Working hard

Oooo I've been busy. I got some of my spinning mojo back. My trip to the fair where I got to see the spinning competitions may have something to do with it. 

I took this and...

turned it into the one on the left.

A nice two ply pretty yarn. The nice blue on the right is the single ply start to another yarn. Now really I have to start knitting with my hand spun. What is a good first project for learning how to knit with your own hand spun yarn? I am thinking some cup cozies or wrist warmers are in order. I'll keep you posted.

I also signed up for a spinning class at Rhinebeck. I'll get to learn how to spin specifically for sock yarn. Hmm wonder why that one sounded good to me?

That sock that jumped on the needle while I was trying to finish up some things before I cast on some new things...it is looking pretty good. It was a bit deeper in the stash than I remembered. So it is not just new not-yet-stash that gets cast on around here. This is some Shelridge Yarns Soft Touch Heather yarn from not-last-year. I tried a bit of a pattern with it but ripped back because it was yelling at me full volume that it just wanted to be a plain sock. I don't have any nice deep green socks so this one is for me.

I paged through my sock knitting books and remembered that I really wanted to make Nancy Bush's Stockings with Clocks. I decided that I don't know how to adjust for stockings to fit my legs yet so I am making socks with clocks instead. I have a bit of practice under my belt making socks.

I did make good use of my holiday weekend and finished my saddle shouldered sweater and a pair of socks.

I know the picture is not great but hey the sweater is! I am almost begging for the cold weather to come early.

I had a wee bit of a laugh with my not pictured socks. I started them on Memorial Day and finished them on Labor Day. I should have called them summer socks but who knew the timing would work out that way? 

Finishing a sweater lead me to winding up all this woolliness. I wrote up the pattern on cue cards again but I did not know my gauge on the last Peruvia sweater so I have some blank spots to fill in before I cast on. I could not resist getting the yarn ready to knit though. It is sort of like the first date of the knitting process. 

That is how the wool is stacking up at my house. I am still gearing up for festival time. Of course you could say I am always geared up for festival time.