I've been on a cotton bender lately. A few weeks ago I demo-ed at a friends booth at an event and, once again, people were fascinated by the magic of cotton. To me, that's the only word to use. There is something so magical about how this stuff grows (the flowers change colors and the seeds burst their bolls), how it comes right off the seed and how it spins up. It was very satisfying to have women and men stand by me watching it all happen and being as entranced as I am. It's like we were all just standing back watching a wonder of nature unfold right before our eyes.
I was going to use this cotton in a particular baby item but found that the thread is not suited to the technique I was going to use so I'll need to figure out something else to do with it. For anyone who has never felt handspun cotton and who only knows cotton as that heavy or rough stuff that usually comes from commercially produced yarn or thread, they would be even more amazed at how light and soft and cushy this stuff is.
On a more wooly note, remember the Polworth yarn I was unhappy with? Here's what happened to it:
Still no better spun but as pretty as can be. This is the advantage to the Navajo plying and keeping the colors pure. You get great striping like this. I'm the most pleased at the scarf and how perfectly these vintage buttons matched the yarn.
The scarf pattern is very simple. I cast on about 24 stitches and worked K2, P2 ribbing until I almost ran out of yarn then I crocheted the edge, including 3 loops for the buttons. I attached the buttons at an angle so it would sit right when around the neck. Easy, peasy.
