My first spindle-plied yarn!

Here is my spindle work for today! I followed the instructions and photos in the Summer '07 issue of Spin-Off for Andean plying and plied my first yarn on a spindle. I'm such a geek to be so excited about it. I mean, after all, I'm embarrassed to admit I've amassed over 100 skeins of homespun yarn over the last few years...and it's not a business for me! But it's a new skill that was previously a mystery to me and there's something about unlocking a mystery, opening a door, whatever. I never thought I'd like those tiny skeins,preferring the large skeins you can get plying on a wheel, but it's so portable that I may become accustomed to it.






These are some Christmas gifts I knitted for friends. Small, pressure free little items. I love the instant gratification this sized project. The neck warmer and the tiny sweater only took 2 evenings apiece. But on other fronts, I've nearly finished my pink Notre Dame de Grace pullover and hope to finish that this evening.

Selecting the spinning for Tour de Fleece

...and it's a big decision!

I have been trying to organize my projects and make lists of what I hope to accomplish this summer. I'm about to make a startling disclosure: I have 12 quilt tops, 20 knitting projects and uncounted spinning projects in the works! Several of these are near completion, but my restlessness with the middle stages of a creative effort can not be appeased. About the time I get one third to one half way finished with something, I become disinterested and find either a new obsession or resort to another partially completed effort. I figure if I can channel my energies to the latter, I will be fine eventually. But this constant obsession with brand new projects must stop...yeah.

And that's why I'm planning to spin one pound of California red fleece this month for the Tour de Fleece. Here are the reasons for my choice:
1. It is washed so I can almost consider it an ongoing project
2. I have never spun this variety of fleece before and new is fun
3. It looks like it will process nicely and spin even more nicely into a springy yarn
4. It is manageable in the amount of time I have remaining as I am starting a couple of days late


So that's it, then. I have an appointment with my roving carder first thing tomorrow morning.

I am noticing something interesting about all of the organizing and listmaking I've been doing. Spinning seems to be exempt from it all. I wonder why that is? There seems to be no need to prioritize and itemize tasks remaining. I seem to always get back to spinning projects even without an end product in sight. My inclination is to say that my obsession is still running high with spinning; so high that nothing seems like a chore (slight exaggeration only - I don't love picking VM from some fleeces) from washing to fluffing to carding to spinning singles, dying, plying, washing again and skeining. The rewards inherent in adding lovely finished skeins to the already overflowing basket are enough to keep me creating. I wonder when I will be ready to part with any of it. Currently, I'm very attached to all of it!

Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the range of the coopworth yarns from the fleece I finished, the entire- if tiny -Jacob fleece I spun, and the first completed quilt top of the summer.

Thomas' new hat

Luckily, being sick on vacation had its benefits. I brought along a whole bunch of partially done knitting projects and actually managed to finish up a few. Here is an example. The boy is a work in progress, and what a work he is, but the hat is done! I used Paton's Classic Wool yarn, bamboo double points and only had to redo the decreases up the side once. I think the pattern is a mock rib - all knit on one side and knit one, purl one rib on the other. This late season storm has given Thomas an opportunity to wear it and the fit is great. What a boy!

Our new Siberian husky - Hunter

Isn't he beautiful? He's 4 1/2 years old and a very nice boy. We're all getting to know each other.

A whole "Turtle" fleece

This is the entire Jacob lamb fleece I bought at the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival last fall. The sheep's name is Turtle. I plan to spin the colors separately and knit a round yoke sweater with sheep all around it. (Fiber Trends pattern) So far, I have one skein of the brightest, (I carded this with some angora, right), and one skein of medium colored, left. The remainder is the darkest colored and it is all carded and ready to be spun. It's a wonderful, soft fleece and I'm anxious to start knitting with it!

Currently, we're on vacation and I brought tons of knitting projects IP to finish during travel and downtime. What does it mean to spend more time selecting and packing knitting projects for vacation than clothing? And then blog about that rather than vacation? Hmmm...!

I love my secret spin to knit pal!

My most wonderful spin to knit pal send me a fabulous package from California which I received today. Hooray! And just in time for another portion of the ongoing reorganization of my stash.

Maia sent me an absolutely wonderful skein of chunky yarn, handspun and dyed from multi-colored rovings in just my favorite colors of mainly red and purple. And as if that wasn't enough, she also sent some wonderful hand dyed sock yarn. I bet it will be perfect for a pair of socks from the Fair Isling on Blue Moon book that I just bought. And roving - scrumptious merino and silk in the warm shades of a summer sunset, (rather hard to imagine right now as the snow falls yet again,) but this roving is sure helping. I think I will spindle spin it fine and knit a pair of socks with it.

And then there are non fiber treats! Soap, (handmade,) and chocolate. I hadn't had any Black and Green Organic chocolate before. I'm trying to savor it, but both kids and my husband are savoring it with me and you can probably guess what that means! How did Maia know I love almonds? At least there will be no competition for the soap. Ahh, how I love shea butter. We're still on high maintenance skin programs here in the frozen northern sections of New York state, in an effort to retain some moisture before the furnace dries it out totally. But I have a thing about wrapping. And this soap is so beautifully packaged, I'll have to enjoy it for a bit in its wrapped state before I can actually use it out of its tissue paper coating.

Thanks, Maia! I'm off to go play!

My only tolerance for cotton yarn

And on the knitting front, I just love these ballband dishcloths - both knitting and washing dishes with them. Quick and easy. Sadly, they fade with using, all the more reasong to start out with wild colors!

Coopworth just waiting to be spun!

Triple Berries

I have finished processing most of this coopworth fleece. I bought it as a stash buster from Amelia at the Bellwether. Loved its curls and washed it bucket by bucket full in the bathtub. It came out a pure white. I dyed roughly 1/3 in greens and yellows, 1/3 in berry colors (that's what you see here all carded and ready to continue spinning, and 1/3 is being handcarded slowly and spun. All finished yarn so far is wonderful if it isn't soft. I've finished the mixed berries in their yarn form, gifted one skein of it to a friend and still need to ply the greens. Of course, the plain white has a ways to go. Maybe I'll get to it over our winter break next month.