Prep work

Fibre week, and the master spinners classes are 2 months away. I'm still not done my level 2 homework, and really I should be. I have reasons that are indeed valid, like a sore wrist, a family member passing away, and general illness of everyone in this household(including me 4 times in 4 months) there are something's I could have been doing, like reading 2 more books, but really... I guess I felt like I had more time. But none the less, things are almost done, and I've got 2 months in which to do them. I did however spin up some neked wool for the level 3 dye assignment. It's lovely. It has the odd flaw, but it's still really good, IMHO. Unfortunately it's only about 240 yards(from 8 oz) and I need 250. I guess that just means I need to buy more fibre. Awe shucks. ;D
~Kara

Final project level 2 update.

So it occurs to me, that I never did say that I had finished the yarn for my final project!  I've even started to knit it, and honestly I'm a tiny few stitches away from finishing it.  Or frogging it.  I've been keeping notes on my project page on Ravelry, and the easiest way to tell you all what has been happening is this:

Notes

I will be using this years Iknitarod as my timeline and motivation to get this project done in a timely manner.
Go mushers go! March 2, 2013: cast on 216 stitches (202+14 for fringe), and worked up the first row. I’m working with just a small amount of yarn, so I don’t want to run out! However, I’m pretty short(5’2”) so I don’t think the scarf will be to short for me.
Also, I’m using size 9 needles, as my 8s have a catch in them. This will help the scarf be slightly longer/wider as well. Probably not by much, but does it really matter in the end?
March 3,2013- two more rows in. Still afraid of running out of yarn…
March ? 2013- came down with some illness. It put me out for far to many days. Back at it, tho, and I’ve done 2 more rows. Will stop for now, I started loosing track of where I was while knitting.
March 11 2013- knit up to and including round 7. I’m still really hoping I don’t run out of yarn.
March 12, 2013 - well… I knit row 1 and two again, as the pattern calls for… Got to the end of row 2 and I’ve messed it up somehow and can’t find it…. I hate frogging lace. One sorry sad stitch at a time. Tomorrow tho. Bed time now.
March 18, 2013 - soooooo the fear of frogging held me back 6 whole days. I did not finish with the mushers. Well behind them, actually. :(. I did frog tonight, found the error, and knit back to the end of row two. For fear of running out of yarn in 4 more rows, I will cast off. Now just to find my size 10.5 needles and do that. Tomorrow. Or the next day… Or the day after that…
March 19 - cast off the top. quick and easy. Picking up the stitches though? a nightmare. That’s still not done. Maybe it will be soon? It’s driving me up the wall. Next go, I’m using a crocheted provisional cast o n with a really thick yarn. It will be much easier to find what is supposed to be live stitches!
March 22 - I’ve spent 2 hours in each of the past two nights “picking up stitches” More like untying knots. This is obviously not the fault of the pattern but a poor choice in cast on methods. The cast on method I learned from a youtube video, and I’d not recommend it to anyone. ever. And i even put my very first youtube comment on a youtube video, stating my opinion. I’m to the point that I might consider frogging the whole thing, and starting over. Super sadness.

Ha.  There you go. My super laziness to not type that all out again in different words is winning right now. 

But I'm mad. and frustrated.  and exhausted.  This is the most evil scarf on the planet. or. well, not.  But I don't think it will be my final project anymore....

~Kara

"Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly away home...

Your house is on fire and the children have gone

All except for one, that's Little Ann

For she crept underneath the frying pan"

That's almost all I could think of while dying, carding and spinning these yarns!

Over on Craftster.org, we are having a spin along on the spinning boards. It was inspired by a member, Jexxican, who was spinning a yarn for an ALS charity auction. Ladybugs were her sisters favorite, so it's become a tradition for her.  I thought it would be fun to join in.  These are the two yarns I created, from start to finish.

It started with a dye day.  I had 2 red pots, and one black, to dye my silk noils in. It almost looks like Valentines day!  I had a couple random wool batts too, I used them to sop up the leftover dye from the dye baths.

Ladybug #1, Merino top, BFL locks, and Silk noil.

