Second Skein

I finished spinning up the little bit of Knit Picks roving** that I ordered and I had to force myself to finish that second single so that I could ply. I did not get along with that fiber well at all and I'm glad to see it gone.

I plied it about a week ago (I think...  this past week has seemed to last about ten times as long as any other week) and tried to keep in mind the whole time that beginners often under ply as I've been reading. I totally get that now. After setting the twist and letting the yarn dry, I can see a lot of under-plied places in the yarn. I think I got better at maintaining an even twist as I went as well as a  better handle on maintaining the tension between the singles.

I'm really happy with how it turned out for my second-ever skein.

I've moved onto 4 oz. of this really pretty dark red. The photo is not accurate to the color- it's less purple and much richer red with a blue undertone, not orange. My understanding is that it is a mix of 2 different kinds of wool, not identified by breed on the tag. It's a little more coarse than the previous fiber but has been SO much easier to spin and to spin finer. I don't know enough to really explain why that is yet, but I hope to know such things in the future.

I'm not using park and draft very often any more and now that I can actually let the spindle go I'm able to get into a good rhythm. I'm still working on not holding so much tension in my arms while I spin. I tend toward tendinitis issues after some pretty severe issues that cropped up when I was a young violinist and it took a long while to re-learn some playing technique so that I could resolve it. I had some issues pop up when I started knitting too and had to be very careful about technique so that my arms stay healthy.

If you're a spinner and you see anything wrong with what I'm doing, please tell me! I'm reading a lot, practicing a lot and watching a lot of videos. I'm hoping to make a trip back to the shop where I learned to spin a few weeks ago but it's a long haul from here.

** I'm new to this whole spinning thing and while I know a lot of terms as far as what the words are, I'm still mixing things up and I know from my reading that the whole roving/top thing is a contentious mistake to make. My apologies if I'm wrong and it is in fact top rather than roving.

Snow Day Knit Along

{Yarning Along with Ginny, sharing a knit and a read.}

Yesterday's snow wasn't as deep as last week's, but it was wetter and therefore heavier. Brian fell into bed around 9 a.m. after working all night, fortunately from home since so much of this storm happened during his working hours.

I started shoveling the walk and the driveway during Ellie's nap with the baby monitor on the porch. Who needs to cross train when there is snow shoveling to do? As I was shoveling a neighbor offered to shovel my drive for $60. I could hardly respond. Perhaps the dumbfounded look on my face was answer enough?


I continued shoveling until Ellie woke up and planned to go back out and finish up during her afternoon nap. Before that though my sweet brother-in-law paid me an unexpected visit and finished the job for me in no time. Who needs neighbors like ours when you have family this awesome?

And as much as I'd like to say I spent my snow day knitting, it just didn't happen yesterday. I *have* made some progress on the little pink cardi for Ellie though- the back is finished and I'm on the first sleeve. I'm forcing myself to just dive right in to these sleeves. This girl needs another cardigan NOW and I'm determined to finish before next week's Knit Along.


I'm still reading An Everlasting Meal as I catch bits of time, pencil in hand. I'm really enjoying this one, and can't wait for summer months when I have a bit more time to spend in the kitchen.

This Week

Oh, this week...

It started out normal enough, but the "almost Blizzard" came through and kept us all at home. We happily spent all day Thursday celebrating a snow day with all of us at home, complete with popcorn and a movie and lots of play. Today, however, is Snow Day 2: The Dig Out, since rian has to make it to work tomorrow.

On the Needles... 

I would like to say that I knit up a storm yesterday, but when the baby was down for her nap and we started our movie I fell asleep half way through a row of stockinette. Sometimes a nap is a little more important than those stitches.

I read...

I finally got my hands on a copy of Smitten Kitchen and I think I'm seeing this as my May-August "cook through" cook book. I'm also still reading An Everlasting Meal, and it is a lovely end to my day.

Just Keep Spinning....

I finished the second of the two singles I've spun on the drop spindle since the beginning of the month and last night I wound them together in a ball so that I can ply them tonight. I think it is Abby Franquemont who suggests doing this to ply on the spindle, but to be honest I've read so much on spinning this month that it could have been anyone.

As I was winding the ball I was able to really see how much more consistent I've become. By the second single I had noticeably more control. I'm excited to move to the next bit of fiber I have and see how much better it gets.

In the Kitchen...

I made a spectacularly bad pie crust and remembered why I just don't do homemade crust.

Watching... (spoiler free, of course)

I did watch the last episode of Downton Abbey, and ?!?!?!?!? If you've watched it and want to read an interesting article about the ending and the reaction it has drawn, read here.

We started watching 24 from the beginning together. Brian has seen them all, I've watched probably 3ish seasons total, but never all of one season. I know this is a travesty to 24 fans and my husband has repeatedly asked how it is that I don't have a compulsion to just go right to the next one, but I just don't. If it's Doctor Who I just keep right on going and look up to find it's 3 a.m. and my 5-year-old will be up in 3 hours. 24? I'm good with an episode or two. It's just so much stress watching an episode of that show- I don't think I can take 4 or 5 in a row.

Listening...

I haven't had a lot of listening time this week since running time has been scarce, but I did get this week's Knitmore episode in.

Garden...

Ender and I spent this week mapping out a few different plans and trying to decide where to start. His plans are much grander than we will be able to do all in one year, but I think over time we can add a bit at a time. I don't think we're going to start seeds indoors this year, but I haven't ruled it out yet. We still have a few weeks to decide.

I didn't get to...

I didn't knit very much this week. I spent time with the spindle, and got to a few projects I've long needed to tackle (I actually found the floor of Ellie's closet this week!) but that left little time for knitting.

This weekend...

We are still technically snowed in today, but I think most everything will be clear enough to get out of the house this weekend. So far our plans include a trip to the grocery store and maybe the library before hosting Craft Night Saturday night.

Little Pink Yarn Along

{Yarning along with Ginny this week, sharing a knit and a book. Won't you share with us too?}

Don't let that sunshine fool you- yesterday was gorgeous and bright (although a little chilly) and today sees us under winter storm warning, gray and cold. Such is our winter weather for the last several years in a row. We are learning to love layering and keeping access to our warmer weather clothing for those days that beg to be spent outside, but we don't dare to put the winter clothing away!


I'm working on a Baby Vertebrae for Ellie. The newborn sized vertebrae has been much used and loved- in fact, I was cramming her into that little cardi one last time not too long ago and found myself thinking, sure the arms are only 5/8 sleeves now and the back actually ends about an inch above her waistline, but we LOVE this cardi! So she can still wear it, right?


Poor girl. So she's been using the Helena I knit her for Christmas. While it's a lovely cardigan (and she is a big fan of chewing on the ties), the fact that it has a front means that she wants to take it off all the time. I have to say that that is what makes the Baby Vertebrae the perfect cardi for a crawler. Because it is a front-less cardigan it is never in her way! In fact it is so out of the way that she leaves it on in perfect contentment, rarely gets food on it and can crawl and clap and dance to her hearts content without interference from her sweater.

Perfection.

I started reading An Everlasting Meal over the weekend and I'm taking serious notes, people. It has invited me to plan for this spring, summer and fall's food in a way that I haven't in awhile. I'm more excited than ever about this year's garden and I'm ready for this summer's light teaching schedule so I can cook my way through this text without ignoring my children.

To Remember

Soil for a foundation 

A few rocks as a path

A small pot for a tomb and the rest of our soil across the top

Three crosses of twigs and twine and a bit of grass seed, 

ready to grow over the next many weeks leading to Easter.