It's S Club Crafting! This episode features a couple of knitting projects (a sweater and my first shawl), some shopping, and a snippet of spinning.
01:27 Handy Dandy - Redford
15:11 - Jigsaw Shawl
25:54 - Secret test knit
28:08 Eye Candy - Coburg Yarn Market
29:46 - Market buys
- Itsbug Designs from Ozifarmers Market
- IxCHeL
49:11 Craft for Thought
54:01 Multicrafty - What I've spun so far
56:20 Heart Full of Craft
57:31 Thanks!
Transcript
Welcome to Episode 19 of Bobolog. Today's episode is brought to you by the letter 'S'. For knitting that means I'll be chatting about a sweater, a shawl, and a secret. And in the realms outside of knitting, I will be chatting about shopping, spinning, and spending time with my sister and her family.
Greetings, and thanks for joining me in my little woolly corner of the world. I hope that you are all staying safe and well in your own little woolly corners of the world.
My name is Bobbie Olan I am a knitter and fibre artist in Victoria, Australia, where I live with my partner. I would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people who are the traditional owners of the land on which I live and create, and I would like to pay my respects to them and their elders past, present, and future, and to all Aboriginal peoples across Australia.
If you want to find out more about any of the projects, yarn, and any other miscellany that I talk about in this episode, you will find links to everything in the YouTube description below.
Handy Dandy
Redford
So jumping straight into Handy Dandy, the first project that I have to talk about is the Redford sweater by Julie Hoover of Brooklyn Tweed.
So in the previous episode, this is what I had done. So this is the back piece. It's all crumpled up because it's just been stuffed into- to a bag, but that is the back piece there.
So this is a sweater that I am knitting for my partner for his birthday which is very, very soon. So this is the piece that I showed you last week. You can see here that I put in some embroidery thread as lifelines. So the reason that there are two lifelines there is, when I did the initial swatch I was getting - I believe it's something like - I think I was getting 35 rows and the pattern itself was calling for 36 rows in 10cm. So I- I thought that it would be fine to just knit the pattern exactly as it's written and use the row numbers that they have given in the pattern because I felt like I was close enough and I didn't mind if his sweater was a tiny bit long. But then I was looking at this and it just seemed too long. And I decided that I should wash it and block it - that I should just rip back a few rows. I should calculate the number of rows I should have actually knit instead of going by the pattern rows. So that only eliminated that many rows, which wasn't many - I can't remember - like five rows or something that I would have had to rip back.
But then after I put in that lifeline I was thinking, 'Well it still seems really long. I really should do the right thing and just block it and recheck my gauge then.' Because this is such a great opportunity to- to use a big bit of fabric as a more accurate gauge swatch. So after I put in that lifeline I decided I would do that. So I put in another lifeline on the live stitches that was still on the needle because I can't soak my- my needles with my knitting, of course.
So I put that all in and it turns out that my row gauge and my stitch gauge were very different from the swatch that I had done. So the initial swatch that I had done - which was bigger than 10cm - it was probably something like 15 by 15 - but I was getting 23 stitches and 35 rows, stockinette stitch over 10cm. And then with this I was actually getting 24.5 stitches and 32 rows in 10cm. So that is actually quite a big difference in gauge.
So I ended up having to go back and look at the pattern and I realised that I would need to knit the stitch numbers for the larger size but I would go by the measurements of the size that I'm actually aiming for. So I cast on the number of stitches required in the larger size but I still knit it to the number of inches of the original size that I was knitting. So I've just kept this as is - as something to refer back to, I guess. And if I need this yarn then I'll rip it out then. But I bought an extra skein of yarn, so I hopefully shouldn't need to do that.
So since then, I have re-knit the- and finished the back piece, which is this here. Am I showing it to you upside down? I think so. It's pretty square. There's only shoulder shaping at the top of it and just the tiniest bit of back neck shaping there. I don't know if you can even tell but... bit of shoulder shaping there and there. So one thing that I really love about this pattern is that it uses a sloped bind off to do that shaping. Which I'd heard of before but I had never actually done so I really appreciate that the pattern really explains well how to do the sloped bind off.
And it just looks so good. I mean, it's so hard for you to see here because it's such a small section and it's such a gradual swatch - gradual swatch? - a gradual slope that it kind of just looks like a normal bind off but it is actually sloping up there and it just looks so neat.
