Done and done.

Todd's birthday loot. All done.

The socks are Thuja from Knitty dot com knit on size 5 dpns with Elann Esprit in Pecan. Lovely stretchy and soft stuff.

The messenger bag is a "frankenknit". It's a thrift store sweater, cut, sewn, felted and lined with fabric samples from an upholstry store. Only the thread and closures (which I think ROCK) were not recycled.

More Haul

This is my "slightly used" drum carder. I decided I'd keep the "used" one and re-sell the "new" one. Thankfully, the used one came first so I can play with it instead of just staring at an unopened box.

Can I just say, "FUN!"


I Kool-Aid dyed one bag of washed fleece. It is a pretty harsh bag-o-wool, partly because of how I washed it (more on that later) but mostly because it came from sheep who's wool was never intended to be spun. I've been very pleased at how much VM (vegetable matter) comes out during carding. I'm having so much fun that I'm having trouble working on Todd's socks.

oops.

Since his birthday's tomorrow, I'd better get off my computer and start knitting!

Clever Little Monkey

Sometimes my zany ideas actually work.

Remember the new ball winder? Remember that it's only drawback was size? It wouldn't fit the larger skeins of yarn I have. So, I improvised.


I used a toilet paper tube, held tightly in place by squeezing a hot glue stick between it and the....um....stick thingy. O.K., I'm not up on terminology yet. Next time I'll know it's name, I promise. I used a clothes pin to manipulate the height of the incoming yarn. I tried a wire contraption held on by the clothes pin at first but it wasn't strong enough so I just ended up using the clothes pin.



I wound at the top of the tube first, scooted the ball up a bit then moved the yarn to the original yarn guide (after securing it to the glue stick) and wound at the bottom. Both balls are connected so I'll just pull from the outside of one ball then the inside of the other.....or vice-versa of course. I'll use the balls straight from the tube (I have plenty).



I feel ever so clever. And if nothing else, it has kept me entertained this evening.

I have no idea if it'll work with paper towel rolls. It would take some serious yarn-guide manipulation. If I try it, I'll let you know.

Thuja

This is that sock I'm knitting for Todd. Soon it will be done and I'll start the next one. Then I can say, "...'socks' I'm knitting for Todd" instead of "sock" and people won't laugh. ;-)

Thuja is a pattern from Knitty.com. It's really simple, with a Seed Stitch Rib pattern to keep you from getting too bored. It's knit with sport weight yarn (I'm using Elann Esprit in Pecan) on size 5 dpn's. It knits like lightning! Which is good, since Todd's birthday is Saturday. Am I hoping for too much?

Yes, that's a cup I'm keeping my yarn ball in. It works quite nicely, thank you.

Haul 2

Two boxes came in the mail today. I love getting loot!

I got a ballwinder. It turns long skeins of yarn, like the one on the right, into center-pull balls, like the one on the left. Overall, I really like it. Problem is, it doesn't do big skeins very well. These two skeins are from a past dying day and each is a frogged sleeve from an Aran sweater. I have two other skeins that I died blue and green which are the front and back of said sweater. They will NEVER fit on this winder. Guess it's back to old-fashioned winding on those. I have a feeling it won't kill me.


Then there are some goodies for my spinning wheel. I have a Babe Production wheel and these are a plying flyer, some plying bobbins and some spare regular sized bobbins. I also bought a spare drive band...just in case. I opted out of the bulky flyer...mostly because of the price..but also because all I really wanted it for was plying. I'll just have to stay away from really bulky yarns. No problem.


I'm not sure who all is going to be reading this blog so if none of this makes any sense to you, let me know and I'll explain in a little more detail.

The Haul

We received a return from the IRS this year. I have tried to exercise restraint but I think I may have failed.

Here's the first installment of Yarn Haul '07:


Although Elann.com is based in Canada, they're the fastest shippers around! Here's the info.:
Araucania Atacama
100% Alpaca - Aran weight
Tropical Jungle colorway
50g / 100m


Elann.com Esprit
98.3% cotton and 1.7% elastic - Sport weight
Natural, French Navy, Pecan, and Indigo Gold
50g/ 100m

Somehow it felt like I ordered more. Probably because I chose about $150 worth of yarns and whittled it down to $65.

I plan on making Elann's "Victorian Shawl" with the alpaca and some socks and a hat or two with the Esprit.....now all I need is that ball winder I ordered!

Meanwhile, my friend Eunice gave me this great Jitterbug sock yarn. It is in a colorway that she doesn't really like. I have to admit, they're really not my colors but they are my Mom's and I saw an opportunity and seized it. I've been asking my Mom for years what I could knit for her and I kept getting, "I just can't think of anything I would actually wear, honey. I'm always too hot already."
Voila! Socks! Everybody wears socks. I'm thinking Jaywalkers or Falling Leaves. I may actually get them done by next Christmas....ya' think?





Still no pics from the old computer. Mostly because I'm too lazy to sit in the floor and upload them to a jump drive. I'll have to do it this weekend, I need them for work too. I'll also have new pics as all the new haul keeps arriving. A little more yarn, an attachment for my spinning wheel and the long-coveted drum carder.

Wait with me. It's fun.

On the separation of church and state....oh wait....

...I mean knitting and "real life".

Everybody in my group has a knitting blog but me. Am I remedial? Possibly. That's another discussion.

I decided to start this blog to spare my friends. I'm sparing my knitting friends from my constant droning on about my kids and I'm sparing my family friends from my constant droning on about knitting.

I know you're not supposed to "compartmentalize" your life but hey, blogger makes it so easy! So now I have a knitting blog, a painting blog and a family blog. I'm not schizophrenic yet. Really. Yet.

When I'm not woozy from lack of sleep...and/or when I get my pics moved from my old computer to my new one...I'll get this puppy rollin' with some real-life knitting content. Until then:

Viva la compartments!