Wed WIPs & FOs

It's time for a knitting update. Surprisely, I haven't gotten all that much done since the last update, although it feels like I'm ALWAYS knitting. Okay, I am always knitting. (Heck, I carry at least two projects in my pocketbook, and there's always another two, or three, or five in the knitting bag within reach.) I've been on a washcloth kick lately, and Grandmother's Favorite Dishcloth is about all I'm doing. It's totally mindless, and ever-so-relaxing.

I did finish another preemie cap for Loops of Love. This is hat # 4 from the same skein of yarn (Bernat's Baby Jaquard). I think I'm going to keep going to see how many hats this one skein will make.
Mom asked me to knit a baby hat for her, so I did another Slip Stitch Switch Hat. I love this pattern. It's quick and easy, but looks so involved. Mom has a friend at church that just had a baby girl, so this is going to her.

Did I mention that I wanted to knit a baby sweater? This is my first one.


It's the Easy Baby Cardigan, and was so much fun to knit. It's knit top down in one piece without any seaming. I think it's adorable. Too bad I don't have any babies to give it to. (I feel like I've already bragged about this sweater. I didn't see it in any earlier posts, but then I just did a quick scan and may have missed it. If I'm repeating myself, I'm sorry. But I really am impressed with myself on this one.) I have another baby sweater finished, but I can't post any pictures of it yet because it's a gift for someone.

While Aunt Robin was down here visiting, I knit up a quick washcloth for her. She's hoping to paint her kitchen yellow, so I did I bright and cheerful cloth using the Tulip Lace pattern. I was told, however, that it was too pretty to use.

So now she's getting a couple of plain Grandmother's Favorites...

I'm still working on the lemonaid stole. I don't know if it's just that I'm getting tired of it (it's the same rows, over and over and the thrill is gone), but I'm just not loving it anymore. Plus I'm having real doubts about having enough yarn, so I need to order more roving and spin up some more.

I think I want to move on to a new project, but I've got to start finishing up some of the ones already on my needles. I still have the Lady Sweater to finish, and the Mystery Stole. Plus I have three pairs of socks already started. And of course I'm still working on the Sampler Sock Blanket, but that's an on-going project because I know it won't be able to be finished any time soon.

On the other side of the wheel, I finished spinning both the Neptune's Daughter silk/merino roving from Old Maiden Aunt and the Ply by Night BFL from Briar Rose. I'm going to ply Neptune tonight at our spinning group. I really need to get more bobbins! I only have the one plying bobbin, so the Ply by Night will have to wait a couple of days. (I need to get pictures of the spinning to share.)

Take a couple of girls with sticks, add spinning wheels and fiber...

Is this cool, or what? Our podcast (Spun in the Sun) is now searchable in itunes. I wonder how many people will end up finding us?

I really don't have time to be sick!

I'm still around. Mostly.

She was a day tripper, a Sunday driver yea. (The Beatles)

Would you drive over 380 miles round trip to have lunch with your second cousin? How about if it also included your first cousins-once-removed (gotta remember those removed!)?

It was a really nice lunch.

I don't diet. I just don't eat as much as I'd like to. (Linda Evangelista)

It's time for a Friday Favorite, and I've decided to talk about my scale. It's not my favorite as in something that I really like a lot. I don't like it at all. It's only counts as a favorite because I use it all the time, probably more than I use anything else in the house.

I have become totally obsessed with checking my weight. I know that you're not supposed to. Weight Watchers encourages you to have your weekly weigh-in at the meetings. Most diets and weight-management plans will say the same thing. You're told that obsessively weighing yourself (obsessively is usually defined as more than once a week) can actually prevent you from reaching your goal. By becoming so focused on the number, which can vary from day to day, you aren't able to accept the larger (ouch) picture. Factors such as water retention, hormones, glycogen storage, and even how long it's been since you've eaten can cause your weight to go up or down a couple of pounds. So it makes sense to weigh in just once a week, at the same time of day.

However, I am the same obsessive person I've always been. I have a tendency to go overboard with whatever I happen to be involved in. Which would explain why I step on the scale several times a day. I check my weight first thing in every morning, to see what I really weigh. Just before I go to bed, I'll check my weight again to see how well I did that day. Usually there's about a three pound difference between the morning and the night; anything more and I know I have to do better the next day.

