Category — Spinning

I’ve been slowly plugging away at my multiple craft projects.

I’ve made progress on my Wrapped in Hope quilt:

Progress on my 3-ply handspun sock yarn (I’m finishing the third bobbin of singles now):

And progress on my happy accident socks:

In other news, almost all of the February 2010 sock club is out the door. it should start arriving late this week. The colorway name is Pele’s Fire. I love it!

Liam’s first handspun:

Not bad for a seven-year-old boy, huh? Now, what to make with it? I’m thinking a nice, snuggly neckwarmer. I wonder if he’d like to learn how to knit next?

Something hit our house hard last week. My son brought it home from high school, then my youngest son (who had just gotten over something else) got it, then my husband succumbed. Just as they were all starting to feel better I got it, and it knocked me off my feet for two and a half days. Yesterday was the first day that I have felt even remotely stable on my feet. Hubs and I haven’t had coffee in over a week and now that the withdrawal is most certainly over, we’re thinking of not starting again. In fact, we had herbal tea this morning.

Now that we’re all better and the house is disinfected, I’m back to work. I already have the dyepots steaming and I’m printing invoices from Thursday’s update. It feels great to get back to normal!

One good thing about being knocked on your butt by a germ is that you get plenty of guilt-free fiber play time. I had just received my copy of Abby Franquemont’s new spinning DVD, and I spent a leisurely afternoon watching and learning how to do supported long-draw, a spinning technique that has intimidated me to this point.

I finally had to learn because this year I’ve decided to make my husband a handspun Cobblestone. I ordered 32 ounces of beautiful dark brown merino cross lamb roving from natchwoolie on etsy, and the way the fiber is processed really necessitates a woolen method. So, being unable to do much else, I finally decided that it was time to learn.

As it turns out, the technique feels pretty natural to me now that I’ve gotten the hang of it, and I was able to spin two full bobbins in not much time at all. The first skein is drying now, and it looks like it’s going to be a very, very warm and cozy yarn. I can’t wait to make my test swatch!

I also managed to finish my Multnomah shawl but not without a small amount of drama. I got to the middle of the last repeat when I ran out of yarn.  It makes a lot of sense because I had 400 yds of yarn to start but apparently I didn’t pay close enough attention to the yarn requirements. Bad knitter! I had to rifle through my personal stash and managed to come up with some merino/nylon sock in the same colorway. I was worried that it would be painfully obvious that the end of the shawl was done in a different base, but it’s upstairs blocking and I can hardly tell. Whew!

Photos of both coming soon!

the first finished skein from my new matchless

The first-ever completed skein of yarn from my matchless is done, and I’m very pleased. The colors have blended nicely, it’s super-soft, shiny, and has wonderful drape. It will soon become the weft of my third-ever weaving project.

I’m enjoying my wheel so much, in fact, that I already have a new bobbin full of some superfine superwash merino top that I dyed earlier this spring. There’s 8 ounces, enough to use as the multi-colored yoke of a faux fair-isle yoke sweater. I really love the way the colors are blending up on the bobbin. I think I may even make it a cardigan and try steeking just for the fun of it!

I’m still hammering out the details of the sock club, but at this point it’s looking like it will be set up by yarn base and there will be one colorway for all clubs each month, at least for the first round. I love the idea of doing clubs but I don’t want to burn myself out the first try!

The clubs will have a limited number of slots so if you want to sign up, make sure you’re subscribed to the newsletter. I’ll be announcing sign-ups there first, and I expect the slots to go fast!

Nine days of school vacation. Two sick kids. Two papers due. ‘Nuf said.

Other than trying to get kids healthy, keep the house a notch above disgusting, get ready for a major shop update and write two papers that might eek out a B (NOT my usual standard- yes, I’m a perfectionist) I’ve not had time for much else that requires actual use of my brain.

my first handspun socks- yay!

Good thing for me that simple 2×2 ribbing is pretty mindless! Yep, I finished my falkland handspun socks and I must say that I’m in love. I’m also, unfortunately, completely addicted to the subtle color blending that develops while knitting socks with handspun yarn. Now if only I could afford an electric wheel for plying. My calves get quite the workout doing all that plying on my little kiwi!

my first 3-ply handspun sock yarn

Proof that I am genuinely addicted: I also did a test-spin for my new spinning fibers that will be up in the shop later this week. I could have done a nice bulky or worsted weight but no — I did more sock yarn! 450 glorious yards of 3-ply superfine superwash merino handspun sock yarn! I LOVE this yarn. It is unbelievably soft. I think it’s going to be mother’s day socks for my mom because she’s awesome. If she weren’t, there’s no way I’d be giving this yarn away!

