A Finished UFO - Purple Butterfly Quilt

I have had the top to this quilt completed for about 4 years. I also have had all the materials to complete it sitting there. Oh the conundrum of the UFO, why are they so hard to complete? I finally got around to finishing it this weekend. I don't know why I didn't do it sooner, because once I got started it only took an afternoon to complete and I am pleased with the results.

The Alice Springs Beanie Festival 2011

After attending the Alice Springs Beanie Festival in 2010 I was inspired and decided that I would make some beanies to send to sell at the 2011 Festival.
I posted the 10 Beanies this week. Some of these beanies you may have seen from other posts. I made all the beanies with wool from my stash.

Learning to Spin

I have just completed an 8 week Introduction to Spinning class at the local Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild. It was fantastic! Learning to spin is something I have wanted to do for a while and I am glad that I now have the skills to keep practicing and to make a usable yarn.

Over the 8 weeks I learnt how to...

:: Identify a good fleece for beginning spinning

:: Prepare a fleece for spinning

:: Flick a fleece

:: Wash a fleece

:: Use a drop spindle

:: Care for a spinning wheel

:: Use hand carders and make a rolag

:: Use a drum carder to make a bat

:: Spin a worsted and woollen yarn

:: Ply a yarn and identify 'S' and 'Z' plyed yarns

:: Dye fleece, tops and yarn using Landscape dyes and heat set dye

:: Spin alternative fibers such as alpaca

Here are some photos of what I achieved during the course. These are my first attempts at spinning. There is greasy fleece that has been flicked, washed flicked fleece spun worsted, washed flicked fleece spun woollen, wool tops and the black is alpaca. The white skein is my fist attempt. It is spun worsted style. The green skein is spun woollen and has some silk and angora added using the drum carder. It was dyed green in the skein. This is the wool that was dyed, drying. A skein and 2 wool tops. This is the skein spun up from the dyed wool tops and a sample of the spun wool knitted.This is fleece that I dyed red and blue. This is the fleece flick carded and ready to spin. This is the skein and a sample of the spun wool knitted up from the dyed fleece. The people I completed the class with were lovely and our teacher was amazing. I was a sad to give back my loaned wheel, but have been lucky enough to borrow a wheel from my friend's mum so I can keep practicing.