Whirlwind Week! Spinning, Knitting ( and plenty of Buying!)

Gosh, what a week! I can't say I've been rushed off my feet but an awful lot seems to have happened and I've only been at the computer briefly all week so it's quite a treat to find the time to post this!

Anyway, I've mostly been spinning (and buying!) this week so I thought you'd like to see this....


....I've finally finished spinning the Shropshire fleece that gave me so much heartache and yet so much pleasure at the same time. (Is it just me or does that sound a bit like the average relationship? - Oh no! I've been having extra maritals with a fleece!!!!!)

Anyway, smutty humour aside, I've now got 13 skeins to add to the stash until they tell me what they want to be. But it's not unlucky, 'cos there's still the giant tension square (1 ball) plus the ball I sent to 'Romy a while back so there will always be fifteen skeins in my memory. It feels like quite an achievement to have finally got ALL THE WAY THROUGH a fleece, right to the end, every last little bit, no cheating, no carrier bag full in the back room that got forgotten about, no abandoning it halfway through 'cos you're sick of it and end up palming it off on unsuspecting newcomers ( not mel this time!).

So, yeah, I'm taking a moment to blow my own trumpet 'cos there'll be others out there who actually realize what an achievement it is (rather than humouring me) and how rarely I actually follow something through to conclusion and apologies to anyone who doesn't give a damn.

Moving on...


The first in the 5 bag challenge and I'm falling at the first hurdle. I picked something easy, break myself in gently, picked one of the bags that's been there the longest, carded, clean (but whiffy) Gotland. It's actually more of a silver grey but with the flash, it was really washed out so use your imaginations.

And, yes, I am a glutton for punishment.

Yes, it is laceweight, bordering on cobweb.

Yes, I have mentioned that spinning fine seems like a good idea at the time then turns you slowly insane, what with the constant breaking/ snapping if you so much as breathe on it but this time it's different...isn't it?

Actually, no. I had a miraculous day where I got in the lace groove and managed a fair bit of what was on the bobbin BUT yesterday was HOPELESS!!! So I'm now officially going on record as HATING TO SPIN LACEWEIGHT!!!

Right, now I've got that out of my system, only another 450 grams to go...well, you can't change weights mid way thru a project, can you?

'Scuse me while I book myself into a nice, quite padded room far away from wheels, pointy things and long stringy stuff............................

THE NEW WHEEL CAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May I formally introduce you to my spanking new Joy! Actually, she wasn't going to have a name, but I think one is brewing, more further on...


So, what's been spun on my new wonder machine? That Gorgeous Merino that charity, My SP sent me. What's that? Looks a bit thin? Kind of Like...Laceweight?

I'm beginning to think I might get wheel 3 out of mothballs just to spin ANYTHING that's not laceweight...for my padded cell? Would need mufflers though, 'cos it's damn noisy! Perhaps not.


So, what's the problem with Mabel the wonder wheel? ( I'm trying them out, see which name sticks!). Well, it's to do with these grey foam rubber washers....

...They sit at the front and keep the footmen in line ( don't wheels have lovely names..mother of all..maidens, and the less pretty ...orifice!). Anyway, I set up my new wheel, oiled exactly where it said and started to treadle.

There's a squeak...that's a sort of squawk...kind of like rubber rubbing up against something? Well, they're responsible...I've oiled them and oiled them and it doesn't make a happ'orth ( ha'pennie's ( half penny) worth) of difference ...and it too is driving me slightly doolally. Naughty Madge!

I'll get in touch with the supplier after this, maybe someone has a solution...somewhere!

This post appears to be a wee bit spin heavy, apologies for the knitters out there, keep the faith, there is knitting below!

One of the ladies at group was surprised at how slow I'd been with the second Jay, I do have a "Jumper in a week" reputation to uphold after all! But she doesn't know about the Curse of the Second Sock...



...You see, when the first sock has gone with nary a hitch, the sock faries gang up on you and you start making mistakes...

Mistake number one was mixing alcohol and Knitting on Tuesday night...By Wednesday, I had a heel with 54 stitches in it (it's meant to be 42!) so it had to be frogged and start again..

Mistake number 2 was somehow shifting the heel stitches along a full panel so that when I came to pick up the stitches either side, I found I could no longer continue the pattern on top properly.

So, it's off to the frog pond again...We're approaching 3rd time (lucky?) and so far everything SEEMS fine...but, you can never be sure...

Stash Time!!!

Look at these little beauties!!



There's a story (sorry!). I was in Ryder house on Tuesday, when the lady came scuttling from the back of the shop with a ball of bright green fluffy yarn in her hand. " do youi ever use this for trimming your jumpers?" she says. I ask her what it is, Mohair? and She replies "Angora, fifty pence a ball". Two second pause, I got that look in my eyes and asked " how much have you got?"......

....So, six, or is it seven boxes (yes, they come in their own boxes, look!) Later, two shop bags, a binbag and some creative yarn stashing, I managed to drag my haul to my friends. She has been known to stash stuff for me in times of need- like when I'm bringing a Lemon Meringue Pie home as a treat for himself (and me).



I have to add, they're not all full boxes, and some aren't exactly my colour but, woah, bargain!!!

I also got some divine denimy blue Alpaca at...a pound a ball!!! And some 4 ply cotton for that vest top thingummy I keep debating over.

So I had to go back on Thursday, pick up the rest of the Alpaca there and spend quite a chunk of my Birthday money on a ready made stash for Ebay, speculate to acumulate and all that...



Aren't they lovely colours, a bit lighter that the pic. So, I HAD to go in on Friday too, well, I DID have my orders. And she'd found another pack of the Brown Alpaca at the back!!! Last day was Saturday and I steered well clear but it almost feels a bit like stash saturation. Almost, just a little bit...won't stop me at Colinette though!

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Floppy says " don't stash any yarn in MY bed, PLEASE?????"