Babymoon Robe!

Kim Werker's Crocheted Gifts book officially comes out on August 1st, but I hear there are already copies in bookstores! I just added my project to Ravelry and thought I'd share it with you here!



The Babymoon Robe is for new mamas. So many mamas get tons of baby things as gifts, which is great, but it's also nice to give a little something for mom. Crocheted in soft cotton, it's cozy and washable, and easily undone for the whole breastfeeding thing.



Speaking of breastfeeding, for the longest time I couldn't think of a good name for the project. I mean, now that it's named what it's named, I don't know why it wasn't immediately obvious. But for a long time the working name was Mastitis Robe. Which isn't very pretty but was humorous back when I was crocheting as fast as my little fingers could go, trying to finish the sample on time. Sheesh.



If you make this robe, be aware that it's a little bit heavy (not uncomfortably so) and may stretch. To that end, it might be a good idea to reinforce the shoulder stitching. The pattern calls for slip-stitch seaming; a whip stitch may not be strong enough.

The other projects in the book are really nice too. My favorites are Julie Holetz's Sisal Spiral Rug, Lisa Naskrent's Organic Indulgence Washcloths, and Katie Himmelberg's Sea Star Pendant. Take a look at it next time you're at the bookstore!

Back in January, I finally took the plunge and bought a drop spindle.

The whorl is square, and it's made from birds-eye maple. I spun with it for several months, and loved it - but soon I wanted the ability to spin more than a few feet at a time, and I started lusting after spinning wheels. I looked at Schacht (ack, expensive!), I looked at Louet (too modern-looking), and I looked at Ashford (just right!), and then I started monitoring Craigslist.

I also got in touch with a local woman from Ravelry (hi JaKay!) who invited me to her house to play with her '70s-era Ashford Traditional. I spent two hours there, and fell in lurve.

There were no wheels on Craigslist and I was getting antsy (yes, once I make up my mind I must HAVE IT RIGHT NOW!) and then I remembered that a friend of the family liked to spin and sent her an email to see if I could borrow her wheel for a bit while I saved up some money for one of my own. It turns out she was planning on selling her '70s-era Ashford Traditional! So last week I stopped by picked it up, to borrow for a bit with the intention of buying it.



Isn't she purdy? She needs a little bit of TLC, though:

It's a teensy bit rusty. I need to figure out how to take it apart so I can clean the wood, and get the rust off the metal on the flyer. See where the yarn touches the flyer? There's a little groove in the wood. I think it's been worn into the wood by the wool.

So my shopping list includes some good non-silicone furniture cleaner (or Murphy Oil Soap), linseed oil, beeswax (not sure where to get that though), and some oil with a long thin applicator to fit into the grooves. And steel wool. And hopefully someone who knows how to play with all of it just in case I get lost. :)