Today’s Balance

 Today I found out that I could only knit a row or 2 before I needed to take a break on my new shawl.  The rows are getting incredibly long. I increase by 6 stitches every other row.  I am almost back to we’re I was before I had to tink 10 rows.  It is going to be the perfect summer shawl. It just might be next summer before it is ready.

Ok, so I said I found balance today.  It was in the form of one of Mr. Golding’s drop spindles.  The spindle is so incredible.  It is perfectly balanced.  Spins like a dream.  With the weight of the spindle I was very surprised to find out how thin I could spin the 50/50 combo of Merino and Silk.  I don’t know why I can’t spin this fine on either of my spinning wheels.  I can’t wait to see what it looks like when I ply the yarn . It definitely needs to be a 2 ply yarn. Definitely for a one of a kind project.

In the rush to make yarn to sell, I forgot how much I love my drop spindles. I learned to spin on drop spindles.  Kathy Withers’s is a great teacher  if you want to learn to spin on a drop spindle and are on the East Coast you should really try and take her classes. She also teaches other forms of fiber arts  if you want to support a small farm and just knit or Crochet you need to try Kathy’s yarn which is available on line.

I decided today that I will no longer be taking commission work or repair jobs.  This is all me no outside influence.  I do know a few wonderful fiber artists at Grandmas Spinning Wheel here in Tucson who would be happy to help you out. Stop by during regular business hour’s for help. 

The picture does not do the roving, yarn or spindle justice.  I hope that you can see how fine the yarn is coming out. Yes it really is that thin.  

A Small Repair

 My first reusable shopping bag got a smallish fix this afternoon.  I bought this bag at my then local natural foods store and restaurant, Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park, California.  I bought it just after I moved into my first apartment.  That was so last century, before John and I were even engaged.  Follow Your Heart had the best vegetarian burgers and shakes.  Oh well the whole truth was everything was wonderful and tasty.  Milk free donuts in the 1980’s awesome.  Carob everything to my heart’s content.  I was not allowed chocolate, nitrates or nitrides back then.  I still skip the nitrates and nitrides, they cause so many migraines.  They also have a wonderful cookbook to make things at home.  

But I digress.   I got my first reusable shopping around earth day, I got my second on my next payday.  Yes, I still have both of the bags.  They are a bit faded now.  One is starting to show some age with the beginning of fabric breaking down.  I patched the bottom with a piece of curtain fabric, leftover from dog pillows.  I am not sure if I should quilt the bottom.  My main problem is I forgot how to program the memory on my sewing machine.  I guess I will find the manual to morning.  My handy work is below.  

Weaving Loom Repairs

Why has no one ever told me that I would need 2 - 1/8 inch thick dowels to repair my loom.  Really is it to much for someone to say what supplies I need to keep on hand? Well off to the temptation store tomorrow morning.

We are now taking bets on how many things I actually buy.

Plans

My plans for Tuesday are already in the blender. I will be at home with Eric all day. Although the fever has broken from the cold, his asthma has kicked in with vengeance. So while Eric is busy watching PBS kids, I will get the serger out and make some more cleaning rags out of old cloth diapers. The cloth diapers last for about 2 years of Eric use and then become rags that last forever. I serge the old diapers in half so that they don't land up back in Eric's room.  Oh, and I love how the cloth diaper maker has raised the price about 5% in the last 2 years, but it is now a 5 pack instead of a 6 pack. So the price increase is actually much more. Can we say inflation?

While cleaning the craft room today, I finally added the charms to Teri's charm bracelet. So  instead of spending 20 minutes trying to figure out where to put the charm bracelet I spent 10 minutes getting the actual work done. Now the next time she comes for a visit she can take it home. I also have filled another box with craft supplies for Eric's day program, although I don't know when he will be well enough to go back. I am down to the dibs and drabs of the zenning and must resist the urge to stuff everything in a closet for later. Maybe I can fill another bag to go.

The sweater is coming along quite nicely. I am almost finished with the first skein of yarn and I am 34 rows into the pattern. The pattern called for 24 inch circular knitting needles. At row 18 I changed to 36 inch circular knitting needles. Tonight at row 30 I changed to 60 inch circular knitting needles. I wonder who goofed up on this one? In about 10 rows, I will take the sleeves and put them on stitch holders. Then finish the body and go back to do the sleeves. I am thinking at this point that it will take about a month to finish. I am also thinking that I might just have enough yarn to make it a long sleeve sweater. I bought enough yarn to make this sweater 2 sizes larger. This is my first me sized sweater. The 2 sweaters that I made for Elmo went much faster.

Sewing

I spent the day sewing. This was a plan to give my hands a break. I tried to work around a BBD and had partial sucess. I finished one quilt, which is now in the dryer. Pictures of the quilt will be posted after the birthday person gets to unwrap it. I started catching up on repairs too.. one skirt is now in the wash and the next one will head to the wash tomorrow.

By lunch time my body won and got a nap. Everyone went to their own quiet place to take a nap. The nap did not seem to make a diffrence for Eric. He had a small sizure tonight followed by by wild eyrps an hour later. So we will be laying low all weekend. I wonder how much cleaning and sewing that I can get done this weekend. Laundry is a given, it just depends on how much laundry Eric makes. I am backing down on knitting until my hands feel better. This means that I will not get 31 hats knit this month but every hat that I have made so far will help a child. Let me know if you want to knit a hat, scarf or sweater for a child in Tucson. I have some donated yarn that you can use.

Have a great weekend.

Spinning

Today I got out of the house and left they guys at home. I went to Grandma's Spinning Wheel and did a marathon for me spinning secession about 2 1/2 hours. I finished one bobbin and wound the yarn on my knitty noddy. Then I started some white merino that I am going to barber pole onto some red. I just have to finish filling up this bobbin which should be done soon.  I shall see how sore that I am tomorrow.

My wheel has a slight warble that needs to be fixed. If I can figure out how to get to the screw I will be just fine. The problem is that it requires a special 4 side head and my Philips that I can maneuver in to the slot are 6 sided. I will solve this, but not tonight.