And I have to admit that, you know, I re-knit this whole thing and I was feeling a bit like, 'Oh, I've just got to get this done.' I wasn't really enjoying it because it just felt like such a slog. But then I did the sloped bind off and it just re-awoke the thrill for me. I just found that so exciting and it looks so good. And it made me so happy that I was just- became so passionate about making this again.
So not only have I finished the back piece - last night I actually finished the front piece as well. So you can see that sloped bind off a bit more clearly here because you've got the bigger- the bigger slope of the neck. So there's one shoulder. Doesn't it just look so neat? And there's the front neck and this V detail here.
I actually really liked how that was done as well. It was just a bit of... So- So getting it started was just a bit of interesting manipulation of the stitches to do that there. And I guess it wasn't really what I- It wasn't what I was expecting at all. But I really like- I really like how that's- that's looking and how that's turned out and I think it's going to look like such a great sweater.
And I can- I do actually think I might have to knit another one for my partner too if he likes it and if it fits well and- and all of that kind of thing. So I'm really pleased with how that is turning out.
So the next step is going to be... the sleeves.
Sorry, I just drifted off and I started thinking about something else. So what I was thinking is that I just remembered that, when I knit this back piece again - can you see how there's like a line here? How the bottom half of it looks neater than the top half? So that is because when I... There is a very slight bit of shaping in the first half of the garment and then the rest of it is straight until you get to the shoulder shaping. So when I had finished all of that shaping, I put it on a lifeline again and I put it on waste thread and I blocked it again just to make sure that my gauge was still what I had measured with this first piece here, and it was so I was very happy to continue on there.
One thing that I noticed with all of the blocking is - I'm not sure if you'll be able to see it but - I have never been so aware of my rowing out. So I think you can see it. See how it almost looks like there's striping going on? So I am doing this sweater in lever knitting, and I haven't actually done a side by side comparison with a swatch that's this big of my continental knitting versus my lever knitting. But I can definitely feel when I'm doing lever knitting that my purl stitches are a lot looser than my knit stitches. So it was interesting to see that, not only can I feel it, I can really see it as well. So you can- you can see that it's just causing that subtle striping effect. Which, you know, isn't ideal, but I don't mind too much. It's a handmade product. I'm not a machine and I still think it looks really good.
So that - yeah - that's- that's where that is right now. I need to - after this episode - I need to wind up a couple more balls of yarn and get started on the sleeves.
I did also measure - not measure - I did also weigh how much yarn each of these pieces had used. Which is something I haven't- I haven't done before but I'm kind of- I was kind of just curious with this one. So this piece here - the back piece - took 85g. And then I used a fresh skein of yarn to do the front piece so that it would- I wouldn't have to do any joining and that took 83g of yarn.
And the way that I usually like to make sweaters is, when I'm making a big piece I will always start with a fresh ball of yarn to minimise joining and any possible colour variations that there might be. So I have the leftover little balls of- from those two pieces. I'm going to start each sleeve with a fresh ball each. And then the side pieces - because they are smaller - I will choose the bigger of- the two biggest leftover balls that I have. And then all of the neckline and the cuffs and the hem, I will again just use leftovers. If it doesn't seem like that there- there's going to be enough then I will- I will start from this ball here that's attached to my initial piece of knitting. But if I have to, I'll have to- I will rip that out. But I don't actually think I will. So I think I'm going to have a lot of this- this yarn left over which is- I'm very happy to have in my stash.
So is that all that I wanted to say about Redford? Yes. So really enjoying doing stockinette stitch still. Really loving the sloped bind off method. I don't understand why that is not just the default that people are told to do. I think it just looks really good. And I know that a lot of that is going to be hidden because you're going to be picking up stitches to knit up the neckband or to knit down the hem or you're going to be, you know... I- I am- Cannot think of the right words this morning. Grafting! Grafting? You're going to be grafting the sleeves together. So - not the sleeves together - you're going to be grafting the sleeves onto the body. I know what I'm talking about.
Anyway. Even though it's hidden I think it's still such a nice detail. It's such a simple technique to do as well. It's no extra work at all. In fact, it's pretty much like one less stitch each time you go in to do the bind off, essentially. So it's so easy. It looks so effective. It makes for such a neater product, I think. And I think it's also going to make- it's going to help make all of the seaming - that's the word, seaming not grafting - I think it's going to make all of the seaming a lot easier, as well. And the picking up of the stitches a lot easier as well. So at least that's- that's my hope.
