Be back soon!

I'm on vacation till the 26th with no way to upload pictures, so no progress shots till then.

Have a great few weeks!

Neutrals

Amie has done a lovely job on this month's Spunky Club fiber, silk:



These aren't colors I would dye myself, but that's part of the fun, to work with unexpected materials! I will be spinning this into sportweight or so singles on a spindle while I'm on vacation and will post a photo when I get back.

Project Spectrum I is coming to an end. Lollygirl is thinking about doing it again, though, maybe differently. Go over and give her your suggestions! I hope it continues even though I haven't done a Flickr page or anything. It's nice to be in a group project that is pretty low pressure. I am kind of envious of all the Secret Pal groups, but I know that I can't really afford to pamper anyone properly. Someday!

I will be back on August 26th and probably won't post till then. Let me know what you end up with!

Purple is going!

I know, I know, I never posted a picture of the roving. But here is the yarn:



2 oz./164 yards BFL dyed by Amy Boogie at Spunky Eclectic for Project Spectrum

I really enjoyed spinning this yarn. It is my favorite wool spun into my most typical yarn. But that's why I like it!

Here is a picture of the skein of sock yarn (also BFL) and the socks from 7 handspun yarns that I entered in the fair, in case you haven't been over to my other blog.



















I will be spinning the August silk on vacation from the 6th to the 26th. I won't be posting over here during that time as I won't have access to uploading pictures. I hope that the yarn will be finished while I am gone so that I can post about it that last week of August. I'm excited about spindling silk. I just wish I could decide what to do with it! I only have 2 ounces, so I can't fool around trying stuff too much. There is not much 2 ply silk yarn to look at on the web that isn't dyed after spinning, but plenty of singles. And singles would be very relaxing. I have seen a lovely navajo plied yarn, though, and that would take longer (more fun). Decisions, decisions! Amy's yarn is lovely but not quite my thing. I really want 100% silk, probably for wristwarmers or fingerless gloves.

What do you have in mind?

The crisis seems to be over

Based on the current situation (thanks mom, thanks DH, thanks Aaron, thanks me), I should be able to let Amy do her thing, yay!

Singles as of this morning:



Hopefully 2-plyness will ensue soon, but the knitting takes precedence (see other blog).

Happy spinning!

I have a terrible fear

That I will have to drop out of the Fiber Club for this month. I can hardly believe that $15 will make that much of a difference, but it probably will. You know (or maybe you don't), two trips to the pool for the kiddoes. Or two boxes of cereal and a gallon of milk. If you know how it is, you know how it is. And if you don't, count your lucky stars! (Does this count for Scout's meme of sharing something that might make you lose respect for me?)



Anyway, I have been spinning the purple, but due to an OBSESSIVE need to finish my socks for the L.A. County Fair in time to DRIVE THEM to the fairgrounds, I have really not been spinning much. Here's a photo if you're not reading my other blog



Since this picture, I have completed toe of the second sock, whew! Short row toes in two colors are...fussy. The stripes are cool, though, and I've gotten a lot of practice at Norwegian Purling.

And the needles (size 0) are so pointy, I've practiced my Continental quite a bit as well. But I still can't look up, so it's not for TV knitting so far. I need to practice at a larger gauge. Maybe on the FIL sweater (Wallaby), miles and miles of round and round.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by! I'll let you know if I'm still going or asking Amie if I can buy the roving in a couple of weeks instead, ho hum.

Spectrum June yarn is done and a cross post

I have finished the low twist singles version of the Project Spectrum Spunky Eclectic roving for June. It is destined to become a One Skein Wonder shrug, at the moment, but not soon as I am furiously working on my L.A. County Fair socks which have to be finished by July 12 (a week from tomorrow!). So back to the knitting.

I am also cross-posting my Independence Day message from my other blog. Hope it's okay!

I believe in America. I believe in our Constitution. I believe that our Constitution is important and not a "g*dd*mn piece of paper." Freedom and Liberty are the bedrocks of our country and what have made that country great. But I am afraid that our country is going down a road, has already traveled quite far down that road, that leads to tyranny, abrogation of civil liberties, codification of discrimination, barbarism and shame.

Yesterday I sang "America the Beautiful" at my church. I chose the song not because I believe that the words express who we are right now, but because I dream of what we have been and could be again. Because I believe it states clearly what we have been striving for lo these many years. And what we are in danger of losing forever.

So without further ado, "America the Beautiful" by Katherine Lee Bates, a remarkable woman, a lesbian, a college professor, a proud American. This to me, right now, is a prayer. Let us please think of what we could be and find a way to right the wrongs done to our country. Let it become an anthem of what we are.

America the Beautiful

Oh, beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties,
Above the fruited plain.
America, America, God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

Oh, beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life.
America, America, may God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine.

Oh, beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years.
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.
America, America, God mend thine every flaw.
Confirm thy soul in self control,
Thy liberty in law.

Have a happy Independence Day and be safe!

Purple is coming!

I've received my Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club Roving, BFL, my absolute favorite breed of sheep! The funny thing is it's very like some roving I dyed myself a couple of months ago for a "Pilgrim" test dye run. The purple is exactly the same, the green is yellower, there is not so much brown, but they are really very similar. I might have to ply them together or something. I will show photos of both when I take some!

Have a great Sunday!