TDF UPDATE

I ran into a little trouble with my e-spinner not wanting to play the bobbins of singles but I found a back-up plan by using an old flyer and managed to get four skeins equaling 793 yards so far. 

 These will end up in the dye pot eventually.

 

GRAND-FUR BABIES FRIDAY

I did make them each a crocheted mousie to have but like any other brothers, they fight over one instead!  Felix, on the left, is almost 11 and new boy, Olliver, is almost 1.  They romp and play and keep me from missing my kitties too much!

I am using up the rest of the Superwash handspun yarn for a pair of socks--I am using #5 needles over 52 stitches with the DK yarn.  It sure works up faster than fingering weight! lol

And guess what?!  I am almost me again;  the steroids are really helping me get back on my feet!

 

COMBINING TWO LOVES

I dug out a favorite straight skirt pattern and took measurements of the length and width of each piece. 

 It will be lined, with a zipper and no waistband.   

And why is there a heddle sitting in the front of this picture? 

Because I am going to weave the cloth to  make this skirt!!!!  I dug out a bunch of wool --not sure I am going to use the rose yarn but it might make a good mix using only one strand at a time in the cloth.  I figured out how many threads to get the width I need and how long the warp needs to be.  I could do the figures but not enough oomph yet to warp the loom.  I am hoping to do it in a few days!  Until then, I will just keep watching YouTube! lol  

I did find this skein in the bin of handspun but I knew it was superwash and that wouldn't wash the same as the 100% wool so I grabbed it and cast on for another easy scarf like the teal one I made last week.  Garter stitch is just my speed!

 

WORK AND PLAY SATURDAY

I gathered 10 cart-fulls of debris until I called it quits!  I looks better that the view out the windows is clear at least.  There's lots more but it will wait.

When I took a ride out to the flooded area, I could see the White Egret in the water and a cormorrant on the boat!

I had to pick up some meds at the store and drove around to survey the damage in town--they were doing a very good job of cleaning up yards and streets.  Our town is old enough to have several Victorian homes in good shape!  Pretty.  This one is on a hill overlooking Crescent Lake.

Look!  The Lifesaver Cactus is in bloom!

When I needed to come in and cool off, I decided to knit with some of my handspun yarn!  It worked beautifully!

I made two hats out of one 3 oz skein-a toddler and youth hat with it.  The blue/orange hat is one I reworked from the early hat I made because I have learned how to change colors better than in the beginning! lol

I also finished block #6 and am looking for my next one!

 

My Many Facets

I almost made it around the whole round but I ran out of steam!  It's shaping up nicely!

I even made another row for this coral reef quilt.

I played with the knotty burl on the lathe.  It gave me fits at first;  I thought it was going to beat me but then it all worked out!  I even got to use my new gadget, a Sand-O-Flex which is made for sanding natural edge works--it buff the dirt and debris out but leaves the bark intact.  Perfect!

And the second skein of yarn was plied;  it took longer than I expected!  Maybe because this skein has 321 yards which is 100 yards more than the other skein!  I will wash and dry these today and then they can be put to good use!

And the second sock has joined its mate;  Winter's Frost pattern, KnitPicks Hawthorne in Compass Kettle Dyed yarn.  Knit on 64 stitches with size 0 needles.  (the pattern was written for top down but I knit these toe-up using the chart as written)  

 

A Sock and a Skein

One of the Winter's Frost socks is finished

 and the second one is on its way.  

Since I was down with another crusher headache (from the weather, I think) I didn't get to play much yesterday.  In between naps, I did spin and then ply two singles for this yarn.

I will have two skeins like this when I spin up the other halves of  rovings.  I ended up using one of the singles from each of the colors I dyed-they went together nicely and the colors should knit up well!  I have 210 yards here of a #3 yarn I would guess.  Perfect for mittens which is my plan!

 

A Hank

I am down with a case of pink eye-it's been a while, why not, right?!  

So, since I couldn't see much, I sat and spun for a long time yesterday

 and finished the wool/linen/silk blend of fiber.

  As soon as I finished spinning the last few ounces (out of the 8 that's here)

 I began plying and did it all!  

I love it when a skein comes out perfectly balanced!

A beautiful skein of 400 yards of two ply.  

The silk makes a bit of slubs along the way but it is a very pretty periwinkle hank of yarn.

You can see the bits of linen sticking out-it was a very good spin, actually. 

 I purchased this fiber from Paradise Fibers. 

 Now to figure out what to knit with it! 

 Always a good problem. 

 But first, I will admire it for a while, with sight from one eye!

 

Odyssey

Nice to start out a new month with a finish!

This is the Odyssey Shawl by Joji 

knit in my handspun wool.....on #8 needles.

It finishes at 72" wide and 20" deep.

I didn't love doing the sections that had reverse stockinette--

I have marked the pattern so that when I knit it again , 

I will do the whole section in stockinette with garter in between instead.

