1 more day to win yarn!!

Yes, that's right, you can win yarn. And knitting books, or a Starbucks card. How can you win you ask? Let me tell you.

Seven friends including fellow knit-blogger Kirsten are going to Croatia to work on a ship called the Logos Hope. Kirsten, Lisa and Julie used to live on a ship called the Doulos that was part of a Christian ministry. They went to countries in Asia, bringing a floating bookstore, conference center and hope to people that really needed it.

Now, years later, there is a new ship-the Logos Hope- that is in dry dock in Croatia being revamped an refitted to be part of this mission. My friends are going for 3 weeks to chip rust and do wahtever needs to be done but they need money to get there. It just happens that Croatia is an expensive place to fly to.

Enter the contest! Jen set up a contest to help them raise money. Donate $7 or more and you will have a chance to win a fabulous prize, but you only have until midnight Wed, the 24th! Sorry I didn't let you know soomer but I was out of town for the weekend. Visit Jen's blog for details about the contest and Kirsten's blog for details about the trip. There's a link on her sidebar to a letter she wrote about it.

The pictures are just part of the possible prizes you may win. Vesper sock yarn, Socks that Rock yarn and others could be yours!

As a last note, for the record, Kirsten and the others are the fabulous kind of Christians that are more about "what can I do for you?" than "believe what I do or else." If you choose to support them, they would be very thankful.

Letters and packages

Before I get to the letters and packages, I would like to tell you about my outfit today. It's really pretty boring- kakhi capri pants (because it's HOT here in Portland!) and a white t-shirt. My job has a pretty relaxed dress code. We can't wear jeans and polo shirts or collared shirts are preferred. T-shirts are okay, though, as long as they don't have logos and are made out of "nice material" and v-necks are usually fine because somehow they are nicer than crew necks.

Whatever.

I bought a new white v-neck t-shirt last night and decided to wear it to work today. I felt slightly uncomfortable despite the fact that it's within the dress code limits because it's still just a basic, white, bought-it-at-Target t-shirt that in the right light you can almost see through.

I shouldn't have worried, though, because I had not one, not two, but three different people tell me that I looked nice today and it seemed like I had dressed up. Now I'm wondering what I usually look like because all that was new was a white t-shirt people!! I didn't even wash my hair this morning and the only make-up I had on was mascara. Seriously, a white t-shirt is dressing up? I work with crazy people.

Okay, pictures. I got a lovely package from Ms. Bugheart a few days ago with a lovely skirt from her Great Monday Giveaway. I thought I was just getting the skirt but this is what she sent me! It was very happy to come home to.I got cute Japanese stickers, a note pad and the dark blob is a ball of green yarn. I have also recieved some lovely fabric from Yahaira from her Monday giveaway but I haven't had a chance to take a pitcure yet.

I also came home to these on the same day! I was so excited that someone had sent me flowers. Then I read the card and realized they were not meant for me. They were for the lady who lived in my house before I bought it. It was from some organization to thank her for "all she does" for them. I don't know what she's been doing for them in the last year that I've been living in the house and she has been living 2 states away but whatever. I got pretty flowers! Because I'm behind (what's new) in the abc-along, I'll have my letter I stand for Identity mix-up.

And the fabulous letter J: July wedding! One of my dearest friends is getting married in July and she lives in El Salvador. Mike and I just bought our plane tickets. Central America, here we come! I need a vacation badly. July can't come soon enough.

No knitting today! My moms loved their Mother's Day scarves and sleeve #1 of my corset pullover is coming along slowly. I won't bore you with pictures.

Green knitting

Last month, I didn't do any Project Spectrum-themed knitting. This month, by accident I already have!

When I realized last weekend that Mother's Day is coming up soon, I decided to knit something for my mom and my mom-in-law. I needed something quick, since I have to send it early enough for it to get there on time, and easy and pretty so I decided on the Airy scarf from Last-Minute Knitted gifts. Mike helped me pick out the color and it's kid silk haze in a pretty seafoam green. I didn't even think about it being a project spectrum color until today. I finished the second tonight and there's enough yarn left over that I can probably knit a 3rd and have a matching scarf too! I followed the pattern almost exactly. I added a selvedge stitch on each edge and I did a few extra repeats because it was shorter than the pattern said it should be. I haven't blocked them yet but they're about 6" wide and 34" long. Still 2 inches shorter than the pattern says to knit it but they're long enough.

