Friday, June 12, 2009

Handspun Friday - Wensleydale

I spun this yarn back in the middle of April. It's nothing mind blowing, except I like the curly locks of Wensleydale. I dyed this fiber myself. After finishing the yarn I overdyed it with black.

predrafting Wensleydale-1

I had these hanging there for a while, before I got to spinning it. That's probably why one day Biko chewed one of the strands when she felt sick. She's always looking for fiber, mostly grass and leaves, when she feels sick, but that day she had to go look for something inside. I heard a funny noise coming from the living room and saw her standing there, chewing it. :o) To make it easier for her, I let her outside into the backyard.

Biko chewed on a lock of Wensleydale, because she felt sick

The color before overdyeing was briliant, later it turned a little dull, but that's what I was going for.

Wensleydale - teal
The two skeins look a like, but I've spun one a little thicker than the other, got too impatient with it.

fiber: 8oz Wensleydale
yarn: 1.skein: 199yds - 16WPI, 2.skein: 152yds - 14WPI
plying method: navajo plied

Don't know yet what to do with it, off in the handspun bin it goes.

***

Don't think it's going on like this forever!

June 12, Cherries cake-4
My husband's leaving on Monday, and after that there will be no more cake!!!
I made this cherries cake this morning and had a slice all by myself. Will share with the rest of the family later. Claudia, I'm back to using my big mugs for tea. I think the nice china will have to wait for company!
I used the same dough as for the apricot cake (did remember to double the recipe), but instead of almond extract I put some vanilla and brandy extract in it. I left the pits in the cherries to safe the juices.

Hope you are all having a nice weekend!

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26 comments:

GoldenTracks said...

Love the color! Glad Biko didn't eat it all.

So where's the recipe for the cherry cake...you could email it to me, you know....Like I need it.

shannon said...

i LOVE the color of that yarn!!! brilliant job, monika!

the cherry cake looks amazing, too.

Sharon V said...

Your spinning is lovely, and your cherry cake is overwhelmingly beautiful!

If I could knit in front of the cake that would be like being in love twice!

Enjoy your weekend.

angella said...

what lovely wool/yarns, and i too prefer the almost dark teal-ish colour after the black overdye. that wave is gorgeous!

and, now i'm hungry, good lookin' cake!

wanderrast said...

deine Wolle sieht wirklich schön aus, der Farbton ist gelungen.
bei uns brauchen die Kirschen leider noch, momentan werden die ersten Erdbeeren zögerlich rot.
auch dir ein schönes Wochenende Elfi

lexa said...

Gorgeous color in your new yarn! And that cake looks delicious. :)

Frieda said...

Oh Monika , that looks yummy , both the cherry cake and the handspun ! I really like the finished yarn , just perfect. Nice work .

BTW I baked the apricot cake today and it was just delicious ! Thanks for sharing the recipe . I see the cherry version in my future soon . You are an enabler in sooo many ways !

Brenda said...

For the mathematically challenged of us, can you translate the Grams mentioned in the Apricot Cake Recipe into cups? 160g would be 1 1/4 cups? Is that right?

Carrie K said...

Yum, cake.

The color is beautiful! I like the slightly toned version.

You let Biko into the yard to eat the roving more easily? Oooh....other fibers. ;) I guess it looks good enough to eat! lol.

Toby said...

Baked treats are my favorite. I'm almost yearning for a few rainy days so I can stay inside and bake, especially after seeing the lovely treats you've been showing us.

I also clicked over to your Flickr and drooled a bit over your spinning fibers set. :)

Mr Puffy's Knitting Blog: said...

When I first saw the picture of the blue fleece hanging over the chair I thought was an amazing scarf you had knit! What a gorgeous color. Your spinning of course is unbelievable.

My that cherry cake out on your patio with the cup of tea looks pretty inviting ~ I'll be right over. I'll even forgive the cup :)

Marianne said...

Your handspun is just lovely and what a gorgeous blue! Love the curly crimp in the fibre!
Mmmm, the cherry cake looks delish.
As to the flavouring... I always used almond extract in my cherry pies, eh?The two flavours seem to do very well with each other.

Anonymous said...

That color is so gorgeous! The cake looks so yummy too. You're such a temptress!

sgeddes said...

Lovely yarn and lovely cake! I wish you were close enough to visit!

Kris B said...

Love the colors of the wensleydale. I had the same thing happen with my last batch of spinning. After plying, one bobbin was thicker then the other. I think I have a consistency issue.

The cherries cake looks delicious.

Dave said...

Love the sheen and colour of that yarn -- yumm!

pat said...

I am now very hungry after reading your last post and this one - YUMMMMM!

lettuce said...

wonderful gorgous colour

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susannasplace said...

Kuchen ist immer gut, selbstgebackener erst recht. Du bist ja total im Häkelfieber *g*. Ich müsste mich auch mal wieder trauen, aber der Sunday Morning Scarf hat mich fest im Griff.

LG Susi

Ann said...

Love the color of your handspun - my fav color. That cherry slice looks yummy!

Angelika said...

I can't blame Biko for liking the fiber. It looks gorgeous. I love the sheen and it's hard to believe it comes from a sheep. You amaze me every time I see something fuzzy turned into real yarn and it seems to take you no time at all.

Renata S. P. said...

Hi Monika!
This blue handspun looks fantastic! Love the tone of it.
And about the cherry cake picture... just made me feel hungry!! hehehehe

Mrs. A said...

That is the best blue ever!!

Tina said...

Wow, this is great yarn! I like both colours, the brilliant as well as the overdyed. And the cherrycake sounds yummy. But I wouldn’t leave the the stones in, I think.

Monica aka Gloria Patre said...

What beautiful fiber! I'll have to keep Wensleydale in mind! what luster it has! Lovely finished yarn too! I love both shades of blue (before & after). Nice!

hannah said...

The yarn looks beautiful and the cake really yummy...