Why does it seem that things always happens all at once? I have nothing to write about for days and then suddenly I have a whole slew of photos to post and stories to tell! Most of these things happened yesterday. My skeins were returned from the competition and I finished knitting a tam using my handspun.
This year I did not do as well as last year. Apparently my spinning abilities are declining, which frankly does not surprise me. I entered both single and 2-ply into the “medium” category because this time they had it split into fine/medium/bulky singles; fine/medium/bulky ply; novelty; etc.. The problem with this? My definition of medium is VERY different than the judge’s. Not to mention her idea of a novelty yarn! So, my singles received a second place ribbon which is disappointing but acceptable. My 2-ply got fifth place and no ribbon. I won $4 which covers the cost of entry.
On comments sheet, she wrote that the singles were unevenly spun. I cannot deny that. I am not a machine. However, she said it was more of a NOVELTY yarn! Please, look at the yarn pictured above and tell me if you would ever label it as a novelty. When I do thick ‘n thin – it is THICK and THIN. It’s fine though, for next year I want to really concentrate on making something wildly even and something just plain wild.
Wednesday afternoon at work I began knitting a tam with some handspun yarn. I received the roving in a swap in 2006 and had not been able to find a purpose for the yarn yet. My initial start on the hat failed, so when I started over I used a smaller gauge and it worked out. Hats are such a pleasure to knit because they go so fast! I finished this Thursday afternoon, about the same time I started it. I knew I’d run out of the green, so I dug out the orange to use also. I was inspired by the splat on Cosy’s hat here and did a little sunburst on the top. I did colorwork to the top and duplicate stitch to extend the rays.
Handspun BFL yarn
Handspun/dyed BFL & mohair yarn
US 8 circular needles
Ann Budd’s The Knitter’s Handy Book of Patterns
Sunshine Over Sweetpeas
7 responses so far ↓
bruisinraincloud // May 30, 2008 at 9:16 pm |
awesome work!!!!!!!!!
Veronika // May 31, 2008 at 5:26 pm |
Haha, it is quite funny to call this a novelty yarn.
I absolutely looove that tam though! The orange bit is truly stunning.
cosymakes // May 31, 2008 at 5:57 pm |
ooohhh… *love* the hat and and the title!!
novelty smothalty. i’m impressed that you enter things at all, at least at one point during the spinning i always forget what is going on and it gets a bit novelty on me
Christabel // June 1, 2008 at 9:31 pm |
Novelty? Pah!
That tam is gorgeous, Gwen, and the yarn is very pretty too. Well done!
zhenya // June 3, 2008 at 11:44 am |
We should all be so lucky to spin such gorgeous “novelty” yarn. Still, second place is nothing to sniff at — congratulations! Love the tam, too!
blue-faced leicester « cosymakes // June 15, 2008 at 9:55 am |
[...] here are some more bfl links to check out: handspun -a scarf in progress (ravelry link) -check out the shimmer on these pomatomus socks -a beeeeautiful sweater with a link to the original yarn -a very nice tam with a splat [...]
fat and thin « cosymakes // November 26, 2008 at 5:59 pm |
[...] in the yarn show up way better. which explains why the judge at the fair thought gwen’s very nice fatter yarn was [...]