expanding my options

This weekend Cosy came to Y-town for a visit – actually she was going up to the Cleve for a craft show and decided to stay with me – and it was super fun! Usually when I’m in Pittsburgh for spinning group there are more people and lots of things going on, so we don’t get a chance to chat. But we spent all day Friday spinning and dyeing and knitting. She shared her SOAR notes with me and now I am finally beginning to see the difference between “woolen” and “worsted” spinning.

Often she mentions my natural way of spinning because it is not her natural method. But sitting side by side, we were able to note and name the differences. I am a woolen spinner and now I can do worsted as well! I had no idea it was literally squeezing out the air. That sounds really strange, but frankly, I think that’s all there is to it. We also worked on the long draw, which should help me get better fine yarns.

After lunch I got out some BFL and my dyes and we discussed that for a little bit too. It was hilarious as she literally had to yell at me to do something different. “Don’t add water! Don’t spread that around!” It was so hard NOT to do what I normally do, but I wanted to try something new.

I’m excited to continue experimenting and using her suggestions. We’ll see what comes out in the next few months. I really need to order some massive amounts of fiber! I’m also planning a destash that will include undyed wool locks and cones of weaving yarn, so be on the look out for that. It will probably occur after Christmas!

redo, add, new

Either I have 10 [unrelated] things to say or no things to say. Today it’s an unrelated things day.

Last night I thought it might be fun to try navajo plying again, as it had been several months since last I did it. It’s quite an interesting technique; I’m not sure why I do it so rarely. When I spun the single, I tried not to over-spin the yarn, but keep it soft. I used the middle ratio on my wheel and did my best to spin evenly. The bobbin filled up nicely and I was ready to ply. There are a few fat spots, but over all I’m very pleased with the end product. Sometimes I over-spin and the yarn gets hard, but this time it stayed quite fluffy. I’m always amazed at the denseness of a navajo-ply. I love how different it looks from 2-ply.

“Symphonic”
Handdyed Falklands
90 yards, 3ish ounces

I stopped at a new thrift store while I was out today. It wasn’t newly opened, just one I hadn’t visited before. They had quite a variety of stuff; I was impressed. There was a good selection of housewares too. I found this set of mugs for $2.00. They go along with my other green Japanese mugs. The only problem? I don’t drink tea or coffee.

And I’ve gotten a haircut recently. Actually it’s been almost a week, but it takes me a little while to get used to styling it in a different way. This particular cut ended up to be very exciting. He used a razor on my hair, which people have done before, but he put so much texture into it! Usually it just falls flat and won’t stay chunky and playful, but it’s definitely playful this time! He told me I ought to get highlights – red ones, to go with my blue eyes. He couldn’t believe that I had dyed my hair blue, red, purple, and green. Hey, I’m a fiber artist, right?

sanity: wrapped, rolled and ran away

Things are going to change around here. Not *HERE* as in the blog, I mean here in my life. This week is my last at the museum, so when I return from Pennsic in two weeks, I will be officially unemployed. While looking for new work, I might have all sorts of time for knitting and dyeing and updating and then, once I start working again, I probably won’t have any time for anything at all. This is the first time in my life when I have had NO idea what’s coming next. Plus my car is absolutely dying. I had it towed yesterday, in fact. My first time using AAA in four years. Everything is just going to pieces all at once.

I haven’t been doing a lot of spinning lately. Pennsic prep is one reason. The Folk School of Doom is another. Since I will not be going at all now (they never got my new class schedule. Thanks guys!), any new information in regards to spinning will have to be acquired on my own time, through my own, solitary devices. Meaning: I’m miffed and uninspired. Plus I’ve been getting bored with singles and 2-plies, but feeling helpless in regards to new techniques. Remembering some article about something in a past Spin-Off, I got out the Spring 2008 issue and read the article on wrap & roll yarns. This is what I ended up with:

Jellyfish Tentacles. Handdyed Corriedale. 8 yards total.

It is significantly better than the first coil yarn I attempted in 2006. You can see that dreadful little mess here, in my flickr photostream. Not to mention my poor photography…

i dyed that day

And you can dye too for all I care!

