Peace, spinning, & knitting

After many days with overexcited children I am now alone for a few days. They were quite happy to be going back to their dad's, and because of pretty constant bickering... I was excited too.

I finished the EZ BSJ! I was watching the skein of Fiesta Boomerang dwindle (the color is caribbean, not alaska) and hoping I would have enough, but no. I finished off the edges with a little bit of handspun. My fiber of the month from Spunky Eclectic - it's the lovely merino/tencel blend dyed in the Colorado colorway. I spun it into a 3-ply so it's a little more bulky and rumpled the edge a little, but it's blocking right now and doesn't look bad. The shoulder seems were the issue for me. I suck at seaming garter stitch. Others seem to find it easier than I do, if there's a trick, I haven't found it yet (and I've been looking). My solution was to single chain crochet along the top. I only had enough remaining yarn to do the seams, nothing around the neck. Now, I'm contemplating crochet around the rest of the opening. Hmmm. Have to think about that a little more.




After my adventure to my LYS to spend my most generous gift certificate, and a conversation with Anne - yarn goddess - applied I-cord will become the neck treatment. And I found the perfect buttons there, too! I got some Brown Sheep for felted clogs, some Fortissima for Priscilla Gibson-Roberts Scandinavian socks (I got the Vogue Ultimate Sock Book for the holidays too). Some beautiful Hempathy just because I've always wanted to try it, and some Noro Iro.




It has been cloudy for days so I only have relatively crappy indoor shots of Odessa. The lovely top



And the side



I love this hat! It is so soft and pleasing.

My first toe-up sock in Interlacements Tiny Toes. Right now I find it more fiddly than a top-down. Maybe after I get going a bit I'll be more fond of it.



I'm almost done with Bowen's pair of socks and, for the first time ever, I found I have a "bad" skein of Opal! No problems through the fist sock, but I've found four places where the yarn was almost split completely. It's at regular intervals, so it seems to be a machine glitch, but it was pissing me off. I'm saving the scraps for invisible cast-ons. I hate throwing away yarn.

I've started Bowen's sweater. Since it's raining (a good thing, here in the drought) I'm hunkered down with piles of knitting around me. I'll have to do a little housework soon, my parents are coming on Wednesday - which means I'm bunking with Chicky - and her room is a mess. Most of the time I deal with the children's rooms by not looking in them. I may have to go stand in her room for a minute to get motivated.

Staying up late, waiting for my carcass to simmer

Not my own - the turkey breast - for stock. After a very long night of overexcited children not going to sleep AND bothering me while I was trying to wrap presents, I am staying up late for me (past 10 pm),again.

Chicky came and got in bed with me around midnight (I thought she was the only one asleep around 11, but I was wrong). The boys were pure bananaheads. They kept knocking on my door and whining, "We can't go to sleep. What should we do?" I kept telling them to go lie down. I did not tell them that this was great practice for later in life when they would be awake for hours on end with no way to get to sleep, and no apparent cause for the sleeplessness.

I think the neighbors across the street might have the right idea. I'll be honest with you, every year I secretly curse them because they make their children run around from 8-10 pm in the yard. They are between 12 and 16 years old (three of them) and they are very loud. Their loud antics did not help my people and my sleep campaign either. I was playing the Charlie Brown Christmas CD as loud as was sensible, given my plan to LULL the children to sleep, and the neighbors were much louder. Morgan wanted to call the police because they were bothering him. I laughed to myself and told him what they were doing was not against the law, it was merely annoying. Next year, I'm tossing my three into the mix and then I can wrap presents in peace.

The children were up at 7:20 am to open gifts. They were pleased and spent the day in and out of their new sleeping bags (Chicky most of the time with the guinea pig in her bag, too). One of my presents, a lovely hefty gift certificate to my local LYS, I am saving for some time when I can shop without the children in tow. They tolerate a yarn store, but I feel the pressure of their glaring eyes, and hear their weighty sighs. Some treats are meant to be enjoyed alone.

I started Grumperina's Odessa hat on Sunday, my knitting mojo was not with me that day, and I kept repeatedly fucking up the K3, P2 ribbing. I was just not focused enough. Later on that day, I made a very focused effort, and was whizzing along after that. I finished the hat this morning and all is well. It is blocking as I write. Then I immediately cast on for a new attempt at the EZ Baby Surprise Jacket, using Fiesta Yarns Boomerang in the Alaska colorway. A co-worker is due in February and I need to get hopping. So far, I love the colors. Perfect for the new boy baby. Pictures tomorrow.

