....who'da thunk it

It amazes me that this turned into that (below).

.....two rights, three lefts...

 So, word on the street says spin to the right-ply to the left....or vice versa.  I dutifully spun it to the right.  Then to my horror I plied it to the right as well.  I was almost done with this two-ply yarn when I realized my mistake.  Curious if my last couple days of spinning were in vain, I asked friends on social media if it would have any use in this state.  Spinner extraordinaire,  Kate  answered with a solution:   Just send it back through the wheel to the left. Either go slowly so you can remove right ply twist as well as adding enough left ply twist, or put back through the wheel to the left twice.  I chose the latter with one extra time through to the left because I wasn't applying myself the first two times.  :)  So I sent it through 3 times.   It turns out a sweet little yarn.  You can really see the difference in the photos. 

The hand-dyed Polwarth top yet to be spun.  4oz.    It was amazing to me to watch the color come out of this as I spun it.

Spun, not plied.  Pretty.

Spun, not plied.  Still very pretty.

Plied to the right....pretty..but........

This is prettier.  Spun to the right, plied to the right and "re-plied" three times to the left.  LOL

It just kept taking on new looks and colors.  Amazing.

It made me happy.

Finished.  Not perfect....because the spinner isn't perfect.  We got along just fine.  :)

.....Bug goes for a ride.

In September I took a full time job at our local university.  Getting used to the schedule of working outside the home lead to less time to knit and spin.   {insert annoyed look here}.  But as I get more used to the routine of things I am able to work in time to knit AND spin.   On my lunch I relax and knit a spell.   In the evenings I relax and spin a while, usually when I am too tired to do anything else.   Today was the first day I was able to take my much loved and appreciated spinning class at my favorite fiber shop about an hour south of here.   Kate demonstrated how to make sleazy yarn.   It is basically a fat wonky one-ply piece of yarn.  Very unstable in this state. While with other techniques of spinning you add stability during drafting, etc., this technique adds stability during the wash.    What we did was put it in as hot of water as we could stand and then poke it vigorously with our outstretched fingers, squish the water out and run it under cold water and then repeat those two steps again.   After the final squishing out of water we give it a good hard tug or two.  It has, as this point, been given integrity and stability.  It is looking quite adorable as it dries and will just be wonderful when it has dried completely.  The particular fiber we were working with today was merino/silk.  It was quite wonderful.

A view of the sleazy yarn just after Bug and I spun it.  How crazy it that! ?   I love it.  :)

Another view.

Right after the bath.

Drying.

Trading Post for Fiber Arts

Kate designed these adorable baby mittens and they made it to the front of the new Baby Knits books.  Too cute for words.  You must buy this book. 

Bug loved her ride in the truck today.

 

Polwarth wool

As Time Spins On

My daughter likes to collect old post cards.She gave this one from 1909 to me before I learned to spin.  I admire it on my kitchen shelf on the occasional dish washing session.

Mississinewa 1812

It's called an inkle.

She uses it to make belts like the ones hanging in the background and below.

Mississinewa 1812

....pretties

Beautiful Sunset

Handspun hand knit scarf coming along.

Field of sunflowers.  Indiana.

Leek and Potato Soup

Aren't these leeks adorable?  So pretty and make such a nice soup.  I found this recipe in a Mexican Cookbook and just use regular chicken broth instead of the suggested Mexican chicken broth.  I have had it both ways, equally tasty.  Heat 3 T.butter and 2 T. veggie oil over medium-low heat until butter melts and begins to foam.  Add leeks and cook leisurely for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and beginning to brown.   Stir in broth, potatoes, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring heat to high then simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.  You can thicken the soup by scooping out 1 cup with at least 1/2 cup of potatoes in it and puree in a blender then return it to the pot, or you can puree the whole batch and have a cream of leek and potato soup.  It's good.  Here are the requirements. 3 T. butter, 2 T. vegetable oil, 4 C. thinly sliced leeks (white and light green parts only) 8 C. chicken or vegetable broth, 4 C. peeled-cubed (1/2 inch) potatoes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  From the book, "Pati's Mexican Table" Pati Jinich

Adriana's Soft Kiss Scarf

It's how Moses and I roll in the mornings.   (he's the cat)  I am knitting up the pretty Merino Bamboo Silk blend roving that I picked up in Michigan and handspun.  This will be my first complete project by myself.  :)   The pattern is in Spin Off Magazine's Fall 2013 issue.  It is very ironic that Margaret picked this roving out before I even saw the pattern.  Notice the similarity of colors.  :)

Purchased this at the Michigan Fiber Festival.  Merino Silk Bamboo blend.  Kinda hard for this newbie.  :)

My first "by myself" yarn.

It's not often that I post a picture of myself, but this shot of my husband and I all duded up at his class reunion didn't turn out half bad.  It's also my first time posting from my phone.

Not being anxious to buy a niddy noddy right now I  checked on line for different ways to make one.  The cheapest one I came up with was pvc pipe, simply because my husband dug into his spare parts of plumbing do-dads and had enough to make one.  There are @ 87 yards of Falkland 3 ply top there.  Someday maybe a bonafide wooden niddy noddy will make its way to me.  :)  Until then this little fella will suffice.