My cousin is about to have her first baby this December and I couldn't be happier for her and her husband. This is turning out to be a year of babies for my friends and family which means I am revisiting some of my favorite old baby designs. I first made this hat about 7 or 8 years ago for a friend and neighbor back when I lived in Virginia. She has a little boy and was trying to describe a hat shape that she liked. On a piece of paper she sketched what was basically a square and explained how the points would stick up when the hat was sitting on someone's head. It sounded like a cute idea, so after taking a few measurements, I set out to make my own version of this hat. Well, I've been making these little hats ever since. They are just so cute and whimsical. For girls I scallop the brim and make loopy flowers at the points. for boys I make the brim straight and make loopy pom-poms instead of flowers. This one is a holiday version as you can see. I also like to make them with red and white stripes. I think this is a sweet first Christmas design. This hat looks great in everything from pastels to primary colors. I've chosen a bouclé for this project, but other textures look great too. From furry to flat, the possibilities abound. I had to work this hat up my my own, ancient, chicken scratch. I was old school back then, walking around scribbling ideas in a journal. It's time I preserve this design with a proper pattern!
It was a nice lazy weekend around my house. My hands needed a break from crocheting, so my thoughts turned to spinning. I went into my studio and dug a huge bag of German milk sheep fiber out of a corner cupboard. It's coarse wool, good for rug making, and I need a new rug right now. The small rug I keep on the back porch is beginning to crumble and it will be nice to replace it with something homemade.
After spending a large part of the afternoon filling this spool, I have to say that I don't know how people attend long spinning events. My backside gets so tired of my spinning chair and my neck and upper back ache from being in one aspect for so long. I guess I don't spin often enough to build up stamina. This fact is in direct conflict with my determination to spin though my mountain of wool. Today my chair will receive the addition of a pillow and I'll have to stop and stretch more often. What I'd like to do is to spin all of this fiber into a nice heavy 2ply. Then divide it into around 200 yard hanks to be dyed in a variety of colors. This would be a nice project to weave on my rigid heddle, but I don't know if I can get myself back into weaving. Crochet is just so quick and easy for me. I guess I'll have plenty of time to contemplate this while I'm spinning.
Here are a few more samples of the necklaces I've been making lately. I really love working with linen these days. It feels sturdy and strong and yet as you wear it, it becomes softer and softer. My favorite place to shop for linen lace is Yarn Mountain. There are so many gorgeous colorways. Another favorite lace weight of mine is Shoppel Wolle Zauberball. I love the long striping effect and it looks great in projects like these. I first bought Shoppel Wolle in Germany, but it's readily available here in the states.
I'm feeling more than a little sheepish for having been away so long. Is if possible to develop attention deficit issues in midlife? I find myself spending more time on Wind Rose Fiber Studio's Facebook page than here and I think it's because it's so quick and easy. If you want to see what I've been working on lately, I would welcome your visit. My latest design is the Linen and Lace Necklace and last week I even managed to write up the pattern. It's available for sale in my Etsy shop, but until Sept 15th, the pattern is available for free to people who follow my Facebook page. You'll find the simple details here. Now that I've flexed my fingers, I hope to rekindle my attention span and return to more regular blogging. I've missed you and I know I have a handful of questions waiting for answers here as well. Please forgive my time away and I'll be getting to you with answers very soon.
