Winning Scarf

Last September I knit three scarves out of my own handspun llama laceweight. The first was "Branching Out", done exactly as the pattern was originally written.



The second and third ones I knit using my own modification to the pattern. I then overdyed one with black, which resulted in a rich chocolate brown colour. That one became a Christmas gift for my mother-in-law.



The other I dyed with scarlet and it became a pretty brick red colour. I gave it away last night at a scarf exchange at the year end dinner for the Chilliwack Spinners and Weavers Guild. After the exchange the scarves were put on display and we had a chance to vote for our favorite in two categories: Knit or Crocheted, and Woven. Mine gathered the most votes in the knit or crocheted category and ---



--- I won this pretty begonia!

She's a Beauty

Remember way back in October when I spindle spun and navajo plyed the hand dyed, hand combed wool for this hat?



I entered the crocheted hat in this contest held at www.spindlicity.com , and actually won in the "Best Use of Color" category. My prize was to be a lovely, handmade Bloodwood and Ebony spindle from Spindlewood Co. I promised to post photos of it when it arrived.

Well, it finally arrived yesterday and it was well worth the wait. It's absolutely beautiful and spins on and on for a long time. It often touches the floor before it runs out of spin. A far cry from the home made, unfinished spindles I have used so far. Wow, so this is what a well balanced, professionally made spindle is like.




The spindle arrived packaged safely in 4 ounces of soft, easy to spin fiber. Too bad all parcels don't come protected with such beautiful "filler". I'm no expert on identifying fiber so I'll have to write and ask them what it is.



Thanks Spindlewood Co. and Spindlicity from a very happy prize winner.