Blown away
Faced with two larger projects that seem to be dragging on forever, I decided I needed something simple.
Conwy sock, in Sundara sock yarn, color “bronzed sienna”. My second project on the needles right now with the Seasons Club yarn, and boy is it ever luxurious. The pattern is simple enough to knit while reading or watching television, and I’m really enjoying it.
But the title of this post refers to a gift from the very talented spinner/knitter Kate from my local knitting group.
People. She gave me some of her own handspun silk. Because she said that everyone needed to knit with handspun at some point in their knitting career. Would you just look at this?!
Now, I’ve gotten some amazing yarn as gifts before. I am lucky enough to have a husband who is totally supportive of my hobby and enjoys giving me hand-painted silk, the yarn to do a special sweater I’ve been eyeing, etc. But this… I’m completely overwhelmed, can’t say “thank you” to Kate enough times. I might have an inkling, now, how people must feel when I give them a sweater or a shawl. I’d love to hear your own stories: On this manufactured holiday of gift-giving, what’s the best fiber-related gift you’ve ever received?
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That orange is just GORGEOUS!!!!!!
Oh, man. That is just luxurious.
I think the best fibery gift was a full pound of henry’s attic andromeda (50/50 merino lace). Of course I went and felted it when I tried to dye it…
wow. that silk is beautiful! do you have any plans for it?? How generous of her!
I saw that silk on your Ravelry page this morning and thought “wow!”. And it is!
The best fiber gift I ever got wasn’t nearly so shiny or pretty as yours! I knit a sweater for my college boyfriend/fiance. We broke up a few months later. I really believe it was the sweater that did- all my fears, my doubts, my belief that we were just plain too young. After I finished the sweater, I gave it to him and a few days later said, “I just don’t think I can do this anymore.” Totally the best fiber gift I was ever involved in! ps: the sweater? i think it itches. :)
That silk is soooo lovely. What a wonderful, generous gift. I think the best fiber gift I ever got was from my mom two Christmases ago. I love the FDC yarn Trilly (50/50 cashmere/silk) and it was being discontinued. I told my family that I would be happy to give any color/any amount a happy home. Well, she totally surprised me with huge box of the stuff in many different colors, including a “sweater’s worth” in a perfect “Jean green”. I haven’t actually knit any of it yet, but I’m so happy to have it in my stash. It’s so luxurious and they don’t make it anymore, so I love knowing it’s there, just waiting for the perfect project.
My mom bought me a sh** load of knitting needles for my first Christmas after teaching myself to knit!! Love ya mom.
That’s handspun?? Wow, she really is skilled! Incredible.
They are both stunning! I only wish that I had friends like that!
That silk is absolutely gorgeous. I can`t believe that is handspun. Do you have any plans for it yet?
My husband just made me so happy because he bought a set of needles for my mom. I bought her KP Harmony Circular needles for Christmas in one size to try them out. She really really liked them and was so sad last week because my niece accidently stepped on them and broke them. Hubby went online and bought her the whole set. She does not know it yet as they need to first get here and then I can send them to Europe.
Hubby gets extra points every time he is wearing a sweater I made for him. He is always so proud and showing off, it makes the time I spend on the sweater worth it (needless to say, I still have only about 2 inches done on his Rogue).
Blown away is the right sentiment. That is not only lovingly made handspun, but it is incredibly made. The spinning is gorgeous. If only we could all have your handspun knitting experience.
Everything in this post is drool-worthy.
It’s one thing to knit with handspun, and yet another to knit with stunning, shimmery, handspun silk! You have been spoiled, indeed! Need to befriend silk spinners (or figure out spinning it myself…).
The sock looks great, but that silk is fantastic! Way to go Kate (your generosity and talent are impressive)!
I wish I could make yarn like that, that is so special! My best yarny gift has been from bloggers, I have one a couple of competitions and the generosity of people is amazing. I don’t get yarn related gifts from anyone else!
I’ve gotten a bunch of yarn from my family and stuff, but JulieFrick outdid everybody by sending me her last 3 balls of a discontinued yarn that I was in total lust with. That’s true generosity: it’s one thing to give somebody replaceable yarn, another to give them your discontinued Jaeger Chamonix!
Oh my gosh, that’s gorgeous! Wow… handspun silk… you lucky girl :)
Sadly, I don’t think I have any answers to your question. I have never gotten yarn from anyone! Yes, pathetic as it sounds, I am the only person who has gotten me yarn (maybe someone in my family or my circle of friends will read this and take pity hehe).
What gorgeous handspun! I love the sheen and the subtle colors. And the spinning/plying looks fantastic.
This Valentine’s Day, M bought me the three sizes of Addi Lace needles I didn’t have. He had to find a purveyor all on his own, as our LYS went out of business last summer. I was rather impressed that he was willing to search online yarn shops to find what I had mentioned I wanted to get someday.
what a wonderful present!
The best fiber related gift I’ve ever gotten is a tie between
A) the Ashford learn-to-spin kit I got for Christmas from my Aunt [which started me on spinning & knitting to use the yarn I'd made.]
and
B) the yarn my husband got me one birthday to make a hat for myself - on his own he figured out & obtained that I’d need one ball of the flashy stuff plus one ball of worsted in a compatible color[in this case, it's the thought & effort that got me:)]
Conwy is one of my fave sock yarn patterns because it is so easy and makes such a lovely fabric. Added bonus: my grandparents lived a 10 minute walk from Conwy Castle in Wales:)
Such pretty yarn to enjoy! Conway is so lovely so far.
Oh, handspun silk! Yum! You lucky girl, what are you going to do with that, apart from admiring it?
Your sock is gorgeous. Love the color. And that silk. My heavens. Lovely. What are you going to make?
That silk is amazing. I love your sock too. I’ve been making a sock detour too to avoid a harder project.
The best “fiber-related” gift I got was my husband’s offer to drive me to the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival (knowing full well that he didn’t care a whit about doing more than look around with an amused look on his face at those of us who swoon at the sight of yarn). And when he looked at what I bought, which filled the back of our hatchback, he asked me “is that all you’re going to get?”. We went back the next morning so I could shop some more. So now you know why knitting from my stash is hardly a hardship.
That is some amazingly spun silk. Absolutely gorgeous in color and so even in grist! What a wonderful friend! Fibery presents are always the best. :) Now, if I can only convince my significant other to gift me some… He’s convinced that I have more than enough yarn and fiber already. Sigh.
What happy orange yarn! It looks like a perfect autumn day - which always, to me, means the beginning of a school year, and so new beginnings and possibilities.
How are you getting on with the Conwy calf shaping? I’m on my second, and mostly happy with the decreases I did on the first sock, but it doesn’t look like the only picture (Ashley’s) I can find on the internet, and I feel a bit like the chart runs out before the decreases do!
Oh! Coincidentally, I just wrote about my favourite fibre-related present on my blog! It was a ball-winder, which, honestly, changed my life, by effectively wrapping up a bit of time in a cardboard box; it’s truly a gift that keeps on giving :)
Re best fiber-related presents, for Christmas this year, my brother and his fiancee went out and found an alpaca farm and brought me back a fleece! I couldn’t believe it. They don’t have any particular connection to knitting or spinning; they’re just incredibly thoughtful. I’m so lucky. :)