Phew...it's been hot!

Hot weather doesn't really lend itself to knitting......NOT. hehe...I'm sitting by the cooler, the blinds are drawn against the hot sun, kids are watching a movie and I'm sitting here (ice water at the ready) knitting some fun and funky stubby holders. (And if another kid asks me to make some more ground ice I'm gonna have to deck 'em)

I've also been knitting up some cute head bands. The yarns I've used for the headbands is a beautiful Sheepychic rainbow dyed single. I'll be putting a few headbands similar to these into Sheepychic shop....so visit there if you'd like one. They're $12. + postage. The ones pictured here are all off to their new owners this afternoon!!

And for a little Sheepychic update: The "Wallaby Rose" spun up beautifully. I'm soooo happy with her...I haven't loved a yarn this much for ages. It's actually listed on eBay at the moment...you can check it out at under CRAFTS - hand spun yarn. If you'd like a hank of Wallaby Rose or Wallaby Rose rovings but don't want to go through eBay let me know as I'm sure I can re-create her very closely.

Before I go just one teenie tiny update on Sharnas orphan babies...all made it...(this is embarrassing) and ready for their new homes. Funnily enough they are all bob-tailed except for two. The black and white one is staying home here with us...meet Daisy Duke...hehe.

Thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings. All the very best, Ruth...xoxox

A handful of Sheepychic rovings...

One of the best fibre art tips I've ever received (from the ever inspirational Tye, of course,) and one which often comes to mind is to keep a little mental note of new season's colours appearing in fashionista shop windows...it's fun. I loved these colour combinations....and was inspired to create....Sheepychic "Wallaby Rose" and Sheepychic "Kingfisher". Both Merino rovings are still available for sale. They weigh just over 100gms. Yours for $12 Aus/or spun as you like for $22.Aus. The postage within Australia would be about $4. Those of you who are regular visitors to Sheepychic will know I often go towards some Gothic colours, too...for my witchie hats. I'm going to sprinkle this over with silver sparkle...It's called "Dark Opal". I think the older girls will love a hat or scarf in this yarn. I'll leave it available for sale for a couple of weeks, so if you'ld like it...you better snap it up. Again, it costs $22 Aus. (Dark opal no longer available...similar rovings available shortly) Of course I needed a colour fix after all that...hehe....check out "Schmooze" (pictured: Sheepychic "Schmooze" rovings. 100gms. Still available...$12 or spun to order for $22) (Shmooze is no longer available...similar rovings posted soon... If you're keen to purchase one of these rovings please leave a comment indicating which one is on hold for you and email me at Sheepychic@hotmail.com I am so keen to establish my tiny sheepychic shop but as soon as I sit to do it I have about 3 bottoms plonk themselves on my lap wanting to play Bananas in Pajamas....oh the joys. (I figure I better play it while I can...they're all growing so quick!!) Thanks for your emails....and thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings. All the very best, Ruth....xoxoxo

Knotty and gnarly...

Knotty and gnarly...I'm aiming for something wild, colourful and primitive. This is some of my hand dyed rovings, which I've spun to a medium to thick single, leaving a few coils, chunks and blobs....then I have subjected them to all manner of fibre no-no's and abuse. They have be spun around my head, pummelled, plunged, banged, berated, agitated...I think you get the picture. hehe! The result? Something crossed between Mad Max and Martha.

Here is a little update on Sheepychic "wizz-bang" and how it looks spun up to a fun single...I'm holding onto this and knitting it with some white into some Sheepychic stubbie holders / water bottle sleeves. I've had an order for a bottle sleeve with a shoulder strap for walking....I'll keep you posted. I'll figure out the pattern and post my progress. I'll knit up a couple for sale.

Here is a picture of a Sheepychic stubbie holder (it is just here with a glass inside...works well too...) which I knitted up for a gal-pal Mandie. They are available for $15...you'll have to email me to place an order at sheepychic@hotmail.com until Sheepychic shop is open.

All the best, and thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings. Regards, Ruth...xoxox

oh...yeah...

On a little sad end note can you believe we are carefully rearing 6 little 3.5 week old pet mice...Sharna moved to the big mouse house in the sky on that terrible hot day we had recently. She was very old for a mouse but we are all so sad...and sad for her babies. I don't know if they'll be okay but B and I are trying our best to help them. We are feeding them crushed up oats and dipping their tiny front paws in milk every hour or two. They all sit there licking off their paws....I don't know what else to do....but they all seem well. It is amazing how a little mouse can take a little place in your heart.... Sharna charmed me so.

Sheepychic's apprentice....