If I could stop with just using the scale two times a day, it wouldn't be too bad. But I find myself getting on the scale throughout the day as well. It's not that I really think that I'll see a difference in my weight after my walk, but I have to check anyway. I know that eating an extra spoonful of mashed potatoes won't really make a difference (as long as it really is just one extra spoonful), but I'll weigh in just to be sure.

The funny thing is that I really don't care about the numbers. I've been going down steadily since September, and there is a notable difference in how I look and feel. Because of that, I'm confident that I'm going to make my goal.

I think that for me, getting on the scale is just a reminder to be aware of how I'm doing. I need to know that I'm focused on staying healthy, and that I can bring myself back on track at any point of the day/week. The scale is just a number, but I have the power to control it.

I dwell in possibility... (Emily Dickinson)

I've just decided that Elizabeth Zimmermann is on my list of women I've love to have tea with. I mean, seriously, her pattern includes comments such as "See what you are doing?" and "Hope you are still with me." She's very down to earth, this is how you do it and it's only knits and purls. I think that if I were able to write a knitting pattern, it would be very similar in style to EZ's.

Now I'm trying to think of other women that should be on that list. Definitely Barbara Bush. And Emily Dickinson, because I've loved her poetry all my life. (Maybe not all my life, but definitely since I learned to read.) I feel like there should be someone from the feminist movement on the list, but I'm not sure who. (The only name I can remember right now is Helen Reddy, because I loved her songs.) Mother Theresa makes the list, of course. Who else should be on the list?

(By the way, I had a really nice photo today but decided that I probably shouldn't post it. Sorry. I'll try to come up with something else.)

I have lost friends, some by death...other through sheer inability to cross the street. (Virginia Woolf)

It was a call from out the blue. Amazingly, in a recent conversation I had talked about losing touch through the years with even your best friends, and how much I regretted not making more of an effort to renew the lost friendships. As I was driving to mom's this afternoon, my best friend from college called.

We met freshman year, and immediately recognized each other as BFF. (Okay, we didn't call it that way back then, but we would have.) We used to take turns spending the weekends at each other's homes, and "shopping" from our moms' cupboards. I helped "dispose" of the illegal alcohol from her dorm room at the end of the semester. (But I had nothing to do with pulling the alarm.) We share memories of the Pacer, the diner, Deptford Mall, Aunt Ginny, and so much more. This is the friend who introduced me to my (ex)husband, and stood as my maid of honor at the wedding. I never imagined that there would be a part of my life she wasn't involved in, even if it was a long-distance part.

Somehow, though, we lost track. I got to visit her after the birth of her son, and that's the last time I saw her. (He's 12, now.) I'm not sure why we let so much time go by. Life, I guess. Or at least, we used life as an excuse.

We have a lot to catch up on. But that's the nice thing about true friendship. You can still be friends, even after all this time.

So now the question is: Where do I find Ronnie and Kathy?

I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself and I am so clever ...

...that sometimes I don't understand a word of what I'm saying.
(Oscar Wilde)

The first episode of my podcast is online, if anyone would like to go listen to it. There's a link on the sidebar, or you can download it HERE.

I realized today that this blog has really become knitting centered, and I apologize for that. It's not my fault, though. I don't have any cute stories to share about my kids; they're teenagers now, and there just isn't anything cute about teenagers. I've got some great stories about work, but privacy rules and regulations prevent me from sharing them. The dogs are a bone of contention right now, and so I'm left with knitting.

I'll try to do better.

It just happens that I have a project (or two) with me...

I know that my family expects me to do odd things. Odd, of course, is defined as anything that would make them have to pretend they don't know me, but that they can enjoy laughing about if it happens when they're not around. Tonight, my kids are laughing.

It started out innocently enough. I ran into Joanna's to get size 6 dpns and some buttons. I swear, that's all I wanted. I had no intention of buying more yarn, and I even managed to put down the two colorways of Berroco Sox that I fell in love with AND the two skeins of white Heart and Sole that would make really nice school socks for my youngest. It wasn't easy to put the yarn down, by the way. I didn't know Joanna's had started carrying the Berroco and it's really pretty. But all I wanted was the dpns and buttons for the baby sweater.

