Woolybuns

Wednesday WIPing 2/27/08

I set very modest goals last week.  Progress or not on the corrugated rib socks is a pretty easy goal to meet.  Predictably, I met the "or not" part of that goal.  But that's because I put all my knitting time into Friends Folly sweater. I'm pleased with the progress but.  You know.  It's plain stockinette.  Forever.  Well, another 5 or 6 inches anyway.  And then the sleeves.  My goal: get the body done by next Wednesday.

At Spa, I finally finished spinning the Tranquility singles on Sonata.  I even got most of it plied.  Today, I ignored Tranquility in favor of some red chocolate on Lovely Miss Hall.  Based on how full the bobbin isn't, you'd think I didn't get much done.  But, factor in how big the bobbin is, it's a decent amount of spinning.  But what the heck is that blue stringy thing hanging out of the singles? 

Perhaps this will give you a clue.

While I was spinning, Mischievous Molly walked by and shook her recently ripped up rope toy in my direction.   Always trying to help.  That's my girl.

My goal with the red chocolate: finish a skein.  Just not an 8 ounce skein.

I'll WIP You Later. Right Now It's Loot Looks

I do wonder, though.  Do you care what I over indulged in bought?  Or won?  And why?  I like to look at yours (loot, of course, not what you're thinkin - unless you're George Clooney, then the definition of loot is not fiber.  Ahem).  I guess it's kind of if you bought yummies, it's ok that I did, right?  And looking helps keep the personal connection.  Ok, you convinced me.  I'll show you mine.

First up, Spunky stuff.  Most of you spin this.  And I have, too, cause it's a wonderful experience.  I added angora to what I spun, though.  Oh.  Yum.  Gotta figure out where I put that skein and do something with it.  It's shades of pink with white angora, kind of chunky and definitely soft.  These hunky hanks, though, are for felting.  I don't know yet if I will add angora to them because it changes the colors and Amy's colors are just... exciting.  Or if they will be for me to felt or if I will make them available as class fibers (btw, I teach wet felting - if you'd like to schedule a workshop, let me know).  I could dye my own rovings but so many of you do such a great job that perhaps my time is better spent using fibers rather than preparing them. 

These next fibers ... really, now, does this make any sense?  I bought 3 hanks of angora blend.   Specifically, merino, silk and angora from Kim.  I make that at less than wholesale price.  So how can I justify buying it at retail??  Because I am a self indulgent brat connoisseur of fine fibers sucker for pretty stuff.  Especially when it's still sitting there at the end of the event and I'm stuck in the booth cause there's a door prize drawing going on so I can't get through the hordes of people and I'm not entered in the drawing because I won in the first drawing and I have to do something and there's still money in my pocket.  You'd have bought it, too.  And I can use some of the fibers for me and some to make a couple scarves to sell.  And then my stuff costs me very little.  See?  It does make cents sense.

Then there was that alpaca booth.   They donated the door prize I won.  See?  Even in the winning, I get angora blend.  And as I wandered about, it occurred to me that  I have this luscious soft light moorit wool fleece in the same  natural color which would look amazing with this blend.  And what if I add some unbleached tussah silk?  And the lilac angora coat that is fully ready to harvest right now?  Well.  I'd need more of the same alpaca.  And they had this just luscious blue alpaca/merino blend to which I could add some angora and I really hadn't bought anything blue and I just needed something blue. What I didn't need was for the evil helpful Mr. Booth Owner to say the roving is buy some get one free.   I guess I'm a sucker for that line.

There were also a couple of non-fiber indulgences.  Friday morning before most people arrived, I drove up to see Mom since I was only about 45 minutes south of her.  Between where I was and where she lives is a place I am in awe of.  Edgecomb Potters.  They must make some kind of powerful magnet because I am incapable of driving by without stopping.  What they show on their website is only the tip of a very dangerous iceberg.  And pretty much every time I go in there, they have something new to make me gasp in delight, like their new glaze Arctic Ice.  And this time of year, everything is on sale.  I bought my daughter a small pillow bowl in that glaze because she took care of my animals while I was away.  And this Small Snack tray goes so well with the tall tea mugs I bought last year and I really needed something to go under the mugs when I sit in the living room and the tray is so much prettier than a coaster and wouldn't a couple of cookies or an English muffin fit well on there? Yes, thanks, I am a master at justification.  Need more proof?   Because I always go to the main location in Edgecomb, Maine, I didn't realize there was also a store in Freeport, just a five minute walk from the hotel.  I needed the exercise.   My coffee table looked bare as it was the only surface in my living room without a decorative touch on it.  They don't make this glaze anymore.  It's got the same red that the rest of the pottery treasures in my living room sport.  The glaze is called Rabbit Hair.  And there was the sale.