I think I'm just going to do it from now on, whether or not a pattern tells me to. What I used to do is, if I could be bothered, I would work out some short row shaping instead to get a nice slope. But I think I'm going to- I think I'm going to stick with this sloped bind off method instead.
Jigsaw Shawl
So onto the next project. That is the Jigsaw Shawl by Katrina Walser of Oliphant Cat.
So I believe in the previous episode, I mentioned that I had signed up for it. I- When she initially put the call out, I had said no because of this big project that is due soon and I didn't think I would have enough time. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. It was a pattern that I had in my queue already. But I was in no rush to make it. But then she put out the call out because she was rewriting it, and I said no, and then I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I reached out to her again and she- she still had room in her pool of test knitters - whatever you call that. And I was able to do it.
So I started off by swatching. So that's my swatch there. I actually did two swatches, the other swatch is in another yarn which I actually ripped out last night because I forgot that I was gonna be filming today and it would have been good to show you that. But I'll put- I'll put a picture up anyway so that you can see it.
She wasn't really concerned about using the right yarn and getting the right gauge because she had already put this pattern out. She just wanted to make sure that the updated instructions still make sense. So she wasn't concerned about us using the right weight of yarn and getting the same gauge that she got- that she was putting in the pattern.
So my initial idea was to use a fingering weight yarn that I had that I thought would have been lovely in a shawl because it's got cashmere in it. And the pattern is in DK yarn. But then when I got the pattern, I decided that I would actually like to try to knit it to her specs. So I held the yarn double instead of holding it single and- and then I- so I- while I was making that swatch I remembered that I also had this yarn in my stash, which is Naturally Yarns New Zealand, Merino Silk, and it's a DK weight yarn. And the yarn that Katrina uses in the pattern is a wool silk blend as well. And so I thought that this would be perfect. It's as close to the fibre content as she was using and it's the right weight.
So I did the swatch in this as well and initially I kinda liked the yarn with the cashmere a bit better, but... This one just felt a bit stiff and not as drapey as I would have liked. But then I blocked them and this softened up and became more drapey and I kind of like- I like the stitch definition here on this one. And I think I also just kind of like it this colour.
So the cashmere yarn that I'm talking about is the same one that I made a scarf on my knitting machine on. It's a Blue Monday Yarn, and I think it had it had cashmere, it had silk, and I'm guessing the rest of it was wool. But I think this one had a higher silk content. Anyway, I decided to go with this one.
The thing is it also... I decided that it didn't make sense to me to hold fingering yarn double when I already had a DK yarn that was the right weight that I needed. I mean, yeah, I don't know. It just didn't make sense to me to waste - in a sense - all of that yardage in holding the yarn double when I can use that yarn for a project that needs a fingering weight yarn. And I do- I do understand that there are reasons that you would want to hold your own double. For example, for fading or for marling or those kinds of things. But like, it just didn't make sense to me and it didn't feel right to me for this project.
Plus, after I washed and blocked the two swatches. I actually got gauge with this one, and the other one was way too big. So I just thought, 'Well, that's a sign that this is the yarn that I meant to be using for this project.' So I got a fresh ball to start the actual thing and this is where I am at with it. Doesn't it just look so pretty?
So it starts at a point and then you just- you just increase as you go and work your way up. And I just think it's such an effective pattern. I love the geometry of it. I love how it's kind of like mimicking like a weave, in a way. I also just like the name of it. I like puzzles and it's called the Jigsaw Shawl so I was already- I was drawn to it already just because of the name. But I think it is such a pretty pattern. I think it's like looking so nice in this yarn.
So it's- it's- I don't know if you can tell but it's not pure- it's not purely a cream. It's got like, flecks of tan and I don't think they're coming up in the video though. They're so subtle. But when you get up close to it, you can see it. I don't think you can see it. Maybe you can.
Anyway, she only needed a certain amount to be knit up before the pattern was re-released at the end of May. So I- As soon as I got the pattern, I put down the Redford sweater and just completely focused on this and I got that much done and I gave her my feedback. And it's a really well written pattern. It's really easy to follow. She provides charts and written instructions and I test knit the chart. And yeah, it was just- it was just really easy to follow. It was just a real- it's just a really good- it's a really great pattern. I highly recommend it.
And if you get the Yarnologie magazine, the most recent one that has just been released will have a discount code for it, I believe. So- Which is the whole reason why she was rewrite- well, not the whole reason she was rewriting the pattern, but it was one of the reasons.
