Last Monday, in a fit of step-mother angst (my own angst), I decided to grill dinner outside. It was raining and starting a fire was...interesting. Note: Just because it doesn't look like the piece of wood is on fire, doesn't mean it's not hot. This is how I got (another) burn on my right index finger with a nice blister. It's made knitting interesting this week. Also, the angst and not feeling well later in the week, kept me from knitting as much as I wanted to do.
Thursday I had originally planned to go to the local art museum with Husband to see a Matisse exhibit before it closed. This plan was scratched (after tickets were acquired-luckily we're members so we get free tickets to special events) when I realized that the middle child had an awards recognition ceremony. So I thought I'd go to my knitting group. Shortly before I was done with work, Husband texts me saying he should be free around 7 pm as things have changed. I skipped the knitting group and eventually came home. We didn't go to the Matisse exhibit, but we did go dress shopping. For me. He doesn't have the right curves for a dress. He even offered to drive and suggested I take my knitting with me. So I sort of had a knit night.
Friday was filled with art and a little knitting.
Saturday was the most fun. There are several wool market like events in this state and one of them, Shepherd's Harvest, is traditionally held Mother's Day weekend. This year, it was pushed back a weekend. I gently suggested that I stay home for the weekend as I had to work on Sunday so that the rest of the family could enjoy the trip (and I wouldn't be stressed out about making it to work on time). When I mentioned that there was an all day spinning class that I would like to take, Husband said that that was a fine thing to do.
I own 3 spinning wheels but rarely use them. I've never really been confident with my skills. My mom taught me how to spin when I was about 11 or so. I was convinced that I had "mastered" making the wheel turn and should therefore be able to spin but mom didn't like how fast I was going and told me I needed to work on slowing down. I then screamed at her and stormed off. I eventually calmed down and learned how to spin. Sort of. I've never taken a formal class.
Deb Jones from the Fiber Garden was going to teach an all day beginning spinning class. Class registration closed on May 10 and I decided on May 16 that I was going to take the class. I ended up at the festival at 8 am so I would make sure I could get into the class. I even brought one of my wheels, an Ashford. This class was meant for people who had never touched a spinning wheel which means I was probably a little advanced for the class (I wasn't the only one, 2 other people brought functioning spinning wheels that they had used before) but, as I had learned in a sock knitting class, there is always something to learn and I was probably doing something wrong. Deb insisted that there was no wrong or right way, but rather different techniques.
I did learn the names to all the parts of the wheel and I learned the two different types of yarn (worsted and woolen) and how to make them. I'd known about them but didn't know how they were created. I even left with a nice looking skein of 2-ply yarn. Deb has encouraged me to consider spinning my own sock yarn, though I'll want to get better at making thinner yarn. I also learned that in the past, I've held the wool too close to the opening and therefore end up with overspun yarn that corkscrews because there is nowhere for the twist to go. It's also much easier to have relaxed hands when spinning. I'm pretty sure I've always been ridiculously tense when I spin. Now I can finally go through all the fleece I have stashed in the craft room!
I feel like my finished skeins should count as finished projects for YOP but I have no idea how to document them. Any other YOPers who spin: what do you do?
I am further along with the TARDIS shawl with (yet another) deadline. It must be blocked and ready to wear for June 7 so I can wear it with a new dress to a hanger dance. Because the TARDIS was around in the 1940s.... After posting this, I will probably sit and knit on it most of the day. It's my day off after all.
The Vanilla Eyelet socks may be renamed to Raspberry Eyelet Socks though I've also played with Easy Eyelet. The leg of the second sock is nearly done. Two hour graduation ceremonies are really good for knitting. Two grads got excited when they saw me working on the sock yesterday. Turns out that they are also knitters.
I know that pictures make a blog more interesting but it's so much work. Maybe I can be motivated to take some this week.
Finished Objects
- Japan Scarf
- Birthday Bag
- Socks, the Final Frontier
- Ladders to the Sky Socks (Test Pattern)
- Waves of Love
- Colormatic
- Here Fishy Fishy I
- Gingy
- Fuzzy, the baby blanket
- Japan Scarf II
- Scarfowl
- Here Fishy Fishy II
- Gilligan
- The Angels Have the Police Box
- Mini-Socks
- Grandma's Tam
- Neck Hugger
- Blood Orange Newtons
- Alpaca Tam
- Trip
Sounds like a whirlwind of a week!! The spinning class sounds exciting and I am looking forward to seeing the finished tardis shawl.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the class was a great experience! Best thing to do until you're really confident. It's just so great when someone can guide your hands on the spot until you can feel the twist is right.
ReplyDeleteWhat a week, you made my head spin reading it, I'm aiming to master the drop spindle while all the time saving for a wheel and that spinning class sounds so awesome. It's hard getting a feel for the right spin, my first spindle full was overspun and my second better. Oh to answer your question when I'm setting it I'm weighing it down with a ladle or potato masher, it's got a hook on the top and is heavy enough to pull the yarn down.
ReplyDelete