My Bald Little Pony

Just finished:

This is from Gnome Garden, bought at the Maryland Sheep and Wool from Cloverhill Farms several years ago (not sure of the exact year on this one). It's merino and bamboo in lovely pinks and purples with lot of sparkle. I have a little over three ounces of it. (And another 3 ounces or so in blues). It is perhaps a little more pink than in the photo, but it's pretty all the same. It ended up being about 310 yards at around 18 wraps per inch. So, it's about a fingering weight. I think it might make a nice hat and small scarf or cowl.


This is what it looked like:

As I was spinning it, the sparkles got everywhere. My husband's comment was that it looked like someone took clippers to My Little Pony. (Hence, the post title.)

Currently on the spindles:


This is a gorgeous blue silk that I've been spindling off and on for a while. I had two braids of the silk, each about 1 oz. I'm finally on the second braid and will continue to take it along with me whenever I have to wait somewhere. I think I may end up plying it with other colors and weaving with it. I got a new book recently called Spin to Weave by Sara Lamb. It is a lovely book with lots of advice about spinning yarns specifically for weaving. She has a beautiful scarf from silk. Several beautiful scarves from silk, actually. But for the one I'm talking about, she spun silk singles from various colors and used three plies. She plied the colors in different proportions - e.g., 3 plies of blue, 2 plies of blue and one of burgundy, etc. She uses these plies for the warp, packing in the warp and using a thin weft to create a warp-faced weave. The scarf shifts gradually shifts colors from blue/purple to burgundy to gold. It is truly beautiful and something I may end up doing.

I also have some fiber coming from Etsy. I'll post it when I get it.

Actual Blog Update!

You know you haven't blogged in a while when your husband, who has often in the past told you that you spend too much time blogging, tells you that you really need to update your blog.

I realize I still haven't posted goodies from the Sheep and Wool festival and I got some neat stuff, pretty new spindles and pretty new fiber. I'll try and get around and take some more photos, but for now, here's a picture of my newest Golding and some silk I've been spinning with it.

This spindle has to be the best-spinning Golding yet and that's saying a lot. I'm spinning the silk thread-thin and will double ply it eventually. I know, you're shocked because it's neither pink nor purple. It's a lovely blue. I'll show the rest of my goodies later and also show my newest pair of socks which has been finished knitting-wise for a week or so, but still needs some embroidery. Maybe I'll work on that at Sit 'n' Knit tonight.

Spindling

I know, three posts in one week after posting just once a month for the past few months. Seriously, no heart attacks.

First of all, I found this "highly scientific *cough* caffeine test" on Stumbling Over Chaos. I scored 160 clicks without my morning tea. What does that say about me? That I'm too jittery or I just have quick reflexes?

I don't have any pictures today, just some thoughts on spindling. I've been thinking about spindling since Opal mentioned she's not much of a spindler (check out her latest entry to see how much not a spindler she is). I bought my very first spindle, a Golding, at my first Sheep and Wool back in 2005. I decided I loved spinning and had to have a wheel. I neglected my poor single spindle for a very long time. I don't know exactly what made me decide to pick spindling back up, maybe it's the beauty of the spindles, but I had to have more spindles. I bought more. Goldings and Bosworths. And I spun.

Spindling isn't quick, especially if, like me, you spin thread, but there is a beauty in it. There's the beauty of the spindles themselves, made by talented artisans, and there's the beauty of the different fibers. Then there's the feeling; I love the feel of spinning silk on a lightweight spindle. On a wheel, spinning often becomes about finishing the projects, not about just enjoying it. With spindles, you realize that it's going to be a while before anything is finished, so you might as well enjoy it for the action itself. There's also just a little bit of appreciation that I don't have to do this to keep myself and my family in clothing. It is a hobby and can be appreciated as such.

And if that's not enough, it's always enjoyable to watch people's reactions when you bring your spindling into public. Knitting most people have seen before; many can even tell you that you're knitting, a few can even tell what you're knitting. Most people could even tell what you're doing if you have a wheel. Stories of Rumpelstiltskin and Sleeping Beauty abound. Plus, many people have seen pictures of wheels in history books or have seen them in actual use in re-enactments. Period movies and shows like "Little House on the Prairie" often have spinning wheels. But spindling. Most people have no clue what you're doing. And even when you explain, I actually enjoy seeing their reaction - "Why would you want to do that?"

Spindles

Not too much to show. I've been working on the FF&L, the two pairs of socks and I've been spinning a bit on the wheel. But I took some pictures of most of my spindles for one of the Ravelry boards and thought I'd show them off here, too.

These are my Goldings:

The Celtic Ring on the left was my very first spindle. I got it at my first Maryland Sheep and Wool. Needless to say, when I decided I needed a laceweight, I went straight to the Golding booth the next year (and this year). The Le Fleur was an anniversary gift from my husband last year. The laceweights are all purpleheart.

These are my two Bossies, both the mini (I think that's what they're called):

The one on the left is Paduak and the one on the right is Purpleheart.

They are all such beautiful pieces of work that they are displayed on my bookshelf when not in use. Most of them have yarn in progress on them.

WIP Wednesday

I actually have a WIP to show:

That's the Hidcote Garden Shawl (I somehow had not put this one on the sidebar until Monday) and I am loving this pattern. It is going to be a gorgeous shawl when it's done.

My other WIP is actually not knitting, but spinning. I've been spinning on that beautiful new spindle.

This is cashmere silk and it is a dream to spin. So very soft. The color is a beautiful cream/silver with occasional hints of a darker tan. I plan to double-ply it and see how many yards two ounces will give me. Then I'll decide what to do with it. I'm thinking a shawl.

Since one of my 2007 goals is to finish all the things currently on my sidebar, I'm going to try to work on them, not necessarily exclusively, mind you, because I'm sure I'll add a few to the sidebar, but I do need to work on them. My goal for the end of January is to finish Hidcote and the second Snowman vest. I plan to pick Forest Path back up the first of February to join Debi and Agnes in their Forest Path Stole-along.