Little Wit Knits – Unplugged

I had a lot of time in the car today. My chum Orchid and I headed over yonder about an hour or so test drive spinning wheels. My heart about stopped because a wheel that on one previous occasion I had fought for awhile with to get to heed my direction, worked the second I put my foot to the treadle. Amazing eh? I attempted a few single treadles and was met with the same issues I had the very first time I tried to spin. The wheel refused to go clockwise for me. It’s ok though, I pretty much figured I was headed toward double treadle anyhow. After trying 4 different wheels (plus the one I spun on 2 weeks ago) I was down to 2. I then set them side by side and treadled on one and then the other and then back on the first one trying to ascertain what precisely it was that I liked about each. I hadn’t planned to buy a wheel today as I wasn’t expecting the shop owner to have them all in stock. I actually grew incredibly overwhelmed and so I bought the new Cookie A book and some roving and left the shop about 10 minutes before closing. The entire ride to dinner and then a good chunk of the ride home was spent discussing the pros and cons. After I got home I discussed it with the boy and a friend who owns the wheel that surprised me. I think I have made my decision but now I must sleep on it. (cue “Let me sleep on it” audio here).

Oh back to my point about being in the car. I started one of the Vivian sleeves last night and am now on row 72 of 147. Almost halfway there! Hooray!

What’s that? You didn’t know I was shopping for a spinning wheel? Well now ya do.

Since my last to do list was actually rather helpful, even if it didn’t appear so on the surface, I think I shall start another one. These tasks are to be done before I head to Maryland Sheep and Wool Friday May 1st.

1. Finish Vivian.
2. Cast on one of the tops with the Shelridge W4. It looks like the Fern Fitted Shell may pull out as the winner there. Unless Green Gable makes a last minute effort to come through.
3. Knit at least 2 more inches on that lace scarf that’s been dawdling.
4. Make a decision about the Belgian socks, to rip or not to rip? Will they fit a normal man’s foot? Are they really that big? Who knows?
5. Pick out the next pair of socks to be knit and cast them on if everything else is progressing alright.
6. Spend at least half a Saturday in the sewing room – clean up and oil the machines and pick out projects for the fabric laying around.
7. Get the indoor vegetables planted.
8. Spend at least 2 hours on the drop spindle to see if I can reclaim that spark.
9. Begin the clean out of the backroom for our guests that are coming this summer.
10. If there’s another free Saturday start piecing together my t-shirt quilt.

Oh and just for something pretty to break up the monotony of the text – one of my recent yarn purchases:

Pretty!

Last Saturday I  headed over to my friend’s home to have a play date with her Lendrum Double Treadle. I may be toying with the idea of purchasing a spinning wheel in the near-ish future and I wanted to try spinning on a night where I wasn’t completely exhausted and which wasn’t connected to a trip to Germany. She was an excellent teacher and I was off trying to figure out the timing and such. I spent about 3 – 4 hrs and I managed to wind up 50 yards of 2 ply Super Bulky yarn from around 1.6 oz undyed BFL (from Hello Yarn) and 1.6 oz of miscellaneous bits that she let me play with. Being able to see the whole process from beginning to end made a few light bulbs go off with regard to my drop spindling. Like, hey pre-drafting is a good idea and breaking them into manageable strips may help you get through it more easily. Hopefully we will be able to have another play date soon and perhaps go play with some wheels at a fibre shop. And with that I give you the pictures:

my first handspun all plied up

my first handspun in the skein

my first handspun in the hank

The way the colors played together really surprised me. I wasn’t convinced they would all look good together but when they were plied with the undyed BFL they all seemed to just kind of flow. I am well aware this is quite thick and thin but I figure it will make a nice soft cowl for me.

Mama don’t let your children grow up to be spinners…

I went to Wool Gathering 2008 yesterday and had a grand time. More on that later. But first this most amusing/disturbing news…

I went to Wool Gathering, met up with my friend MysticSpiral who helped kick me into gear again on my spinning. She ever so patiently moved my spinning over to my new spindle (if something about 9 months old counts as new…) and I was off like a prom dress. [oh lord did I just say that?] For your viewing pleasure – the new spinning chair the boy made for me when I said I need to sit somewhere else to spin:

I wanted something with a little height so I could spin longer before winding the yarn back onto the spindle. It’s awesome isn’t it? (I’ve heard a rumour that there is a 12 step program for this…)