It seems like I've been working on the Low Tide Cross Over Vee for ages, and with much relief and happy knitting/spinning satisfaction, it's finally done! I really enjoyed starting with raw fleece and ending with a completed sweater.

I'm waiting for special order moose antler buttons to arrive for the sweater to be really completed. They are being made in Maine, which is where I grew up. The pattern for this sweater was designed by a lady from Maine as well, I thought that was pretty cool.

The whole sweater is knitted in stocking knit, so the knitting went really quickly. The finishing took some time as there is a hand spun lace crochet edge:

The lace edge is 50/50 llama and hand dyed alpaca. The picture doesn't show the color well on the lace, but it's gray, blue and brown. It reminds of the rocky coast in Maine. Can you tell Ive been a little homesick lately? I'm dying for some LOBSTER. Mostly for a a lobster roll, that's cold (cooked) lobster mixed with little bit of mayo, possibly a small amount of lettuce served on a grilled hot dog bun. I had one at a Red Sox game one time that was served on croissant and the lobster meat had dill mixed with it. Now that was wicked good :)

Miss Moosie Has Arrived

Last year I saw a blurb in Spin Off about drop spindles made out of naturally shed Moose antlers. Being originally from Maine, land of many Moose, and Moose being one of my favorite animals, naturally I had to find out more. These gorgeous hand turned, one of a kind spindles are made by Jonathan and Sheila Bosworth of Journey Wheel in Acton, Massachusetts.

I went to their web site to order a spindle and found out that there was a waiting list. I added my name to the list and about six weeks ago, got an email that my Moosie was to be in the next group. I was so excited, it was all I could talk about at home for the last few weeks!

All through the process of making the spindle, Shelia would email updates and then finally pictures of the whorls. You choose which four you like the best, and in order of who emails back first with their requests, the spindles are assigned. Next we chose the wood for the spindle - I left this up to Sheila and she chose Bocote which has a stunning stripe pattern in it.

The finished Moosie arrived on Saturday with a sample of HOT PINK SPARKLY roving on it. Since Sheila and I have never met, I have no idea how she would know that hot pink is one of my most favorite colors and well, being much like a mag pie, I love anything sparkly.

Here is Miss Moosie:

She spins wonderfully! So wonderfully, that I couldn't stop spinning after using up the sample of roving:

Thank you Sheila and Jonathan!