distracted by the wheel

I got half of Dana's fiber done. I'll work on the other half while I am on Christmas vacation. I am so proud of how much like real sock yarn this looks like. I shouldn't say real, I'll go with commercial. There are some inconsistencies in the width, but it is pretty good. I Navajo plied to keep the colors together and to make it as stripey as possible. I was excited to get this half done so Dana would be able to work on it over break. And I got her leftover sweater yarn out of the deal. Some Knitpicks Swish DK in Clematis. I'm thinking gloves or convertible mitts.

And I decided to try my hand at some proper art yarn. Not the stuff that you suck at spinning so you call it art yarn. But the stuff where you make it all thick and thin on purpose and then coil it around a core thread. I used my Loop Earth Goddess batt that Deb gave me. I think I did ok. I think I am going to make it into the urchin hate from knitty. Or maybe the madge hat. I'm not sure yet.



In other news, Numbers 2, 4, and 7 are done. Two left to go and only one of those needs done before Christmas. I have decided I am going on a selfish knitting binge. I made myself a swirls cap in charcoal (the link takes you to a pic of the sample, the pattern is on Ravelry) and am going to be working on a couple more samples of a loom pattern that I submitted. To make them a bit more appropriate for a spring issue. :) And I have scarves that need knitted and a Versatility that is looking very lonely in the WIP basket.

I have joined the 21st century

I finally broke down and got a text messaging plan added to my phone. Now don't go super crazy. I got the smallest plan at 300 messages. But now you all can message me without guilt. Of course, now I want a new phone because it takes me about 3 weeks to type out a text message on this phone even with the T9 function. I always said that when it came to the point that I sent enough text messages in a month so that I spent as much as a plan I would get one. Well last month I spent $3 and the small plan is $5. That is close enough for me.

Oh and I got number 7 done and I made the dough for number 2. Woot woot!

And I even submitted a pattern idea to Loom Knitter's Circle.

And I sent two samples of yarn to the Spin-off magazine's Your Yarn section. The Spring 2009 magazine will be featuring spindle spun yarns. I am pretty sure I would have a pretty major freakout if it actually made it in the magazine. I got confirmation today that they received it.

I feel somewhat accomplished today.

I can see the finish line

My roll has slowed down a bit. I got distracted by a bit of comission spinning. Dana offered me her leftover sweater yarn to spin her Optim fiber. Which I gladly did. I wanted to get about half of it done so she could start her socks over break. Plus with Christmas gifts coming in, who knows when I will get to it again.

I also did some spinning on the Dorset/Cheviot blend I dyed. It has been a while since I've tried to go bulky. I navajo plyed (i.e. 3 ply) and it is still only probably a heavy worsted/bulky. They are so right, once you spin thin, you can't go back. I actually took my wheel to Friday Night Magic at Hometown Hobbies and I got some interesting looks. Although one guy got it right. He looked at the wheel and then said "Well, it is a hobby." Maybe he will get that hat he asked me for like 3 months ago.

I got my HP Christmas Cracker swap package. Yay! I got a minature Owl Post kit complete with miniature needle felted owl to carry my messages. I am still waiting to hear if my partner got her package, but it says it was delivered.

And although I have gotten distracted, I have been quite faithful to the Christmas list. Certain things have gotten moved around because I will be seeing them after Christmas so I can take a little longer. But I finished number 8 and got a lot done on numbers 5 and 7. In fact I got a bit cocky about the whole thing and added 18 and 19 but promptly finished number 18.

1. Done

2. Not knitted but handmade, but must be fresh

3. Done

4. 66%

5. 70% 7 squares to go

6. Done

7. 75%

8. Done

9. Done

10. Done

11. Done

12. Done

13. Done

14. Done

15. Done

16. Done

17. Done

18. Done

19. 20%

And on the purchased present front, only two left to buy. And I will be picking those up this evening when I go get the only thing I forgot for my annual bake-a-thon. I swear, I got extra of sugar, flour and powdered sugar on accident, but I don't pick up the one thing I don't already have in the pantry, brown sugar. And I was all raring to start getting the doughs ready yesterday and I only got to make the chocolate chip cookies because I only had enough brown sugar for those. **sigh** When I bake, I make all the dough first and then do a massive baking day. I don't get as tired that way.

