Adulting

 

In addition to the 12 ounces of singles that are ready to be plyed on my Kromski, I've had the four ounces of singles from the new Flatiron ready to ply since the weekend.  I did have to order some more bobbins for it (it only comes with three and I'm making a three ply yarn, hence the need for at least one more bobbin).  The extra bobbins are here but there's still no sign of plying happening.  It doesn't help that I've got this bouncy, soft sample of how the three ply yarn will finish.  I've had other things that needed doing around here.  Adult type things.  Responsibilities.

Don't you hate it when the stuff that needs doing gets in the way of your playing?  Or plying?

You Spin Me Right 'Round Baby, Right 'Round

I finished spinning the Malabrigo Nube in Zarzamora.  This center bobbin is the the full four ounce braid, ready to be plied with the two bobbins in the Aguas colorway, on either side.  I started spinning the first bobbin of singles in 2015 and then spun the last two this year - so I'll need to let the singles set a bit before I ply.  I'm thinking a week should do it.  That means sometime this weekend or next week I could begin plying these together.  That will be 12 ounces of fiber!

That bobbin isn't the only spinning news around here though - we have a new addition to the spinning stable!  It arrived late Friday afternoon but I was tired so I just left it boxed up that evening.  When morning came, and I had started the process of caffeination, I opened the box, and promptly had assistance.

I took my time putting it together (and of course the help continued), but by lunchtime I had it all finished.  Meet my new Schacht Flatiron Spinning Wheel!

It's a Saxony style spinning wheel but it has a very modern, industrial look.  I know it doesn't appeal to everyone, and I don't think it's going to be moonlighting in any fairy tales, but I really like the way it looks.  You can see the size compared to my Kromski Symphony (which could easily show up in a fairy tale or two).

I've been getting things adjusted and set the way I like them and I've been able to do some fine, even spinning.  This is a braid of Malabrigo Nube in Aguas (I ordered it when I ordered the Zarzamora, just in case I didn't like the Zarzamora for the other spinning project) and I'm spinning it to be a light fingering weight three ply just to get a feel for the new wheel.  I'm spinning the singles at 50 WPI.

 

I've got it set up for Scotch Tension right now (it can also do Double Drive AND Irish Tension) because that's the system I'm most familiar with and I figured that would be easier to use to get things going.  I'll probably do the plying (for this single braid of Aguas) in Irish Tension.  At some point, I want to get familiar with Double Drive.  (The Kromski can do Scotch Tension and Double Drive but I've mostly used it with the Scotch Tension system.)  So I hope to get some experimenting and playing done on all my wheels and relearn some spinning techniques that I haven't used in a long time and maybe learn a few new spinning tricks!

A Finished Pink Pullover of Awesomeness

 

I've knit the sleeves and finished my Pink Pullover of Awesomeness!  This is the sequel to the Magical Pullover of Awesomeness, only in the English Rose colorway of Malabrigo Mecha (which is one of my favorite pink yarn colorways out there).  The pattern is Il Grande Favorito and it's basically a big, boxy sweatshirt shaped sweater.  However, with the loose gauge, it has a decent amount of drape, so it doesn't look boxy when it's worn.  The sleeves are more slender than the body and there are short rows at the hem to give the back hem a little extra length.  It's just one of those comfy, soft pullovers that you want to live in when the temperatures drop.

I won't be living in mine for a few months yet, but now I have two when I'm ready!  Also, can I add how much I love the way colors look on the chunky, singles yarn?  Love it!

Spinning

Every afternoon, just after we finish lunch, the house gets quiet.  Mickael is at work and Caleb goes upstairs, and Logan and Max are usually napping, and the house is quiet and peaceful.  It's something Caleb and I started doing when we started homeschooling and that little break in the middle of the day has been good for both of our sanity, and we still do it.

The last few weeks, I've been using this time to spin!  It's been ages since I've spun regularly but getting back to it, even for 30 minutes to an hour several times a week has been wonderful.  I've gotten terribly out of practice, but my spinning skills are coming back quickly.  I had mostly spun one of these bobbins by the end of last year (I started it several years ago), so I finished it up and spun a second bobbin.  I'm spinning this on my Kromski Symphony.

The fiber is Malabrigo Nube which is 100% Merino wool.  The spun bobbins are the Aguas colorway and I had originally planned on using Aguas for the third ply as well, but then I decided to do something else.  The final bobbin will be Zarzamora.  I think there's enough green in that colorway to work with the Aguas and I think the purples and blues will be interesting in the finished yarn.

Each bobbin has four ounces of fiber on it and the finished yarn will be a three ply.  I'm hoping for a fingering weight yarn, but it might come in a little heavy.  I didn't sample (bad spinner).  I don't have any definite plans for this yarn - I'm just spinning it to get my spin mojo back.

Pink Pullover of Awesomness

About a year ago, I knit the Magical Pullover of Awesomeness.  When I knit it, I wasn't sure how useful it would be here in Texas, since it was knit in chunky wool.  I was pleasantly surprised that not only was I able to wear it this past winter, I was able to wear it a lot!  I think that's due to a few things - superwash wool isn't as warm as natural wool; the design has a wide, scooped neckline; and the gauge is pretty loose.  Or maybe it's just that this pullover is so awesome!

Anyway, I loved knitting it and the chunky stitches really show off the amazing hand dyed colors of the yarn, so I decided to knit another one.  This one is the Pink Pullover of Awesomeness.  It's also knit in Malabrigo Mecha, but this time I'm using English Rose.  I've completed the body and finished the neckband, so all I have to do now is knit the sleeves.

Oh, the pattern is Il Grande Favorito, in case you were wondering.  And yes, I think everyone deserves a Pullover of Awesomeness, in whatever color makes you happy!