.. love it!

This yarn was spun to make a little something for one of my many cousins. I just need to make a trip to the craft store for some big beads and other such do dads... Something to add a little something to it. Thinking it should be a cowl...

OK, so not that impressive yet, I kind of need to add the other photos of it for anything like that to happen yet.. I did get the back done, and had one of the front pieces done, at least until I realised I missed two rows here, didn't make certain stitches the right contrast colour there.. And well, needless to say, I had to rip it back and start over :( Aside from that though, I really really think I'm going to need to make one for myself!

Oh yeah :( I got a little carried away with my spinning wheel. Decided I wanted to add some colour to it. Why???? I have no idea...

Latest Adventures in Yarn

OK... in the process of getting use to my spinning wheel, I did figure out a few more little helpful tricks.. like not letting it spin the bobbin backwards on me ever time I stop the spinning.. that was getting annoying! Thankfully though, that little bug has been worked out.
Another one is letting it rest on the bobbin a few days before I unwind and make a skein out of it. It would appear it relaxes a bit and doesn't let it tangle and wind in on itself... Thank you!!! Not sure if that is the typical way of doing it, but oh wow is it helpful.. especially when your singles are spun too tightly! Still doing that and trying to get into the spin of things.. lol..
I did wind up with a large freezer bag mostly full of the wendslydale... As well as a great deal of learned tid bits here and there..
What I do know... I need to get some wool combs. Which kinda scares me due to the price.. but when in doubt, make your own right?! Thankfully I did come across the best little tutorial on how to make some.. and honestly, they look just as nice as those really expensive ones I've had my eye on.. Now just to find someone with the tools needed, because lets face it, I don't have them!
I have also decided that that is where my problem and hang up right now is.. seems to be what is standing in the way of making a better and prettier to look at yarn.. and I do like pretty yarn.. After all, that is what draws you into a yarn in the first place isn't it? You see it.. either it draws you in, or you go "Ewww", and move on... And well, I need to get past that "Eww" spot.. cause I DON'T like itchy yarn and I know I can work past that and make it far less itchy. It can be done, and I WILL do it! Just need a few more tools first hahaha!