fiber related?

Can you believe it? I'm finally getting off of my butt and posting about the fibery things I've been doing.

I spent some time over-dying some yarn that I had originally dyed with iron logwood.

The original color was a washed out version of this:


Unfortunately I didn't tell thuy what I was doing until I had already started so her helpful reminder to take photos missed the original color.

The dye pot:


And the final product. The color is almost accurate but it is more blue.


I finished up the gifts for Jen and Farooq's new baby, Zara. A good thing too since she was born about ten days before I mailed everything off.

So here is that linen stitch blanket that I've been working on for forever and a day. I decided not to rip it out and I'm glad as the pooled colors aren't that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Of course Sam decided he was being neglected with all of the photos not involving him so he made sure he was smack in the middle of it all.



I added a simple crochet edge to finish it off.


And finally, this onesie has a baby girl to go to! I knit this years ago but not in time for the intended victim. Everyone I know since then has either had boys or adopted older children than this would fit.


A close up of the hat:


And the buttons that save this from turning a child into a giant purple and pink marshmallow.

Stitches West

Stitches West was great fun. I got to see several old friends from Chicago and Miss Anne spoiled me as always. I bought yarn (pics tomorrow) and got a new lace book that is fantastic titled "Victorian Lace Today" by Jane Sowerby.

Not only are the patterns pretty and functional, but most of them don't require 3,000 yards of yarn (unlike some other lace books many of us own) so you may find that you are able to reduce your stash a bit while working your way through the book. Jane knit most patterns in a variety of yarns so that you could see what they would look like and is an absolutely lovely person to chat with about lace and her knitting.

Her philosophy on lace is that it doesn't have to be difficult and so she starts at the beginning of Victorian lace when it was simple and utilitarian and then progresses to more difficult and more recent patterns reflecting when knitting became a fad in Victorian times. As soon as I finish all of the current gifts in the works, the next new project I will cast on will be out of this book.

She hopes to write another book after she finishes promoting this one and I hope she does!