Yes, I did start a baby sweater this weekend. I know that I said that I wasn't going to start any new projects until I finished the ones I already have on the needles. But it isn't like I made any promises. Okay, maybe I did. But I really, really wanted to start something new and the baby sweater is just a little project and the pattern was so cute. I have no idea, by the way who the sweater is for, so if anyone is expecting a baby and would like to make me a godmother or even just an honorary auntie I can offer this sweater as the first of many adorable handknit gifts.

So anyway, I was at Joanna's -- no, I did not buy any yarn, not even that really cute Cupcake baby yarn that I like that would go with the other baby sweater I considered making but didn't have the right yarn for -- and a woman walked up to me and asked if I knew how to knit. I was very good and did not laugh, which was my first response. Instead, I quietly answered, "Why, yes. I do knit." It turns out that while she has been crocheting for years, she is new to knitting and didn't know where to go for help. The pattern she wanted to make said to cast onto double pointed needles and join, then knit in the round. This had totally thrown her for a loop. So I took the preemie hat I was working on out of my pocketbook (which threw the woman for an even bigger loop -- imagine, carrying around knitting!), and proceeded to show her how to knit in the round. I even let her try it. (By the way, her young son was with her and as his mother and I stood in the aisle and knit, his eyes glazed over and he quietly moved away from us. He wasn't as good at escaping as my son, but then he is still young and his mother is still new to knitting.) Once she mastered the dpns, we went on to picking up stitches. She's planning on coming out to our Wednesday knitting group.

So that is how I resisted temptation, sparked a new addiction, and taught a class in the aisles of my local fabric store. And I even came home with the buttons.

The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't. (Douglas Adams)

My son made us run outside this evening to watch the space shuttle take off. I went, not expecting to really see much. But it was perfect viewing conditions, or something, because we saw it clearly. It was amazing.

There we were standing in the middle of the road in front of our townhouse, looking north over the other buildings in our development. My son spotted the shuttle first. It rose over the top of one of the houses, just a bright silver dot with a thick white cloud trailing the path. We watched as it rose, then appeared to level off. (Once it reaches a certain height, the distance makes it look horizontal rather than vertical.) The bright dot actually grew even brighter, then faded, as the last of the booster rockets flared. Then we could see only a faint trail as it continued on.

I can't believe that I left my camera inside, with such a clear perfect picture opportunity right in front of us. We tried to get it on the camera phone, but then realized we don't know how to move it from the camera to the computer. (With the kids' phones, I haven't really wanted to encourage that.) But trust me, it was really incredible to watch.

Maybe it's just me.

Something tells me that we don't have this puzzle quite right...

As the knitting needles purls...

I cannot believe that there can be so much drama associated with knitting. Knitting is supposed to be relaxing. It's what I do to prevent stress from totally ruling my life. It should not leave me unable to sleep.

Okay, I admit to losing sleep at night when I've been too engrossed in finishing "just one more row" of a project I was trying to finish. That's different. That was being productive, and I enjoyed myself (even if I didn't enjoy the next day at work). But losing sleep because I don't know whether or not to confront someone over a situation is different. I'm thinking I may just give up the group, which I hate to do because I love socializing with everyone. It's a great group.

But I feel very strongly that we knit because we enjoy the process. (Or we crochet. Or loom. Or weave. Or spin. Or even just cuddle the yarn. Whatever; it's the love of fiber that ties us together.) I'm starting to resent that some people apparently feel that the group is just for knitters who knit a certain way, or for people who knit certain items. And I may be wrong in that. I'm trying to think that maybe it's just a strong enthusiasm for their pet projects, or their new skill, that drives them to dictate the "right" way to do things. I think I'm also secretly afraid that I might come across in a similar way. But I try really hard to let people enjoy the process in their own way, and to only offer help when asked. (The inner teacher in me is constantly jumping up to offer long-winded lectures, but I usually manage to suppress the urge.)

