Recycled and Respun

I’ve recently realized that I hadn’t gotten around to trying plying recycled yarns to create newly spun yarns. So I got out the spindle; and had a go.

I haven’t knit with this yet, so I’m not sure yet what the result will truly be, but it looks pretty successful and beautiful to me! Perhaps I over-plied it a little.

Next I will try a 4-ply cabled yarn, so that the twist that I add into the first ply will be balanced by the second plying.

I’ve also blocked the first part of my pillow cover project; a yellow lace medallion in bulky angora/wool recycled yarn.

In the kitchen, I cooked up some deep purple sock yarn… OK, I’ll admit it, this was not the colour I initially shot for… But when the teal which I’d lovingly coveted turned to dark green after I added the vinegar and the yellow dye really STRUCK, then I had to dump in other random bits of dye I had hanging around, and voila! purple. Not bad though!

I’ve also been to the thrift stores, and had some success;

• Mohair/nylon sweater, which I over dyed to wear.
• 100% lambswool LS sweater
• 70% angora 30% nylon MEGA sweater in flourescent orange (AMAZING!!)
• felted wool cable sweater, which I’ll make into a felted bag
• 70% silk 30% nylon short sleeve sweater – very slinky yarn, which takes dye well
• and last but not least, a 100% cashmere long-sleeve women’s sweater, in a purple I actually like!! This might have to be a vest? Or a hat+gloves set? Mmmmm something with cables? Maybe doubled up and bulky… Very exciting, that’s for sure!

70% silk / 30% nylon recycled yarn

 

Lace Medallions

I’ve tried out a couple of patterns out of the Vogue Knitting Winter 07/08 issue. The blue lace hexagon, which reminds me of a sand dollar, is intended to be one of several sewn together to make a wrap, and is designed by Norah Gaughan. I think I blocked it a little too hard.

I also knit one of the medallions which makes up the Nicky Epstein capelet, shown in the same Vogue issue.

Unfortunately, sans camera I can’t post a picture of this one, which is too big to scan. But here’s a picture of lottloft’s version, which I found on Ravelry.

Mine looks about the same, only it is knit in a black chunky angora that I recycled and dyed. It’s definitely big enough to be a pillow cover, which is what these shapes inspire me to make! Or maybe an afghan?