I've just cast on for a new project, the Halfobi by Ivete Tecedor. It is a little jacket type garment in a kimono style. An obi is a sash worn with a kimono; so I'm not really sure where this pattern gets it's name. It is short in length so maybe that contributes. but I think I'll knit mine just a little longer than the one pictured in the pattern. It is plain stockinette stitch, so I'm using a fun colored yarn - Noro Silk Garden in color 245.I picked this pattern for a couple of reasons, I like the shape and it looks easy. it also has a little bit of seaming at the end. This will be my third garment, but the first time I've had to seam one. I figure it is time to start branching out a little bit. I don't think everything has to be knit in the round. I did do some seaming on my Lizard Ridge Afghan; so I think I'll be able to do it with no problem.
I've also been working on a pair of socks for my husband. I picked them up last week and took a look in my notebook - I started them last march! I just want to finish them before a year goes by. I've got a good shot - I'm ready to turn the heals. I am knitting both socks at once on two circulars. I don't have a current picture; that will have to wait until they are finished. I've also been spinning. I'll have a new finished yarn for Friday.
This time I did spend more time with the fiber before setting down to spin. You saw the results of that on Monday's post. It really did make the spinning go fast and easy. I think it really helped me to get the final yarn a little more even that I have been getting in the past. So for the time being I will keep preparing the fiber this way.
The color of this fiber was named Sweet Corrosion. I didn't really pay too much attention to the color as I prepared the fiber for spinning. I like the barber pole effect and it helps me to judge plying the yarn when the color of each strand is different. It will be fun to try for a self-striping yarn sometime though.
The instructor was using attenuate in reference to the color of some dyed fiber we were spinning. I can definitely see that when two colors meet while spinning fiber that each does lose some intensity as they mix. You can also see that as fiber is drafted or pre-drafted in preparation for spinning the fiber does become less dense. 
This is the fiber I'm working on for this week's Fiber Friday. I decided to spin a two-ply yarn and I plan on spinning each half of the fiber onto different bobbins and then ply each single together. So I split the braid of combed top lengthwise into two somewhat equal halves. Then I took each half and kept splitting the pieces in half lengthwise until I had two large piles of light and fluffy wool. The next step will be to spin the singles to get ready for plying. Preparing the fiber like this will hopefully help me spin a more consistent yarn. 
No, this isn't going to be about the republican candidate for president, but rather the latest fiber I've been spinning. This is a ball of roving that I purchased at SAFF. The ball weighed in at 8 ounces and it to date the most I've spun of any one fiber. It's 100% Romney from a farm in Michigan. They named this color Tequila Sunset.
On the plus side, the roving was easy to draft and was fairly inexpensive. It was about half the cost of some of the other fiber I've purchased. On the flip side, I thought that this roving was kind of scratchy and there is no way I'll ever be able to wear it next to my skin. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but the yarn really isn't very smooth. It seems very hairy to me which is probably why it is scratchy. I'm just not sure if that is because of the fiber or because of the spinner.
I'm finally starting to get a much more even yarn. There is still variation, which I'm kind of expecting since I'm not a machine. But overall the variation is much less pronounced and things are starting to even out a little bit. This is a two-ply yarn and I would guess that maybe it is about a worsted weight and I ended up with about 204 yards.
This sweater was easy to knit, but maybe a little boring because it is all stockinette stitch except for the shoulders and edges and that is garter stitch. The sweater didn't involve any seaming either and I liked that. The sleeves were knit first and then joined together to begin the body of the sweater.
I think what helped make this sweater was the yarn. I really like the way the yarn feels and I'm a little surprised by that because of all the synthetic fibers. I'm usually not one that likes too much rayon and polyester in my clothes at all - but I like this sweater. The fabric does have a nice drape and softness.
This fiber came from 
I've decided that there is a positive aspect to having a stash of spinning fiber. For the same or even less money, I'm ending up with fiber that I will actually get to use and enjoy twice. The first time the fiber will be used for spinning and the second time will be for knitting. How can you pass up such a great deal?
This is my fourth attempt at spinning on the new wheel. It's great to be able to use my own yarn for pictures on Fiber Friday. I hope you are all okay with seeing my hand spun instead of a commercial yarn.
This yarn started out as South African wool top from 
I do think some of what I have spun up will make some nice projects; the hard part will be finding small projects to knit with all these smallish amounts of yarn. I'm thinking hats, mittens, or fingerless gloves would work with what I've spun up to this point. I've been spinning more than knitting since Christmas and I'm going to have to start knitting with my new yarn soon.
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