Georgie the Fiber eating dog!

I don't know if any of you have spotted this site popping up around the place.http://dog-shaming.com/ all I can say about this site is do not have any food or drink while looking, you will end up with a dirty screen or choking.

You  maybe wondering why I am talking about a dog shaming site... well wonder no longer.  I am looking after my brothers family dog for a while. Georgie, he is a big sap who loves pats, jumping, playing, and growling at cats...of which I have 2. Georgie has a problem and therefore I have a problem, HE PLAYS WITH YARNS AND FIBER!!!! so far he has attacked a ball of Mink Angora which I am trying to fix it now includes sticks, leaves and dirt.

and he changed this gorgeous bubblegum coloured BFL Cashmere blend from the wonder dyer Ixchelbunny

to this.

it is still spinnable, absolutely but Out the window and flying away are my plans to spin this into a long colour repeat single for a new Abbie shawl.  back to the drawing board on this one.  Although the more I look at the picture the more I think that I might be able to retrieve the singles plan... it will just be a bit more work.

So in honour of the dog shaming website I give you.... Georgie, the Fiber eating dog.

So onwards and upwards. My gorgeous Friend Nat from Namaste Farms had for sale some Racka wool, I had never heard of this breed, so me being me, ordered an ounce to play with.  And boy have a played!

It came all dirty in a bag, and Nat had posted that as it doesn't really have much in the way of lanolin or oils that it can clean up in just hot water... I didn't believe her, honestly, I didn't.  But I thought I will give it a try, worst case would be I have to re do it with some soap or scour.

Racka are a breed that has been bred for meat and wool, it has the most awesome curly horns ever!  All I have learned about this breed has come from Wiki, so really I don't know much.

but this is a Racka sheep

and this is my bag of Racka that I recieved!

I did give it a wash in just very hot water.

it came out so nice, I just had to play with it... I had combs and thought it won't hurt to do a little nest now will it..... well.... Um.... I got about halfway though before I even realised it! I love combing, it is so much fun!

This is a racka lock (is that the right word?) before I combed it!

and the Racka lock after I combed it and turned it into a cute little nest

Now racka is not the softest fiber I have touched, but is by no means the coarsest either, I think it would be very much at home blended with a nice corrie x and turned into some awesome hard wearing socks!  I have no experience using this wool..... but I am going to give it a go.

I had planned on getting some spinning done this week... but I got sidetracked...by the racka...and the combs.

Well I had better scoot, lots to do.
Get some fiber in your hands, and maybe try something new! Its fun!

New Toy!

I was going to have a little story here, but decided to just go with....LOOK AT MY NEW TOY!!!

I was a very lucky girl and got these babies for my birthday, from my husband and daughter.... for some reason husband has been VERY nice..... I don't think  it has anything to do with the fact the I am now ARMED!!!  These babies are the small wool comb fine headset from Petlyn.com.au Australian made fibre products... my wishlist from their shop is nearly as long as their inventory list.

So my gorgeous weapon.......I mean fibre processing tools are awesome and I am seriously hooked on combing like this.... it can turn gorgeous mohair locks like these (thank you Nat from Namaste Farms)

into this

and with some gentle drafting straight from the combs
I get these!

Gorgeous little clouds of ready to spin soft goodness! Oh I can't wait til I spin them!

They are currently living here on my desk, next to my printer so I can keep looking at them, hubby has asked the I put the combs away.....

Other than combing these babies, this week I got my first hint for the Laura Nelkin Trapeze Mystery Shawl, so I have been busily getting through the first clue, so that I am ready when the next clue comes....just noticed that the next clue comes tomorrow.... I better finish off clue on TODAY!

I am also working away on the socks for hubby, and the cough... other 2 shawls I have cast on and not finished yet.... I mean who really only has 1 project at a time..... not me that is for sure lol.

Lots to do Lots to do.... pipeline gurgling....

Have a great day!

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Tasty tasty wine.

