BlueCloud Fibers

DAMASK - a Fair Isle vest

Jamieson’s Spindrift Shetland yarn

Mary MacGregor’s Traditional Fair Isle Knitting book

EYE CANDY

EYE CANDY -  One of the things I like to do  ....  

a sweet cardigan, knitted in the tradition of stranded colorwork, round yoke

Yarn:  Cascade 220 Worsted, 100% Peruvian wool

Inspiration:

-  Traditional Fair Isle Knitting by Sheila McGregor -  Kazekobo's Favorite Colors 277

2 SHERLOCKS - handspun artyarns

SHERLOCK 1:  148g/66yds

SHERLOCK 2: 127g/62yds

Custom made

The plan is for a pair of cowls, for mother and daughter

A very lovely plan

Project:  Playing with colors

Round yoke cardigan with stranded colorwork

Yarn:  cascade 220 worsted, 100% peruvian wool, US 7 needle

and this lovely little book: Sheila McGregor’s Traditional Fair Isle Knitting

.....

Still a ways to go: sleeves, steeks, ribs, buttons. etc ....

but -

A time for magic

10 merino fibers in the NEBULA colorway - about 6g each

blended on slow speed on the Strauch Finest

hand-pulled gently off the Strauch using a diz (simple washer)

The result:  67g of soft and lofty roving in the NEBULA color

NY SUBWAY corespun artyarn

A blend of dark brown llama, dark brown yak, grade A mulberry silk, and dyed merino in mocha 

+ 

a healthy dose of the NY Subway hand-pulled roving

natural mohair yarn as core

hand-pulled rovings in the NY Subway colorway for cocoons and beehives

Bamboo fiber is made from bamboo plants. In hand, when spin or knit, this fiber is silky and soft – it is considered a luxury fiber.

Banana fiber comes from the bark of a banana tree – it is as soft as silk, and very strong  - it is also bio degradable and eco-friendly.

Seacell fiber, from the seaweed plant,  is silky soft.  Manufactured through the lyocell process,  the seaweed fiber has anti-inflammatory and skin protection properties – a very innovative luxury fiber.

Planning for new fair isle cardigans/vests

Always start out with pockets

The cascades are very soft, but the jamieson and smiths have more ranges of colors

Regardless

It is nice to have so much to choose from and play with

A beautiful fiber blend of 70% Bluefaced Leicester and 30% Seacell

Bluefaced Leicester is a British longwool sheep, about 24-28 microns and up to 6″ staple length.  Easier to spin than merino, but perhaps not as soft.  This sheep has  a dark blue skin on its nose which can be seen through the white hair - thus its name.

Seacell is a silky fiber made from seaweed and Eucalyptus fiber - it is a cellulose fiber, non-allergenic and very soft.  From my reading,  the seaweed for SeaCell is harvested from the sparsely populated fjords of Iceland where there is no waste or pollution from trip traffic.

Use this luxurious fiber blend when carding and blending fibers, or spin and dye it as it is.  

100g of 100% kid mohair - natural fiber (approx 25–45 microns in diameter)

silk-like and lustrous fiber from the Angora goat, originated from Turkey

Spin as is, or blend a small amount with other fibers

and

your handspun, especially if corespun, will have a light and soft halo

All in a day’s work - ready to ship

Beautiful carded roving

+ 

Handdyed mohair-Wensleydale wool locks

=

WINTER BLUES

simple fair isle vest with pockets

a bit of colors to cheer up the winter blues

Yarn:  Jamieson and Smith 100% Shetland in various colors

PICTURE ROCKS 72g handpulled rovings - New Order

12 100% merino fibers in the colors of Picture Rocks blend - about 6g each

blended and carded on Strauch Finest

hand-pulled and skeined

MOON FLOWERS - handknit mittens

Some lovely colorwork showing traditional Nordic patterns and Latvian braids

yarn: Jamieson and Smith shetland, colors Clover, Mist, and Cornfield

I will just let the pictures speaks volumes