Wee sweaters & Cocoa

To start, here are the wee sweaters I've made so far. Morgan pointed out that these do not need to be limited to Christmas at all. The use of "regular" sock yarn makes them appropriate year round. Thank you, my son.







Today, the children and I went to see The Golden Compass and enjoyed ourselves. I love the books and was happy with the screen adaptation - Lyra had some lovely knitwear, I must say. Hey, could I just knit for movies? If that's a job, sign me right the fuck up, please. We also had a theological discussion on the way home (about the movie, not the knitwear). I had debated whether or not to read the books aloud to the children for that very reason. I thought that the scope was too big, and purposefully not giving them any particular religious instruction would have been a hindrance in this case. Don't ask me why the movie was ok when I wouldn't read the book. I've changed my mind, that's why. Now, happily, they have decided it's next on the list of Books Mom Reads Aloud. Yea!

After much wheedling and pleading we have new guinea pig. We have had many guinea pigs in our lives over the past decade. Chicky is a small animal whisperer. Really, they love her. She asked for a new pig, had enough money saved, and has promised to clean it's cage and feed it (when she is here). I have the pleasure of introducing you to the sweetest cavy this side of the Mississippi, the lovely Cocoa.



Her right side



And her left



Guinea pig love is here.

Steve and wee sweaters

Steve Earle is up for two Grammy's this year. The first for best contemporary folk/Americana album and the second for best vocals with wife #7, Allison Moorer. He's also got a small North American tour going on soon. The closest he'll come to me is Chicago, which is about as close as the moon for my practical purposes. Damn. He used to have a thing for Asheville, but now that he's all converted New York City Boy I don't know if it still holds something special for him.

Jared has made some perfect sweater ornaments. I think part of their extreme wee perfection may come from being carefully steamed. Three sweet little sweaters have come off the needles today. Please note, mine are not blocked or steamed - I'm having my sweater ornaments rustic or just-out-of-the-box, if you know what I mean. I'm going to try a different increase tomorrow, but these may be the gift next year. I'm feelin' the love already.

My day off wasn't technically work, but it wasn't rest either. I was a rotten parent last year, and due to extreme stress did not participate much in the classroom, or even donate delicious delicacies to teacher appreciation lunches. In order to make up for my slackness I told the boys' teacher from last year I would bring him a roasted potato tart with rosemary, sauteed mushrooms and melted Gruyere tomorrow. I used to make tarts and sell them, but I stopped when I was vegan. Now that I am back to being an omnivore I recalled how much I like them. Normally, men do not even think they want a tart, but I know Brent and his family are foodies, so it seemed worth the effort. It smelled so lovely while baking.... I may be making another soon.

Mittens, a sock, and a cold

Last week, when it was briefly cold here in North Carolina, I realized Chicky had no mittens. I let her borrow my handspun mohair/romney gauntlets, but that was hard for me, and not really warm enough for her. I told her while she was at her dad's for the weekend I would knit her a pair. Bowen, sitting beside her on the sofa, looked at me with eyes welling with tears and said, "but what about my socks?" I said, "Sweetie, I'm working on your socks but your sister has no mittens and I can make her a pair very quickly." (Actual tears were coming out of my ten year old son's eyes) "But, I'm just afraid my feet will grow more before you finish them!" I assured him that I could knit more if that happened, but that I was close to the end of the first one. I even let him try it on (which helped him feel better). I finished the sock on Sunday and have started the other. Who knew there'd be tears over the handknits?

Bowen's sock #1 in Opal - no idea which one. He hates much of a cuff so it was quick, once I sat down and actually knit the thing.



Chicky's mittens in Fiesta Baby Boom, colorway Alaska. I really love all the Fiesta yarns I've tried (except for my poor color combo on the frogged chevron scarf, and that was all me.)



A new cold attacked me last week and it has now settled in my lungs - ugh. I am taking the day off tomorrow to rest, but then realized that my sons have a presentation at school. I guess a little rest is better than none at all.

Catalogs be damned!

During this lovely holiday season I have been receiving, on average, at least three and sometimes as many as eight catalogs a day. I like a catalog. I buy from catalogs. This is a kind of advertising waste and pace I can't keep up with and it pisses me off in general. Now the catalog waste has even affected my knitting. How could that be? Well, last week I got a new paperback knitting book with traditional sweater styles. I remember opening it and briefly looking at it. I remember seeing it on the dining room table with the pile of catalogs it came with that day. I have torn the house apart tonight looking for the $26 book and I fear it has been accidentally recycled since I have been tossing catalogs in the bin daily. To say I'm bummed right now is an understatement. I am in agony! AAAGH!

