Sunday, November 12, 2006

Spinning issues solved

I couldn't figure out why I was having a problem with drafting the fiber for spinning on the wheel. The first yarn looked pretty sad. It's destined to become a small felted project in the near future.

I went to see Jonne at the shop and pick up my Niddy Noddy as well as some different fiber to try. I got some natural fiber I think he said was coopworth or something like that. While talking to him, I told him the other fiber I had tried was actually Merino which had been dyed a nice blend of pinks. This explained the problem with the drafting. I should have been drafting that from the fold, not the end. Tonight, the spinning will commence again, hopefully correctly with this fiber.

Socks are still the WIPs at the moment, especially with the need of the white ones. I did manage to locate some white yarn at the local Fabric Place store. It's a cotton/nylon blend in pure white. That should please the people at work. I went back to work this past Wednesday, after being home for a whole month with my knee. The first thing I see when walking into the building???? TWO people wearing colored socks!!! How dare they wear them after what I have been through over this! Obviously, the new rule is not being enforced fully at this time. I wonder if I can sneak a pair of dark blue variegated socks under dark blue pants in this week? A girl has to try. Hee-hee.

I did copy a drawing of a spinning wheel while at the library the other day. I now need to trace it onto copy paper and figure out exactly how to make it work as a pattern. The drawing has several sections to it, so I don't think I will need to adjust it too much. I will have to scan it and send a copy to Laurie in Florida and see if she has any advise to improve my design plan. Then I need to enlarge it at the copy store. They are very strict about copyright, although I don't think there should be any problem if I change the drawing to accomodate me. Then it is my creation.

The original drawing also has a sheep in back of the wheel which I want to use in another glass project. I am thinking of putting together a panel with all fiber animals -- a sheep, a rabbit, an alpaca, and a goat -- in a pasture or field background. I have the alpaca and rabbit patterns already. Just need the goat picture to get it started.


Friday, November 03, 2006

Socktoberfest is over.

My expectations were set too high. My goal was to complete two pairs and start a third one. I finished the Dublin Bay socks as I said before. Aspirations to finishing the Entrelac sock did not come out as planned. I did manage to finish one of the socks up to the grafting of the toe. I stopped to make sure it would be big enough for my friend's foot only to find out I had made it too short. She has a size 6 not 5 foot. Thankfully, I had not cut the yarn and it was still on the two DPNs.

Also, finished was one of the Open Lace Rib socks. I got the pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks and knitted it in Knit Picks Memories "Yukon" merino yarn. The shading of the blues and grays are so nice. I will want to make another pair of socks in a different pattern with this colorway in the future. Plans are to finish these two pairs and then go back to my other UFOs and get them out of the way too.

I am definitely spoiled now as far as socks are concerned. I love the way handmade ones feel on my feet and really hate to go back to store bought.

Unfortunately, thanks to the powers that be on my job, I have no choice. Many CNAs and nurses wear colored sock to match their scrubs. I think this looks fine. Not the bosses. They have mandated only white socks to be worn at work. If your socks are clean, why should anyone care what color they are???? I finally have enough handmade colors to wear to work and this is what happens!!!! Now I need to find a white sock yarn that will appease work. I have found one brand online at Elann that may work. I plan to order enough to make a pair. One of the benefits of my job is after 28 years service, you can retire and get your pension no matter how old you are. I have one more year and will be out of there at 47. Yippee!!! If I don't want to keep all the white socks I now need to knit, I can dye them after retirement as a declaration of freedom. After a while, work should become lax about the socks and then, hopefully, I can wear whatever I feel like.

The first yarn is plied. I tried a sample and it looked like cat yack. After a quick visit to Jonne, I moved the driveband to the larger whorl like he said. This made a big improvement on the plying. Even though the singles were over and under plied, I plan to knit up a little change purse and felt it. Felting it should hide some of my more drastic imperfections. I don't want to throw away the yarn since it is my first attempt. Isabella and Tiger were thinking mommy had a new toy hanging in the kitchen for them. I had hung the yarn on the edge of the top shelf of the baker's rack so it could dry. This proved to be a huge temptation to them. They thought new toy, and, instead got a squirt from the water bottle. Now, the yarn is hanging in the bedroom until I can make it into a center pull ball.

I am looking for a good picture of a spinning wheel I can use as a pattern in stained glass. I want to make one up to hang in the other window of the craft room. I have the pattern for the alpaca already prepped for the first window. Now I can get into the room and move around, thanks to the re-org a few weeks ago. Hopefully, the alpaca can be started soon.