Friday 11 January 2008

Some Knitting & Some Spinning

On the knitting front I have completed 1 sock form each pair of socks I'm knitting for ME... on the left we have the Trekking Ombre and on the right Lornas Laces "Black Purl". Both very nice yarns to knit with although the Trekking Ombre is quite a fine yarn and requires more knitting per cm than any other sock yarn I've knit with so far....




The Trekking one is being worked on Bamboo DPN's and the other is on my two Knitpick's circs.... I like both methods but I think the two circs win slightly, however it's useful to have both on the go at once to show customers the different ways....

The other reason I slightly prefer the two circ method is that my socks on circs are that little bit firmer as I knit 1 st/inch tighter on these than on the DPN's Now that's not much but enough that both my husband Paul and friend Mike can tell when they put the socks on for the first time which needles they've been knit on, who says men don't notice??? it's either that or they have very sensitive feet!!!!

On the spinning front, I have to say I was overwhelmed by all the lovely comments you left me and questions that were asked, I think I've responded to them all by various methods...

I was asked if I wanted to learn to spin several years ago by an elderly friend and I said no, it just wasn't me at the time (this was pre-knitting days) she had a couple of traditional wheels and I have to say they don't really appeal to me I like my castle wheel format, that and we don't have a lot of room for the bigger wheels... my friend wouldn't believe it now if I told her I was spinning as I was so adamant back then I wouldn't ever want to spin and look at me now I love it. I try and fit in 20/30 minutes a day just to keep my hand in and keep the 'feel' for the drafting; it doesn't always work but I am trying....

Anyway the latest spinning project is this from the The Yarn Wench, "Winesap1" - 4.2oz of Falkland

which has now after a week or so of spinning been turned into this:

Hopefully I will ply it tonight (2ply) and set the twist... unfortunately on the bobbins it doesn't show the rich plums.

I'm going to knit something with this, because as of yet I haven't knit up any of my hand spun; I've spun a few up as presents for Christmas and the one from the last post is destined to be part of mum's birthday present. Just as well I have good friends as they got my 'practising to make sock yarn" spinning....

I think this yarn will probably be a scarf, but all I can think of at the moment are My so called Scarf, Argosy and One row hand spun scarf any suggestions for patterns??? or anything else besides a scarf or socks? I'm hoping to have around 300m for 100g or thereabouts.....

3 comments:

Kai said...

Love the socks!

Your handspun is gorgeous!! ANd so stunning, love the way the colours have spun up.

Can I ask, did you just split the roving straight down until you had the width you wanted and then spin it up?

fleegle said...

The socks are lovely--I have a skein of the Black Pearl and am glad to see how it knots up. Your spinning is impressive--gorgeous roving!

gilraen said...

Beautiful spun yarn!! Very clever indeed! Is it variegated or does it graduate in colours along the thread, if it is graduated you might like this http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/kureopatoras-snake

Nice socks too! :)

You are so right about handpainted yarns, they are often nicer looking in a skein than knitted up!! Glass bowl would be lovely........