Well, now I’ve really got to get labeling. It’s been fun, folks! I’ll be back hopefully tomorrow with some fun goodies to share!

study time isn't complete without a hot cup of joe

School is back in session which means that a considerable amount of my time is spent reading and writing. This semester, I’m taking a class that has, so far, been really interesting and thought-provoking: Science and Spirituality. The opening discussion was about science and religion and whether they were mutually exclusive or integrated. Good stuff!

It’s online, which means that I don’t have to spend two hours total driving to class and back (major bonus in the winter!) but I do have to spend a lot of time on the message board. Wow, whoever thought that all of my online slacking skills would be put to such good use?

finished handspun sock yarn

Despite being back in school, I did manage to ply and dry the latest falkland singles I had on my wheel. It came out as a nice fingering weight (exactly 450 yards/100g) and I can’t wait to cast on some socks with it! There are still some places that are underspun/underplied -I am still very much a student of spinning- but all-in-all, I’m pleased. It did take FOREVER to be plied though! There will be no navajo-plied sample of this yarn because for once I actually finished both bobbins within mere inches of each other. That has got to be a sign of improvement!

my second handwoven scarf

On Saturday our boys went to visit their grandmother for the day and my husband and I took advantage of the free time to pursue some of our individual hobbies.

I warped my loom for my second project (with some help from the aforementioned husband)- a scarf made from some louet gems fingering weight yarn that I had dyed several months back.

I am so much happier with this project than the first. My selvedges are quite even and there was only one skipped thread, which I was easily able to fix with some guidance from my book- Weaving Made Easy by Liz Gipson. I will wear this beautiful new creation with pride- but I wish I had some yarn left for a matching pair of mittens!

one bobbin of singles completed

In other crafting news, I spent some time over the weekend spinning up some more falkland fiber that I dyed. I’m really happy with the singles and I’m planning to ply them tonight. If all goes as planned, I’ll have some strong, lustrous sock yarn for my next sock project.

Speaking of my next sock project, I still haven’t made a decision, but I’m leaning toward a plain vanilla pattern for use with my handspun sock yarn.

fiber, singles, 2-ply and navajo-plied yarn

I was so excited about my knitting and weaving FO’s that I completely forgot to tell you that I finished the falkland that I had been spinning.

The large skein is a worsted weight 2-ply and the mini-skein is Navajo plied. I always prefer the look of Navajo plied yarn in the skein but love the random look of the 2-ply in finished objects.

I’m very happy with how it came out, and it will likely become part of a hat and/or mittens very soon!

on the home stretch!

I am making serious progress on my 9-5 socks! I’ve turned the heel and am currently working on the gusset decreases. At this rate, I’ll have them off the needles and onto my feet by the weekend.

I also managed to finish the first bobbin of the falkland singles that I’ve been working on. I hope to have the second bobbin done by the weekend as well, so that I can ply and set it.

one bobbin down, one to go!

When those two projects are finished, I think I’ll cast on a Thorpe. I keep seeing such lovely versions made from handspun and I just can’t take it any more. It’s winter in Vermont, what other reason do I need?

my new knitting needle case

I’ve been doing some sewing, but it’s also knitting related.

I finally got around to making myself a mega knitting needle case. It’s designed to hold my entire set of knitpicks options needles along with extra tips, cables, and accessories. It also has room for all of my sock knitting dpn’s and circulars! When closed, it’s the same size as an issue of Interweave Knits. Perfect.

I do have one other knitting project in mind but it’s so small it hardly counts as a project- dishcloths! There are some super cute patterns out there and they’re a great alternative to socks for a travel project.

future dishcloths

I’m going to knit mine in aqua, natural and dark brown. I can’t wait to use them. I think they’d make great mother’s day or wedding gifts as well (when paired with something a little less utilitarian, of course!)

Happy Saturday! We’re having a cozy stay-inside day of playing games, reading books and making cookies because it’s too darn cold to go outside and play! I wanted to let you all know that I’ll be updating my shop tomorrow, probably some time in the morning most likely in the late afternoon.

Other than that, I’ll be working on my socks (I’m at the heel now- yay!) and working on this:

Enjoy your weekend everyone!