Quick Catch up Days 9 - 18

Hard to believe this challenge is almost over.  The last week just seemed to fly right by me.  Great race with a wonderful Team to spur us on.

Got the 4 oz of MVOS in Woody all plied up and measured.  Alas it is only 228 yards.  Methinks all that tight twisting shortens the yardage.  sigh..... but also strengthens the yarn. :^)

So this week will be spinning up another 2 oz so that I can start the socks (my Ravellenic project) with enough confidence that there will be enough yarn to complete them.

At guild on Saturday, Ruth brought her Sea Glass which was plied as a 3 ply as is mine but hers was done the regular way while mine was done fractally.  You can see the differences.  Mine, on the right, is pretty but more muted.  Hers has clearer colors.

I'm thinking of spinning some Tropical Sea bfl/silk and plying it with Forest Lake bbfl to go with the fractally spun Sea Glass (the bbfl will mute the Tropical Sea a bit) and then knitting up my Santa Clara Shawl with US 10's and the sportweight Sea Glass as edging.  Might not even need beads as it has some holographic thread sparkling through it.

Uh oh, I loaned it to T (and can't find her blog URL - arghhhh) for next month's guild program on avoiding mud.  

yooo hooo T........ can I get it back and then loan you the knitted parts for the meeting?

Days 6-8

Despite the record breaking heat and humidity us intrepid spinners continue to crank out the yards and meters in many colors, fibers and styles on spindles and wheels.

Day 6, 7 & 8 were back on the Hilltopper.

Day 8 started out with this incredible sunrise

                         but quickly moved into impressive clouds which had me wondering at how they were folding into each other.

and turned into a classic Thunderstorm of wind, rain and hail quieting down within 15 minutes to a half hour of steady rain.

The storm lowered the temps into the 80's and for some delightful reason they are still in the 80's.  No complaints from this spinner.

All the fractal parts are now completed.  Next is to decide just what to ply the Sea Glass with for strength.  I will be using thread but which thread remains a question.

Black rayon?  That was my original thought but nah...

Pale teal silk is a good idea

Sulky mixed nylon/poly/metallica is a great color but the poly may cut the fiber. 

                 hmmmnnn but I do like the sparkliness and am very easily amused by sparkles.

Darker teal silk----- too dark I think

Holographic thread looks fab too.  Jim likes that one best.

Day 5?

By letting myself off the hook I got it done.

Took my Baynes to Knit Knite and spun spun spun in the delightful coolness at Panera's.  We joke that they keep it so cool you want soup, but on a day when the temps are 96 that coolness feels great.

I am already losing track of which day it is.  

And - playing in Photoshop seems easier than Picasa to me.

Jim just got the bearing in the prototype Hilltopper replaced so back to the Sea Glass.

Day 4 or Day 5???

Already I am far behind.  sigh.....................

 Managed to get 3 days worth of spinning accomplished, then reality set in.

Also played a bit in Picasa.  I can see it will need more than a few minutes to get it up to the quality I want.  hmmmmnnnn Wonder if I can just do that in Photoshop and save myself a bunch of time?

Sat = 1  

got 1.5 oz of Sea Glass spun at ~40+wpi.

Sun = 2

Tried to do the same but Jim's prototype wheel has bearings made in the USA in it.  We thought getting US made bearings was a good thing and they are also $7 less expensive than the ones made in Taiwan but, alas, they do not last and they make noise almost right away.  There are up to 10 bearings in each wheel so saving $7 per was an excellent plan until Jim had to go buy replacements.

So on Sunday I got about 0.5 oz of MVOS spun up.

I thought spinning Woody at 40+ would be really difficult but it isn't.

Jim says it just takes longer, not harder.

Mon = 3

Spun up the other 1 oz of MVOS (smaller amt of the 3 shown).

Tues = 4

Alas no spinning was accomplished as I did other necessary things like work and feeling hot.

Wed = 5 

Spent most of today in front of a fan reknitting, reswatching and reconfiguring the garment I will be making for Knitters K105 Winter issue.

I sent them samples in sportweight yarn calling for 3 colors.

They sent me a bag of DK and worsted weight yarn in 4 colors.

The samples are now blocking.  Tomorrow I will send them pics and go from there.

OK I can redeem myself tonight at Knit Knite by bringing my wheel and getting at least one and maybe 2 days worth of spinning done.  

I can also trade a day of rest for Tuesday and then not feel so bad.

Tour de Fleece Day 1, 2012

I decided to start with the Sea Glass bfl fiber.  Found a good explanation of 3 ply fractal spinning by Alison Russell and away I went.
Divided the fiber lengthwise into 3 sort of even snakes.  Yesterday I spun the first snake as is, just with some widthwise pre drafting, into a 40 wpi single.  I expected it to take me forever but really, it was only a few hours.  I think I spent more time learning to use one of Jim's prototype wheels than making the thin singles.

So 1.5 oz is done.  I have no idea how much yardage I got but whatever it is is what I will go with on a pair of socks down the road.

Love Tour de Fleece - nice fun concentrated time of spinning and talking with other spinners.

In the Mail

A few days ago I received this from the editor of Knitter's Magazine.

Hi Susan,

Just leaving TNNA and wanted to let you know that yarn is coming your way. Rick will contact you on specifics for the skirt. 
Didn't want you wondering what the yarn was for since it might arrive tomorrow before we get a chance to talk.

Karen
Knitter's Magazine
From my IPad

Then today there was an absolutely stuffed envelope in the mailbox

containing 11 skeins of Kraemer Perfection DK yarn.

I am sure Rick will be in touch soon. 

Oh my oh my YES!!!!!!  

Better get those baby gift sweaters done ASAP.

Primary Day

Today is a primary election in NYS.  We are selecting the democratic Congressional candidate for our new district in south western NY.  We are also selecting the republican candidate to run against Senator Gillibrand.

If you have a primary in your state, get out and

I really resent hearing from folks who do not make their preferences heard on the ballot and then complain about what is happening (or not happening) in Washington.  

Now going to get my food, drinks and snacks together for the marathon session today at our local polling place.  I am one of many Election Inspectors helping to keep NY's voting honest.

Polls open at noon, close at 9.  Get thee to one.