Knit & Crochet - Hand dyed/Handspun Yarns

I'm posting these pieces that I made for my Beginning 3-D art students to see. We are moving into a fiber arts unit where they will be learning to spin and dye their own yarns. Just wanted them to see some examples of finished work using these handmade yarns. In the baby hat, I spun the yarn (undyed blue faced Leister purchased from the dizzyewe.com) then dyed it with food coloring in the microwave. The yarns in the crocheted pillow top came from hand dyed roving that I get every year for this unit from my friend Lori Lawson (Capistrano Fiber Arts- see side bar). I spin up samples for the kids in all the different colorways that I purchase from her so they can see what the finished yarn looks like, and when the unit is over I like to make them into something special. I used a granny square pattern that I got from Lori to do the pillow. The sweater was done in beautiful, expensive fibers from Japan from a company called Noro. They are a silk/wool blend and look very much like handspun, hand dyed fibers. I made the sweater in a workshop that I took with Suzanne Bond, one of the most prolific knitters I've ever met, at Cozy Cottage Fabrics in Brea.