Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Well, you can kick me when I'm down...

But you can't take this away from me.

Last Sunday's Offertory music was a duet featuring Donald Caldwell, Baritone as Adam and me as Eve from Haydn's "The Creation."



Having some personal conflict issues (understatement) and a lot of worry. Stupid.

I need to focus on the good things, but first I just need to get some sleep. Or knit more. Or both!

Peace.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Lots and Lots and Lots of News!

Some of which must remain a mystery...but it's all good!

Even though I was sick and really, really busy with work of many varieties this week, THE YARN FOR THE SWEATER IS FINISHED!! Yes, 1560 yards of beautiful (to me, anyway), fluffy, squishy 3-ply goodness!!! My very first completely handspun sweater is on the way:sleeve as of 3-7-09 Started with a sleeve, figuring if the gauge was really off, I wouldn't be so devastated to start over. Yes, I swatched. But as the Yarn Harlot says, swatches lie.

I'm so happy with this yarn, though. It's denser than it should be but I did my best and the cables really pop. It's soft and sturdy and I stop and pet it every few minutes.

Lessons learned:

Sampling is actually fun.
Did not go mad spinning undyed fiber for 7 weeks, amazing.
2 ounces a day is not out of the realm of possibility. Nor 3 ounces.
A Spinner's Control card is not perfect, but it is helpful.

Surely my spinning will improve enormously in the years ahead and someday I will see flaws in this project that I don't see now. But it will be a lovely sweater and fits in perfectly with the International Year of Natural Fiber, who knew!

Since finishing that (I still can't believe it!), I've started some spinning for Sock Madness III. Please understand that, although this is my third year, this year I have NO ambitions to get further than last year and in fact am not in a good place to be super competitive this time out. See super mystery news above. But I will try to stay in for a couple of rounds and try very hard to knit most of the rounds along with the people who are still in it. Hey, who couldn't use more socks? Or gifts? One of the hardest things lately has been NOT knitting any socks after finishing DD's blue socks on Thinking Day (still unphotographed).

Anyway, finishing up this Navajo plied superwash merino that won a Blue Ribbon at the L.A. County Fair in 2007: Dandylion 3 ply I have one more ounce of singles to go, hopefully today/tonight: dandylion singles

Then some quick and dirty 2-ply sock yarn from this month's Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club, Corriedale in New Day: new day corriedale Nothing fancy, just random 2-ply hoping to mix the colors.

Wish I could divulge the other news, really! But soon enough...

Peace.