So yeah, so since I finished the test knit portion that she had required I have barely done anything more on it. I've knit a little bit more, but I realised I should go back and focus on the Redford sweater. So I haven't done- I haven't done much more on that. But I will get to it. I will finish it eventually.
Hopefully sooner rather than later because this is actually my first shawl. So I'm really excited to have this and I never thought I'd be a shawl knitter. But lately I have been feeling that I would love something to just drape over my shoulders and cuddle up in, you know. So I'm- I'm excited to get my first shawl and I do want to get that done, and I'm going to use it because it is beautiful.
And it's been such a long time since I've done lace as well. I can't remember the last time that I did lace. And, you know, it's nice to do something different to, you know, use different... muscles.? I don't know what I'm trying to say. As usual, I have no idea what I'm trying to convey here.
But anyway, check it out. Jigsaw Shawl. Yeah, it's beautiful.
Oh, she has two sizes. That's something that I should say as well. I'm knitting the smallest size which has a wingspan of just under a metre, I'm pretty sure. So- And that's purely because that's- this is all the yarn that I have left of this. So it'll be a bit of a stretch. Hopefully I won't need to do the last little bit of it with different yarn, but we'll see what happens.
Anyway. Yeah. So- So yeah. That's a really pleasant knit. It's a really easy knit. It's- So when I say it's an easy knit, I- I love it when you can really easily read your knitting on a pattern and it kind of just tells you what to do next. You're not going to have to refer- you're not always having to refer back to the chart. I still am because I just don't have a great memory. But there are, you know, there are parts where I see what I had done in the previous row and I know what I need to do next. But there are a few little bits and pieces here and there - particularly on the ends here, where it's mostly all the same and then there's one stitch that will be different on a random row and you just do once or something like that. And I always seem to miss that so I am still looking at the chart for the most part.
But yeah, I think that's all that I had to say about that one.
Secret test knit
So moving on. The secret that I mentioned earlier is, even though I have all of these deadlines and all of these things that I have to get done, I signed up for another test knit. So I can't reveal what that is yet. But I have gotten the pattern for it. We can't talk about it quite yet, though, so I won't reveal anything. But I just thought I'd mention it because I am really excited about it. But I also feel a bit foolish in signing up for another test knit.
It's going to be due at the end of August. And like I said in the previous episode, once this Redford is done towards the end of this month, I want to start a knitalong that will be finishing sometime in September. And I need to pick up a sweater that has been hibernating for a couple of years that will also be due in September. And then this new test knit that I've signed up for is going to be due at the end of August. Plus I have some languishing WIP's that I need to get back to that I'd like to get done by spring - our spring - so that I can send them overseas in time for a UK winter.
I just can't- I can't help myself. I can't control myself. Coz I just love it all. I love it all.
And this other test knit I found on Instagram. So it's someone who I have been following on Instagram for a while. So I just saw in their stories, I believe. And I very rarely look at stories. I'm a very traditional Instagram user. I just look at the feed. I hardly ever remember to check out reels or to look at stories. But I did. And I- there was this test knit being advertised so I signed up and I should stop blathering on about it.
Eye Candy
Coburg Yarn Market
All right, on to Eye Candy. So I try not to show a lot of shopping on here. But I do want to show things that I purchase from indies, in particular, because I want to share their lovely work and I want to promote those. But I generally- I haven't been showing you when I've purchased yarns and things from- from yarn stores or from big producers or things like that.
At the end of May, the annual Yarn and Fibre Market was put on by the Hand Knitters Guild of Victoria. So that is always in Coburg. I think it's often just called the Coburg Yarn Market, or the quo- quoburg- Coburg Yarn and Fibre Market. I wasn't actually planning on buying anything. I really didn't think that I would buy anything because the Bendigo Sheep and Wool Show is coming up in July and I've- that's going to be much bigger festival. And I was kind of thinking I was going to save up all of my spending for then. And yeah, I don't know. I just- I got in there and I was buzzing. It was just so nice to be, you know, among the community, and seeing all of these beautiful things. And I just kept- I kept finding things that I liked, so I had to buy them.
Market buys
So as soon as I walked in the door, the very first booth- one that I saw was Ozi Farmers Market. And I've been following them as well and they make beautiful yarns. They make really lovely gradient cakes. But the thing that I saw wasn't actually their yarns. It was actually earrings by Its- by Itsbug Design.