I know this because I tried one on.
I hope my moms like them! I know I do. I'll knit one for me in a while. After cranking out 2 of them in only 3 days, I'm not really in a hurry to knit a 3rd right away. Besides, I have my corset pullover to get back to. I had about 4" of a sleeve done but then I ripped it out and started over because I didn't like it. Now I only have less that an inch done. The scarves were a nice interlude but back to the sleeves I go.

Questions and more questions

I joined Secret Pal 8 and I am so excited! Part of the deal is that I have to answer some questions so here goes:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love wools that aren't too scratchy and alpaca because it's really soft. I recently knit a scarf with Rowan felted tweed and fell in love with it. I love pretty much any natural fiber. I never knit with fun fur or eyelash yarns because I like a more natural aesthetic. Acrylic has a weird feel that I'm pretty sensitive to but blends that have a very small % of acrylic are usually okay.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
My circulars are all in a desk drawer but my dpns and straight needles are in this that I sewed myself.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting for about 5 years and would say I'm pretty advanced. I've knit sweaters and socks, lace and cables. I can follow any pattern put in front of me and I love learning new techniques to improve my knitting.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
No

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I love earthy scents like sandalwood and vanilla. I love citrus scents and lavender too. I don't like anything too floral or too sweet. Mike got this air freshener for his birthday and it is NOT a scent I like. That's right, it's meat scented. We're vegetarians so it was a gag gift.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I do have a sweet tooth but I don't like candy very much. I love really good chocolate, the darker the better and scarffen berger is my favorite brand. I really like any combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Besides chocolate, I love lemony desserts and candy.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I love home improvement/ decorating projects and gardening, which is good because my house needs a lot of work! This is my backyard! Hopefully, not for long. I like to sew but haven't for a while. I would like to get back into it more. I took a drop spindle class and spun some yarn but I haven't been bitten by the spinning bug. I only have so much time to spend crafting and the things I do, I want to do well. I still have some roving but I'm thinking of felting it.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like a lot of music. Anything that makes me happy, so no death metal like my husband listens to while I'm gone. I love bands that have been around a while like U2, the smashing pumpkins, james, jackpot, the chili peppers, cake, beck. I like some newer groups like the yeah yeah yeahs, modest mouse, the killers, the smiths. I also like spanish music like bebe. I love it when people share music with me that I haven't heard before. I can listen to mp3s.

9. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Yellow is my favorite color, but not necessarily to wear. It's just such a cheery color and it makes me happy. I like most all colors and I've knit with a wide range of colors. It really depends on the mood and what I want to make. Sorry, that's not much help. Just scan through my blog if you want an idea of what I like. I knit mostly with solid colors although I love the yarns that look like solid colors but have a little variation. I like knitting things with cables and textures so they would get lost if I used multi-colored yarns. They look so pretty in skeins, though. Maybe I should branch out.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have a goofy, hyperactive dog who has made a few appearances on this blog. I also have two cats and the prettiest, fluffiest bunny ever seen.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
I love scarves and mittens. I love hats, too but my hair is usually so crazy that it looks stupid shoved under a hat. I have 1 hat that looks good on me so I stick with that one. I never caught on to the poncho craze. I don't think they're hideous, they're just not for me.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I love knitting tank tops because they're pretty quick to knit and they don't take much finishing. I like sweaters too but they take more time, stress and yarn so I haven't knit too many. I always fear that they will turn out badly but they don't so I really should knit more of them.

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm knitting a 3/4 sleeved cotton pullover as seen in the previous post.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes, I do! Who doesn't?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I usually knit on circulars though that's mostly because I have more of them. I love bamboo and plastic is okay. I do knit with aluminum needles but they're not my favorite. I love all the beautiful straight needles taht are out there but I can't justify spending a lot of money on needles.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
No but I wish I did!

17. How did you learn to knit?
I picked up a cheesy learn to knit book and taught myself. I have never taken a class or had anyone even give me a lesson. I'm a good book-learner, I guess.

