The Answer is Socks... And Rain

Today was cool and rainy. A perfect day for knitting and a movie. I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with Thing One and worked on her socks.

I'm having to adjust the pattern - apparently I counted wrong on my gauge swatch (you know, the one I didn't do - I just started knitting the socks and stopped after a while and counted stitches and rows). There's no way that sock isn't going to be too long if I do 30 rounds of increases like I'm supposed to... but even so, I'm having ton of fun.

I've decided to make socks for everyone! Thing Two and DH and me. DH says he doesn't care about the pattern - I had been thinking of doing something with cables for him - but since he doesn't care, I'll stick with the plain old socks like I'm making for the Things. DH's feet tend to get hot, but these will be winter socks, so they need to be a little warm. I chose the Naiad in Espresso Roast. I figure the 70% Superwash merino will make them warm, the 10% nylon will keep them tough, and the 20% Bamboo will help wick moisture away. I hope. I bet he loves it, but i do hope it looks a little more brown than the gray that's in the picture.


Thing Two has a serious passion for red and black. I had originally thought the Ruby, Ruby Dragon sock would be best for the color, but I wasn't sure the yarn, 100% Merino, would be as durable as in the Djinni Sock, which has nylon mixed in for durability, so that's what we landed on. Thing Two put some serious holes in the last pair of socks I knitted him.

For myself, I chose the Crack In The Wall in Djinni. I know it'll be just like Thing One's socks, and I like the way it feels. Also, I love the colors. And, there's the thing about it being Djinni sock yarn for Djinn. And I'm pretty darn sure the color name is a reference to Dr. Who, which I also completely dig. I'm thinking some kind of lace. Just a little bit. Probably, I'll pick a pattern from one of the books a friend recently gave me, or from my favorite lace stitchionary. I'm so completely psyched. ... but I have got to get back into my spinning, too, because I have got some awesome roving and new bobbins, and the beginning of an excellent support net.

Crappy Yarn

I made super-crappy yarn! But it's recognizable as yarn, not just roving wrapped around the bobbin, which is what I had before! And I made it!

So, turns out you're supposed to pinch the yarn as the wheel spins. This means that the fly wheel will continue to revolve around the bobbin, and the bobbin will turn because the fly wheel is. When there's enough twist in it, then you let go, at which point your scotch tension keeps the bobbin from spinning, allowing the yarn to wrap around the bobbin. I think.

First Real Day With Spinning

So, this is what I posted on FaceBook, with the addition of nifty hyperlinks (I may have been just a teensy bit steamed when I posted it. Husband was not amused):


Husband threw away (!!!) the cord I had set aside for my drive ... thingie. Not a shaft. A drive... cable. Thing. So, I'm using some Cascade 220 I had, spare (no such thing, but, whatever), and it's not working very well. And I think my ratio is all hosed. And there's not nearly enough twist in the fibers before they get wrapped around the bobbin. And I definitely need one of those orifice hook thingies, because my pipe-cleaner is getting worn out. And the AlpacaDirect video mentioned oiling the leathers and I don't even know what that is, much less did my $35 (read: thirty-five-goddamned-dollar) Ashford spinning book even mention oil.


Plan for tomorrow: hit the internet and figure out where to get an orifice hooky thingie and drive cable stuff and whether or not I really need oil and what kind and spare bobbins and what the hell I'm doing wrong that my roving is virtually unchanged when it hits the bobbin.


 In all fairness to the spouse, if the Things had not been messing with my wheel (!!!), the drive cable stuff wouldn't have been in the floor (!!!) where it was picked up and thrown out. In all fairness to fairness, who the eff finds a bunch of cord lying near the woman's new wheel, picks it up, and throws it away?!?

This is the picture of my fly-wheel/bobbin/leathers. And the shitty twine.

I haven't called the store in Spokane (yet). I've been lazy and laundering. I'll take care of that Monday.

As I posted later in FB, I had an as-I'm-falling-asleep epiphany, and think I know some more stuff to try. I'll check some stuff in the book and hit the YouTube and re-adjust my attitude (and tension levels hehehe) and re-try. I may try lubricating with cider instead of sewing machine oil and see if that doesn't help.

It's that time again!

New year's Knitting Resolutions.

I think that generally speaking, I'm good about making resolutions and sticking to them (cut down on sweets; bark less, wag more; be more active), but I don't think that's as true when it comes to fiber.

To that end, I think I'll prioritize this list - the stuff that's most likely to happen and most important to me first, then the other stuff. Wish me luck!

1. Finish or frog some UFOs. That cable wrap could be second, right after the yoga wrap for finishing. The swimsuit cover-up needs to be frogged - I should look for a pattern and re-start instead of trying to wing it. Or use the yarn for something else entirely. The black sock-yarn wrist-warmer needs to be frogged.

2. Do a sweater. First I'll do a vest, I have a pattern and yarn picked out already, then I'll start with kids sweaters - at least then I won't have to knit all the way through an adult sweater, only to find I made two left sleeves. ;)

3. Dye. I've been wanting to do that forever. That yarn from the swimsuit cover-up would be perfect for a start.

4. Make a 10-projects list, and stick to it. Build in space for the "ooh, I could just whip this up real quick" projects. four Christmas stockings; vest; three sweaters; one top; two hats; charity hat; charity baby (cat or dog) blanket; warm-up-America squares; more face cloths; another yoga wrap... gosh. That's already way more than ten. We may be in trouble.

5. Go to that museum meeting and learn to spin.

6. And for the love of Pete, blog more!