Alpaca Scarf - Start to Finish

My goal for this scarf project was to see if I would be happy spinning and knitting with a single ply yarn. My thoughts have always been that a single would slant and perhaps even fall apart.
I started with a couple year's growth of white alpaca fleece from the handsome Target who lives with Chris and Jenn in St. Louis, Michigan.

To Target's fleece I added a few pounds of white merino that I purchased from the McMurrays' who have the shop Genopalette on Etsy. They always provide me with the most awesome, clean sheep fleece imaginable.
So below is little Max with this huge bag of top beautifully processed at Zeilingers' in Frankenmuch, Michigan.

I dyed up a few pounds of the top in my crock pot and have some still listed in my shop (This isn't the same dye lot as my scarf)

I spun 2.6 ounces of the dyed top rather tight for me. I was really afraid it would fall apart, but I didn't need to worry. I washed the yarn in hot water and agitated it a little so that it would felt some. It did just that, stayed together, but retained its lovely softness.

....and here, TA,DAHHHHHH, is my scarf.

It is for sale in my shop here if you want to look more.
In conclusion - YES! I will continue to knit with a single ply yarn, but I will probably always worry about the possibility of a slant - probably never doing a vest or sweater, anything large....

Garden Harvest

Yep, that's it, friends..... Have I mentioned that I don't like digging in the dirt?
☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺ ☺

My "Golden" Couch

Two Golden Retrievers - bliss.... That's Terre's Izzy on the left and my dear Cassie on the right.
Terre has flown to Daytona Beach today and will bring my Mom back tomorrow to live here with me and my 4 leggeds.

Kendra's Yarn

Target is the handsome donor of the yarn pictured below. He lives with and is loved by Jen and Chris at Diversified Alpacas just down the road in St. Louis, Michigan

I love getting pictures of my fiber after it has been spun. This lovely yarn below was spun by 24 year old Kendra. Kendra has been spinning for two years after learning on a drop spindle at her County Fair. This year she won the honor of Best Handspun Finished Article. You go, Kendra!
This is a link to Kendra's spinning progress: Here
Kendra's mom Barbara Klause who lives in California is the perfect mom 'cause she ordered this fiber for Kendra. In fact, she just ordered 6 more ounces of it (opps, hope that's not a surprise)

'Paca Play

My mom in Florida is moving in with me so Nik and the grandgirls came over to help me do some furniture rearranging and cleaning. Thanks, Meredith, for doing the bathroom. Of course, we had to go out and play with alpacas for a while.

JR and Elizabeth ↑


Meredith and JR - they both look like they are wondering just what they are supposed to do with that mint. ↑

...and here Elizabeth and I are trying to get a nose rub from Snickers.

Rainbow Remembrance

I think this rainbow into the bean field from yesterday evening was a gift to help ease me through today. It was a year ago that Smitty died.

I find myself doing so much reflecting and remembering.....but it's good. I don't think so much of the last horrid, yucky month, but more of the good times. Sort of like the symbolic rainbow after the storm.
Smitty's energy and spirit is very strong and surrounds the kids and me every day (although they may not accept it). I didn't really understand before when the churchy folks would say things like "his spirit lives on", but I get it now. In fact, he has made his presence known to me by doing things like turning on and off the tv and electric fireplace. Not a bit spooky, but sort of amusing and comforting. He was always in control of the remotes ☺
The only times now that I have my heart hiccups is when I think of the kids and grandgirls missing him. That usually brings the tears on.

A Single Ply Experiment

This is the handsome Target who lives with Chris and Jen at Diversified Alpacas in St Louis, MI. His lovely fiber is what I used for this project.

I am determined to find a way to spin and use a single ply for knitting. My nonknitting friends may not know that normally we spin 2 singles and then ply/spin them together going in the opposite direction. Supposedly if we knit with a one ply the project will take on a slant in the direction the single was spun. You can imagine a sweater leaning/slanting off to the right.
My idea is to knit a lengthwise scarf (you know, cast on a couple hundred stitches and knit 10 or 12 rows). I don't think the slant would matter.
So, what I did was spin a single from some roving that is alpaca/merino that I hand dyed in my crockpot. I spun it tighter than I normally spin, then I wound it on my winder, tied it off, washed it, and stretched it back on my winder to dry. The picture below is of it drying right now on my deck (Yep, that's Cord in the background)
When it's dry, I'll cast on and start my experimental scarf. I'll let you know how it looks when I'm done.


Smitty memories - I thought this week was going to be more difficult that it's turning out to be. Am staying busy. Friday marks one year from his death. Daughter Terre and I are going to do something together and then Nik, my other daughter, and the grand girls will be around for the weekend.