Friday, April 29, 2011

The Tortoise Will Win the Race Eventually

Do you remember the childhood story of the tortoise and the hare?  Well, I think my progress lately has been resembling the tortoise.  My Evenstar Shawl's beaded edging has about 8 of 57 repeats finished as of yesterday.  Each repeat is about 20 stitches and 20 rows.  That's not a lot, but the beading takes time and slows you down some. 

My April Project Stash Buster fiber is the lovely light gray Shetland from Groton Family Farm.  I started this fiber during a spinning demo the day before Easter, at the farm on their shearing day.  Since it came from the farm's sheep last year, it was appropriate to spin it while doing the demo.   I'll be spending tonight spinning the last ounce or so of that. Plying the 8 ounces will be tomorrow evening after I get home from the CT Sheep and Wool Festival. I am only going for fleece. I promise. :)

The "Stormy Seas" fiber from CorgiHillFarm has been taking a break. It will be  picked up again after I complete the Shetland.  I had 7.2 ounces and have made good progress with it.  Only the fourth batt is left to spin.

I'm chomping at the bit to start May's fiber, but I know I have to wait until "Stormy Seas" is done to start that.  It's Polwarth in bright, colorful "Autumn Rainbow". 

Monday, April 18, 2011

Whipping Out the WIPs and Re-Learning A Crochet Technique

Last Thursday evening was my monthly knitting guild meeting where one of the members did a demo on Tunisian crochet.  It's been about 15 years since I did that particular technique and welcomed the refresher in it.  Of course, I am thinking of making some pot holders after seeing the ones Jan brought as a display.  I've got lots of worsted weight in my stash that will work well for these. 

Last week was a good one for finishing more knitting and spinning.  The Edelweiss Neckwarmer has the two abalone buttons, along with the anchoring back buttons, and loops sewn on and is now finished.  The second Embossed Leaves socks was knit like lightning.  And the best finished WIP was my "Moonlight" Rambouillet fiber.  The total for that was 8 ounces, 2 ply, with a 1000 yards of lovely, soft, squishy yarn!!  Woot!  Woot!  That's the most yardage I ever got from 8 ounces of fiber.   




Now, Millie Minstrel is busy spinning the second half of my CorgiHillFarm Merino/Glitz batts in "Stormy Seas".  I'm hoping to have that finished in a few days as well.










After I finish this post, I'm going to take out my Evenstar shawl and finally start the edging.  My intention was to do this a few days ago, but I got sidetracked with the spinning.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Here I Go A-Clucking and A-Clicking

I go through phases where I can eat the same general item for several days on end.  Lately, that item has been chicken.  If you hear me clucking and see tail feathers growing out my rear end, let me know. Over the last two weeks, I've made a Mashed Potato Topped Chicken Pot Pie, Curry Chicken Salad, and Baked Chicken Thighs.  Usually, when I cook, there's enough for at least two days of meals, sometimes more.  There was a pot of chili, and broiled scallops in between the pie and everything else. 

 








As for the a-clicking, both knitting needles and wheel have been busy.  I include the wheel because it sometimes "talks" to me.  I finished and blocked both the items I cast on during the Knitting Guild retreat, as well as the green fiber I was spinning then.  "Make It Work!", "Edelweiss Neckwarmer" and the mosaic for the "Troll" handspun yarn are all pictured below. The neckwarmer still needs two buttons and the loops attached.  I picked up a couple abalone buttons at Jo Anne's for this last night.  Also pictured are my Embossed Leaves socks, knit in Kindred Spirit Symphony yarn in the color "Dusty Blue".  The gusset is finished, and, I'm onto the foot of sock two as of a few moments ago.  I hope to finish them by tomorrow.  The toe has an interesting construction. 
Please excuse the appearance of my deck.  When I took the picture, we hadn't power washed the furniture or put the cushions out yet.

 














The other fiber I was spinning at the retreat, "Moonlight", the blue Rambouillet, has seen a good deal of progress as well.  I'm hoping to finish that this weekend so I can move along to my April Stash Buster fiber - some lovely grey Shetland from Groton Family Farm.