17 Equations That Changed The World...A Knitted Tale

Here's a progress pic for my #doubleknitcowl. 

As a #mathnerd this pattern called to me and it’s been a fun knit! Here's the reverse...

It's a pattern called "17 Equations Mobius Scarf" by Erica B.

Of course I am reading the book too!😁

➕➖➗✖️#ravelry#wollmeise #handknitting #handdyedyarn#lovemath 

FYI I dyed the light pink yarn with avocado pits!🥑

The original yarn was undyed...who knew that green avocado pits would yield a beautiful dusty rose dye? I didn't add any mordant and so far it seems to be colourfast.

Sunshine on a Clear Day...Handspun Yarn

I've just finished plying my new handspun yarn...I plied the single novelty yarn that I made on my blending board with a Saffron merino top. It's about 111 yards.

I have it measured and tied up, now to set the twist, let it dry and find a pattern that will show it off.

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button??

Well, with my new fibre addiction I decided to start making glass lampwork buttons again.  I've made them over the years, but I have so many beautiful colours of roving and yarn now I just had to see what I could come up with to coordinate with them.

So I started making buttons to match...

 Brown, Copper, and Beige Handmade Lampwork Glass Button

 Spring Garden Handmade Lampwork Glass Button

Brilliant Blue Lagoon Handmade Lampwork Glass Button

I can see this being a great addition to a sweater or a neckwarmer...more to come!

Discovering the Joy of Fibre

I've done a bit of needlefelting over the past couple of years, mostly round beads to incorporate into jewellery, and so I've accumulated a stash of small balls of brightly coloured roving (combed sheep's wool).

Just before Christmas I purchased a drop spindle to try spinning some of this roving into yarn.  My family and I went on a fabulous trip to Peru over the holidays and the Andean women are expert spinners and weavers.  I was hooked! I bought a whole lot of alpaca fleece to comb and spin into yarn.

 This is one of the Peruvian women in our hotel, with her lamb...that's milk in the Coke bottle.

 This is a display of some of the plants and insects that the natural dyes are made from.

I also purchased some natural Corriedale roving from an Etsy friend, Uli of KnittersNook, and spun my first roving into a chunky yarn single.  Using the Andean method I plied it back onto the spindle..woohoo!!

Well, excited as I was, this little bit only measured 16 yards...not enough for knitting anything yet. So....spin, spin, spin.
I bought some acid dyes from Dharma Trading Company and dyed my natural yarn to a rich brick red.

Finally, I knit a simple hat using a free pattern from Ravelry, crocheted a scalloped edge around the brim, made a chainstitch flower and a matching handmade lampwork glass button, and voila! ....my first, handspun, handyed project was complete.

Knitting With Wire

Here's a picture of a copper cuff bracelet I made a while ago.

I used 28 gauge copper wire, and tiny steel knitting needles...a little at a time because my fingers got so sore from pulling on the wire to get the tension even. This cuff took me a long time to make!

Because the edges were a little uneven, and to give the cuff more strength, I made copper sheet edging, folded over, and hand-riveted, then formed on my bracelet mandrel.

I then embellished the copper knitting with turquoise seedbeads...overall a pleasing effect I think.

Would I do it again? Hmmmm.....I'll have to consult my fingers, LOL.