M a d e l i n e T o s h

Spun til it broke

Okay,

So I am spinning a yarn for a custom order. Just finished a nice cup of hot tea and honey and ready to work when I see a bright green flash in front of me. The wheel makes a couple more rotations and then it dawns on me ... @$#$#$#@@! ... dangit if my frickin drive band didn't snap in two and fling itself limply on the floor.

So, no spinning until the precious UPS man shows up at my door. I may have to meet him by the curb. So to answer the above question, yes. But for all the wrong reasons ... i love him because he brings me gifts.

Here is some hand dyed I worked on after the spinning debacle. And since I have the time I finally cast on for the pinwheel blanket. Much love going on with that pattern.

I also picked up the newest Domino mag for the first time. I am really liking this mag it gave me at least 1001 new ideas for projects which I don't have time for. Very inspiring, I am actually considering buying a subscription. That happens close to never with me. It's the Polish cheapo thing, I can't help it.

Big news. Madtosh fibers are coming to Dallas at two different venues. I will also be teaching spinning classes and fiber based classes as well. More on that after the jump.

xoxo all you lurkers! 

Tank Cozy

The idea and the communal spirit behind this art installation piece is fabulous. Danish artist, Marianne Jorgensen, uses knitting as a form of political expression.

This WWII combat tank was covered with knitted and crocheted pink squares donated by knitting/crocheting groups and individuals across the EU and the United States. The tank was placed in Copenhagen, Denmark as a demonstration against the Iraq War.

The best part? Passers by stopped to help sew the squares together. Those ever communal crafters, I love it.

A knit week

More knitting. I have been on a knitting binge lately. All I want to do is sit on the cushy couch and knit mindless simple patterns. I finished the drapey shawl in olive green mohair and my handdyed superwash in the Shelby colorway. Oh so easy patter but really soft . I just held the two strands together and knit in garter stitch on size 15 needles. Small thread on super big needles equals fake lacey easy to attain look. I will tackle a lace chart sometime this year.

The triangle shawl below is knit with knittydirtygirl handspun yarn. Such eclectic and off the wall color combos which I love.

I also found a great pattern for a pinwheel blanket I will start on next. You can find the free pattern here. The perfect recipe to use up left over singles lying around on my bobbins. Lulubeans has started one and it is so different from the average bear. Love it.

Handspun allll knit up!!

Treva handcarded and handspun single.

Punky  Brewster single all knit up for a table runner in my entryway. I want to add a funky fringe of handspun and twigs. I promise pics for that later.

Snow???

Snow in Tejas?? Ohhhh so rare. But it's here and it is sticking and not instaneously melting into mush as usual. I have even seen snowmen and snowball fights. Such an oddity among cactus and cattle.

Alas, a shot of my little frozen pony. Well off to strike a match, light a candle and order some Manos del Uruguay, for this cozy sock pattern.

Morning Tea and yarn

Here is my morning cup of tea, steaming hot with honey. I love the little rooster. He doesn't crow but greets me every morning. The linens were handmade by my grandmother Treva and are so dainty. They inspired the yarn colorway for the Grace sock yarn. Oh so squishy freakin soft.

A raffle ticket please...

Do you like this handspun?

Well me too.

Here is a great way to acquire some gorgeous handspun and donate money to a fabulous and very sweet cause. Miss Hawklet, of Spin to Knit fame, is raising money for charity by offering this beautiful skein of handspun as a raffle prize, with all proceeds going to charity. Click here for more info and to purchase your ticket.

Fake Cross-stitch!!

So, would it be wrong to buy a sampler fabric that looks like i did of ton of cross-stitch, frame it and then say i did. It is very tempting.

This fabric at the Fat Quarter Shop looks purfect. And with Inside a Black Apple and Angry Chicken, both posting about faux cross-stitch fabric maybe I should. I might, in some random future event, pull the fabric out of the frame and have at it with some black embroidery thread, or not.

I heart my drum carder!!

The carder is here see:

I love filling up the tray and just crankin the fiber through. It is really like magic. Ok, so it's magic for me but it is still magic. It seems like the closer I can get the batt to look like roadkill the more I love it! These two are at the shop but tonight I will be cranking out some for me for some projects I have wanted to make for quite a while. Yum.

Fabrics I love but will not buy - but you might!

afternoon. i just found a great fabric store online called Equilter, courtesy of Inside a Black Apple. i love the hairpins print by alexander henry above. i love fabric, but everytime i buy it, it sits in my armoire because i don't know what to do with it and am too scared to f it up by trying to sew something more complicated than a pillow.

as for the shop, all is well. many sales recently and it is in dire need of an update which will be happening on tuesday.

i am supposed to receive my drum carder in the mail today, please please, and will promptly put it together and scramble up some Madtosh batts for the first time. can't wait to see how that turns out! i spun a great yarn last night and when i wound it on to the niddy noddy i hated it. for some reason it reminds my of a dirty barbie doll. i suppose i will cut it up and use it in another handspun. i hear people go on and on about what handspun they like but never here much about handspun that turned out rather poorly. well this barbie crap is headed for handspun heaven or hell which ever you like and will be reincarnated into something much more lovely. here's to hoping that turns out well.