Stress Reaction

My dear husband offered to cart the kids off to school this morning, allowing me the extra time to show you this:

My Precious!

We put her together last night, and just like the little booklet told me to, I practiced treadling. Bout killed me of course, that I couldn't dive into the two pounds of the Bluefaced Leicester Top that came with her, but I am all about being the good student. So first, I will practice my treadling. She's quiet. The little wheel goes round and round. That's about all I can tell you so far.

Right now I'm off to work. And not just a regular day, but one of those long ten hour days, so my precious will have to wait a little bit longer to sink her teeth into some lovely roving.

Ya'll have a good day, too!

100%. Amanda is the one I have to thank for getting me caught up in the whole spin-your-own craze. She spins these beautiful fibers that just ooze personality, and encouraged me shamelessly when I mentioned how much I would like to be able to do that. I may be paraphrasing here, but the gist of the conversation was "I only had one short lesson, Leah. You can do it!"

And I can. It may not look like much, but I cannot tell you how inordinately pleased I am with my first skein of handspun. I just love it. I plan on making a teapot cozy, so I will use and appreciate this first effort every day.

Not realizing how far 16 ounces of fiber would go (I have used only about 6 oz. so far), I purchased a total of 8 pounds of undyed fiber (no typo there folks, just a clueless neophyte spinner). So now I am in the process of researching dyes to take this new obsession to the next level. I want to try my hand at the beautiful hand painted goodness that I collect and horde like the true fiber addict that I am.

Seriously though, Amanda? I cannot thank you enough. This new outlet for stress reduction makes me truly happy!

Apparently I am challenged in the blogging arena. Mornings are probably the best time for me in terms of creativity, and I can compose blog entries endlessly while showering and blow-drying my hair. Unfortunately time is constrained most mornings getting my children and myself ready for the day. Work involves approximately a million split second decisions a day, so by the time I get home from work I am brain dead and unable to compose an articulate sentence, let alone a snappy blog post. I also can't seem to get my picture taking down to the science I would like it to be. It's either late or overcast, and when it's sunny with lots of good nature light, I just don't think about it.

But I think I have a new plan, and it doesn't involve getting up any earlier (thank God) and shouldn't result in my having to stay up any later than usual (which is pretty late anyway being the night owl that I am) since this comprises the brain dead time of day and is therefore useless as blogging time.

Up until today, I would get up, compose a blog post in my head while preparing for the day. Drop the kids at school, get to work about half an hour earlier than I needed to and read bloglines or knit a few stitches, work, go home and attend to the various feeding, homework, TKD/Chorus/Ballet/Track/Cross-country tasks, and then try to reproduce the ephemeral thoughts that floated through my head that morning. If I managed that, then I have to try and find half decent light for some semi-interesting pictures.

I think we can all see the problem. What is supposed to be a relaxing hobby (the blogging) had instead become another time consuming and demanding responsibility.

The key, and I hope the solution, lies in that half hour after I drop off the kids and before I am supposed to be at work. Today I went home instead of straight to work. I took some photos with what I hope is adequate lighting given the overcast day, cropped and uploaded them to the server, and saved the entry. Then began to put down what was composed in my head this morning. We'll see how it works.

Obligate fiber po*n shot:

I think it spins up beautifully, and I believe I see more of this coming my way in the near future.

And I have a whole new obsession. I knit nary a stitch, but the 10th and the whole lighting of the torch is just around the corner (link here if there is some vague possibility that you don't know what I am talking about), and I figured I would be doing nothing but knitting for sixteen days. This prompted me to put in a little time with some fiber of the unspun variety. I purchased some seasonal color kits from Pro-Chem, mixed up the eighteen or so colors that appealed to me most (I don't do things by halves), grabbed come Corrindale and took a stab at cold pouring. I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I had. I have always been a very crafty person, and there are very few crafts I haven't at least tried, but I don't paint. Or draw. And this felt, to me, what I would imagine that creative process must feel like for those fortunate enough to have some talent in drawing and painting. For your viewing pleasure, I give you the results.

Clockwise from top center: Bird of Paradise, Bearded Iris,
Chocolate Covered Cherries, and Tornado Alley.

Towards the end, I had three colors I hadn't tried yet. So I grabbed my energized singles (I so much prefer that term to overspun, don't you? It sounds like something you did intentionally, instead of the results of amateur technique), splashed the last three colors on there, and serendipity ensued.

