Bits and Pieces

Blergh.  I think I'm coming down with a cold.  Actually, I hoped to be well in its grips by now so that I would already be on the upswing early next week.  Now I'm hoping that it's not going to be much of anything and that by Monday this will not even be a memory because I'll be so busy.  

I have been doing a bit here and there.  I've finished spinning what I would guess (ripped it in half and then that half in half, but no weighing, so, whatever) is about one-quarter of the fiber I started yesterday.  I think I might even have some nice yarn when I'm done, but there's still a long way to go.  My knitting isn't much to show.  When I'm not working on the Featherweight Wrap to knit, I'm off in Mochimochiland, and as it is there unwritten, "Some assembly required."  Oh, yeah, I need to find the rest of the pieces before I can begin assembly.  Ahem.  But maybe some medication is in order first.
  

    

  

Right Round

Yeah, I'm spinning.  I needed to give the fixes on the EEW5 a go, and there's no other way to really do that than to spin.  I'm trying to follow through on what I learned in my Stupendous Singles class, so it's all kinds of new around here.  Maybe mixing together so many new elements isn't a good idea, but there you go.  It's not going super-great thus far, but I'm just going to keep going and hope for the best.  I really like this special fiber, and I want to make some nice yarn.

   

The Waiting is Over

I loved my first Electric Eel Wheel, (the fourth version) and I love my EEW5 even more.  However, hiccups happened, but most were resolved quickly.  One issue I faced along with other spinners, was that of wearing.  Those spinning thinner yarn at a higher speed seemed to come across this issue more frequently.  I noticed that it was happening on mine, but kept going, because I knew it would be fine for a while, and I wanted to keep spinning.  Replacing hooks could be a bit of a patch, but not a good longterm fix, and that wasn't the only part with the wearing.  The Ravelry group is great, and following the example of others, I used wire to wrap the hooks and other parts, and that helped, but again, it was a patch.  It didn't stop me from spinning, and I have already spun wonderful yarn on my EEW5.  I kept peeking in on the EEW group on Ravelry from time to time and knew they had been working on a solution.  Maurice spent a lot of time problem-solving, and I received an email the other day to let me know that the replacement parts were ready.  Now it is time to apply the fix.  

 

Annual Occurrences are Annual

Yes, once again, it's National Spinning and Weaving Week.  That seems like as good a time as any to make a plan, but first I'll show a bit of my spinning and weaving from this year.  I played with cotton for a bit.  I had an idea and read in my books to try making it happen.  Then I sampled.  What?  Yeah, it was the right thing to do, and I'm glad I did it.  I'm not too disappointed with the results and feel that I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do differently.  Then I returned to spinning the cotton singles.  It is not my favorite to spin, though I do feel a sense of accomplishment when I do spin cotton.  Anyway, the plan is to spin more of the textured cotton yarn and weave with it.  

Then, I got into the silk hankies and spun some more.  I had plans for weaving with them, but I don't think what I have right now will work.  I have other hankies that I might be able to add to this pile and then maybe I can.  

The other spinning was a getting-to-know-you spin for my Electric Eel Wheel 5.  I do love that little machine.  Anyway, I grabbed eight ounces of wool and spun for ages.  The plying was a breeze.  Plying on an e-wheel is wonderful.  Winding off the skein nearly did me in, but I made it, and it seems like I made some decent yarn.  I was proud that I only had a small amount of singles leftover on one bobbin to ply back on itself, so maybe I am improving.

As for weaving, I got out the inkle loom and tablet weaving cards and book and played a bit.  It was about time, as I bought the cards and book a few years ago, and they mostly just sat all that time.  Anyway, I now have some new lanyards and a bit of experience with tablet weaving.  

The other weaving was a birthday gift for my niece.  She loves little blankets for covering dolls, stuffed animals, and pets.  So I made a long, random, textured warp on the Ashford and wove the blankies for her.  I'm pleased to learn that she has been using them, so I consider it a success.   

Now for the plan--I want to try out my new 15 d.p.i. reed for my Ashford rigid heddle loom.  I have an idea but do not know if it will work, but I am ready to try.  My other plan is to weave some towels on the Cricket because I need more.  As for the spinning, I don't have a real plan, other than to spin some.  I could return to the cotton, or maybe try something new.  Who knows?  So, what's your plan for the week?

