Kerry Hill

Is was a couple of weeks ago I got 20 gram of Kerry Hill wool from a very sweet lady from the Netherlands. We have never met and some lovely day we will. 

I fell in love with Kerry Hill immediately after I had spun the 20 gram.

So I decided to go look for a fleece. Nothing here in Sweden so I tried Denmark and yes I found one. 

Last week a got a bag in the mail and ohhh my gosh it was dirty !

This is the water from the first wash. I forgot to take a picture from the unwashed wool. 

Typically me. I was so eager to start.

Een paar weken geleden kreeg ik van een schat uit Nederland 20 gram Kerry Hill wol om te proberen. 

Ik was gelijk verliefd! Wat een heerlijk materiaal om mee te werken.

De dame in kwestie heb ik nog nooit ontmoet en ik hoop dat dat er zeker een keer van gaat komen!

Nadat ik de wol had gesponnen ben ik gelijk op zoek gegaan naar een vel. 

Dat valt natuurlijk niet mee in deze tijd, want iedereen is al van zijn wol af zeg maar.

Hier in Zweden is niks te vinden en ik kwam onder andere uit in Denemarken. 

En ineens had ik een zak wol liggen in de brievenbus. 

Wat een gore bende was dat die wol, maar goed! 

Dit is het spoelwater van de eerste keer. 

Ben natuurlijk vergeten een foto te maken van de vuile wol, want ik wilde gelijk aan de gang!

Ett par veckor sen fick jag av en snäll människor i Nederländerna 20 gram ull, tvättad och kardad och jag var förälskad i ullen direkt.Vi har aldrig träffats och jag vet att en vacker dag kommer vi att träffs.

Jag har letad efter denna ullen och förra vecka fick jag en påse från Danmark. 

Ullen var väldigt skitigt och mycket skräp i. 

Det här är första vatten och jag glömde att tag en bild av den otvättade ullen. Typiskt mig för jag kunde inte vänta med att sätta igång. 

Yesterday evening I started to comb the wool because there was a lot of dirt in it that I do not want in my carding machine. You cannot avoid dirt in the carding machine as you will notice on the picture.

Gisteren ben ik begonnen met de wol te kammen want er zat zoveel rotzooi in en dat wilde ik niet in mijn kaardmachine hebben. Je voorkomt toch niet dat er rotzooi in je kaardmachine komt zoals je op de foto wel kunt zien. 

Igår började jag med att kamma ullen för att sen karda den för att jag inte vill ha så mycket skräp i kardmaskinen. Man kan inte undvika detta men endå.

This is the first batt and I took the picture last night so the color is a bit off.

Dit is de eerste batt en de foto is gisteravond genomen dus de kleur is niet helemaal precies.

Denna kardflor gjorde jag igår så färgen är inte som den är.

This is the roving I did the second time on the Ashford carding machine and it came out pretty nice and even.
So my work payed off.

Dit is de lontwol die ik voor de tweede keer door de Ashford kaardmachine heb gehaald en ik ben erg tevreden met het resultaat.

Denna har jag kardad för andra gången på min Ashford kardmaskin och gjorde en ullveke av denna och jag är supernöjd med resultatet.

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Making my own tops

This is my second attempt on making my own tops and although the wool (felted Texel) was not that great, I managed to make a pretty nice tops of it on my new Ashford carding machine. Proud of myself and amazed that it is working. Maybe a new course?

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Fattigskogen

Is it possible to have that much fun with a knitting camp?
The answer is simple: Yes !!
The whole party started with Heidi and Paulina coming over the day before and we had full house with B&B guests. Birgitta came by as well and decided spontaneously to stay over and we had a great time.
Paulina and I did some shopping in Arvika and we picked up Heidi.
The weather was fine and we sat outside to BBQ, a little wine.........
And I had some packing to do.
A bit late, I agree, but sometimes that is what it is.
With a watching eye from Paulina I did what I had to do and packed everything and was not allowed to do anything else until I was ready. Thank you so much Paulina! Sometimes I need that :)

The next morning we were all excited to go on our way.
The car was packed and ready to go and we went through a little checklist and that made me run into the house 3 more times. Sorry........

Finally we were on our way!!
It was a 2,5 hour drive and I did not do that much of knitting.
I ripped out something and have not finished it yet.

And finally we were there!
A warm welcome from all knitters.
We made ourselves at home and install everything (I slept in a caravan, which was fine) and then back to the main building for some knitting.

The catering was very good, nothing to complain about as well as the hosts.

The next day I had a spinning course and I must say that I am very proud of my students.
Here some pictures.

We started with some very fine sliver and later on they spun from tops.
I hope my students had as much fun as I did. I loved it.
It was nice to see everyone being satisfied with the results.

Some of the students tried out the Ashford Joy spinning wheel as well and they were very good at it as well.
Some people took private lessons all by them selves and the results were stunning!

The following day it was time for a Afghan crochet course or a Tunisian crochet course.
I use for the course a thick 1 ply yarn and in this case it was Odin Superwash by Viking.
It makes a lovely, fluffy look at your garment and I love the way it looks this. A bit like if it is woven.
Every thick 1 ply yarn can be used.
I showed them the basics for this type of crochet and something beautiful came out.
For me it is all about letting your imagination go and make your own creations and some students really did!

On Saturdagnight we had a lottery and this is what I won:

All too soon it was time to go home again.
What a lovely long weekend I have had.
Made a lot of new friends and I hope to see you all again very soon.

