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If you are covered in snow and freezing like I am, why not stay in and knit all weekend?  I've added Speargrass to the Patterns section and "Thick n Thermal" and "Wally" are next in line. I had planned to knit a scarf with this yarn for Fibre and Finery but didn't get around to it, so it is available in the shop. You get 428 yards of wonderful Polwarth/Silk luxury in a beautiful colour scheme.
I will be spinning a bunch this weekend as well at Makerspace which is a conference showcasing makers from all over using technology that is super advanced like 3D printers right down to the primitive like knitting needles. As a spinner, the tools I use fall into both categories. Spindles to E-spinners. I plan on bringing my 3D printed spindle as well as my wheel.
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I've updated the shop today with ready made woolies and a couple skeins of yarn. Check it our for Christmas gifts or if you are needing some extra warmth this season   I've added a couple sumptuous skeins to the shop today. Nebula and Montage. Lots more skeins to come!
It's giveaway time, it's giveaway time! Some of my favourite games are Hidden Object ones, especially from Big Fish Games like the Mystery Case Files series. I was thinking of hosting a giveaway for this season and thought this might be a fun way to earn your prize. I have 10 questions for you. The answers are in front of your eyes, you just need to seek them out. Some questions will have multiple right answers and you must answer them all correctly to be entered to win. There are also lots of chances for bonus entries as well! I have 2 prizes available. If not for yourself, they also make great gifts, so you can cross off a special someone from your list just in time for Christmas.
Knitters Prize: 1 skein of Hawthorne Fingering weight yarn in the colourway "Rose City", "Knockout Knits" by Laura Nelkin and a purse size bottle of Handmade Luxury Hand Creme in the Celebration scent. Spinners Prize: Spinner Starter Kit including 4 oz of Corriedale and a maple drop spindle, "The Complete Guide to Spinning Yarn" by Brenda Gibson and a 4 oz bottle of SOAK wool wash in the Aquae scent. *Note: I will take pictures in the daylight on the weekend You can email your answers to susie@knitnatural.com and I will type your name to the bottom of this post to confirm your entries. This contest is open to everyone and anyone and I will draw the winners randomly on Monday December 1, 2014 at 6:00pm (Saskatchewan time) Good luck and thanks for playing! Questions: 1) Out of all the spindles I have reviewed, which one has received the highest rating? 2) Most of my handspun skeins are sold at sales I attend but I do have an Etsy shop and one of my favourite skeins was called "Single Malt", how many yards are in this skein? 3) I am working on sheep breed studies, what is the average fleece weight for a Romney sheep? 4) What are the 4 scents I have available in SOAK wool wash? 5) Bankhead is one of my most popular hat patterns. Roughly how many people have made this hat? Bonus entry for those who have knit either Bankhead or Cobblestones themselves. 6) I have done a few tutorials this past year, which sheep breed did I use as a sample in the most recent tutorial? 7) I am showcasing some of my work in the Sherven-Smith Art Gallery soon. When? 8) Have you "Liked" me on Facebook? Easy entry. If you haven't already, please do. 9) I post Daily Inspirations everyday and link these to my Pinterest page. Which one has inspired you the most? 10) What is Knit Natural's slogan? Bonus entries for sharing this giveaway with your friends. For every referral you get an extra entry for both you AND your friend(s). Please make sure you tell me who notified you of this awesome giveaway. Amy Anderson (3 Entries) Keely Williams Carolynne Gould (3 Entries)   Maker:TurtleMade Weight: 31 g / 1 oz Length: 7" Shaft, 5" Arms Style: Turkish Spindle Material: PLA Filament (thermoplastic) Probably one of the COOLEST spindles I own. First of all, 3D printing boggles my mind. The idea of it is pretty darn cool and the second I saw this spindle online it was mine. For others who wonder how the heck 3D printers work I found this video to be particularly helpful My sample is Merino/Alpaca/Seacell in the colourway "Silver Linings" by Kinfolk Yarn and Fibre. About 5 minutes after my purchase, I received notification that it had shipped, which impressed me right off the bat. I was really eager to get this spindle and check it out and see what something "printed" in 3D looked like, how did it feel? I was totally giddy for this one.  You are able to pick which colours you would like for the shaft and arms. I chose orange arms and a purple shaft for contrast. The arms to me look like a reflector and I think it is really neat how you can see all the layers it took to make the spindle take its shape. If you have trouble deciding on colour, she also sells shafts separately so you can mix and match. The plastic is hard and rigid, a very solid spindle yet very lightweight. There is an O-ring in the middle of the smaller arm so there is a no slippage when the shaft is set in place. This is the standard size of TurtleMade's spindles, she also sells a mini size as well. I found this particular size perfect. It's not gigantic and not so small that you will have to spin a million tiny balls to get a decent sized skein. I bet you could easily fit a few ounces (if not more) on this one. I should also state clearly that I am not a Turkish spindle user. I only have 2 Turkish spindles and I acquired both this year. I find them slow, frustrating and awkward. With that being said, perhaps it is just jealously rearing its ugly head because a couple of my friends; Sara and Lindsay, are excellent Turkish spindle spinners and their skills are both amazing and inspirational. My Turkish spindle skills are l.a.c.k.i.n.g. Big time. I threw all my judgments away the instant I saw this spindle online, and it was only $15!!!  The shaft fits perfectly in the cross-section of the arms without budging. Because of the nature of 3D printing, the shaft is not smooth, but that makes it perfect for holding a half hitch. There is a nice taper near the tip for holding your yarn in place as well. This detail helps me get over the awkwardness of my yarn slipping off the shaft when I give the spindle a good flick. This Turkish now takes 3rd place for longest spin time.  This spindle has the makers name on the underside of the larger arm - stamped into the spindle itself - how the heck did she do that?  Now onto the spinning. An absolute joy. I was amazed how it danced and spun in thin air with no effort. It's arms whirled around without shaking, no slowing down, and my mind in disbelief at its speed. The spindle was on the ground with a hearty length of yarn spun before I felt the need to look down to see if it needed a boost. Light also reflects off its surface and it shimmers as you spin. Pretty impressive. I will definitely be packing this spindle with me wherever I go. I have zero fear of it breaking, (and if it does, I can replace the shaft for $5). It is a super cool conversation piece and a tool that you can hand off for someone else to try and you will be able to see them smile at it's awseome-ness. You're looking pretty cool now aren't you?  Winding on has also been a bit of an issue for me. I started by trying to make it look all fancy but threw that by the wayside when it was slowing me down. It's not important for a sample size and it made no difference when it came to plying from the centre pull ball the spindle had created. The technique I used was "over two, under one" and since I was able to grip the shaft easily, this made for winding the spun yarn on much easier.
 Spindle rating: Length of spin: 35.4 seconds (average of three tests) Fibre storage ability: Excellent Looks: By far the coolest spindle I own Overall Rating: 9.5/10 This spindle has shattered my previous opinions about Turkish styles. It was not awkward to spin, it was not slow and its size was easy to handle. I also like the fact that with this spindle you are combining a primitive tool with an advanced scientific technology to make an object that is highly functional, swanky looking and well made. Pick one up - you know you want to ;) |
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