Keeping busy over here…
I know, I know. I said I was going to start on my co-workers hat next. And I would have. But, when I looked into my stash, I didn’t really have any masculine-looking, commercial yarn to use. Imagine that, lol. So, I’m off to the craft store tonight for some gray or maybe tweedy-looking yarn. We’ll see if we can find something appropriate.
In the meantime, to keep my fingers busy, I finished my handspun from the spin-in.
It’s really green! How that keeps happening, I don’t know. I never look to buy green. It just keeps happening. Maybe I have green on the mind or something.
And, you will be so proud of me! This handspun is 390 yards of 2-ply Polwarth. How do I know that? Linda told me that one way to never forget how much I spun was to keep some postal tags and a pen with the spinning wheel. See that tag connected to the skein in the intro photo? That’s right! No excuses. Don’t hold me to that though, lol.
In other news, after having a look at my commercial yarn stash again, I also decided to try to knock it down a bit. I rarely ever knit with commercial yarns since having learned to spin. I doubt that means I never will again. After all, I am going to get some for this hat. But, it will probably be fewer and farther in between anymore. Besides, I can use all that space for my handspun! 
But, it’s great to play with those yarns when I am just learning something and I don’t want to waste my handspun, lol. And what better way to stashbust while learning than to try my hand at that Cricket again?
Bob told me at the spin-in that the trick to the edges is to leave them alone.
Judging by the way this one is working up, he might just have something there…
In my first project, I kept taking the time to adjust them. This time around, not so much. A while back, Carol showed me that when I pass the shuttle stick through the shed, I needed to pull it firm and make sure the yarn stayed at a diagonal. When I beat that diagonal yarn, the edge sort of takes care of itself and the yarn doesn’t pucker from too much tension.
And wouldn’t you know it? Once I started leaving those edges alone, the weaving went SO much faster! This shuttle stick is almost done and it was very close to that three hour weave that I initially read about when I got the Cricket, but couldn’t bring about during the Christmas season. Pretty cool.
The warp I used was multi-colored, so it’s making the fabric come out all stripey.
I likey! (snort)
I am a busy mother of two, artist and crafter. I use this tiny space on the web to post about some of my crafts, to discuss all things crafty and to follow other like-minded, crafty people. 
More amazing, inspiring work with fiber and photos and narrative, Stacey. Thanks for posting!!!
xx,
Gracie
Thanks, Gracie! Not as inspiring as your glorious mountains though.
You know you wouldn’t be able to resist when you see such gorgeous yarns around you. And I bet I have the perfect masculine yarn in my stash – two actually. I think one is Rowan, but they both have that tweedy feel to them. I bought them just so I could actually have a color fit for a man, but then I couldn’t find anyone to appreciate and would actually wear it, so it’s still in the stash until further notice. lol
And that weaving is pure perfection. I love how the stripey action is going!
I got a nice yarn from SWS. It is made by Berroco. It tends to break easily. But I think it will make a handsome hat!
Thanks for the compliment on the weaving!
Oh my, that skein is truly gorgeous ! So I see you too have a Cricket. I bought mine last year and haven’t really done too much with it. How long did it take you to really get the edges even?
Hey Tina! This is just my second handwoven. And I just took some advice from one of the weavers I know from Greenbank Mill. Really, he said you have to leave the edges alone, lol. So, you kind of find a comfortable tension that you can come close to consistently doing from row to row-and then, when you beat, you just leave it be. Easy, peasy!
it’s so pretty! I love how subtle those stripes are, and your handspun looks positively scrumptious!
Thank you, Lolly! I love the stripes in this scarf. I think I want to try a striped yarn on the warp and on the weft too next time. Spicy! And making handspun is just plain fun.
I love all the colors! I feel like I’m always saying this but it’s true. The scarf is looking great.
Thanks Cleo! Yes, ALL THE COLORS! Lol.
Grear handspun, I love the colours.
Thank you! I am going to really consciously try to pick something other than green next time though, lol. Nearly everything I’ve spun so far has a strong amount of green in it…odd when my favorite colors are generally orangey colors…
Your work is amazing and beautiful!!
Thank you!
Oh I love your handspun (Polwarth is a definite favorite over here), but your weaving is knocking my socks off. Great look in your warp yarn giving it that lovely multi-colored pop! Yay!
I LOVE polwarth! I think I really like to spin that and merino. But I have got to start trying other fibers more often. A good challenge is nice every once in a while, you know?
Thanks for the compliment on the weaving! Who knew stashbusting could be so pretty?!
All gorgeous! I used to have a full sized loom, but I never seemed to use it, so I got rid of it. Seeing your beautiful weave reminds me of all the things I could have woven!
Well, I’m thinking of getting one more…even smaller! The Ashford Sample It looks too cute not to have one.
Wow … Such amazing work
I’m glad I fund your blog .
Thanks!! Especially because I’m usually just trying stuff out.
Thanks for visiting too.
Q – Both the spin and the weave are quite lovely! I always tend to pick up the same color way. I’ve been trying to make a effort to mix it up! It’s hard to do!!! My eyeballs want what my eyeballs want.
I know, you are so right! I think swaps are good because you normally get something you would have never gotten for yourself. Elisabeth of Artistic Expressions By Elisabeth does one every year. A Tea and Yarn Swap…
Q – Thank you! I’ll look into it. I haven’t done swaps because the post office is my kryptonite. LOL!