spinning in public...crazy!

Almost every year, we spend a week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We rent an ocean side house with a pool and the kids all *neeeeeed* swim goggles. Every year, we buy goggles. And then no one can find them the following year. A couple years ago, Peter ordered two pair of goggles that each came in nifty little plastic tubes with screw on lids. The goggles disappeared, as usual, but I saved the tubes. If I'd put the goggles back in the tubes, they'd be gone too.

Did I know then that a .5 oz Golding Tsunami would be the perfect fit for a swim goggle tube? (I gave the other one to Em for her Greensleeves Ethan Jakob.) The screw on top even accommodates a clip for hooking on a belt loop or strap.

So this, being small and convenient, is my long term, go to, carry with project. What I was spinning at the Plain White T's concert, earlier this week at the library, pretty much anywhere I have a minute or two.

The fiber, merino/silk clouds, was a gift from my friend Leah. I don't have a project in mind or any deadline. I just spin, wind off when I need to and stuff another handful of fiber in the bottom of the tube on my way out the door. That's not crazy, it's good planning and keeps me sane.

But this. This is crazy.

My singles on the left, ordinary sewing thread on the right.

Print o'the Day

After some marathon knitting, I reknit and finished off the first part of the center section by the Tuesday following the fateful Saturday frogging. I'd actually started the second section by our Zombie Prom Date Knitters meetup at the coffee shop.

Since then, I've been slacking on the knitting. Mostly due to spindle making...sandpaper hands and lace don't exactly mix well. But here we are so far.

I'm seriously considering frogging this half too. But not until I've finished knitting it. And only if I don't like the way the colors flow. The far end of this section now begins with the yarn from the center end of the first section. Eyeballing my yarn cake--

break for spinning details (which should have been in the post linked above): About 2/3 the 20' foot or so length of the top was predominantly aqua, with the last 1/3 having more bluey purples. I wanted to bring down the aqua, brighten the purples and distribute the darker parts...hopefully avoiding sharply defined striping for an overall softer tone. I spun the first single from one continuous strip, aqua end first. For the second single, I split about an equal strip down it’s entire length and spun purple end first. Then I joined the next strip going in the same direction (purple first).

Kind of like this...

1 <-------------------------------------------------------------------

2 <-------------------------------------------------------------------

--I'm pretty sure the center end of this section is going predominantly teal/aqua, as the far end of the first section. If I think it looks better with the teal/aqua at each end of the finished shawl and the more bluey purple stuff centered in each section...I'll frog and reknit from the opposite end.

Yeah, I'm obsessing. I'm a wee bit stressed. Leave me alone. It's all good.

St Paddy's Day kick off to KnitWithSnot along

Holly was supposed to kick all us Zombie Prom Date Knitters into hand knit stockings for next year mode right after Christmas. Remember how that went? Some of us signed on for Elizabeth's Save the Prom Date, Save the World Zombie Slaying Mitten Swap. Some of us even received...or at least finished and sent...mittens. Some of us still need to get moving so as not to stiff our partners (TracyB, I suck. I'm your guilty partner. Tell me your favorite color and I'll make them...I swear!).

Anyway, some of us are better than others with the follow through and completion thing. We shall see how the Print o'the Wave (or whichever 27 page pattern you chose because you just had to show the rest of us up) shawl-a-long goes.

I can't wait to knit this whole lot o'yumminess!

handspun

Merino/tencel fiber from Yarn Hollow

FYI: CD-ROM drive + Wensleydale locks = pissed off momma with tweezers and a flashlight

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

totally finished object

The sweater, not so much the baby...

he's got some growin' to do

(no, that button's really not cutting into his chin)

And another one started

SIP

I had a doctor's appt today and took along my spindle to kill time while waiting. I was spinning in the exam room when my doc walked in, so quickly wound on to put it away.

"What is that?" She's used to seeing me with knitting, usually socks.

A drop spindle.

"What are you doing?"

Spinning wool into yarn.