There's a hank of wool hanging on the drying rack that I just keep going to just to feel it, snuggle it and admire it. The funny thing is...I didn't spin it! I still can't believe it. It is the first hank spun by my little apprentice, B. (Almost 8) She is a bit of a fibre gal, unprompted, who often slinks off to school with a few hanks in her bag for show 'n' tell. She's asked occasionally to spin, and I've had her sitting and treadling...telling her she'll have to wait until she's 8. (I was kinda hoping she'd forget...hehe) It was time. We had some Merino x rovings which we dyed on the holidays which spins up so easily it nearly spins itself. We divided it up into long slivers so she didn't have to draft it so much, but concentrate on controlling the twist with the pressure of her thumb and fore fingers. I've used this method to teach a couple of people to spin...and I swear it works well. I'll slowly introduce her to using her other hand more as she improves over time. Then she selected a nice little commercial fancy yarn to ply with....(omg....I had plans for that)

She spun it all, she plied it all...and it ended up gorgeous, with that primitive ruggedness that is so hard to do when you've been spinning for ages. hehe. Unbelievable.

A windy yucky day today saw us change Sunday plans from the zoo to the museum. The kids enjoyed it, as did I....the "Melbourne history display" area is such a high light for me. Of course we couldn't do anything peacefully until M had seen the dinosaurs. hehe.

Once we needed to ditch the pram, have a drink and a run about, the children's area is a GOD send.

Well...that's enough from me...thanks so much for popping into Sheepychic bloggings. Any yarn enquiries can come on down to sheepychic@hotmail.com. I'm looking for a couple more outlets this season coming up so if you know a yarn store or funkywares type store which may be interested point them this way, won't you. hehe...thanks.

Bye for now, Ruth....xx

Sheepychic happenings....

A quick update on a few Sheepychic happenings...I've spun up "Sheepychic - Lillybet" into a funky rustic single...about an 8 ply...

Remember my old carder? I pulled her out and ran through some Rose alpaca..THANKY to Holly at Hollyeeq for the fleece cleaning tips...I got on much better this time, thanks Holly. I ran some of Mandie's divine red Merino rovings in among the alpaca..made for a very rustic and cool batt. I want to spin it up in a real primative style yarn...as long as it doesn't break... I want it fuzzy and lumpy and chunky and weird and feral. hehe..you get my drift. Due to current drought conditions I've used the bath to soak the alpaca to try to use less water. Poor M ran out of the bathroom asking what was in the bath..."Alpaca" I replied. "When did it die"?!?! asked the very concerned M...hehe...poor little guy!

I've also spun up some light predyed Merino rovings...also from Mandie (see eBay..."ewe-give-me-the-knits")

Hmmm...what else? Oh yeah...A little more fabulous gothic-style chunkie yarns for my Witchie beanies...it's coming up Autumn soon, you know...hehe. This one is a black alpaca with a commercial purple/pink/bally/shiney yarn. It goes together so well! I'm thinking a beanie cuff...with the top a nice jet black...flowing to a witchie point, like the one P has on near my profile.

Anyway..I have to dash...thanks for popping into Sheepychic bloggings. Any yarn enquires can be forwarded on to sheepychic@hotmail.com. All the very best, Ruth....xx

A wonderful afternoon splashin' some dyes about...

What can you say about a dye splash about that can't totally be said better by showing some photos. I dyed. I had fun. The crock pot was rockin' and the colours were rollin'...today clicked. Dunno why. Just did.

The poor old drying rack was groaning under the weight of these colourful treasures....Some are 100gms, others are 200 gms. Hehe...I call the big ones "Twanks"..(two hanks)

pictured: Sheepychic "whizz-bang" hand painted Merino roving. 100gms

pictured: Sheepychic "Lillybet" hand painted Merino roving. 100gms.

Pictured: Sheepychic "St. Marc's posie". 100gm Merino Handpainted rovings.

Good news! Getting your hands on some Sheepychic is soon to become a whooolllleeee lot easier thanks to "Sheepychic for you"...a cute little blog-shop running parallel to Sheepychic bloggings. It'll feature my latest goodies available and will have a Shopping Cart system linked up to PAY PAL. Bank Deposits will also be okay. It's still in the building process, but keep posted. Somethin' tells me that these gorgeous Rovings will end up there!! It'll be at http://sheepychicshop.blogspot.com/

All the very best, and thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings. Thanks so much for the lovely emails...you guys are such Yarn junkies! hehe! A couple of emails, also, regarding our little mice! One last little picture...the two little boys. (now living in their own bachelor pad) You can see one sports a lovely long-haired coat, while his brother has a short coat and a perfect bob-tail! These guys are available for adoption...but no snake enthusiasts may apply! hehe

All the best, Ruth....bye for now.

Saving for an Ashford Country Spinner...

I'm a one wheel girl and to be honest I've never tried any other wheels other than Ashford traditionals. BUT THEN I tried Mandie's beautiful Ashford Country Spinner and the results... considering it was a first spin in uncharted territories, were delightful.

Of course Mandie's rovings here are so beautifully hand-dyed that I could have dragged 'em behind a train and they would still be so pretty. hehe... She has other rovings for sale at her eBay store called Ewe- Give-Me-The-Knits.

