It was a nice productive weekend.  Yesterday I knitted my tail off and finished this:

It’s really stunning and I’m so excited about it.  And, I even blocked it.  I know, right?  But blocking wires are my best friend.

And today I spun up the caldera batts into a lovely single:

I really loved this batt.  It was a blend of romney, silk noils, tussah silk, bombyx silk, and viscose.  It really spun up effortlessly.  Now I just need to figure out what I am going to make with this.  I only have 95 yards of heavy worsted.  So, I’m thinking hat?  Maybe?  

And just for the record, my dog must be having quite the dream right now.  All four of his paws are twitching frantically.  Do you think he’s chasing squirrels?  I hope he catches them.  They’re stealing all of my birdseed from the feeders.

Today I’ve been trying to knit.  And I say trying because I have been very unsuccessful at the attempt.  I’ve screwed up the avalon scarf beyond repair.  The only thing left to do is frog and start over.  But I did try to knit a second avalon with some different yarn.  I screwed it up on row 12 beyond repair also.  I guess this is the knitting gods’ way of knocking me down after the merino triangle high that I was on this morning as I pulled out the blocking pins.  So, looks like I’ll be giving it another go in a day or two.

I would like to start the absinthe socks though.  And the cotton slouchy hat.  Or maybe I should finish something that I’m already working on… like avalon.

In celebration of WWKIP day, I knitted yesterday while I was at the town Strawberry Festival.  Sadly, I was the only person there who was participating in WWKIP day, but I really didn’t expect to see anyone else knitting.  But, there’s always next weekend too!  And I’ll be spending Saturday with my skt girls, so there will be knitting had by all!  

Oh, and I purchased 8 quarts of strawberries at the festival yesterday.  3 quarts have already been transformed into the most amazing strawberry jam ever, 2 quarts have been cut up and are in my fridge waiting for me to attack them with my spoon and the last 3 quarts have been cut up and frozen just in case I need more jam later on in the year.  I love strawberry season.

As for the knitting, I’ve pretty much just been working on the merino triangle and avalon.  I’m hoping to finish the triangle this week.  It could happen…

I did get some spinning done last weekend though:

This was my second attempt at corespun.  Eh, I’m getting there.  I used crochet cotton this time for the core and it worked out nicely, but I still tended to overspin.  So, I might spin some low-twist singles for my next attempt.  We’ll see.

Now, this, was truly a joy to spin.  Approx. 2 oz of BFL in the Thermograph colorway from Spunky Club.  Spun singles and then thread-plied with green thread that had been strung with silk hydrangea flowers.  It’s very spring-y and that is exactly what I was shooting for.  Next sunday will be a spin day.  I’m trying to decide what I’m going to work on.  I have some ideas floating in the stash fiber… just need to narrow one down.

Again, I’m so behind. But I’ve been making knitting progress. Lots of it. I’m just lacking in the spinning department lately.
I finished the Orchids and Fairy Lights hat. And I love love love it!  The pattern called for Malabrigo worsted and size 7 needles.  But I had this lovely Manos wool which really wanted to be this hat.  I decided to use size 8 needles, as I have a large noggin.  It turned out to be a good decision.  The hat fits perfectly.  Now, if it would only get cold again so that I can wear it…  Oh, and this was my first knitted item with bobbles.  I had always stayed clear of the bobbles as I wasn’t really sure that I was a bobble kind of girl.  But I think that I might love them now.  I definitely see bobbles on the horizon.

I also finished the swap gift for fabulous kikibowns.  It’s the Emelia Lace Choker.  It turned out to be a really easy lace pattern.  I was plesantly surprised.  And the yarn… Jaggerspun merino/chinese silk.  It was the most wonderful laceweight yarn I’ve ever knitted with.  I have plenty leftover, which is great.  I want to knit more of these chokers.  And I want to knit more of that yarn!

Now on to new projects.

First up is the Merino Triangle.  I’m using the Shetland Triangle pattern.  If there is such a thing as mindless lace knitting, this pattern would be it.  I’m substituting a DK weight yarn (Louet Gems) for the fingering weight that was originally called for.  I’ve also gone to a size 8 needle rather than the 6.  This is definitely making the shawl a bit more substantial, which is nice.  But this pattern is really letting this yarn shine.  The Louet Gems is showing the stitch pattern so nicely.  And this color is to-die-for!  Cherry red.  It’s just so vibrant!

