Fibery update

Uh, Shiny.  (I don't know how to spell "ough", "ow",  the vowel sound in threw or knew.  I want to say "knew-kn", shiny or "threw-thr", shiny.  The "uh" will have to do for now.  Actually, "ew" looks kind of right.)

Just an update on the fiber I have been turning into yarn. I can spin faster than I can knit, at this rate, expecially when we stay in one location and don't move for two weeks.

First, I spun up the awesome batt that I received from my wonderful friends for my birthday. I think the color was Before Sunset, from Crown Mountain Farms. The batt turned into a lushious pinky, purple three ply, about 372 yards. I am so in love with this yarn. I think I am going to make a Traveling Woman shawl.

Then I spun up a couple of minibatts, about one ounce, that I won from SpinControl Podcast. The batts are alpaca, Falkland wool, and seacell. Proportions weren't given. I got 173 yards of two ply, just what I wanted. It is maybe a heavy laceweight, about 17-18 wpi. I'm going to make a lace cowl.

Then I spun up a sample of corriedale in a natural brown and gray that I purchased at Snohomish. It is also two ply and I only have 23 yards, as I only did a bit to try it out. I'm going to make something small, to test out the yarn. I usually prefer three ply, but this is nice and softer than I though it would be from the fiber.

I finished a pair of felted slippers, which fit Nick and not the intended recipient. I made a cotton shopping bag, since we really have way to many plastic bags now. I am working on a "waves" or "seafoam" scarf, the one where you wrap the yarn around the needle one, two, three, two, one times, then drop it on the next row. I'm using the gradient yarn I spun up from some similar roving that was distinct colors. I wanted to see how the color blended. I also was trying for, and got, a worsted weight yarn.

Next I plan to finish a purple cardigan I started last year from my handspun, and finish a little scottie terrier from an Alan Dart pattern, much modified as I don't see any reason to knit fourteen pieces and then sew them together for a toy.

So net to stash: added 568 yards, knit up Maybe?? 300-400 yards. It's still gaining on me. However, the scottie and the purple cardigan will tip the balance the opposite way, specially since I am using two strands of yarn for the dog. And Stitches West is coming up, so I may knit some bears for the Mother Bear project. Do I have any acrylic in my stash?? I didn't think so. Well, a trip to the yarn shop is not so bad, really.

Update Slogging on

So remember my goal was to get the rainbow quilt top finished. So I have the fabric all cut even, (note to self, check to see what last blog says), and in one place. And this whole week, I have done . . . . . . NOTHING on it.

Nick mentioned that I was using the entire top of the stereo cabinet for my handspun yarn display and he didn't have any room for his "stuff". So Thursday, I got up with great intentions of working on the quilt-top, but first cleared off all the yarn from the top of the cabinet and from the back of the sofa.

I have had it in mind for several weeks, even a note on my fiber notebook, to check through the handspun to make sure it is all recorded properly, both in the fiber book and in my Ravelry stash.

Before I got started with that check though, I took some cotton yarn, and crocheted a bowl, kind of open. Remember Macrame! Not quite that, but close. I made it the size of the popcorn bowl that I usually use for storing the handspun, and even blocked it over the bowl. I washed it and soaked it in starch. I used the 50-50 formula, half starch and half water, and later realized I should have used all starch. Then I stretched it out over the bowl to dry. My plan is to make two of these bowls (same size??, graduated??) and use a fabric bowl (which I also starched) and create a hanging basket trio, one on top of the other, to hold my fiber. The basket I crocheted is very open. The sides are like a market basket, just chains attached about every four or five stitches, so the handspun will show through the holes. It is really cute. Only took three or four hours, another hour or so to muck about with the starching and the fabric bowl, and it was midafternoon. Too late for a walk and I still wanted to sort through the handspun and compare it to the Ravelry stash and the fiber notebook.

That was finished up in plenty of time to watch Jeopardy. Nick made dinner (if you can call heating up a frozen concoction "making" dinner, but it was good, and the kind I like that he is not so fond of - spinach, need I say more.)

Today, Friday, is my day to go to the kids, but since they are in school til 2:30 I don't have to leave until noon or one pm. So I cleaned up the kitchen, made Welch Cakes, cleaned up some more, unloaded clean dished from the dishwasher, put dirty ones in. I also washed my over 400 yards of three ply yarn I finished Thursday, and a medium single I really like and think I will keep as a single. I restarched the crocheted bowl to see if I could make it even stiffer. I do want it to stand up by itself, although now I am considering using a wire coat hanger to make a collar for it to hand from. I'm not sure now. By the time I got all this done, I barely had time to shower and leave for the kids. I did take the time to swing by the library on my way, but arrived at 2:15, so pretty close to time to walk over to school to get Smiley.

I describe this to show that I am doing a lot of stuff, but just not the thing I tell myself is high on the critical list. I mean, I want to keep the kitchen clean. I really wanted to finish the two yarns. Having an attractive and useful place to store the yarn is a very good thing. Keeping Ravelry stash and my fiber notebook accurate and up-to-date are critical to being organized about my fiber and stash.

Or, are these just excuses to avoid working on the rainbow, which I am desparately afraid I won't like once it is done. I wish I knew.

Charity knitting

I knit for myself.

I have no problem knitting acrylic sweaters, scarfs, and mittens for my grandsons, and occasionnaly my children and DIL.

But I have never given anything away to charity. What if they don't like it! I like it, and want to keep it (giving to close family is almost keeping it). I rarely give away anything I have made, for this reason. What if it isn't good enough. What if it is too good. What if it isn't like everybody's else's contribution. What if it is just like everybody else's contribution. What if I never hear back. (I probably wouldn't).

Ah, me.

So I made a fairly lightweight cap from sock yarn. It is really cute. I think I should give it away. It is so cute. I won't wear it. It has to be really cold for me to wear a cap, and then I would want something warmer. No one in the family will wear it (see reason above). Julie is the only one who would wear a hat and this one is too light. Plus I have already knitted her two caps, and a third is on the needles (almost).

So give it to a local yarn shop drive. They are collecting hats for St. Judes Children's Hospital, a great charity. Someone there might like this cap. It is warm. I would cover a bald head. It is pretty. i should give it, shouldn't I?

Stay tuned. I guess I said that before.