I finally took advantage of a day off and dyed up my fab new snuggly locks. The green is my favorite, not surprisingly. It contains all the shades I’ve been dying for and have been unable to achieve. When I prepared the dyes, I didn’t actually mix any greens; rather, I poured yellow, gold, turquoise, and blue in separately and they all blended together in the pot. I love the results, although sometimes that blending action is really annoying. I need to work on some different dyeing methods. Even the microwave and plastic wrap gets me slushy colors.

Despite my absolute love of the green and my love of the fiber, I have listed both of these on Etsy. So, if you are interested in this wonderous fiber, please hop over to the shop and check it out. I plan on dyeing and listing more over the summer. Cheers!

Foliage. 1.5 ounces. Blue-faced Leicester X Border Leicester

Rhubarb Crisp. 2 ounces. Blue-faced Leicester X Border Leicester

dyed again

Sunday afternoon I took the opportunity to try out the Falklands wool. I separated the entire pound into 3 ounce lengths and dyed three of them, all done on the stove top (what is that, kettle dyeing?). Can you tell that I keep my warm colors separate from my cool colors? The Tomato Bisque was my attempt to use some of the red dye I have in large quantities because I don’t like red. If you recall, I already dyed some BFL and called it Strawberry Surprise. I wanted to see if I could replicate the colors. The first time they blended a little more, but I’d be curious to see if they end result yarns were more similar.

A Seagull’s View

Tomato Bisque

Strawberry Surprise

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I purchased a crock pot at the thrift store. The plug didn’t work, but it just so happens my mum has the same brand and hers worked. So, having a remaining 4 1/8 ounces of BFL that I had forgotten about, I tossed it in the pot with some Cherry and Grape Kool-aid. It wasn’t entirely successful, as the pot boiled over and would not cool down. Apparently “crock pots” have warm/low/high settings rather than actual temperatures. This one has real temps on it, but it also runs hot. I’m tempted to try it again anyway.

Berry Mash

grey undertones complete

Here is the Grey Undertones South African Fine spun up.  As I mentioned before, I decided to navajo-ply it to keep the colors intact.  Tuesday morning I managed to get the entire bobbin done in about 30 minutes.  I had to finish it before going to school because I didn’t know what state it would be in when I got home.  Navajo-plying is a technique that I find somewhat stressful.  The looping action makes it difficult to go back and fix weird spots.  Also it seems that any thick places are accentuated rather than hidden.  Overall I’m happy with the finished product.  It’s 3 ounces and guess what – 60 yards! 

These pictures were taken last night right before I washed the yarn.  I think I’m only going to use the super-macro function from now on since those seem to be the best looking pictures.  I’ve rigged up a little photo-shoot area in my fiber room that consists of a sheet draped over a chair + a huge lamp clipped overhead + the supermacro function. I don’t need natural light, which is good since lately I never get to be home during daylight hours.

Can you see how inconsistant I am? In the photo below, there’s that really nice looking strand of green in the middle right above that really lumpy green strand.  Obviously I still need to practice.

Christabel just informed me that she nominated me for an award! Thanks so much, sweetie. You are the best.

there is yarn also

This semester is going to be long. I can tell already and it’s only week 3 (of 15). Needless to say, I don’t have oodles of time to craft. But I did get some spinning done on Sunday. I wanted to try out the South African Fine and started with this one:

Grey Undertones

I decided to split it, since in the past that has proven to be a good way to achieve a more even single. My intentions for it and the long color changes is to navajo-ply. It is not a technique I do often, so most of my examples are somewhat sloppy, but I’m very curious to see this one with each color kept intact. As for my experience spinning the wool… perhaps it felted slightly in the pot, I don’t know, but it was difficult to draft at times. It is very soft though.

Citronella

Strawberry Surprise

Above are two skeins of BFL.  Citronella totals 60 yards at 2 ounces; Strawberry Surprise is also 60 yards and 2 1/8 ounces.  For some reason 60 yards is IT for me.  I can’t seem to get beyond that, even though I’m dyeing larger batches.  What is going on there??  Anyway, I find it interesting how different the two skeins appear, as the top one has been washed and the bottom one has not.  You can see how much fluffier and loftier the washed skein is, while the unwashed has not settled in quite yet.  Both of these were dyed when I was pondering my new winter coat, however I’m not sure that either will become hat or mittens.  It’s going to be summer before I finish them!

Monday = dye day!

