Making my way

Time flies and sometimes it's a matter of whether to blog about spinning or actually spinning.  Both are enjoyable but, let's face it, doing the first without doing the second means you run out of the first pretty quickly.

The big news is that I've finally finished the spinning for my Berroco Cosima sweater.  All that remains is to sew together and finish the collar.  I'll post a picture when it's a little more presentable.  I've been going through a little internal debate this afternoon because of a post today by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (aka The Yarn Harlot).  She talks about how she washes and blocks all the pieces of her sweater before she sews the pieces together.  The reality is, she's right.  You really should do this for a number of reasons.  She's made the argument so I'm not going to go into them but it really is a good practice.  So the debate has been going on in my mind all afternoon about whether I wanted to do it or not.  It seems especially important with handspun yarn.  But I don't think I'm going to do it.  My yarn has been washed and thwacked so it's not straight off the wheel.  I'm really just ready to finish the sweater up. If I wash and block and all like I should, it will be the weekend before I can get it finished and I really don't want to let it drag out that long. 

I know that seems a bit silly for a project I've been waiting a couple of months to get the last of the yarn spun up.  I get it.  But the reason I got it finished is because I'm ready to have it completely off the list.  I think it will be okay.  Really. 

I'm also very close to finishing the spinning of some silk roving I got.  This is all I've got left.  Silk begs to be spun fine but I didn't want to do that with this roving.  I'm spinning it on my Kromski Minstrel to make a 2-ply which will be, I hope, about fingering weight.  I'm using the fastest whorl to get a goodly amount of twist into the single because I want my plied yarn to be fairly high grist (I think that's the word I want).  It's been one of those rovings that seems to multiply as you spin.  It was supposed to be 2 ounces but I think there's actually going to be a bit over 3 ounces.  I did weigh it after I'd already spun some and it still weighed out at more than 2 ounces.  Not often you get more than you paid for, is it?  The roving is so well prepared and has been fun to spin.  Another reason I used the higher speed whorl is that the last time I tried to spin silk, I under-estimated the amount of twist needed and had some trouble with the plying step.  I think this is going to ply beautifully.

Can't tell you what it's for just yet.  Later.  In fact, much of my time right now is completing things for the Heritage Knitting Retreat, both samples and projects.  Time is getting really close but there's still time if you'd like to come join us.

I have another package of this silk roving in a green colorway but I don't think I'm going to try to get that done right away.  I also think I'm going to give into the silk and spin it much more finely than I have this.  I think it will made a beautiful scarf/shawl.

Big, big news

I have big news.  Perhaps even big, big news.  The Amish Center Diamond Afghan is finished!  Well, finished for all intents and purposes.  The afghan part is finished and the center diamond motif is finished and blocking but it still needs to be sewn on to be final finished.  I'm counting it.

This is a motif from the Elsebeth Lavold book one - The Viking Knits Collection and it was the perfect size for what I wanted and it worked up quickly.  I'll get a good photo of the whole thing later once this is dry and attached.  I've been using the afghan on my bed the last few days and, boy, is it warm and light.  Who'd've known?

And I got highjacked with my latest newest project.  I was straightening up my books the other night which, of course, led to looking at some old Spin Off magazines.  I don't know if this happens to you but I can read some of these articles but if I don't have any context for what they're talking about, I don't really take much of it in.  So, since I'm starting to learn more about spinning, I like to have a look back from time to time.

So there I was quietly thumbing through the magazine, sipping a cup of tea (because I am a tea drinker) when I got hit with this:

Have you ever seen anything quite so cute?

This is from the Fall 2006 issue.  Carol spun this yarn out of silk and cotton.  I didn't want to spin something new to make it but I just happened to have some silk that I'd spun up and had no idea what I would do with it.  Ha!  And it was just the right weight.  I'd love to have a real t-shirt made out of this.  Wish you could touch it and feel how gorgeous spun silk is.  This silk roving (which I'd had for donkey's years) was spun on my Kromski Minstrel using the 12:1 ratio in a 2-ply.  I didn't check the wraps per inch but the pattern called for 17 wpi and this is knitting up to the gauge so I'm guessing it's about that.  I started it last night and just have the last part of the back, the sleeves, the pocket and the neckband to go.  I'll be sure to get a photo once I've finished.  I've got a white teapot that will go great with this!