Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Ladies and Gents! The Premier Modeling of 'Anne's Shoulder Shawl !'



This little shoulder shawl...'Anne's Shoulder Shawl'...say, could this be a pattern from Anne of Green Gables day?....excitement stirs here...ah, probably not. I like it very much anyway =). All of the blue/gray variegated was hand dyed and spun by me.

The wool was Corriedale roving (roving is sheep's wool that has been commercially washed, and combed and sent back to the person ready to spin). This roving was purchased through my spinning guild. I dyed it at a 'dye workshop' again...one our spinning guild held last fall. I remember the gray dye is called 'Silver Birch' and I didn't catch what the blue dye was called.

We used the 'painting' method where you wet your wool roving...lay it out on saran wrap covered tables...use a sponge brush to dip into jars of dye and paint stripes of color on your wool. Then, you roll the wool up like a giant cinnamon roll...covered tightly with the saran wrap all around. Next it goes into a large roasting pan outdoors...to steam. This sets the color completely!Then, you let it dry and its ready to spin. Yes, work but oooooh so rewarding!

I ran out of the blue and ended up knitting the edging with Bernat gray. and I love the contrast! The edging was fun to do, using 'live stitches'. The pattern is from '2008 Knitting with Desiree Scales and friends'. I loved this box of patterns so much my sweet husband has already used a JoAnn's coupon and bought me the Calendar box of 2009 and put it back for Christmas. Oh happy day!

12 comments:

Winifred said...

That's absolutely gorgeous and to have spun and dyed it too!

It's a gorgeous range of colours, my favourites.

But wot no face!

What did you mean by "live stitches"?

Mrs. Mac said...

Finally a peek at your handwork :) And it's a beauty. It must be very rewarding to have dyed and spun the wool into such wonderful yarn. It came out a winner!

Patsy said...

Oh! to knit like that and dye your on wool. I just wish my name was Mary and I had a little lamb.Sorry I couldn't help the jest. It is beautiful.
Patsy

Mrs. Mac said...

Hi Maggie Ann ... the Simple Woman has a food preserving section in her right sidebar of her blog... this has great canning 101 lessons :)

The Tiquehunters Wife said...

Dear Maggie Ann'
I see you are keeping yourself blessedly busy and being wonderfully creative!
Everything about your shawl is a delight! The mere fact that you spun and dyed it yourself makes it very, very special and beautiful!
I enjoyed your flying post--beautiful and breathtaking pictures!
And, oh so much more!
Thank you for always taking the time to stop by the cabin--to encourage and sprinkle me with your kindness! You make me chuckle--Maggie Ann--I do not always wake up cheerful. So much like you--I am a night owl--but still try to get up early. On the third day of 5 (sometimes 4), hours sleep a night--I am in a fog until 11 A.M.
Yet I am so thankful for each God-given day--and the wonder and gift of being a homemaker and all that goes with it!
I also enjoyed viewing your wonderful collages at your other blog!
Have a wonderful and creative day!
Love ya, Claudia O.

Anonymous said...

Oh, your shawl is just so pretty, Maggie Ann! I love the way the grey edging sets off the blues. Well done!

Farmhouse Blessings said...

Hello Maggie Ann!
I am sooo glad that you stopped by for a visit. I can see already that I am going to like it here very much.

Your shawl is magnificent. And to think you actually processed the wool yourself. How wonderful!

Blessings & joy,
Lea

TO BECOME said...

I know that a part of you is in that shawl. It is beyone words. It just look so perfect. I love the colors. You just did a great joy. Congratulations on a job well done. connie from Texas

Robert Sagor said...

That is SO cute! Last night I started knitting a scarf for my hubby, very simple (I am not an experianced knitter yet even though I have been knitting since I was 18! I'll have to post it on my blog, maybe when I have enough done...

I have a question, my scarf is curling on me, how do I prevent it from curling?

Kim said...

Your shawl is beautiful!

Saija said...

what a feeling of accomplishment you must have! especially since the result was so beautiful!

i still have a nordic type sweater my mom knit for me, 40 years ago, from wool she spun and coloured - it is still in good shape and stylish ... :o)

blesings on your sunday!

Anonymous said...

Hi, Maggie!

That is a lovely shawl. I am intrigued by your round "pin". Is that a pony tail holder that you crocheted around? I have several shawls that need somethng to hold them together, and I really like this idea. Thank you!