More Fiber Tales

 

Much to Pup's dismay I decided to put another project on the Ladybug last week. She was not happy but too bad. 

Spinning really is my therapy. I split up the Mardi Gras BFL into small strands because after unbraiding it I discovered it's one big gradient and that's hard to spin. You don't want huge stripes of color in a project so you've got to mix those colors up by hand. 

In prepping for the Tour I found these two unplied bobbins of a California Red I had washed last year but after searching in vain I couldn't find anymore to finish this project so....

...I dusted off the Traveler and am using it to finish plying the leftover white because what I did find was.....

....these four multi colored California Red batts I must have carded ages ago. I'll spin those batts when I finish plying the white and hopefully be able to use them all in a project one day.

I am still playing with the takli spindle. I really like using these little punis that came with it and ordered more from the spindle vendor. 

The big bags of cotton are getting spun on the little Spindolyn which is easier to use than the takli so I can get more done. Not that I am in any rush. I'm really just trying to prove to myself that life has returned somewhat to normal and that there really IS spinning after the Tour. For the past few years there wasn't. 

Of course it hasn't hurt that the Tour de France Femmes has been on all week. 

Vive Les Tours.

No Rest for the Weary

 

I got a huge laugh out of a comment I got the other day about the re-tiling job we are doing. I think it was Vera who couldn't believe we were throwing ourselves into another project so soon after the big remodel. 

Believe me when I say I would rather be doing anything else. I spent yesterday swinging a hammer pulling up the foyer tile and then sanding and scraping off all the old thinset and grout. Ugh. The reason we are going full steam ahead is because The Mister is starting the process next week to finally get the hip replacement he needs. He also needs a knee replacement so it looks like we are going to have lots of down time in the fall and winter for his recovery so he wants to get things done now. 

The tile in the foyer is in preparation of getting a new front door. I have been whining about replacing this old metal door since we moved in 30 years ago but something always got in the way. We actually started the door process at the same time as the kitchen which was just weeks before the lockdown so the tile and other stuff has been sitting here all this time. The Mister wants that pile gone so the only thing we can do is put it down so putting it down is what we are doing. 

Of course now that we are actually going to replace the door I am feeling sad about it. I've dressed it up in spring....

....and winter.

For Valentine's Day......

....St Patrick's Day...

...and Christmas.

I do hate how anyone can see right in when you are on the porch. The new door won't have a big glass window just small ones at the top. All the same...letting go is going to be hard. That ugly old door and I have a lot of history. 

Who's the Boss?

 

I'm the boss, that's who. The boss of my knitting. I fought with these two-on-one needle socks all afternoon but I won. I gave up and walked away twice. It was one thing after another.  It started with the wrong needles-no slide. You need plenty of slide when you've got two on the same needle. Then it was the wrong size needle-too tight. Then it was the wrong length of cable. After I got the needles right I got the rib count wrong. One stupid thing after another but it's all good now.

In my defense I had this going on just a few feet away. 

The Mister was demolishing the tile in the foyer and downstairs landing and lucky me....there's only room for one to maneuver in such a small area so he was on his own for a change. Usually I'd be slinging the hammer and chisel right along with him but this time around I just got to watch. I doubt I am going to get a free pass when the tile goes down so I'm making the most of my spare time. 

The State of the Stash

 

I am box free for the first time in 3 years.  If you look closely you can just see Gray Kitty whooshing by the last of them. The Mister spent yesterday driving around to different donation places to unload it all. We had boxes of dishware, pantry items and...........boxes of yarn. That's the yarn. The local senior center was more than happy to get three full boxes of unloved yarn. 

There's still plenty where that came from. I spent the day before the Great Unloading deep cleaning the sewing/soap room which includes the stash closet. I LOVE to play in the stash closet. I am a firm believer that yarn is not just for knitting but for collecting.

Right before The Mister took off with the boxes I rescued a skein of hot pink Stroll from one of them. When I went to put it in the sock stash I was horrified. That is just too much-even for a collector like me. 

Don't tell The Mister but that pink skein eventually found its way into the overflow drawer that is one of the unused drawers in his armoire. So much sock yarn. So little time. Must knit faster.

Wednesday WIPs and Watercolor

 

The Lofoten socks don't look much different from the last time I showed them off but I swear I've added a few rows. Those toes have to be close now. I need to measure.

My poor Undines are now just a kinky ball. It was a three strikes and you're out kind of thing. First, they didn't fit-too small. Then I had forgotten to center the pattern over the foot so they look crooked. Finally the speckled yarn didn't work with the pattern. It looked dirty. When I got to the foot I could see that the colorway looked much better in plain stockinette so it was off to the frog pond for now. I'll start over when the Lofotens are done. 

The Bitty Spruce got its bottom put on a cable so I could judge the proportions. The pattern said start the hem at 6" below the arms but it looked too short to me so I am going to get some sleeves on before I finish the bottom so it all works together. I hope. I am pretty much useless when it comes to getting things to fit so all I can do is hope. 

