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This weekend I got back in the mood to work on my Tahoe cardigan...
The sweater's back and right front are complete, and I cast on last night for the left front. After this, it's just sleeves and finishing--and I'm going to make a few changes at this point. First, the sleeves will be knit from top down, circularly. Seaming is OK, but not my favorite way to spend an evening.

Also, instead of the turned under picot edges knit with Koigu, I may knit or crochet a less bulky alternative. Sundara's Bittersweet remains my yarn of choice for the edging...the colors just work so well with my mauvey-violet Heirloom Breeze from OzeYarn (a GREAT and affordable site to order from, no matter where you live!).

I haven't used my spinning wheel or wrote about spinning in a while, so I thought I'd show you my latest. Actually, I spun this hank in February or March (I don't remember!), and then it sat...and sat...and sat on the spool. But this weekend my yarn was liberated! I wound it onto the two-yard niddy-noddy and set the spin by soaking and hanging to dry.

I am very pleased with this, as I'm still a beginner and am totally self-taught. What you're looking at is a 300-yard skein of sport-weight yarn spun from Finn top.

Best of all, to a newbie like me, is that I managed to spin a soft yarn that doesn't twist back on itself or kink up...This was my goal. I tried really hard not to overspin, but to spin enough so it won't fall to pieces when knitted.

So...what's this yarn's destiny? Well, last fall I began a VERY simple shawl for my husband's grandma--who's been like a grandma to me, too. She's so sweet and smart and beautiful. I really do love her. Unfortunately, she has Parkinson's disease and is in a nursing home in Pennsylvania, so we don't see her too often :-(

Anyway, I knew I'd run out of yarn in the midst of the shawl, and when I did I had the wonderful luxury of sitting down at my Kromski Sonata (Yay!!! Love it!!!) and spinning up the rest of the Finn so I can complete the project. The first batch of yarn I used was spun when I was even more of a beginner, so it's a bit slubby. This yarn is much, much nicer. But I know that grandma will love it all the same...perhaps even more...because it's made from scratch, just for her.

I know some of you are spinners, too. Tell me, what kind of wheels do you use? What fibers do you like to spin? I'd LOVE to see some of your yarn! Nothing's more exciting than making something from yarn and needles EXCEPT making something from a pile of hair that you spin yourself, then knit or crochet into a lovely piece that comes from the heart.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Cheers!

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