Worsted vs. lace

For the longest time I've been spinning thinner, and thinner, and thinner still. With the correct materials I can spin thread. It's a beautiful thing, but man.. it is s.l.o.w. Every time I spin, it seems to take just a little bit longer than the last; as I squeeze out more and more yardage.

So... in my box of goodies was one lone bag of EGMTKs fiber.. and I thought to myself: worsted. That's what it will be. I'll give it my best shot and see if I can't cut the yardage in 1/2 at least. This is easier said than done, actually. Muscle memory kicks in, and before you know it.. more lace weight.

But we did it (the fiber and I, that is).. better than did it actually! I haven't calculated the yardage yet, but my guess is that it'll be about 125 yards/100 grams of 3 ply. It's a Soy/BFL blend.. so soft that you'd like to keep it as a pet. Started and completed over a span of a few hours.

Pictures to follow, after I set the twist.

Want to custom design a sweater for Fido? Click here.

Trying. Hard.

The picture you see is a young girl who is trying to make a life for herself by starting a bakery. She applied for a Kiva loan to facilitate that, and I was lucky enough to help her out. It makes my heart feel good.

Lately its been hard to fund any loans because Kiva has been featured on an AMEX contest... usually there's about 30 pages of opportunities but for weeks now there's hardly been a request. Hard to give, but not impossible... I've done 5 loans in as many days. When I started this my dream was to fund $500 of loans by year end. I'm up to $375, so I think I'm going to achieve my goal. I was feeling all full of myself when I saw another participant has funded over 1,600 loans (this is one guy... a guy named Ray). Wow... I can barely wrap my head around the impact that many loans has had on lives.

So.. to continue.

I *LOVE* tools... of any sort. I have more power tools than most men, and I know how to use them. When I learn something new, I almost always treat myself to the best tools, because I think that's the way to go. That's hardly commitment, that is probably greed. Following you'll find commitment...






I believe I feel like this about spinning.. I have good tools, but if I didn't, I think I would find a way to spin, come hell or high water. I admire these people.. making their crafts work in impossible situations. Making do. Creating, in order to create.

It's a higher art, if you ask me.

Spinning blind

You should see my pupils! I was at the eye doctor's about 4 hours ago and got the drops, and darned if I can see yet. It's very strange.. so I'm spinning on the Lendrum. I often spin in the dark, so I figured maybe I could spin in the.. blur.

It's doable. So far so good.

Oh! Judi Smoothie brought me a spindle today. It's a bottom whorl, and I think it's a mahogany Tabacheck. I love it.

Progress

Only half of the dog is on the pillow.



Gosh, he's adorable.

And, progress is made with the Tibetan spindle (using hand painted silk hankies). I believe this is really going to help me conquer the Russian spindles. I'm thinking that I can do this.



And Jacinda, my girl... I'll make you videos.

Tibetan spindling

The following video is very special to me. Caroline had just shown me how to use Russian Lace spindles, and while searching for more information, I ran upon the YouTube video. It really touches me, and I hope that it does you too.



Anybody want to go trekking with me? I have my spindle.

Blessings

There aren't words... so I'm not going to use any.




(ok, words afterall. doesn't this picture make you think: hmmm.. what would jared knit?)










Feel like whipping up a wrist warmer (which may or may not keep your coffee hot)? Customize your own, here.

I've got me some spindles

And I'm not afraid to use them.

So I thought that I'd show them off to you, and maybe brag a little.. To be honest, I consider these spindles to be works of art, and I am on bended knee to those who make them well.

Here we have a set of Tabacheck Russian Lace Spindles in Ash. Caroline was in the shop and tried to teach me how to spin with them. As you can see, I fairly well suck; but I have been able to get a few yards of singles. That's a whisp of cashmere you see there. Pretty lofty beginning, wouldn't you say? If I improve, say... 10,000%, I should have enough to knit a nose warmer (believe me.. it WILL happen).



I also have a little Cascase Tiger, in Zebrawood/Cherry. I've been spinning Qivuit on it for a while now, and it's pleasing me to no end. I'm achieving cobweb weight easily, and I have a BIG PLAN regarding the shawl I'll be knitting with it. What year, I cannot say.

Beside that is another Tabacheck. It's an Oak Plying spindle, and I love it. What you see on it is some really poorly spun 17 micron merino. That was an error in judgement, but I'd just combed and dizzed the merino, and the plying spindle was the first one I could put my hands on.

After that is another Cascade, in Maple/Cherry. I don't know what model, but it's a great spindle that I've used and used and used.



I have a couple of bombs as well... an Ashford Turkish spindle that I never quite figured out, several brick heavy beginner spindles, and the lovely Spindolyn. It's cute, but it wobbles like crazy and I have no patience for that.

Aunty Tink and I have been planning to buy a spindle at Rhinebeck, so I've been spending quite a bit of time doing research and trying to decide on which I would aim for. After many hours of deliberation I have determined that I need 3. A Bosworth Midi, a Golding (but I'm not sure which one), and a lightweight Avi Wasserman in Olivewood.

Where is the Forrester? The Greensleeves? The Kundert?

On their way baby.