Knitting with Handspun

So, you have seen lots of handspun yarn, but maybe you're thinking "Nice, but what can you make with it? What will it look like when it is knitted up?" I wondered the same thing, and I have decided that I really love what handspun looks like knitted.

This is a skirt I made for my daughter, Kyra. I started with hand dyed merino/tencel from Morwenna at Mosaic Moon in the Rainbow colorway. It was made from 4oz of fiber, totalling 137 yards.
Fiber:
Yarn:

Skirt:

This beautiful sweater was knit by Morwenna at Mosaic Moon. She dyed the fiber, I spun it, and then she knitted the final product. This was made from 12 ounces of Blue Faced Leicester wool in the Dragon's Lair colorway.

Fiber:

Yarn:

Sweater:

There you have it! A couple of examples of what handspun might look like in a knitted item. The awesome thing about handspun is that each item will be truly unique, unlike any other, even in the same colorway. If you have been thinking of trying some handspun, get on it!

Up Close and Personal

So the suggestion was made that I should post pictures that are more "close up" - and a marvelous suggestion it was. Pictures are one part of spinning that is necessary, but I don't enjoy as much - I have a hard time getting good ones. But I thought I'd post some "up close and personal" shots today. Let me know if I'm getting closer to the target. ;)

And the Winner is...

....hold that thought while I fire up the Random Number Generator. ;)

Okay!!! Using an online Random Number Generator, I entered the low number as 1 and the high number as 5 (since there were five entries that we just LOVED reading!). When I clicked enter, the generator chose the number....

2!!! Comment number two was from Davina!

Congratulations, Davina! I will be emailing you with your discount code worth 15% off a Handspun by SweetKnits order!

Thank you all for playing, and we hope that you'll keep reading! You never know when another contest might pop up.

And since a blog post isn't a blog post without pictures...

I. love. this. fiber.

Transformation - and a Contest!

I was recently asked what colors I like best in spinning fiber - and you know what? It was really difficult to answer the question! I have my favorite colors, of course - colorways that I'm drawn to (browns/blues, for one). But really, since learning to spin, I find that my color preferences have opened up. I'm trying new things - looking at color in a new way. I see some lovely dyed roving, and try to image what the end result will look like. There have been times that I've not liked something so much while spinning the singles, and LOVED the plied (end) result. It never ceases to amaze me.

The transformation is part of the joy for me. Looking at fiber, and loving the colors:
And then spinning it up into a yarn that I love even more!

The above fiber/yarn is a merino from The Fiber Denn (etsy seller). The yarn is a 2ply (that will be part of a collab at YINIA's Black Friday stocking). I love it. Seriously love it.

Another example is this fiber from Fibers 4 Ewe. I fell in love with the color combo:

But I am even more in love with the yarn! Spinning was a dream, and the end result? Just lovely.
(If you love this as much as I do, it will be available at our Hyenacart on Monday!)

Of course, there is another step - the knitting or crocheting of the yarn into the finished project. Many spinners have a plan for their fiber before they even start spinning it up - an end result in mind. I can honestly say that this is not typical for me. Although, next time I post, I'll share a recent project that I actually DID take from fiber to knitted scarf! Most of the time, I spin the fiber, and then have to set the yarn aside for a while (after it has been sufficiently cuddled, of course). Sometimes, the yarn is put in the store, where one of you can decide what it should become. Sometimes, the perfect project comes along, and I just have to use the yarn myself. Truly, the joy is in the entire process for me.

So I'll ask you what was asked of me. What colors are YOUR favorite? And to take it further, what fiber content do you love? What yarn weight are you most likely to use? If you could have the PERFECT handspun for the PERFECT project, what would it be? (we'd love to hear what the project would be, too!)

The contest? Post a comment with your answers to the above questions! On Monday, between 6 and 7pm (eastern), I will draw a winner from the comments. The prize? A 15% coupon code to use on any purchase at our Handspun by SweetKnits store! We will have a stocking this Monday evening at 8pm (eastern), so you'll have an immediate chance to use your discount - or perhaps you'd rather wait for your PERFECT handspun to come along! Or maybe, you'd rather use it for a custom spinning order. The choice will be yours!

So please enter to win! And tell your friends! Comments can be posted up until 5:59pm on Monday. :)