Casting Off, Casting On

My Chone Forest vest is complete!

I’m really happy with how it turned out, and expect it will get lots of wear once the weather turns cool. Instead of buttons at the base of the collar where there is overlap I am using a cool hammered copper shawl pin that I picked up at the WSU Country Living Expo last year. I think it gives it a little artsy flair 🙂

And as soon as I had that wrapped up, I fell headlong into another vest project- this one for John of Marietta Shetlands. He brought me the yarn on Saturday- and hopefully I can turn it into a sharp-looking vest in time for the Fiber Fusion even in mid-October. So no time to waste. I’ve been swatching and putting together a plan, hoping to cast on for real tonight or tomorrow.

(Funny, I didn’t even notice until just now how similar the diamond pattern I selected for John’s vest is to the cables in Forest. Some sort of weird subliminal thing going on?)

Anyway- as if that wasn’t enough excitement for one weekend ,,,, look what followed me home yesterday!

I’m such a wheel junkie. 🙂 But how can you say no to such a beauty?

She’s in excellent shape, and it looks like she might even be able to share bobbins with Sigrid, my other Scandinavian wheel. She’s also got adjustable maiden slots.

And she’s a sweet spinner. Seen a lot of service, as evidenced by the grooves worn in her flyer arms

the wear on the edges of the orifice

and wear patterns in the treadle

Welcome to the herd Elsa!