Seventeen

Once upon a time, maybe about six months ago, there was a bit of enabling.  I saw an interesting Kickstarter campaign, was feeling rather lousy, a bit of encouragement from Bruce, and then I promptly forgot about it until summer when there was a project update.  Still, the incentive was not to arrive for a bit, so it flitted back out of my brain.  Then, the updates were more frequent, and soon the shipping had begun.  I checked in on the Rav group to read first impressions and troubleshooting.  I began to get a little excited, but mine was to be in the last shipment.  Then life got in the way, but I look forward to getting to know my Electric Eel Wheel.  I have spent a little bit of time trying it out, but there might need to be a bit of sanding here and there.  Getting right with the tension might take some time.  Reading what other people have found helpful has been good.  I just need to spend some time working on it and with it.  

Four

I promise I did finish this yarn, and during the Tour, even, but I just haven't gotten a picture of it.  Let's see if the promised sunshine of this week makes a difference, eh? 

Le Tour-ish?

Well, it is that time of year, so I have been spinning, but I am not challenging myself in the tradition of Le Tour de Fleece.  I am participating in the way that a member of Team Crankypants does, in that, if I can convince myself it counts, it counts.  I'm spinning Malabrigo Nube in the Plomo colorway.  Note the pin and Labbit, both prizes from Mochimochiland.  I bought the fiber from the grand re-opening/relocation of the lys.  The first bobbin of singles is done, and I am making nice progress on the second.  

A few days into the Tour, we were off touring a different part of the country, exploring possibilities for Taki's probable move.  We checked out possible locations in the area, work things, and just generally got a feel for the area.  It has a lot of potential, plenty to do and see right there, and only a short drive for other adventures.  Three hours from the beach, three hours from the mountains--that's how one person summed up the location.  It was a good trip; we made a lot of progress, got answers, settled some uncertainties, and enjoyed our time away.  As nice as it was, it is good to be home.  

 

Tour Time

Well, the Tour de Fleece has been great for helping me get back to my spinning.  I finished spinning the green fluff I started last year.  The spinning went well, and the dye that transferred to my fingers and hands as I spun let me know that finishing the yarn was going to take eleventy-bazillion rinse cycles.  Actually, it took a few more than that, but I like the finished yarn, so it was worth it.  This is a three-ply, and the fiber is superwash merino.  I know superwash can be a bit of a coin toss, but I like this.    

At a certain point I felt like I was never going to finish, and my Celestarium was sitting at about 33% completion.  So, I decided to get something tiny on the needles, and now I have a little fat cat and ice cream cone magnets for the refrigerator.  

I guess I will take a dive into the fiber bins and see what wants to be spun next.  I suppose it would be helpful if I found my little scale so I can better divide the fluff, but I won't let that hold me back from getting something on the wheel.  I haven't really given much thought to what I will spin next, but I know the stash holds many wonderful possibilities.  

I hope you are all having a joyful July and your time on the Tour has been smooth.    

More Than a Little, Less Than a Lot

You probably guessed that I did not make all of the things for Christmas that I planned to make. Some plans changed, and when I re-assessed others, I saw that I was going overboard, so I crossed them off the list, too.  Overall, I did well with completion and went into the New Year with only one incomplete.  Yeah, it was the one I mentioned in the last post, but that was enough to motivate me to finish it.  

The last of the Christmas presents completed is a scarf I wove.  It is an easy-peasy plain weave with Knit Picks Imagination in the colorway Looking Glass.  The scarf is so soft and pretty and I think it is just right for my ever-cold sister-in-law.  I hope she likes it.  

You may recognize this yarn from my Color Affliction.  I do have a complaint about this yarn--it sheds like mad.  As in, wearing something made from it makes it look like you have too many pets.  Multiple cycles of tumble dry, no heat, yield full lint traps.  It is really rather ridiculous, but at least I knew what I was in for after the Color Affliction adventure, and I pretty much used up all of the yarn.   

Something else to tell you about the weaving of this scarf--I was able to use new tools!  I bought the boat shuttle at SAFF, then I bought this cheap little drink mixer, and now I have a bobbin winder.  It works so well, I love using the boat shuttle, and I feel super-smart because real bobbin winders are expensive.

Next up, we have the garter-stitch-scarf-of-never-ending-ness.  Of course, all garter stitch scarves feel that way to me, but I really like this and enjoyed knitting with my handspun.  The sister-in-law liked it, too, and her husband liked his new socks.  I knew he had been wearing the pair I gave him in October, so I felt confident in this gift choice.

