Podcast Notes – 30th July – Socks & Spinning

We’re in person again today – how nice is it to have the freedom to move around New Zealand again!! Join us as we chat about WIP’s, FO’s and other yarny shenanigans.

Gill was at Fibretron last weekend helping out Julie from Wool on Wheels.

Kylie couldn’t make Fibretron, but she took her parents to a lovely cafe in south/rural Auckland – The Lavender Farm.

FO’s

Gill finished a blanket for her sister which was a huge success (thankfully!) – it was already gifted so we couldn’t show it. The pattern is Ruby Knights and Gill knit it in a lovely undyed Romney yarn from Wild Earth Yarns.

Gill also finished a large ‘shlanket’ from Westknits called the Scrap Happy Triangle including lots of lovely scraps from lots of different dyers – we mentioned Knot ‘n Tie as we were talking about it.

Kylie has finished some simple vanilla socks using yarn from Mrs Peacock Yarns in the “Peace on Earth” colourway, which was a Christmas colourway purchased from Loopine. The pattern used included a “Fleegle Heel” and is a free pattern from Ravelry – Your New Favorite Toe-Up Sock.

Gill also finished some socks using the Heel Toe Do Si Do pattern and some gorgeous King Cole Zig Zag yarn which she finished on the way home from FibreEd.

FibreEd Show & Tell

Gill finished a gorgeous macrame pot holder during her macrame class. It was surprising to know that there were only 2 different knots used in the process!

Kylie did a t-shirt yarn class and made a crochet basket from t-shirt yarn. She’s been making lots of yarn from op-shop ‘rejects’ so that she can teach the technique at the September Auckland Creative Fibre Retreat.

Sashiko-inspired stitching was a class Kylie and Gill did together and we made a gorgeous pin cushion using a pottery item provided by the teacher.

Kylie also did a freeform knitting class and is slowly getting there with the project she started during the class. It will become a bag for her daughter.

WIP’s

Gill is working on a super cute and fun shawl called Studs using a possom based background yarn and a fun colourful yarn from Purple Sprouting – colourway “Meadow Mornings”.

Kylie’s working on a vanilla sock out of some lovely self striping/patterning Opal Frenche Freunde in the Lausbub colourway.

Gill has started a scarf which might become a jumper!!! She’s made 2 magic balls – greens and pinks and is using The Morrison Scarf which is a free pattern on ravelry.

Gill’s also working on a glittery knee high stripy socks using West Yorkshire Spinners Signature Yarn – in the 2022 Christmas colourway, which came in our Christmas gift set from Eskdale Yarns last year – that’s where we got our great scissors we mentioned earlier!

Purchases

At Fibretron, Gill got a lovely new bag from In Stitches, some fibre from Fibre2go. A skein from Knot ‘n Tie called “K-bars”, a skein from MoonRise Yarn Co which is a teal resist dyed yarn. A laceweight gradient cake dyed by DyeStock Yarns – her payment for helping out Julie from Wool on Wheels. Uneek yarn self-striping yarn

Kylie only bought 1 skein of yarn at FibreEd!! But lots of fibre 😀 The skein of yarn is a DK weight yarn from Fibre2go. From Weather Wools – Some purple Rolags and a lovely moody gradient braid of Gotland/Silk.

Gill and Kylie both bought some braids from a lady in the south island who doesn’t sell online. We also bought some gorgeous undyed Polworth/Silk from StarcrestFarm – a lovely couple in the south island farming their own sheep and marketing the fibre and spun yarn locally.

Tour de Fleece

Kylie hurt her ankle the day before tour de fleece begun, but wasn’t going to let that stop her from participating, so she used her nano e-wheel (thanks Gill for the encouragement!!).

The first skein spun was using some ‘special fibre’ from Fibre2go – 60% black merino and 40% dyed silk. Spun worsted and chain plied to a fingering weight yarn.

The second skein is a BFL/nylon braid from Cat & Sparrow Fibres. Spun as a gradient going through the rainbow for 1/2 of the yarn then into black for the other half. Spun woolen, from the fold and plied 2 ply.

Kylie also finished her combo spin that was started last year for a sweater project! The sweater is long finished, and now the fibre is too! Spun worsted, plied 2 ply.

Art Yarn spinning using “The Big Book of Fibery Rainbows” micro-colour change corespun yarn. After a bit of play, a yarn design came to mind using the undyed Polworth/silk fibre from Starcrest Farm and it’s very exciting!!

Gill spun some Corriedale purchased from Fibre2go at the FibreEd event.