Category Archives: Stash

Worsted Haul

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The Hat Mojo is going strong into 2024. And I have worked up almost every single worsted weight skein that is not handspun in my stash. Therefore, I got more. This time from Treasure Goddess Yarn, which is local (ish) to me.

My hat stash over-floweth here at Casa Rachelle so these hats will definitely be donated or gifted. So I went with some basic and easy to coordinate colors. I totally understand my color sense doesn’t always jive with other peoples.

The tonal black skein on the right is going to be a pony tail hat for a coworker friend. In 2023 my proverbial tanks were so low that trying to work on “duty bound” knitting really had me avoiding it. And towards the end of the year I just worked on project that were easy and gave me joy. I was much happier and more engaged. So that’s the plan for 2024.

No lists, no duty…..just knitting joy. Even if it’s 1,000 basic beanies 🙂

Happy Knitting!!

Christmas Haul

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Santa was very kind to this knitter. As the resident Santa in my home I did some knitterly things for myself.

I ordered some fiber and sock yarn from the Woolery during a holiday sale. I picked these out specifically but when the box came, I had forgot what I ordered so I left it in the box for my stocking. I also ordered a mystery box from KnitCircus to surprise myself and when it came I left the box closed.

On Christmas Eve, I opened the box and closed my eyes. Then carefully pulled the items out and put into my sock without peeking. I really really like surprises and this was about the best way I could manage it. I came away with the following

  • 250g of Bluefaced Leicester in Gray
  • 250g of Corriedale in Natural Stripes (brown/white)
  • Uneek Sock Set in Zebra
  • KnitCircus Greatest of Ease in a OOAK Prototype (pink)
  • KnitCircus Opulence in Prototype (Orange)
  • KnitCircus Spectacular in Clear Skies Ahead (Blue singles yarn)

Absolutely no plans for any of these items other than they brought me joy on Christmas morning. Does anyone else ever go to these lengths to surprise themselves?

Happy Knitting!!

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others

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I have basically knit through all of my worsted weight stash (that isn’t handspun) and I have been getting great joy from knitting hats lately. So I jumped on Etsy and grabbed some more worsted from one of my favorite dyers, Lilliput Yarn.

Though my brain has not been working lately. I came down with an upper respiratory virus from my conference and my husband caught COVID from a work exposure. So we have been feeling really puny around here. I THOUGHT I purchased three skeins of worsted. But what I had done is two skeins of worsted and one skein of Rudy’s sport. Score one for cold medicine and brain fog.

The sport skein is a mix merino and nylon and will make an excellent pair of socks. I think that might be my next cast on after I finish my Emotional Support Socks. And I think I will try to get the other two started as hats ASAP for TV knitting and travel knitting.

Happy Knitting!!

MudPunch Always Gets Me

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I once again was wooed by the siren song that is my email newsletters. I get the MudPunch email newsletter and I just couldn’t resist her shop.

I have really been feeling the sock mojo here lately so some self-striping felt just right. Do I have a three whole storage bags of sock yarn? Yes I do. Did I still buy this? Yes I did and I don’t regret it.

The pinky brown skein is outside my normal color zone but I’m excited to see how it works up. The yellow and blue skein is 1,000% in my zone as those are my high school alma mater colors and my current employer’s color scheme. I think these will go into the stash for a minute but I foresee them hitting the needles yet this year.

Happy Stashing!!

A Bag Of Dirty Floof

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A friend of mine runs a local winery where they use sheep for natural grass control and fertilizer. They normally only get hair sheep but a wool sheep snuck in as part of a hair sheep lot. They shore the sweet momma before she lambed and gave me the fleece!

My friend has ZERO clue how to sheer and this bag may all be short cuts and non-spinable fiber. But I think it makes the perfect way to practice fleece washing! I just need a weekend where we aren’t scheduled to hilt!

Happy Fiber!!

My Dad Accidentally Bought A Fiber Club

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Ya’ll…my dad is so cute. He called me the other day and said “I keep getting your Christmas presents in the mail!”. So on a recent visit I took a look at what was coming in the mail. He didn’t realize he had purchased a fiber club subscription for my gift!

The February club is 100% cheviot and a DEEP violet color. This looks amazing and 1,000% sure it will let off dye when I wash it, lol. The March club is set of wonderful pinks and purples and is a polworth and silk blend. This will be VERY soft.

I guess with all my fiber additions this week, I need to get spinning!! Happy Spinning!!

Fiber Destash Score

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Jude of Stranded Dyeworks recently destashed some of his personal stash in order to feel more incontrol of his stash and make sure these items are being used instead of stored. I stayed away for the first few days of the sale but I was weak when I noticed there was still fiber in the shop.

These are all new to me dyers and from top right around to the bottom they are:

  • Spotted Circus – 4 ounces and a blend of Alpaca and Nylon
  • Fondant Fibres – 4 ounces and a 80/20 blend of SW Merino and Nylon – this one is called Deep & Meaningful
  • Hipstrings – 4 ounces and a blend of Merino, Rambouillet and Nylon – this one is called The Unicorn in the Library

I have zero plans for this fiber. None of the fiber content really line up so I don’t see combining them. They will likely end up being spun with themselves and making cute one of skeins.

Happy Spinning!!

Gal’s Gifts

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I firmly hold that one’s “gals” give the best gifts. I had the good fortune to bond very deeply with a work colleague who moved on to another City. And we developed quite the group chat with one of her new coworkers because we missed hanging out. We all three enjoy crafty things and each other’s senses of humor.

This lovely box was delivered to me from those two gals. Without asking they know exactly what to gift me.

This box contained many yummy chocolates and two full sock sets from Amber Waves of Fiber. The color is called “Santa’s Workshop” and the content is 80% merino, 10% cashmere and 10% nylon. I have enough yarn for a large shawl or multiple socks. I need to meditate on what this yarn wants to grow up to be.

Happy Knitting!!

Boxing Day Bonus

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I treated myself to a little yarn surprise as I really can’t 100% count on my family to sustain my yarn habit. This year my kids picked out beige towels and a bath mat. Perfectly lovely but not exactly crafy.

I snagged a skein of Chromatic yarns in Sturdy Sock called True Sight. Also a cute little puppy hand beaded stitch marker. Hannah also throws in a bag of bird and blend tea. This one was a fruit and custard herbal tea.

Zero clue what I will do with this yarn and so it will go into my Chromatic Yarns every growing stash. I feel like making another variegated shawl in this year. I have lots of blues and greens along this color scheme that would blend well. Maybe after I lose my mitred square blanket mojo?

Happy Knitting!!

Fiber Under The Tree

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There was a little fiber under the tree for me this year. I told my dad that I would spin anything from Three Waters Farm and he selected these lovely mixes.

Both bags are 4 ounces of Bluefaced Leicester top in the Winter Beats and Storm Cloud Over Flowers. I think the colors actually go nicely together. I may pull out the roving lay it out side by side and compare the colors. I may be able to rip up the fiber and plan some color sequencing.

For disclaimer, I’m not a trained spinner. I have basic mechanics to spin singles and ply yarn thanks to lessons from over a year ago. Everything else I do is pure experimentation based on years of watching and listening to podcasts and just making stuff up. A podcast once told me “If you are having fun, you are doing it right”. And that’s kind of my crafty mantra.

But I still have Finn on my wheel and a tub of fiber in the basement. This might take a minute to get on my wheel. Happy Spinning!!