Sunday, July 27, 2008

Handspun Heptathalon

I've decided what I'm going to do for the Ravelympics.....sort of. I've named my projects "Whirling Dervish" and "Hmmmm"

"Hmmm" is going to be a cardi (pattern to be determined) out of some of this yarn spun that first week I was spinning. Pictured below is all the yarn I did that week.


A little bit closer left to right, almost in the order in which it as spun.








Most of the yarns in the first pic are worsted wt. and Navajo plied. The second pic is about half 2-ply and half Navajo plied, most are aran wt. In the last pic all of it is 2-ply and 'round about a dk wt. I'll post the real WPI and yardage in a couple days. A really rough measure of the dk celery green is 750 yds. I think for project "Hmmmm" I'll use this yarn for the cardigan and trim it out with some of the other heavier wt stuff. You can't imagine how excited I am about actually knitting my first sweater with yarn I actually spun myself!!!!

I haven't done anymore spinning since the other day cuz all my bobbins look like this.



OK, that's a lie, the others (6 in all) are full, but all are sitting in wait for the new bobbins to arrive. Boy did I guesstimate the delivery date wrong!!!

The Whirling Dervish project is going to be my attempt to spin a yarn with really long color graduations. Think Kauni type yarn. I'm breaking out the undyed pencil roving I have and will be dyeing it as part of my "training" in the next few days. I'm going to spin enough for two maybe three sweaters. At least one sweater will be a colorway that will go well with a solid shetland I already have (something I've reclaimed in the past) Another will be a sweater of the long colorway displacing the colors like Ruth Sorenson's Rainbow Cardigan although I think I'll use a different pattern, and the 3rd, if there will be one, will be the long colorway worked with a semi-solid that I will also dye and spin. Phew! I think that will keep me busy don't you? Then again, maybe not. I am sooo like a fish out of water trying to figure this stuff, and you know the Yardage Nymph always has her eye on me. It should all be very interesting, certainly a major learning experience! :o)

Remember the other day I spoke of festooning the house in post-it notes? I did it. Wanna see the one that gave Joe the biggest chuckle?



No need to go to Babel Fish I'll zoom out for another self-explanatory pic:




:o) I can't imagine we'll ever have the need to inquire about a cat's litter box when traveling, but I was on a roll. LOL