One of the amazing yarns I found at the Sheep and Wool festival is from A Hundred Ravens. I purchased their Yaksha Mini Set in Phoenix which is 20% Yak (also 70% SW Merino and 10% Nylon). I've never had Yak yarn before and it's super soft. At the Sheep and Wool it was pouring when I was in their tent and the wind was blowing hard. There was another woman looking at the same yarn, in the same color set, and we ended up buying it all.

I wanted a good use of the yarn so I learned another new stitch. This is the Nexus stitch and it shows off the yarn really well. You know what else shows off the yarn well? The gorgeous Red Oak buttons from Favour Valley Woodworking. I started off making a shirt, but I wanted to use all of the colors and it just got too long for a shirt and thus it became a poncho.


This is a fingering weight yarn and I used a 4.5 mm hook. You will need 2 sets of Yaksha for this - approximately 950 yards total.

The Nexus stitch is cast on in multiples of 8 + 7 stitches. I cast on 103 (96+7) which worked out to be about 24 inches.

Stitches:

Sk: skip stitch

Ch: Chain

sc: Single crochet

dc: Double Crochet

Shell: Double Crochet, chain 3, double crochet, chain 3, double crochet

V-stitch: Double crochet, chain 3, double crochet

Spike stitch: insert hook into the double crochet 2 rows below and single crochet in the will be the middle stitch of the shell and around the chain 5 from one row below.




Row 1: dc in the 7th ch from the hook, * sk 3 ch, sc in the next ch, sk 3 ch, shell. Repeat from * across, in the last chain v-stitch

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in the first dc, ch 2, *v-stitch in the next sc, ch 5, sk shell. Repeat from * across sc in the 3rd ch of the turning chain

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in the first st, * Shell in the ch 3 space of the next v-stitch, spike stitch in dc 2 rows below. Repeat from * across sc in the last stitch

Row 4: Ch 4, dc in the turning stitch, *ch 5, sk next shell, v-stitch in the next sc. Repeat from * across dc, ch 1, dc in the last stitch

Row 5: Ch 6. dc in the same stitch, * spike st in the top of the shell dc 2 rows below, Shell in the Ch 3 space of the v-stitch. Repeat from * across v-stitch in the last stitch.




You will have 12 shells in the shell rows. Repeat rows 2-5 until you run out of yarn. As one color finished, I switched to the next yarn even if it was mid-row. The colorway makes it so that it flows fine. I decided I wanted it to end on a shell row (row 3 or 5) for the edging. Make 2 panels.

Line up the two panels. Mine ended up being 34 inches long - this becomes your top and bottom. I made the neck about 10 inches wide based on personal preference. So I went to 17 inches (the middle) and then pinned 5 inches in either direction. Sew from the end to each pin.




This poncho really called out for some buttons and these felt like the perfect ones. I went with 3 on each side. I wanted the arm hole to be 8 inches - so I put the first button there. The second button went about an inch from the bottom. Then the last button midway between the two. Put them about an inch in from the edge.




Seriously love these buttons. I'm really happy with the final product and I feel like it's light enough to wear when its not oppresively hot any more.

Sneak peak of the new kiln! My lamp is in here! I started this months ago and I finally decided on a color - purple (no surprise)! It's in the top right of this picture. My fairy house is finally glazed and in this kiln as well.
Also in this kiln are more planters and a lot of lemon plates.




I did not manage to clear my kiln shelves, but I only have a couple of plates and my star tree on the shelf. They're already glazed, but I've got to do a bisque and do more glazing to fill up the kiln.

I went downstairs to make stuff the other day and I was just so tired. I don't know about you all, but the process of making slabs via the slab roller is a mini workout. I stood there staring for a moment and decided that it just wasn't happening. It had been a few days since I had done stuff though and I did want to play with clay. I sat down with a bag of clay and before I knew it - Gnomes!




As I was making them I made some mini-gnome parts. I had seen someone post not too long ago that they made gnome wine stoppers. I thought they looked adorable and decided to make some small gnomes to try that out.




Gnomes are super easy to make and a lot of fun.

Just finished a new top that I'm calling Buds on Stems. I have this amazing book Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary by Dora Ohrenstein. I was looking to create my next design and was flipping through pages and found the Buds on Stem stitch. I had actually already previously put the book cover in because it was such a pretty stitch.

