Twisp of Fate

I have a backlog of weaving and knitting projects to report, but it seems time for blogging is scarce these days.  Anyway…. while on the road trip, I finished up the twisted fringes for 5 plaited twill scarves, which I took to the Seattle Weavers’ Guild sale on Oct 24-26, and then out to Port Townsend for an annual event.  The upshot is that I only have this one lousy picture, and only one of the scarves left (which is good!)

5 scarves completed in October 2013

Also on the road trip, I got started on knitting more of my Mosaic Mojo Hats – see sidebar, pattern available on Ravelry.  Good thing, because I had 8 of them left from last winter, and sold 6 of them at the Seattle Weavers’ Guild sale!  So here are the new ones to date:

Cascade 220 “Soft Sage” & Creative Fibers hand-dyed from New Zealand “Schist”

Cascade 220 & Cascade Cloud (wool & alpaca)

a discontinued Noro silk/wool yarn bought at stash reduction sale, and Rowan Kid Classic in rust and powder blue

Dream in Color Classy handpaint bought at stash reduction sale, and Rowan Kid Classic in sky blue

For the upcoming annual Methow Valley Spinners & Weavers Guild sale next week, we can only have knitted items for sale if we used hand-spun yarn.  So I rooted around in the hand-spun yarn box in my studio and came up with some good stuff.  At least 5-6 years ago at a spinning workshop with Judith MacKenzie, I made a multi-colored cabled yarn from these materials:

5 colors of merino top, a commercial rayon yarn, and samples of finished cabled yarn

The dyed merino top was spun in a repeating color sequence, then made into a 2-ply yarn.  The colors randomized together in the 2-ply, usually one color with another different one, but sometimes the same color with itself.  The 2-ply was made to have the same direction of twist as a commercial rayon yarn (dark raisin color).  The final yarn was a cabled yarn of my handspun 2-ply with the rayon yarn.  I have had this around for years and never did anything with it, so now it is finally going into some hats:

Two hats from handspun yarn

The one on the right was knit with my cabled yarn plus a Rambouillet yarn which was made from fiber I got from Judith MacKenzie.  The one on the left was knit with my cabled yarn plus some natural gray Cormo which I spun up the past summer.

I am also on a roll with weaving projects.  I have another warp set up at home for more plaited twill scarves, and for more placemats on the other home loom.  This week I spent mostly at the guild meeting room getting another towel warp set up – 18 yards!!  I started weaving yesterday and have 7 of them done already.

new towel warp at the guild room

“Treebark Towel” underway

It’s that time of year…holiday gift shows at both Winthrop Gallery and Confluence Gallery, plus I have signed up for a holiday gift show the last 10 days before Christmas at Local 98856 in Twisp.  I will be too busy to spit for the next month – oh, except for a certain wedding in Austin, TX and then Thanksgiving with family.