Three day weekends apparently lend themselves well to pursuits of the fiber related. Several of the bloggers I follow spent at least one of the three days hovering over a dye pot. Myself included. No pictures of the actual process, but I'm happy with the end result.

Like Rip Van Winkle, I seem to have lost some time somewhere along the way. A month apparently. I'm still stuck in the PS month of April, with orange and yellow the dominant colors in my spectrum.

SOS to the more experienced spinners out there. Suggestions would be welcome on how to ease up on the spin. Yarn would be the goal here, not barbed wire.

I do have a plan to get all caught up on my Project Spectrum projects and knock out a KAL as well. I plan to Trek Along with Trekking XXL #71 in blue and teal. May and June covered, Trek Along with Me KAL knocked out of the park, and the blue hemp Ponchette is just a bonus, because it's fun to knit with size 7 needles after lots of sock knitting on those size 1 Addis.

Time well spent.

And a strange week.

I worked a lot of hours this week. Meetings, extra shifts, and computer training on top of the usual nine to five. Then Friday things got really crazy.

My daughter's dachshund has some kind of strange illness. His legs and neck get stiff, and he can't walk. He stayed Friday night with the Vet, came home Saturday because he seemed to be doing better, then relapsed Saturday night. The Vet seems to think it is some kind of toxic poisoning (as opposed to the nontoxic variety?), but the waxing and waning symptoms don't really fit with that diagnosis, so we're still in the dark.

I did manage to sew up some of the sock bags I had already cut out (you can also find the link in the sidebar). They are the perfect size for yarn for a pair of socks, two circs or double points, a folded photocopy of your pattern, and some knitting notions. I'll be adding some different fabrics over the coming weeks.

I also spun a bit. The roving is Wild Thing from Crown Mountain Farms. This is the same SuperwashMerino Hand Dyed Roving that Teyani uses for the Sock Hop yarn. Very cool stuff. Super soft and spins like a dream. I can't wait to get it plied up.

The only trekking the sock and I saw was back and forth to work and meetings. I'm ready to start the forethought heel from Sensational Knitted Socks. Since this is the first time I've knit this heel, it's going to take some concentration. No autopilot knitting for me tonight.

I've been feeling the call of the lace for a while now. You would think it had something to do with my involvement in the Amazing Lace, but sadly, it did not. There was too much going on when this enticing KAL started for me to participate (though I did sign up), and by the time things settled down, I was too far behind to make even a half decent showing. I was, however, inspired by a quiet yet fierce competition to knit this beautiful shawl. Not as a competitor, mind you. There is quite enough excitement for me in the knitting of this piece of artistry. With KidSilk Haze. On Addi Turbos. Ca-razy!! I know!

And spinning! There has been spinning! Teyani (and Cheryl, and Deb, and Karen) have been offering some cyber-support and generously providing me with my very own personal spinning companion(s). They so rock. With their expert tutelage and some awesome fiber prep, my spinning, I think, has taken a turn for the better. A T-U-R-N! Get it? I crack myself up!

Much improvement over my less than impressive showing with the merino, no?

Luckily, this is only four of the eight ounces I started with, so I'll get another chance as the spinning skills progress. (Don't you love that note of confidence? Me too!)

And as a result I haven't knit more than a couple of rows on a pair of socks in the last five days! By choice, no less!

I have discovered genealogy!

My dad got into this about ten years ago, and while I thought it somewhat interesting, I can't honestly say I paid that much attention. Then, the other day, I was cruising through my bloglines when I saw that Emily had gotten in some quality knitting time coming and going to a DAR meeting. This triggered a memory of my dad telling me that I had a grandfather so many times great that had fought in the Revolutionary War. So I hopped over the DAR website to see what was involved.

Critical decision number one.

Called my dad to get the info that he had collected so far.

Critical decision number two.

Signed up for a two-week free membership at Ancestry.com.

That's all she wrote. I was gone, lost, down the rabbit hole.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much this process appeals to my research oriented, analytic mind. Poring over US Federal Census records, I get distracted by the family raising eight children and three grandchildren with only the father working. The 110-year-old black woman listed as a pauper in what I can only assume was debtors prison, since she was listed with the other prisoners, all but one of whom were black back in Smith County Texas in 1900. (When did debtor's prison go away, anyway?) Not being able to find a particular person, I would have to approach in from another angle. Who was the father, the mother, the sibling, the wife? Fascinating!