I have not covered everything that happened because that would mean writing a whole book.
Still hope you will have an impression of Fattigskogen.

Thank you Ulrika från Stickamera for a wonderful camp

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Saltum

Weeks are going by like crazy!
It has been almost two weeks since I went to the woolfestival in Saltum.
I have not blogged about it and feeling bad about it as well.
What happened? I don't know
It is hard to understand that it has been such bad weather when I left to Saltum because the last couple of days has been sunny and warm. Almost too warm.
Back to Saltum.
I left friday morning about 4 am to the ferry in Gothenburg.

It was raining and cold and I was caught in a traffic jam there. My, was that a long time ago I found myself in a traffic jam!
No panic because I had counted on that.
Arrived at the ferry and I accidently took the wrong lane. Lucky me !!!
I was getting on and off first. So I was soon on my way in Danmark.
It was kind of crazy on the ferry. I lot of screaming kids and of course I had my knitting with me. So no problem waiting.
I was on the other site at 12 noon and was at destination at 1 pm att Anja Sørensen.
She showed me the cottage and I was on my one.

Maybe some other felting women would join me in the cottage but that did not happen so I was on my one the first night and then I had Renee to accompany me on saturdaynight.

The felting ladies have slept in this wonderfull thing:

I left to go into Løkken, went to the beach as well, not that it was sunny but I love the coast when it is windy.

It is so very different in Denmark then it is here in Sweden.
It reminded me a bit of The Netherlands.

We could not build up untill the next day.
The same day the market was starting at 10.00 am.
So best to get up early and get going.
As you can see did i had a lot of merchandise in the car.
I have been spinning the most of the days on my Ashford spinning wheel the Joy.
I had a lot of admirers.

My neighbours on my right and on my left I had some lovely ladies from the Danish Spinning Association.

I have had a great time and it was also good to be back home again.

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Cardingmachine/Kardmaskin/Kaardmachine

Yesterday I finally got my second hand Ashford carding machine through the mail.
Man, was that in a bad shape!
It does not sound like a lot but almost 15 grams of wool came out of the machine.
It was not adjusted very good and overall in poor shape.
So in stead of carding yesterday I was busy for two hours to clean it up and now it is in tiptopshape again.
Look for yourself.

Igår kom mitt begagnade Ashford kardmaskin med posten.
Usch, vad den var i dåligt skick. Väldigt skitigt och lite fel ihopsatt.
Jag vet att 15 gram ull låter inte mycket men att sitta kvar i kardmaskinen är jättemycket!
Så jag fick göra rent den istället för att karda i över två timmar men jag säga att den är superfint och superrent nu. Se själv.

Gisteren kwam mijn tweedehands Ashford kaardmachine met de post.
Wat zag dat ding eruit zeg !
15 gram wol zat er nog op. Nu lijkt dat niet zoveel, maar dat is vrij veel om achter te blijven.
Ik ben meer dan twee uur bezig geweest om hem schoon te maken.
Nu is 'ie weer tiptip in orde en kan ik gaan kaarden.
Hier de foto's:

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Gothenburg

Last wednesday I went off to Gothenburg to stay with Elin till Sunday.
My youngest daughter hada Basketbal tournement there so I took the time to combine those two.
The car was filled with goodies and with goodies I mean wool and that kind of thing.
Elin asked me to take the carder with me and I took with me Värmlands wool and a lot of other things.
It was like an invasion when I came to Elin:

I had my own corner :)
The next day I went to see my youngest play Basketbal and I am very proud to say that I went with the tram into town and to the hall she was playing. I am so used to use my car.
I even managed to find my way back again!

We (Elin and I) spend the afternoon with sorting wool and it was a lot !!!

You will understand that this is woolheaven for us!!

Some of the wool was in great condition and a lot wasn´t.

We do not agree on all of the wool though so Elin has to proof something!!
I´ll hope see managed because then I will save also a bit more wool than I used too.

We will see.

In the evenings I made a new friend: Frasse !

Here he is lying on my lap while I was spinning.
He sure loves the rhythm of the spinningwheel and my lap.

So relaxed and cosey.

The days went by so fast and now I am home again.

Elin offered to wash my Värmlandwool so that was staying behind, together with my Ashford Joy that she wants to test. So I am forced to spinn on my Majacraft Little Gem.

My värmland wool

Will be very nice to see here again. 

Love that girl !!

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More project finished today

I have been busy today.
First I finished my bag and I finished my amugurumi dragon.

Isn´t he the cutest?
He will be soon on his way to The Netherlands.

I had to make some samples as well from the Merino/silk bland from Ashford and today I did the Pomegranite and the Mulberry and turned out pretty nice. I spun 15 gram of each and twined it Andean style.

Mulberry

Pomegranite

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Workshop

How time flies!!!

Yesterday it was a week ago that we started the workshop spinning and dyeing.

We have had a marvelous, productive week with beautiful weather, good food and good company

Our participants has done a lot of different things like felting, dyeing with different methods, weaving and even how to learn to spin.

We have also visited Klässbols Linen Mill and the ladies loved it. 

We went on a saturday and the machines were not running so it was nice and quiet and we had all the time of the world to admire the work.

Shopping in Arvika was also one of the events on the agenda and you have a lot of small second hand shops and the ladies bought a lot of weaving cloths.

In the evenings we chatted and knitted and sometimes span as well on the veranda with a good glas of wine. 

I had a fantastic week and if you want a week like this as well. Just let me know!

A small photo impression!!

Enjoying the view

Lunch at Olssons Brygga in Arvika

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