Over the years, The Prophet, aka college son, seldom requested hand-knit items. There was an authentic  Gryffindor scarf to honor his love for Harry Potter along with matching socks. And then a Flame Hat in Tampa Bay Lightning colors. [Unfortunately with selective hearing someone didn’t hear the direction to not wash the hat in a washing machine…felted and shrunk to the point it doesn’t even fit a five-year-old’s head. Tried to show scale in the picture with the Torie & Howard candy container and the small pepper mill.]

Planning a Memory

At the end of 2016, The Prophet requested a blanket, and he left it up to me to pick a pattern and colors. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to #1: try knitting a memory blanket and #2: spin up the many, many bumps of Spunky Eclectic Club fiber in my stash (about 7 and now 8 years worth). And a plan was born…it would be like a fiber and color sampler.

Unfortunately, it is quite slow going. I started spinning up the bumps backward from December 2016, and complete through July 2016. Then there was a change of plan and I started spinning from January 2016 and figured I would be in the middle of the year. I decided that once I has 12 skeins of completed handspun yarn I would begin the blanket.

Spinning Progress

Here’s what’s spun ( and pictured in the featured image from left to right)

December 2016, 42 yards, 12 wpi, Gotland Sheepswool, “Afraid of the Dark”

November, 2016, 67 yards, 14 wpi, Polwarth, “Taco”

October, 2016, 67 yards, 14 wpi, Bluefaced Leicester (BFL) Mixed color, “Be the Light”

September, 2016, 83 yards, 16 wpi, Corriedale, “Evening Argyle”

August, 2016, 84 yards, 16 wpi, Superwash Merino Progression, “Pistachio Confidential”

July, 2016, 126 yards, 16 wpi, Merino with 20% Black Tencel, “A Fashion Trend”

January, 2016, 140 yards, 16 wpi, Targhee, “Snow Lightning”

Up next is February, 2016, Farmer’s (BFL) Sheepswool, “Aspens”