Wordless Wednesday-Waiting for Santa

I can just hear Eye of the Tiger playing in the background

Because I am striving towards my goal. Present #10 is finished. I now plan to take today off to do stuff for me. I totally cast on the Branching Out scarf last night. And I see spinning in my future as well.

Christmas Update

I figure I will stick with the number game. It helps me keep track. And yes I've added numbers, but they were for things that I needed to do anyway and just forgot to add to the initial list. Honest.
1. Done
2. Not knitted but handmade, but must be fresh
3. Done
4. 66%
5. 50%
6. Done
7. I've bought the pattern
8. 35%
9. Done
10. 85%
11. Done
12. Done
13. Done
14. Done
15. Done
16. Done
17. 90%

That is a lot of dones on that list. With only two not started. And only 4 people to buy for, I beleive this Christmas may be well in hand. Hell, I've even started wrapping some of the ones that are done. But anyway. How about some pictures of the stuff that is done that I can show you?
Some dishcloths for my grandma. I even made up a new sponge pattern, kind of on accident. I will get it written up at some point. Here is a close up of one in a different color.








That sponge actually goes with the swap gift for my fiber guild. Does anyone know if we are supposed to wrap these up? I guess if you are part of the guild, you shouldn't be looking so I will put the rest of the pictures behind links here and here.






This last picture is actually not a present for anyone. It is a present for me from my MIL it is a Christmas card holder. I can't wait to start using it. Of course if I want to receive any Christmas cards, I should probably start sending them out myself.

Busy times

Sorry it has been a while since I posted. But I have been busy. It has been a little over a week and I have spun up three skeins of yarn.

The first one I finished was the stuff that Mitzi gave me to work on while I was at spinning guild. I'm not sure what the fiber is or where she got it. I don't even remember how many yards I got out of it. But it is my first 3 ply yarn and my first time Navajo plying. I really like it. I think it is wool so I might make a little felted bag out of it. Yay.

The second I finished was a batt from Loop. I am so excited about this. The first half of the batt was spun up on a drop spindle and I finished the rest of it on the wheel then plied the two singles together. It is her Kimono colorway and is a blend of red and hot pink bamboo, eggplant cooridale and purple mohair with lots of glitz in it. I got about 200 yards of a nice fingering/sport weight. I think I have already decided on the Branching Out scarf pattern. This yarn is just screaming to be a drapy neck decoration.

Last, but not least, was some practice roving that Grace threw in with the wheel. She has some single already spun so I put that on the bobbin and spun up the rest. I then Navajo plyed it to keep the colors sort of together. When you ply it to keep the colors together, it is much harder than just pulling up loops willy nilly. But I like the look it gave this yarn. I think I ended up with about 70 yards of a nice worsted weight yarn. How much do I love that you can search for patterns on Ravelry by yardage? It is heaven for handspinners.

But not only that! Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we went to a farmers market. There was a stall there with lamb for sale, but she was also selling yarn. So I started talking to her. She didn't have any of her handspun, just mill spun. But she mentioned she also had roving for sale. $12 for 1 lb. Crazy cheap. So I snatched that right up. It is a Dorset/Cheviot blend. Not merino soft but decently soft and smooshy. So I decided to try dying with the Wilson's cake icing dye. I split the roving into approximate quarters. and set to dyeing.

2 of the quarters I dyed with burgandy and moss green. As you can see, burgandy does not really turn burgandy. More of a hot pink really. It is pretty, just not really the effect I was going for. I laid out the roving and dyed in segments so the roving transitions from pink to green and back. Not sure how I am going to spin this one up yet.

This quarter was dyed with violet and moss green. I laid out the roving willy nilly and then using my eye dropper, I scattered the dye willy nilly. Then smooshed the dye all through the yarn and threw in a bit extra vinegar. In one of the tutorials I read, they said that the dyes with Red #3 will break in a high acid solution. Which in this case is what I wanted. So I ended up with a blend of pinks, purples, blue and green. Love it.

This one turned out nothing like I planned. Burgandy, moss green and orange food coloring. Whoo is this sucker bright. I am currently spinning it up and hope to make it a fluffy two or three ply heavy worsted/bulky weight. This stuff is heaven to spin. I might have to hit up Bill and Lauren to grab me more of this the next time they go to the market.