Finally Got It Right, I Think

It's been about two months since getting my spinning wheel, and I've been practicing, practicing...you get the idea. I've finally created a yarn from which I actually think I can knit something. A small something, like maybe a hat, but it is way better than anything produced so far! The picture doesn't do it justice: it is light green, pale yellow and orange. Kool Aid colors. I played around with dying the combed top, rather than the spun yarn as I wanted to have a more gradual blend of colors into each other. BTW, when dying multiple colors, be aware that allowing complimentary colors to bleed together will produce some shade of brown or brownish grey. Separate the complimentaries with a color that will blend with either. In this the complimentaries were green and orange (I know, red is the opposite of green, but orange is close enough to red to produce the brown effect)and the separator was yellow. Allowing the yellow to bleed into either the green or orange did not produce any unwanted effects, just enhanced the contrast. I'm also spinning a blue shade that looks like denim spun up and I can envision making a denim-look Einsenhower jacket, if there is enough. And that is a problem with spinning, rather difficult to tell how much product one has until it is at least on the niddy noddy. With the blue, no matter how much I end up with, that is the amount I'll have to work with, since there is no more top available. It is promising to be a very lovely yarn. I've not forgotten either about my knitting. How could I? Right now I'm focusing on finishing some of the five projects I have active: A cotton summer shell is almost off the needles, only lacks finishing the I-cord on the bottom edge and it will be done...after two years! I'm pushing on finishing the wedding shawl since that must be done by September and I will still have to attach blue crystals to it after finishing and that involves fishline, blue Swarovski bicone crystals and--eeekkkk--a cigarette lighter or candle flame. Half-finished cotton socks may get done by winter (hah! They are taking so long because I'm doing both at the same time), a lovely varigated green shawl sits lone and forlorn in its bag, awaiting some sort of attention, and I try to regularly work on the prayer shawl/lap robe/cuddler I started for a friend with a dire diagnosis.

Taking a Left Turn

Just when you think life is going to settle down and there arises the specter of boring sameness, a new thing comes along to pique your interest and get you sidetracked from what you normally do. I fought it for years, determined I wouldn't give in to it, steadfastly turned my back and mind away from any thought of undertaking yet another hobby. Then my sister took me to visit the Eugene Textile Center (http://www.eugenetextilecenter.com/) and all my resolve dissolved. There was a type of spindle for sale I've been sort of (well a lot) interested in for a long time and I ended up buying it, along with enough combed top to get started with spinning. I had already made a spindle out of some weird round plastic thingy--no clue what it was in its former life--and it worked pretty darned well, but I expected better of the one I bought: a supported spindle that sits in its own brass bushing in a wooden holder. It didn't live up to expectations, so the shop was kind enough to take it back, and in lieu of a refund, I had the shop send me more combed top. The next time I visited my sis, we again went to the shop (I really need to stop doing this)and I ended up buying an Ashford standard wheel along with lots more top. You see how this gets out of control? That was in March and I've been working away on learning to use the wheel (I do wish it was as easy as using the drop spindle) and using up lots of cheap top and batts. You see, I also found there is a shop on Gresham, OR that sells end-of-run top and batts for a very reasonable price and I go there and load up on all kinds of practice fiber, including even some bamboo and mohair. The only thing I can't do right now is blend fibers and colors because my carding combs (dog combs in reality) are packed away deep in storage. But I have begun dying some of the white top with Kool Aid, super easy and fast, and the results can be anything from wonderful to gag-me-with-a-spoon. It's a learning curve. So, expect to see a lot about spinning here in the blog as well as knitting: no I haven't lost my love of knitting, still think it is a most wonderful craft and pity anybody who doesn't also think so-- :) -- but I have found as much passion for spinning as for knitting. I suppose it is the whole fiber experience thing going on.

I sincerely hope that this doesn't end up with me pasturing sheep in my son's backyard!