A new shawl, handspun, and free patterns

I've cast on a new leaf lace shawl with some yarn I solar dyed earlier this month. It's a 440 yard skein of Knit Picks Gloss (wool/silk) dyed with Easter Egg colors. I will definitely order more of this yarn for dyeing experiments. The yardage is a little less than I'd like but the yarn is thicker than what I used for the original shawl. I'm hoping it will block into a large enough shawl for me. Though my SIL Dana has been dropping hints that it's her favorite sunrise colors. :-)

I finished spinning the royal blue/lime green wool last week. I plyed it the day my MIL died. I bought the fiber several months ago from someone who was destashing. That 5 ounces of superwash merino roving spun up into about 750 yards of fingering weight yarn. Yummy! The fiber is from the Dyepot. She has some wonderful colors! Sign up for her mailing list to find out when there is a sale.

My new spinning project is Rambouillet combed top from Etsy seller, Sarah Wood. The colorway is a lovely blend of shaded greens and rust. It was pretty felted from the dyeing process, not unusual for such a soft wool. Hubby took one end of it and I the other and attempted to pull it into two pieces. It wouldn't budge! I split it lengthwise into pieces, split it again, and then drafted it out so it's workable. I have a basket full of little balls all ready to grab as I finish spinning a length. It's spinning up very fine.

I have a few ideas for new knitting projects rolling around in my head. I need to write them down before I forget what they are. As I searched the web for some information today, I ran into a number of free patterns. So many temptations to knit!

1. A Little Felted Bag that I know I'll have to knit.
   
2. Stefanie Japel's Spencer Jacket (aka The Better Sweater) on the DIY Network site is from a Knitty Gritty episode. It was on yesterday. The cropped jacket is much nicer than the picture shows. The sleeves have a little lace detail toward the cuff and they flare out a bit. Nice! It's knit in bulky weight and is a fast knit.
   
3. Mohair Lace Stole in the latest Ram Wools newsletter. The picture doesn't do it justice. I have some mohair laceweight in my stash just waiting for a project like this.
4. A Square Baby Blanket knit from the center out in Old Shale (wavy) pattern. This would also make a nice square shawl.
5. Or how about making your own Stitch Holders from old coat hangers? LOL!