If only because I had the day off from school.  Perhaps getting home at 3:30 will allow me enough time to dye regularly.  If not then it’s unlikely I’ll ever get the chance.  This semester is going to be busy!  Anyway, I did use up the rest of my 2 lbs of BFL.  A few posts ago I was discussing whether I wanted to get more BFL or try something different.  The other two breeds I was looking at were Falklands and South African Fine.  Two trustworthy ladies suggested one of each, so I got a pound of both!  

I decided to just stick to one of the two so I could remember which one I used rather than doing both and not knowing which was which.  Just taking the SAF (I’m abbreviating it, why not?) out of the bag I could already feel quite a difference from the BFL.  Not sure what to be exact.  As I’ve been getting more comfortable with my dyeing capabilities, I’ve realized that dyeing 1/2 ounce at a time results in very small skeins of yarn.  With the BFL I did 2 oz at a time and the SAF I did 3 oz.  Maybe next time I’ll do 4!!  As before, I used my Lanaset dyes throughout.

I’ve been using my craft show crate as storage for my ever-growing collection of handdyed rovings/top.

English Garden

Breathe the Free Air

Grey Undertones

I have such a spotty/sporadic/inconsistent way about my work. Looking at my Dyeing set on Flickr, I can see where there were a few times I braided the roving, sometimes I coiled it, now I’m twisting it into a skein. I rarely take photos in the same place twice. For a while I was doing batches of BFL, now I’m on to South African Fine. Is it that I get bored easily or I just like variety? Maybe I don’t really know what I’m doing.

merry christmas eve

Socks are done! I finished them last night and I am very pleased with the end result. The pattern has ribbing on the top of the foot which is an excellent way to get a good snug fit. I tried a sock in self-striping yarn with a similar pattern, but the heel flap was too short and I finished the sock anyway. I was not inspired to start or finish its mate. From now on, I think I will stick to 2 circs for socks. For some reason, the tiny needles and yarn don’t bother me as much as tiny DPNs. Although, for my fingerless mitts, I will stay with the DPNs. My next pair will be for my dad since I haven’t made him anything yet!

Tomorrow is Christmas! I can’t believe it. My mom said I’m not getting anything because I am too difficult to buy for. Isn’t that thoughtful? Well, in the end I don’t really need more stuff. I know of at least two things I’m getting. We’re also doing the medieval dinner again. It’s so much fun to dress up and eat old time food. Our dining table is right in front of our biggest window (it’s actually in the living room, but since we do more things at the table than on the couch, it sits in the largest room), so when people drive by they can see RIGHT into the house! So, if you happen to drive by our house tomorrow afternoon, we’ll be dressed in 13th century clothing eating duck, barley, and pea soup.

While I was snapping [bad] photos of yarn the other day, Phoebe got up on the stool and sat right on top of it! This is a BFL 2-ply, dyed in green, turquoise, and purple (jacquard acid dyes). I gave it to Laura for Christmas! Did I forget to mention Phoebe sat on it? I hope you aren’t allergic! ^.~ And below is the debut of Thomas, our large fellow. He’s very difficult to photograph because he’s always moving around and the pictures end up being streaks instead of eyes.

staying in the house

Saturday, while knitting at Cosy’s, I started a sock using the 2 circulars method. She provided me with the yarn, which she dyed. I want to call them “Forest Walkers” or something. Anyway, the first pattern in the book was a simple ribbed sock in 3 sizes, none of which were mine. Originally I did the child’s medium, but it was determined after turning the heel that that was too small. So I got out my Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook and Knitting Rules by S. Pearl-McPhee, and did something new. I worked a gauge swatch (though tiny) and measured my foot. After finding my numbers in the charts provided, I cast on 56 stitches and went to town! Early into it, I could tell that these were going to fit me much better. I continued to refer to the 2 circs book in case there was something vitally important that I need to know regarding the intricacies of working socks on 2 circular needles. Everything went fine – I made the heel flap using a different yarn, got the heel turned, gussets, and now I’m into the foot and I feel great!

This has been a very positive experience, especially after Thursday’s series of unfortunate events.  I must be transparent in my struggles and it has been coming out here. Well, I have not had any formal training in anything – no art, no nothing! At first it was fun just to bumble through things with nothing particular in mind. But now I can’t say that. I want more predictability and I’m just not getting it. I need to take a class or something or just keep trying or just shut up.

A photo of my Birthday Axes from Richard. If you recall, from Saxon Summer, I enjoy throwing axes quite a bit.