Author: Dan

Lots of Goodies

Posted on by Dan

Despite our house being in chaotic limbo (we’re putting the finishing touches on our bathroom) the craftiness must go on. And, we’ll both represent in this post (as well as our yard).

Socks-a-Plenty
Virginia wrapped up two more pairs of socks.

vknit_socks_92

These are from her never-ending supply of Meilenweit.

vknit_socks_93

And, these are knit from Socks that Rock lightweight from Blue Moon Fibers (sorry, I can’t remember what colorway I bought for her — ’twas a long-ago birthday present).

Yes, That’s Spinning Below
I debated posting this freshly-spun yarn, since I still have 9 more ounces of this Corriedale that I dyed up in four three-ounce segments. But, since they are all very different in color, I’ll post them individually. Once they are all spun up I’ll probably revisit them as a group for a single project.

Handspun - Corriedale

This is a single skein. There are approximately 319 yards of 2-ply yarn from 3 oz. of top.

Garden Delights
Our yard is pushing through the various floral stages, with new surprises practically every day. We are fortunate to have plenty, so bringing some indoors to enjoy makes hardly a dent on the supply outside.

Lily of the Valley

Our neighbors think this shade-loving ground cover is a nuisance and keep whacking away at the ones encroaching on their property. We, however, love the Lilies of the Valley. Grass is sooo over-rated.

Iris

And, I think the Irises are early this year. These come and go quickly, so we really have to be present and enjoy them while they bloom. I love how intricate these flowers are, and have tried to capture that in this close-up photo.

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Spinning, Even More Socks

Posted on by Dan

No sooner do I post a finished pair of Virginia’s socks when I see another pair off the needles and blocking.

vknit_socks_91

And, since the blogging police are insisting we disclose all information pertaining to our projects, the above socks were also knit using Meilenweit (this pair, the 6-ply sock yarn). The pattern is one of Virginia’s creations. She knit them on size 2.5US needles (double points). Let’s see… the photo was taken on our deck at about 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Air temperature was a perfect 68˚F (actually a little cool in the breeze, but nice, nonetheless). Anything else?

On to spinning…

Back from an extended absence, I’ve managed to finish 8 oz. of dark Icelandic roving (it’s from the lamb, so it’s nice and soft). I picked this up last year from Riverwinds Farm, who had a booth at Shepherd’s Harvest. They do such a great job in preparing their fiber. I look forward to buying from them every year.

Handspun - Icelandic Lamb

There are a total of 394 yards of 2-ply yarn. The wheel is all clear now, so I have the exciting activity of picking out what to spin tonight!

Hope the weather in your neck of the woods is a great as it is here.

ETA: In case you haven’t figured it out, the photos are now bigger. So, you can click them to see a larger version… you know, for more detail.

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More Flowers, More Socks

Posted on by Dan

I’m glad I’ve decided to include more flora (and fauna) in this blog. During the spring, when surrounded by all of this blooming glory, it’s easy to start taking it for granted. So, having a record of what we can expect each spring will, I think, not only lighten up the darkest of winter days, but remind me now that this is a good time to be awake and aware of all that surrounds us.

Virginia definitely takes advantage of our new “cutting garden” (planted exclusively for brightening up the house), and I’m glad she does. I just wish we could have a show like this in mid-January.

Tulip Bouquet

Alas, unless you want to spend an arm and a leg for tulips in the middle of winter (not to mention encourage the enormous amount of energy and fuel expended in trying to get them from farm to store), we have to enjoy them when we can. Fortunately, there are other things that we can take advantage of in the middle of winter, that are harder to enjoy in warmer weather. Things like…

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…handknit socks! Virginia’s sock needles are starting to pick up steam again, and I suspect we’ll be seeing more of those around here.

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Shepherd’s Harvest (a.k.a. the weekend haul)

Posted on by Dan

For those of you who live in or around the Twin Cities, MN and did not make it to the annual Shepherd’s Harvest Sheep and Wool Festival, you missed out. I’m so glad to see how much this festival grows each year. Just in the short time that I have been spinning (has it been four years already?) the vendor section has grown to fill three large buildings (quite a jump from the initial one building). That, plus the many classes, music, events, demonstrations and, of course, the knitter/spinner’s source of material…

Sheep

From sheep to alpaca, angora goats to bunnies, kettle corn to french fries this should be on your list of places to acquire stash. So, make note for 2009… we’ll be there.

Sheep

Sheep

Obviously, we didn’t go just for the animals. I use this festival to build my spinning stash for the following year. I was surprisingly restrained this year (probably because I still have quite a bit unspun from last year… and maybe the year before… and maybe even the year before that, but who’s keeping track?). Restrained enough, that I’m not ashamed to show you what I hauled in:

SHSWF 2008

SHSWF 2008

SHSWF 2008

Some great finds include a pound of Mulberry Silk (undyed), a pound of combed Cormo top (incredibly lofty), some beautifully dyed Merino blends, and a new fiber for me to try, bamboo… should be an interesting experiment. If only I had finished up what I currently have on the wheel, I’d be able to play with new fiber tonight.

Note: Virginia made a few nice acquisitions of her own, including some beautiful organic cotton, which I’m sure will be featured at some point on this here blog.

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