I think I need to go work on Chicky's mittens and calm down a bit.

The call of the wheel

I have a NEW WHEEL! She is an Ashford Traditional, single-drive with a double treadle (I know, Alden Amos claims a double treadle is unnecessary unless there is something wrong with your legs, but I like it.) My first wheel is a Louet S 17 kit that I proudly put together myself. I like that wheel, but when I treadle I have to put my left foot on the bottom of it so it doesn't move, and it gives me shin splints if I treadled too long! So, only having ever spun on an upright style wheel, it seemed like a double treadle would be the way to go. I do like it, I am stressing each leg equally, and my shins haven't hurt at all. The traddy has higher ratios than my other wheel, it doesn't make this amazing squeak that hindered my spinning after the children were asleep, and it's a thing of beauty. In my mind, the picture of the wheel is in some bucolic setting... rather than my house. Please use your imagination and create a meadow in the background with a few sheep grazing about and minding the shepherdess.



I've spun half my October fiber from Spunky Eclectic on the traddy. The lazy kate that came with the wheel is not tensioned, so I'm trying the re-loading of the bobbins before I ply so I won't have the tangled mess I did last time. Yikes! I was too excited the first time, and decided to ply beyond a reasonable hour for me (the clock strikes 10 pm and I turn into a pumpkin). I was plying tired, people, never a good combo. There was cussing, tangling, and general crankiness. The yarn doesn't look too bad though. I want the yarn to ply, not one strand twist around the other, and I only manage to do that successfully about half the time. Sigh. I'm reading Alden and following all the instructions carefully. I'll let you know how it goes.




The silk pouch is finished. I didn't do the i-cord drawstring because of the unevenness of the yarn. I did i-cord straps for the Himalaya Tote with the Mango Moon recycled silk and I did not have a good time, so I decided to use a more knitter-friendly drawstring method. I think it works fine. The only problem is that I cannot give an empty pouch as a gift to someone. Maybe chocolate inside?



Tonight I'm going to spin, of course, and work some more on various socks. Sounds lovely.

It feels just like starting over

The Conwy socks had a Fatal Flaw. An Obvious Fatal Flaw that I decided to ignore until reality smacked me in the face, or the foot rather, and had to be dealt with... finally. The sock was too fucking small. Well, the sock was just right. The pattern was written for a foot smaller than mine and I paid no heed. I actually do have some sense and noticed this a couple of inches into the sock, but said to myself,"Oh, it'll be fine. See how it stretches?" Not that much it won't. I was PAST the heel gusset and on down the straightaway when I decided to try the sock on and see if my suspicions were correct. They were. It took three minutes of internal struggling and cussing to come to the only possible decision. I frogged it. What took two days of very diligent work was gone in less than five minutes. I'm trying again on size three needles (yes, I tried two, but realized that wasn't going to give me the extra inch around the ball of the foot that I needed). We'll see what happens.

Hey, want to see my monkeys?

Heh. The Socks that Rock Chickabiddy Monkeys are finished! I heart them... a lot.



News from sock land: I couldn't resist the urge to cast on for me, so I'm working on Conwy socks from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. The yarn selection is numma numma toasty in black cherry jam. So far, they are yummy. The colors and the stitch pattern are both working well together.



Yea! In other exciting sock news the second of Roza's socks was also cast on last night and the first couple of inches completed. Give me more socks!

In gift making news, I've started Chicky's teacher gift. The soft drawstring pouch from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in Mango Moon's recycled silk. I have almost two skeins leftover, and I know Sarah will like it. It looks like a mass of fuzzy nothingness right now, but don't ya love the Loopy Ewe stitch marker? It's the little things...



This is yet another experiment in small knitted sock ornaments. These two are done in Cascade 220 superwash on size 5 needles. I'm not sure I like them yet.





Tomorrow I get my children back from their father, so I probably won't have much time to knit. I'm enjoying the luxury of my alone time today. I even got sucked into The Way We Were on Oxygen. Babs and Bob - what could be better knitting TV?

More gifts

Two more gifts are finished. Socks for my favorite man (the one other than my father, I mean) came out very nice. I got two skeins of yarn and barely used any of the second. I bet I can get another pair out of it. I'd never used this yarn before and I like it a lot. It's Louet Gems in sport weight. I'm usually a fingering weight girl for socks, but sport weight is quicker and probably warmer! It's a very basic sock with a reinforced heel - my favorite.



