Churro, Baby Surpise Jacket, and Yet another toy!

Here's a pic of my churro fleece I got from Thesheepshedstudio.com. It's a coarse wool, and a bit on the sandy side, but nothing that doesn't shake out or card out. I'm spinning up single ply doing a long draw from rolrags. It's spinning up really nice on the Fidelis. I'm rather anxious to finish up a few bobbins of this because I have plans for it that I'll reveal at the end of this blog. This is my first unprocessed fleece I've ever worked with. Carol was nice enough to wash it up for me, but it still has a lot of sand. The Churro sheep it came from was used to train sheep dog. ( She told me this up front, but I really wanted to try out the churro, and have no regrets.)Still, it's exciting to take something from sheep to yarn yourself! I've been handcarding this because the drum carder is still in use for making the yarn for Addi's Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman.

Gee, I wanted to post a pic with the fiber I'm drum carding up for it. But that didn't happen. The wool is a blend of Sweet Grass Targhee, Brown Sheep mill end rovings from SSS, and Angelina for a touch of sparkle. (Have I mentioned I really love my drum carder?) This is such a funny little jacket to knit up! It looks like a mess until you get far enough along to fold it up into a little jacket and suddenly it all makes sense. Knitpicks has their books 40% off, so I indulged and got 3 of Elizabeth Zimmerman's books. I have discover I simply LOVE her!

Lastly...a new toy to come my way! I have always wanted to, since I was a child, learn to knit, spin, and weave. Well, I taught myself to knit a little when I was about 9 or so via library books. I really got into knitting when Aidan was born and was thrilled to find lessons on the net so I could finally read a pattern. Spinning just came about last year, and I learned via the internet, mostly Youtube. Now I want to weave. I've decided to purchase a Schacht's Flip Rigid Heddle Loom. I'm buying through http://www.silverspuncreations.com/ . Susan has been wonderful in helping me, and maybe I'll get it in next week! My first project I've planned is to take the rustic churro yarn, and weave a bag!

I have become a fiber harlot!!! You should see all the fiber I have accumulated! Alpace/silk, BFL, Merino, Sweet Grass Targhee, bamboo, Punta, and I only want more! So I ordered some grey Jacob from Susan as well. (Hangs head in shame...oh yeah...there's the turquoise and black from SSS on order too!) There's just no known cure for this illness!