So this week has felt so busy but when I sit down and start jotting out what I would like to write about, there isn't all that much.

My family and I had a very long weekend away to a gorgeous place called Noosaville, google it, you will want to go there, trust me, we stayed at Weyba Gardens, it is a little off the main drag, but we love it there all the same.  So quiet and peaceful.  Not many places that heat the outdoor pools so you can swim in winter! (that is a Queensland winter I might add, no snow here).  We caught up with family, more than we expected! It was awesome.  Got some major creative juices flowing (Thanks Aunty Prue, hope you are not feeling to bombarded with emails now!)  Lots of ideas for the upcoming website, you read right, I am working on a website.

Got some things in the pipeline, so keep an eye out here for details as I can share them!

I had a major crash and burn for the Ravellenic games this year, got sick just in time, yay me! So I did not reach any of my goals.  I will finish off the projects and share share share.  Just not sure when.  And just because I have 17 works in progress (WIP's) doesn't mean I can't start another one. Tomorrow even. I have joined the Trapeze Mystery KAL brought to us from the Awesome knits designer Laura Nelkin! If you scoot to her blog quick smart you may be able to join before we start on August 17th and get the pattern at the reduced price of $5.00 after the 17th the price will increase.

I have some gorgeous yarn and beads, I am READY!  I have my swatch knitted up and everything!  Bring on the clues...

I have some gorgeous 50/50 Merino Silk from the wonderful Ixchelbunny, semi solid Ocean colourway, the photo does not do it justice....reminds me... must sign up for the Craftsy Shoot it! class. That way my pics can do justice to the subjects..... well that would be the plan!

The rest of this week is going to be taken up with things like spinning up some gorgeous fibres for a friend before she moves 1000km away.  Finish off some socks for my husband, and broomstick a beanie.  Monday is my birthday we will not go into how many years.... so next week you may even get to see a pic of a pressie or 2.

Oh I just can't concentrate anymore!
My husband just walked in the door with a mini Pavlova for me!  Have been craving one of these since Monica mentioned it on Ravelry!
Thanks Mon!

Wine and Pav...can't get much better than that....

Night all...

What a week!  It has been a week of new things and Parcels!

On Saturday I managed to make it to my local spinning guild,  I picked up a new dye colour, a gorgeous blue, which I think I might use to dye some grey corriedale fleece that I have.  I also got to hire an Ashford Knitters loom... and hasn't that opened up a new world to me, a whole new language of warps, wefts, and heddles.  I needed some help.  It has been a good 2 years since I have someone hold my hand through a warp.  So I got onto the trusty Craftsy.com to see if they had anything to offer, and they did oh did they!!!! Rigid Heddle Weaving with Angela Tong.  I love how Angela steps you through everything, it is a great beginners class!!! I recommend it highly to anyone wanting to learn to weave!

I thought, first time around, lets use up some yarn that has been hanging out here, so some commercial sock yarn and some handspun cheese from Nundle Woollen Miles which I hand dyed.

So with the help of my trusty laptop, I got a little table runner done.... not being happy with that, I decided, I wanted a scarf.  So some Bendigo woollen mills Luxury 4 ply in black as the warp and my favourite Yarn in the world Ixchel Sock yarn   So yummy....but weaving uses different muscles, and I ended up needing a weaving break. I am nearly to the end

 

So I moved onto some knitting.  I am not know for sitting and doing nothing.  So I added more rows on my Ravellenic Shawl. I am about 80 rows through.  I really don't think I am going to get it done before the Olympics is over.  But at least I will end up with a gorgeous shawl.

I am soo not a glutton for punishment, but I did sign up for the Laura Nelkin  Mystery Trapeze Shawl.  Clues start really soon!!  And my awesome Merino Silk Yarn arrived from Ixchelbunny today!!! It is the most awesome blue called Ocean! I love love love it! Can't wait til I feel better and can go bead shopping!