We had an entire conversation about fiber and spinning, why not just buy the yarn? and how it looks--and IS--very relaxing and meditative. She suggested it might be good therapy for certain patients. I explained how my son, with mild CP/fine motor issues/intention tremor, loves spinning and is actually quite good at it. And how trying to find him a decent spindle lead to me making and selling them.

She asked me to show her how to use my spindle and to let her try. All of this before we even got to the reason I'd come to see her.

She's always so interested in whatever project I'm working on, I've often thought about knitting her something. Instead, I'm going to make her a spindle and take it in with some fiber when I go back in September.

What a great appointment! Even if she did chastise me for not rescheduling my rheumatologist appointment after I cancelled more than a year ago (due to the ass cast issue). And only refilled certain meds for 90 days so I'd HAVE TO see my rheumie for more. Wugh.

Etsy report

I've sold three spindles in three days, the first within hours of opening my shop. I was so thrilled to have email announcing my first sale when we returned home from Kait's graduation--I jumped up and squealed. The kids think I'm nuts. Well, more nuts.

Etsy is a dangerous place though. While setting up my shop, I had another tab open. I was browsing spinning things. Look what followed me home from Copperpot's shop...

I spent pretty much what I've made so far.

Peter thinks something is wrong with this picture.

I did it--Etsy!

After realizing my kids do not need umpteen million spindles--even though they beg and fight for every new one I create--and some encouragement from friends, I opened an Etsy store today. I'm Spinsanity over there.

Go see! Go buy!

(though I'm not quite sure of the pricing)

My husband would surely appreciate any purchase, to help offset the cost of his purchases...

every spindle-making girl needs

her own power tools

(Yeah, right.

I did figure out the drill press

won't throw off the hole saw when I use it

thus cutting holes through me

I still haven't found the need for a miter saw

I think he used it for the drying rack though)

my (very messy) work table

with the cute little drying rack

Peter made for me

In between spending much of my time making spindles,

there's been some spinning going on

I purchased 24 oz of these adorable merino/tussah silk birdsnests

in luscious basil

(pics really don't do it justice but hers is better-- scroll all the way down)

from Leah at Yarn or a Tale

,p>

Note my spindle-- it's so light (.6 oz) and purty, I heart it!

There should be one/some of this type

(the whorl is two layers--I carve out designs in the top layer, paint or stain the bottom layer and then glue them together under heavy weights)

in the shop next week.

and some plying

Note: 'nother one of my spindles

it's a bit heavier (1 oz) but doesn't feel heavy at all

also note: my yarn meter that doubles as a lazy kate

and also (I discovered) holds my spindle

when I need to stop in the midst of playing

I plan to add one/some of these soon too!

and some knitting

(pardon the crappy pic on my desk chair,

it just occurred to me that a post to my knitting blog

really ought to include some knitting

so I grabbed the project closest to my desk

and didn't feel like running back outside to take a pic)

One more thing--it's a big...no, HUGE...day in the Twinsanity household. My older daughter, Kait, graduated from high school this evening.

Kait and her friend Ashley

(Ashley finished her Cosmetology boards and became licensed today!)

CONGRADUATIONS, KAIT!!

I love you and I'm so very proud of you for hanging in and sticking with it,

even when it was very difficult for you.

.

**signing off due to teary eyes**

spindles, knitting and yarn...oh, my!

I spent yesterday making more spindles....

These



make me happy.

I worked on some knitting over the weekend...

This

is pissing me off.

I somehow reversed the row counts and the repeats for the initial decrease rows

and had to frog all. the. way. back.

Then, I was all the way finished with the increases

and the 'knit even until 14.5 inches from cast on"

and began the underarm shaping.

When I realized I was a few stitches short.

I missed an increase row.

Wugh.

Now I've frogged back to add the last increase row and have another couple inches of plain stockinette before I get back to the armhole shaping.

But I washed a bunch of handspun yarn yesterday...

this (merino/silk from my Gatlinburg trip)

is now

this

and it's very, VERY soft and yummy.

Petting it makes me very happy.