Spin me a tale...

Three weeks ago I had a great opportunity presented to me. Was I able to go to a spinner's retreat with a friend who's mom couldn't make it due to health issues? Yes I was! It was in Summerside, PEI, the Maritime Spinners Retreat.

I had never spun around "mundane" people before, only within the SCA at events, so I was nervous about what to expect, but it was a very good time and reignited my love for spinning, both on my Schacht Ladybug wheel which I took along, and on my many spindles, drop and supported. I was able to learn, and teach, and show and tell, including being talked into participating in their fashion show with my shirt I had brought along. I had knit it from Jaggerspun Zephyr wool/silk laceweight around 2008, I think, and about 5 years ago accidentally shrunk it in the wash, but it somehow still fit! A bit cropped, however. 

I took the opportunity to get back to spinning some laceweight brown Shetland I had started on my wheel several years ago, and got through almost the whole second ply over the weekend. I had never spun so much within 3 days! Unfortunately when I got home, I realized I had spun the 2 bobbins in opposite directions! Thankfully I have some black Shetland that I will use as the second ply for both, the colors are so close I'm not worried about it.

Fiber was also bought, because of course I had to, gotta support the vendors! From the upper left, 2 bags of unknown wool bits and bobs from Red Island Fibre, a Polworth/llama/tussah silk braid from Shades of Ewe, a merino Autumn Leaves pack from Good Fibrations, Rideau Arcott wool and a pin that I won as my door prize, and Manx Loaghtan and Zwartbles wool from Shades of Ewe again.

I was also inspired when I got home to get back to spinning the Jacob fleece that I bought back in 2010. Apparently projects need to age appropriately or something for me. But I wound off the first cop onto a toilet paper roll, and have gotten started on a second spindle. The first was around 26 g, if I remember, so will aim for around the same. Eventually I also have the brown part of the fleece to get to.

I will be posting more about my spinning adventures now that I've been reenergized for this craft again, but that's all for now.

New life...

Well, let's breathe some new life into this blog, shall we?

This was the first blog I tried out, as evidenced by my first 3 posts from just over a year ago. I've since gotten into LiveJournal, and have been posting there since February.

However, last week I decided to learn to knit socks, and have discovered a whole world out there involving socks. I've decided that LJ just wasn't a suitable method for talking about my knitting, as it's going to take over my life for the next several months, I feel. So that will be for the rest of my adventures, and this will be for pretty much knitting, spinning that turns into knitting, and maybe some crocheting if I get around to doing much.

I saw a lady on the 9th at a Salvation Army kettle at the store knitting socks, and for some reason, this really grabbed me, although I've looked at socks before and thought them too complicated. But I've slowly been increasing my skill in knitting, learning increases and decreases last year, and felt I wanted to learn socks now.

I bought yarn and needles (my first time on DPNs) on the 10th, started my first sock around 6pm, and 24 hours later was ready to turn the heel. Helped that work's been really slow this last week, so I got a couple hours done Monday at work. Took me 4 times to turn the heel with a friend's help, and finished the toe Tuesday at work, and got the second sock finished Wed evening. It was on 4 mm needles, in Patons Classic Wool, dark grey. I used Canadian Living's Amazing Feets pattern, size large. I hope to get pictures up sooner or later; I don't have a digital camera yet :(

Then I started some socks in Bernat Cool Crochet, a cotton/nylon blend, on 3.25 mm needles. They're my Ice Cream socks, as I used Neopolitan with the ribbing, heel and toe in Chocolate. I decided to make this pattern up, basing it on gauge and my measurements. It was my first time using 2 colors, and learning the short row heel.

I have the first halfway done, then realized how soon Xmas is coming up, so started knitty.com's Fetching pattern in Bernat Satin Sapphire on the 4mm needles. I got the left hand finished Saturday, then started what I thought was the right hand, but realized later that night that it was another left hand; I'd turned the cables the wrong direction. So after thinking about it for a while, I put that glove on another set of needles to hold it, and started the right-hand glove from the other end of the yarn. Got that finished yesterday (Sunday) after about 5 hours of knitting. They go to my father's wife for Xmas.

I gave myself and my needles 5 minutes of a break while I got water, then cast on another sock in the Classic Wool for my sister's fiance. 4mm needles, 48 stitches. Started that about 6:30 last night, using dark blue for the ribbing, heel and toe and light grey for the body. I'm about to turn the heel now. I'm using a short row heel for this one, as I prefer it to the flap. It looks like another day without any work, so I get paid to knit! Gotta love it. I hope the week turns out this way.

I still have a pair of anklets to make for my sister after this, so here's hoping I have time here at work to get those done.

Nothing like jumping in with both feet (hah!) eh?