Then one of them pulled a stunt that makes me feel like I might never knit for either of them ever again, but it happened during a time of stress, so I am just trying to let it go and not think about it.  If I do find myself thinking about it, I am trying to reframe it and put a more positive spin on it all, but time might be the best treatment.  Feeling like I might never knit for someone again sometimes just means that I have not finished processing an event, and that is the best way I can think of to deal with the negative feelings.  It is really a much better option than telling someone whatever pops into my head.  This makes it all sound much bigger and serious than it is, and I have gotten way off-topic, but that is nothing new around here.        

Maybe we can bring this post back in order a bit with something cute.  I knit this sweet hat for my niece.  The pattern is Ruffled Cloche from 60 Quick Baby Knits, and if you knit this pattern, I will note that you can work this in the round from the start.  It was hard to get a picture of her wearing the hat, but it was a hit with everyone.  Her mom hopes it will still fit at Easter.  If it does not, I am probably willing to knit another, but I am not making any promises today.  

Finally, we have the gift that tried to kill me, but that will have to wait for another post.      

And Now, the Knitting

At least that is what will happen with the yarn I just finished. This is the BFL/silk that my sister-in-law asked me to turn into a garter stitch scarf for her.  I do not have to worry about it taxing my brain and can use it to keep my productivity up when I have idle hands and limited motivation or interest.  I just hope the colors play nicely and that I have enough yarn.  If my measuring is accurate, (and that is a rarity when it comes to calculating yardage) I have about 400 yards at about 19 wpi.  I would cross my fingers, but I have too much that I need to do right now.

Due to Weather...

When I got ready to attend SAFF, I was probably most excited about the spinning class.  I had never attended one, so I was really looking forward to the formal instruction, and the topic of the class, spinning faster, sounded like just the thing for me.  Then, SuperstormSandy came along and my class was canceled.  I was disappointed, but knowing what others went through and how they continue to be affected by the storm really made it difficult to feel too sorry for myself.  Still, I wish I had been able to take the class because I had hoped to learn so much.  

Although I have been spinning for a few years now, I continue to have about the same productivity level, and that is not too good.  This is not really too much of an issue, but sometimes I have a timetable for a project.  Take for example, the scarf for my sister-in-law.  I would really like to have it ready to send to her for Christmas.  The trouble is, I have so much going on right now, and so many other things I want to do.  For now, I just pop in a spinning dvd and hope that listening to Judith MacKenzie as I spin is helping, and even if it is not, it is a good way to pass the time.  Most recently, I have watched discs on silk and camelids, and I have found them to be fascinating.  I have even learned a nifty way to remember the difference between Bactrians and Dromedaries, but not everyone finds that as interesting as I do.  Anyway, along the way, I have picked up on some little tips that I hope I will be able to put into practice.  Watching her spin is inspirational to me, and that is always good.  I am spinning a three-ply, and I am already finished with the first single and have started the second.  

However, the spinning has to wait for a couple of days, because I have to cook a turkey, make good cranberry stuff and little s'more pies, and find ways to fit everything in the refrigerator.  Maybe in between things I can work on the millions of crocheted blanket blocks I need to finish and then assemble, but I have a few more weeks to complete that project.  Yesterday I made four blocks (and wove in ends!) and assisted in taking children for photos.  It is good that I love people, or else I would not have been able to bear that adventure.   

I will close this with a note of thankfulness.  There are many people and things I am thankful for, but tonight, I am thankful to have a working light in our bathroom.  That was not something we had last night or most of today.       

Using Up the Little Bits

There is so much that I do not know, but I am learning.  I learned that if you do an outstretched arm, self-portrait, cowl photo shoot, you will end up with a lot of pictures that prominently feature your nostrils.  Also, sometimes a side profile shot will give the illusion that you have stray cats hanging from your chin.  Anyway, recently, I was at a bit of a loss of what to knit next, so I grabbed a small skein of handspun, wound it into a ball, and checked patterns on Ravelry to see what I could do with those 93 yards.  It took a while, but then I came across a pattern for Estonian Lace Wrist Warmers from Evelyn A. Clark.  I thought about turning them into fingerless mitts, but then decided against it because it meant knitting two things, and if it did not work out, I might have 1 1/2 things, and therefore, not really anything.  So, I took the lace patterns from the wristlets and used the stitch multiples from the chart and cast on enough to make what I hoped would become a cowl.  With the dark yarn and it being lace, I wasn't sure if it was going to work out well, but it did.  The fiber was a sample of mystery fluff from Fiber Art Work (lys), and I am so glad to have been able to turn it into something useful.  

