I haven’t forgotten my spindles and need to wind off and decide how I want to finish what is currently filling them. Then I’ll start filling them again.

Teabird delivered the wheel with a batt of bfl mixed with sari silk so that is what we got to know each other with. I can’t say I really enjoyed this mix, but I enjoyed every moment of spinning. I finished it in two different ways. One bobbin was chain plied to create a mock three ply and the other is a simple two ply. There isn’t very much true yarn and I’m going to stay mum on how it will be used. It knows I have plans for it.

Fun plans.

Since then, I’ve been slowly spinning up the fibre that’s pictured in the bobbin at the top of this post. Have you been to Dave’s shop Cabin Cove Mercantile? He dyes beautifully and ships super quickly. You can get the stunning Compass Collection, ombre dyes, or delightful spinning fibres.

p.s. please feel free to correct my french grammar, is it des bonnes amies or a unique de bonnes amies? My gut says de my brain wants des. My french books are not within hand-grab distance.

On Monday, Teabird shown here with her Gidget, a Spinolution Bee Travel Wheel, came to visit. Together we had the most pleasant Monday I have spent in a very long time.

Shadow and Melanie snuggled and head butted each other, I’m not sure who purred louder. He looked around the house for her after she left and cried. I’m amazed he didn’t try to jump into her bag and go home with her. He is smitten with his new friend.

Gidget and I also became fast friends straight away. Why? She let me treadle with just my (not so) big toes. It was effortless and pleasantly different from my normal treadling experience. It was wonderful. I had to stop suddenly because if I didn’t stop then, well, I’d still be in the library spinning away. I think I might be in love.

Squeaky has been given notice (and perhaps a new home where he can be better loved and appreciated) and que sera sera. Maybe not today, maybe not this weekend, but when the time is right, it will happen. He’s been good to me and understands.

My spindles are excited about my renewed interest in spinning and thrilled at the plans I’m making with them.

Thank you for a wonderful friendly Monday Teabird and Gidget. I hope we can get together for tea again soon.

…
Yes, I have abandoned the “schedule”. Posts probably will be on the days they’ve been. They might be long or short. I might skip a day or two. I’m trying to free it up so it feels less of a burden and more of an opportunity to write about something I enjoy. If I take an extended absence from posting here, I’ll post something. Don’t worry!

The spindle is from Threads Thru Time and while it is quite pink, it is quite a bit of fun to spin on. The staff at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio oohed and aahed over it when I ran through on Tuesday to pick up more yarn for mom’s birthday gift. More on that when I finish it. ;)

Shadow loves this spindle too and since he sat somewhat still and was helpful in helping me spin, I thought he could have some photo fun even though it’s not Friday and I didn’t think I’d get any photos before October.

(click to make bigger)

Hey! You know what? CONTEST A silly one. You have until 11:59:59 NYC time on my birthday (31 October) to write up captions or a short little story of what’s going through Shadow’s head in this little photo story strip. It doesn’t need to be in English either if you would like practice with another language. Bonus if it’s a language I can read or have easy access to someone fluent enough to help me translate (off the top of my head I can do or have easy access to French, Hungarian, Yiddish, Hebrew, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch). Your kids can write stories too. Send them in — do not post them in the comments! and I’ll chose the best one and post it here and send the winner some handmade goodies, or if they are the mindset, the materials they like best to make some handmade goodies of their own. Family can enter! All are encouraged.

What thinks you?

. . .

If I have wronged you I beg forgiveness.
גמר חתימה טובה

Last month I spun for a just over 3.5 hours. It resulted in my finally finishing 2¾ ounces of alpaca I acquired at Maryland last year. Somewhere along the way I lost an ounce but gained 126.0 yards of a fingering weight yarn. Sir Shadow stole quite a bit, he makes my alpaca obsession look pale by comparison.

In any case, while I also spindled a good deal, my spinning time was mostly spent on notSqueaky.