Sorry, I'm just looking at my notes there. And I just saw it and I made a beeline and I bought them because they are just gorgeous. I'm just gonna come in here so you can see. So they are these amazing, amazing earrings. So one is a sweater and the other one is beanie with a pom pom. How adorable are they? I love them so much and I just want to wear them all the time.
They had a bunch of different colours, but I kind of - I mean, I really like this natural colour - but I also thought it would stand out the most against my dark hair. So I love them so much. I could have bought so many different colours. I could have bought a different pair to wear every single day of the week. But, you know, you got to show some control. So I just picked these ones and bought them straightaway and that set everything off and I was just spending money.
Well, I mean, I didn't get too crazy. But considering I didn't think I was going to buy anything, I felt like I had gotten a bit- I went a bit crazy.
So the next thing that I bought was from Cat and Sparrow. She had some 3d printed items. And I think that was what actually drew me to her booth first, was that she had a display of some Turkish spindles. And she had one that was seriously like, this small. It was so tiny. It had the tiniest little bit of like lacy or even thread-like yarn that had been spun on it. It was so teensy tiny. It was like- It's not even as big as my hand - as the palm of my hand. It was so small. And I was kind of tempted by that but I knew I would never use it and it would just become a display item and I really don't need more stuff. So yeah, they were really fun to see. She obviously had bigger sizes as well.
But then she had a bowl of enamel pins. And I just- I had to pick a- a couple of them up. And again this is something that I never thought I'd get into. I- I never thought that I'd be- I'd never thought that I'd be a pin person because I don't really know how to wear them and I don't really use bags that I feel like I can really pin them on. But, I mean, I have a few. I have those row counter ones from Twill and Print. I have a little knitted brooch that my partner got for me. And I'm trying to wear them more but I also just forget about them.
Anyway, I digress. I was drawn to this sheep one first of all, which I just think is the cutest thing. I love the- the rainbow fleece of balls of yarn. So I knew I was gonna get that one for myself. This one I also thought was just really adorable but this one I'm going to give to a friend. I bought it for a friend intentionally so I will be giving that away. And yeah, the ridiculous thing is that she was only selling these for $8 each. That's so ridiculously cheap. I told her that she should charge more. But I took these because I want them and she didn't charge me more but I really honestly feel like she should have. They're- They're jus- They're so beautiful. I love them.
So I did also buy one of the 3d printed items at her booth which is just this weaving shuttle here. I haven't checked to see if it's the same size as the cardboard shuttles that I had made for my loom. Because my loom is something like 18" wide but so far I've only knit things on it that are - I don't know my inches very well - five inches, maybe six inches wide. So I cut smaller shuttles for myself. And then I saw this one and I thought, 'Oh, that'll be so much better than my crappy cardboard shuttle.
Plus it has a beveled edge on one thing here. And from a few weaving videos that I've seen, there is another tool called a pickup stick that you can use to make different designs and they often have this beveled edge to make it easier to- to pick up warp threads. So I- Yeah I got that as well and keen to start the next weaving project and give that a go.
The next thing I bought was some- some tins from Zigo Zago. And so this is the first one here which is just this cute little owl and it says 'Wisdom.' But the thing that I love about them is how they open up. So you actually slide- slide them open. And then because it's a sliding action rather than just one that you just push down on top of it's just really secure. And that little click is such a satisfying sound. And - I don't know - I just find it really satisfying sliding them.
But I'm going to keep that one empty and then when I start a new project and need to put some notions in it, that's going to be my one that I can fill up. So I have a few other tins but they're all assigned to different notions. So, you know, one has... Oh, what did I have? Oh, one has all of the bits and pieces from my interchangeable needles. One has- one is just full of bobby pins because I thought I could use them as stitch markers if all of my other stitch markers were in use or something like that. Anyway, so this one I'm keeping free so that I have a spare tin when I need one to put into a project bag.
And then I also got this bigger one here, which I really liked the design of. And then bonus - inside it also has stitch markers. So it has this one here which is a star. And it does have a ring. It's on- it's on a ring so that you can slip the ring around a smaller needle. But then it also has the lobster clasp at the back so that you can- you can choose how you use it. So the little star and then it's also got a moon and I think they're beautiful. And then it also had just a couple of little black rings and I've been wanting some in this style as well because I've heard that they're just a lot smoother and easier to transfer from needle to needle as you're- as you're working your knitting. So that was- that was a really unexpected fine.