The Welsh Country Socks from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks book are finally finished! I started them way back in March. Done in Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport. I reinforced the heel with the recommended weaving through the bumps on the wrong side. It looks so lovely I want to try it on a scarf! For sure it was more time consuming than the K1, S1 for a row and then purl the next row method, but it is a really consistent and beautiful pattern on the wrong side. (I have a strange love of the wrong side of all things hand made. I think it comes from my grandmothers both doing various kinds of needlework and judging the finished product by the wrong side). These will be a gift for a friend that loves knee socks (and appreciates wool). These are not socks that get gifted lightly because I love them and was making them for myself, originally. Sometimes when I knit, the thing I'm knitting tells me where it wants to go and these socks did that very thing repeatedly.



And another mini gift sock is done. I tried making a couple with Cascade superwash on size five needles with a pattern on them (more "festive" for the holidays), but I just didn't like them as well. Super mini is cuter.



We had our Thanksgiving feast at work today and it was very nice. I don't have my children this year, so I'm going over to a friend's house to spend it with her family. It's almost time to start making the gingerbread to take along.

Other then making gingerbread tonight, I'm almost done with my second pair of monkey socks and am trying hard not to cast on for three other projects before I finish the rest of the gifts. I am also going to have another go at watching The Queen - I fell asleep not very far into it the first time. I think Helen Mirren is amazing, and the royal family is emotionally stunted, but what can you expect? The first time I tried to watch it I was just too tired. I've been happily knitting, staying awake, and being entertained by two things at once tonight!

Nope, I'm not gone.

I'm trying to stave off a cold. So far, I've taken Emergen-C, hot pepper tea, and immune system boosting tea (thyme, oregano, rosemary, and mint). The good news: the cold hasn't gotten worse and the sore throat that started on Thursday is gone. I think the herbal efforts are working.

Last night I finished reading Isaac's Storm by Erik Larson. It was a very good book about the hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900. It's also about the Weather Bureau (rather new at the time) and how it was having some trouble being taken seriously. I must say, I still feel that way about the weather bureau. I know it's science and everything, but they still can be way off on predictions. Anyway, the point is that I used to read a lot. I started that book in July (OHMIGOD!) and just finished it. I can't believe it. I used to read a book every two to three weeks! Newsweek is partially to blame. The only time I typically read is before bed, and since a new Newsweek comes out every week I fall asleep reading that these days. It's not my favorite news resource, and like most big media it can be rather behind with the issues (e.g., they are currently talking about our culture's obsession with germ killing and how it's creating super germs - haven't some of us been talking about that for almost a decade?), not to mention all the pop star news. Who gives a shit what Nicole and Brittany are up to?

There is a stack of books waiting for me on my bed stand. I can't decide between Class Matters or The Omnivores Dilemma for the next read...

I got a two lovely gifts today. One was Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road (yea, more sock patterns!) and the other a gorgeous bag from Lantern Moon. It's got a generous sized middle and four pockets on the outside so various knitting projects may be carefully sequestered and not likely to tangle. I tried taking a picture, but it needs to have sunlight to show off its beauty. I can't wait to take it for a test drive. Heh!

I've finished one of the teacher gifts. The boys adore their teacher, Elizabeth. She is energetic, funny, creative, and thoughtful. I made her an old shale smoke ring out of Fiesta Baby Boom (the color is Rain Forest). I love it. Since it was only 220 yards, its a little shorter than I wanted and if I do it again I will use a smaller needle size. The pattern and the yarn ROCK! I'll try and take a better picture outside tomorrow.



I've been making "minisocks" inspired by my Loopy Ewe gift kit. These are a little longer with a slightly different toe. They are only about five inches long and will be fine ornaments, but are too small to give as the gifts I wanted. I'm almost done with the new version (more "holiday" looking) and will post a picture when it's ready.



Chicky will be relieved to hear I'm not giving them away. The children all want little sachet monsters desperately. I made one from Knitty for a friend and they've been telling me how much they would love to have one, too. I'm going to try and do that for their stockings when they're not around. (They complain I knit for myself and other people more than them. For the record, I pulled out all the winter clothes and accessories the other day, and they're doing pretty well.)



Have a lovely rest of the weekend. I'm planning on it.

Holiday knitting

It suddenly dawned on me how little knitting time is left before the holidays! I finally knit my Loopy Red Sock Kit, and am making many little socks for holiday ornament gifts.



Of course Chicky noticed immediately that it was potentially the right size for her American Girl doll, so she put it on her and it did fit perfectly. Damn.