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
A baby dress I started 3 years ago and then lost touch with the mother-to-be before the baby was born. It's really cute but I probably won't pick it up again until I know a baby girl to knit it for.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love winter weather and family.

20. Is there anything that you collect?
Besides yarn and knitting books, I collect floaty pens (I don't know if there's a better name for them). You know, the pens that say Dinseyland (for example) on one side and then have a floating Tinkerbell on the other. I covet this person's collection. I spent a month in Europe once and get some really cool floaty pens and then the airline lost my bag. It was very sad.

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I don't have a lot of self-control when it comes to knitting books. If I want something badly enough, I tend to go out and buy it. I don't have any magazine subscriptions but usually buy every Interweave issue. I really should just get a subscription.

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I would like to do more colorwork.

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I have knit some socks but wouldn't call myself a sock knitter. I'll probably knit another pair sometime but I'm not in a hurry. I do love looking at all the beautiful sock yarn out there, though. I like sock yarn that has 2 colors (maybe 3). Like mostly brown with a little bit of pink. I'm not into rainbow socks or crazy tie-dye lookin' socks. My shoe size is 7 1/2 .

24. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
January 20

The Bins + Silly Knitting

For my birthday Abby gave me this funny book and have been wanting to make something from it since.It has patterns for silly things like a knitted hand grenade, a glass of beer, picture frames, ear muffs shaped like fried eggs and lots of knitted cakes and sandwiches. Abby and another friend who is also a knitter just had a birthday so I knitted the ever-useful apple holders for them! It protects the apple from bumps and bruises when you take it to work or on a picnic and makes the apple oh-so-stylish! Is the A for Abby or for apple? You decide. (Shelley, if you're reading this, I hope you don't feel left out, not getting a letter. I didn't think of embroidering something on the apple until after I gave you yours. If you bring it on Monday, I'll put a letter on yours too if you would like one.) The bobble is actually a button so you can get the knitted apple off of the real apple.

After knitting this pattern, I realize that the book's directions are a bit sloppy. Every decrease is a k2tog and the finishing directions are lazy. The apple holder was to be knitted in 4 flat pieces and then sewn together. That seemed like too much work so I knit it in the round, added paired decreases to make it a little neater and modified it some. I used size 8 dpns and some yarn left over from this project.

I went to the craziest place yesterday! The Bins, aka the Goodwill Outlet. Yes, Goodwill has an outlet. I guess it's all the stuff that hasn't sold in the regular stores and is an inch away from the landfill. I've been hearing about the place from my friend Rosie a lot and finally decided to go see for myself.

It's a warehouse filled with huge plastic bins. Fabric items and books are seperated from everything else but that's as far as the organization goes. People dig through these huge bins looking for treasures and most things are sold for $1.29 a pound! It's insane and a little disturbing. They have signs cautioning the shopper (aka bargain vulture) that there could be sharp objects in the bins. I spent a fair amount of time dreading the used syringe or dead rat I was sure I'd come accross in the next bin. I even saw some "professional" bins shoppers wearing gloves to sort through the stuff. I'm not exaggerating. This is how some people make money. With enough determination, there is some valuable stuff to be found and purchased for $1.29 per pound.

I came out feeling grimy and dirty and $9 dollars poorer. I got several sweaters I'm planning on felting, some linen fabric I'll make into a skirt. a really cute, old apron and one of those woven grass mats people take to the beach. This is what I did with one section of the mat. With some hot glue and scissors, I transformed my old, ugly, plastic planter to the new, improved tiki planter!
It now holds mint and chamomile plants. Come join me for some sun tea later this summer!

A little progress

It's been a while since I've posted, I know. Life has been insane lately but I think it's getting back to normal, whatever that really is. I still haven't finished my "modern bustier". I think that's a stupid name for the pattern. Does anyone have a better name? I did buy the things I need to finish it and I made progress. Here are the lovely rows of grommets I put in on Friday.All I have left to do is sew the fabric to the knitting. I was scared I was going to mess it up so I put it off for a few days. I think I've mustered up the courage now so hopefully you'll see it in all it's completed glory really soon. The weather is getting so nice that I really want to WEAR it!

