Two Spins and A Knit

Two spins and a knit - what does that mean?  Well, those are the three fiber projects that I've completed in December so far.  

For the past few weeks I've been concentrating on finishing up a few works-in-progress before the end of the year.  The yarn below is a 2 ply blend of merino wool and tencel.  It had  been in my spinning project basket for over a year.  Mostly I carried the fiber and a spindle around with me and spun it on the go.  It's been lovely to spin but I decided "Enough is enough."  It was time to wrap up this project.  So it's plied, tied, and washed.  Very soft with some sheen from the tencel.  I think I'll probably weave with it.

Next came 8 oz. of lustrous tussah silk.  Tussah silk is derived from wild silkworms and is usually a soft honey or tan color.  (White silk comes from the bombyx silkworms who are raised in captivity.)  Again this was a delightful fiber to spin but I only worked on it now and then.  Happy to say, it also is all spun up!  Two skeins of soft, luxurious goodness.  I can see it as warp for an elegant woven scarf, using a bombyx silk yarn as weft.

Finally, one knitting project came off the needles over the weekend.  These mittens are worked in Knit Picks Telemark yarn on US 3 double point needles.  I've had the yarn for several years and wanted to move it out of the stash bin.  The color and feel said "Aran" to me, so I selected a few cable patterns from The Harmony Guide to Aran and Fair Isle Knitting, and tried my hand at designing a mitten.  It was definitely a learning experience.   With several balls of Telemark still in my stash and a few ideas for fine-tuning my pattern, I know there is another pair in my future.  These mittens will be donated to Access Arts for fundraising.

So there are my two spins and a knit, all finished up before December 31st.  I have one other spinning project in progress that I'd like to complete before then - one pound of some creamy Blue Faced Leicester combed top.  It spins so effortlessly - a fine soft single. I'm over halfway through it.  In fact, I think it's time for me to head on over to the wheel and get busy.

Anyone else trying to finish a few things before 2011 rolls in?  Have fun with your fiber projects and enjoy the holidays!