I learned a lot last month. I’m hoping to sneak 5 minutes in (either at the wheel or spindle) today. It would be a first for the month and would make me really happy.

My spinning is still very much that of a beginner.

I no longer stress about which way the wheel or spindle should go. I’ve finally gotten it down to muscle memory. Please don’t ask me which way is left or right. I just do it. I’ve never been good with L/R things.

I did finally learn the need for different drafting techniques. Alpaca isn’t merino or BFL, two fibres I have the most experience spinning. My singles often felt like rope while I was going.

It softened up and came out pretty but I definitely need to work on drafting techniques. I think it is time for me to stop trying to figure it out on my own and acquire a copy of the amazing Abby‘s new DVD, Drafting: The Long And Short Of It. How do I draft now? Probably as most beginning spinners draft: whatever works. After reviewing a few articles in recent issues of Spin-Off, I think I drafted the alpaca with an American sliding, supported long draw (“Seven Drafting Techniques” by Jeannie Bakriges. Spin·Off, winter 2009).

I leave you with this screenshot out of iPhoto of what happened when I attempted to take photos. I have new scratches because he did not want to give up the alpaca. I don’t question his taste, I know he’s young, but he definitely needs to learn to share!

Schedule Shift Notice:
Until April 12th I will try a revised schedule to hopefully improve writing and free up a bit of time for my back-logged Work and for pesach preparation. Who knows, I might even get a chance to finally redesign and relaunch my website. The schedule is as follows:
The posts will be split over two weeks, with a kitten post every Friday.
Week one: Monday books, Wednesday fibre, Friday kitten.
Week two: Tuesday cooking, Thursday words (house, garden, travel, &c), Friday kitten.
repeat until April 12th at which point I’ll decide if I’m going to continue this revised schedule or return to daily posting.

I’ve been spinning. So far this month I’m averaging about 5 minutes a day. I’ve missed a day or two, but I’ve figured out how to work it into my day and remind myself that it is leading toward a business goal so it is not something I should do and feel guilt about.

What have I been spinning?

Some alpaca. Since this photo I’ve spun up half of the 2.75oz I purchases at Maryland last year and am 15 minutes into the second bobbin.

In no particular order..

Respect the Spindle: Spin Infinite Yarns with One Amazing Tool
by Abby Franquemont

When you know an addition to your bookshelf will change your life and make something you enjoy doing much more enjoyable and easier, how do you write a proper review?

When I first started spindling I was very shy and scared and really really bad at it. Some people I asked for assistance had a very anti-spindle bias; they saw a spindle as a stepping-stone on the way to a wheel. I knew that was silly and that for many cultures there were spindles, not wheels doing the yarn production. I am very lucky that I have some very good friends who love spindling *and* wheels and they helped me get on the right direction. I’m still not very good.

When I heard Abby was writing a book I was thrilled. I found her articles and blog posts informative and very helpful over the years. A few months ago she had posted a video tutorial that introduced me to the concept of winding a butterfly and my spindling immediately got easier (there’s a photo tutorial on p 86).

When I finally got my hands on a copy (thanks to a surprise gift from my husband) and I actually had a chance to sit and read through this book while fondling holding my spindles I was thrilled and thankful.

This is a soft cover book, so it is light and could be taken along in a bag. It’s not spiral bound, but I don’t find I care about that in my spinning books. The photos are clear and if a technique is being demonstrated it is done so with very precise steps and I’m very thankful for the plain background and Abby’s simple clothing.

Just reading this book will not make you a better spinner overnight, you still need to practice but I think Abby has written a superb book. This book is valuable for anyone, whether you spindle or not, thought if you aren’t interested in spinning you might only like the first 47 pages of history, science, and other knowledgeable things. I think this will help me if anyone wants me to try to explain the basics of spinning to them. I wouldn’t go out and ask to be hired as a teacher, but when you spindle in public, people are interested and this book should help me figure out a clear and concise way to explain what I’m trying to do.

