Stuck

There is much going on in my head and not much going on with the needles.

The sweater in which I am designing is still ongoing....while I know the direction I am going in, the motivation to knit the sleeves has waned to the point of no knitting...or knitting two rows and stopping. There is a reason I like to knit the sleeves first and this is why...no knitting gets done when they are done last. This one included, my last sweater progressed the same way. The body went reasonably quick, even designing as I went...the sleeves took 7 months (most of that time the project slept in a basket, forgotten or purposely forgotten).

I have been contemplating spinning, a lot. Along with the purchase of several braids of roving recently there is a fiber fest next weekend. Although I can swear that I won't buy a lot of fiber...I know the chances of me buying more fiber than I need are really high (cause I don't really need any). I just finished spinning a yarn in which, while intended to put a lot of twist in, too much twist was put on the yarn. Not even a good soaking will relax it and I don't know what to do at this point. The color is lovely and right now it just seems a waste to let it sit there, all twisted up. Help?

Along with my thoughts of spinning....a whole lot of llama fiber is on my mind. While in college, a friend of mine who wanted to borrow a very expensive book and knew of my fiberish creations mentioned that his grandpa owned llamas....and that when they were sheared the fiber was bagged and.......thrown...in...the...barn. WHAT?!? Um, give me some, PLEASE!! So, he brought me three garbage bags full-one brown/black, one white, and one mixed in exchange for said expensive book. I held on to the bags for about two years (not knowing how long it had been in the barn and fearing for infestation). When I determined that there was no infestation I took the bags with me to the Fiber Event one year and dropped them off with Wooly Knob to be processed. It took over 15 months to get it back, but I finally did get it back last summer. Since then, the gorgeous wonderfully soft llama has been sitting in a box in my closet. The three distinct colors are so gorgeously natural and would be perfect alone or used for colorwork. The only problem? I must actually spin it first.

Humpff....the only problem with wanting to spin the llama is the Fiber Event next weekend. I want so badly to spin so many rovings and fibers that I currently have and I also want so badly to purchase more... The obsession with finishing things unfinished and spinning current fiber stash has put such a halt on my motivation to do anything at all. Sad, I know.

What's a girl to do? Housework. I really need to do some housework. When I get home from work this evening, I won't turn on the television, I won't bother opening the laptop. I am heading straight for my closet and sorting out clothes...starting a donation pile (which will be huge, FYI). I entertain the idea that I will wear this or that at some point and I know deep down that I never will...and well, it's time to just let go. My hobbies and thus hobby supplies are more important than that Bob Marley tee mom bought me on vacation which the image came off in the first washing (sorry mom!) and countless other articles of clothing that I will NEVER WEAR AGAIN.

Just talking about it makes me feel like I've accomplished something. When the house is in order, I may even knit or spin something.

-OH! Did I mention that I found a box of blank yarn for dying too? It's amazing the things you let slip your mind...ah, dying, I've missed you.

Monday, Monday

It was a tough weekend for me. I managed to get some knitting down on Clappy, but I have no pictures for you. I am convinced some one who shall not be named stole the part of my camera battery charger that the battery slides into. But no matter what, he that shall not be named will not admit to it.

I spun this weekend. I am exciting about this. I had started to spin this roving from Hello Yarn back in the summer (I think) but never got very far. I picked it up yesterday and spun the rest of it. I am thinking I am going to ply it with this fiber from Poppy Flower Fibers. I am going to spend the evening getting started on the second roving. I predrafted it last night. I think it will work out great. Whether or not I will actually ply it together will depend on the feeling I get when they are both spun up and sitting next to each other.

Knit night is tonight and I'm thinking about taking my wheel, as long as it's not precipitating. So, I should make some progress.

On Cloud 9 (and other projects)

I finished this sweater back in October. I just never got pictures taken. These two pictures aren't very good and you can't really see the sweater all that great but at least I can prove to you that I did it. The yarn is Dream in Color Classy in Black Parade.


I also started on Clapotis (Clappy). I'm further now than I am in the picture. I'm using lace weight on size 4 needles. I'm going more for a scarf effect rather than a wrap. This is the yarn the Jennie gave me and it is beautiful.





I knit this scarf a long time ago. It's silk garden in two contrasting colors. 4 skeins to make this simple entrelac scarf. It's very warm. I just wanted to show it off.




I've also done a little bit of spinning. This is just 38 yards of a bulky weight yarn. 50% merino 50% baby llama. It's very soft and the llama gave it a nice halo. It was just an experiment. I am going to (eventually) spin enough yarn for a matching hat, scarf, and mitten set. Hopefully I will get a jump on that this weekend if I don't spend too much time with Clappy.

Need I Say More?

Well, here it is. All finished. I loved spinning this yarn. I loved looking at this skein. I loved knitting with this yarn. I love the color. Love it. Wish it were winter so I could wear it.

Remember THIS?....yeah, finally finished it. Pics to come soon, when my camera and the battery charger are in the same location.

Tomato & Basil

Sweeeet Grass Wool

Details to come when I actually have them!

Mmmmm, Soy Silk

I picked up this yummy Soy Silk from SWTC in the Rainbow colorway this weekend while at River Knits' Sock Club. It's nice and soft and so silky smooth...I have begun predrafting and with any luck I will be spinning some by this weekend. Not too excited about the bright chunks of hot pink in there, but I'll cope. Anyways...there is 8 ounces here. My plan WAS to do another fractal stripe yarn like the one spun for the handspun bias rib scarf from my last post; but when I got home and took the fiber out of the bag the top was in two pieces who's color did not match nor was consecutive (very disappointing). So, I guess I will just take the larger of the two pieces and do the fractal striping method.

Handspun Bias Rib Scarf

Okay, so the pictures aren't the greatest, but I didn't have the greatest light either...

This is my handspun yarn, 2-ply. I spun the handpainted fiber (PoppyFlowerFiber) in order to get a striping sock yarn. Since this pattern calls for sock yarn, it was perfect. I love the way the stripes are turning out. I will give more details on the pattern and spinning method at a later date.

Sorry, No Camera

Hey strangers! Sorry about my absence...but it's not over yet! BUT, in my absence I have been spinning. I just finished about 200 yards of some worsted weight superfine superwash merino from Hello Yarn and it is just wonderful. I think it will be a hat and maybe some mitts. I also started spinning the colorway Great Balls of Fire merino from Crown Mountain Fibers. I am really loving how the colors are playing out. I am not sure how I am going to ply. I would like to try Navajo, but I never seem to have good results...advice anyone?

FO, FO, FO!!!!!

Yarn: My handspun, Desert Brush from Louet Northern Lights

Pattern: none, simple rib over 80 sts

I Heart Handspun Socks

I know I said yesterday that I haven't been working on much...but I couldn't help digging out a SIP that is my luscious handspun I named Camo. I had gotten as far as the toe during my LYS's last Sock Club, but haven't picked it up again in weeks. Then I thought, "Duh, Jamisyn, if you finish the toe you can start on sock #2." So:

I am making great progress on sock #2 and should have it finished by tomorrow.