"New" tech toy for pattern writing

My mom loaned me a new tech toy this week. It's one of those Dragon Naturally Speaking headsets with the software. I'm not sure if it saved me any time yet, because I'm still "training my Dragon." There are a lot of abbreviations in knitting that I have to train it to recognize. Seems to recognize my voice just fine, but some of the terms that I use seem to be a little confusing for it. However, it was a lot easier to speak what I needed to type instead of trying to type it all in and going back and forth between the page and the program.

I have wanted one of these for a very long time. Always thought it would be cool to be able to dictate my stories instead of typing them in. I think once we both get the hang of it will be a lot easier. I'm actually writing this post using it! so just put a little plug-in for the Dragon Naturally Speaking, with a little training and effort it can make things a lot easier.



No, I am not trying to sell Dragon. I just think the coincidence of my business name being Mystical Beast and to be speaking in a "Dragon voice" is really wild. I think it also gains extra points because many pattern is named Dragon Wings. If you would like to try it out yourself, I put the link to it above. I will get a little change from Amazon if you buy it.

I just finished up the test knit for, "Bells and Lyres." Hoping to make final adjustments to it and send it off to my Ravelry pattern group sometime tomorrow. I'm also hoping to finish photographing Kitty I get it uploaded to my Etsy store. Kitty has been ready for a while now, but with all of the alpaca spinning I haven't had a chance for pictures yet. So look for in the next couple of days!

Dragons Unicorns Fairies and Mystical Beasts

Back in March I decided to leave work because all of my children came home to homeschool. It has been quite a busy adventure! We will continue with it through next year as well. I started a blog based on our home education plans and projects called Little Lyons Homeschool. If you're into home education, why not stop by and take a look?

In other news...

I have also given up my quilting business, Freckle Dots. I still run an Etsy store in which I will post any sewing and/or quilting projects I have completed and that are up for sale. However, I am no longer doing custom tshirt quilts. It just became too much of a hassle, too big of quilts, and not enough time to invest in them.

Spinning also became a new passion in my life to add to the eclectic tendencies I already have. And I'm not talking about spinning as in a bicycle. Spinning as in making yarn from wool, cotton, and many other fibers. I bought a little bunny by the name of Easter. She is an English angora, pretty as can be, and mean as a snake. She's a rescue bunny, and I had no idea what I was getting into when I got her. I was told she was a good wool bunny, which she is, but her first year of handling was obviously traumatic and she's not the friendliest thing. But I still love her.

She also takes horrible pictures! Here she is between the barriers
I set up for her so she could play out on the porch. She loves to find
little hideaway places. Shh..you can't see her. 

I intend to use her fur to spin wonderful angora yarns. Of course, everything is harvested humanely and I have no intentions of maiming or otherwise mistreating her. Her fur will grow very long in just a few months and it is more of a necessity to prevent her from dying from wool block than it is an animal use things. Yet, admittedly, beneficial to me as well!

In view of my new passion and positive feedback I've received on my yarns, I also started a business called Mystical Beast. Mystical Beast is a little different because I not only sell the yarn, but every yarn also has a story (Get it? Yarn? Story?). I am inspired by the colors that I spin, the way things seem to come together as it is stretched into a fiber, and becomes an entirely new creature when plyed and set. I have always loved writing. I may not be the greatest author in the world, but I think I can pen a fair prose when prompted.

So far I have up only a couple of yarns. Each has a story that comes with it. The stories are just snippets of impressions, scenery, or the creatures they represent. All will have a mystical theme of some sort, involving fairies, dragons, unicorns, or the places in which they live.

So you can find me here, of course. I will not be changing the blog name because it is now a domain name. I think everyone pretty much understands that things on this blog are subject to change with or without notice, but one things remains the same - my passion for crafting.

You can find me on Facebook, Ravelry, Google+, and Big Cartel. I hope you will check me out on these sites, follow or like or whatever.

I also would like it if you could check out some of the folks that helped me get to opening a new store. Art of the Spin on Facebook and Etsy is my batt supplier for the two yarns above. Style Point Design designed all of the logos, headers, and avatars for my shops. I always want to give credit where credit is due! 