TDF2012: All Over But the Plying

So, I did not know that I was going to disappear from blogs for the duration of the Tour de Fleece, but I did. It is good that the Tour is a July event, because it is a good way to keep up with something during a time of year when I would otherwise sit on the couch staring blankly at the television. Sure, I'm still sitting on the couch and the teevee is still on all the time, but I just keep spinning, and eventually, I have new yarn. Eventually is a key word here, because I am a slow spinner. It does not seem that way to me while I am spinning, but it is true. I followed the spinning schedule for the Tour, and I did not make it through the twelve ounces I planned to turn into yarn, but I did enjoy myself. I even got the drop spindle out for a bit so I could get a Tour de Niece picture. Yep, my auntliness increased again on Friday the Thirteenth (Madeline Belle, 7lbs, 15 ozs; 20").

Spinning also helped me cope with some unpleasantness and difficulties. It can be very therapeutic and calming, giving me a place to focus attention and settle into a soothing rhythm. Team CrankyPants helped, too, as did all of the beautiful photos of other spinners' work.

With all of the hours and hours I spent at the wheel, I hoped to have a finished yarn, but I was still about three-quarters of an ounce short of finishing the singles. I did make my way through that after the end of the Tour, and now I just need to ply.  

These Dreams

You know--the ones that go on when I close my eyes. Well, they have not been so great, and their meanings are not so hidden. I had one where Cookie emailed me and asked why it had been so long since I had blogged. Of course, that was a reminder that I had missed Cookie's birthday. Then there was the one where people were yelling at me while I played ukulele. This is because I am musically horrible. The most disturbing was the dream where everyone was after my ginger root. They only came around when my ginger root had regenerated enough for a piece to be cut off, and it was all very stressful. I have that dream figured out, too.

Anyway, I have not been knitting, and I think I have worked why that is the case, but issues remain. However, I have been at the sewing machine some. Mostly that means I hemmed my nephew's pants, but I did make a pincushion, too. I made mistakes with it, but it is not completely terrible. Soon, I hope to sew an apron, and it will have cupcakes on it.

Speaking of cupcakes, I have been spinning my Leafy BFL/silk Cupcake Fiber Co (Happy 1st Birthday!) batts. The spinning experience was wonderful and even more comforting during this time of not knitting. I did pretty well, and am pleased with my efforts and results. I spun, plied, washed, and now have my big, squooshy skein of two-ply, laceweight yarn, (yardage undetermined) as well as my tiny, squooshy, mill-end skein of eleven yards. I finished it just before my new box of Cupcake batts arrived. I almost got the Mother of Pearl, but decided to get Royal because I have wanted it for so long.

Speaking of long, I have yammered on long enough, so, Happy Wednesday!

What the Wednesday?!?!?

Aunt Sarah has on her production-elf-hat and the stitches are flowing. There are the effs that have been oh-ed, the things waiting for the post office, the items already gifted, (oh, those December birthdays!) the projects nearing completion, those waiting for a quiet moment of attention, the ones not yet begun, a last-minute addition or three to the list, and that is just the knitting. I have plans for three of four scarves I want to weave, and a general idea for the fourth.

Today I can show you a quick, satisfying, well-received gift. Last week was Katie's birthday, and I gave her a hat I knit from her handspun. It is a bit on the small side, but she loves it, paraded around in it, said she was going to bring it for show-and-tell, and patiently posed endlessly for her mother at the camera. She was even sweet enough to let me get a snapshot, too. Let me just add, that, in certain situations, knitting with extra-bulky yarn might not be the worst thing in the world.

I am feeling much more peaceful after the resolution of a stressful situation. It really was not so much about me, but rather someone else's issues spewing forth in a most unpleasant manner, and I was in the line of fire. I was beginning to think that it was going to turn into a great big deal, and it nearly did, but at the last moment the person was able to see what was happening and turned it around and things are back to being good.

I am not feeling quite so much peace about some postal issues. I have been expecting packages and they have not arrived. There is a possibility that they have not yet been mailed and I do not want to pressure anyone, (and we all know how bad I can be about mailing things) but I also do not wish to appear to be someone who does not acknowledge receipt of a package. Beyond concern that they could have gone missing, I am not really worried.

However, I am a bit worried that the ukuleles I ordered for the nieces and nephews will not arrive in time. Apparently, they are still out-of-stock, but we remain hopeful. Their books and pitch pipes are here already, and we have something of a backup plan for just in case, but I really want the ukes to be here for Christmas.

