Woolybuns

Hairless in CT

Prince used to be Hairy.

And if you'd like some other silly fun, check it out.  Turn your speakers on, let the page load, then click one at a time on the characters.

Hey SSSSwap Pal #1

What is this?  Perhaps a sock for you?  Or is it the start of my Bitchin' Mittens?  Or maybe it's a sock for me.  I'm not telling.  The yarn is Trekking colorway  #104.  I lovelovelove this colorway!  Not that the wonderfully subtle shading shows up in any of the photos I took but trust me, it's there.  Darker blue along the top melds into softer sky blue then flows into a more blue green.  If this is a sock and is for you, SSSSwap Pal #1, you may have to wrest it from me.  I love the way it's knitting up.  I'm not crazy about the twisting the unknit yarn does as it comes out of the center of the ball but at least that's not affecting the knit. 

But wait, SSSSwap Pal #1, don't get too attached to that possibility. Cause this is on the needles too.  Lorna's Laces colorway Amish. Color reproduction is seriously out of whack on this.  Amish has much more black in it than is showing up here.  And yes, that's one circ knitting.  I decided it's time to expand the options.  But again, is this a sock or a mitten cuff?  And if it is a sock, who is it for?  Are these your colors? 

Here are the other SSSSwap folks:
Amanda Amy Christa Cynthia Elspeth Erin Erin Heatherly Holly Jane Kara Kelly Maleah Melanie
Michelle-Nicholle Selina Stacey Tracey ZhiWen and of course Girl Is Crafty who started this swap.  I've been wandering around these sites and am enoying the wide range of folks in this swap. 

Bunny Thoughts

Last week, this button made it's debut here.  I'm not - ahem - unfamiliar with that phrase or the many variations of it.  I'm not sure I'd have enough blog fodder in that vein to share on a weekly basis so I don't expect this to be a regular feature at Woolybuns.  But on Saturday, when someone was here cuddling bunnies, I handed Prince Hairy to her in his beautifully full coat so she could see what's in her future.  I kinda suspect that button sort of sums up his thinking at that moment.  Whaddaya think?

Spinning Me Softly

A friend recently ordered some polwarth/angora roving and as I packed it up to mail it to her, of course it was running through my fingers.   If I were male - well, you know.  So I couldn't resist.  I had to spin some of that puffy softness for me.  A lot of the local spinners I spin with tend to spin worsted or bulky.  I too love a soft bulky yarn, especially how fast it fills a bobbin.  But some fibers just wanna spin fine and this blend is one of them.  These same local spinners tend to comment that I spin a fine single. But compare my polwarth/angora single - the blue is sewing thread, the gray is my single - to this one.  This crazy lady can spin a fine single!  So far, I cannot match her skill.  But she is inspirational and sets a sweet standard to shoot for, don'tcha think?

Playing Around

So I didn't go yarn shopping and I didn't start another sock and I didn't start the mittens.  I took these things, kind of threw them together, added some soap and water and a bit of elbow grease. 

Less than two hours later - Voila:

a finished scarf hanging to dry.  I used about 2 ounces of fiber, starting with a base of angora/fine wool batt.  Then I drizzled other stuff on top. 

If any of you are interested in learning to felt with luxury fibers, I'm teaching this scarf technique at Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival Sept. 9.

Sock On

Done! Technically known as French Twist Socks, their true name is Ass Whuppin' Socks, at least for me.  I bought the yarn, enough for three pairs, the end of May and I've been trying to get a pair knit ever since.  It's not complicated knitting.  It's me trying to stay focused on color pattern while chatting.  The first time through  I got an entire sock done and discovered size one needles made the corrugated cuff too tight for me.  Me being such a slow knitter, that meant the next attempt had to be this pair, intended as a gift for DD's birthday.  I think I knit each row at least three times.  So, when I was finally near the toe of the first sock and discovered I'd knit three rounds instead of two in one black stripe and one multi stripe, I left it.  Knitetic license.  And knit it the same way on the second sock.  I love these socks, in spite of my pathetic knit effort.  Specs: One skein French Twist yarn, one skein Baby Ull black (I hate that yarn!  Splitty, cranky and doesn't like to rip back, I'll never knit with it again), size 2 needles.  I love the socks!  So does DD.  And better yet: they fit.  Both of us.  Hee.  I look forward to knitting a pair for me.