And........as for watercolor, now that I am FINALLY back in the downstairs craft room I've been going down there at night instead of flopping on the couch after dinner. I get some stitching done and then I take a few minutes to throw some ink and paint around on my latest mandala. It's only July but I'm already getting fired up about Inktober AND....I just ordered my Christmas card materials for this year. I can't wait for this year's big card reveal. To say I'm giddy about it is an understatement. It's been a long time.....

Tiny Needle Tuesday

 

This week I stitched a pumpkin, umbrella, van and owl on the baby sampler. 

The baby quilt got put into a sandwich. 

I have to clean up this mess before I can get to the Juki to quilt it though. Maybe today.

Well, maybe I'll do some cleaning. Or maybe I'll just work on Dear Jane again. It's just too darn hot to move or even think about moving. 

On the Podium

 

It wasn't exactly a yellow jersey finish this year but I'm right chuffed that I got anything done at all to be honest. 

The last day of the Tour always does something to me. I had to fix myself a small gin and tonic just to get through the last few laps in Paris. I'm the kind of person that cries during the closing ceremony of the Olympics so this silly flood of emotion is never surprising. It's just who I am.

Though it feels like something important is ending I have things to look forward to. It looks like I will be able to manage the cotton spinning so that's promising. 

And....since the Ladybug is sitting here without a project, I pulled out something pretty for her. I always have to remind myself there's still spinning to be done-even after the last stage has been won. 

Vive le Tour.

Aux Champs D'Elysee

 

That's it for this year's Tour. I'm lucky to have this much done considering what else we've accomplished in the past three weeks not counting broken and sick critters. Hopefully I have enough yarn spun and enough fiber left over for another pair of thrummed mittens. If not I'll have to figure something out. 

I barely even got to see a minute of the time trials yesterday. The Mister was raring to go on the downstairs. We had a giant pile of kitchen remodeling material that had to be dealt with. Believe it or not we will be tearing up and replacing the tile in the foyer and the downstairs landing area this week. No rest for the weary it seems. 

We also shifted a lot of things around while we were down there. The Mister's dusty model collection traded places with my rickety old piano. We also hauled around his ginormous album collection. That was a job. 

My downstairs craft room got a deep cleaning. I've moved the baby sampler down there now so I can close it off from any kitty damage. I was worried about them getting into when it was in the living room. Now it's safe in a critter free zone. 

But the pièce de résistance is the fun I've had arranging the new plate racks that we just hung. When I am done I'll be able to access all my pretty coffee and tea ware instead of hiding it away in a cabinet. It feels weird not to be living in a sea of boxes anymore-but I think I'll get used to it. 

After Midnight Madness Part 2

 

I said that I was going to show you the crazy things I have bought in this bag when all the moving pieces get here. 

The last piece of the puzzle showed up yesterday in a box with a sheep on it. Squeee......

The bag was from Hipstrings and it contained three packages of cotton. Spinning cotton. 

The box with the sheep on it contained another box and a couple of samples of more spinning cotton.

In that pretty box was a teeny tiny spindle called a tahkli that is used for spinning cotton. Why all the interest in spinning cotton?

Because Wolf Pup is back in the living area cleaned and ready for a project. I've always wanted to weave something from my own hand spun cotton. 

It's going to take me forever to spin enough cotton for a towel so this kit will be the first thing on the loom when I get the time to start winding it all on.

It's not like I'm in a hurry to get any of this done. Look at this pile giant of towels I just unpacked. All woven by yours truly. I had no idea I had so many. Oh, well....it's like everything else I like to make from socks to quilts. Too much and too many-but you gotta do something all day. 

TdF Week 2: Running Out of Road

 

The Tour is almost over and I can't say I'm sorry. I've got too much to do around here to be sitting and playing with fiber all morning. Guilt is setting in. 

I did get what was on the Ladybug finished-most of it. I left some of the fiber unspun in hopes of turning this into some thrummed mittens one day.

The drop spindle has had 3 wind offs during this year's Tour. That's not bad. It doesn't have to get packed away now and it's in a basket by the TV so hopefully I will continue on with it. 

Ditto for the support spindle. She's in a new to her basket right next to where I keep the remote to remind me that she's there. I've been spinning this same Merino for about 10 years now and the bag is still full. It really needs some serious attention. 

I have one and a quarter thrummed mittens. I can put this away now and pick it up when it cools down. No guilt there. I'm in no hurry for warm mittens in this heat wave. 

I've got The Mister all fired up to get the dining area finished so putting him off while I play with woolly stuff isn't working anymore and to tell you the truth I would rather have a working kitchen again. 

There was a lot more assembly going on yesterday and I'm starting to feel hopeful that the end is really in sight. Please, please, please don't let there be anything to stop us now. Like those weary riders in France we are heading for that finish line-at last.