Getting Ready for Valentine's

Getting ready for Valentine's Day with a carded batt from Robin Russo's Silk Workshop. Robin's workshop rates an A!

Thanks to Judy's careful attention to feeding the carding machine, I improved my understanding of how to feed a carder.

Spinning from a handcrafted batt never fails to delight the eye and soul.

Arboreal Night

The snow made it all possible. It was a productive morning. Did some office work, shoveled a lot of snow, restarted my son-in-law's holiday sock gift.

Did I tell you? I made a pair of socks for DSIL and one was bigger than the other. I was totally puzzled since I'm rarely off gauge these days. But the second sock was noticeably bigger when DSIL tried it on. Back to the drawing board! I frogged the whole sock. then decided....let me check the stitch count on the first sock. Well....dang it I though it was 80 st when it really was 72sts. That's why it was bigger. It's not my gauge!!! Thought that was going the way of monkeymind.

Lastly, I finally got my backside in gear and added the Arboreal Night Cowl pattern in Ravelry. The link to the free pattern is on the right side of the blog.Please let me know if there are any issues with the pattern.

Cowl

I just finished the shawl collared cowl with Ball and Skein's Breckenridge yarn. I just love the softness of this yarn not to mention the wonderful colorway. I interrupted my holiday knitting because of it!

The wonderful button's were a gift from Riverrim. Check out her Etsy store.

Plying is a new experience!

I'm enjoying spinning some of Ball and Skein's Fox Grape BFL and Silk on my new Ledbetter spindle with interchangeable shafts.



I'm also working on some Edna Mower mittens for DH.


Here's a pic of the roving that is carried inside for more warmth.

The Gathering

This past weekend always proves to me that The Gathering sponsored by NHA is a wonderful experience. I always come away with more fiber knowledge than before I arrived. This year I took a workshop on "Cutting Without Fear" with Therese Chynoweth. I came away with some wonderful finishing techniques as well as more confidence about cutting steeks and necklines. She's inspired me to finish my longtime UFO, Rona, by A Starmore. Her book " Norwegian Sweater Techniques for Today's Knitters", is a very worthwhile purchase for the serious knitter.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Sara Lamb in her workshop Braids and Bands on the Inkleloom. I need much more practice learning the pick up technique on the inkleloom, but it will be worth the effort.

Of course, I added another spindle to my repetoire, A spindle with interchangeable shafts to enable me to spin 2 or 3 cops and them ply directly from them. This is a Ken Ledbetter spindle that Ball and Skein is selling.

Spindling Done

I finished spindle plying this wonderful merino and angora at 1 am this morning. It has a long history from handpainted dyeing to spinning and plying on my Kundert spindle. There is nothing more cherished than personally hand dyed spindle spun yarn. It's off to a hot bath to set the twist and on to the next creative step...... a delicious garment in fingering weight yarn.

Bhakti

"Textiles are my religion." I can't agree more with Bhakti's quote woven into one of her works. Her presentation at Weavers Guild of RI was fascinating as she recounted her life travels to Guatamala, India and Mexico. She has traversed the world of weaving from the backstrap looms to computerized looms. She is a weaver, artist and author and a specialist in digital jacquard weaving.

She gave us a copy of one of Rumi's poems called The Guest House which addresses the yin and yang of life.

Citron at Point Judith

What better place to knit Knitty's Citron than at Point Judith on a glorious day. Today in anticipation of Earl surfers take to the waves.

Drinking on a Lazy Afternoon

Spinning Weekend

After a weekend at the Foster Fair, I am spinning on my Kundert spindle. Nothing beats spinning with other spinners. It inspires you to keep the momentum going.


Carol M won the wheel spinning contest for the longest yarn! Congrats,Carol! I was lucky enough to win the spindle contest for the longest yarn.

I was also pleased about this:

Wednesday Eye Candy

I was taken by the sight of bees covered in pollen this morning in a Rose of Sharon bush. Here is the flower without the bee.

The Value of Handwork

All of you who make things with your hands understand the value of handwork whether it be spinning, knitting, weaving, quilting or some other craft. In the Slater Mill Ravelry forum a member posted this wonderful video about handwork. What I most love about the film is Renate Hiller's spinning with a rock. Renate is the co-director of the Fiber Craft Studio at the Threefold Educational Center in Chestnut Ridge, NY.

And yes, I'm off to find a rock and a stick to play with spinning some fiber. Watch the video ;her use of the stick is very interesting !

Tibetan Spindle

As always I am thrilled by the opportunity to learn new techniques in spindle spinning. I took a workshop many years ago with GALINA KHMELEVA and purchased a Russian spindle. Ever since that workshop I have played with spinning on this type of spindle and not succeeding. Just lately I acquired a beautiful walnut Russian Spindle due to Iris's influence.

Then thanks to Habetrot's video link I found a very interesting approach to spinning on a Tibetan spindle which seems very much like the Russian spindle . I particularly like how the spinner wraps the newly spun singles on the middle of the shaft. This appears to make it much easier to spin new singles since the singles wrapped mid shaft gives the yarn that climbs up the shaft some traction. Later she unwinds the singles at the middle using a figure eight movement and then neatly rewinds the singles closer to the bottom of the spindle.

Does the video inspire you to try to spin on this type of spindle?

Yin and Yang

As we well know gardening
has its highs and lows. Today I had the fearful task of removing poison ivy from the backyard. Armed with several clipping devices and dressed to the teeth in old clothing that covers the entire body I began clipping away. No. I didn't get all of it....I never do, but I got enough to satisfy me.

On to the joy......

Today's Knitting

I just started a soft pair of summer socks in Panda Cotton by Crystal Palace Yarns. Although the yarn splits easily when knitting, it's well worth the effort because the yarn's soft feel is luxurious.

Strawberry Pickin'

It's June and the strawberries are wonderful. My mom and I picked 6 lbs. Made freezer jam tonight.Yum........

Been Knittin'

Catching Up

For more reasons than you'd like to hear I've been busy with work and more. My garden has been delighting me more and more each day. I'm totally in love with my Snow in Summer!!! I've finally found a place it loves in my front yarn. It has repaid me with a stunning production of flowers. Also my Amsonia is in full bloom with her pale blue flowers. But is she ever tough to dig out. Beware the star plant's tenacious root system. I was able to dig out some small sections to pass along to other perennial lovers.

I have been knitting. Iris, you need to know I've dropped Rona again, but I'll go back. I started another drop stitch scarf in a great handpainted yarn I purchased at The CT Sheep and Wool Festival. This leads me to another yarn purchase at RI Sheep and Wool festival last weekend.....a drop dead gorgeous red cashmere skein. Naturally, I didn't stop there! I found some lovely buttons made by Katy aka Katrinkles. They are soooo lovely. The pics are below.

Painting Tote or Knitting Tote

While at the R I Sheep and Wool Festival I bought myself a great present! A Nantucket Bag!
It's ready for painting or knitting on location.




Our guild also participated in a Sheep to Shawl demonstration. I posed with our finished shawl straight from the loom.

Another Botanical Garden Offering

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