And then the last thing is, so it also does have a giant needle in here, but it's magnetic, so that's not going to come out. Or, it's not going to fall out, I should say. It obviously can come out. But yeah, that's magnetic. That's a magnetic card inside there so that any metal items that you put in aren't going to fall out. So I couldn't walk past that either so I bought it.
And what is next? So the next thing that I want to talk about is, I did buy one skein of yarn from - I'm gonna say this wrong - Ix-chelle? Ix-shell? Ixchel? So that's the yarn- the brand there - Ixchel. So, the dyers name is Charly and I have just heard so many wonderful things about their yarn and they're dyeing. So I was really pleased to see them there at the market. And they had a whole lot of beautiful fibre as well that I was tempted to buy but I'm still- I still don't- I don't want to build up a fibre stash until I have my own wheel and I'm more confident with spinning anyway.
So I just bought one skein of yarn, and there was so many beautiful yarns. And I- It was- It was so hard to choose. I nearly went for a tweedy one because like I've said before, tweeds are my favourite. But then, I don't know, I just couldn't settle on a colour. And then I saw that they had a very small selection of BFL yarns. Everything else was Merino or non wool. So mink and angora, I think, were the main ones. But I wanted a wool and, like I've said before, I want- I'm interested in trying different breeds, and I've never actually worked with BFL yarn before.
So I chose this colour from the BFL range. And this colour is called Dragonfly in Amber and I just love... The colours made me think of autumn and I'm an- I'm an autumn baby. And I love the changing of leaves and I love all of the autumn colours. So I thought that was just a gorgeous one there so I picked that up.
The funny thing is, I have talked before about how I want to have- I want to start building up a stash that is more playful and open and where I'm not always buying yarns and attaching them to projects and then it feels like I can't use them for other things. But I found it so hard to choose a yarn just based on, 'Oh, I like that because it's so pretty.' I mean, I didn't- I felt like if I was doing that, I didn't know where to draw the line. If I- if I was just buying yarns because I thought that they were beautiful and I had to have them, I could have bought half of the booth. It was just something that I struggled with that I wasn't expecting to struggle with. So confining myself to choosing non-Merino wool helped. So that was really good.
But the other thing is, as I was choosing yarns, I kept wanting to pull out my phone and look through my queue on Ravelry and say, "Okay, if I want to buy a fingering weight yarn, what fingering weight projects do I want to make? And therefore how many skeins do I need to buy?" And I had to stop myself coz I just- I want to- I just wanted to buy a yarn because it was pretty and that- so that I could play with it and I didn't have to, you know, plan everything out ahead, and just be spontaneous. So, I mean, obviously I managed. I got one. Yeah, and that's the only yarn that I bought. So that's that there.
The last thing that I bought... Fleece. So obviously had no intentions of buying a fleece. I've never- even with my like taking the spinning class, I really- I had no intentions of buying fleece. I always thought, 'Oh, I will buy pre-prepared fibre because it's just easier and I don't have to do all the washing and stuff. But then I saw this booth - Beylor Black - that had this beautiful colour fleece. And I wanted it. I knew I was gonna walk away with a bag.
So I didn't buy it straightaway. I thought I would think about it and come back. The bag that I was initially looking at was the smallest of the black/grey coloured fleece and it was about 1.2kg. And then I was walking around and... So let me start again.
When I first walked into the market, I pretty quickly ran into Sarah, who is one of the instructors of the class - the spinning class - that I'm taking at the Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild. And I had actually gone to the market straight from doing the class. So I ran into her there said hello and then we went our separate ways shopping. And then, you know, I went around. I did one loop of the whole place and then she came and found me again. She's so lovely. She's so nice and helpful.
She came and found me again and she was saying, "Oh, Janet Day is here and she's spinning on her Majacraft wheel. Do you want to introduce you?" Because I had told my instructors that I'm interested in getting a Majacraft wheel. So, I mean, that was really lovely of her already. And she was asking how I was doing at the market and I said, "Oh my goodness, I think I'm gonna buy a fleece." And she offered to help me look at it and assess it coz I don't know what I'm- I don't know what to look for. I don't know what makes a good fleece. I don't- I don't know how to tell if this is quality or not. I was just like, I like the colour. I want to spin like a naturally black - black, grey - fleece. So she offered to look at it with me.