And lastly, I’ve just cast on my summer KAL project that I’m knitting with kikibowns.  It’s the Avalon scarf.  She sent it to me (and the yummy yarn) as a part of the Eclipse swap.  The yarn is called Twilight Inspired and is from The Fiber Gourmet’s etsy shop.  I am one lace pattern repeat in and I’m loving this.  I’m loving the yarn too.  It’s giving the scarf an almost gothic feel.  

Lots going on right now.  And a busy week ahead of me.  Lots to do, lots to do.

I see that time has passed me by.  

I’ve been working diligently.  I just have no photos to show for it yet, as nothing is finished.  I guess you could say that I’ve had a serious case of the start-itus and WIP-itus.  Let’s count, shall we?

On the Needles…
1. Orchids and Fairy Lights hat (Manos wool)
2. Supersecretninja 3: Return of the Ninja (this one needs to be done in… 5 days?)
3. Brea Bag for me (Fisherman’s Wool- just need to block, seam and line.)
4. Noro Striped Socks 2 (Noro Kureyon Sock- this is a resurrection.)
5. Mom’s Christmas Socks (Arucania Ranco Multy- yes, still going. I don’t want to talk about it.)
6. My 54 Billionth Pair of Simple Socks (Opal Krokodel or however you spell it.)
7. Green Socks (Arucania Ranco Multy- toe ups! One down, one to go…)
8. Lace Cuffs for me (Knitpicks Gloss- these will be very lovely when finished.)

On the spindles…
1. Tussah Silk dyed in the loveliest reds
2. Temptation- merino, camel, tussah, cashmere, oh my!
3. Newly fallen snow- merino, silk, nylon

On the wheel…
1. Undyed corriedale in a lovely beige hue that will soon be filled with shells.

Perhaps one day, when I can focus long enough to finish something, I’ll snap some photos and share. Until then, I give you the light of my life, Hercules Michaelangelo Heironymous Mr. Barky Pants:

Today was the fiberfest (hooray!).  This year, instead of wandering about aimlessly buying everything that catches my eye, I went with a mission.  First, locks.  I wanted to give spinning locks a try.  So, I found these pretties:

and these…

Next on the agenda, a fun batt with artyarn promise.

And lastly, fun add-ins with artyarn promise.  Well, I failed at this one because I forgot to go back to the booth to buy the firestar that I had pondered.  But I did go ahead and find a funky tube of random bits of wool that when spun together hold some promise for some interesting results.

Weird.  Wool in a tube.  But it’s soft and some of the bits are really interesting, so I’m excited to see what happens with this.

In my most recent adventures in spinning, I spun up my Spunky Club Champagne top.  It didn’t turn out as I hoped it would.  I had these visions of thick and thin, of gold with tiny little seed beads floating throughout (like champagne bubbles).  But once spun, it morphed into some massive disappointment of handspun monstrousities.  (Is that a word?)  So, here it is.  My epic spinning fail for the world to see…

It wants to be interesting, but it just doesn’t make it.  You can’t even see the damn beads.  So, to the bottom of the stash bin it shall go.  Thank goodness I have new goodies to spin up into hopeful pretties.

Oh, yes.  I’m going to flash my stash.  

Sorry, I didn’t have time for the artistic photos.  It’s really more organized than it looks.  I kinda pulled out the bins, and haphazardly layed it all out on the bed.  Except for the last photo which is the office stash and contains most of my WIPs and other goodies I’ve not gotten around to putting in the bins yet.  

I really need to destash many things… and never buy yarn again…

Just a quickie to share yesterday’s spinning adventure… ’cause I kinda love it.

I’m calling it Black Tie Affair. It’s black alpaca spun with white tussah silk, then thread-plied with silver thread that has been strung with red beads. It’s going to become a clutch for me. Rock.

First and foremost… Lew’s yarn is done.  (and there was great rejoicing!)

This photo is pre-soak and whack.  It is now drying peacefully .  And soon it shall be back with its rightful owner.  I honestly didn’t think that I was going to make it through the spinning of this yarn.

