Spring Swap Surprise!

Fibre Swap 6.0
Originally uploaded by RoseLea Fibres

A little while ago I had the privilege to be part of the NZ Fibre Swap 6.0 on Ravelry with the theme, this time, being Spring. It is always fun to receive a fibre swap parcel in the post and this one was certainly no exception!

Once my surprise parcel arrived, I found my swap partner was Matt, or Craftykiwi as he is known on Ravelry. He had put together a really superb parcel for me all beautifully wrapped in tissue tied up with multi-coloured string. The finishing details were lovely and something that, sadly, I fail at dreadfully.

Inside the package I found two wheels of braided fibre - 100g of polwarth (Spring Fever) and 100g of perendale (Jonquil Blush) with a silk hanky dyed to co-ordinate. Matt was the very able dyer of all the fibre! There was also a very yummy gingerbread man (mmm, ask me how I know that!!) as well as some packets of seeds which will eventually look very pretty in the garden - Forget Me Not (Marine Blue); Salvia (Victoria Blue); Petunia (Primetime Blues mixed).

Matt also included a sweet little gift card explaining the contents, the colours of which co-ordinated with everything perfectly!

Now wasn't I just the most spoilt one?

I have already spun up the perendale which I may make into a pair of fingerless mitts. Maybe. The colours came out into a lovely tweedy blend without going muddy at all. Really nice!

Thank you, Matt!!

TDF - Day Three

Day Three
Originally uploaded by RoseLea Fibres

After and before shots (left and right respectively). If you look really, really closely you can see the difference. Will this bobbin ever be full?

Tour Days One and Two

Slowly, slowly wins the race - so the saying goes, but will it get all my wool spun? The first two days of the Tour de Fleece have started out rather slowly for me due to family commitments (how often do your Father and Uncle turn 85? You can't say, no, I can't come to the celebratory lunch as I'm busy spinning, now, can you?). Winter isn't really my favourite time for spinning, either as I prefer to spin in daylight - the light is better - and there just isn't as much of it in winter. Time management problems there, really. I just need to juggle things around a little. Enough of that, on to what I did accomplish!

On Day One I focused on the hand combed, hand dyed mystery wool. I found that I only had one bobbin already spun so I was able to begin on a fresh bobbin. I didn't spin up a whole bobbin's worth, but then that is a fair bit of spinning on a Majacraft bobbin! You can see below what I did manage.

Day Two was the even shorter day for spinning in which I spun up a little more of the merino dyed by Jan Gibb. Before and after photos, if you look closely, show a little progress on the bobbin.

I think I've broken Blogger - it doesn't seem to want to add my photos! If I can't get them up any time soon, look on Ravelry (my name is KathyR).

Let the Tour Begin!

Tour de Fleece Collage
Originally uploaded by RoseLea Fibres

Tour de Fleece 2010 begins today - my goal is to spin up as much of the fibre in the picture as I can. Time will tell what I can accomplish.
Let the Fleece be with you!

Here I Go Again...!

I said last time that I would be back soon so here I am! So much has happened since I last wrote a "proper" post that I'm not sure that I will be able to catch up, but here goes...

Fibre Swap
In December of last year, members of the New Zealand Fibre Swap Ravelry group had a secret swap which I joined in on for the first time. My swapee (the one whom I received a parcel from) was Kate and if you look at the photos of the gorgeous items she sent you will see just how spoilt I was! Thank you again, Kate!

Blendy's Yarn Sampler Box
In January I joined in with many others and bought a box in Blendy's New Zealand Yarn Sampler Box with what I felt, at the time, was a mixed success. I felt that $35.00 (plus postage for a rather oversized box for what what inside) was a little steep considering what was contained in the package.

After I got over my initial disappointment, I did a bit of maths and sort of realised that maybe the cost wasn't too bad but I still feel that it is a lot considering that it is really hard to use up very little samples in a useful way. I guess it is a way, though, to put my creative hat on - if I can find it, that is!

Both the Fibre Swap and the Sampler Box have just had, or are into, their next round but I have decided not to join up with either this time. Financial restraints, time restraints etc, etc.

Time's fast running out so this will have to be it, for now. I have a horrible feeling that no photos will appear. Not sure why but I don't have the time now to try and fix it. Will try and do that in the weekend. Till then, cheerio!

Quick Post

Just peeking in quickly to say:

I want to win the Spinning A Yarn Tussah Silk! Thanks to http://spinayarn.felt.co.nz & www.blendy.co.nz. @blendy

Be sure to take a look at Blendy's blog and even sign up for a Box! Lots of lovely goodies to be found here from all over New Zealand.

I am still around and will be back soon to tell of a few things I've been up to since I was last around. So, until then...