So I took her over to the booth and immediately she was like, "That fleece isn't great. The staple length is too short for a beginner." It's going to be harder for me to spin as a beginner because longer staple lengths are just easier to work with. And I was a bit disappointed but then they had these other bigger bags of- of fleece. They only had two other bigger bags that were this beautiful dark colour. And it turns out they were actually from the same sheep. It was just such a huge fleece that it needed to be split up into two bags. So anyway, she looked at them with me.
And obviously I bought this one. So this is just over 1.5kg. Half a fleece is over 1.5kg. And it's a Corriedale ewe and it has a beautifully long staple length. Let me see if I can... So the original one that I was looking at, the staple length was probably half this. So I'm so grateful that Sarah was there to help me choose because I would have- I don't know how I would have gone with that smaller one. I mean, I'm sure I would've managed somehow but I might not have been happy with it because, you know, I probably would- would have struggled to spin it a lot more.
Anyway, so that's the staple length there. It's got beautiful crimp. And I just love the colour. So it has- it does have quite a range of colours to it. So I'll just try to pull out a couple of bitties here to show you. So that's probably the lightest grey in the bag and that's probably the darkest. So, you know, there is a bit of a blend there. So it's just gonna be fun to spin it up and see how they all sort of blend together. So. I bought a fleece. Exciting.
Anyway, that's it for all of the purchases.
Oh, I did also want to mention, I was kind of blown away - they did mention in the class earlier that day about what a good price point is for a fleece. I think they said that something like around $20 for a kilo is good. If it's cheaper than that you're probably not getting something of good quality. So this was around or just over $30 for just over a kilo and a half. So that was pretty much spot on for what they were saying is a good price. And that just blows my mind. One and a half kilos.
I'm- There is- I already- I pulled out 20g and I already flicked it with my flicker and this was all of the waste that there was from from doing that, which is not much really. When I put what was- When I put the good stuff back onto my scale it was still showing 20g so I lost less than- less than a gram there, which is a lot less than I was expecting to which is just amazing. So I'm gonna get a lot of yarn out of that and it cost me $30. This cost me $30. And obviously this is- this is finished yarn and it's beautiful, but it just blows my mind. Like they were pretty much the same price and this is a huge giant bag.
Anyway I can just rant forever and ever but what was I saying? I think I was done. I think I was done talking about that.
Craft for Thought
I just wanted to mention a few other things that I spotted at the market. So Tarndie were there - Tarndwarncoort - so I said a quick hello to Tom. But they were busy. So I- it was pretty much just a quick, 'hello, hey, how's it going?' And that was all that we had time for. I was tempted to get some of their fibres - some of their Polwarth silk - but we haven't- we've only used wool in the classes and I didn't want to jump ahead of myself. So I didn't get anything from them.
I also had a good look at Fairfield Finn, who I had heard of and I had nearly purchased some of their yarn a little while ago. But I'm trying to control myself in my yarn spending. And I think I want to wait until I have a design that will be appropriate for Finn wool before I buy Finn yarn.
And then, like I said earlier, Janet Day from My Spin On Things was also there spinning on her Majacraft Rose, which is my dream wheel actually. So it was wonderful that Sarah was able to bring me over and give me a quick introduction to Janet. And we talked a bit about wheels and she let me- she let me have a treadle on it. And it was just so smooth. Oh, I cannot wait to get it. It's- It's- If you look it up, it is just such a beautiful wheel. Like all of the lines of the wheel are just smooth and they just - it's just finished so well. I'm pretty sure they're handcrafted. They're made in New Zealand. They're just- they're just gorgeous.
But then of course they're also quite expensive, which is why I'm not getting one yet. I want to wait for the right time to get that but it was so nice to see it in person. It wasn't as big as I was expecting, which is great because I'm a little- I'm little so that suits me just fine. And yeah, I just can't wait.
So the thing that I'm struggling with now - because it's probably going to be a couple of years before I get that wheel for myself - is what do I spin on in the meantime? Because now that I have used a wheel I think I'm gonna be struggling to go back to the Turkish spindle. I think I will still use it. I did- I do still enjoy that. But I feel like I'm not going to use it if I want to be trying to spin, you know, sweater quantities of yarns or anything like that. Or if I- Yeah, so I kind of want to get a wheel that I can use sooner rather than later.
