Whar a glorious day it has been - sunny, warm and breezy. I took the spinning wheel outside today, and so enjoyed it. Finished spinning an unknown fibre - interesting...

I downloaded a copy of the Great Ecclestone Show schedule today too - the spinning Guild are trying to get as many entries as possible in the spinning classes - need to enter at least one thing, I think,

Things are moving fast now. It's countdown to the launch of Knatters Knits. The website is now live, my spinning is getting much better and I have loads of knitted items and yarn to sell. This dream is actually going to become a reality! It's amazing, and I love it!  I'm posting a picture of my late Mum, as I'm dedicating this post to her - I know how proud she'd be of my achievements - thanks Mum.

First full skein


I've spent today spinning my first full skein of wool - all 320 yards of it. I now ache all over! Here are the pictures:

• Firstly, the fibre which I bought from Porpoise Fur
• Secondly, the view of the yarn on the bobbin as it is being spun and
• Thirdly, the wool once it has been plied and wound on the niddy noddy. 

The next question is - what does this yarn want to be turned into? There's enough for socks, gloves or a hat, or possibly even a small shawl - decisions, decisions

Handspun creation

I have managed to spin enough yarn to make my first 'proper' item. It's a shawl. It's the first time I've properly blocked a piece of knitting too, and although I say so myself, I'm quite pleased with the results...

 

Whilst the quality of the yarn is not fine enough to make socks and lace items, it'll be warm in winter with this shawl. Since making this shawl, I've decided that  I'm not a great fan of pink. This was the last of this fibre though, so I have ordered more fibres but in different colours, for a change, and also to try other suppliers of fibre. There was nothing wrong with this fibre, it's just that with being a newbie at this, I want to try all sorts of things - bit like a kid in a sweet shop I guess!


Next week I am going to meet a farmer to discuss purchasing their fleeces, so I am very excited, and also a little afraid. I may be buried in fleeces that need washing for some time, so if I don't blog for  a while, you'll know where I am - either washing fleeces or sitting at my spinning wheel.

My online shop is now open too and I  hope to be adding more and more items regularly. That is, if I can tear myself away from my spinning wheel - I found myself at 1 a.m. sitting at the wheel, finishing the last of the fibre I had - it's so addictive.