Spin Class — No Sweat!
September 25, 2008|Comments (13)
Oh, how I love good yarn! I crave it. I need it. It speaks to my inner pioneer and that’s a very dangerous thing. The only trouble with yarn (and particularly good yarn) is that it is not in my budget. Nope. But there is hope in this financial buzz-kill: drop spindles, hand cards, lukewarm soapy water, and raw wool.
Some of you have already packed your bags for better blogs. Come back! I haven’t completely parted from suburbia… do you see any sheep in my yard? Not yet, anyway. **cackling loudly and slapping knee repeatedly** Here’s the washed and picked wool now. See? That wasn’t so bad!
When I randomly come across some raw wool, I get to hand pick the burs and briers out myself. I am a wool picker that is wanting to adopt nose-pickers. LOL! Then I get to hand card it — the wool. I will probably do a post on the entire process for you at some point but not until I’ve finished canning pears. First things first. Back to hand carding. Goodness it that ever fun at first. At the very first… like in the first ten minutes… until I realize that I still have a mountain of wool to go and I’m not even finished.
Hand carders are cheap enough to make. I found mine in the form of wire dog brushes and then just added wooden handles (the dog brushes had a broken hand strap and were a Dollar Store find). They work just fine. Fiber artists the world over just cringed at my cheapy hand carders. I take comfort in that knowledge as I sandwich the washed and picked wool in between the combs and begin pulling the fiber through over and over again.
That hand carding left me with something that spinners and fiber artists call “rolags” a roll/rag hybrid. Actually, I have no idea how they got that name but they are pictured above for your viewing pleasure. Mine are imperfect but since I have no fiber professionals to consult — we’re going to call them words like: breathtaking, outstanding, incredible, and genius. Well, I will anyway. Just try and stop me.
In order to make my drop spindle, I used a wooden toy wheel from Hobby Lobby and a sharpened rod pushed through the center. Because I ended up with a nice long dowel rod (READ: double pointed bamboo knitting needle that I found under the couch and cannot for the life of me find the mate to), I could also use mine as a supportive spindle — thus I could spin with it sitting beside me in the couch while I pretend to watch television with Josh.
To get started, I wrap commercial yarn around the base and tie onto my raw wool leader which is a strip of twisted wool. I then (holding a rolag in my left hand) begin twisting the wool on the rod with the wheel and sharp point on the couch cushion to my right side. After a few wobbly tries, I produced a lumpy and uneven yarn of which I was incredibly proud. After a few tries, I discovered that I wasn’t half bad at spinning and felt very close to my pioneering brethren. Again… a dangerous thing. Why? Because when I start to picture myself on a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail — I forget all about the cholera, mountain fever, pneumonia, diphtheria, typhoid, and weeks of staring at the backside of an oxen team. My brain is sent straight to campfires under starlit skies, views uninterrupted by housing and power lines, and the joys of settling a homestead with my husband. **sigh**
Now ask me if I’ve finished those socks I started. (No, actually, please don’t!)
Anyway, to use my little supportive spindle into a drop spindle, I simply need to have my darling husband install a hook at the end. Since I am doing just fine with my little supportive needle and don’t want to transition to anything else, I found a video to show you the whole drop spindle thing. The lady is a real pro. Not like me. Even though my rolags are stunning, spectacular, and amazing.
Goodness, I hope that you are as fascinated by spinning as I am. Otherwise, I may have just bored you to bits. My question? How long do you think it will be before Josh and I get alpacas now that I’m obsessed with spinning?
Darn! Darn! Darn!
August 21, 2008|Comments (14)
So, my very good pal, Applie (a.k.a. Michelle), wanted to know how my knitting projects have been going. Do I currently suffer from the dreaded Sockitis? You bet your sweet bippy I do. The sock projects must wait until the canning projects are not in full swing. Oh, and they are in FULL swing this month. I’m canning everything in sight. I’ll can you if you stand in my kitchen long enough.
While the pressure canner hissed and the little topper did the hula, I darned some socks, gloves, and my husband’s favorite hat.
While I can’t seem to justify creating more socks (Sock Syndrome abounds, ya’ll), I did declare the repairing of old socks a worthwhile task. So, here it is. My home economics teacher would be so proud. In fact, I think the whole world should be proud of my accomplishments this week. In moments such as these, I like to imagine all my ex boyfriends and their mothers (okay… just their mothers) standing in my home eying the rows of freshly canned fruits, veggies, jams, and jellies with my sewing basket of freshly darned socks.
Of course, they would all be thinking the same thing: “Why couldn’t my son have married her?” And then… and then I would parade Josh past them a few times. Not that I’ve given much thought to any of this or anything. Nah.
Back to darning. Yes. Darning is easiest when done on a darning mushroom. First, turn your sock inside out and place the mushroom inside the sock so that it is behind the hole or thin spot. Then run a threaded needle (preferably with similar color yarn or thread) above one corner of the hole. Imagine that there is a grid patch covering the hole and begin weaving the thread through every other thread that is perpendicular. When you get to the other side of the hole, then turn and go back in typewriter fashion. Continue until you have gone completely over the hole or thin patch several times weaving when you can.
Now, turn your project 90 degrees and repeat. This time you will be weaving through your old stitches. Amazing, huh?
I will warn you that darning is time-consuming work. Excellent for killing time whilst canning collard greens (which take an hour and a half in the pressure canner… well, in quart jars anyway). But it is certainly less time-consuming than unraveling half the sock or sleeve and then knitting it back which is certainly an option though never one that appealed to me. Like water and electricity, I like the path of least resistance.
There. And if you were wondering… no that’s not my thumb. I borrowed someone else’s. I figure that you need some new scenery from time to time. Right?
Stitch & Pitch (Knitting Circle FUN)
July 28, 2008|Comments (15)
On Saturday night, Josh and I packed up and went to see the Catfish play because my dear friend, Holly, got free tickets and a sky booth. She promptly invited our knitting circle and all of us jumped at the chance to sit in air conditioning, watch a ball game, drink beer (or not), and knit. Josh went out on the deck and watched the game while I hung out in the cool living room-style booth.
It was such a blast. I really encourage all of you to search for a knitting/quilting/sewing circle in your area so that you can take part in such fun activities. Of course, the Catfish lost the game but a good time was had by all. Holly has a really great blog that is a joy to read. Visit it! Click here.
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