Some socks for a favorite person are also in progress. These are very basic socks knit up in Louet Gems sport weight. I really like the weight and feel. These are the first socks I've knit on a needle larger than size one - it's a little quicker!



Here my knitting candy right now. When I do so much on the holiday knitting I reward myself with a little spinning or this



It's from a pattern by cosymakes. It may be a gift or it may be mine, not sure yet.

It's finally gotten cool enough for long sleeves - YEA! Bring out the handknits!

Holy shit...

you really can find anything on the internet! Last Friday, before my sons went to their dad's house they told me they wanted to be Jawas for Halloween. They showed me a picture from a Star Wars library book. It was barely helpful. Today, after a trip to the fabric store and a guess-timation that six and a half yards would get me two costumes I was at a loss for how to proceed. After some grumbling I thought I would google it and dudes here's a website
jawa robe pattern. Google and ye shall find! After that I sewed two costumes in less than two hours. They are not fabulous, but since I had no idea what I was getting into, I am pleased.

I am knitting like a house on fire over here! I've solved my co-worker holiday gift giving dilemma and am feeling pretty confident that I will have the time and energy to accomplish my goals. I'm behind on my socks (three pair - half done - no, not SSS, just startitis for other projects). Those projcts are: the frogged first smoke ring and am doing it in the Old Shale pattern (a.k.a. feather and fan) and another pair of socks to be gifted.

Oh, and there is more spinning in the works. Some of my fiber from funky carolina is on the Louet bobbin right now...and calling to me... Maybe some pictures tomorrow.

Finished homespun hat

I finished Cap Karma by S.M.Kahn Smariek Knits! The 4 oz. batt from Miss Babs worked wonderfully. I adore the colors, the texture, and the finished hat.

I wanted to take a picture of it on someone else, for a variety of reasons, but it's too big for all my children, so I had to suffice.



This would look so much better in daylight, but I really like the top. The crown decrease came from Jared at b r o o k l y n t w e e d



In other knitting news, I've frogged the Chameleon Colorworks version of the Anne Modesitt "backyard leaves" scarf. I think I just knit too damned loose and no matter what yarn I've tried it looks like crap. To rectify my loose knitting issue, I'm working on a lacy smoke ring by Kathy Hinkley (I found it at Spindlecity), but I'm using the cast-off Chameleon Colorworks Evolution for it, instead of the handspun it was designed for. So far, row 5, I like it. You never know how I'll feel about it in the morning, though. Heh.

Beautimous fiber

After a week from HELL I am finding solace in the quiet house through cleaning and fibery pursuits. Work had some very sucky moments, my daughter had three very sucky days with me (which, her teacher informs me, are a window into her future being as an adolescent - I'm scared already), and I accidentally burnt rice one night while being distracted by needle felting my Loopy Ewe woolpet and my house still smells like burnt rice. Wah.

In the peaceful world of spinning, I think I've spun about half my sunset batt and have started the second bobbin. I love how the colors have worked out. Plying will be very cool with this one!



My first STR chickabiddy monkey sock is finished! I'm working on the second - YEA!



And the first of Roza's socks is finished as well. This sock is very comfortable, I can see it fast becoming a favorite.



I am continuing my laid back day with a night of more of the same. Hopefully, next week will be better.

New fiber acquisitions

This is all about new fiber. I've been stocking up on fiber for some fall spinning. Right now, on the bobbin, is some Sunset fiber from Miss Babs. Both batts are so beautiful. I can't decide if I should spin and ply both 4 oz batts together, or spin and ply each separate.



The other, forgotten name, batt is a lighter orange with lovely yellow streaks in it.



And, because I love the colors from Carrie (a.k.a funkycarolina) I have two new rovings. The first is called 'ask'



And the other is called 'remand.'



It's a good thing I only have one wheel. I'm trying to practice project monogamy (spinning mostly) but I have three spindles with 'in process' spinning on them, and I have half a bobbin of the first Miss Babs already going on the wheel. Basically, I have to finish something in order to start something else right now. AND, I'm still on the holiday gift making deadline. My compromise this year, if I run out of time, is to give people etsy gifts. If it can't be hand made by me, here are a whole slew of talented people to take up my slack! I'm addicted to this place.

In the knitting world, I've felted bag number five and have started number six, the first new monkey sock is almost finished, and my chevron scarf is still interesting to me (yea!).

