Category: handspun

Projects using handspun yarn.

A closeup view of the "May I Borrow This, Please" shawl, knit in handspun yarn. The gradient of blue through purple to pink fades off into the background of the picture. Bands of different textures stripe across the shawl.

handspun / shawl / spinning

In Which the Pirate’s Plan Comes Together.

According to my records (haha) I bought this fibre in the summer of 2018… …and spun it that fall into a gorgeous gradient… …which I’ve now knit into the “May I Borrow This, Please” shawl (available as a free download on Ravelry), and I am thrilled with it. The pattern is well-written, and I knit the whole thing in two weeks, even with adding...

A cowl, with a ruffled edge at the bottom, knit in handspun yarn. The colours are stripes of dark and light red, blue, and green.

cowl / gifts / handspun / lace

In Which the Pirate Knits a Gift for Grandma.

That secret gift I mentioned in my last post is a neckwarmer/cowl for Grandma! I knit it with a yak/silk blend that I spun a couple of years ago, but didn’t know what to do with it… until now. The pattern is Polyphylla, which is available for free on Ravelry. I really enjoyed knitting this pattern, not to mention knitting with my own handspun...

The beginning of a knit project, showing nearly a yard of yarn trailing from the starting point.

cowl / gifts / handspun / lace

In Which the Pirate Plays Yarn Chicken.

This project is a gift, so I can’t share pictures of the whole thing yet. But holy wow did I ever cut it close on the yarn! The project called for a long-tail cast on over two needles; I overestimated the amount of yarn I’d need and had nearly a yard of tail remaining. Laziness said “it’s 168 stitches, you don’t really want to...

A ribbed sock stretched over a hand, showing increases in the ribbing.

handspun / sock

In Which the Pirate Increases.

Once I got past the heel of the handspun sock, I realized that with my inconsistent gauge (because the yarn isn’t entirely consistent) it might not be a bad idea to work the leg in ribbing. I decided on a 4×2 rib and worked my way up. When I reached my usual stopping point for socks, there was still a lot of yarn left...

Several multi-coloured skeins of handspun yarn

handspun / sock / spinning

In Which the Pirate Finally Finishes a Spinning Project.

It’s taken a concentrated effort, but over the weekend I finally finished the combospin that I started for last year’s Tour de France. It’s all spun up, plied, and skeined off – The Woolee Winder on the Sonata makes plying so much faster and easier! I ended up with roughly 700 yards of three-ply yarn from two pounds of a variety of fibre. I’m...

handspun / sock / stash

In Which the Pirate Catches Up.

The pillow form arrived during the first weekend of the Tour, and I used some leftover handspun Jacob in a medium gray shade to crochet the two sides together. I’m really pleased with the finished product! My original thought had been to make a felted pillow, but I liked the feel of the fabric – and the size – so I just left it...