Blue Jay Shawl, etc.

The picture simply cannot do justice to the actual color, but here is my Blue Jay Shawl from Alison Hyde's "Wrapped in Comfort." I did not copy your dyeing adventures for this one, Alison. Instead, I found a perfect color of blue/gray merino/tencel roving that almost exactly matched the photo in the book, and I spindled like mad to make the 2-ply yarn, starting in early May. I knitted a bit, then spun if it looked like I needed more yarn, and thus I multi-tasked until I cast off the last stitch this afternoon. I did all of the spinning on several different Ledbetters, but mainly I used the one Ken made to order for me, which has a gorgeous blue sodalite donut set in a lacewood whorl. The stone matched the fiber! Not that I would go out of my way to match color of fiber to color of spindle, but it was a nice coincidence.
This was just my initial, hasty attempt at blocking. A better job will be done later this week, with t-pins and stuff. I didn't want to wait that long to get a Rough Idea of how the finished version will look. Below is a wee close-up.
The shawl weighs a total of 7 ounces, and I am so pleased that I had the tenacity to get through all the spinning without ever laying hands on a wheel. Not even for plying! Needless to say, spit-splicing abounds...

In my last entry, I posted a link to a friend's Etsy store. She has begun building the most incredible spindles. Below is one of them. It arrived in the mail today, and look at the 2-ply I spun on it! Frog hair!
Pardon my Bad Hair day, but as you see, I had a lot of fun giving this spindle a whirl (whorl?).
When I have re-charged my camera battery, I will take a picture of the other spindle I found in my package -- a complete surprise! -- and so very beautiful, too.
The spindle in these pictures is being used to spin some of Enchanted Knoll Farm's Blue Jay top. (Thanks, Josette!)

The other spindle is being used for a recent splurge from Copper Pot Woolies. There was this glorious batt she called "Night Moves," and I simply HAD to have it. Pics will come, as I said earlier, when I've got the camera battery recharged.

Enchanted Knoll Farm, zebisisdesigns, and Copper Pot Woolies can all be found on Etsy, as well as Terra Bella Spun and Luna Bud Knits. Do a vendor search and check them out!

Anyone else besides me find Etsy is as dangerous as a year-long, round-the-clock wool festival? If this keeps up, I may not have to go to Rhinebeck this year...

More spindle temptations!

One of my online friends has just opened a new Etsy shop. She is making really beautiful spindles. I'm waiting for my first one to arrive. Check out what she has for sale by clicking here. Gorgeous!