If you are interested, as near as I can tell, my ancestors came to America in the 1630's. My great (several times) grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War, was wounded in the head and collected a pension of $8 a month from the Common Wealth of Virginia for the remainder of his life.

Despite my newest obsession, there has been knitting! And as my ardor cools, I'm sure there will be even more knitting. I decided to give my first stab at the TT socks another chance, and I'm glad I did. I like them a lot more now. I've decided it was the whole crumpled up lace thing that was bugging me.

And there has been spinning. This is 172 yards of two-ply sport weight (14 wpi) yarn spun on my Majacraft Rose (named aptly enough Rose) from Corridale pencil roving in the Tourmaline colorway. Provided by the lovely and talented Teyani at Crown Mountain Farms.

There was serious stress busting moves happening here at Casa de Stress Reaction this past weekend. Stress busting, of course, of the fiber related kind. Spin, spin, spin!!!

Corridale Pencil Roving in the Watermelon colorway. Also (drum roll please)! Navajo plying!! Hee, hee!! I love it! There is something so rhythmic and soothing about the over and under and through the loop motions involved in Navajo plying. Makes me think that I would really, really, really like weaving (but we won't go there right now, shall we? Look away, look away!!!!!)

My singles are getting better! Still a bit over spun, but I am pleased with the improvement. I'm playing with the Scotch tension to find the perfect balance between uptake and twist. I have a tendency to hold the fiber a long time (linked to some control issues, I'm sure), and build up a lot of twist; so if my tension is too loose, I end up with even more twist, but more tension leads to hand fatigue. But it's getting better.

This is a comparison between the two-ply Tourmaline and the three-ply Watermelon Corridale.

And next on the wheel? Alpaca! And a surprise!

Meet Martha!

She is a workhorse, this girl. I anticipate that we will be very happy together!

This may be a tad self indulgent, but in my humble opinion, this is the best eye candy!

My own handspun!

This is 250 yards of 2-ply lace weight (20 wpi) 100% alpaca from Spunky Eclectic. I spun it on Martha, my new Schacht Matchless double treadle spinning wheel. The colorway is Rocky Mountain High.

I am in love! Both with the wheel, and the alpaca. Must have more!!!

I know. I know it's Sunday! All I can say is that I am frequently chronologically challenged.

But I also have knitting content. So you are rewarded for your patience with me.

I am knitting with…wait for it…my own handspun alpaca!! (See, I actually hear that in bold italics in my head; that is how very excited I am to be knitting with my own handspun alpaca)!!

Specs:
Yarn: My own handspun alpaca!!*
Fiber Source: Rocky Mt High from Spunky Eclectic
Pattern: Branching Out from Knitty.com
Needles: Addi Turbo US#5

It's also time to cast on for a new pair of socks, and I have several picked out. I'm so ignoring the fact that I also have several pair already on the sticks, so please work with me here.

Or…

Any thoughts?

*Reminds me of when Brenda Dayne from Cast-on mentions Addi Turbo and the little turbo noise she plays.

Corridale Pencil Roving in Inspiration: $16.00

Superwash Merino Roving in Ain't No Moutain High Enough: $17.00

Schacht Matchless Double Treadle Spinning Wheel: $899.00 (though if you shop around, you can do better)!

No one home but me, the sun shining through the window, Bach on the stereo: Priceless

Just when my blogging mojo is starting to make an appearance, staffing issues at work distract me. So this entry will be short and sweet.

Spinning sweet.

Hand spun two-ply Superwash Merino Roving in the Secret Agent Man colorway. Hand dyed by the lovely and talented Teyani. Lovely, lovely roving spun up like a dream into this soft and springy yarn.

My husband has deemed this yarn suitable for “man socks”.

We’ll see.

The Pro’s: Good guy who fully supports all my fibery endeavors.
The Con’s: Size 11 ½ man feet!

Alternately titled: Winter Wonderland My A$$ (Thanks Terrisa)!

Courtesy of the first winter ice storm of the 2007/2008 season here in Oklahoma, I am going on the fourth day of my weekend. Perfect conditions for some spinning. In fact, when the electricity was out for six hours yesterday, I felt almost like a pioneer woman spinning by the light of my (ahem*gas*ahem) fireplace.

Ambience aside, I was glad when the power came back on. Of hardy stock I am not.

Besides, only modern, digital technology could bring you these pretty pictures!

Enjoy!