The bind off was fun and it was an easy way to do the picots.

I would definitely give this pattern a thumbs up!

Rows of Garter

 The edging is completed;

all 15 leaves of very relaxing lace knitting!

And I picked up all of the edging stitches

 and am now doing the short rows to make this a crescent shawl.

It is going by much too quickly!

The yarn is a bit thicker than the usual fingering weight I use for shawls

                             but it will become more airy when I block it to within an inch of its life! lol

Fact from Fiction

For the first time in a week, 

I could pick up knitting needles and make some stitches!

Albeit garter stitches--like when you first learn how to knit.

I couldn't handle too much more than this--

 I am using some different colors of handspun Shetland I pulled from the shelf

 in my room; I didn't have to take more than a step to look for it.

Another good point in  the choice of a project.

 And you can't go wrong with one of Joji's patterns.

I am still running a fever but improving because I am feeling antsy.

The knitting will help with that for now.

Health Update:

I went to have the 'nasal swab' for COVID-19 test from my DOH.

I  had a nasal swab on Thursday for the flu-

this test is similar except that it extends beyond  your nasal passage into your brain!

I burned for over an hour afterwards.

Just add it to the pile.

I do have to wait 24-48 hours for results.

Contrary to the false information you might be hearing or ignoring-

this illness begins with a fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue and a mild, dry cough.

I was told too many times that if I could breathe with ease, 

I didn't have anything to worry about.

(I will be calling these professionals to correct their pat answers.)

I was told I had to have been traveling or exposed to someone before I would be tested.

Not true.

You are contagious 1-2 weeks before you exhibit symptoms.

This is why it is so easy to spread.

In my state, more than half of the cases are from people like me

with no idea of who, where or when they caught this.

That's all for now-

I have weeks before I can leave the house

and the same goes for my dear husband , the nurse!

From Russia with Love!

 A few months ago, my daughter and her family took a trip to visit their missionary in Irkutsk, Russia.

If you are like me, you need a map to see where Irkutsk is....

 It was a wonder to get updates from them through texts-we were 12 hours apart 

so had to coordinate communication so we could have conversations!

 Today, I received a package of souvenirs;

my daughter had saved them because we were supposed to take a trip to Georgia to see them

last month but I wasn't feeling well enough to travel.,

But look at this yarn!!!!

At the open air market, they met an older women who spun yarn 

from her own little flock of Kaza--nanny goats literally. 

 It feels like mohair but oh, so soft!

 I mean, look at that halo!

The wool is single ply-I can't wait to swatch this!

 Bill was gifted socks made of camel fiber--the man selling them reminded Marsel of her Dad!

(Loud and telling corny jokes to the market shoppers!)

After trying them on, he left them on the floor where Nyki promptly killed them 

and then laid on them.

 After she walked away, Lena moved in for her turn.  She took a few tentative sniffs, jumped and then settled down for a nap!

TDF Grand Finale

 The chair is being put away, the machine oiled and cleaned for a while-

at least until I dye the pound of Masham wool and the linen-my next ambitions lined up. 

 Last year, I didn't bother trying to fit in the Tour de Fleece at all 

 but I am glad I at least participated this year.

  I enjoyed checking out all of the other skeins in my Ravelry group, too.

So here is this year's resulting skeins-

1,241 yards of 2-ply yarn!

(Compared to year's past when I spun more than a mile of yarn, I still executed a good showing!)

Halfway

 I finished plying the second skein of the Southdown wool which measured out to another 150 yards..  

I plan to dye the first one in a few colors and the smaller skein in a solid color.

I don't know exactly what it will be used for yet.

 The flowers are loving the rainy season.  This Hibiscus measures 8' across.

 The knotweed bush is making a comeback-the freeze this past winter reduced the big bush to a few 12" stubs.  It is now over my head in height...butterflies are coming to dine!

 This little stub of cactus was 'picked' for me--the lifesaver was too real for some little boy!

It might well root!

It is pretty on my windowsill over the kitchen sink in the meantime!

 This used to be the pond--it is becoming a lake.

We can't drive around the pond-straight ahead on the left was the dam Bill had built.

The next three days are supposed to be dry so we will see if the water level drops at all.

I have been adding to the Persian Tiles blanket;  I think I am about halfway done now.

I ripped out the other blanket-I like this one better and I want it to be big enough.

I also have a pattern to my random colors!

It makes it easier to know what to use next!

Southdown Skein

 I wound this off the bobbin early this morning...it is balanced and beautiful!

This is a down breed and so the yarn is soft, super squishy, bouncy and lofty.

I have started plying the last on the bobbins.....another skein will follow later today.

We have had a relapse of the vomiting by the youngest--it makes for a bit of confusion and disruption but I am hoping for a nap time later today so I can do some work on the frame.

I do so like being home for a change!