So I have caught a cold, focusing on lace knitting is getting harder and I decided to have a day of nothing rare but not unheard off.  I even had a little sleep after I dropped my daughter off at school.  I am so so happy that I woke up for the courier... I had 2 of the most awesome parcels arrive.  Parcel 1 was the parts I needed to repair my new barely used Schacht Sidekick wheel.  Bill from Copper Moose, is my go to guy for all things equipment great prices and AMAZING service!  I know that I have mentioned this a few times now, but if you are ever in the market for a wheel or equipment, you just have to check out his site!

So now I have my Sidekick and even though I feel like death warmed up, I HAD to spin something, you know just to make sure that I go the repair right! I am spinning up some BFL Bunny Kid mohair from the gorgeous Ixchelbunny!

I have been on a major spinning kick and I have decided to make my yarns available to you!

I have one 50g approx 132m skein of hand spun Baby Camel Yak Blend for $25 plus postage.

and one 50g approx 150m skein of hands spun Camel Bunny and silk blend for $25 plus postage.

if you are interested you can contact me on chantelle.hills@gmail.com

Aha! You thought you weren't going to see me for 3 MONTHS

Well as I promised I set myself a WRITE BLOG reminder...it seems to have worked! I know it is SHOCKING!!!

Well now that we are here together, do you want to see what I am currently working on?

My Ravellenic Projects for the London 2012 Olympics are.... drum roll please

1.  In the Shawl Sailing event we have the Clarus Shawl, designed by Laura Nelkin,  I got my copy of the pattern as part of the Craftsy.com Mastering Lace Shawls class.  I also got the Skywalker pattern which I am so excited about.... but I am doing Clarus for the Ravellenic Games. I am making it in Ixchelbunny's absolutely devine Bunny Mink

so I started with 2 of these...

And have gotten to about row 41...I think ...might be 42 (the colours are more true here in the shawl than in the skein)

2. In the Wip Wrestling (projects not worked on since before 15 May 2012) I have 2 contenders!
a) The Blue Wrap Cardi in Cream Cotton! Designed by Jenny King
So far I am here up to here, a little over half way through!

b) and for my second wip The Rough Seas Shawl  I just have the edging to go, but I just couldn't get it right, hence the craftsy Mastering Lace Shawls class.... Fingers crossed... this is made with my own handspun yarn, the fibre I got from www.ixchelbunny.blogspot.com  called Superwash BFL and Cashmere. This one is making me a bit cray cray....  After reading lots of posts, I think it may be more the design than me, which makes a nice change Lol!

After the major Spinathon for the Tour de Fleece, I think my trusty Little Gem needed a rest, I know I did!  If I feel the need to get my spin action on my very new very exciting Malcom Fielding Tibetan Support Spindle arrived, it is soooo purty, Thank you to my good rocking bunny buddy Charly for this amazing present! I love it so much, I have to be careful and remember to use it and not 'Keep it for good'.

As you can see it was packed very safely for its journey to me.... Charly is a very Generous Lady!! I missed out on Magic Bunny! So now I have some of my very own to play with, and also some nekid black bunny.... which I am torn as to whether I dye it or keep it as it is? What do you think I should do?


I nearly forgot..... I found something at the shops yesterday!!

I like to send sweet treats to my friends when I send them a pressie... and quite often it has to go outside of Australia! Now Australia Post are not know for their fair pricing.... I sent out a parcel to a friend was about 600g, it cost me $39 in shipping I nearly died! But it was for a special friend and she is worth it!  Now I love to add a packet of Tim Tams but when they send the parcel over the 500g mark (Auspost add a $9 fee to anything going to the US that is over 500g....they say why, but I don't believe them...money grubbers..)  I found these, it is a little packet about 40g, has 2 Tim Tam Fingers... a little treat without going mental on the postage YAY!!!

On this sweet note, I am off!! Time for a cuppa and something chocolatey, dunno why all of a sudden got a choc craving..shakes head... don't know what that is about...

Lets see if the alarm works again....