Spinning, spinning...

I have been having a lovely time with my new Traveller Spinning Wheel!
Have spun up some experiments, all navajo plied (I haven't really had the patience to wait long enough to spin up two bobbins).

These two were the very first I spun. The blue had been a single on one of the bobbins that came with the Wheel and the red is some roving I bought when a local craft store closed down. The red is a lot softer than the blue.

Next I started to make my way through the bag of fleece I got with the Wheel. It is pretty dirty but still so soft! It's been quite a long time since I've had to card my own wool since I've spun mostly from rovings of late. I'd forgotten how unpleasant it can be! Bits of skin off my knuckles from the flick brush and sore hands and wrists! But in the end, all worth it. I'd washed the fleece bits before spinning but they were still a bit tacky so after I'd spun it up I sprayed it with stain remover that specialises with removing grease and then put it in a warm bath. So much dirt came out of that last wash! Now it's lovely ans, not tacky at all and lovely light cream colour!

I'm very pleased with these three experiments and I'm washing more fleece bit by bit so I can keep carding and have lots of fluffy wool to spin when I have a chance. I'm thinking of maybe knitting with the three and making a felted pouch or bag-thing with them. The blue really isn't wearable and neither is the red, really and there's not enough of any of them to make something substantial.
Oh well, so much fun. I'll just keep knitting the socks, the shawl and whatever else I've got on the go at the moment and quietly make my leisurely way through the whole garbage bag of fleece, confident that there is no real hurry.
Happy Knitting :)

Maybe I will do a little knitting for Christmas...

It seems ironic though that'll probably be for the Intellectual one who thinks Christians are deluded and there is no God. Ah well. I thought he'd be ablout the only man in the family who would be able to tolerate this colourway. It's a little vibrant.

There's a free pattern on Ravelry that's inspired by the main character of Bones, Dr Temperance Brennan. It's the first time I've used the travelling stitch which gives it this diamond pattern and am pleased to find it surprisingly easy.

I love toes-up sock patterns, especially when, like me, you only have 1 ball of yarn! So hopefully I will be able to do both socks in a man's size with it. Just not very long socks!

It's amazing the difference in colour from pics taken at night under artifiacial light and those taken during the day. The day one's colours look kind of washed out! I'm going to make the foot 10 inches long and hope that that should be long enough. I'm just a little nervous of making them too big.
I might need until Christmas to finish the thing :)
Ah well,
Happy Knitting!

And We SCORE!!!

I went into one of Jordan's favourite second hand stores today because he said there was a spinning wheel and, ever interested in all spinning wheels, I ventured in to take a peek. It was another Ashford Traditional like mine but I couldn't see the price so I went to the proprietor and asked, "How much is the spinning wheel?" and he replied "Oh, they're both $85 each."
Both?
You mean there's another one I haven't seen yet?
Sure enough, tucked away between a couple of other oddments was this sweet Ashford Wee Peggy


complete with 5 bobbins, a couple of brushes,


and a large bag of soft fleece...

for $85!

I've always wanted one of these because they are much more compact than the Traditional and easier to move around if you want to go to spinning events. I bought it and figured since I'll be getting extra work while Emma our Pharmacist is on holidays for the month of November it was a worthy purchase.
Now I have two spinning wheels! I feel so decadent!!!

When Your Children Grow up and Leave Home

I've been trying to get photos from Brianna of Aaron's Lanyard Parade or something just so I know somethin of what they're up to over there. Not that I'm nosy...or anything like that...so...
I pinched them off facebook!

But they are really sweet and I only took ones that had to do with Brianna and Aaron. The ones of him and his mum are personal. Nothing to do with me.

This is after the parade.


And the first Cheeseburger after about 6 weeks - just like Tony Stark :)


Brianna and Aaron in their first kitchen in their first home together. Sigh.

I wish I had a relationship with Aaron like I have with Ben, my eldest, or even not as close as Ben, like I have with David my brother. We don't agree on a lot of topics but we don't keep rubbing each others nose in it every time we meet. I always hoped I'd have a close relationship with my only daughter's partner and it makes me really sad that I don't. Especially since there are a lot of things I like about him and that I think he's acchieved HEAPS getting through the first part of his officer training. That takes no small amount of guts!
Oh well. I'm pleased that Brianna's happy though. I'd sacrifice a lot for that. Actually...I already have.

Finally, some of my Handspun!

I've had all the fibre club fibres from EGMTK's spun up and waiting to be used for ages but since most of them were only about 100g worth it's been difficult thinking of what to turn them into. At least I've finally created something with the fibre "Canopy", 50% Polwarth and 50% Bamboo. A small scarflette called "Pimpelliese"

Probably one of the nicest shawl/scarf patterns I've knit to date! The lace edge is incorporated into the actual scarf so tyou don't have to sew it on after, making it a lovely single piece of fabric with no inhibiter to it's stretch by unnecessary seams.
I washed and blocked it, the points came out lovely and the colours are really pretty. Feels great on and looks great. Very happy :)




Happy Knitting :)

My Pine Table

I've been wanting something to put over my pine dining table because we're kind of hard on it (it has lots of "character marks") and something that would be easier to clean since the bunps and scratches tend to collect dirt when you try and wipe it off.
So last Wednesday, while in Albany I went to Spotlight and bought 2 meters of clear vinyl and 1.5 meters of plastic matting that looks like crochet.

Took it all home.
After I cleaned the table carefully and positioned the plastic matting right down the center of the table, like a table runner and then I lay out the vinyl over it, cut off the excess and then stapled it to the underside of the table with an ordinary staple! Fortunately pine is a soft wood and I didn't have anything else. Also I hate dangling edges on table covers. Eased it over the corners. If I ever come across better fasteners or a more powerful stapler I might restaple the thing but it works so far :)


I've very happy with the results. My table not only looks pretty but it's protected and easier to clean and I don't have change and wash the table runner. And I think it only cost me about $30 and the time to get in on the table. Brilliant!


Project declared a resounding sucess :)

Okay, burning through my knitting queue!

I have been going through the projects I've got on my Ravelry queue and am very pleased with some and glad I've given some a go but will never do again. I've completed three in the last week and a half.
Leaf Lace Shirt-Really loved this pattern. Was simple to follow and completely seamless! I also got to use some of my recycled yarn, this one from a huge jumper I got from the op shop and unravelled and made something I will actually wear!


Cotton Potholder-Interesting. Used 5mm needles and doule stranded the cotton. Not really in love with this but it has now been conquered and I can move on!


Cabled Cowl-Another unravelled jumper gave itself to this worthy project. Was really pleased how well the cables worked, crisp and clear, just how you want them. My only real problem with this is the neck material doesn't seem to know what to do with itself. I haven't yet figured out how to get it to sit right.


I've finished another bulky hat which is blocking and drying at the moment and I've cast on another project. I'm addicted! My fingertips are cracking up under the pressure but I don't care. It is so fulfilling to be able to tick each project off one by one. Ahhh, lovely!
Anyway, I'm off to keep going and if need be put my finger guards on to stop poking holes in my fingers.
Happy Knitting :)

What Projects have I completed?

I have finished quite a few projects, especially since I started going through my ravelry queue :)
I was going to say a little about them but now I can't get this picture thing to go away from my new layout and our download for the month has been used up. So for now I'll just put up a quick montage.
Happy knitting :)