More Secret Smorgling projects.

A "Secret Smorgling" is a little box with 160g of random fibres. It's sold by Nunoco and they are often in the shop.
These are such a great idea, the yarn is always "one of a kind" and a pleasure to knit with because all the variations. I specially like the little roving packs that have some sparkle in them, that shows up in the yarn and final project.
For the challenge on Ravelry we have to use up all the box.

I finished 2 more "boxes" for the Secret smorgling challenge:

The first box:

Made these "Smorgling Fiddlehead" mittens:

Smorgling Fiddlehead Mittens

This is the first time I'm making mittens and I really like them. I had to spin 3 different yarns for this project: a light and dark for the colorwork and a fine yarn for the lining.

The 2 thicker yarns are n-plied to keep the colors clear. I've devided the fibre in 2 parts to make two matching yarns (for the 2 mittens).

The lining is a 2 ply yarn, mostly browns (from the "Hen batt") and a little greens.

and with the rest of the yarn I made a sweet little "Bonnie Wee mouse":

With my second box I made this "Spring Dreams Shawl":

For this one I spun all the fibre of the box as a 2-ply yarn. The colors are all mixed, but there's a bit of a gradient because I tried to keep the greens and pinks at the same side.

The fibre:

The yarn:

(dark weather in Belgium)

I love the texture of the garter stitch in combination with the lace parts in this pattern. I made it a little bigger by repeating one of the lace charts (to use op the yarn).

For the bind of I chose an I-cord edging. 

Detail while blocking:

This has been a fun challenge, I hope there will be more in the future :).

Secret Smorgling project 2

I finished a project for the Challenge from Nunoco on Ravelry, it's actually two projects:

I started with this fibre: a little box of surprises:

Secret Smorgling

I made 2 groups, with light and dark colors, and spun two yarns. The light fibres are carded with the hand carders, they made a yarn that slowly changes color. For the dark colors I used small bits of the fibres in random order, then navajo-plied. It made a yarn with bright colors. (Difficult to take good pictures because of the dark weather here in Belgium...)

The stranded jacket is made first, I wanted light flowers on a dark background. The pattern is the "Circular stranded surprise jacket". I liked that I could draw my own chart for this. The jacket came out a little small and used only 75g of the yarn...but I think it's really cute.

Then I made the regular surprise jacket, with random stripes to use up all the yarn:

I have to finish my doll from my first Smorgling now ;)

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Knitting part 3, a little dress

I can't continue with the doll-body until the eyes are delivered, so knitted the dress already.
A dress filled with leaves ;)
I used all the yarn from the mini- Bilberry-Zest batt.

Forest-theme dress.

Back collar detail

The colors are not very acurate in these photo's, I hope I can take better photo's when the doll is finished.

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Knitting part 2

The doll has feet and hair now :).
I made the feet like mini-socks with some white and a bit of the Beryl-green. (filled them already on this photo)

For the hair I've sewn on strands of yarn around the grey edge, then sewn strands on the top. (see photo...)
It's a special hairstyle for a special doll...

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Knitting part 1

I decided to do a fun (first?) project for the challenge: a doll!
I started the head with the dark grey yarn and the tan-colored yarn. The body is knitted with batt-dropping yarn.

Used 'white rabbit' for the panties and continued the legs with a striped yarn from the mixed merino packs. I'm knitting them two at a time on a circular needle, using one strand from outside and one strand from the inside of a center-pull ball... (The colors of the second half of the yarn are spun in reversed order to make that possible.)

This will become a lovely big-headed big eyed doll. I've ordered some big safety eyes for her and have to wait with knitting the arms until they arrive.
I'm not using a pattern so the final result will be a surprise for me too :).

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Spinning part 3

The final yarns from this box:

I  had an idea for a project, but after spinning I'll have to change it a bit. Some yarns came out very different than planned :).

These are the fibres/yarn photo's:

N-ply 27m/15g

3 ply 46m/18g

N-ply 64m/28g

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Spinning part 2

The first batt: "Bilberry Zest" is 90% Merino and 10% Silk. The colors are green, orange and purple.
This is very nice fibre and easy to spin a fine single.

Ready to ply

I made this gradient 2 ply yarn:

103m/25g

This was my lovely batt-dropping: greens, blue, pink...

Made this n-plied yarn:

70m/29g

I'm now starting the mixed merino packs, to make self-striping yarn.

Secret Smorgling Challenge: Spinning part 1

I'll need different small skeins for my project. To start I made combinations of a blended top sample and 2 colors from a mixed roving pack:

Skein 1: 3 ply with 2 singles "March Hare" and 1 single from the two mixed rovings.
I hold the rovings side by side and draft them together, this blends the colors over all the yarn.

48m/17g

Skein 2:3 ply with 2 singles "Antique Rose" and 1 single from the two mixed rovings.

40m/16g

Skein 3: 3 ply with 2 singles "Cobweb" and 1 single from the two mixed rovings.

45m/17g

Secret Smorgling Challenge, the start

For this challenge you have to use all the fibres of a "Secret Smorgling" box in one project! the Smorgling is a box with 160g random fibres sold by Nunoco on Etsy.

So.... a box filled with surprises... a spinning challenge... and a designing challenge? I'm in :)

This is the contents of my Smorgling:

Batts:

- 25g Bilberryzest

- 25g batt dropping

Blended tops:

- 10g Antique Rose 

- 10g White Rabbit

- 10g Cobweb

- 10g Goosebumps

- 10g March Hare

- 10g Beryl

Mixed roving packs:

- 25g Rockpool

- 25g Robin Hood

the Blueberryzest Batt, so lovely, will make a fine gradient yarn...

Batt-dropping, looking forward to spinning this :)

I like the combination of fibres, the colors are mostly light and natural. It looks like a forest-theme to me... 

I had a few ideas for a project in mind, but after looking at this fibres, I think I know what this Smorgling wants to be...I'll have to make a few different yarns, so starting the spinning yeah....