Tag: spinning

Knitting

The Finger, Spin

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is improving.  The original postop dressing worked its way off (thank goodness – it was so big and bulky!) so Mr. iknead wrapped it again for me.  This time it was just right –  not too big and not too tight or too loose.

A masterpiece of finger bandaging.

I crocheted few rows of the Windowpane Scarf last evening,it was slow going and a little awkward, but definitely doable. Maybe I’ll give knitting a try later on today, I’m really close to finishing Clapotis and would really like to get some knitting done on the lonely WIPs that are languishing in the bottoms of assorted bags I have laying around. 🙂

 

SPINNING

It’s been  much easier to spin than knit or crochet with my gimped up finger, so Violet the Spinning Wheel has been put to heavy use this week. This particular roving came from Three Waters Farm and is 100% Falkland Top.  The colorway is Red Hot and Blue.

I’ll be finishing up this particular spinning project today with this lovely stuff waiting in the wings –

This is also from Three Waters Farm, 100% Finn Top.  After spinning brights all spring and summer, this muted purple colorway will be a welcome change.  To be fair though, what you see isn’t always what you get when working with wool.  You just never know for sure what the completed project is going to look like.  It’s like it’s biding its time, getting ready to yell SURPRISE! when it’s all said and done. 😄🤭🎁

Be a yardstick of quality.  Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Steve Jobs

 

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Knitting

Knit All The Things, Finish None of Them (A Temporary Situation, I Hope)

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ON MY NEEDLES

Due to an overwhelming case of wanting to cast on all the things, my WIP to FO ratio has fallen so far as to be nonexistent.  Every time I pick up whatever catches my eye in the WIP pile, I swear to myself that THIS IS THE ONE, the one that will spark my stick-to-a-tive-ness and soon it will move from the Land of WIPS into the Paradise of FOs. Yeah, still working on that.

Work continues on the Simple Skype Socks.  Link to my project page here.

This project probably would have been finished if I hadn’t noticed a few rows that were cataclysmically   screwed up.  I finally ended up frogging them completely, after trying for at least an hour to tink them back.  Lesson learned, don’t try to tink on the last leg of a 20+ hour trip.  It’s much more efficient to rip and start over.

Don’t even ask me what this hot mess is.  I think it’s a bit of handspun that I decided keep as a single.  This obviously was a mistake on my part.  I got busy and plied it into a double and we’re all a lot happier with the result.  See?

Found my notes on this hot mess!  Yay!  Organic Polwarth from Three Waters Farm Top of the Month Club in Maple and Hickory.

ON MY WHEEL

This is slowly becoming this –

 I’m working on spinning this lovely roving close to laceweight, hoping to end up with a nice sock yarn after plying – a challenge. This roving is from, you guessed it, Three Waters Farm Top of the Month  Club.  It’s a Blueface Leicester wool and called Living Color.

Anybody can make history.  Only a great man can write it.  Oscar Wilde

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Knitting

Oops, It’s Been Awhile, Hasn’t It?, Lots of Excitement at Casa Coleman and Happy Easter!

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It seems that the harder I try to plan and always, always intend to sit down and blog at least a few lines about whatever is catching my attention, somehow, it never happens.  I also know that one of the keys to blogging regularly is planning, which I’ve thrown aside for the last little while – stream of consciousness anyone??

Like I said in the title, lots of  excitement here at Casa Coleman these past few weeks, here are a couple of the high points….

After a run of five little grandgirls in a row, Babymama, Babydaddy, Baby Diva and the Elf are set to welcome a new BABY BOY this summer!  We’re all very very excited — think hitting the lottery or winning the Superbowl!  At their last ultrasound, Baby Boy cooperated beautifully, allowing a good shot of (ahem) what little boys are made of. 🤗

Next, our Bangkok trip is pretty much upon us; we leave Wednesday – DAY AFTER TOMORROW!!! This is about the time that my anticipation usually gets the best of me and I become very scattered, trying to do too many things at once without really accomplishing anything.  I’ve been mentally packing for days and tried on last summer’s shorts just to be sure they still fit (they do! Yay!), next to try – swimsuit – which isn’t something I ever look forward to. ☹️

As usual, I have several things on my needles, but only one WIP that I’ve made real progress on.

