2 posts tagged “sheep and wool”

What a week! I'm busy with some work stuff, getting ready for the MACHE homeschool curriculum fair. But mostly, I've been digging into the fiber, in preparation for the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival, the first weekend in May.

First news - I'm linking to the Cloverhill Yarn Shop blog, which is sponsoring a yarn contest if we provide a link... so there ya go Check it out... it's so neat to hook up with other local fiber lovers.

Ravelry has totally changed my perspective toward Sheep and Wool this year. I've met so many other people from my area, and discovered a gazillion small companies that will be there. But now - their names/merch mean something to me... so shopping in person will be an extra special treat this year. In fact, Cloverhill's booth is teeming with indie dyers and spinners from DC/Baltimore area. I'm so incredibly awed by the chance to see all of this fibery goodness closeup and personal, and only an hour from my house!

So - in spinning and knitting news... I'm working on the third knit-up of the Ruana shawl, and am about 3/4 finished. The back is completely and the right front panel is a few rows shy of finished. Then the left front panel, and I have a toasty, but light and airy, shawl to wear at my computer, and at Sheep and Wool.

I've been spinning - on the spindle it's a lovely pastel with bits of bright color merino, and I'm practicing going as thin as I can. I did one spindle-full, shown on my smaller niddy-noddy, and am beginning a second. I really love the smoothness of this fiber. I think this will head toward a lace something - it's so light and smooth and thin!
This bit of Tussah Silk came in my fiber sampler, purchase last year. The fiber itself was SO shiny, and I'm certain I've spun it all wrong to take advantage of that sheen. I did this on my Ashford Traditional, and while it spun up like a dream, I didn't really know what to do with it. I sort of tried a longer draw, and sort of did a bit of it from the fold, and I would have loved to have had more to play with. The finished bit isn't SHINY like I thought it would be, so I think I'm missing something in the spinning, as I said.
I have a half pound of corriedale from Louet, purchased from the Colonial Fiber Shop, at the time I purchased my HitchHiker spinning wheel. The more I spin on the HitchHiker, the more I hate it. Which I hate. Because I want to love it.

The wheel is SO loud, I can't spin while watching TV, unless I crank the volume. It's a friction drive, so I know there will be sound coming from the grommet against the wood wheel. But the foot pedal creaks coming and going, and the whole thing rattles and shakes, and... it's just not pleasant to spin. I'm trying to spin a slightly thicker yarn, so it will ply worsted weight, but it's so daggone hard to get anything consistent. I don't think it's the fiber - it drafts fairly smoothly, and I'm so tempted to switch to the Ashford so I don't waste the fiber. I'm determined to stick it out with the HitchHiker, though, and practice. Maybe it'll get better.

I'm taking this wheel to Sheep and Wool, and stopping by the Merlin Tree booth to have the maker take a look at it. I sent video of the creaks and noises and the wobbling of the whole thing, and he thought everything looked normal. If that's the case, then I am sorry to say that I don't care for this wheel at all. I'd rather sell it and get something more stable. So I'm praying that he'll take a look at it and say, "OH - well, this little thing should be tightened here, and that thing shouldn't be rattling there," and he'll adjust it and make it the wonderful thing that I thought it would be.

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For those playing along with the Jessie/tadpole/fish saga, we now have one happy Betta fish (Fred), and three full-fledged, tiny tadpoles! The other eggs are slowly getting fuzzy on the bottom - I think they aren't viable and will continue to melt away. Becky is quite pleased!

Found some new podcasts, and am entering a contest to win Tofutsies sock yarn from Socks in the City. Yum! By the way, if you're interested in sock knitting at all, this is a totally fun and informative podcast. Check it out!

Here's my entry -

Tofutsies, the wonderful sock yarn
I'd love to give yours a try
I saw it last week at Sheep & Wool
But had no money to buy

I've only begun to knit
socks for my toesies to wear
I tried just a left one, then let it sit
while my right foot spent months being bare

This spring I picked up the sticks
To give the right foot a go
Lo and behold, I loved loved loved it!
And zipped from my ankle to toe

I'm just a simple sock knitter
Nothing too fancy for me
I'm busy with four girls, homeschooling them all
So not much of my time is free

But socks! How quick! How fancy! How fun!
My new-found passion is found
Click click click and two are complete
Bare feet no more touching the ground

So now I'm exploring my options
What other quick yarns can I try?
Ah Tofutsies, I met it last week,
But shamefully passed up the buy

Would you honor me with a win?
I would knit up socks in your name
I'll even step up and try something harder
If you'll help me strengthen my game

Tofutsies, your softness will pass by my hands
As I thankfully knit through my days
Socks fly from my needles down to my feet
While Socks in the City 'cast plays!