I am making progress on my corset pullover. I finished the front and am about halfway through the back. I like how it looks so I'm just hoping that I'll like how it fits. No matter how well I measure and swatch, I'm never really sure it'll fit right until it's all done. It makes me kind of anxious if I think about it too much.
In other news, my grandpa had a birthday this month so my letter H in the abc-along is going to be for Happy birthday, Hugh! That's him in the picture with my uncle on the left and my dad on the right. Any guesses as to how old my grandpa is? The picture is from last year so add a year to how old you think he is in the picture.
He just had a big health workup and the only recommendation the doctor had was that he shouldn't drink anymore. My dad says that the only sign he's slowed down is that he doesn't do very many home-improvement projects anymore. He still drives, has a lovely girlfriend and is in really good health! All that and he just turned 93!!

Another rainy day

It's been a nice week weatherwise here in Portland. Then I woke up this morning, my ONLY day off this week (I get to work 9 days with only 1 day off in the middle- it's great.) to a grey sky and drizzly, constant rain. That's the worst kind, in my opinion. I have been knitting, though, and I actually have some progress to show off. First, though, I have a pink/red Project Spectrum loose end to tie up. Here is the postcard I sent to my postcard pal.
It's a collage made from magazine pages. It's being propped up by an angel bell that was my grandma's. I haven't seen any mention of it on my pal's blog so I thought I'd post it here since I think it's pretty and I'm proud of it. Hopefully she got it. Sadly, I received not a single postcard in the mail last month but this month's pal seems promising. She has already sent me a recipe for an orange cake.

My "modern bustier" from alterknits is almost finished. The knitting is done and last weekend I bought fabric, ribbon to lace it up with and grommets. I got home allready to finish it and then realized that the grommet setter didn't work with the size grommets I bought. WHY does Michael's place things next to each other that don't actually work with each other?!?! It was very annoying and I haven't been back to Michael's yet to get what I need. In the meantime, here's a preview. The fabric is a really pretty grey-green silk. I initially wanted chocolate brown fabric but the store didn't have a good shade of brown silk and then I fell in love with this color and all was well.

Since the bustier doesn't require any more knitting, I have a new project. It's the "corset pullover" from interweave knits. I've seen pictures of the pattern and have been wanting to knit it for some time and then I just saw that it's free on their website! Here's my progress so far. The yarn is knitpicks shine sport so my guage is really different than the pattern. Luckily I am one of those strange people that loves math.Yellow is my favorite color so I'm really excited that it's yellow and orange month at Project Spectrum. Here are some of those colors around my house.

Finishing is fun

I have finished another project that was cast aside last summer! My satisfaction with Soleil led to my finishing of this: It started out as Tempting from Knitty but quickly morphed into something different. I hate knitting ribbing so I chose a cabled rib pattern to jazz it up. I don't know if it was because of the cables or if I miscalculated last summer but when I picked it up a few months ago, I realized that I didn't have nearly enough yarn to knit the sleeves. I looked in all the Portland yarn stores but couldn't find the yarn. Of course I no longer had the labels and I don't remember what brand I bought. All I know is that it's 100% merino. I narrowed it down to 2 brands and considered ordering the closest color of each to see which is the match but it all seemed like too much work, so back in the basket it went. I finally decided to just finish it as is, which means it's a tube top! I wove some brown ribbon around the top to make it prettier and I really like it! I also really like that it's no longer in my knitting basket haunting me. I wan't super excited about a tube top because I've never worn one before but I have 2 strapless dresses that I like so this shouldn't be any different.

I am now knitting the "modern bustier" from Alterknits with Main Line from Knitpicks. It's a new yarn from them and it's 75% pima cotton, 25% merino and it feels lovely! I don't have any pictures yet but it seems to be a quick knit so check back soon for an update.