Steve Earle and still socks

I realized I have not been effervescent about Steve's new album. I am quite pleased with it. It is good to hear a love song from him about someone he still loves. Most of the time they are, "I love you even though I treated you badly and you're gone." I have the CD with the bonus DVD and let me tell you, that man would be a HANDFUL! I knew he seemed kind of hyper, but now that he is drug, alcohol, AND nicotine free - Holy Hannah! The man barely pauses to breathe. Steve had a radio show called The Revolution Starts... Now on Air America for a while. His show had other musicians coming on and sharing their favorite music; problem was Steve would barely let them get a word in edgewise. I haven't heard the new show, so I don't know if his interviewing skills have improved (and I still adore him even if they haven't).

I was a little disappointed in the drum loops and the lack of the Dukes on the album. The Dukes rock so hard live. My favorite songs right now are: Tennessee Blues, Down Here Below, City of Immigrants, Oxycontin Blues, Red is the Color, and Pete's Hammer. Almost all of them. Next week it will be the other songs not on the list this week.

Intercession break is over so the children are back in school - yea! - and happy to be there. The great thing about their charter school is that, in most cases, their only homework is reading for thirty minutes a night. Chicky has spelling every week, but that is so doable. I am worried about next year for the boys, I need to go out and start scoping out the middle school situation. Scary. I can't believe they are so freakin' old already.

My love for monkey socks is extreme. I got four rounds of the pattern off yesterday, and am waiting for the kids to go to bed so I can work on them some more.



Roza's socks by Grumperina are coming along nicely. I love Cherry Tree Hill yarn, it is so sheeny, soft, and bouncy. Of course, they will look better when blocked, but they have grown on me. Now I want to do her Odessa hat next.




I'm almost finished with Nancy Bush's Welsh Country Stockings! Right now, they are a little large, so I might try felting them a wee bit if blocking doesn't help the situation.

Chicky is spinning on her drop spindle. She's using some funky carolina scrappy love to spin, and hopefully knit a sweater for one of her dolls. I would've bet good money she would have chosen all the pinks. I was dead wrong. She's going for the greens. All. of. them. It's so hard to share.



She's pretty darn cute though.

Knitting and spinning FO's!

I finished Elena's socks! They will be given to her tomorrow, I was starting to get worried it would be cold before I was finished, but no worries about that..another hot day (and week ahead). Here they are on the new Loopy Ewe sock blockers.



I also finished spinning the nemo and did a two-ply. I like three ply better, but I'm not so good at getting the yardage I want. I'm still a pretty inconsistent spinner. Anyway, here is the finished "nemo" hanging. It is very lofty.



And in a tidy skein. I love how the color combinations came together.



This is the potholder loop rug from Mason-Dixon Knitting that was finished a while ago. I made the mistake of washing it and (I really knew it) it frayed and bled. Oh well, it's a bath mat after all.



I've started my STR Chickabiddy monkey socks! Pictures tomorrow...

Spinning

I've spun and set my two ounces of Spunky Eclectic Fiber and I'm bummed I didn't order a double. Here is the final result.



I received my Funky Carolina order yesterday and I got 8 oz. of Scrappy Love.



And 4 oz. of superwash merino in the "Nemo" colorway.



I've already started spinning the Nemo, I like the colors and am trying to decide if I want to ply it with a different fiber or itself...we'll have to see what the fiber tells me to do. After a really long week at work I am looking forward to a day of mostly spinning, with some knitting at the boys' soccer game.

Spinning Aspen

A few days ago I received my first monthly installment of Spunky Eclectic Fiber. It was 2 oz. of merino/tencel which I have only previously spun on my drop spindle. I decided to have a go on my Louet 17 wheel. I thought it was fine, but my 3 ply is rather lofty (not necessarily a bad thing, but when you only have two ounces of fiber...it doesn't go that far). I knew I should've gone for the larger subscription. Anyway, here it is still chillin' on the bobbin...



Then I Navajo plied it (I really dig that, even though I have a rather rudimentary system including a shoe box and a knitting needle).



I spun it partially inch-worm style and then practiced with a longer draft and got more loft. It will definitely be some accent somewhere.

I meant to crop this picture...sorry...here is the lovely Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Chickabiddy (destined to become my next Monkey Socks). I fell in love with this colorway on Cara Davis's site (january one). I am not a pink and yellow girl, but this is so beautiful it's been on my mind ever since she made them. Here is Chickabiddy as a skein



And again as a "cake"



And my only other skein of Blue Moon - for right now- Watermelon Tourmaline also in lightweight STR.



That's all for now folks, gotta go knit and listen to some more Steve Earle.