Where to start!!!

Goodness, it feels like ages since I've plopped myself down to type here... Lots have happened since my last post. I got my spindle and it's great; which inspired me to go looking for a wheel. Now, brand new they are very expensive(although I was ready to start saving!). So I looked on ebay and found nothing that tempted me buying a second hand one there(shipping was insane, there ended up being no savings!). I also went to my LYS(The Elegant Ewe) but they only had new ones. Then I went to various websites about spinning, including guilds and spinning groups... nothing. Finally, as a long shot, I searched on craigslist.org to see if there was anyone local(yea right!) looking to get rid of one. Yep, I found one in the next town over; an Ashford Traditional in EXCELLENT shape, as well as a set of hand carders, a lazy kate with three extra bobbins, and a ball winder...

For all this, I paid $35.00!!! I named her(the wheel, silly) Lucky. I figured it was appropriate. Since then I've had her tuned up at The Ewe(all free of charge, they rock!) and I even bought some fiber! I had some white fiber left over from the spindle I bought(and still use, I might add) and I've had fun dying that with some kool aid in my crock pot(I love the looks I get when I tell people this... Yarn... dyed with kool aid... in your what? crock pot?).

Red and purple! I even tried plying! It's not a huge ball, but it's my first completed one!

Just look how soft that is, you can actually see it! Alpaca spins up nicely too!

Yep, so it's been a busy week or so. I've finished up the IYP5 swap with smashing results! A swap journal and tons of craft supplies!!! Go sewknitter! Pictures are in my flickr, should you feel the urge... And because I can't seem to sit out a round of SSS, I'm working on finishing up my items from round seven, there are pictures of that in my flickr as well. And(swap-aholic, I know) I just joined the Frankenteddy swap; each swapper downloads and cuts out the pieces of a teddybear pattern, then we send different pieces to different people. For example, one person will the the legs I cut out and I'll get theirs, then another will get the arms I cut out and I'll get theirs... In the end I will have all the parts I need to make the bear(I'm actually making two, one for each of my kids) but in different fabrics. Should be fun! I'm stalking a few other swaps as well; the Heart Swap(I could leave or take that one) and the Not-So-Kitschy Kitchen Swap(want...). If I can manage to finish up SSS7 or the cutting for Frankenteddy... I don't want to over commit myself, plus I'm traveling to Florida at the end of Feb...

Craft On All!