sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

sometimes a cigar

well, you know.

rolags
handcarded merino (?) fleece rolags, washed during Deep Color's Fleece Day class & purchased w/ my (used) Ashford Joy wheel.

My Strauch handcards came yesterday from The Woolery's Spring Sale (along with 3 more bobbins and a tension spring-- my son decided to see how far he could make the scotch-tension brake band with its spring go and it went faaaar :)). I'm really having a fun time carding; I still don't know if I'm doing it "right" but it looks good and totally spinnable. The fleece is super short staple, almost doesn't roll into a full "cigar" shape.

Carding the fleece, I had one of those back of the mind fantasies to buy a fleece, wash, card, spin, design and knit a sweater for a loved one-- such a fantasyworld I live in! For now, the total fleece I have weighs about 12 oz., not quite enough for a (real) large project. I'm planning on carding all of it before spinning, a relaxation project when everyone's asleep and I can indulge in dirty secret tv by my lonesome.

tc1

I also finished spinning and plying one of the superwash merino rovings I kept after my last dye session-- "the color." Its going to be pretty neat... reminds me of candy and should knit up tweedy. My sock yarn spinning's getting finer & finer though (not necessarily a good thing), these I'll have to knit on US 1/2.25mm or US 0/2.0mm. (Did you hear KnitPicks added US 1/2.25mm and US 2/2.75mm to their available needle sizing?! Their dpns are my favorite... too bad they don't take paypal or I'd own several sets already). So much for fast socks, but with the effort that goes into spinning it's more than worth it (or so says the gallery).

tc2

When I was drying the merino superwash, I finally skeined up some of the bobbin-ed yarns I showed in this post (I make the messiest skeins)...

silkmerino

silkmerino2

...merino/tussah silk (ashland bay-- rose colorway, my guess) and superwash merino from fiberfiend.com. Both were navajo plied since their singles looked too thin to me-- washed up though, they look light/worsted (there's a great looking shop on etsy I need to try one day-- he makes wooden wpi meters and plying templates for spinning). I think the merino/silk worsted would make a great sub for the Seashell Shrug from Runway Knits that I have mad love for-- I only have 8 oz of fiber total, but since its commercially available I'm thinking it won't be hard to find.

seashellshrug
Seashell Shrug back, merino/tussah handspun (color's off)

On a personal note, I'm dying sick right now (food poisoning, wishful thinking, voodoo doll?) so I don't expect to have an etsy friday post ready in the next few days. Karrie has been linking some great etsy stuff lately... I bought a pendant from one of her shop recommendations a few weeks back that I need to remember to share.

...and close to my heart and made me feel ridiculously better-- Alyson finished her Belloq thighhigh stockings for her upcoming wedding, and wove a freshwater pearl stitch marker from my etsy shop into the top. Too cool, all around... babies and weddings make me cry.

Be well yall!

19 comments:

lexa said...

I saw her finished stocking with your stitch marker! Great, aren't they?

Your hand-spun is gorgeous as always!

Hope you are feeling better. I'll miss the Etsy Friday, but that will give me a reason to poke around Etsy on my own for a change! And thanks again for the heads-up on the Threadless sale. Going to try to order a couple before the sale ends.

adrienne said...

Oh, I hope you're feeling better soon! Being sick is the worst.

Your handspun is awesome. I just love seeing what you spin.

(and that is totally not "dirty secret" tv compared to some of the other stuff that's on!)

Sarah O G said...

Uh you can use paypal. Sign up for the virtual credit card and you can use paypal anywhere a credit card is accepted. It just pulls the funds from your checking as backup funding. I use it all the time so that if I'm not familiar with a site I don't have to give them my real cc number.

PS I love looking at all your purchases and projects and I love kp needles too

KT said...

Oh, wow...the "the color" yarn is just beautiful!

I know how you feel, though. I'm just getting over some nasty stomach flu thingy-thing. Voodoo doll is wishful thinking. Feel better!

Susan Pandorf said...

Lovely spinning and dyeing - I stand in awe. All I do is knit up what others spin and dye. Love the shrug pattern.

Feel better soon - it certainly seems to be going around - in the knitting community anyway. Don't know when I've heard more people complain about illness.

OMG! Do you think it could be...wait for it...KNITTER'S FLU!!!!!

You have my favorite blog title, so had to settle for A Few Stitches Short (of a full row). Come visit sometime!

Lisa R said...

I'm envious of how even your spinning appears! Awesome job. :)

PixieRose said...

your hand-spun is gorgeous. so gorgeous

Bogie said...

Woo hoo, look at that Mars sock yarn! I'm amazed at your spinning & plying skills.

I'm so sorry to hear that you're sick. Feel better soon!

Anonymous said...

I love the black white and red yarn. My boyfriend is moving to Nebraska on Friday (yikes! so soon) and those are the University of Nebraska Cornhusker team colors. It makes me all nostalgic... (Nebraska is far from Brooklyn, where I am). I'd been toying with dying myself some sockweight yarn to make him socks, but he absolutely refuses any knitted garment. It's torture! :o) Can't take myself too seriously, anyhow.

The point is, nice color choice, very cool.

Theresa said...

Those stockings are awesome. Isn't Etsy too much fun? Feel better.

Sherry W said...

Every time you post an Etsy site money FLIES out of my paypal account.
I don't mind too much though!

Your rolags look great! Have you sample spun from one yet? Rolags are sweet to spin from!

Romi said...

Hee. It looks like a giant brillo pad! (the rolag)

Leah said...

Feel better soon! Food poisioning is the worst!

I love IC! Though for me it's not so much a secret! ;)

Stacey said...

look at all that spinning!!!!

hope you feel better soon - food poisoning is the absolute worst!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear you are sick. Hope you feel better soon. I love the colours of the handspun!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the heads up about the new size 1 needles. Just ordered some 32" for my magic loop obsession!

tatjana said...

hey busy girl, I love catching up on your posts and sharing in all your great etsy finds! Your yarn is looking more gorgeous every time I stop by, I especially like the shades of purples in the yarn you posted today. Take care of yourself and feel better soon k?

Chris said...

I LOVE your purple sock yarn. Gorgeous!

Rhonda the Stitchingnut said...

I love the purple heather handspun yarn ... it's beautiful. I'll be interested to see what pattern for socks you use them for.

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