Julie’s Sweater

All this baby is lacking is the cowl neck and the second sleeve.  I’m debating whether or not to carry it to Bangkok, 25-30 hours of flight (knitting) time would just about do it.  It’s just a lot of sweater in what I’m afraid will be a small space.  Maybe Mr. iknead and I will get lucky and the third seat will be unoccupied, providing me with more elbow room and a place to put all my knitting essentials.  It’s happened before. 🤞🤞🤞

Spinning continues on the Summer Palette roving, but should be finished before we leave.

Summer Palette

Roving from Three Waters Farm

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do.  The hard part is doing it.  Norman Schwarzkopf

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Knitting

Spinning Sunday #3, Snickerdoodle!!

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I’m still giving Violet a good workout, but she never complains and is always ready to work….Thank you  Violet!

I finished Satisfied With Summer and did a test ply with Poppies but it didn’t suit my taste and so will remain a single for now.

Satisfied with Summer

Finn Top

Three Waters Farm

I got started on this lovely Rambouillet also from Three Waters Farm……

Summer Palette

Moving on, I totally forgot that I committed to bring something sweet to pottery class this morning and so was up and baking snickerdoodle bread early.  It smells so good!  I think I’ll keep one back for Mr. iknead, sweets for the sweet and all that. 😊💓

Oh, for heaven’s sake, how could I have forgotten to finish this post and publish? Must have been the fumes from the baking Snickerdoodle bread……

He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened. © Lao Tzu


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Knitting

Spinning Sunday #1

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Just a little housekeeping…..I have a new website, iknead2knit.net.  Starting this week, that’s where you’ll find me and my blog.  Thanks!

SPUN AND PLIED

This lovely fiber is from Three Waters Farm and was the November 2016 Top of the Month selection, Fall Folderol. It’s 100% wool, organic Polworth Top and spun up like a dream!

Spun and plied –

“I feel pretty! Oh so pretty!” 🙂

WAITING IN THE WINGS

Merry Poppies Colorway

100% Organic Polwarth Top

4 oz.

Three Waters Farm

I plan to get started on this beauty sometime this afternoon….after I finish my treadmill time.  OK, it is what it is and what it is is a bribe. 😉 Whatever works, right?

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. © Confucius

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Don’t forget my new website, iknead2knit.net!  I’ll be looking for you!

Knitting

And So It Continues…….

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STILL ON MY NEEDLES

My Julie’s Sweater is coming along nicely after that small hitch in the cabling.  Will I have it finished in time to wear it this winter? Who knows, anything is possible. 🙂

After much back and forth with yarn, needles – wood or metal, double points or circular, and technique – toe up or cuff down, two at a time or one at a time, magic loop or two circulars.  After a couple of false starts, I settled down and got into the rhythm of Simple Skype socks.  See?

Simple Skype Socks

Patons Kroy Socks Yarn

Eclipse Stripes

I’ve been spinning up a storm – ha!  it’s been raining for the past three days with more on the way today – visit tomorrow to see what’s finished and what’s waiting in the wings! I can’t wait to get started!

Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth. © Buddha

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Knitting

Sundays Are For Spinning, In The Throes of Startitis

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ON THE WHEEL

 

This lovely is the October Top of the Month Club offering from Three Waters Farm. If I remember correctly, this is Polworth roving, in the Hickory and Maple colorway.

I think I’m going to leave it as a single instead of plying since I’ve fallen head over heels for this

pattern –

Autumn Leaves

Svetlana Gordon, designer

I think the singles will do this pattern proud, don’t you?

I plan to get right on it as soon as 1) I finish My Julie’s Sweater, which, by the way, suffered a HUGE setback when I noticed that I had completely screwed up one of the cables. 🤬😱🤭 So, after much soul searching, I frogged it and started over.

The sweater deets can be found here.

and 2) I finish the Simple Skype socks my son requested –

So, it might be a while.  ⏳⏰

Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect. © Ralph Emerson

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Knitting

WIP Wednesday, Booklove

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ON THE NEEDLES

Los Manos Locos aka The Crazy Monkeys, with just a couple more pattern repeats before starting the cuff.  By the way, this is a free Ravelry pattern.  You can find it here.

