Knitting?
Yes, and lots of epic fails to report. The Near Solstice is on hold because after I repaired the wayward yarn-over, the tension near one letter was poor. It's no longer perfect, and the intent was to knit it for competition. I'm deciding.. as is, it would be knitting for a personal shawl, and I'm not sure yet whether I want to complete it or not. I have been thinking of frogging version 1, and starting again with the cashmere that I initially intended to use. It's whiter.. I might add some beads. I want the image of snow sparkling.
In the interim, I started and completed an Evelyn Clark shawl that I hand dyed and spun for.. yummy pinkish-gold colour, and great (as always) pattern. When I was done all but the lace edge I realized that the yarn choice was poor for the pattern, and that the detail was hardly evident in parts that I needed to stand out. Last night I pulled the needles.. and frogged the entire thing. I could hardly believe I was doing it...
By midnight I had the shawl back on the needles, using a dark chocolate cashmere that I had in the stash... It's looking better already.
Spinning?
Yes, lots. I finished a skein of lace weight bfl in electric greens and blues, the cashmere/silk, and a test skein of Cotswold that I bought at the Apr 11 shearing. Yesterday I picked up handmade combs, and I've been testing those. I think my fleece has too much static, or I really suck at combing.. one of the two. I need practice. I also need to perfect my fleece washing, because after 3 washes and 2 rinses, the fleece is more grey than I wish. I might dye it and sell some 'clouds'...
Here's a poorly lit, boring little video that shows me plying the silk/cashmere with no hands. If you get the lazy kate's tension exactly right, it goes well! In the background is a partial skein of the green laceweight, and the bobbin is sitting on a copy of the shawl pattern I was knitting. Formula One in the background, the floor needs painting, the cats have wrecked the couch, and yes.. Rock Band.
Dyeing?
Nope. But I have some plans percolating. It's just about to gel.. maybe today? Also, I've been having some trouble with yarn that I'm dyeing for Bess. It just doesn't want to come to life... I need some magik.
Finishing?
I don't want to talk about it. Nini's Secret Garden has needed a button sewn on since December. I have the button.
Work?
Fabulous. Ordering product scares the pants off me, and I have lost some sleep over it, that's for sure. Yet each time I take a chance, it works out really well. I think that in time I'll develop more confidence... just as I did in all the other aspects of managing a yarn store. Sooner or later I will order a dud, but the world won't end. In the meantime I'll just pray that the decisions I make are good ones.
Insomnia?
The bane of my existence.
Shearing?
Round two was yesterday, and I primarily spent the day skirting fleeces. I wanted to get better and more confident at it. I think it's a great thing, and the whole process has me thinking about stuff and forming plans. I didn't buy any fleece this time, but it was hard not to. I have to (HAVE TO) deal with what I have on hand before I get more.
Pictures to follow when my camera battery recharges. In the meantime you might like to visit the Calgary Flickrmeets group. There's an amazing picture of Renna's hands, Anne's hands, and my gumboots amidst fleece.
(hmmm... after the battery was recharged and I uploaded the pictures, this is the best I have to offer. Mug was the day's photographer by the way)
Something amazing:
I once had a very special friend who I lost contact with. You may have purchased top called Forest Pixie.. the colourway was inspired by her. On Friday she walked into TKR and I nearly died of shock. Best.Shock.Ever.
More? ya... but that's about enough for today, don't you think?
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7 comments:
With my searching about washing fleeces and combing I found this blog post:http://bowerbirdknits.blogspot.com/2009/04/corrie-tale.html where she explains a little how she is combing and what she is using to help with the static electricity.
Anne
I want to come live in your studio, I just love your dying and the clouds of fiber make me happy.
anne, i follow her blog and i was reading it just last night. i think she's close to the absolute best, don't you?
Coming down off the mountain, yeah, it's a bummer. I'm sorry about the insomnia, I really, really wish you could find a permanent fix for that. I admire you for all you do despite never getting your battery recharged. Put that button on and remember that done is better than perfect! Love ya, love that video, no idea what a lazy kate is but I like what it's doing! Can I convert a treadle sewing machine to spin?
well jacinda, with a lot of work, it would be possible. you'd need a bicycle wheel.. and a few more parts.. for example, the mother of all, the flyer and some bobbins... and a lot of ingenuity (which i know you have!). if anybody could do it, it would be you.
Well, it would be more within the realm of possibility than buying a real wheel since I already have the treadle machine.
Okay, I have to know how you can do that without winding up with cats and dogs in the middle of it all. You have to lock them out of the room, right? My crew would be having a heyday with all that yarn!
Love the video. I'd like to see more as all of this spinning and such is a big mystery to me.
xoxo
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