Hooked on Handspun

I think I’ve mentioned a time or two that I’ve the craving to knit baby sweaters.  Piles and piles of baby sweaters.  I tried to be patient and wait until we knew whether we were having a boy or a girl.  But my willpower is not that strong.

Now, many of you, I’m sure, have the pleasure of seeing something from start to finish because you spin.  I, on the other hand, do not.  I’ve never spun yarn, although I’d love to try one day.  But I did have the opportunity to see a beautiful pile of roving transform into a beautiful little sweater. 

Back before Easter, I joined in on an Easter swap (do you remember?).  My swap partner was Susan B. Anderson.  Yes, I know, I talk about her a lot on this blog.  She’s completely inspirational and I’d love to meet her one day.  (In the knitting world, she’s a celebrity, and one who’s on the top of my list!)  I was so excited to have Susan to spoil.  Susan had mentioned on her blog wanting to try the roving from Maine Woods Yarn & Fiber.  So I found some very spring-like roving named Hyacinth in blues, yellows, purples, and a tiny bit of green.  Off it went to Susan’s home.

I read on Susan’s blog about how she spun it up and enjoyed the yarn, and I admired all her spinny goodness (it’s nice to see someone appreciate a gift you’ve given).  So you can imagine how shocked I was when one day I get a text from Mr. Man telling me I have a package from Susan Anderson on our kitchen counter!  What in the world could it be??  Why handspun yarn of course!!  Susan had sent me back the yarn she’d spun from the fiber I sent her.  (Along with another little treat, a Spud & Chloe tape measure that I love!)

My plan was to find a pattern, like a shawl or fingerless mitts or a hat, for me, myself and I.  This was, after all, special yarn.   I perused every day, several times a day it seemed.  I'd pick out a pattern and then change my mind.  Find another pattern, change my mind again.  (Do you know where this is going?)  Now is a good time to ask - do you find a pattern and then the yarn to match, or do you find yarn you love and let it speak to you and tell you what it wants to become?  I usually am of the former group.  I have a pattern I've been loving, and then match it to the perfect yarn.


This is the first time I've had yarn tell me what it wants to become.  It didn't just tell me...it was screaming at me!  This had to be a baby sweater.  So the quest was on.  I landed on the free pattern, Puerperium Cardigan.  But it was only written for newborn.   But she'd expanded the pattern to 2+ years, so I purchased Beyond Puerperium, and cast on for the 0-3 month size.

This sweater flew off the needles! It was so fun to see how the yarn changed and what the cardigan became.  In my opinion (and Mr. Man's), this is a girly sweater with the purples, yellows and blues.  So after a good blocking....

.....it deserved girly buttons!  I found these at an LYS I recently found - between the flowers and the polka dots i think it's perfect. :)

Like I said, many of you have seen a project from roving to yarn to project to done.  Now I have too, and I will admit that I'm hooked on handspun.  :)