The most amusing part of the book was seeing two different ways to wind a cop and realizing that my other life prepared me for this one. I used to make my own bassoon reeds and the thread knotting method for that is very similar to winding a cop using the crossing method. I love it when my life experiences overlap!

Reversible Knitting: 50 Brand-New, Groundbreaking Stitch Patterns
by Lynne Barr

Barr takes the innovations and lessons from her first book, Knitting New Scarves and takes a huge leap forward with this new title. While it is a traditional hardback book, I wasn’t upset as I sat on the train absorbed in the clear photos, unique stitch organization for the 50 included designs, and the unique patterns Barr and others have contributed to show the extreme flexibility and endless possibilities for reversible knitting. I can’t decide which new stitch pattern excites me the most, I’ll have to try them all. If you are looking for a unique dictionary or inspiration maker for either yourself or the knitter who has everything and likes to try it all, you will not be disappointed with this book.

Dreamships
by Melissa Scott

If one were to take a mash-up of my undergraduate degree (Computer Science:Artificial Intelligence, also Psycholinguistics wannabe) and crossed it with my graduate degree (Information & Archive Management) and mixed in my random interests you might come up with this book. I randomly picked it off the shelf at the used bookstore and am delighted to have found it. I enjoyed reading it and will look into Scott’s other writings.

However, at most festivals I end up distracted by fibre, or animals, or the weather, or some combination. By the time I remember I want to look for a WPI tool we’re either halfway home or dripping wet and over budget because of some alpaca that befriended me.

This year at Rhinebeck it was different. I limited myself. I set guidelines. I went looking for two things and wasn’t too concerned about my budget for them, however if I could not find one, then I needed to really think about looking for the other. Having just set up a whole room for my fibrey needs I knew there was very little I truly needed.

I knew I needed to give serious search for a WPI tool and a I knew I would like another lightweight spindle.

Why did I want a WPI tool when a ruler or a pencil can work? I’ve made a few of them and I’ve not yet set up wood working tools to provide me with the tool I see myself using in my head. After I’ve put all this effort into my handspun, I want to figure out its weight with a nice beautiful tool that feels nice in my hands and is nice to look at.

How did I know about the spindle? That’s a story for next week. It involves the temptress Limonene.

So I set off with my prioritized wish list and slowly made my way from vendor to vendor. As I began to despair and allow for spindle distraction, I was thrilled to find my WPI tool. It is better than I expected as it includes both of the gauge measures I was looking for and it includes a diz! As you probably know by now, I like my tools multi-functional, well made, practical, and appealing to as many senses as possible. This mixed exotic wood beauty does not disappoint. It’s not the sort of wood choice I would generally make, but by the time I got there Sunday morning I was already feeling fatigued so I went with it. I think it appeals to me because it so so very different from my normal choice.

With luck I’ll write up some of the yarn I’ve spun recently. However, next week look for my new spindle love. Bonus? Dating him won’t break the bank. I was surprised too, thinking he was used to a much more extravagant lifestyle. I’m feeding him BFL at the moment and he’s enjoying it.

• remember to oil Mr I’m-no-longer-Squeaky
• relax and not treadle as if it’s a race.
• spin up as many different stash fibres as I can. Learn what they are.
• Learn how I spin them. Learn what I like. Write down my thoughts and experiences

In short, finally get to know my wheel. Sure, there’ll be days when I only get a bit of spindling time in, but I want to try to improve my spinning. The wheel received a lot of TLC from Dave (a different one) on Sunday. He spins wonderfully and squeaks just enough to remind me when and where I should oil.

You’ll be able to track my progress at this page and I’ll try to make a nicer interface shortly.

But first, I’ve been falling for some different colours in the shops. Some are brighter. Some are different and outside my normal palette (LB Superwash Merino in Dijon, I’m looking at you). Not all have come home with me (oh dear, that would be a disaster) but I’m finding excuses to add them to the stash. I think it’s that spring is finally here and once again I’m excited. I love grey. But I love blue sky and warmth as well.

