Is it wrong that I’ve started knitting for December? I feel a twinge of embarrassment so I guess I know the answer! I picked up two skeins of sweetgeorgia superwash worsted and thought they would be perfect for Knitting Pure & Simple’s Children’s Neck Down Bolero #275. This will go to a little girl whose nickname is “Leaping Lill”. The vibrant colour should suit her nicely!

The button was an Etsy purchase from Buttonalia. I may just have to order these cherry red buttons as well!

[Ravelled]

My dear friend Erin has a brand new niece! I picked up some sweetgeorgia Superwash Merino in Savory (a nice, vibrant colour for a baby, I think) and knit up a cardi and hat set for little Madeline. The cardi is Debbie Bliss‘ Ribbed Baby Jacket and the hat is my go-to pattern for baby hats – the Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch ‘N Bitch.

[Ravelled: cardi + hat]

Until I sat down to spin these skeins, I hadn’t spun since December. December! The workshop I went to at Gemini Fibres made me feel more confident but as it turns out, that feeling was temporary. The more I read about spinning, the more complicated I convinced myself it was. In an effort to get myself back on the wheel I joined SweetGeorgia’s Fibre Club. Felicia Lo’s hand-dyed fibre and yarns are amazing – it has been fun to play around with all that colour.

The Foundation

Bluefaced Leicester in The Foundation colourway was May’s installment. As you can see, there’s a lot of, ahem, variation, in my 2-ply yarn. I can accept that. Slubby yarn is a-okay. In fact, more experienced spinners even make it intentionally.

Banana Pancakes

Superwash Merino in the Banana Pancakes colourway came in June. I hit some bumps here as well but there are fewer slubs (thick and thin bits) than in The Foundation, which I found encouraging.

Summer Twilight

Panda is a silky blend of Superwash Merino, bamboo and nylon, and came in July in the Summer Twilight colourway. This was really fun to spin – I tried a 3-ply spun from three separate singles. The slightly slippery fibre took some getting used to but I loved spinning it once I got the hang of it.

If you’d like to see what other spinners/knitters have done with SweetGeorgia fibre there’s a Flickr group, a ravelry group, and some really great spinning over on Knitty Gritty Thoughts and daisyfaye.

I signed up for the August to October club as well. I’m looking forward to more lovely fibre to practise on!

Three nice things from this week. The first, vintage Japanese buttons from assemblage’s Etsy shop. Just waiting for the perfect project!

The second, the first installment of sweetgeorgia’s May-July fibre club. Bluefaced Leicester fleece in the colourway Foundation, which is named after the restaurant at Main and 7th in Vancouver. This brought back memories of tasty food, my friend Johnny B introduced me to The Foundation a few years ago on a trip back west. A great vegetarian place if you happen to be passing through the city!

The third, a wonderful loaf of St. John’s Bakery Red Fife. Red Fife wheat is a heritage wheat grown in Ontario that has been recognized by the Slow Food movement. It’s a sourdough bread with a nutty flavour, and perfect for summer picnic lunches!