The other day I started to notice that my sock count was diminishing.  There is much darning to do.  So, obviously, I need more socks.  And feeling ambitious, I gave toe-ups with a short row heel a go.  And I must say… what was I so afraid of?  Actually, I’m finding it easier to do toe-up on two circs than it is to do cuff-down on 4 dpns (which is usually my favorite method).  So, I’m knitting up these little diddies right now:

It’s the Express Lane sock pattern by Diane Mulholland.  It’s a super easy knit.  I used the figure 8 cast on method for the toe (the pattern called for a provisional crochet cast on and short row toe).  And for the record, the figure 8 cast on is a beautiful thing.  I’m about a quarter of the way up the cuff now.  If I can keep the momentum going, I should have a new pair of socks by the weekend.  But, I’m not sure the momentum will be there this week.  I just have a hunch…  But as always, I’m hopeful.

Always hopeful.

Lack of inspiration will not leave me alone.  It’s haunted me all February and is now following me in to March.  All I want to do is make pretty things.  Really… is that so hard?  But I sift through patterns and nothing looks enticing.  The other night I was perusing my stash and nothing was singing to me.  Not even the unspun fiber.   I know that I have an annoying habit of letting my aesthetic shift every so often, and I think that it has just shifted.  Previously I had been drawn to bright, saturated colors, variegated yarns, fingering weights, tiny needles and simple patterns that allowed the garish yarns to shine.  But now everything that seems appealing to me is made of muted, earthy tones.  Architectural patterns, rich, intricate cables and worsted to bulky weights are what I long for.  Sadly, my stash is seriously lacking anything muted, earthy, bulky and worsted.  And I’m still on the no yarn until April kick.  

So, I’m trying to ignore what my heart wants to knit.  And it hurts, actually.  But, I know that it’s a necessity right now.  I trudged back to my stash this morning and found some bulky novelty yarn that I had been ignoring for quite some time.  Since my feet were cold, I decided that it wanted to be slippers.  I set out with the lovely Amy March Slippers pattern, knowing that my loud, variegated yarn will probably murder the simple beauty of the pattern.  And I was right.

BUT, there has been some good to come out of this.  First and foremost, I have finally learned a toe-up method that does NOT involve a provisional crochet cast on.  (And there was great rejoicing!)  The figure-eight cast on (which can be found here, along with some crochet cast ons) just might be my new favorite thing.  It was crazy easy and relieves me of all kitchner duties.  And that’s a wonderful thing.  Actually, I want to start a pair of toe up socks just so I can try this cast on again.  But, with toe up socks comes another technique that still eludes me:  the short row heel.  I’ve tried to read tutorials on the short row heel, but apparently they are all written in a foreign language.  Now, my slipper pattern actually had a little tutorial on how to complete the heel in the pattern.  And it was still a foreign language to me.  I tried.  I followed the directions diligently, but it made absolutely no sense.  I kept ending up with large holes and running out of stitches rows and rows before I should have.  I finally just improvised and ending up making a heel that looks like a heel flap, only knitted in reverse.  Now I just need some ribbon and lace to finish this one up and then I can move on to the second one.  

In spinning news, I’m spinning the most luscious batt right now.

I received it in my most recent swap.  It’s a Merino, cashmere, baby camel and silk bled.  Hello, luxury.  I’m going for a delicate lace weight as I have a lovely neck piece in mind for it.  This stuff is seriously a dream to spin.  

Still making progress on Lew’s yarn.  I finished up the singles and have moved on to the plying.  I’m so close.  I just need to get out of this slump so that I can finish it up.

Life has gotten in the way lately.  There’s been little progress on pretty much everything.  It’s funny the curveballs that life throws you sometimes.  But that’s enough about all of that.  Time to get back to the fiber.

That being said… I don’t have much to offer tonight.  

I’ve started a new brea bag for me.  

The front and back panels are completed and the gusset is about 80% done.  This time around I have a groovy leather handle that I purchased on last November’s holiday to South Carolina and lovely button from a knitting shop in Frankenmuth, Michigan that I picked up over my New Year’s holiday.  So, all that’s really left is the blocking, seaming, and lining- which I am on top of this go around.  And I’m in love with this design, for the record.  

And in a stunning turn of events, Lew’s fiber and I have made up.  I’ve spun through about an ounce of the 2 ounces left to spin into singles today.  So, I’m in the zone and really hope to finish it all up this week.  Once the singles are done, I’m home free.  I can ply it up quickly on the kiwi, wash, whack, and send it on it’s way back to whence it came.