Saturday, April 15

Happy almost Easter

This not having internet at home can be a bit tricky at times. It's very difficult for me to post from work, so I do most of my blogging at the BBE's. The main problem is that most of my projects and things I want to blog about are at home. I guess I'm having a difficult time with the juggling act that is my life. I work at least 40 hours a week, try to spend as much time with my BBE as our work schedules allow, and spend as much time at home with my son as I can - but there's just not enough time to do all the things I want/need to do.

So there are things that I want to blog about. I received the loom - it's very very basic. But will work for my purposes. I asked the Boo to use his dremel tool to make some modifications to the warping dowels - we'll see if that's been done when I get home or not. I've printed out half a ream of different directions from all over the web, I've picked out my warp yarn.

Remember my Caramel Swirl yarn? I was bummed because after plying up 700+ yards of it I ran out of one of the plies. I thought it was the camel down ply, which I don't have any more of. So for days I researched vendors to buy more camel down from. The other day I picked up one of the bobbins that I thought was left over alpaca. Well, I are a doofus! I still have a good 1/3 of a bobbin of the camel down singles - spun and just waiting to go. I'd used up all the alpaca singles that I'd spun. And that's just fine because I bought 2 or 3 pounds of that beautiful fawn coloured alpaca. So I quickly spun up some more of the alpaca. I was amazed at how much easier it seemed to spin up from my memories of spinning the first bobbin last summer. I think it's just because of all the spinning I've been doing lately. Practice really does make a big difference.
I'm also very low on the blended batt singles so I've been working on spinning that up on my little cut out spindle. I love the way you can se through the whorl to the cop being built up.

I was spinning this at the grocery store the other night, and a woman pushing a cute little boy walked past me saying, "I didn't think anyone did that anymore". I thought it was kinda cool - I mean at least she seemed to know what it was that I was up to. I think the very best comment I've ever gotten was from a friend at work. I wore my Box the Compass sweater that I made out of Rowan Silken tweed, when he heard that I'd made the sweater he exclaimed, "You made that!?!? But, but that looks... real!"

In other doofus manouvers I washed the caramel swirl yarn with my red hat lady yarn, and there was some bleeding. I thought that might happen, yet I did it anyway. I kind of like the effect though. It could still be a total disaster when the yarn is knit up - but hey, I like living on the edge! I'm really leaning towards the top down cardigan done in one piece with set in sleeves and a sideways fluted lace border along the bottom. Full fashioned shaping. I think I'll start some gauge swatches after I get home and wind the finished yarn up. I think I should be able to ply the rest of it today as well.

So I still have to go home, wind the yarn that I've finished - ply some more yarn, maybe play with the new loom a bit, take some more useful blog pictures, and then dinner at mom's house at 6 tonight. My step sister is in town for the weekend, it's Easter tomorrow, and my mom's birthday on Monday. Should be a good time!


The other morning as I was leaving for work, the lillies outside the front door of BBE's house were so beautiful I just had to stop and take a few pictures. There were only about 2 pics that didn't make the cut.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I imagine you get more done at home by not having internet there! I'm 'fraid I'm addicted. Fantastic pictures you got of the lillies! They're lovely - glowing.
I was tempted by one of those cut-out spindles on ebay, too (but didn't succumb).
Finally - yay Dremel tools! I might even have to get me one sometime :o)
Happy Easter!

Abigale said...

If I spent more time at home, I'm sure that not having internet would help, I don't have cable TV either. Netflix all the way! But it still doesn't seem like I'm being very productive these days...

Yeah, dremel tool - it's a good thing. My son is actually quite crafty in his own right. He ties some flies for fishing lures, carves soapstone and alabaster (that's what he got the dremel tool for), draws a lot - I love his work. He obviously can spin, and I taught him how to knit years ago, but I'm sure he's forgotten everything. He also builds his own skateboards and just recently rehung a shelf in his room. Maybe one of these days he'll get a lathe ;-)

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous spindle. Did I understand that correctly, your son made it? How wonderful.

KnittinNurse said...

Abigale
No TV here too- but Netflix keeps the tube on but I am usually able to get some handwork done.

Saw yer note on my blog- I have read many of your postings. The guild is really fun- let me know if you want a copy of their newsletter!

C la aud i a R N at earthlink.net

Anonymous said...

ooooooooooooh nice spindle!