More Shetland Spinning

A few posts ago, I said that I would continue spinning some Shetland before I moved on to another breed of sheep. My plan had originally been to spin more of the deep natural chocolate color, some of the butterscotch color, and to knit a fair-isle project.

You know what happens to good plans? They get changed!One day, I was just browsing the Interweave Knits website, and in their pattern store found this pattern. The SockPixie girls were sitting in my room next to me, and as they saw the vest, the room filled with oohs and aahs!



This pattern called the Indian Floral Vest was designed by Pam Allen and published in the Winter 1999 Interweave Knits magazine.

I have not been dyeing yarn lately (I will explain later). But at that very moment, the urge to dye was too strong. I rushed downstairs, grabbed the pots, some yellow and some red...I stood next to the pot, staring at the roving, but not stirring for fear of felting... the color gradually saturating the already deep butterscotch.

I only pulled it out when I was sure the color even after drying would be like a jewel.



The color exceeds my expectations. The butterscotch undertones give a unique glow to the red... I could go on and on, but I'll keep it short: "ooh...aah!"

I can hardly wait to start spinning. Of course I will have to test spin a little, to get the best yarn possible for the project.

This means I must hurry and finish knitting Mr. SockPixie's Shetland Socks before I get all wrapped up in this new adventure.

Colorful Kin Cap

Thanks for all the nice comments I've received on this blog, especially from some of my Norgi knitting role models like Wendy & Geane.

I doubt I will achieve all my 2003 fiber goals (I may not even START Kashmir since it is last on the list of sweaters to do) but setting goals does seem to spur me on to finish more stuff.


I don't have too many items I've both spun and knit but here is one. It is the "Colorful Kin Cap" from an old issue of Interweave Knits. I found the four colors of dyed Australian wool as roving in my LYS, Village Wools (one of the BEST LYS's there is!). I spun it into a 2 ply yarn. The hat is for DH but it has inspired many people to ask for a hat of their own. I made one other but in commercial yarn. I'm not sure the colors are coming out as brilliantly as they do in real life but I really like them. Normally I am not too capable at choosing lots of colors to go together and I ask DH to do it. My knitting friend Jeanette is excellent at choosing colors and I should ask her advice more often.