The Yearling

This is the yarn I spun from the lavender Corriedale roving I got last October (just about a full year ago!) in Cornwall, NY.  I love the various shades of purple that you can see in the skein (the green yarn is just the yarn I tied the skein up with).  This was my first time spinning a singles yarn & since I knew I was over spinning it, I did some research on how to finish the yarn to avoid bias.  Most of the advice I found suggested soaking it in hot water for about 30 mins, smacking it against the edge of the tub or sink to release the twist (not sure if that worked but it was fun!), then weighing it down while hanging it to dry.  So I did all of those things & the yarn still had a bit of twist to it so I twisted the skein against the yarn's natural twist & that seems to have done the trick.  You can still see a little bit of twist in the skein & even more in the photos I took when the yarn was hanging up to dry.  This doesn't bother me too much as I've seen it in indie handspun yarns here & there.

 

This yarn also has a bit of a halo, which I don't know how to explain or avoid in the future.  I'm not sure if it's the fiber itself that creates this or something about how I'm drafting or spinning it.

In other purple project news, the Vite Cowl is just flying along despite my reduced knitting abilities.  Huge needles & super-bulky yarn can make even the slowest of us feel accomplished!  Plus knitting on large needles doesn't bother my wrist as much as small needles do.  I think I'm already well over halfway done.  It's going to be super-warm & comfy & I just love the ginormous leaves!  Unfortunately I'm not really sure when I'll finish this as I'm back on the knitting sidelines for the moment.  I'm taking a week-long break to rest my wrist.  This one is self-imposed, rather than doctor-imposed, though I'm going back to the physical therapist tomorrow for her opinion.  Each time I take a break like this, I find myself aimlessly roaming the house in my free time, not sure how to occupy myself.  I think that probably means that I have a co-dependent relationship with my knitting.  Maybe I should just be going to a therapist!  

Round & Round We Go

I may be the only knitter on earth not currently thrilled that it's autumn but my body clock is a little out of whack with the change of seasons this year.  I think I spent an even higher proportion of our short summer indoors behind a computer than usual so I didn't experience enough summer to feel like it was actually here.  Now that it's over, that doesn't feel right either & that means that the time of year I usually like best feels weird & out of place.  But while it's still sunny, there is no denying that autumn is indeed here.  

The photo on the left was taken at Bainbridge Island's Bloedel Reserve, a beautiful nature preserve that Dan & I visited a couple weeks ago before stopping by Churchmouse Yarns & Teas to check out the Brooklyn Tweed trunk show & say hello to Jared Flood.  Imagine my excitement when Jared remembered me from February's Madrona Fiber Arts Festival!  

I figured I just had to buy some Shelter or Loft whilst I was there so getting to examine & try on the BT pieces was really helpful.  It turns out that the Original Loop size of the Eternity Scarf from BT Fall 12 fits exactly like I want a cowl to fit: it covers my neck completely when wrapped double.  So I chose 4 skeins of Loft in the Tent colorway for some cold-weather knitting.

Cowls seem to be my knitting theme this year as I just completed my Gray's Ferry Cowl.  Like I mentioned above, I'm rather particular about the way cowls fit & although I enjoyed making this project, it does not meet my fit requirements.  It leaves too much of my neck exposed & that just won't do when it gets cold & damp (as it soon will).  So I've decided to donate it to the Warm for the Winter project.  Hopefully someone else will find it useful & enjoy wearing it as much as I enjoyed knitting it.

  

But that's not the end of CowlQuest 2012, oh no!  Last year's obsession with chunky knits has re-emerged & finally found an outlet in the Vite Cowl.  I love, love, love this fat, leafy, squishy ring of warmth and am currently knitting it in Cascade Eco + held double in the Dark Plum colorway.  It is downright luscious!  Unfortunately I have no photos right now but I'll include some in my next post along with the photos of the thick-&-thin handspun I mentioned at the beginning of September.