New-to-me technique

I recently got hip to a spinning technique called "Ply on the Fly." Essentially, you spin up a few feet of singles with your spindle then immediately Navajo ply. That way, you don’t have to spin up ALL of your fiber into singles before plying -- you ply as you go, hence, “ply on the fly.” It's very efficient, and a lot of fun.  Here's the yarn that I've spun using this technique:

This pretty stuff is from The Spinner's Cottage, and is 60% wool, 30% alpaca, and 10% silk noil. 

This is a bit of Gotland fiber that I got from a friend.  It's a wool I hadn't spun before.

I haven't done much sewing or knitting or anything else lately.  Life has been happening, but there's always one project (or a ton) in progress.  I started a new sweater this weekend -- nevermind that I already have 2 of them on needles.  What's one more? :-)

Hmm.  Perhaps I will knit a few rows on one of the projects and move it that much closer to done!

~mz

Wait a minute...

... how did nearly a whole entire month go by so quickly? I've been up to a lot of fun stuff! (Beware, this post has a lot of photos)

I bought some fat quarters to make some aprons. There is a shop nearby called Quilts & Kreations that I've been dying to go to for years.  Finally got a chance and bought enough fabric to make 2 of these full-length aprons from KateWares. I want to try making them fully reversible, with a pocket on each side. Pretty fabrics, huh?

A coworker has given me (so far) 4 big bags of vintage fabrics, which belonged to her mother.  Here are some of my favorites:

 

The fabric below, with the cherries, is one of the vintage fabrics that my coworker gave me. I'm using it to make an apron for her! Lots of new skills to learn, including sewing with bias tape and making buttonholes.

Because of this new hobby obsession, I've also spent some time carving out a new sewing room in my house.  Here's the fabric storage:

 
... and the cutting/sewing table. Check out Tippy (my dress form) posing for the camera:

Knitting has been happening, too. I'm working on a pair of knee-high socks.  Nearly finished with the first one:

Fun times!  What have you been up to?

~mz

What I learned today

#1:  My friend Jan showed me how to ply yarn on a drop spindle.  Looks pretty cool, huh?

This is the Bluefaced Leicester wool that I got from the Wooster fiber show a few weeks ago.  I think this yarn will become a hat for MrJ.  

#2: I found out that thrift stores are good places to search for sewing supplies.

On a whim, I went to the local Goodwill and found a pair of pasta-themed cafe curtains that would make an awesome reversible apron, or maybe 2 if I make them non-reversible.  I also found a couple unopened packages of bias tape and a package of twill tape.  Both of these would make nice finishing touches or apron ties, don't you think?

A huge self-healing cutting mat and rotary cutter on the way to me.  Yay internet!  Got them on sale from joann.com. (Psssssst! Rotary cutting tools and mats are currently 50% off.  AND there is a coupon code that you can use to get $1.99 flat-rate shipping.)  I'm already daydreaming about spending some of the weekend getting my brand new sewing loft organized. Squeeeee!

~mz

New obsession

Yesterday, I pulled out my sewing machine for the first time in about 6 years or so.  I took an old pair of jeans, cut here, stitched there, and pretty soon* I had a new apron. The back of the jeans became the front of the apron.  The legs became the upper "bib" part.  A snazzy piece of grosgrain ribbon with silver skulls on it became the neck strap.  There are a ton of rookie mistakes here, but hey, it works.

I have a new fascination with aprons, and have been stalking the internet for patterns.  Plain, fancy, full or half, doesn't matter.  My strictest requirements are that the patterns are free, and that the aprons have pockets. I've even asked my husband to hang a rack in the kitchen for the growing apron collection (he has a couple of his own, too).  I only wish that I had kept that small stash of fabric that sat unused in my closet for years.  I gave it all away recently, and that would have been a goldmine for apron materials.  Oh, well.  I will use what I have, and whatever I can find. That is part of the beauty of "making."

~mz

* "Pretty soon" is a relative term.  It took what seemed like hours to remember how to thread the machine, wind a bobbin and get going.  

2014 Great Lakes Fiber Show, part 3

I forgot to mention one thing:

This pile of Nature Spun worsted weight yarn is destined to be a sweater ... one day.  Better start browsing my ever-growing Ravelry queue!

~mz