Ahhhh, Spa.  Is it next year yet?   

More Spa

  A lot of us, when not in the bar or dining, spent productive chatty time in the building known as Town Hall, doing assorted fibery stuff.  Amidst the laughter.

This photo is for Cheryl, who was wondering what he was doing. 

I was most intriqued with this lady's vest.  She didn't make it so I couldn't pick her brain on technique, but oh, do I love the vest!  She did hand it to me for a good in depth look.  Wheeeee!  It's nuno felted.  I've been wanting to make a nuno felt vest for a while and hers stirred that pot a lot.   And then another trip into someone's booth provided the perfect fiber and color way combo.  Ummmm.  Yes, I bought a bunny blend.   I can't resist.  In fact, I bought a second one, too.    More on the buying later.

Drinkin' n Dinin' Spa Style

Ummm.  I guess we kind of take over.  And things can get a bit... fuzzy. 





And speaking of fuzzy.

The Sweater That Does Tricks

 

This delightful sweater does tricks, the knitter says.  Is this right side up?  It is.  But so is upside down. Worn one way, it's a long cardigan.  Flip it upside down and it might have a hood, or perhaps you'd rather wear it with a deep shawl collar.  It all depends on your mood. 









Here's what other folks are wearing.  Or working on.

   

ooooooooo Pretty

The day started with knitting instruction at breakfast.  Sherry does something unique with her continental knitting, intriguing enough that the folks at another table asked for a lesson.  Then I made a quick trip north to visit my mom for a bit.  Just long enough for snow to start, making the normally 40 minute drive back an hour and a half of slip sliding away tournament.  But, with a one hour Swedish massage appointment waiting for me,  no one was getting in my way.  Yes, the massage was heavenly. 

And then the vendor room opened up.

   

Have I Died and Gone To Heaven?

People trickled in all afternoon.  There was drafting, there was knitting, there was spinning, there was book reading, and mostly there were repeated squeals of first names, hugs, and settling in.  There may have been some imbibing.  And cookies.  The hotel staff sets out an unending supply of freshly baked cookies on the front desk starting at 5 pm.  They were good.  I was good.  I only had a couple. 
      

    The book reading was fun.  A woman who just happens to be staying at the hotel, not part of Spa, noticed all of us gathering with knitting and spinning.  She was reading Dragonflies In Amber and came to a passage detailing a historical view of women gathered to weave.  She wanted to share that with us because the passage echoed the easy friendships she saw renewed in front of her.  Without even being part of the group, she got it.  The spirit that is Spa.

I'm Spaaaaaaaahhhhh-ing

Here I am, one of the hotels acting as new home to NETA Spa Knit and Spin 2008.  This is where the vendors will set up.  One of the first things I noticed is my room is right around the corner from the shopping.  I like that.  The spa part is in another  hotel nearby.  I'll visit that tomorrow.  My room - as usual, I have a king size to myself.  That allows me some personal space should I want it, and this close to where Mom lives, if she feels like it, she can come for a visit and  stay the night too.  And one of my sisters works here in town and today is her birthday, so I hope to connect with her for a birthday meal.  Another sister was supposed to travel here from Pennsylvania but her husband suddenly needed some eye repair (5 rips leaving the retina vulnerable to detachment.  Ummmm.  Yikes!).  Right now, it's time to join the others already here and get to knitting!

Wednesday WIPing 2/20/08

I think I must be having too much fun knitting, if that's possible.  The time is just... well, whipping by so fast.  How is it already time for another progress report?

Project the small: the socks.  I don't know what I did the first time I joined the picot edge for this sock, but it was wrong.  Left a big ridge at the join.  I carefully pulled out the ridge, put the live stitches back on the needle and rejoined.  It came out much better.  I'm very much liking the corrugated rib.  The yarn is leftover from my Rainbow Red socks and as you can see, there isn't a lot of the multi.  I weighed the ball before I started: .4 ounce.  When I reach .2 ounce, that's the length of the rib.  The rest of the sock will be red.  Goal: make progress or not.  These take a back seat to my big project.