To add to the conflict, I personally would really like to see our group grow toward becoming a real Guild, with an emphasis on education and sharing of the fiber-arts. I think we have some really talented people (including the knitting police) who would have a lot to share in a Guild. I don't want to walk away from this idea, or from the group. But I also don't want to come home from my night out more tense than when I started. I guess I just need to take a deep breath, pick up my knitting needles, and remember that knitting is fun.

On a more positive note, look at the pretty yarn I've been working on. This is a BLF/silk blend that I got from Old Maiden Aunt in Scotland. It's even prettier in person!

I'm having a little bit of difficulty controlling the thickness, which I think is because of the silk. It wants to feed more than I want to go in, so the WPI ranges from 18/20 (which is what I'm trying for) to about 16. My goal is to get a 2-ply worsted weight, but it might end up a little bulkier.

On the knitting side, I haven't gotten very far. I'm trying to catch up on my goal of one washcloth and one baby hat per week, and one block on my blanket each day. I'm actually almost caught up, mainly because I'm getting tired of working on the Lemonade Stole. The stole is about 3/4 finished. Or rather, I'm about 3/4 the way through the yarn I spun for it. I think I'll need to get more roving and make some more because I don't think the stole is going to be as long as I want it, even after it's blocked. I really just want to get it finished so that I can start something else on the list.



And don't worry. I think I'll probably feel better about everything after a good night's sleep.

Thankfully, beauty is easier to remove than apply, and a swipe of demaquillage in the right direction and you are you once again.(Margaret Cho)

Lately I've become very conscious of the way I look. I'm almost vain. Not quite, because I'm not really happy with the way I look yet, but I'm certainly getting there. I find myself glancing into mirrors throughout the day and pulling in my stomach, which is something I haven't done since before my youngest was born. I'm noticing outfits and wondering how they would look on me. But the biggest change has been that I'm not only putting on make-up every morning, I'm also remembering to reapply the lipstick throughout the day. Lipstick! Okay, it's pale blush instead of red and it is so pale that it might as well be chapstick, but still.

I wouldn't mention any of this except that today is supposed to be a "Friday Favorite." And my favorite thing right now is the make-up remover that I found recently. I treated myself to a fairly inexpensive container of oil-free pads to remove eye makeup. That's always been my biggest hang-up with makeup. I don't mind foundation and blush. In fact, I freely admit that I need a good foundation. But whenever I try to wear mascara or anything else around my eyes, horrible things happen. My eyelids swell up after a few days, and all my eyelashes start to fall out. I could say how unattractive that leaves me, with bushy brows and lashless lids, but I don't want anyone (i.e. me) having nightmares. But I decided on a whim to try this particular brand of cleanser (despite all the money I've wasted over the years on the fancy, expensive brands), and it has been absolutely wonderful. I've been getting lots of head-swelling compliments, but my eyes have remained healthy.

Of course, as usual I've allowed myself to get carried away with it all. Tonight I crossed the line and actually put nail polish on my toenails. What's next? High heels and sparkly tops?

If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.

(Pooh's Little Instruction Book)


Michelle and I recorded our second podcast today. It was fun. The beginning was a little awkward, but once we forgot about THE PODCAST and just got to chatting, it went really well. Michelle's going to have the first episode posted this weekend. And then today's recording will be posted in two weeks. That way we're always ahead by one episode. It's a good theory, anyway.

The podcast, which we're calling "Spun in the Sun," is all about knitting and spinning and other fiber fun. So unless you're in the very small minority that think I need more knitting content in this blog, you're probably not going to find anything of any interest in the podcast. However, if you are addicted to wool and/or other fiberish stuff , I'll be posting a link to each episode as they come out. (Just remember that we're new to this, and we'll get better as we go along.)

Podcasting has brought up memories of the high school radio station. I don't think I would have gotten involved with the radio station if it hadn't been for my friend Kathleen. She tended to drag me into a lot of situations I probably wouldn't have gotten into with anyone else. She was, um, enthusiastic. Adventurous. Maybe just a bit wild. I, on the other hand, was quiet and calm and shy (and really good at conning everyone into believing all this about me). It was because of Kathy that I tried out for the basketball team (amazing, considering how non-athletic I was/am). And it was Kathy who hiked the Appalachian trail with me (and four guys... what a great trip that was!). Kathy was also key in setting me up with the guy who gave me my first real kiss...

