Four pounds

That, my friends, is four pounds of yarn.  I sent off all the roving I had plus unravelled the hats I tried to make from it (below), and thanks to a talented spinner, got back what you see above.

I think the tiny baby skeins in front are what's left of the original spun thread that did not get plied (twisted with a second thread to make the final yarn).  I'm sure I can put that to use.

Now the trick is to turn it into hats that Stony Brook Meadows farm can sell at farmer's markets in October and November.  Crochet is quicker than knit, so I sat down and cranked out a few double-crochet hats, plain or with earflaps. I don't think plain gray hats will be in much demand, so I found some other wool I had on hand and added some colored embellishments.  Unfortunately, the colored wool is DK weight, thinner than the gray, so it's not exactly what I had in mind, but it helps.  I need to go out and get some Cascade 220 in a few colors.  Maybe I'll brave the condescending attitude of the Princeton store to get it.

This is what I managed so far, since the yarn came Thursday.  I had some of it already started using the test skeins, so I don't really work as fast as it might seem.  First I had to roll all of the skeins into balls.  If you're used to buying Red Heart or Vanna's Choice, you don't ever have to do this because it is already wound into balls, but this came as big loops of yarn that were twisted together.  Once you untwist that, all you have is a big loop of loose yarn, and you can't work with that easily, so I brought out the swift and hand-cranked ball winder and went at it.  Now I have 3 - 4 oz balls to work with.

The blue-edged hat still needs a tassel.  That loopy thing up top is my attempt at making a sheep hat using loop stitch.  I don't think I'm doing it right - I get loops, but the stitches are much looser than my usual gauge.  It also takes forever and uses a lot of yarn, so I might unravel that.  But I went on Ravelry to see what I could find that makes more interesting crocheted hats in just one color, and I found this lamb hat and a few others, so although they might not be as quick to make they will be more interesting and might sell better.  Definitely going to make the lamb hat.  The original idea was to make hats that looked like or suggested farm animals, but I may try other things that are more likely to attract adults.  

And I'm still working on stuff for the fundraiser, but I think I'm in a good place with the number of items so far.  Today I'll drop off some yarn and patterns to the farmer (who also crochets) and we will spend September building up inventory for her.  I'll let you know what she thinks about my ideas.