Lots of pictures

This was the first laceweight yarn that I spun myself. When i posted it on Ravelry (because I was so very proud), someone said I shouldn't worry about the unevenness. It kind of deflated my excitement. I thought it was pretty even. Maybe I'm not doing it right, but I always just go for staying in the RANGE of the appropriate weight. Now that I've finished my Swallowtail Shawl from it, i don't feel deflated anymore




(sorry about the glare. I thought the black would be good as a background with this project, but it's shiny)

I also finished the Suffolk. It is a little bit nubby but only because it is roving, but not top, well that and I felted it a little bit when I dyed it, but thats just between you and me.

If you zoom in on it, you can even see a little piece of hay I apparently didn't get out during the spinning process. Whoops


Here's another spin I've been working on. It's merino blended with firestar and it's going to become my new ice queen. I threw some beads that I'm going to use into the photo too.


And to top off the Tuesday of Tons of Pictures with the new spin I'm working on.


It's Shetland handdyed by 00 (she doesn't remember though) and will be sock yarn.

Gotta go and work on the panda wool socks. They are almost all done yay!

I'm Still Spinnin'

Ok so here's the merino/firestar I started spinning back when I said I was going to choose between two other things. Oh fickle me!

It's a dark green (I call it a peacock green) blended with the green/yellow/blue firestar. I'm thinking of knitting it as an energized single (which means right off the bobbin).



While I'm spinning, I'm listening to Duma Key by Stephen King. I believe I'm just a bit less than halfway through. It's good so far, but not my favorite. (That's why the little boombox thing is in the photo). Mark my words, people, Stephen King is a modern literary genius. There will be entire university courses taught on his work in my lifetime (I'm 34).

Later today I'm going to swatch on my 930 with the garter carriage. I was thinking of doing some video during the process of this sweater I'm planning on knitting on my machine. Maybe I'm too lazy though. Those people who have machines out there and are making youtube videos to help others learn how to (and sometimes how not to) use their machines go to a lot of trouble and I give them a lot of credit for that.

Someone remind me to drop off the outgrown clothes in the back of the truck at Goodwill!

Ways that I'm a big fat liar

Way 1: I had to start a sock today. Number five had swimming lessons and it's just too hot in there to put my woolen wicked on my lap. I did get the first sleeve nearly done yesterday though.

Way 2: I pulled out some merino that I blended with firestar (whilst seeing if I could make do with a pair of handcards instead of my frenzied pursuit of a drum carder. turns out I can indeed, but I digress) to show my mom and decided to try it out to see if it was too sparkly, not sparkly enough, whatever, and started to spin a laceweight single. Now I gotta finish those four ounces before I can proceed to the sherbet sock yarn. (I was just going to try it out and I couldn't stop) However I do expect to go ahead and get onto the sock yarn soon. I'm still spinning a lot lately so four ounces won't take long.

Way 3: I'm going to wind the laceweight for Swallowtail today, but I hardly think that counts as starting a project! (Yeah I know it's all a debate really)

Way 4: I still haven't started blocking the Scrote. Its just floating around in a big pink mass of Ramen noodles at this point, the horrid thing. You guys, I haven't even blocked The Wings of an Angel (or whatevs it's supposed to be called) that I finished ages ago. Have I mentioned that I hate blocking?


In other news, the owner of my son's Tae Kwon Do school has been arrested for soliciting murder. True I was looking for a new place because I didn't like him, but frankly I didn't suspect this!

My dad has responded by acting like he's 8. Not new and pretty much expected. Actually a little humorous if you can find humor in that sort of thing (oh and believe me I CAN)

My first colorwork project is chosen and I will be dyeing a bit of handspun for it maybe over the weekend. Best get back on the sleeves for Wicked :S.

May

Well I've been busy doing I don't know what. I finished some yarn I like to call Bozo's best shirt.


The dyes were picked out by number four. It turned out very bright. Not lovin it, but I'll make an outdoor headband or socks or something out of it. It'll get used for something.

Saturday I went with Lori to Marrhaven to fiber shop. I had a great time and it's always fun seeing the lambs and stuff. I was sorely tempted to buy some of her wool on cones, but not this trip. Next time though. I had planned to dye some fiber when I got home, but instead I decided to try laceweight. Lori had just spun some up and gave me some encouragement, so I tried it. It'll be a two ply eventually and here's a single.

and yeah, I know I kind of forgot to switch hooks and got absorbed in the laceweight rhythm.

It's BFL that I handdyed awhile back. Remember this?


Well that's what I used. I think I'm gonna love it!

Shhhhh It's a Secret

I finally got around to working on the Secret of Bad Nauheim over the weekend. Here's a picture of clue one.

Yep that's my very high tech way of keeping my place in the charts. It's an old rusty cookie sheet with magnets to hold the paper on and mark the row I'm on. Impressive right?

Anyways it's turning out really pretty so far. I'm knitting with one strand of cobweb weight wool and one strand of laceweight cashmere/wool blend from Forestgreener, an Ebay yarn vendor. That's my fave place to buy laceweight. I am not one for variegated lace usually, so the stuff there is perfect, plus it comes in 2000 yd cones. That's a lot of knitting without joining and I've done some rather large lace pieces late.

I hope to have the second clue completed before clue 2 of Mystic Waters comes out. Wish me luck!