Finally, Some New Yarns!

Well as promised ages ago I finally have pictures of my latest stash acquisition and I've tried this time to have a nicer picture for you so you can see things in 'real' light for once!

Right then, clockwise from top right corner we start with some Twillies Freedom Spirit - a lovely 100% pure wool DK weight yarn which I love. I'm making the vest/tank top from the pattern book that goes with the yarn and I love how the colours are knitting up - a real autumnal blend of colours, not quite as clear and defined as it appears in the ball but really nice subtle stripes of colour that do blend one into the other. Hopefully it won't be too long before that's finished as it seems to be quite a quick knit and I'm about half way up the front now.
Next we have some Sunbeam Aran Knit which might end up as some mittens for my brothers glove less girlfriend or then again I may find some other yarn for her as I do love the colours in this. The picture is quite accurate about those except that the turquoise appears to be more of a darker greener colour right now to me, but then again it is evening and the lights are on so which is more accurate? Your guess is as good as mine!
Following close behind are some Rowanspun 4ply - my very first Rowan Yarn!! Rowan for me is an expensive luxury and I think it would be a long time before I could afford to make a garment out of their yarns, lovely though they are so these are a treat. But what was even more of a treat for me was the price - £1.90 per hank and 25% off on top!!! I have 2 chocolatey brown hanks and 1 green to make myself some of the Ballet Slippers from Melanie Falick's Holiday Knits - possibly not entirely practical but pretty none the less!
And finally there are 2 balls of Sunbeam St Ives in 'Lowland' (as far as I remember!) that I plan to make some lacy sock with. I know looking at the yarn it looks a bit dull and boring compared to the wonderful selections of fancy self striping and hand painted sock yarns out there but I wanted something plain that wouldn't distract from a lacy pattern that I may get round to knitting at some point or another. And that also means I have a stash of sock yarns now without really planning to!! In all I have yarn for 3 socks for myself - some Opal self striping, some Colinette Jitterbug and the St Ives as above but I've also acquired a stash of oddments enough for loads of little Emily socks that was generously donated by my very kind friend Chris (who is soon to join us in the Blogging Community - if she can figure out how!! I must go and lend her a hand soon I think!).

Anyway next on the agenda is an update on something I mentioned last post, namely my purple sheep fluff. So here you go, complete with progress shots.

On the bobbin.

After Plying.

I had some grey 'unknown' silky fluff (man made definitely as it melted when I tested a sample by burning it) which I decided would make the fleece go further and give me more to play with and hopefully soften the yarn up a bit as it's not something I'd wear next to the skin. I'm really pleased with the results - the grey has evened the colours out a bit but you still get a mix of the great colours along with the silky shine of the grey stuff. To those spinners out there I will just point out to you that I've been calling my prepared fleece 'fluff' so far as I've not quite got the hang of making rolags yet and as it has indeed been great piles of fluffy fleece so 'fluff' seems the right word to use!!

And what have I planned for it? A cushion cover with some sort of cabled design on the front which might not show up too well with this yarn or not but I don't care as that's what I would like to make - I've already got a lovely pale grey piece of velvet from work for the back of the cushion (soft to compensate for any roughness in the yarn) and am just playing with the design and scouring through books searching for 'the one'!

On the needles right now other than the Freedom Spirit is a hat for DH who has finally let me knit something for him. No point in showing you though as it is Plain and simple and ever so dull to knit. Unless you really want to see plain old navy stocking stitch on the needles a photo is not being planned. And I have to agree with Kat about having problems getting going with hats. Hers looked a huge hat for her Son and having never made anything for a larger head than mine this seems to be taking an age to get anywhere, especially as there's no pattern or detailing to work on. Mind you am really please with the pattern which is from Ann Budds Knitters Handy Book of Patterns so this was adapted specifically for the required size and yarn gauge and was really simple to do.

Anyway I'm waffling again. Hopefully will be back soon with FO's for you - there's getting to be a disturbing trend of new stuff I've bought or been given lately and not so much knitting, but then I have been spinning. Well anyway I'll crack the whip and get knitting! Fingers crossed for FO's soon!