The batts:

The yarn:

Ladybug #2 was simply spun from the merino top. One ply had sections of black shetland, which  I granny stacked as I came to them.

It was pure bliss to just spin because I wanted to.  I've been avoiding my wheel due to feeling procrastination guilt.  I've only got 3 or 4 skeins left to spin for my homework, but I've been putting it off.  They are skeins with swatches! BUT!  I have been knitting the yarn I planned to use for my final project.  It's good yarn, but maybe it's not that much better then the yarn I spun for level 1?  I don't know.  My plan is to finish the scarf, block it and decide. If I hate it, and the perfectionist in me say's "Not good enough", I will spin some CVM or merino from rolags woolen and make a hat.  We will see what happens.  The count down is on to Fibre Week 2013!  Only 14 weeks (less 2 days) to go!  Oh! and I'm AMAZED to see that there are already 10 (TEN!) people enrolled in level 3!! Our class is nearly full! 

~Kara

Odd

So I'm not sure why this came over me. But it did. I was wishing the silk in my llama silk blend was closer to the colour of the llama. So I looked at my coffee pot and thought "I bet coffee would be just the right color". So I poured myself one last cup of liquid life, gluged a bit of vinegar in the pot and tossed the already wet from setting the twist skein in the pot. Lucky me, the coffee maker has heat setting so I cranked it down and let the skien sit in there for 30 minutes. I love the results! The llama was a fawn brown to begin with and the tussah was bleached, but not to stark white, more of a creamy white. I kind of really want to make a lot more of this... It's 50 50, spun from carded rolags. Lovely drape, lovely shine. And it still smells a bit of coffee. Yum yum

~Kara

Spinners block?

Or mental block? Either way, this is ridiculous. I've got that tiny bit left to spin on that bobbin. I've had absolutely nothing to do all afternoon since 12:30, and I only have to be out of the house around 3:10. That's 2hrs and 40mins of time I've wasted, doing nothing but opening the cupboards, cruising the webs, tweeting about my dilemma, and now blogging it, and general 'screwing of the pooch' as it were. All the while it would have taken me maybe 30mins to finish spinning that. What is wrong with me? It's something I love to do, it's not like its hard or something. I just can't get to the point where I can ply. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that that is supposed to be my final project for level 2? Maybe it's a fear of completion? Fear of failure? Fear of success even? Or a fear of completion leading to success which will make failure feel even worse? Or maybe I'm just lazy today. Or all of that. I don't know but I'm kicking my own butt right now for not finishing it. Oh well. There's always tonight, right?

~Kara

By The Fibreside, a blog and podcast.

Recently, a classmate of mine in the Master Spinner program started a blog and podcast, which is entitled By The Fibreside. So far she's got 3 episodes up, and the fourth is scheduled for 2 weeks from now. I'm honestly not sure I can wait. My 5 year old might not want to wait either, he loves listening as well, and has given the show the 5 year old approval by saying 'Its awesome'. I've really been enjoying hearing her adventures, her struggles, and her revelations about spinning, and the program and how it all relates to life. There are so many things I can relate to, and I'm sure that many other spinners or knitters can relate to. She's also got a wonderful voice, and is great to listen to. Anyways, I thought I'd share with you all, so you can also enjoy listening.
There is of course, a blog to go along side the podcast. check that out too!

~Kara

Fun new tool!

In early January, I learned that Ron at Fancy Kitty had come up with a smaller, more portable, but no less functional picker.  It's the Mini Picker, and despite my level 1 Master Spinners teachers adamance about pickers being evil implements of torture (My words, not hers! but that's the jist of it!)  I bought one.  It's a bench style picker, and though I've only used it once, I give it an A+. This thing is brilliant.
It came in yesterday, and before I took it to some fibre, I stained it!  Royal Mahogany MinWax. It's purple lovelyness now!





Isn't it pretty?

This is the Shetland fleece I put through it in maybe 15 minutes.  There is about 7oz here
Before



After the first picking



After the second run through



This is a really fun new tool! I know it's going to up my productivity. Less time spent picking locks =more time carding and spinning!
~Kara