Tuff Granny Throw

I've been doing a bit more crochet recently, than I ever have in the past. There was a free pattern on Knitpicks.com that I had seen some time ago, using the large Tuff Puff yarn that they sell, which is basically barely spun roving.
The throw worked up extremely quick and the pattern was ridiculously easy. (Pardon the light streaming across the photo above, that's my only large enough, decently lit space, to photo completed work and the sun wasn't having it)

Just know, that if you ever come visit, this throw will most likely be on the bed you're staying in. Decorative greeting piece and all. It's not a full size blanket, but a decent lap/leg warmer, for sure.

Spinning

A few years ago, while I was in Dallas, I took a few spinning classes. No, not the kind at the gym on a stationary bike. I'm talking yarn-spinning, classes.
I loved it.
Spindle spinning, wheel spinning, the whole thing.
I had several large wheels, that were in various different stages of wear and tear (second hand wheels)- which brought my dad into the picture, since he's a work worker- he learned about the wheels so he could make the repairs. I've since sold/traded those wheels for others. My dad has since repaired wheels that are in museums. He's even made several spindles for spinning, which are fantastic!
Well, when Gonzo and I made the move to California, I thought it was going to be a brief stay, so I left my spinning wheel with my parents, only taking my spindles. Thinking that the move could possibly damage the wheel, and I just couldn't have that.
Here we are, nearly a year and a half later, still in CA, and I've been having spinning withdrawals. I miss my wheel.

So I made a rather large purchase, and bought my all time favorite wheel (well ascetically it's been my favorite, but I had never actually interacted with one) - Ashford Joy 2, it arrived this past week.
I would like to thank the lovely people at The Woolery for packing and shipping this puppy with expert precision.
They may have created a monster because I just made another purchase with them for more fiber and additional bobbins.

Last night, I got all the adjustments made to the wheel, so it was drawing in the fiber- I'm still re-teaching myself how to draft quickly, so there are a few more twists in my yarn that I typically like, but I did spend the majority of last night at the wheel.

Since I had two whole bobbins full, I decided to ply them together.

The skien on the left has 138 yards, the one on the right has 146 yards (roughly).
These were a lot of fun and worked up fast. I'm so glad I got a new spinning wheel.

Penny's Pony

What does one do, when an adorable little girl, makes a request for a present?

I create a special surprise.

My friend's adorable toddler asked if they were expecting any deliveries, and her mom replied that they weren't. Then her daughter said how much she would like someone to send her a package. Which resulted in my heart strings being tugged and crafting this:

From the same woman who inspired "The Granite Cape", I crochet a pony for Penny, my friend's daughter.

While mine turned out looking slightly different than the one in the instructions, I think it's still pretty cute.

I'm still figuring out the whole crochet thing when it comes to making creatures. The pony is actually the first crochet creature I've completed. There's a sheep made by the same woman, that I am going to be making for my niece since she was born in the year of the sheep.  I'll post pictures once it's complete.