Latest Knitting and Spinning Update

I posted all those pics in the previous post, and didn't mention my latest progress on my projects.

All Traveling Scarves from both my groups have been sent to their respective downstream partners. As you know there was a deluge from my first group as we play catch up. My scarf has only a few more stops before she returns home to me. In the pictures on Ravelry, it looks pretty. My other group, crochet sideways scarf, is moving speedily along. My upstream is a fast worker. I am having a bit of a problem with these scarves though. Due to my right wrist, thumb, and tendon problem, I can only crochet of about 30 minutes before it becomes too painful. I think it's the way the hook rests on my hand like a pencil. I tried holding it like a hoe or scoop, but that put more pressure. I just take a bit longer than I would like to complete any crocheting right now. I can knit much longer, and spinning doesn't seem to bother it at all.

With the scarves caught up, I can turn my attention back to my projects. Right now, I'm on the leg of my first Nanner Sock. I struggled my way through the short row heel and have no holes. Yay! I hope to finish it by the end of the weekend if no scarves arrive. This has been a good learning experience for me,also. From the toe up pattern, magic loop method, turkish cast on, and short row heel, it's an interesting and challenging project for me.

The Dragon Scales Shawl is growing slowly, also. I have been alternating it with the socks. It's not a good group project for me since I can mess up lace easily. I took it to craft night, but, didn't work on it. My Nanner sock heel was the project of the night.

As for spinning, I'm trying to empty a couple of bobbins this week as well. I have one almost full on each of my 2 wheels, one ready to ply, and another partially full. If I can ply up the 3 that are ready, and empty the fourth, I should be all set. Pat hasn't had a chance to stain the ones I got from Copper Moose yet. He plans to do that tomorrow, Saturday, in the afternoon since it's going to rain. He's also building me a tensioned Lazy Kate that will work better than my basket one. The basket keeps breaking little pieces off where the knitting needles rest if too much pressure is applied to them. I think the wood is very weak. It did it's job, though when I wanted it to. I will probably keep it for holding my bobbins in at home. I broke another bobbin, too. That's 2 or my original 3 with the metal cores, now. It's a good thing I ordered the extra ones from Copper Moose. At this rate I won't have any of the others left. lol The bobbin was sitting on top of the basket and somehow the whole thing got knocked over. I think a cat might have tapped and off balanced it. Anyway, Pat glued it for me, since it didn't break all the way through. I can still use it until it gets to where it can't be salvaged any more. The first casualty is still usable and spinning as if nothing was ever broken on it.

I am going to process the challenge fiber tonight and hopefully get that spun before the Gathering so I can knit a hat in the evenings there. I need to finish that project before the next meeting when we need to gather all of the hats together.

Well, that's it for projects right now. I'm off to work on finishing that last bit on the Minstrel, and then the Sonata..........