I had 2 skeins of Sojurn in Moss from Miss Babs which is a fingering weight yarn.






I used a 4.5 mm hook.

Stitches:

Ch = chain

sc = single crochet

dc = double crochet

sk 2 ch = skip two chains

Buds = double crochet 3 together, ch 3, double crochet 3 together






The cast on for this stitch is multiples of 6 + 3. I cast on 63 which gave me 10 buds going across.

Row 1: Buds in the 6th chain from the hook, sk 2 ch, *dc, sk 2 ch, Buds, sk 2 ch. Repeat from * across, dc in the last chain.

Row 2: Ch 5, *sc in the next ch 3 space, ch 2, dc in the next dc, ch 2. Repeat from * across ending with dc.

Row 3: Ch 5, dc 3 together in the first chain, * dc in the next sc, Buds in the next dc. Repeat from * across. In the last chain dc 3 together

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in the first dc, * ch 2, dc in the next dc, sc in the next ch 3 space. Repeat from * across, dc in the last ch.

Row 5: Ch 3, * Buds in the next dc, dc in the next dc. Repeat from * across.

Repeat rows 2-5 until you have your desired length. I ended up wiht 14 rows of buds.

Make 2 panels




The next step is to sew the panels together. I wanted a fairly open neck so I sewed in 3 buds on each side. For the arm holes I left 5 buds. I also didn't sew all the way to the bottom because I like how it looks when shirts have a little bit of an open bottom.

This pattern is for an adult medium. You could easily adjust to make it wider or longer to adjust the size. I used almost all of the yarn so if you're going to go larger you'd need another skein.

It's been a while since I've had kiln results and there was a backup on my shelves. There is another kiln already cooling while I post these results. This kiln had some WOW! and some Meh.
There is a lot more vinyl resist in this kiln load. I'm still making bear stuff. Bears on Brown Bear clay makes me smile. The bear on the pitcher is my favorite piece in the kiln. I really wasn't sure it would work because it was so ornate, but it came out amazing. I also had never used Midnight Ceramics glazes on Brown Bear and took the risk - they did not disapoint!
The Meh is my chip and dip platter. I don't know what happened to the pigment, it just didn't pop at all. I might try to reglaze or maybe just make another one. If I reglaze I'll lose the texture, but if I can make it something I don't hate it might be worth it. Also this pretty much takes up a whole shelf so is it worth it if it doesn't work? I don't know, thoughts?

Midnight Ceramics Sexy Mermaid x2	KY Mudworks Brown Bear Clay Midnight Ceramics Boxed Wine x2 Sexy Mermaid How cute is this bear! Also the colors!
Opulence Red Shimmer - Inside x3, Outside x2 (It needs 3)	Mayco Light Flux - Ws x2. Mayco Teal Next Time, Bluebeard, Fruit of the Vine, Jaded - Dots. Mayco Norse Blue x2 all over
Midnight Ceramics Sexy Mermaid x3	Mayco Winterwood, Sand and Sea, Celedon Bloom I love the "water", but the sand is meh
Coyote Peacock Green x2 Turquoise Lake x2	Brown Bears made from Brown Bear clay - hehe. Coyote Oatmeal x3
Laguna 60 Mayco Rasberry Mist x3 Galaxy x2 The lines weren't as crisp on the words as I'd like, but this combo is a keeper	Cardinals are Speedball Red (too thick!) Outside Georgie's Tree Bark wiped back Zinc Free Clear x2 Inside Amaco Snapdragon x3
Amaco Mulberry x3 Seaweed x2 Squid are Mayco Foundations Black Amaco Seaweed x2 This came out so sweet	Mayco Frosted Lemon x3 Night Moth x2
Inside Amaco Blue Rutile Outside Mayco Dandelion, Java Bean, Caribean Blue, Just Froggy	Same mug other side!
Mayco Norse Blue x3 Celedon Bloom x2 This was thrown by my grandaughter Izzy	Outside Georgie's Autumn Foliage Zinc Free Clear x2 Inside Amaco Seaweed x3
Top Georgie's Autumn Foliate Zinc Free Clear x2 Laguna Green x3 - this lost most of the texture	Laguna 60 Laguna Green x2 - this was deep texture and it was still lost
Georgie's Autumn Foliage Zinc Free Clear x2, Mayco Saphire