I hope your 2020 still feels as bright as a shiny new penny! This week, we get to have Show and Tell. I love doing these so much. It’s a chance to build up the Purple Lamb community by letting all of us see some great pattern ideas as well as how different yarn and fiber colorways work up.

First of all, I want to thank everyone who contributing photos of their projects. These are BEAUTIFUL! This time around, I have shawls, a scarf, a sweater, some rolags, and lots of wonderful socks.

I’m going to start with a few different projects made from Girl with a Pearl Earring. This was my club colorway for September 2019 and one of a few club colorways I have decided to start carrying regularly in my shop.

Let’s start with Nancy’s stunning shawl.

The pattern is the Beautiful Blossom Shawl by Michelle Krause. I love the lace, don’t you?

Next up are the socks that Nancy also made using the same Girl with a Pearl Earring yarn on Sock Perfection. Look at those wonderful little stripes!

Nancy is one of the founders of the local knitting group I am part of, and I’m pretty sure she always has a pair of socks on her needles. Her pattern is from the book, Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters (New Pathways for Sock Knitters) by Cat Bordhi. I looked on Amazon, and it looks like it’s only available used, but Nancy recommends it very highly. These have a really interesting and unique heel, and Nancy knits them using magic loop with two sets of circular needles.

I am not yet a sock knitter, but I really admire those who are.

I have one more project using Girl with a Pearl Earring. I made the colorway as art batts as well, and here is the yarn that Debbie spun using them:

This yarn is so elegant and dramatic all at once, and Debbie did a beautiful job spinning it!

Next up is Janice’s scarf that she crocheted using Starry Night on Sock Perfection.

She used the Snow Garden Scarf pattern by Sarah Gault. I think I have more knitters than crocheters among you, so I’m always especially happy to see a crocheted project. I especially love the tassels and eyelets, don’t you?

FYI, I actually have a few more skeins of Starry Night on Sock Perfection in stock right now, which is a rather rare occurrence.

Next, I have Nancy’s socks made using the colorway inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s Flower of Life II. That was my May club colorway and one of my personal favorites.

Again, these were made using Nancy’s favorite method by Cat Bordhi.

This is another colorway I would like to introduce into my shop. I just haven’t gotten to it yet. If you just need it now, let me know, and I’ll put it at the top of my list.

Next up is my own project. I had really hoped to have this done, but I’m still a few rows plus a picot bind-off from the end. This is Joji Locatelli’s Odyssey shawl. It’s a free pattern and Joji’s way of giving back.

I used three different colorways of my Squoosh DK to make it–West Fork in Autumn, November in My Soul, and Monet’s Cathedral. The Make Hole part of the pattern was really unique and different and a little bit of a challenge to figure out the first few times, but it has been a very enjoyable project.

This next project was knit by Sara using my Eowyn’s Mantle colorway.

Here is what Sara told me: “This is Mason-Dixon Knitting toe up method from field guide 11, basket weave instep. Then to step out of the short row heel box, I tried my first gusset heel using Jen Arnall-Culliford’s gusset heel technique.”

I love the basket weave instep, don’t you? So neat!

Next up is Marla’s sweater knit using La Boheme on Squoosh DK.

She used the Portage pattern by Melissa Schaschwary. You can just see a little bit of the gorgeous detail on the back, and aren’t those pockets wonderful? I was looking up the pattern, and it’s actually knit flat except for the sleeves. It looks fantastic!

Next up are Caroline’s lovely rolags that she made using fiber from my new Felting and Spinning Fiber Sets.

Aren’t rolags fun to spin? Caroline did a great job making these on her blending board.

I have one more pair of lovely socks for you made by Nancy using my August club colorway, which was inspired by Mary Cassatt’s “Young Mother Sewing.”

Now, before you scroll down to the final project, I have a SPOILER ALERT. If you got one of my Advent Calendar kits and you haven’t finished it and don’t want to see it ahead of time, just close your eyes, stop here, and I’ll see you next week.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT AHEAD

I have to admit that my own Advent Calendar kit–the same one as you’ll see in a minute–has not even been started yet. I promised myself that I would finish a couple other projects before I started it, and, well, I spend a lot more time dyeing than I do knitting. Can’t there just be a few more hours in the day? Please?

Anyway, I practically jumped up and down when Shirley sent me photos of her finished Purple Lamb Advent Calendar wrap. The kit included twenty-four 20 gram minis that I dyed in a gradient, adding colors to the middle and then subtracting them again to the end. It also included Ambah O’Brien’s Adventurer pattern.

Here it is:

Seeing this makes me even more excited to get started with it than I already was.  Here it is laid out:

That’s everything. I love seeing what you’re making, so please send me a photo or two anytime you think of it. It’s my goal to have a Show and Tell feature every couple months, so I’ll hang onto your photos until the next one.

Arizona Fiber Arts Retreat

As I mentioned last week, I’ll have a booth at the Arizona Fiber Arts Retreat (AFAR) in Prescott next weekend. I’ve been dyeing up a storm and have lots of new goodies in the shop right now.

I’m almost done with all the dyeing I need to do, but I have lots more art batts to make this week.

Hopefully I can find a bit of time to sit down and “chat” with all of you before AFAR next week, but if not, I’ll let you know how it went the following week.

Until then, happy fiber artistry!