Handspun Rules

I have rules about my knitting. They are self-imposed rules, obviously, and they work for me. For instance, I always have a sock on the needles and I start the second sock as soon as I finish the first sock. I have another rule about not wearing a handknit until I have blogged it. This means I haven’t worn Flyingdales yet and while I’d love to be wearing it, I don’t break my own rules.

Anyway.

I have made a new rule for myself. I will (try) to always have a handspun project on the needles. I love spinning, I love my handspun, but I so often just throw it in a basket and forget about it. That’s not good because then a weekend like SPA or Rhinebeck comes up and I want to buy more fiber and, well, it’s hard to justify buying more stuff to spin when there’s a lot of handspun just sitting around.

In keeping with this rule, I started Baktus.

Baktus Start resized for blog

And I’m using handspun. Don’t ask me what it is, I’m terrible about labeling my handspun. Maybe I need another rule.

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This Post Has 35 Comments

  1. Isn’t the saying, “Rules were made to be broken” ? Wear Flyingdales! I’ve been looking at Baktus. Looks like a fun knit.

  2. I’ve tried rules and they don’t work well for me. 😉 You have some good rules, however. You really must show more knitting and I think you now have two sweaters to show! I should knit with my handspun, too. Have a wonderful weekend!!!

  3. I had the same thought about labeling too!! I was sorting fiber and found several unlabeled purchases — I was annoyed at my record keeping (or lack thereof). I starting spinning some Spunky fiber last night (I hadn’t spun in a while) so that I can be with you guys in spirit!

    Have fun — will miss being there!

  5. We have something else in common… I too have similar rules. It’s why I never have more than 3 UFOs at one time. Usually one sock project and one longer term project.

    I applaud you for giving yourself boundaries and keeping it reigned in. We all know how easily the yarn consumes our brains. It’s a good thing they tend to grow back. 😛

    You have inspired me to take a look at my handspun and follow suit. I have a lot of handspun and it deserves to be used.

  7. I like the new rule about knitting your handspun. Your Baktus looks beautiful. But I don’t like the “don’t wear until blogged” rule! You should wear Flyingdales! 🙂

  8. Your handspun looks yummy. I recently dusted off my wheel and have been spinning like a madwoman. Creating lots of yarn, but nothing yet on the needles. I like that rule and the baktus idea too. I just printed that pattern last week – it looks cool but it hadn’t occurred to me to use handspun. I bet I have several hanks with enough yardage for it. I’ve been motivated too, by the 10 minutes a day Rav group. Thanks for your continuing inspiration! T

  19. It’s so pretty! I definitely need a rule that says that whenever I finish a skein of handspun, I put a label on it that says what the fiber is, where it came from, and the yardage. I just need to buy those string tags!

  20. Maybe you could sell your handspun when you don’t feel inspired to knit it all up. It’s always so pretty, it would fly off the shelf! Non-spinning knitters like me would greedily stockpile it. And then you can justify more fiber purchases…

  22. When I used to spin a lot (a LOT!), I kept basic notes in a binder. Fiber, vendor, yards per pound, then yards per skein. Assigned a simple code (A1, A2, etc., then B1, B2…) and used cheap card stock hang tags with just the code to label the skeins. Worked really well.

    I’ve been trying to remember the name of that scarf pattern — thank you! Put it in my queue.

  23. Beautiful! I’m knitting a Baktus scarf using my handspun as well. I’m pretty sure it’s merino and silk because I blogged about it. If it weren’t for my occasional blogging I wouldn’t know what I’d done. I don’t label things either.

  24. I love those colors, Carole!

    I have a hard enough time keeping the labels with things that already come labeled, never mind having to label it myself in the first place! ; )

  26. Those colors are amazing! I might have to give that spinning stuff a whirl someday … and I have knitted a pattern that you haven’t? Yikes!

  27. I think the first rule should be to enjoy it – further rules only if they’re not too annoying/limiting 😉

  28. Labeling is good, but enjoying the knitting is better… though it helps if I want to enter something in the fair to at least remember the fiber content, LOL.

  29. Aren’t all the rules there so we can break them? I saw a baktus recently out of handspun (on Ravelry, sadly for me not in person!), and it was lovely. Yours will be too.

  30. Baktus is a great pattern for colorful handspun. I had some incorrigible handspun that refused to cooperate in any pattern I tried but Baktus turned it into a beauty! lol

  31. Ooops, forgot…google Baktus to see the variations people have done. There are several Baktus variations done in lace that are available.

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