Tuesday Needlework: Yarn Bombing

Obviously I knit and crochet. Obviously I love yarn and many things made from it. I think it is an art form that some master with skill. I find value in wool, cotton, and natural materials gathered, spun, dyed, and distributed. Obviously I think yarn bombing is the biggest waste of time, energy, talent, and yarn that ever existed. Yep, I said it. It's a waste. I'm a huge fan of art, too. Creating it and distributing it and appreciating it. In a wide variety of forms. But to me, yarn bombing is a desperate cry for nothing better to do with one's time than make tubes to tie on trees.

It looks terrible. Nature can never be improved in any way by knitting something to put on it. And defacing someone else's art (statues, sculptures, etc.) by putting YOUR yarn on it is sacrilegious. It irritates me in ways I can't even explain. Especially when I see these long works that took hours to make (and who knows how much wool and/or polluting acrylics) draped over some bush in the park, doing nothing more than interfering with natural beauty and wildlife. And why in the world would it make any kind of a statement to cover a bridge in yarn? The whole thing just grates on my nerves and I want to scream, "DO SOMETHING GOOD WITH YOUR TALENT! If you want to use up yarn and time, do it for a good cause!"

Then, I seen this:

My Facebook was blowing up with it! Not only was it being shared by every single knitting group that I like, but my friends were also sharing it. According to CTVNews this yarn bomber was leaving notes attached that said to "take the scarf it you need it!" Wow. I'm already impressed. No name was associated with it, just a good Samaritan. THIS was impressive. THIS was important. THIS was worthwhile. 

I run an organization called Warm up the Boro. I collect and make hats and scarves to donate to the needy in our community. I've been doing it for a little over a year now, and we just had our first distribution. It's been difficult to get donations locally, so I have some plans to try and expand it. BUT! I wish you could've seen the faces of those that got their new hats this past weekend. Many were overjoyed and enormously thankful. 

Donation day. We had already given out a bunch of hats!

Part of our collection! 

No, I didn't yarn bomb, but I can see the potential in this! Whoever did this doesn't care what your circumstances are, here is a free scarf. This was done with intent and purpose and a great outcome. 

Now, before someone jumps down my throat about my OBVIOUS hatred of yarn bombing, let me say that I DO know that some of these other works are donated to shelters and such after the bombing. That's great. I really can't say anything bad about that. My distaste comes from those that just leave it. I've never met a fire hydrant that needed a scarf. Not. One. Although a dog could probably see some wiping value in it. 

Now about knitting and crocheting food...

Yarn for the Shhh! Project has arrived!

I received my hand-dyed silk and merino blend yarn in a luscious tangerine color a couple of days ago. The pattern uses a combination of sock weight and lace weight yarns. I would definitely be tempted to buy some to make matching accessories (like a lace shawl or scarf!!!) with the beautiful color variations.

Lace Weight (left) Sock Weight (right) of the silk/merino blend yarn for Shhh! Project

 Last night I spent 2 hours winding it into balls from the hank. Normally, I detest doing this. It takes up waaaayyy too much time and energy. Why buy a hank of very expensive yarn and then still have to sit there and wind it up in one way or another. Call me cheap, but if I'm paying over $10 for a hank of yarn, I want it wound. So I also don't normally buy hanks. Yep, I miss out on a lot of really cool yarn this way, but my hatred for winding trumps my love of fiber. This yarn was free with my test knit, though, and I wasn't too upset about having to wind it.

It was kind of nice by the second hank. The first hank came off of my chair back, got all twisted up, and took up the majority of one hour to finish untangling and winding. The second one went a lot smoother. Feeling the softness of the silk and merino glide through my fingers was nice, and the subtle color variations in the yarn were mesmerizing to watch come together.

I refuse to buy a swift and put all that money into something that just holds the hanks. Maybe one day I'll find one used and pay a reasonable price for it. I don't own a yarn winder either. If and when I have to roll a ball, I use my hand to get it started, then put a knitting needle in the middle of it and wind around the needle. This saves my fingers some unnecessary stress too!

Of course, after the fact I thought I should have looked online to see if I could find easier ways of doing it. Lionbrand has a great tutorial on making a center-pull skein of yarn. With just a slip knot I could have done the same thing, because this is how I wind my yarn balls on the knitting needle!

If you have a technique for winding your yarn from hanks to balls, please let me know. And remember, I'm all for little to no added expense!!!