In non-knitting news, I present my letter G for the ABC-along. G is for Garden, and since my vegetable garden isn't growing yet, I am showing you my cactus and succulent garden. I used to think that crowing cacti was a stupid idea because they're all prickly and not very touchable. Then my great-aunt Amy died. I couldnt go to Colorado for her service but my mom told me that she had a huge cactus garden in her yard and that at her memorial service, all her friends brought a plant to add to the garden. My mom was telling me about all the interesting plants people brought and it made me look at them in a new light. Then in May, Mike and I bought a house and it has a great enclosed front porch with huge windows and we wanted to fill it with plants. I decided to make the porch my cactus garden and that expanded into a cactus and succulent garden because there are some cool succulents out there! It makes me think of Aunt Amy and, in a way, my grandma, who was her sister. This one reminds me of seaweed, though it also looks exactly like the things that come off the heads of the Snorks. This is a string-of-pearls and is my most special plant in this collection. My grandma (other one-not Amy's sis) gave my mom a lot of plants when she moved into a smaller home. My grandma had a lot of really unique plants and the string of pearls was one of my mom's favorites that she got from her but my mom wasn't able to keep it alive. This was all before I was old enough to remember but I heard the story. I saw the plant in a nursery while I was on vacation and really wanted to buy it but I couldn't. Two Christmases ago, Mike found some at a nursery and bought me 2 little plants. It's not thriving the way I would like it to but it's a really slow-growing plant so I'm being patient. It reminds me of my grandma and I love it.


Some of you may have noticed (although you probably didn't) that I skipped the letter F. I just wasn't feeling inspired so I skipped it. Maybe it'll make a surprise appearance later but don't hold your breath. Blogging should be fun, not forced.

Hurry up spring weather!

I finished something! I started knitting soleil last summer and just now finished! I didn't quite finish it last summer when the weather started getting cold so I put it away until now. In honor of project spectrum, I decided to finally finish it. I thought I had a bit more to knit on the straps but when I pulled it out of the basket a few days ago, I realized that all I had to was graft the straps together and crochet around the edges. Why couldn't I have quickly done that last summer? I figured I'd have it done in 1/2 hour or so but three evenings later, I was still crab stitching around the edges! I do not like crab stitch but it did turn out nicely. Here's a close up of the lace edge.
Here are the details for all you detail lovers:
Pattern: soleil, from knitty. It's a great pattern.
Yarn: Bamboo from southwest trading company. It's really shiny and has a really nice drape. This yarn feels a little rough but it's nice to wear against the skin. I guess rough isn't the right word. It just has some texture to it that is really interesting. I think it'll be great in warm weather- I just need that warm weather to get here!
Modifications: I made it about an inch longer than specified and I think it's perfect!

In other news, I'm behind in the ABC-along (again) so here is my F photo. F is for Farm Fresh. I belong to a CSA, which stands for community supported agriculture. In my case, I'm a member of the 47th Ave Farm in Portland and every 2 weeks inthe winter months and every week in the summer months I get a bunch of seasonal, locally grown, organic produce. Here is part of today's share.
Clockwise: Sprouting broccoli florets, rosemary, broccoli raab (actually not related to broccoli!), the prettiest head of cabbage ever, an entire salad bowl of kale and purple broccoli. We also got potatoes, onions and parsnips. I love veggies!
Support local farmers and get organic veggies by finding a CSA in your area!

Last scarf of the season

This winter knitting season, Mike has gotten a sweater and now a scarf. He's made out better than I have and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Actually, I have really enjoyed getting in touch with my inner gift-knitter this last fall and winter. Thinking about all my thousands of stitches keeping a loved one warm and oh-so-stylish makes me feel about as warm and fuzzy as wearing my own hand-knits does. Here are the details of Mike's latest accessory.

Yarn: Rowan felted tweed. I used 2 strands held together. I really, really like this yarn. It's not the softest yarn for a scarf but Mike picked it out (he wanted tweed or nothing) and he's really happy with it. If it weren't so expensive, I would knit myself a sweater out of this yarn. Every picture I take makes it look like a different color but this picture is the best (color-wise). It has flecks of white, light blue and dark orange which really gives it a lot of depth and interest. Needles: Size ? bamboo (I set them down and now they are lost)
Pattern: My own. It's a saxon braid cable with 5 stitches of garter stitch on each side. Here is a picture that shows the cable pattern clearly.
All in all, I am really happy with it and, more importantly, so is Mike. I'm also happy that my next project will not be a scarf.

