Time -Out Yarns & A Quick Impressive Cowl

Do you have a place where all your projects that are in time-put go to? Me too, right? There were 4 project yarns, each a really cool art yarn, each very chunky, each I had played around with making swatches just to see what they will look like as a potential finished project, all hanging out in this place of time-out. And then I came across Neauveau Fiber Arts website and found inspiration in the form of a cowl. The cowl is simple enough but it's the stitch that she incorporates to make the cowl have a perfect fit: looose at the base, snug at the top. There is no need to wind this cowl around your neck to achieve a close, warm fit, you know, like a cowl is supposed to offer. Check out Neauveau Fiber Arts youtube video of how to make an elongated stitch, which I think is magical!

Backing up a bit, these 4 art yarns were products from a weekend retreat at Camp Plucky Fluffy in Asheville. I brought back loads of fiber goodness skill. These yarns are intense! You want to touch and study and gaze at these yarns.  And it's fine to just drape them so they hang languidly about a place.  But a finished project…well, that might be over the moon!
My 4 time-out art yarns are as follows: mohair-y 3-ply, chunky corespun and (2) random coil navajo ply and I did not take individual photos of these; what's up with that? But you can at least see them as a group and knitted up. For this cowl I used US35 circular (30" long?) and I cast on 21 stitches. It's a really fast cowl to make. It looks amazing when worn. Do you think so as well?

Cocoons

This is a fun yarn to spin…for the first 8 minutes. Then I just want to be finished; have I spaced the cocoons randomly or did I unconsciously go with the Golden Triangle Rule?, my hands are getting tired, Ugh! the interruption of having to stop, add in some fluff, dang I spun it too tight now I need to let some twist off. Oh, the moans of a hand spinner.

But when this cocooned-filled yarn is off the bobbin and on the needles…well, I just love it.
It can stand alone or be part of a OOAK finished project.

Near the top of the arm warmers is where the cocoon yarn landed. There are just a few rows but enough to showcase bulky, fluffy loops.

Fox Hunt Shrug

Outlander. I love this series on STARZ. I love the story, the setting, the actors but mostly the knitted items. My sister texted back with a 'LMAO' when I told her this last bit of info.

Fox Hunt mixed fiber batt was created based on seeing the shrug that Claire (no relation) is wearing once she is settled within Mackenzie territory.

Ravelry and yarn shops are also enamored with Outlander by the number of FO's I've seen posted lately. Here is my version of Claire's shrug using Fox Hunt which I spun fairly thick and rustic. There are random sheep locks making cameo appearances.

It's a pretty straight forward design although I did manage a slight mandarin collar. I will post the knitting directions on my Ravelry page (LuccaDotYarn) next week.

 220 grams of fiber

 180 yds of handspun yarn

Crisp Mornings

Pre-Autumninal weather should be the title but it's too technical. 

There is also a mixed bag of cooler temperatures and high humidity levels so 'Crisp' needs a clever weather synonym. In any case, this is a blog about the fiber arts world and I, being a spinner of fiber, am excited to rise early on these type mornings to get wrapped up in whatever Mother Nature has cleverly bestowed. 

For me, this is the perfect time of year to think and make projects of warmth; the tall trees with their huge crowns are still leafed out in their summer finery while the understory has tinges of soft gold and garnet. This latter coloring makes a beautiful filter for the dappled beams of sun light. 


 

As a special bonus to myself, I get to wear this during this period of the day

…with flip-flops!