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Handspun corriedale

approx 4 oz handspun handdyed corriedale wool
166 yards
worsted weight

Handspun Scarf

Started the Bertie Scarf, using my own handspun. It's Ruby Twist from coppermoose, spun at an average worsted weight so I'm using US7 needles. I have about 390 yards of this color. Amazingly this yarn was my first decently usable yarn and came out perfectly balanced...hard to recreate since I don't do any technical breakdown of my spinning or the yarn I produce. The two skeins of yarn I spun after this weren't balanced, but I'm still practicing.

Catriona vest is coming along also. Gratuitous puppy photo.

WIP: Catriona
Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed

...Sesame 1 didn't stretch enough...and Sesame 2 will most likely be frogged and reknit one size smaller.

Stretch Blocking the First Sesame Sweater

My first Sesame came out a bit too fitted, so I hardly ever wear it. Such a shame, because I love simple black cardis. I soaked her in some water and baby shampoo and then stretched her out on the blocking board. Hopefully it'll be a bit looser so I'll wear it. The size I made is for a 38" bust...my second Sesame was a 40" bust. I seem to be in the middle. Don't you hate that?




I will probably make another Sesame because I love this pattern. It's easy and comes together quickly...and the simplicity of it is just my thing.

I'm still working on a Scarf Askew in Classic Elite Skye Tweed (Christmas project, yes I'm starting way early this year before I get caught up in other projects and never finish the Christmas ones):



And I'm also working on a top-down raglan sweater in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky. I'm not really using a pattern...I decided to wing it. I don't know if I cast on enough stitches for the neck, but I'm almost at the end of the raglan shaping...so I'll just see how it goes. The only other top-down sweater I've made is a baby cardigan, so this is a new venture since I want to incorporate waist shaping.

Sesame II FO

Yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Putty
Needles: US6 circs
Pattern: Sesame (my second)
Size: 40" bust

I made the sweater a couple inches longer, other than that I followed the pattern. I love this pattern. It's simple and comes together pretty quickly. I can wear it to work or at home...points for the double duty. The cotton fleece is very nice and I'm hoping it wears well - I've never used this yarn before (got it on sale).

The Home Stretch...

All I have left with Sesame II is the buttonhole band. I went to Joann's and Michael's today in hopes of finding the perfect buttons for her...but to my dismay, neither place had the perfect ones. You know how sometimes you see something (like buttons) in a store (Joann's) and you think, gee, these would be just perfect for my Sesame 2 sweater! But then you don't buy them because you want to wait and see how the sweater goes before buying buttons for it...after all, you don't want to get ahead of yourself...don't want to jinx yourself...then when you go back for them...they're not there?! don't you hate that?!

And forget Michaels. They don't even really have a button section. They have a section of novelty buttons and such, but no basic buttons. So...I'm not sure what I want to do now. Do I wait until Joann's might restock that particular button - I have no idea what it's called and I have no idea when it might come in? Do I drive 25 minutes to the other Joann's (there's also a Hancocks fabrics nearby there). But I hate driving. Progress on Sesame 2 has stopped because of a few buttons...so I'm surfing blogs and such. Should I cast on another project tonight? Decisions! Decisions!

I've been thinking of getting back to spinning...but I just can't seem to tear myself away from my sweater...I'm SO. CLOSE. to the end. There's also sewing going through my mind. *sigh* there aren't enough hours in the day....

Ooh! Just thought of it: there's a Ben Franklin's craft store nearby...I should go check them out first thing tomorrow morning so I don't have to drive all the way to the other Joann's. Sounds like a plan!