7.05.2008

The prodigal blogger returns

Bliss is done. Heavyweight STR, 2 skeins, and lots of entrelac. It'll be a long time before I want to do entrelac again, but I'm glad I did this. It just got to be really boring, and hard to work on towards the end (ok, the middle and the end). My other two wips right now are Salto, and the February Lady sweater. I know just about everyone in the internet knitting world is making this sweater, and I can see why. It's fun, easy, and extremely cute. I'm making mine out of Malabrigo the pearl colorway. I'm already dreaming of some shell buttons to go with it.

It does have a little more pink than the picture shows, and is coming along nicely. The sock has been trying my patience since Sea Socks. I keep doing the cables backwards. I think it may be some of dyslexia coming out; I just can't seem to follow the directions. As a matter of fact if you look closely and see that I'm in the middle of knitting the cable back up to where the rest of the stitches are because, I knit them backwards. I will have a beautiful pair of socks...eventually. This picture really doesn't do the color justice. It's much brighter in person. This is Neighborhood Fiber Co. that Pam gave me before we left on the cruise.


I bought a new wheel. I sold my Kromski to a girl in my knit group before I left on the cruise for some extra spending money since I never spun (and really didn't get along with it). Then I visited Emma (also on the cruise) in Seattle, and she tempted me with her Lendrum. It was love at first site...maybe that should say spin? I wasn't going to cave then I noticed Nikki from my knit group had one, and it was all over from there. It's a lot of fun, and so much easier than the Minstrel. That wheel just wasn't for me. I've been spinning up such a storm that I've joined the Tour de Fleece (also prompted by Emma) and have already spun my beginning yarn today. I don't foresee spinning every day to be a problem except that we're going home the weekend of the 11th. I just have to decide if I want to drag the wheel home, or just take the spindle. It'll probably be the wheel. So my first few skeins of handspun are looking pretty good.


They're posted in order. The red is some mill ends merino that came with the wheel. The middle is some superwash bfl (I think?) that I bought at PKF from Artsygal. The last is some Targhee that was a lot of fun to spin, and is definitely more consistent than the rest. The last two are navajo plied which was so much easier than I thought. Right now I'm spinning some superwash merino that I'm hoping to turn into a 3 ply sock yarn. We'll see how that comes out.

I think that's about all the knitting related content I have! I know I haven't actually talked about the cruise at all, but honestly I'm still at a loss as how to describe it. It rocked. The people, the places, the classes; it was a lot of fun, and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to do it. I don't think I'll be making it this year for a few reasons. I will (along with DH this time) be trying to make more trips up to the Pacific NW as well as Alaska. They're just amazing places.

So what knit blog entry is complete without the cute kitties picture? This is so unusual I had to grab a photo. They're just not this cuddly or sweet to each other normally.

8 comments:

turtlegirl76 said...

Awww, how sweet. My kitties don't do that. =( Emma is dangerous to be around isn't she? I finally got to meet her today at her LYS. 3 skeins of Kauni, a braid of Dragonfibers and a new bag later, I'm still happy to have met her. =D

Nikki said...

how sweet is that!

the spinning and knitting look great!

Dani said...

Welcome back!

Erica said...

kitties spooning! So cute!

emma said...

Damn that spinning looks mighty fine! I knew it was just a matter of finding the right wheel for you.
Those socks are going to be amazing.

Pam! said...

you go girl! Lots of knitting & spinning being down down the street, isn't there? Wish I could say the same for this end of the road ... argh!

Batty said...

Welcome back!

Beautiful knitting... and a kitty picture! Yay!

Nana Sadie said...

You're doing the February Lady Sweater, too? lol - it's a conspiracy...guess I'll have to put mine OTN soon, too!
And your entrelac is gorgeous!
(((hugs)))