(Thinking back on all this, I realize that I need to take a really close look at my daughter's friends...)

But anyway, it was Kathy's idea that we join the radio station. The teacher in charge was very old-fashioned, and not happy to have a couple of girls join the club. He didn't think we could handle it. Although he was thinking in general and therefore totally wrong, in specifics he was probably right. But since I aced the licensing exam (I was really good at taking tests in school), Kathy and I were given a weekly show.

We decided on a call-in format. This was pure laziness on our part. We were required to submit a playlist for each episode. Playlists meant that we would have to figure out what we were going to do and write it out ahead of time. A call-in show, however, meant that we only had to write down every record we owned once and then copy it for each show with a note "play as per phone requests."

This actually would have worked out really well, except that nobody ever phoned us with a request. I'm not sure if that's because we were on at a bad time for call-ins, or if we were just unpopular. I tend to think it was because nobody ever actually listened to WBGD, not even the radio club members and teacher. So Kathy and I spent an hour every week, begging for someone -- anyone!!! -- to call us while we played our favorite songs over and over. If I remember correctly, it was The Long and Winding Road, Help!, Fool on the Hill, and Stairway to Heaven.

I've lost track of Kathy. But if you're out there, please give me a call and let me know what you want to hear. And to everyone else, I promise that the podcast will be a little more interesting than early Saturday mornings at WBGD.

Wednesday's WIPs and FOs

It's been a couple of weeks since I posted my knitting progress. I haven't gotten a lot done. At least, I hadn't thought I've been doing that much. I did do a few baby hats. I'm still trying to get one hat knit a week for the Loops of Love group. I got behind, but as of today I'm caught back up. Of course, I cheated by doing a couple of easy "plain vanilla" hats using self-striping yarn. These look really nice, but knit up very quickly. I cast on one this morning at the FLAC meeting, and had it done by the time PJ was out of class today. I think I spent a little less than 1 1/2 hours actually working on it.






I haven't managed to catch up on the washcloths yet. I have a goal of one a week for those, as well. I'm not sure why, other than they're quick and easy and they make me feel like I'm actually accomplishing something. Since I'm not actually accomplishing this goal, the purpose is defeated. On the other hand, I really like the washcloths, and they're easy to knit on the bus. Plus I've even sold one at the Farmer's Market.







(I made a mistake with this one. Okay, I made several mistakes with this one, and ended up frogging it twice. And there is still a mistake in it. But I like the pattern, so I'll keep this one for me to use and I'll try the pattern again.)

Cari's cashmere gloves are finally finished. The fingers were a pain in the butt, although they did knit up fast. I haven't gotten them mailed off to her yet, unfortunately. She could have used them this week with all the snow in New York.


I also finished the chemo cap for one of our former students. This is the Shedir pattern from Knitty.com. I really had a lot of fun knitting this, although it's a good thing that I can cable without a cable needle. I'm not that happy with the yarn I used. It's got a great stitch definition; the cables really pop. And it is wonderfully soft and stretchy. But I'm not sure it was worth the cost. I spent 7.99 a skein, and ended up using three skeins since they're really small skeins. On top of that, each of the skeins had a hidden knot. I think that if I had waited to buy the yarn somewhere else, I could have found something just as nice (and maybe even without the knots) for less money. But Cindy is going to love her hat, and that's all that really matters.

After I finished the chemo cap, I decided to try a little knitting monogamy. Is it really monogamy if you have mini-projects on the side? Okay, I'm focusing on knitting my Lemonade Stole. (This used to be called my Ply By Night Stole, but someone in the group mentioned making lemonade from lemons, in reference to making the best of it even if you didn't really like the color or project, and I renamed my project.) I've still got baby hats, washcloths, and the Sampler Sock Blanket going, but my real attention is on the stole. I finished plying the rest of the roving, just in time since I've knit up almost the first 4 ounces. The stole blocks out to 20" so far. I'm starting to get worried that I won't have enough yarn to make it long enough. Although I guess I can always order more roving from Crown Mountain and make more yarn.