I’ll post the rest after the jump as this became pretty long and while most of you seem to read through an rss reader – of sorts – I’ll try to keep the front index page shorter…

A friend’s hug. A friend of mine is going through a rough patch so I’m knitting her a comfort shawl. At the moment I’m still using Sandi’s numbers for the shawl, but this one is garter stitch and will probably also incorporate crochet so I’m not quite sure when it stops being her pattern and becomes my own. I should talk with an attorney about that. I chose garter for this one I wanted it to be reversible so that she didn’t have to stress if her shawl was on inside out. She has enough to worry about right now. Plus I wanted to see if it could be done. ;)

I’m also knitting one for myself. I like the Faroese shaping. This is with some discontinued Wool-ease in a sport weight. The colour is called Mushroom so it’s perfect for me. I keep wanting to go back to Smileys and pick up more if any is to be had (I have another ball, lot #19896). So far I’ve resisted. I’m using Sandi’s numbers as guidance here and am also incorporating the Textured Shawl Recipe by orlane that is making the rounds of Ravelry. It’s gorgeous and while I’ve been distracted by other projects but will pick it up again soon. It’s a perfect penny colour.

I’m currently ignoring the Flutter Scarf. I love the pattern, but seem to not enjoy the yarn colour this go. I think once I finish one flutter I’ll be more into it, but for now it sits. I can totally knit this “lace” on the train or in class so it will remain a portable project.

My FLS is making progress. I picked up for the sleeves the other day. I’m knitting them now even though I’m not done with the body because I want this cardigan to be complete so I can knit other things. I have yarn for at least two more cardigans begging for my attention. It’s probably good that after tomorrow night I only have a paper I need to finish (start?) writing and present. I’m knitting the sleeves 2-up on circs as is my normal way to knit this sorta thing.

The other day a ball of Fishermen’s Wool in Nature’s Brown came home with me. For reasons unknown. I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it. Then on Ravelry one day came a Shoe Rug and I knew it was to be. I’m knitting this one with one strand and I’ll probably make it smaller as this will live near the closet for the pair of clogs I wear every single day and just am unable to put away. I’m planning on buying more Fishermen’s Wool and knitting myself a bulkier version of either this or another cable pattern to put next to the bed. Time will tell if that ever happens. I find the Fishermen’s wool sturdy, warm, and not cheap ick.

Lastly I’m trying to get ahead on baby knitting. A while back, when I knitted that wee leaf hat that is just uber adorable, I only knew of one person having a baby and as I am superstitious well, email me if you don’t know why and are curious, I knew it wasn’t for her. I found out the other day that a classmate is having a baby boy in July so the set will go to him (ok, his WIFE is having the baby, but….) and a whole bunch of others either just had babies (so I can knit with a purpose) or will in the next 2-3 months. So I need to get my act back in gear and have a stash of baby stuff ready. This morning I cast on for a cute cardi and have plans for several others. I’m also easing back into crochet and am slowly building back up the washcloth stash.

When I’m not spinning the yummy silk-merino blend on my spindle, I’m spinning cotton on the wheel and getting mad at Mr. Squeaky Wheel who isn’t behaving. It’s good that Maryland is almost here because he is going for a ride and will see Dave for a tune-up. I think all my “I can make him better” taking apart resulted in something not being put back quite right. He might come home with either a double treadle addition (in that case he gets to visit Dave’s workshop and then come back to me in a box with some stamps) or straight home with a jumbo flyer. I’d love both, but I’m not sure if I should do so right now. I’ve been wanting a woolee-winder but those cost as much as Squeaky did and I don’t yet spin enough. We’ll see.

I’m doing quite a bit of other stitchery stuff, or at least planning it. Once the term ends and my evenings loosen up a bit we’ll see what happens. Here’s to creativity!