I kept Mandie and her adorable kids company as she set about discovering her spinning Mojo...and for a thankyou she gave me an amazing gift. (And a yummy lunch!...I'm so spoilt!!)

Now to go off on an irrelevant tangent...I was mentioning to Tye the other day...I'm not a superstitious person at all...but one little practice I do indulge is to "touch wood" if I think about something a little bleak. When I touch wood I instantly stop thinking about it and move about my day. It kinds of realigns my thought patterns. It got me thinking maybe this is why there are so many people out there who are drawn to the medative delight of spinning with our beautiful timber spinning wheels. Just a thought.

Anyway..thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings...and thanks to Mandie for a fun day. All the best with your spinning.

Best wishes, Ruth..xxx Of course any yarn enquiries can be sent through to Sheepychic AT hotmail DOT com. Bye for now...

My wheel has it's Mojo at the moment....

Although a simple timber inanimate object, sometimes I swear my little ol' wheel has spirit. As I've explained before, my country cousin, Daryl, tracked down this wheel for me. When I finally had it here in my home (and had been fiddling around with it with no spinning knowledge at all) I found the precious little hair bobby pin loving shaped into a little hook (for pulling yarn through my wheel's orifice) with a little leather strap and a length of cotton string tied onto the end, simply hanging from the eyelet which holds the brake string.

My instinct tells me that the woman who made this simple hook loved this wheel. She loved spinning and she was efficient and organised. I had been spinning for quite a while when I realised that the leather and the string were backup spares for the wheel. I often wonder about her while I spin. Is she still in this life? Or has she gone on to the next? I'll never know...but I'd like to tell her that I love this wheel too. I'm not as organised as she was/is but I share the peace that spinning with this wheel brings. I share the medative rhythmic hum of its workings. I share the satisfaction of holding some beautiful freshly made yarn....

Which prompts me: My little Ashford traditional has a lovely Mojo happening at the moment. For some reason it's running bee-ewe-tee-fully and I'm having some really pleasing results. Check out these pictures...

Here is the cute little rovings my neice, S hand dyed during a Sheepychic Dye workshop these school holidays...see two postings ago. I've spun them up to a nice, simple little single...about an 8 ply or there abouts.

And also the dusty pink that P & D dyed...with Mums supervision, of course. I've plied it back with a simple gold thread, just to keep it simple and elegant.

Hehe...gotta love this fabulous fur-ball...It is some black alpaca simply plied over with some commercial stringy fancy yarn. It's colour really caught my eye..it is so cute. A bone colour with purple.

I know it's left-field, but I'm eyeing off this for some Sheepychic Stubby holders / water bottle covers. (see the previous posting) I know this isn't traditional handspun type yarn but it is divinely soft....and so unusual!

Anyway...that's it for Sheepychic bloggings for tonight. I'm off up to the country tomorrow and while I'm there I'm going to pop into have a spin and dye up with Mandie, a fellow fibre lover and Sheepychic regular. So Hi to you, Mandie and I'm really looking forward to catching up.

All the very best, Ruth.

Oh..of course, any enquiries on the yarn you see here or anything else Sheepychic you can contact my at sheepychic@hotmail.com.

Feel free to leave a comment and say G'day.....bye for now.

Summer brings so many things...like Sheepychic Wine Jackets!

I'm in the mood for knittin', and I'm in the mood for wine...I'm in the mood for laughin' .....'cos my bottle looks just fine! (not to mention it stays nice and chilly for a little longer.)

How Sheepychic is this funky bottle cover?!?!?!? Imagine taking this to the picnic races in with your basket of goodies?!?!?

It was pretty fun to make...I've used a Sheepychic handspun Merino plied through with a commercial yarn which caught my eye...really cheery peacock colours and a shimmer of gold. I've used the fab. 4...(double pointed needles) and shaped it with the bottle next to me. I know its an old house bottle of Shiraz but this is a proto-type!!

I got to thinking that it may be nice to see the label....so I put in a label window. Of course I can knit one straight through for those of us who...ahem...buy a more modest bottle..hehe!

One benefit of knitting straight through is that your Sheepychic Wine Jacket will just about embrace any ol' bottle...the lovely stretchy Merino enabled this jacket to fit nicely onto each of those bottle you see in the picture.

Of course, I haven't forgotten those who enjoy a can or stubbie of beer or softdrink.

Check out this neato little Sheepychic stubbie holder. It's still yet to have its label stitched on...so it's a sneak-peek.

All the best and thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings. Wine Jackets and stubbie holders may be ordered by emailing me at Sheepychic@hotmail.com ...or you can hang on and see a few listed in Sheepychic's blog store coming soon.

Best Regards, Ruth...xxx

Oh..and P.S. Tye, Ky & Finn....Here is Rafferty going beserk in a tub with some handspun. He's got good taste in yarn, that's for sure!