The Ply by Night group has already gone on to the next project. I love the roving that they've picked out (although I really can't afford it). I'm not crazy about the pattern that's been chosen, but since I didn't like the stole pattern and it's turning out so nicely, I'll probably give the new pattern a chance.

I still have a backlog of projects already on the needles. And a bunch that are calling to me to be started... I really, really, really want to start the baby sweater soon. So we'll see how long the pseudo-monogramy lasts. Right now, I'm off to do a few more rows of Lemonade.

What the heck?

I reached into the washing machine to move the clean clothes into the dryer, and touched something slimy.

Would you believe a lizard survived the wash cycle?

Now where's my son, to get the darn thing out of there?

Hey, handsome. Wanna take a quick spin?

Did I mention that my friend Faith and I went out Saturday night? We brought our wheels to Downtown at the Gardens, and sat outside the Starbucks for a couple of hours. It was really pleasant, sitting outside and spinning. The weather has cooled off a bit, just enough for it to be comfortable.

I will say that spinning in public gets a lot of attention. And surprisingly, most of the attention comes from guys. Women will glance over and look surprised, but that's about it. Children will stare and point. But men tend to come over and ask about the spinning. They want to know what we're doing, and how the wheel works. Sometimes they'll share stories of people (moms, grandmothers, neighbors) that they knew who did knitting or spinning or even quilting. Saturday night we even met a couple of men (older, but still...) who knit.

Faith and I have decided that next weekend, we're going to bring the wheels to the Ale House. Spinning, the new pickup line.

Indie Fest

Becka and I went to Indie fest yesterday. This is an annual celebration India's culture, held downtown in West Palm Beach. One of Becka's friends invited us, and we had a really nice time. They had music, dancing, and even a short play. I was tempted by the pretty saris and silk clothes for sale. (Maybe next year, after I lose a few more pounds.) And then, of course, there was the food. I didn't have a clue what to get, since it all looked delicious. I finally handed my money to Becka's friend and asked her to get me something. Oh, it was so good!

Becka passed up lunch in favor of getting another henna design. As the girl worked on Becka's design, she explained that she normally does the henna for weddings. She will spend as much as five or six hours doing a bride's hands, charging $500 or more. Traditionally, a bride is free from all work (or on her honeymoon) for as long as the henna lasts on her hands.

The henna turned out beautiful, much nicer (and deeper dyed) than what Ren Faire.

Knit one, two, three...

I was straightening up my room, and I managed to gather up all the knitting bags into one pile:

This is eight projects that are actually cast on and being worked, plus four that I want/need to cast on this week. (The line between want and need tends to blur for me.) And the pile is actually conservative, since I left the yarn for another five sweaters in the bin.

I really need to win the lottery so I can afford to quit my job and stay home to knit!

It's been a Fiber Weekend

I spent yesterday spinning at the Farmer's Market. Today I've been cleaning fleeces. I much prefer the spinning to the cleaning, so if anyone would like to clean some fleece in turn for having half of it spun for you please let me know!

Becka and the Band

I had to share this picture of Becka and the band. This group was totally amazing. They're from Scotland, and I wish I could have made it to all of their performances.

RenFaire

It's Ren Faire time! I love dressing up and going to the Rennassaince Faire. My daughter and I joined some friends of mine who happen to be members of a re-enactment group. My sister and niece also met up with us, and we all had a great time.


This year I treated to henna tattoos. I love mine, and am seriously thinking of having it made permanent. (It'll look better, once the sunburn fades a bit.)

Taking a spin during a green weekend.

Michelle and I (and Faith, although she wasn't listed by name) have attained our fifteen minutes of fame as spinners. We made the local paper (The Jupiter Courier, 1/28/2009) after our first appearance as "featured artists" at the Albacoa Green Market.

Today was our second appearance at the market, and even though we still haven't sold any of our handspun yarn, we plan to become regulars at the market. It's a lot of fun, lets us educate people about spinning (something sadly lacking in the modern educational system), gives us a chance to expose people to the fiber addiction, and (most important of all) is an excuse to sit and spin together.

