My Birthday Present to me......Finished Cleaning Fleece!

Yesterday was my 28th birthday, only 2 years off 30! Although you may think that would scare me, I'm actually excited about getting closer to thirty, I think there will be certain changes in personal growth/perspectives/opinions that can only come with age. After all, I know I am not the person I was in my teens, so how could you expect to be the same in your 30's as in your 20's? Personally, I love change. I embrace it.

My birthday gift to myself was not planned, although certainly hoped for. I had the goal of finishing washing all of Ebony's fleece before Christmas, as I am hosting and I didn't want wet fleece covering surfaces. And to my pleasant surprise, the last few batches (had to do it in batches in a bucket.....no top loader washing machine) finished drying yesterday. In time for me to enjoy looking at all the clean, washed fleece spread out over a table.

I managed to seperate it into 2 pillowcases, one bag lighter fleece, the other darker. I think I will try to spin them seperately and ply them together. I tried weighing it all, and although not overly accurate, I have about 3kgs of grey fleece. That should keep me spinning for a while! I have no idea the breed, only that it belonged to an ewe, the staple is quite long and the color variations in the fleece are gorgeous.

So Happy Birthday me! 

Spring Clean the Queue

Today I realised that my Ravelry queue had gotten a little out of hand, over 25 pages and I couldn't remember most of the things I had queued! So I went through the queue and deleted many things I had queued just bcause I liked them. Things that no one I know would wear, like little girl dresses and baby clothes. Although they are cute, I don't need the patterns saved. I can re-search for them again when I need them.

I also deleted many toys I had saved that I intended to make for my son, but realistically, he doesn't play with soft toys, and I just donated a few garbage bags full of stuffed toys as they were just collecting dust.

There were many items I had queued for my daughter, and many of them weren't sized for her anymore. Rather than rewrite patterns, I realised that making the smallest size of some women's garments would be her size. So no more little girl patterns.

As for garments for me, I removed many that I realised I had queued just because I liked them not because they would be wearable for me. As I went through these I considered whether they would be suitable for anyone else.....mainly mum, and those I kept. The rest.....gone. Anything that was in a thick yarn that I didn't absolutely adore went too, I much prefer to knit from 8ply and 5ply yarns (dk and sport) I don't mind 10ply (worsted) but I prefer the finer gauge. More yardage for your money and I think that garments in a finer gauge look better too.

So now I feel lighter, and my queue less cluttered. I'm sure that by this time next year I will have to spring clean my queue again, and some things saved now will be deleted and new beauties will be kept. With 17 pages left, I stil have plenty to inspire me and keep me busy!

Til next time..........Danielle xoxox