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October 22, 2006
It's been awhile
I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve posted. I’m slowly but surely catching up. I swear it’s because I’ve been sneaking in knitting and spinning whenever I can. Of course, that could just be the procrastinator in me trying to feel a little less guilty. There’s nothing like a ton a papers to grade to get those spinning juices flowing. But I need knitting and spinning like I need hours and hours of autumn naps. With two sick loved ones, me time has moved to the top of the to do list and it’s just no use beating myself over it.
I finished spinning the Shetland fiber. I also tried dyeing for the very first time. The dark brown is natural but the green is Gaywool’s Rosemary, a very satisfying green. I only have about 300 – 400 yards of each so anything out of Folk Shawls is out of the question. My hands are itching for a project.
I also finished a super thick, super warm hat out of that bouncy merino/rambouillet I spun ages ago. Jim’s already claimed it.
I'm still very much a beginning spinner with a definite preference for two ply fingering/sport weight yarn. I can't claim to have achieved this throughout but somehow it just works itself out. The hat feels so cushiony. It didn't come out exactly the way I wanted shape wise but like I said, Jim took one look, laid a hand on it and asked, "Is this for you". The Shetland was a breeze the spin, especially the Shetland/silk. I'm going to try to get some more. The problem with loving alpaca like I do is that few wool fibers can compete in terms of softness. I'll let you know if it passes the next-to-the-skin test.