This one's for ewe...

Two weeks ago (has it really been two weeks already?) Great Balls of Yarn held a local Sheep and Wool Festival. For nonknitters and anyone not familiar with Palm Beach County, Great Balls of Yarn is the local yarn store. They have some really wonderful stuff, like the cashmere yarn I've been using to knit my daughter's gloves. (That yarn is like working with a dream, it's so soft and wonderful!)

Anyway, one of the managers of Great Balls of Yarn happens to also be a spinner. (She's a member of my Boca Knitting Group as well, and she was one of the first people I met who actually spins. I'd blame her for my obsession, except that I bought my wheel before I knew that she was a spinner.) Marnie's neighbors/friends have sheep, and she had a bunch of fleeces that she was given. So she decided to have the Sheep Festival to share her knowledge and expertise with other south Florida knitters.

The process of making yarn starts with fleece. I'm stating the obvious, I know. This was the first time, however, I've seen raw fleeces. Marnie had several black trash bags filled with the raw fleece (and I got to bring one of those bags home with me!). The sheep are outdoor animals, and they are not given any sort of a bath before being shorn. So the fleece has some veggie matter (and poop, too, although that doesn't sound as nice as saying "veggie matter"). So the first thing to do is to wash the fleece.

Marnie used a plastic tub filled with hot water, and added a little dish detergent. You need the mild dish detergent rather just soap because of the lanolin that's present in sheep wool. The dish detergent will cut through and eliminate the grease from the fleece. It is possible to spin wool with the lanolin present (it's called spinning in the grease, I believe), but most processed rovings are relatively lanolin free.


The fleece was put into the hot, soapy water and allowed to soak until the water was cooled off. Then we drained the tub, and gently squeezed out the fleece. The tub was refilled with clean hot water, and the fleece was put in to rinse. After two or three rinses, the fleece was spread out to dry.


Marnie had previously worked up some of the fleece, so were able to go on to the next step. I figure that normally, it's going to take about three hours to clean the fleece, not counting the time for it to dry. So that bag I have will take an entire day, minimum, to wash.


Once dry, the fleece needs to be pulled apart so that the fibers can be spun. This can be done by hand or on carders. And actually, once you've pulled it so that the fibers are separating, it's possible to go ahead and start spinning the wool.


Marnie had English combs, so she demonstrated the hand carding. These particular combs are very sharp, but otherwise it's like brushing hair. The point is to separate the fibers and get everything going in one direction instead of being a tangled mess.


Then the combed fibers were loaded on the drum carder, which further separates and straightens the fibers.

At this point, the roving is looking very nice. You can still see some nubs, but a couple of times more through the drum carder took care of that.


The finished roving is ready to spin, or to be dyed if you prefer.



Marnie used the newly carded roving to demonstrate her wheel. I had my wheel there, too, so I was able to do a little spinning. I also showed off the drop spindle, and wow'd the crowd with my newly acquired ability to walk and spin at the same time.

The second part of the Festival as dying the roving and yarn, but I think I'll wait and tell you about that tomorrow.

Thursday Photo Theme: Container

Last week, this wonderful box full of yarn was delivered. It's the prize I won from Ravelry's Special Olympic Scarf project. Coats & Clark offered several gifts to random scarves, and I was one of the winners. Actually, I got two prizes since I was also a moderator.

There is yarn for a sweater for each of my girls, yarn for socks, and lots and lots of baby yarn. The baby yarn was going to be for the charity baby hats, but with this much yarn I think I'm going to do a couple of sweaters for charity as well.

I've been enjoying just fondling the yarn, since I won't let myself cast anything else on until I finish a project or two. And counting the yarn that was already in my stash and queued for projects (which means that I'm not counting sock yarn, since that's not for specific patterns yet), if I could assume that it would take me two weeks to knit each project (as if I really could knit a sweater or a lace stole in just two weeks!), I could knit until this time next year. If I add in the sock yarn, I'll be knitting until my youngest graduates high school.

This, by the way, may explain why there hasn't been many posts lately -- I'm too busy knitting!