Describing the great time I had with other bloggers in my last post is a tough act to follow. Let’s face it, sometimes it hard to come up with an exciting blog entry – particularly when you just posted a really special one. But, there’s some business I’ve been meaning to attend to so, with apologies to Cate for shamelessly ripping her off, I present a rambling, random post of my thoughts on Thursday.
I may be addicted to spinning. Honestly, though, how’s a girl to judge her own addiction when she’s surrounded by people who are way more addicted? Spinning every day might be a clue. Spinning for a few minutes before work might be another clue. I just don’t know how to gauge it. But here’s my latest yarn on the bobbin.
Looks better, I think. This is coopworth roving and it’s easier for me to spin than the BFL. It’s much softer and drafts easier but I’m also noticing that my yarn is pulling apart more with this stuff. Should I be treadling more? Drafting slower? Drafting faster? Any advice from my fellow spinners?
I called the Double Tree Inn in Portland, Maine, to make reservations for Sharon and I to attend SPA. They’re sold out but advised me to make reservations at The Hampton Inn, which is the overflow site and they are offering the same group rate on their rooms. I’m hoping there will be LOTS of overflow attendees at the Hampton and therefore we’ll be hanging out and spinning and knitting all over the place. If you haven’t called to make reservations yet I’d say, hop to it!
Have I mentioned how great Heather is? First of all, she sent me one of her very first bracelets as a gift. Since then she has continued to make more and more beautiful bracelets and last week I purchased a stunning lapis blue one that she named “Casual Friday.” She packed it up and sent it along with this:
Merino roving for me to play with! Isn’t she awesome? And generous? I’m not good enough to even touch this stuff yet but I’m going to have fun with it later. Love the colors and it’s so soft! I must admit, I was really touched when I opened this package. I might have even shed a tear or two.
Speaking of being touched when opening packages, look what came from my Secret Pal!
Yummy yarn in shades of eggplant and forest green! Notecards! Stitch markers! A knitting and design journal! Thanks, Secret Pal! I love absolutely everything!
I finished the Eyelet Cardi a couple of weeks ago and I wear it constantly! I even wore it the day I bought my wheel. It’s warm and cozy and the color is bright and I just love it. Here’s me, in my office, which is generally freezing but I don’t even notice when I’m wearing my Peace Fleece sweater.
Finally, I’ll share with you a delicious recipe for roast pork in the crock pot. I made this on Monday night and we all loved it. It’s very simple:
core and slice 6 apples and put in the bottom of the crock pot
put a pork roast on top
mix up some apple cider with a little brown sugar and ginger
pour this over the pork set
Set your crock pot on low for about 10 hours and go knit.
Come back to a delicious, tender, pork roast.
Tomorrow Sharon and I have our first spinning lesson here. That should provide some blog fodder. Woot!
Your welcome!
I love the sweater! It’s so professional looking, and the color is great.
Need to try that recipe, sounds yummy. I like me a good pork roast.
Good luck spinning!
Just surfing by to say thanks for the Warm Hands button. Good luck with spin class!
Your cardi looks great — where did you find that pretty clasp? I am trying to ward off the spinning bug as long as possible . . . .
“I’m also noticing that my yarn is pulling apart more with this stuff.”
Although you don’t say under what circumstances the yarn is pulling apart, I suspect it needs more twist. You can accomplish that by treadling faster or drafting slower. You can also draft thicker with the same amount of twist. Hope this helps!
See, its people like you that make me so impatient that I want to just go buy a wheel. I’m trying so hard, so hard, to wait for my rental, but then I read your post, and start online wheel shopping.
We’ll be at the Hampton Inn, so we can do fiber stuff when I’m not vending. š
The pork roast sounds delicious! I’ll have to try that.
I’m rallying the girls right now. I hope to make SPA, it sounds like heaven really.
Great looking sweater and look at you go on that wheel!!
Oh boy. Between Rhinebeck and the Tuesday jaunt I have seriously depleted my stock of brownie points. Maybe I can build them up again by February, especially as 1) my parents live in Yarmouth 2) my birthday is the 23rd. Honey, I have something to ask you…
You knit your Sitcom Chic from Peace Fleece? Because I just bought two cones of the worsted they have in the Bargain Barrel (did you know they have 1 lb. cones of worsted in the Bargain Barrel? $25 each?), and am in search of a pattern …
The cardi is beautiful – it’s a great color for you and I love the clasp! Perfect touch.
Thanks for the recipe – it sounds delicious!
That eyelet cardi looks wonderful! And you’ll have so much fun with that merino. I love spinning new fibers.
Love that eyelet cardi. Now I know which item is next up after I finish Twist.
Yup, I do think you’re a spinning nut with the rest of us. You’re doing a lovely job so far. As for separating, that usually means that you need to add more twist. Either treadle more or draft slower to prevent the singles from drifting apart. Drafting faster would cause the resulting single to be even more loosely spun. Great if you’re looking for a Lopi. Does the plied yarn want to pull apart too?
Ooooooh…spinning classes. Sweeeet. That should be loads of fun. Oh holy cow! They have LOOM RENTALS! Damn. Now look what you’ve gone and done to me….
A crock pot recipe! Thank you! I just got the pot out the other day with the grand plan of finding some new meals to cook up in it so that I have more time … to knit. š
Are you sure 74408 about this?!?