Ready!

We woke up to a light dusting of snow yesterday. So, I decided it would be a race to the finish and quickly whipped up my daughter's hat and my liners for my mittens. My family is now clothed and ready to face the long cold winter! I don't ever remember being ready so early in advance before! We are usually out buying warm coats to fit the newly bigger children a couple weeks AFTER it's turned cold. I am usually knitting new hats and mittens in January (long after they are actually needed). Not this year, folks! We're the warmest family in the midwest!

Hand spun

I made this yarn with my kids. They helped me card it with my hand cards and they helped spin my drop spindle (for the singles). They didn't help with the whole process but both of them helped out. Then, I plied two singles together using my spinning wheel.

I love how it turned out. I used it for the Hello Kitty dress and bow.

This fiber was originally purchased to be a part of a winter hat. But, upon further investigation I found it to be too itchy. Then my daughter and I read a book called "slow magic" and we carded some fiber. I still wanted to use this yarn for something more precious than a toy. But, my daughter wanted a toy.

I think knitters and spinners are inclined to place yarns on a heirarchy. And for some people hand spun yarn is the most precious of all yarns. Some people won't knit with it because they are scared. I had to rearrange my thinking in order to use it for a toy. It's hand dyed, hand washed, hand carded, hand spun yarn. And it made something very precious for my daughter.