This is my latest knit/felted project. This little guy is made from Cheviot yarn that I spun up quite some time ago. It measures about 8" long and 5" high. The pattern can be found in the 2008 Interweave Felt magazine. It did knit up quickly. I had it done in about two evenings. Learned quite a bit from it, too. I had never felted a stuffed knitted item before. The body felted a lot nicer than the legs. I think it was because there was a bit too much stuffing in the legs. The eyes are little buttons and the nose is needle-felted using black llama wool. The facial features are also needle-felted.
Thought I would share pictures of my latest spinning project. I bought 3 Karakul fleeces last year at the fair. Actually I bought one and my loving hubby bought the other two. Anywhoo, at this year's fair the breeder I got my fleeces from was giving me a hard time about not doign anything with the fleeces. So I thought it would be fun to spin up some Karakul yarn and make a felted sheep from it. Then send the felted sheep to the breeder with a little note saying it is made from the fleece I bought. So I picked the fleece and then spun from the "fluff". The resulting yarn is pictured above. It's a bulky weight yarn with nice texture. It was spun on my Ashford Country Spinner. I took a picture of the center-pull ball simply because it was the biggest center-pull ball that I had seen. It weighed 12 ounces!! (and over 225 yards) It was plyed and is the light colored skein. The second skein weighed 9 ounces (about 140 yards) and was dyed a pretty shade of gray.....so a bit of contrast in the finished sheep.
I had so much fun spinning up the two skeins that I spun up a third one. The third one weighs about 9 ounces and is 192 yards. I still have plenty of fleece left and will be spinning up yet another skein. I'm thinking of putting at least one of these skeins up for sale on my etsy site. I've really been having lots of fun spinning up this Karakul fleece.
Those Polar bears are just TOO adorable! I didn't even know there WAS an interweave Felt magazine. I may have to check that out!
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through the handpreparedfiber list ~ I recently joined and have been quitely lurking. It seems like a very fun and educational list. I love discovering new blogs as well...
Nancy K., the Interweave Felt magazine is a special issue that is put out once a year. I love getting it and look forward to it each year.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly new to the handpreparedfiber list myself. It's a great list with lots of information. I really enjoy being a part of it.
I just started getting the Interweave Felt Mag :( I hope they will have it on their web site, what a great way to use up little bits of yarn! He is so cute, when's he going to get a mate?
ReplyDeleteGood job, he is precious!
What an adorable bear, and so impressive that you spun the yarn yourself. Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteDori Ann, he will get a mate just as soon as I finish up the project currently on my needles. I learned quite a bit from making the bear....and lots of fun in the process.
ReplyDeleteCandace, thank you for the wonderful comments. I was tickled when I found a project that was perfect for the cheviot yarn....and didn't require a lot of yardage. Even more tickled that I have enough left over to make a second one.
Your yarn is gorgeous. I love the natural colors as well.
ReplyDeleteI adore spinning straight from the lock. When I first tried it, it changed the whole way I looked at fiber. As a newbie (eons ago), I had felt something was missing with the commercial roving. It didin't even seem like it came from those beautiful sheepies.
Now, locks are obviously my passion!
And with your bigger orifice, you don't have to worry about hangups as much! I love that flexibility.
Hugs
Holly
Holly, I had never spun from the lock until now....and I'm enjoying it alot! I have another skein-to-be on the Country Spinner right now. It is definitely addictive. :)
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