But that has to wait.  Now that those socks are done, I have to do first my Bitchin' Mittens - deadline is coming up.  And it's now time to get started on the SSS Swap sock.  I have two SSS Swap Pals: number 1 is the pal I'm knitting for, number two is the one knitting for me.  Pal # 2 is teasing with dropped hints.  Pal # 1 doesn't know who I am (I think).  I want to keep it that way, so I can't show the specifics.  I did get started on planning last week and yeah, some shopping.  Most of my current stash, most newly purchased, of sock yarn (pathetically small compared to most of you):

I do have one skein of STR but I won that so it's not in the running for SSS Swap sock.  Which yarn will I use?  Or will I go out and buy something else cause I like all of these too much to give away?  And what pattern?   I have two sock books:
Lots of patterns in Socks Socks Socks that I love love love.  But Sensational Knitted Socks has some - well, sensational socks too, and it offers the tools to come up with something of my own.  Which will it be?  Or maybe a purchased pattern?   I ain't telling yet.

A Cheerful Goodbye

I am often asked "how can you stand to give up any of those bunnies?"  Goodbyes often are sad.  I try very hard to get  a sense of who will be good for the bunnies and gently discourage those I suspect are acting on whim without the necessary devotion to follow through.  Most of the placements have been successful but on occasion they haven't been.   That's what makes handing over a bunny difficult.  Fortunately, most of those folks realize the bunny needs a better home and will work with me or others to rehome them to better circumstances.  I do have a few "techniques" for not bonding with those I decide are not staying.  One is they don't get names.  They also don't get handled a lot - just enough to ensure health.  And I do allow myself a special bond with each crop of babies. But then, there are the happy goodbyes.  Those are the ones where I know without a doubt the bunny is going to not just good circumstances but outstanding ones.  And that happened yesterday.  Can you see that bond? 

Saturday Sky

There in the midst of a cool, gray drizzly day, a gentle mourning dove perches in the dead tree.  They are not flashy birds but I enjoy them.  Their soft coo calls are a sweet background sound almost ever present and they swish and whir quite pleasantly when they launch into the air. 

Seeing Red

We get more time this go round.  Heeeeee!  I like this project, a pet of  Norma's (first Dulaan, now Red Scarf - I've become a Norma groupie.  Is there a button for that?).   Red Scarf Project is a program of Orphan Foundation of America.  OFA has a great mission: provide support to parentless teens as they transition out of state care.  I can't imagine an 18 year old taking on the world all alone, but that's kind of what happens officially, apparently.  If making a scarf helps such a kid, then it's time and money well spent.  And gee, red's one of my favorite colors, too.

Update: The Red Scarf Project blog is now operational.

SSSSwap

That's Second Sock Syndrome Swap, the brainchild of Adelle.  Sign up originally closed last weekend, but due to technical glitches, she's extended sign up until end of day Saturday, Aug. 26.  The swap: knit the first sock, pack it up along with the rest of the yarn, the pattern, needles and anything else pertinent or you'd just like to include, then send it to your assigned pal to knit the second sock.  Everybody ends up with a pair of socks without having to two of the same socks.  Cool, huh?   So now I have to get my answers to the SSSSwap questionnaire up.

1. What are you favorite sock yarns?
I'm kind of a novice with other folks yarns so I'm not really familiar with sock yarns yet.  I love the colors in Lorna's Laces and I hear Lisa Souza's sock yarns are pretty nifty.  She also has some great colors.  French Twist from French Hill Farm is nice.  Art Yarns Merino - I just fondled some of that at a new to me LYS.  I hope I didn't leave any drool behind cause yeah, it felt and looked yummy!  And the skein of Socks That Rock that I won from Cara feels and looks terrific, too. 

2. What are your least favorite sock yarns? Anything you just cannot use?
I don't like cotton or acrylics, glitzy, or scratchy yarns.  And I don't like splitty yarns.

3. What method do you prefer to use (DPN's, 2 circs, 1 circ, etc.)
So far, I'm a DPN gal.  I've never attempted one circ, let along two. 

4. Is there any method that you cannot use?
I think I'd have a tough time learning to use two circs.

5. What are you favorite colors?
Blues, either alone or in combination with green/aqua/teal, or with reds, or pinks.  Definitely not a tan/brown/orange/yellow kind of gal.  Lorna's colorways Icehouse, Lakeview, Ravenwood, Uptown, Jeans, Mountain Creek, Mixed Berries, River and Rainbow are all fabulous to me, so that should give a good visual of colors I like.

6. Are you a beginner, intermediate, or more advanced sock knitter?
By experience, I guess I'm kind of beginner heading to intermediate but I always enjoy a chance to stretch the skills via a challenge.

7. Any other info you want to share (such as other likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc)?
Hmmm, well, there's always chocolate.  :)  Hobbies: horses, bunnies, reading, spinning.

Shoe Size: 8