Barn Raising Blocks

I mentioned that I had the ear infections and sinus infection that lasted a couple weeks. Then when I started to feel better, I was out and must have been around someone who had a cold because of course I caught it! Still coughing over it as well as William, then Brandon either got what we had, or a new one. By the end of the week I was sniffling and coughing with that one. UGH!

So June has been the month of illness and I wasn't inspired to jump into a project that might take thought. So I reached for my bag with the handspun ready to start a Barn Raising Block. I had added the leftover Portland Punch from my shawl, found a bit of mystery burgundy-purple that I can't find a record of spinning in my stash. There was also the bit of green that was a sample of Opulent Fiber that got over-dyed and knit into another block. This bit was the stuff that hadn't been over-dyed. I found a bit of Malabrigo Lace that couldn't be used for much so started a striped block, ran short so used some Misti Lace Alpaca on the edge. It makes a pretty block.

I went through the handspun yarn bin and found that I had called one block a Knitted Wit Lavender sample incorrectly, so decided to go ahead and use that to finish a block, make another block, and even start a striped block. There was the Crocus yarn that I had leftover from making fingerless mitts - the Kunigunde mitts. I did a whole block out of that. Washed and blocked it and found it was too big, so ended up frogging several rows back. Since I was in that mode, I pulled out the orange and cream striped block that was too big and corrected its size too. The leftovers of those reductions went into a block with pretty results.

I ended up with eleven new blocks. One fixed block and one that was just totally to use up the handspun yarn and doubt that it will end up in the blanket because its so different in weight and size to the others.

The one on the right is the one with Malabrigo lace and the Misti Lace Alpaca

The one on the right is the oddball yarn and a smidge small

I'm waiting for a nice day again to take all the blocks out and play with layout again. I suspect that I'll need another block of 'natural' colors to make a nine patch for those. I'd do another out of the camel, but that just seems to be a waste when I might get a pair of cuffs out of it. I have other natural color handspuns that might become blocks if needs be.

Tour de Fleece is coming up so there's more handspun yarns that can be made. So possible sources for more blocks. I also think laying out the blocks will help me decide how many more blocks are needed to make a blanket. Couch blanket? Bed blanket? Will have to see.