Sunflower Trivets

Last week I needle-felted a blue trivet with Icelandic wool.  I dyed the wool a bright blue after I needle felted the wool locks together.  This week I made sunflower trivets.  I also used Icelandic wool to make them along with a darker wool to make the center of the sunflower.  I dyed one trivet yellow and another one a yellow/orange.  I experimented with the breed of sheep wool used in the center of the sunflower.  One of the centers was made with Icelandic wool and on the other I used Rhone.

Trivet made last week using Icelandic wool locks.

                            

  

Locks up close.

     

                         

                                   

                           

 spinning.

                                                    

Thank you for viewing!  Dawnie

What are you making???

When plying, don't hesitate to ply unmatched yarns.  An example of plying 2 unmatched yarns is in this crocheted trivet where I plied Dutch Spotted Sheep (Bonte Schaap) and a varied green yarn with lots of sparkles.  This batt is named Irish Blessing and contains Merino, Alpaca, Corridale, BFL, silk, and Angelina fibers.   It comes from Fawkes Farm.  www.etsy.com/shop/FawkesFarm.  Unfortunately, most of the sparkle doesn't come across in the picture.  I put a green button in the center of this trivet.  The button makes the trivet look complete.

I am in a couple fiber clubs.  They send fiber in colorways I would not have picked out if I went shopping.  This is an example.  A mostly gray Merino wool top with an orange and a light teal.  It really is not pretty.  I had to make it fun, so I added fun fibers with the Merino wool.  BFL in golden and orange, BFL in light teals, Nylon sparkle, mulberry silk, and orange kid mohair.  All natural fibers except for the sparkle.

Blending on a hackle and using a diz to remove the fiber from this hackle.

After spinning

Top of the hat.

After this, I spun the Merino top and made it a two-ply yarn.  I single crocheted a border and placed 8 squash colored buttons around the band.  This hat can be worn by male or female, but I think most men would not want the buttons on the bottom border. 

 As you may have noticed, buttons may give a hand-made item a finished look.  For the last row, I like to crochet around the stem of each stitch in the second to the last row, which gives the bottom of the hat more support and doesn't allow the hat to stretch out of place. 

 Another crocheted, hand-spun yarn trivet.  As you see, there is a button in the center.  This button is not flat, but the raised stitches around the decorative center allow for most items to sit level.  

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!  Dawnie

Baa Baa

Yesterday I received sheep shaped cookies for my upcoming birthday.  Yes, 29 again.  The cookies were decorated with white frosting and they had pink frosting bows.  The sheep were beautiful, but they were the best sugar cookies I have ever eaten.  I tried to bring home 2 and photograph them, but one of the noses hit the other cookie, so the photos are not the best.  Tracy H. made them.  She really needs to open a shop, but instead she works with me.  LOL I am a spinner (I make yarn from wool) so the sheep were a perfect gift.

Aren't they cute?  Yes, the inspiration was from Pinterest.  I hope you are doing well!  Dawnie.