And the thing that I've been struggling with is, I can actually find a wheel secondhand for less than $200 bucks that's, you know, good condition and all of that kind of thing. Or I can spend $600 and get an e-spinner - an electric spinning wheel. So the part of the reason that I don't want to get the Rose now is space. So if I'm buying a second hand wheel, it's going to take up as much space if not more than than the Rose. So why would I do that? Well, I would because it's cheaper.
The electric spinners are great because they just sit on a desk. They're compact little machines that sit on a desk and you don't have to do any of the treadling because, you know, it's all motorised, but it's more expensive. The thing is though, the one that I'm looking at - and why I was able to say $600 so confidently coz I've done- I've checked the price and I've done the currency conversions - the one that I'm looking at is an Electric Eel Wheel 6.
And I want to get that e-spinner but then I also want to get their yardage counter because right now when I'm winding up the yarns that I make on the swift, I'm just guessing so much about how much yardage they are. And actually I haven't even bothered with the yarns that I've been spinning from the class. I haven't even bothered to try to guess. So I'd really like to get the yardage counter there.
So yeah, I'm probably leaning towards the e-spinner and the yardage counter and away from getting a secondhand wheel.
Multicrafty
What I've spun so far
Anyway. Might as well jump into Multicrafty since I've already been talking about spinning.
I'm not going to go on about it too much because this is quite a long episode already. But this is everything that I have spun in- from the class so far. I was going to say in the class but it's not all in the class because we get to take the wheel home and keep going. So this is- this is everything. It is mostly wool. This grey one here has some alpaca in it. And yeah.
So we have tried a few different things now. This one is- was done short draw. But a couple of these little ones here - I just dropped one, it can stay there - these were done - one of these was done from the fold and another one was done long draw. So long draw creates a woollen yarn and short draw creates a worsted yarn. And so the thing with long draw is - short draw you- you have a lot of control because you're just pulling out little bits at a time and you're smoothing as you go. With long draw, you're pulling it like as far back as you're comfortable to. And you just- because you're pinching hand stays, you know, near the near the wheel, you don't have as much control. Or at least I don't have as much control of the thickness of the yarn that I'm spinning because I just don't have the skill yet to know how much twist to be letting in so that it grabs the amount of fibre that I want it to grab when it's all the way back here. Anyway, I actually found that a lot easier than I was expecting. Probably because, you know, we had such good fibre to work with in the class and that helped. So yeah, that that's been really great.
We've had four classes now and there's just one left and in the last class, we are going to look at some other fibres. So she mentioned working with silk and maybe with cotton as well. So, looking forward to that. And that's all that I will say on spinning.
Heart Full of Craft
So just a quick Heart Full of Craft. I'm really grateful that my sister and her family were able to come over from Western Australia. So they keep- over the last couple of years, they keep booking flights and then having to cancel them and then booking flights and then having to cancel them. Which, you know, it's a bit tough. The- Western Australia have closed- have closed their borders a lot during this whole period. So it's been really hard for them to come over and it's been hard for any of us here in Melbourne to get over there as well. So they were finally able to come which was really great. So yeah, it was- it was nice to see them and to spend time with them.
My 6 year old nephew, he liked the scarf. He wore it but, as expected, he was more interested in- in playing with his toys and all of his cousins and things which doesn't bother me at all. He still- he still showed appreciation for- for the scarf, which was just lovely.
That is all that I have to share with you today.
Thanks!
Thank you for spending your time here with me. I hope that you're all taking care, finding time to spend with your loved ones, and also finding time for crafting or whatever else it is that brings you joy and relaxation.
You can find me on Instagram - @PlatypusKnitting - and I'm also on Ravelry at BobbieOlan. So I'm- I'd love to hear from any of you on either of those platforms. As I said at the start of the episode as well, if you want to find links to anything that I've talked about, they'll be in the description below. There's also a link to a site where I just- I put the transcript and also include all of those links as well.
So if you liked this episode, I hope you give it a thumbs up. Leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you. And please also consider subscribing to my channel.
Thank you again for spending time here with me today. I will see you in a couple of weeks.
Fare thee well.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Resources
Mentions
Janet Day, My Spin On Things
Majacraft spinning wheels
Patterns (on Ravelry)
Redford by Julie Hoover, Brooklyn Tweed
Jigsaw Shawl by Katrina Walser, Oliphant Kat
Yarn & Fibre (from my source, or on Ravelry)
Tarndwarncoort yarns from polwarth sheep
Naturally Yarns NZ, Merino Silk
IxCHeL Fibres, Yarns & Art