The Friend's Folly Sweater.  I still haven't found my Sweater Workshop book, so I pulled out Knitting Without Tears to make an EPS sweater.    So far, that's 2.5" of 2 x 1 ribbing, and 2.5" of stockinette.  I've tried it on and I think it fits, but I do have a nagging sense of pending disappointment on that.  But this is the third time I've started this sweater and i really don't want to start it a 4th time.  Especially because this time, I'm getting the color distribution I envisioned when I bought the yarn. If the sweater is too big, I'll just gain weight.

Kidding!!  I might gain weight but it won't be on purpose so the sweater will fit.   Goal: finish the body.  It's all stockinette so it will be wonderful mindless knitting for a wonderful weekend.  Barring any unforseen obstacles, I'm heading for Spa Knit and Spin. 

I'm leaving behind my future fiber. Here's a not so terrific picture of 2 of them.  One is pure German, offspring of Doe-si-doe, the big one in the photo.  The black one is a hybrid, offspring of Blueberry.  I fostered the black to Doe-si because of relative size issues.  The black one is huge and kicks the smaller ones out of the feeding trough.  So Blueberry is foster mom to the smaller pure Germans.  The babies are doing well, except one.  I'm not sure what happened but the other color baby died.  Given how robust and thriving the baby was until it was dead, I suspect an accidental stomping.  It doesn't happen often, thank goodness, but it's very sad when it does.  Their eyes are opening and they must all be fully open before I leave for Spa.  If the eyes don't open on time, the kits can be left with cataracts.  So before I leave, I will check them each and if any eyes are not open, I will assist.  That only means a warm damp cloth pressed to the eye area to soften anything that might be keeping the eyes stuck, then a very gentle pulling the lids apart.  That's generally all it takes.

Who else is going to Spa? 

Hit The Deck! But Really, No, Please Don't

Icing on the trees is no piece of cake.  My maples seem to stand up to ice storms fairly well, but not so the pine trees.   So yesterday morning as I supped my nice hot cuppa while Mother Nature threw a wide variety of sloppy cold wet stuff at us, I heard a loud thump out back. I knew it wasn't bunnies.  Sure enough, there was that limb sticking it's nose where it had no business.  No serious damage and I went back to my tea.  Half hour later, another thump.  Again, no serious damage, just the promise of a really achy back from cleaning up.  By the end of the icing, there were a total of three limbs reclining on my deck stairs, a few more scattered next to those, and a big pile of branches curled up next to the dog kennel.  A big mess, a PITA, but no serious damage.  I am grateful.  And fearful because all that shedding leaves this: a top heavy aged, pine standing near my deck.  Ripe for the right wind storm to lop it off and drop it hard on my head deck. If the tree were mine, I'd have it removed.  Pronto.  But that pine sits on the wrong side of my property line, in the yard of some probably very nice people who, if I could talk to them, might understand the danger that tree now poses.  They don't use their back yard much so I doubt they look at the tree.   And from their vantage point, the tree probably looks fine.   It has only lost all those limbs on my side.  But they don't speak much English and I don't speak any Korean.  I'll have to ponder on this a while. 

I'm also pondering a new dryer.  Daughter put a load of towels in to dry at 10 pm the other night.  I didn't notice until 10 am the next morning that the dryer was still running.   Insult to injury: they were still a bit damp. That particular cycle runs on a dampness detector, turning off automatically when the stuff is dry.  So I'm not sure if it's that detector that's bad or if it's the turn off switch.  I did two more loads of laundry that day.  The clothes dried but seems like it took a bit longer than it should and I turned the dryer off when the clothes were dry, rather than the dryer shutting off automatically.  I get the sense that the dampness detector works ok but the turn off doesn't, and something's up with the heat level.   The dryer is almost 12 years old and I've never had a problem with it before.  I'm guessing it could be fixed.  If it were the washer, I'd look into fixing it.  But defective dryers ... yeah.  Not so much.  They can take down the house.   My comfort level is worth the price of a new dryer.   Any recommendations on a good model?