Birthday Cupcakes

Ever since Joan started The Cupcake Fiber Co, I wanted to experience her creations, but the opportunity always seemed to slip away, just when I thought my time had come. However, thanks to a thoughtful birthday present, it is my turn! Oh, how I love my bfl/silk batts, the color is gorgeous, and the spinning is a dream.

Fun Friday

Probably not going to knit as much tonight.



















However, I did finish plying my little sample from the yarn store, so I did get my daily dose of fiber.

New Adventures in New Places

We have a new yarn store in town. I finally had the opportunity to stop in and see it for myself. It was great to see the vision Nina has for the store, and she even put on a pot of coffee so we could sit and chat for a bit. I had a great time at Fiber Art Work, and picked up a little bit of yarn for something I will probably knit after the first of the year.

Not only does she have lovely yarn, but she also has a wonderful selection of spinning fibers. Some of those came home with me, and she included a bonus sample for me to try, too. To get the word out about her store, she is giving out samples of fiber or yarn each month to anyone who joins her Ravelry group and requests the sample. Then if you create something with your sample (spin the fiber or knit the yarn) and share a picture of it in the group, she will send you another sample the following month. It is open to both local fiber folks as well as those far away.

I love my sample batt, and cannot wait to get it on the wheel.

UM...Nervous?

I suppose that might be the right word for now. Bruce is going to have surgery (paraesophageal hiatal hernia repair and maybe another bit of patchwork) this week. I am not too concerned about the procedure beyond the fact that it is surgery and thus has its associated risks. Still, that moment when I take his wedding ring, put it on a length of yarn, and slip it around my neck is always tough.

Once we make it through surgery, we have recovery, and it looks like it could be a bit bumpy. He will be on a pureed diet for four weeks after this, so the blender is in for quite a workout. There will be some other restrictions, too, but we are trying to not get ahead of ourselves. Coming up with some good recipes will be a challenge, too, but I have been looking at some possibilities. Our son is going to lend his VitaMix to us, so that will be helpful.

Anyway, this is going to keep me away from the computer for a bit. Maybe I will have some scheduled posts ready to go, but I do have a few other things I need to attend to first. I have to pack for the hospital. That means deciding on some hospital knitting. I am thinking about hats, cowls and fingerless mitts, or maybe even some plain vanilla socks, but I really have not gotten much beyond those few stray thoughts. I am trying to not think about the lace shawl I agreed to knit for a stranger. That one is still a bit of a puzzler, and perhaps a story for another day.

In the meantime, I have been knitting a cowl, ripping it out, restarting it, having a little bit of the yarndage, and finally finishing it. I had intended this to be a gift, but am afraid it might not be good enough. The pattern is Kuusk from the current Knitty. I am not quite sure what brought me to the pattern, but it was a good knit. I knew I might have yarndage issues, so I used beads instead of nupps. If I would have had (guessing here) another twenty yards, I would like this even more.

However, it is still nice, and I enjoyed knitting with my handspun. I also dyed the silk hanky before spinning it, so there's that, too. It was supposed to be purple, but the Wilton dye behaved differently than I had anticipated, so I ended up with pink. The little skein had been sitting around for months, and I am glad to have knit it into something. Since the modeled shot is a bit lacking, here is one of it blocking, and then a peak into my unconscious mutterings.

Bells :: Warning

Germs :: Warfare
Athlete :: Feet
Voice :: Concerns
Diamonds :: Cut
Hoarse :: Throat
Tempest :: Teacup
Hurricane :: Irene
Bumps :: Goose
Jazz :: Hands

Why Did I Wait?

It is not as though my grandma is reading the blog, so I could have shown this gift when I finished weaving it.

My selvedges still need a bit of work, but really are better than this photo shows them to be. Anyway, I finally made my way to the post office this week, so she should have it soon.

Playing Tour de Fleece does cause the blog to suffer a little bit, but I am having fun. I even got my niece in on the action when she spent the night. Her first skein of yarn is drying.

Clearly, I have been neglecting the laundry a bit, too, but I am caught up on washing dishes. I suggest we fast for a few days so that I might bask in the glory of my accomplishment.

It is not just the Tour keeping me busy. I have also been playing with Google+. Some of you are already there. I have been sending invites when they are open. If you are not yet in, but would like to be, let me know. I am not quite sure what to make of it. Time will tell, I suppose.

Today is going to be a slow day, as my fingers are achy. So much for getting caught up on blogs, eh?