Winter Morning.

hehe....I've said it more than once...I don't normally name hanks. I'm creative...but not THAT creative. I'm travelling along the some vein as those millionaire businessfolk who call their $6 million racehorses "Barney" or "Herman". Having said that I was having a cuddle (hehe - I do that sometimes) of my newest hank and I thought to myself...hmmm 'Winter Morning". This could mean one of two things....either my right hemisphere of my brain has managed a few more connections...or I'm missing hanging out with Tye wayyyyy toooo much! Check out brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Winter Morning. Hey, Carol....this is the rovings I put into dye when you were visiting the other day.... turned out beautifully! This black and silver metallic thread brings hanks alive....

Thanks for popping into the ol' Sheepychic....any enquiries welcome. Don't forget the knitting silly season is nearly upon us..! Ruth xxx

The "Oxley" and the "Rushworth"

Now that our older children are school aged one sad reality is that it is harder to catch up with old friends and family...especially those a couple of hours drive away. That's why the school holidays are really special...not only a break from the hurley burley of school but a chance to catch up. What a laugh we had breaking out the Red wine lounging about while the kids played...then out came the raw rovings and the crock pot! What is it about red wine and creativeness....check out what Carol and I managed to put together. oh oh..not another trophy! Carol and I aimed for a purpley colour...and I guess you could say we achieved that...and more. I totally love this hank. Carol...now you can tell how much I adore you...nobody else in the world could have marched that little piece of Sheepychic magic outa my gate and survived!! hehe. Please....keep us all posted on how your hat turns out!! xxI don't normally name hanks...but here is a couple of exceptions....this is da-da-da-daaaaaa the "Rushworth".

My sister - in - law Andrea is so encouraging...it gives me a real buzz. I happened to have a roving brewing up when she popped in during holiday time and we had a fine ol' time pulling it all out and pinning it on the line while the kids disappeared playing. This little hank is chock o' block full of different colours....but with a beautiful winter-time depth. Check it out!

In the photo the colours appear a little lighter than they really are...

wow! even looks good wet and swimming in a bucket....

I'm sure Andrea won't mind me christening this hank....da-da-da-daaaaaaaa the "Oxley".

Thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings...see you all..Ruth xxx PS. Andrea...keep an eye out for the mail man....a little birdie told me something may be coming out your way! (And keep us posted, won't you!) Andrea is a keen scrapbooker...her albums are absolutely georgeous. I'm wondering if some Sheepychic yarn may be included in some scrapbooking....it will be cool to see some alternative uses for this special yarn. I've used it as giftwrapping string (just imagine!), tied in bows attached to elastic hair ties (cute and sturdy for little P)..we even decorated out Christmas tree with handspun! (Well...it saved a trip to the shops!) All the best....Ruth xxx

If the late Mr. Kerry Packer had a son called Al....

From GO to WHOA....One of the main attractions of hand spinning your own yarn is being able to control or take part in a few extra steps of the creation process...Almost from the grass roots level to completion.....take this little hat for instance....it's for a beautiful little baby girl called Cloe. These cute little guys are, of course, Alpacas...they are the previous owners of the fleece that now is the pride ond joy of my fleece stash. As you can see they still have a beetles type hair-do's and a fluffy butt....Peter and Kay aren't THAT mean....hehe. These Alpacas are from a property in the yarra valley...if anybody wants to contact the owners just ask me for their details. Isn't that rich burgandy coloured fellow devine! The grey fleece is from a Suri alpaca...it costs an arm and a leg so I mainly use it in small quantities to highlight a hank...it really is something special...(It gave the kids quite a fright, though...they honestly thought I was spinning their Grandmother's hair...ewwwwww...err...no!) This is one of my favourite yarns. I have only used the photographed fleeces and plied it with 100% Merino (white) It has not been dyed at all yet it is still bursting with gorgeous colour...all natural. It's from my Sheepychic Rustic range. To make it I have spun off a bobbin of white Merino in a real chuncky style and also a bobbin with alpaca...interchanging the colour fleeces whenever it seemed right to do so...(very scientific...hehe) The two bobbins are then plied together to form the yarn.

I grabbed these daisies from eBay and I love the little finishing touch they gave Cloe's hat. You can just type in "embroidered daisies" in the search field and you can find them there. The user i.d.is "rtinga"...aka Robyn. Robyn is really friendly and quick to send what you order. These daisies are sooo cute!...perfect for kids hats or anything else...and lets face it...don't give the huge craft franchises or department stores your money...buy from the little guys...and gals!!! If anyone wants Robyn's email address I have it here at home...just ask.

Thanks Mr. Moley for taking time off the toy shelf to model for me. Hopefully we will be able to have a photo of the real Cloe!...stay tuned! xxx Ruth

I've flipped my colour lid.....

I am the bull in the china shop....the Pugsley in Toys R Us....the Dazza at the motor show... (I think you get the drift.....I've gone mad). There is clanging and banging in our laundery late at night with steam and strange wooly smells...(and shocked gasps when I realise it is 2am....again!!) I've gone crazy cos' it's true...my little Sheepychic varigated colour trick works on any colour...all the time!! Check this out! This green hank only has a dot of yellow.... Look closely at the black and silver metallic thread I used to ply through this little blue hank...it is totally alive. When you move this wool it really looks as though electricity is running through it... The green hank is nice...plied through with the gold metallic...it's really rich. It would be beautiful to high light a little bag or for a funky outrageous cushion cover panel. But this blue hank...omg...could we have trophy hank number two.???? It is nudging the all time favourite hank list....

And they call me Mellow who???

Looking at my Sheepychic stash I see rich colours, heaps of metallics...I see colour combinations that maybe shouldn't be...but seem to work anyway. I often think about antique fabrics and beautiful old furniture and draw inspiration from there when I am conjuring up my next few hanks and colour choices. Recently, though, I have been wondering just how colourful sheepychic can get? Can I ramp it up a bit? Can I get a little more specific about the colours of my yarn and control it a little closer...without ANY hint of (yawn) factory type blocked colour ?!?! Of course I HAD to give it a whirl!! First cab off the rank?? Why, yellow....Check out this yellow- as -anything hank....don sunnies now...

In the strainer...straight from the pot. I was aiming for a verigated kind of yellow and I've got to say...I was delighted. My Sheepychic Mellow yellow mission accomplished!

Yellow Hankie here is a mixture of yellows which is (before you go thinking I'm clever or somethin'!!) merely the same shade of yellow in different strengths and the tiniest dash of red in the same technique I used for my 'trophy yarn'. (See previous posting)

Hand dyed (of course) and out drying on the line...looking at the photo..at the yellows and orange...it should be called 'citrussy'...but it isn't, is it...? Tweety bird meets Simba the Lion King??? Maybe..Please leave a comment if you can think of a suggestion.

I am looovveeen' this system of verigated colour now and I rarely use any other...(well...this week anyway!!) and as my research and development department (me after a couple of red wines) has discovered it works with any colour or mixture of colours you fancy!

Rovings are dry, bundled and looking fabulous!...Couldn't wait to spin them up!

All spun and plied back with gold metallic thread (suprise, suprise) The photo here appears lighter than the actual hank which seems a deeper yellow in real life....but you get the drift, I'm sure.

Stay tuned for other Sheepy colours...love yas!!!! Bye for now....