Category: Fiber Arts

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FAF: Dyeing to Play with Fiber

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Last weekend I enjoyed an afternoon of spinning with a bunch of awesome ladies over at Seven Spirits Farm.  No one wanted their photo taken!  Shy folk.  I took photos anyway LOL

I had a goal this week do dye up a braid of roving each day of the week… I got 5 braids dyed up before my day job interfered.   All of these are currently up for sale on our Etsy Shop if anyone is interested.


I also decided to finally start my La La Shawl KAL with the Genesee Valley Hand Spinners guild.  Of course it meant going to the Yarn Boutique to pick up a new #10 circular needle to work it.   Ever try walking into a yarn store with only one item in mind and buy more?  Yeah well I couldn’t help but pick up this lovely purple by Cascade Yarns which happily replaced the yarn I was going to use for the shawl.  Isn’t she pretty?!

Lastly there’s a couple of new Facebook Groups you all might be interested in.  Check them out!

“Washed Fiber For Sale”

“Fiber Animals for Sale”

Lastly don’t forget I’m doing a Lollypop Yarn GIVEAWAY! at the end of the month all you have to do is like our Farm Page on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dutch-Hollow-Acres/160939610604214

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FAF: Washing, Dyeing, and Spinning

Good day Fiber Arts Friday fans!

I’ve been a busy busy girl this week.  Last weekend we started shearing our alpacas and got 3 of them done.  I also split the cost of some Unicorn Fiber Wash with Seven Spirits Farm and so I spent the rest of the weekend skirting and washing our newly shorn fleeces.   They are currently up for sale if anyone is interested.

I’ve also been participating in the Facebook Fiber Swap which has been wonderful.  I’ve gotten and sent out many goodies and this is what is currently on my bobbin.  It’s an art bat filled with pretty much everything you can think of minus the kitchen sink.

Here’s a photo of a center pull roving bump I dyed up.  It would make a fun yarn for anyone who wants to knit something up for a baby shower but for someone who doesn’t want to know the sex.  Is it a boy? or Is it a girl?

I also found time to finished my black alpaca bobbin, plied and it is nicely wound up in a center pull ball.  It too is currently up for sale on etsy.

Lastly I tried my hand at navajo plying with some white alpaca I have.  Ugh, what a challenge that was.  I had breaks, over twist, under twist and just a general terrible time.  Oh well, it’s finished and since I did such a poor job it’s not worth selling but I now have to think up a project for it so it doesn’t go to waste.

GIVEAWAY!!!!

I’m doing a Lollypop Yarn Giveaway this month!

Like our Farm page and be entered to with a skein of Lollypop Yarn! A $10 donation to Lollypop Farm (Humane Society of Rochester NY) will be made in your name plus you get a lovely skein of yarn from one of their sheep! (Drawing on April 30th!)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dutch-Hollow-Acres/160939610604214

 

 

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FAF: Baby Vest with Shells – Pattern

Hello Fiber Arts Friday Fans

Yeah so the schmuck I am totally forgot the vest at home.  I was supposed to give it to my friend this morning so he’d have it for Easter.  Darn it all to Hades!  No worries, I have plenty of yarn left over and at least I wrote the pattern down that I think I have time to make another one!

So here’s the same old photo of what the panels look like and later today I hope to get a finished photo of the one I plan on starting the second I post this.

BabBaby Vest in Shells

Bernat Cotton Yarn

J Hook 6.00mm

Abbreviations:

SC – Single Crochet
CH – Chain
SK – Skip
DC – Double Crochet
Shell = 5 DC in same stitch

Front Panels, Make 2

Row 1: CH 18+2

Row 2: SC second from hook. SC across (18)

Row 3: CH3, 2DC in first stitch, SK2, SC, SK2, Shell, SK2, Shell, SK2, 3DC in last

Row 4: CH1, SC in 1st stitch, SK2, Shell, SK2, SC, SK2, Shell, SK2, SC, SK2, Shell, SK2, SC in last

Row 5-10: Repeat 3&4

Row 11: CH3, 2DC in first st, SK2, SC, SK2, Shell, SK2, SC, SC to end of row CH1 Turn,

Row 12: 10 SC, Ch2, 2DC in same sitch, SK2, Shell, SK2, SC in last stitch

Row 13: SC across to top of CH2, CH 1 Turn

Row 14: SC across and finish off

Back Panel

Row 1: CH 30+2

Row 2: SC second from hook, SC across (30)

Row 3: 12: CH 3, DC next stitch, DC across to end

Row 13: CH 3, DC in next 8 st, CH 1 turn

Row 14:  SC in first stitch,  SC to end and finish off

Repeat Row 13 & 14 on opposite side of back panel to complete other shoulder

Assembly: whip stitch front panels at the shoulder to back and halfway down each side to create arm holes.   Add a small button that will easily slip through the DC spaces at the collar and you’re done!

Happy Friday to you all!

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Here it is! Just finished the 2nd one!

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WIP: Easter Baby Vest

Work in Progress Wednesday!

Well I haven’t posted here in a while but this week I’m actually working on a project after getting my groove back.  I’m making a little baby vest for a little girl named Lily for Easter.

I was smart and wrote down what I’ve been doing to make this vest so I’ll have the full pattern available come Fiber Arts Friday.   All that’s left for me to do is sew and find some buttons to finish it.

FYI!
Calling all Crochet and Knitters! Like our Farm page and be entered to with a skein of Lollypop Yarn! A $10 donation to Lollypop Farm (Humane Society of Rochester NY) will be made in your name plus you get a lovely skein of yarn from one of their sheep! (Drawing on April 30th!)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dutch-Hollow-Acres/160939610604214

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FAF: Spring Fever

Good day Fiber Arts Friday lovers!

What a tease all that warm weather was.  Bouncing from 80 degree days to snow they are calling for tonight stinks.  I was even planning on shearing early but I think I’ll hold off and watch the weather some more.

Speaking of shearing our Raw Fiber CSA shares are open!  If you want to reserve the prime blanket off of any of the alpacas listed now’s your chance!  The shares close when they are all sold our or on June 9th.  Whichever comes first.

I’ve been spinning!  Yippy so much fun and relaxing.  I even was able to drag my work out onto the front porch and watch the alpacas mow my lawn for me.

This week I’ve been working off of some batts that Seven Spirits Farm carded for me from 2 of my alpacas.  Alejandro and Crystal I think.  Pillowy clouds of super soft fiber and it has been a dream to spin!  I can definitely tell the Accoyo difference in their fleeces.   Super fine, very dense, and with the crimp Alejandro’s fleece has spring to it like a sheep!  I’m so thrilled to have them both in my breeding program.  FYI if anyone wants a driveby breeding special there’s still 1 day left to our March madness deal.  Only $250 to breed to Alejandro!  Whoot!

I’ve been trying to get back into crochet but cannot find a project that agrees with me.  I started up to 5 different projects yesterday only to rip every single one of them out.  Here’s the latest mess. Blah

So while the alpacas were mowing my lawn they also decided to do some trimming of my snowball bush.   It was getting a little gigantic anyway so I don’t mind the work they’ve done.