As I've been knitting this brown scarf, I've been very envious of all you project spectrum participants and your lovely pink and red eye candy. My next project will be red and just to prove (mostly to myself) that I am participating in project spectrum, here are my favorite pink and red things from my house. The first is Cradle. She is a fairy and was named by the artist I bought her from because she looks so comforting and watchful. Like she's cradling the viewer. She's really big- about 3 1/2' x 4 1/2'- so it really is like she's watching over us. It's actually dark pink fabric that was marked off with tape and the negative areas were bleached lighter. It's very cool and I love her. Here are some other things.

Pink, Red and the letter E

E is for evergreens and emerging life.

One of the great things about my job is that there is a trail through the woods on the property. I love the evergreens for their height and beauty and I get to look at them all day. When not looking high in the trees, though, the trail hasn't been very pretty this winter. With the coming of spring, I have been discovering life emerging from the seemingly dead vegetation. It takes some close inspection but things are starting to grow and emerge from the bare branches. I thought I'd share some of my pictures with you because I love this time of year!
(If you're just here for the knitting-I've got that covered! It's after the nature pictures)

I wish I could tell you what all these plants are but I really don't know. I'm pretty good at identifying trees but that's about as far as my plant knowledge goes. I wish my backyard were looking this pretty and full of life. It's a mess of weeds, bare ground and a lumpy lawn but I need the rain to stop before I can fix it!

This isn't on the trail through the woods but I thought I'd include the flowering cherry tree because it's pretty and pink and it's pink and red month at Project Spectrum.

Speaking of Project Spectrum, I have some knitting to show you! I finally finished my red Cascading Leaves sock. I finished the 1st one right after Christmas but then I got sidetracked by other projects so it's been sad and alone- until today! I love, love, love this pair of socks because it's the first pair I've ever knit for myself! The yarn is sock garden from knitpicks and it's so soft and snuggly on my feet. Look how nicely they fit my feet! The only drawback to the sock garden is that it's 100% merino -that explains the super softness but it also means they won't be the most long-lasting socks unless I treat them very carefully.
I used this pattern to make my mom some socks but I didn't really like how square the toe was on her pair, (sorry, Mom!) so I changed it on mine. I'm looking for a new sock project now! Now that I have 1 pair, I think I need some more. I don't want my 1 pair of handknit socks to be lonely in my drawer. What is your favorite sock yarn? I've only used the sock garden and Lorna's Laces shepherd sock which is lovely but a little pricey.

D is for . . .

. . . Done!!! I finished my River stole with suprisingly few difficulties! I finished the knitting on Thursday and I blocked it last night.Yarn: Rowan Kidsilk Haze, color is called jelly.
Pattern: Rowan mag #38
Changes to pattern: I knit it with #9 needles, not the specified 10.5's. I also purled all wrong side rows, making a stockinette lace pattern because I thought the garter stitch looked sloppy.
Finished size: 16 x 66"Look at the miles (okay, feet) of lace I knit! I pinned the edges out to form little points and it turned out really well. The picture in the Rowan mag is so bad that I can't really tell if the edges are straight or not but I like my pointy border.

It's so light and airy and I love it! I really like the Kidsilk haze and I didn't find it difficult to knit but I don't think I love it the way many of you out there do. I would use it again, though.

This olympics thing has been fun and I really like the challenge to finish something in a timely manner but I am more than ready to get back to my usual multiple project self.

Speaking of multiple projects, I have branched out beyond knitting! Kirsten and I took a drop spindle class today! It was so fun and the teacher was great and we made yarn!!Check out my first yarn! It's so pretty and even and not lumpy like most people's first yarn. It's not spun perfectly, though, because it doesn't hang straight. It twist on itself a little. I feel like I should knit something with it but it's such a small amount that I don't know what to do with it. Any ideas? Lest you think I'm over here gloating over my pretty first-yarn-ever-made, let me show you what I did next. The whole reason I want to learn to spin is because I want to spin the fur from my angora bunny, Phoebe, that is starting to pile up in my basement. So, when I came home from the class I decided to spin her fur. It's is a lumpy mess!I must point out, though, that's it's the softest lumpy mess that I have ever touched! Angora is slippery and has short fibers but I am determined to spin it well. I owe it to Phoebe to make something pretty out of her lovely fur. I am encouraged that although much of my mini-skein looks like this or worse:there are some short sections that look like this:Do you see the perfect twist and the smooth edges? It can be done and I can do it!