Looking for the perfect TV knitting project? Then look no further than the Simple Things Shawlette from Rainy Day Goods. This easy-to-knit shawl is perfect for showing off the colours in handspun yarn.

And just when the stocking stitch rows are getting long enough to become a little tedious, Mary-Heather has thrown in some feature rows to keep things interesting.

Pattern: Simple Things Shawlette by Mary-Heather Cogar (Ravelry Link)
Yarn: Fingering weight 2-ply handspun from Southern Cross Fibre Club’s Oatmeal BFL in the “Deep Thought” colourway.

The sleeves and a good part of the body are done. I’m using a combination of EZ’s Hawser Sweater (from Knitting Workshop) and PGR’s Full Yoke Sweater (from Knitting in the Old Way) as a guide.

Handspun from "Cauldron" Polwarth by Hello Yarn.

Handspun is sometimes created as a standalone work of art, other times as something that will go on to become a new creation by way of knitting, crocheting or weaving.

Painters sign their names to their works, but what about spinners? Many spinners develop a style that needs no signature to identify it as their own. Here are some works by spinners I admire for their creativity and sense of style. I’ll let the art speak for itself.

All photos are copyright their respective owners.

Sarah (BabyLongLegs)

Linda (StoneLeafMoon)

Vera (Verabee)

Velma (Velma’s World)

Naomi (knotty handspuns by knottynaomi)

Fibre: Polwarth Top in “Green Tea” from Southern Cross Fibre
Spinning method: Woollen spun 3-ply from rolags (see post here for details)
Yardage: 2100 yards / 1930 metres
Weight: 39 ounces / 1100 grams
Yards per Pound: 920 ypp average (Heavy Worsted/Aran weight)

I feel like I’m finally making some progress on my Ravelympics project. Over half of the fibre is now spun and I have a pound of 3-ply Aran weight yarn.

I cast on the band of the Fog Sweater, but frogged it a few inches in because the band was curling. It has been a while since I’ve knitted such a wide rib and forgot how much long tail cast on can curl. I cast on again with German Twisted Long Tail cast on and it is looking a lot better. The band is done and I’m about to start the endless 1×1 rib of the body.

The last week has rushed by in the blur of mayhem and chaos that is shop update and club packing week. I did manage to find time to get a 86 gram (3 ounce) sample spun, washed and dried.

Fibre: Polwarth Top in “Green Tea” from Southern Cross Fibre
Spinning method: Woollen spun 3-ply from rolags (see post here for details)
Yardage: 174 yards / 160 metres
Weight: 3 ounces / 86 grams
Yards per Pound: 927 ypp (Heavy Worsted/Aran weight)

This yarn should be a good substitute for Cascade Eco Wool, so it is time to cast on and get busy spinning the rest of the fibre.

There is a lot of 1×1 ribbing in the Fog Sweater, so I’m almost tempted to suck it up swatch in continental to see how bad my gauge is.  Almost.

I’m happy to report that my fibre (a kilo of Polwarth in “Green Tea”) dried in time for the start of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Hooray!

Australians aren’t big on winter sports. After all, a very small percentage of the country actually gets any snow in the winter, requiring most of our Winter Olympics athletes to train overseas. But we are known for our sportsmanship, so we give it a red-hot go anyway. Go Aussies and good luck to all of the athletes from around the world competing at the games.

I’ve been in two minds about participating in the Ravelympics event on Ravelry. Why? I wanted to enter the sweater event, but I started spinning two pounds of Hello Yarn Targhee “Parritch” for a sweater a couple of weeks back. I really should have waited and used that as my Ravelympics project, but the fibre is so yummy that I couldn’t wait to start spinning it.

I woke up this morning and thought that I’d enter regardless (since one sweater project is never enough) and set about looking for the right pattern and fibre. I ended up deciding on “The Fog Sweater” (Ravelry Link) in “Green Tea” Polwarth. I dyed a kilo of fibre this afternoon and I’m waiting patiently for it to cool enough before rinsing.

Nothing like leaving things to the last minute.

One of my favourite drafting methods is English Long Draw. Nothing beats spinning long draw from rolags. I also enjoy watching the changing colours slide through my fingers when spinning from handpainted top. Here is the method I came up with to have the best of both worlds.

Get yourself some combed top. I’m using Falkland top in the “Katoomba” colourway from Southern Cross Fibre. This technique will cause some of the colours to overlap, resulting in heathered sections in the finished yarn where the colours have blended. If you want a clean, crisp colour progression, then this technique is probably not for you.

If your top has been sitting around for a while, it may need loosening up. Compressed or sticky top makes for bad rolags. Most top is a flat length of fibre that has been rolled and twisted to hold it together. We’re going to undo the rolling and twisting to turn it back into a flat length of fibre. You should see a definite fold line along your top. Gently work your way along the top and open it up along the fold.

Next, you’re going to loosen up the fibres. Press down firmly across the full width of the top with one hand and pull gently with the other until the fibres just start to move. That’s it. No more. You just want to loosen the fibres, not draft them.

Move your hands about a staple length and repeat. Here’s what you’ll end up with:

Next, we’ll make the rolags. I use an old wooden rolling pin. It is well worn from years of use, has no rough edges and is a nice diameter for rolag-making. If you’re using a piece of dowel, ensure it is completely smooth by sanding it with fine sandpaper before use.

Wind the top around the rolling pin once as shown in the photo below:

Press down on the rolling pin with one hand and pull apart with the other. Roll up the remaining piece of fibre and slide it off the rolling pin.

That’s it. Rinse and repeat.

Happy Spinning!

While I was staying with Adrian after Rhinebeck (October 2009), I “encouraged” Adrian to start a new mitten pattern. After a shopping trip to WEBS, we spent a few days sitting around the dining room table armed with Adrian’s extensive mitten library, graph paper and pencils. Adrian’s awesome Squirrel Sampler Mittens and my Northman Mittens are the result.

Special thanks to Adrian for encouraging me to design these mittens, answering my endless questions, test knitting, and giving me permission to use her Squirrel Sampler Mittens pattern as a template.

Thanks also to Stacie for her wonderful editing and test knitting skills.

Pattern: Squirrel Sampler Mittens by Adrian Bizilia
Yarn (Outer): Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift (“Peat”) and Rowan Scottish Tweed 4 Ply (“Oatmeal”)
Yarn (Lining): Misti Alpaca Lace Solids (#C743)
Needles: 3.25 mm (US3) Addi Turbo (magic loop)
Gauge: 8 sts per inch/2.5 cm
Size: Large

Pattern: Northman Mittens by David Schulz (now available on Ravelry)
Yarn (Outer): Berroco Ultra Alpaca (#6279 & #6214)
Yarn (Lining): Blue Sky Alpacas Melange (#806)
Needles: 3.5 mm (US4) Addi Turbo (magic loop)
Gauge: 6.5 sts per inch/2.5 cm
Size: Medium