BOOKLOVE

i have two books today, one in progress and one finished.  I finished a great one last weekend, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  Good, good book, well worth a look.  In progress, almost finished, is Gifted Hands, an autobiography by Ben Carson, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon.  Another great book well worth reading.

OUT OF THE DYEPOT

Here is a look at the fiber I dyed Sunday-

Dyed with Jacquard Acid Dye, Sky Blue

I started spinning this today and so far, it’s spinning up easily and quickly.  I really love the intense blue.  I’m a little out of practice, but I’m shooting for sock yarn.   The spinning bug again took up residence in my head, I didn’t realiize just how much I missed spinning until today, when I started on this roving. I’m glad to be gettting back into it.

I’m linking today with Tami, Ginny and Frontier Dreams.

PARTING SHOT

 

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.  Helen Keller

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Knitting

A Spinning Sunday, July 4

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INTO THE DYEPOT

I’ve finally gotten around to dyeing the last bit of roving that’s been hanging around Violet, looking so sad.  It’s been so long since I started spinning it that I can’t remember where it came from or even what type fiber it is.  I know it’s wool, but what kind, no clue.  Maybe when I get in there I’ll get lucky and figure it out.  Wish me luck!  Found it!  It’s superwash merino.  Meanwhile, here is a look into the dyepot.

imageJacquard Acid Dye

Sky Blue

INDEPENDENCE DAY GRANDS

We had a big cookout for the holiday, unfortunately, I took no pictures because my camera was kind of inaccessible, in the same room that JosiePug is banished to whenever the little ones visit.  Unhappily, she’s not good with the kids – not because she doesn’t like them, but because she loves them TOO much, jumping and running and just generally being way too much pug for them.  She still outweighs the two littlest grands and 20 pounds of Josie goes a long way.  We still hope for the time that we can ALL enjoy each other, but until then, we keep them apart.  I do have some photos from the concert and fireworks at the river that night that Bigmommy and Babymama were nice enough to share.

Lots of dancing and flag waving!

PARTING SHOT

Hand Study

Albrecht Durer

If A is success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z.  Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut.  Albert Einstein

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Knitting

With An Umbrella And Everything

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LOVE THIS

It finally stopped raining and we were able to step outside and enjoy our newest patio purchase:

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It was a long time coming and I predict  many, many happy hours.  Next on the purchase list: a glider and a wading pool for the grands.  This will be a perfect spot to work on my art journal and my knitting projects.  I might even bring Violet, the spinning wheel, out for some fresh air every now and then!

PARTING SHOT

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Can I help it if I’m easily entertained??

E=mc2.  Albert Einstein 

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Knitting

Spinning Sunday

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FIRST EVER

I was finally able to spend some time on my new blending board this past week.  I’d been saving roving scraps for a while, not because I had plans for them, but because someday I might have a use for them.  They were perfect practice bits and here’s what they became:

My First Rolags

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Not very pretty, but I’m itching to spin them.  This will be anther first, I’ve never spun from a rolag.

TOMORROW WE DYE

For some reason I’ve gotten into the habit of doing my wool dyeing on Sundays.  I have really nice Rambouillet wool that’s already carded and I have some green acid fast dye that I’ve not done anything with.  Tomorrow will be more or less a dye experiment.  Since my first attempt at space dyeing was a complete flop, I may give it another try, but then, again, I may just use the old drop it into the dye and don’t move it around too much method.  That technique seems to work best for me. Results to follow…..

No one has ever become poor by giving.  Anne Frank

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Knitting

Spinning Sunday

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WHAT’S NEW?

Hurray!  It’s here!  With our tax refund this year Mr. Iknead and I gifted ourselves with some things we’d been pining after for a while.  I gave myself an Ashford blending board and on my first trial run, I could see.what a difference using it is going to make in my spinning adventures.  Mr. Iknead has chosen to go with upgrading to an iPad Air.  Can you guess what this means?  It means that I’m getting his old iPad and my blending board!  Two happys at once!  I love it!

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Here’s what’s currently on the bobbin

 

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Super wash Merino dyed with Jacquard Acid Fast Dye, Sky Blue

Everyone should carefully observe which way his heart draws him, and then choose that way with all his strength.  Hasidic saying

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