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Monday, August 11, 2008

ravleympics update (and stall)

How's your Ravelympics knitting going? Originally, my goal was to knit ten hats for the Homeless Veteran Charity knitting project (hosted by Knitters for Obama) and spin a 4 oz skein of dk-weight to be donated for a prize for the KFO drawing. I think I underestimated how many hats I can knit...

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four hats, three days

...a good thing! :) Except that I have been just a tad distracted the past few days-- one bad (he's fine), and one really, really good.

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Kundert pinwheel spindle, zebrawood and wenge 1.4oz
exclusive design to The Bellwether

When Amelia posted her Kundert shop update to ravelry I browsed, totally not expecting to buy anything since I really haven't been able to catch a good rhythm in spindle spinning-- but this pinwheel kundert just caught me and wouldn't let go. I actually really like the relatively giant whorl (3.5"), it doesn't feel too dainty so I'm not scared of it.

With the help of Amelia's Spindling: The Basics book I was able to make some passable yarn...

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...although I don't know what to do with it now :) I just slid it off of the spindle, I'm not quite sure how to wind it on there properly to begin with... lots to learn. I used some of the latest Black Bunny Fibers fiber club shipment to get me started:

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BBF Corriedale, "starburst"

The colors are just so happy and the fiber seemed a good match for me in learning this whole new way of spinning. I have to admit I have since put it away and started spinning the baby alpaca/merino from the last-last BBF shipment on the Kundert-- while I was spindling I kept thinking that I'd have to really love a fiber, really want to spend lots of time with it in my hands and fingers if I were to complete a project with it.

That's not coming out right. It's not that I have to really want to finish a fiber or project to spin it on a spindle, but that I think I'll be choosing fibers that I want to get in as much quality time as I can when spinning them on a spindle. I'm amazed at how much more attention I pay to the process and fiber with the spindle-- but of course that may just be because I'm new at it :)

Til then and good luck :)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Look at you cruise along! I'm suitably impressed. :)

That corriedale is *lovely*. So cheerful and bright, but not intimidating. I like it very much. By the way, I'm blaming YOU that I'm in the BBFC 2. It's your pictures of Carols lovely stuff that got me into this mess.

Kiss your bonny wee boy and scrunch his curls for me. He's a-dor-able.

lexa said...

The hats are bring knit up very fast!

Carol said...

Love the hats -- love the spindling!

Anonymous said...

Woo hoo! The hats look great, and that roving is absolutely beautiful. Spindle spinning just takes practice, just like wheel spinning. You can do it! So far, so good. Yum.

Lothlorian said...

nice crafty work going on there!! Poor little un, its a bad time for fingers, my youngest has broken his (stuck it in the end of a metal tent pole and tripped as only a boy could!) Hope your little one is all better soon x

Anonymous said...

hello, My name is Giny I am from the Netherlands. I read your blog about the ashford Joy you wanted to buy, and as far as I can see I think you did buy it. I am in the same position as you were than. I really would like to know how much you like it. and if you still have only the joy or also some other spinning wheel. I hope you can give me some information on how it spins and does it move a lot when you spin or is it standig still on the floor and can you spin thin yarn on it?
thanks in advance I put your blog with my favorites so from now on I will be following you ;-))
Giny

Unknown said...

Eeek! I know I've already tried spinning and it's not my cup of tea, but seeing all those fleeces made me want to reconsider... Love the hats!

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