Thoughts On: Kid Mohair Lace Yarn

Lace knitting in progress.

I have noted a difference in weight/thickness with various Kid Mohair yarns currently for sale. Certainly there are different sources/manufacturers for these yarns. For example, I recently bought three lovely hand-painted skeins from a gal’s shop on Etsy. Her Kid Mohair lace yarn is SUPER fine and her colours are simply divine — high quality product. But her Kid Mohair yarn is just a little too fine for me to work with comfortably — it is simply a personal preference. So I will double it or do something else with it. I also fear it snagging and breaking as well.

I also bought three other hand-painted skeins of Kid Mohair lace yarn from another gal, someone who I know buys from Dharma Trading Co. Her hand-painted Kid Mohair is a wee bit thicker/heavier weight. I find it to be more manageable (for me) than the other gal’s product. So to double check, I bought some undyed Kid Mohair from Dharma Trading Co. Yep, it is a little thicker/heavier than what I bought from the gal on Etsy — thicker being something I prefer. I have not tried Louet’s Kid Mohair lace yarn. I am left to wonder. I think there are two weights.

Anyone else noted these differences? I would love to hear from you.

Smitten with Kid Mohair Lace Yarn

Purple: Hand Dyed Kid Mohair Lace Yarn

Originally uploaded by The Speckled Ram Fibers

I find I have become rather smitten with this delicate lace yarn. I’ve not fallen off the planet — just busy. More fibres are on the way soon. In the meantime, I am dyeing, spinning, and knitting. Hope you all had a lovely 4th of July.

Spicy and Hot Fiber Bounty

Spicy and Hot Fiber Bounty

Originally uploaded by The Speckled Ram Fibers

Here is some summer eye candy. Hand dyed wool roving in spicy colours. I have some wool for felting to post soon. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Toad Visitor: Bufo fowleri or Fowler’s Toad

Here is a photo of another local amphibian resident of Springfield, Missouri. I think he is a Fowler’s toad (Bufo fowleri). I typically see this fella at night though. I created a little safe haven using a terracotta pot and some loose leaves, placed behind the AC units, just in case he needs shelter from the big dogs or bad weather. I adore his sweet like face.

If you have any photos of SW Missouri reptiles to share, please join my Flickr group.

Two Skeins: Singles for Weaving

Here are two skeins I finally got off the bobbins and set the twist. They wlll be stowed away until time to weave.  I’ve much more spinning ahead of me for a rigid heddle weaving project.

I tend to like yarns which are subtle in some respects but yet deceptively complex in colour. I spin more fine than bulky. These yarns are composed primarily of Cotswold, Wensleydale and Mohair.  The brown skein is mostly hand scoured Romney with the aforementioned fibers, some added for colour and some for texture.  It also contains a tiny bit of Angelina in copper for some pop.

I prefer using the Angelina glitz in small quantities so your eye catches it as a little surprise. Less is more for me.

Please join my Flickr groups. Show me what you are making!
Pepper

Box Turtle Surprise: Memorial Sunday

This small ”poikilotherm surprise” appeared in the backyard on the Sunday morning of Memorial weekend. I cannot express how thrilled I was to have such a visitor. For those who do not know me, I adore reptiles. Actually, I adore critters of all kinds. But tortoises have always held a special place in my heart. 

I recently created a Flickr group for Southwest Missouri reptiles. I invited all those who have photos of Ozark native species to share their bounty. The mission of the Flickr group is simply to educate. Please visit — http://www.flickr.com/groups/swmoreptiles/.

Blessings, Pepper

Nelly Don: A Bit of History

If you are a history buff, or interested in Kansas City or the apparel industry, you might want to check out http://nellydon.com/.  And if you think you can contribute to the Nelly Don section on Wikipedia, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelly_Don.  And for more info on Nelly Don, please read http://kclibrary.org/localhistory/collections.cfm?collID=98.  What a fascinating woman.

Updates coming soon… running behind at present.