Neglected: 3-ply Handspun

December 27th, 2007

For some reason I have a hard time deciding to 3-ply my handspun. When it comes to plying (and I nearly always ply) I just gravitate towards a 2-ply. The thing is, browsing through all the finished yarns in the Spindlers group on Ravelry, I tend to drool over the 3-ply yarns (especially the multicolors). The yarn tends to go at a steeper angle, the yarn has a slightly different texture, and I love it. I finally convinced myself to 3-ply a finished handspun and I’m really glad I did.

This is the yarn from the gifted roving I was given by a coworker. It’s a nice fluffy slightly springy worsted weight yarn. I’m envisioning winter hat, mittens, or something warm and wintery. I have a little bit of this gray left to spin so I can add it to the bunch, then I think I’ll spin up the white in exactly the same way. That will be plenty for whatever I decide to do with it.

4 Comments | Categories: Spinning |

Christmas is Over!

December 23rd, 2007

At least the knitting for it is, and boy am I relieved. I just need to quickly soak the rest of them and let them dry before I can wrap them up. There’s something wrong when I can say that I’m not entirely thrilled with most of them.

This scarf was just a pain to deal with all those ends from the striping. It’s messy, and not as good as I’d prefer it to be. I’ll definitely be trying to figure out a reasonable way to do garter stitch stripes without having to crochet the sides to hide the messiness.

These took me *forever* and were really meant for last Christmas. They’re OK technically, but the pattern is terrible for anyone with thumbs. There’s no thumb gusset and I will be using something different in the future. The yarn is beautiful, and I think I did a pretty good job; I am just ready to be rid of these.

These came out OK, but they’re a bit long for their intended recipient. I started them toe-up so I could use as much of the yarn as possible, and I think I’ve found one flaw with toe-up socks. It’s not easy to determine the length of the sock, unless you’ve knit the particular heel you’re using a million times and know how much space it will take up. I think I’ll be using top-down socks as much as I can from now on. They’re funner anyways.

I’m not sure what I’ll do next year to make my Christmas knitting more pleasant, but I’ve got time to think about it. I really enjoy knitting for those that I care about, and want to share the awesomeness that is handknit. I guess I just need to start earlier and find easier projects.

2 Comments | Categories: Knitting |

Making Spindles

December 10th, 2007

If you’ve been reading this blog you may remember my attempts at making support spindles out of knitting needles and beads. Well, it seems spindle making has become a small hobby of mine, because I’ve got a couple more under my belt. I find it inredibly fascinating, fun, and cool that I can make my own tool to spin fiber into yarn. Perhaps it’s because before I knew anything about spinning I thought you had to have a spinning wheel. A fellow LibriVoxer, knitter, and spinner ([Betsie](http://forget-me-nots-and-fireweed.blogspot.com/)) set me straight with a link to a PDF describing how to make what is called a *spindle* (I had no clue at the time!) out of old CDs. I never made them because I couldn’t find the grommet I needed, but I’ve found other ways to make them myself.

This lovely little thing was made with a metal coat hanger, and I’ve got two of them (the photographs are of just one). It’s an incredibly fun way to use a support spindle, as you just roll the empty part of the shaft on your thigh, and draft out horizontally. I’m going to make some improvements by adding a thicker bottom so that it’s easier to roll, and softening up the edges that I cut using the needle-nosed plier cutter. I’m pretty pleased with my hook bending skills too.

This is something a bit less simple, and involving quite a bit more work (I know, same picture as yesterday but I didn’t mention how it was made). I’d heard of people making polymer clay whorls and attaching them to dowels, so I thought I’d try it out myself. I got 2 whorls out of each of 2 standard sized blocks of the clay (for 4 whorls) which took me quite some time. I don’t have any of the typical tools that most people who work regularly with this clay use. I had to sort of shape them by hand and carefully roll them evenly flat. Some are more balanced than others, but it does the job. I’m having to resort again to the muslin to keep the whorl from sliding off as I did with my beaded support spindles, but it seems to be the best way of keeping them temporarily on. Since I have 4 whorls I want to be able to use as many or few as I need.

Apart from the spinning, this is one of the coolest parts of spinning. Does that even make any sense?

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Gifts

December 9th, 2007

We had a staff Christmas party this last Friday where I work, and every year we do a secret santa. The person that got me was very good to remember I’m a knitter and a spinner, and bought me some fiber. The poor guy had no clue where to look, but managed to find some. It’s a locally raised CVM roving, 3oz each in a gray and white. Both are soft and fluffy, and I started spinning it right away.

You know when you’re in a totally different world than the norm when, without a spindle or spinning implement, you grab a plastic knife in the midst of a party to spin your new fiber. It had a slightly serrated dull edge that held onto the yarn. It was slow going because I couldn’t roll it on my thigh, but I got a nice length going while we were all talking. When I got home, straight to the handmade spindle!

1 Comment | Categories: Spinning |

Winter Blahs?

December 5th, 2007

I feel lately like I’m going through a *phase* or something. Every year I tend to cycle through emotional phases where I have a general feeling of *something*. Lately it’s been…blahhh. Winter has only just started, so this is not a good sign.

Even my knitting has been affected by this blah feeling, and I don’t think I can blame it on the Christmas knitting distraction anymore. I’ve got one project off my back, so I’ve only got two nearly completed left to go. Now that I’ve relaxed on my knitting restrictions as a result, what project do I turn to? The mostly stockinette of my sweater (almost to the armpits!). I can’t even say I’m turning to it due to an excitement to finish my first sweater; I think it’s just the most suited to my mood lately: blahhh…

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved stockinette and garter stitch knitting! I get itchy when I don’t have a project I can pick up and just knit knit knit knit… but I normally have one or two other projects with some *lace* or some *cables* or a *new technique* or some *crazy idea* about something that I want to test out. Maybe it’s just my perception of the world lately, because there isn’t really a lack of lace, cables, or interesting stuff in my knitting. I’m just kinda *blahh…*

My one exciting new little project was knitting small stocking ornaments. I got past the second one (an improvement on the first which is barely usable) and I’ve sort of lost interest. I suppose the only thing to do is to stop complaining, revel in what stockinette or garter I can, and wait for something to jump in front of my eyes and get me moving again.

Honestly the most exciting thing for me lately has been to watch what others have been doing on the [Ravelry](http://www.ravelry.com) group I started for spindle spinners ([Spindlers](http://www.ravelry.com/groups/spindlers) ). I just love the excitement of new spinners, and seeing photos of the latest yarns, and reading questions and sometimes responding. It’s great stuff.

What, no pictures? Alright alright, here’s the proof that the body of my sweater is almost done. Fewer than 10 rows to go, and I get to start the sleeves. OK, I am a *little* bit excited about that.

2 Comments | Categories: Knitting, Spinning |