Bags, Bags, Bags......

It all started with one knitted drawstring bag in December 2008 (design by Barbara Breiter).   It was made with my first yarn spun from a Jacob's fleece.  It was before I got my spinning wheel so I used my drop spindle. I loved the design and for over a year it was my "bag that went everywhere" - with shorts and t-shirt in France and with hat and gloves up Ben Nevis in Scotland.... 

Then I got a Shetland fleece which even after I washed it was still "greasy" with lanolin, I decided to knit another bag which would be slightly shower resistant because of the grease.  I adapted the size, changed the stitch patterns and changed the way the strap was made.   I got a few comments from friends to ended up knitting three more as christmas presents.  Each one was different, one even had beads on it.


Now I'm bag mad... yellow bag from handspun yarn, onion skin dye.  The other two were made from yarn in my "huge stash".  The designs are truly mine now as I make everyone completely different in size and shape.  Eventually I hope to have a craft stall and hopefully sell some.

As for the bag I am currently knitting, its very fluffy and girly...Reminds me of a coconut ice bar!


No time for knitting today though, this afternoon its off to the house we are restoring and helping to put up more fences.

Yellow yarn at last.....

The smelly onion skin and daffodil dye pot was worth it - I ended up with 150g of yellow yarn, about double knit weight.

I don't know whether I did wrong in drying it in the sunshine (have to make the most of it when it does shine!) but the bright yellow I started with sort of faded in places, making a varigated yarn.









Even though its not perfect, I'm pleased with my first real attempt at dyeing. Not sure what I will use it for though - its very bright!

Friday ramblings...

For the past couple of weeks any visitors to my kitchen must have wondered why there was a bag which used to hold frozen chips sitting in the corner of my kitchen - its obvious really, I'm saving onions skins...!

I'm busy spinning a batch of yarn up and then I'm ready to dye it with the skins. See told you it was obvious!




The yarn I have already spun has come out well considering it was the worst fleece I have ever worked with.

I don't know if Oxford Down are always usually so horrible to card, but this fleece certainly was. I have given up on the rest of it, and will use it to line my hanging baskets in the Spring.

I have to admit I am wondering just how bad the smell of boiling onion skins will be - think I had better chose a mild day and have the kitchen door and window open.... the neighbours will love me!