Spindlitis

Nothing fancy, just a pair of cotton socks. I’ve retired so I just might have more projects to post here.

I finished the Hap for Harriet. I’m happy with the knitting, but unhappy with the yarn. I’ll post a picture of it, when I block it this weekend. I frogged the original project. I had stitches slip off the end and it was the last straw. I don’t know what I’ll do with that yarn, but I’ll have to use it with a lighter color.

And the hand spun sweater may also be frogged. I’m not happy with it. The moorit Shetland is dual coat and could stand to be recarded in places. It’s just a boring sweater right now. I’m going to put it away for awhile, take the spun yarn off the bobbin and take a look at it in a few weeks.

This means I could start a new project! Little Knits had a great sale on Brown Sheep Nature Spun. I was looking for other yarns and started to get tired of looking at exotic blends. I wanted some pure wool. I picked up enough to do this:  https://www.trulymyrtle.com/shop/floozycardigan

It calls for fingering weight, but I’ve been unhappy with every fingering weight sweater I’ve made. Sport weight works out well for this.

I have enough of this yarn to make some short sleeved or sleeveless undershirts. That’s another project I want to try. It has sidelined my spinning for a bit, but I think that’s because I really didn’t want to spin that moorit Shetland any more. I am still working on a couple of spindle projects.

I thought I’d show the second half of my system. I’ve posted about using the Notes app on my Iphone as a database of projects and stash. The other part is a physical notebook. I’d planned to use a regular notebook, but then I thought I could use my black Traveler’s Notebook. I like it so far. I keep it in a Swift with my supplies, so I can sample yarns and fiber as they come in. The hard part is remembering to add samples of finished yarns. I use two notebooks. One is a watercolor insert and the other is the blank lightweight paper. I use the watercolor insert for samples. It’s an insert that I happened to have, so I may switch to something else when I fill this.

For fiber stash, I take a small sample and put it in a glassine envelope. I am using these little flash cards for the main part. They are thick and a nice size. I put details on the flash card, with samples of the singles and spun yarn. For knit stash, I put a sample of the yarn on the flash card. I can take pictures of these cards and add them to any notes in the Notes app. It’s nice to have these physical samples.

If I decide that this notebook won’t work, I can easily remove the cards and put them in something else. I’m not going to put all the yarn in my stash in this notebook. I will add yarns that I’ll use in future projects. Same thing with fiber. As I work with this notebook, I’ll get a better idea of what will be useful.

And finally, I finished the Inga hat! Still needs to be blocked. I used some left over yarn for this and knew it would be big. I really love the pattern and will probably do it in finer yarn someday. Link to the free pattern: https://eweniquefiber.blogspot.com/2006/11/free-knitting-pattern-inga-hat.html

Picture of me in goofy hat. The braid part will show when I block it. I really need to have Lon take pictures of me because I just look terrible otherwise.

I started doing A Hap for Harriet several months ago. I’m not finding the most recent picture of it, but I used the yarn called for in the pattern. It was a dark teal and I had to work slowly to keep from dropping stitches or messing up the SSK. I started out using an over to make a stitch, then discovered that I would not be doing that across the entire shawl, so I just started over. I got almost to the middle section, when I discovered that one of the SSKs had popped loose and I had a hole. I just did not want to work on it any more. So I bought some fingering weight merino.

I really think it looks better and I’ve made great progress on it. I am almost done with the middle section. I haven’t decided what to do with the original project. I really need to just abandon it and use the yarn for something else.

My handspun yoke sweater looks like this:

Not really sure how this will turn out. I’d like to do some more interesting sweaters but thought something simple would be nice for now. I should have washed the yarn afterwards but really wanted to get going with this, so it looks a bit overplied right now.

I need to get back on track for my spinning projects. There’s a long weekend ahead so I’ll try and work them in. I have some sewing projects that I need to focus on first. I do get a lot more done, now that I don’t waste as much time on social media. I’ve been adding content to Slipped Stitches, so stop by if you haven’t checked it out lately.

I really think I need to spend even less time on social media. There’s a nice group on MeWe called Unraveled Conservative Knitters and the Walkaway from Ravelry group on Facebook. It’s fun to chat for a bit, but it wastes time that I could use for my projects. And I’m having more fun with my projects.

Here’s the socks I posted about, closer to being finished:

I started this fiber project on the wheel. This is BFL from Miss Babs, colorway Sugar. Really lovely stuff! I ordered another 4 ounces. I want to make a few wool undershirts for the winter. This will be the first one. I haven’t decided on a pattern yet. I’m not quite through the first four ounces.

I’m still working on the Southdown and Hot Lips. I am making some progress but the end is not in site.

I decided to give up on the Cranberry Gorse pattern. I’m using the yarn to make Sarah Swett’s Sweater Somewhat Slanted. I hope this works out. This will be the third project for this yarn.

And, this is the Bosworth Butternut Brigade!

The skinny Midi is still  my favorite. I just got the Mini, so am trying to discover what it spins best. Not sure why I am so taken with butternut spindles and why they have to have walnut shafts. But I am pleased with the group. The Maxi is the heaviest Bosworth I have at 40 grams. The Midi is 27 grams, the skinny Midi, 21 grams and the Mini is 17 grams. Add the three cherry skinnies to the mix and I have a nice range for anything I want to spin. And the cherry skinny Maxis really are great for plying.

I’m not totally committed to it yet, but am seriously considering it. Here’s a view of my office:

The big bumps of roving are from 1995! Here’s more:

I have been combing that white Corriedale/Romney fleece, which I’ll turn into a sweater for Lon. It’s at the spinning stage, then I’ll swatch. The other side of the room is as bad:

The bottom duffels are clean, unprocessed fleece. I think there are five fleeces in there. It’s nice stuff, but always goes on the back burner. Instead, I’m finishing this:

This is Hipstrings Flannel Jammies. It was fun but pointless. I have no idea what I’m going to do with this either. I need to make better use of my money and buy for actual projects. I’m going to finish this up and start in on some of these larger projects.

Remember this? Greenwood Fibers Bountiful colorway as a three ply yarn. Since I finished the other socks, I get to finally work with this. Sock yarn works up at 9 stitches per inch. This is working up at 6 stitches per inch. I made myself restart the sock as I thought it would be too big. I love the yarn so far.

And I finished this Inglenook Violet Teacup that I did for the Spinning Circle’s Mad Hatter SAL. I’m not on R any more so can’t do an update. It went quickly when I used a Bosworth. Still don’t know what I’ll do with it as it’s only 2 ounces.

I’m getting closer to having the corriedale sock yarn finished. I just need to ply it. Then I think I’ll do a swatch and see what happens when I wash it. I plan to use the wheel for these older bumps of roving. I’m going to spin them up as singles and wrap them off the bobbins, to be plied later. The yarn will take up less space than the roving and I’ll be closer to actually using it.