I finished up the Gotland lambswool that I was spinning on my new wheel last week:

I have no idea how much yardage I have yet, I’ll see once I wind it off onto the niddy-noddy and give it a good soak to set the twist.  I’m very happy with it on the bobbin – we’ll see how it blooms once I wash it. The ball on the right was off my Mazurka, and the bobbin on the left is the yarn spun on the new wheel.

I got my wild flyer the day I finished up the Gotland – perfect timing!  So I’ve started spinning up a thick and thin yarn that I plan to ply with some thread.

This is a merino/bamboo/nylon roving from Rivers Edge Fiber Arts that I got a couple of years ago at SAFF.  I split the roving lengthwise and I’m just doing my best to get as many thick sections as I can!  I tend to spin so fine, it’s hard to force myself to spin thick, but I’m doing my best!

The socks are plugging away nicely:

I’m really happy with the color choices I made – and I’m even happier that I’m using up some of my stash!  I only hope I don’t run out before I finish the second sock!

So that’s what I’m working on this week!  Check out Tami’s Amis for more WiP Wednesday posts!

Happy Knitting and Spinning!

She’s a Majacraft Rose.  I don’t have a name for her yet, but I’ve got a few ideas kicking around in my head, so she’ll probably have a name very soon.

I did a bit of practice spinning on her to get used to the differences from my Mazurka, and then I jumped right in to finishing up spinning my Gotland wool (that’s been sitting half-spun for probably a year).

I only realized after I started that my Gotland wool is from New Zealand, and the wheel is from New Zealand, so my choice of first yarn to spin on her was very apropos!  I’m still getting used to how she spins, but we’re starting to get to know each other, and I can see myself falling in love with her in the very near future.  Especially once my wild flyer arrives (it was ordered separate, and is on its way!)  I really want to try out tail spinning and core spinning, and the wild flyer should be great with that!

As far as knitting goes, the fair isle socks have really sucked me in, so all other knitting has been neglected in favor of those.  They are coming along quite nicely:

I’m past the heel, and probably will start the calf increases soon.  I love knitting fair isle so much!

Anyway, that’s what I’ve been up to lately!

Happy Knitting (and Spinning) everyone!

I have lots to show you today.  All socks.  I’m not sure what has happened to me.  I was really into socks a couple of years ago, and then I was really into lace shawls (still am), but my obsession with socks is starting to come back.  I suppose we all go through an ebb and flow as knitters, as with lots of other things.

Anyhow, here’s the first pair in progress:

Pattern: improvised 58 stitch cuff down sock
Yarn: Lotus Yarns Chakra in colorway Katherine (Merino/Cashmere blend)

Done with the first sock and about to start the second!  Loving the colors in this yarn.  Very masculine – I almost wish I had knit these for my husband instead.  Almost.  This yarn feels like heaven on my foot.  I can’t wait to have a finished pair.  Not sure I’ll ever wear them in shoes – maybe just as bed socks.

Second pair in progress:

Pattern: improvised 64 stitch cuff down sock
Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug in colorway Monet.

These will have Velvet Plum heels and toes like my Gauguin socks.  See a theme?  I’m truly considering wearing one of each as a pair.  Monet and Gauguin.  I’m definitely going to use my leftovers (and I have plenty!!) together on an ‘artist mash-up’ pair of socks.  Along with my leftover ‘Starry Night’ yarn.  It’ll either be ugly as all get-out, or fantastic, we’ll see.

Third pair in progress:

(top of foot)

Pattern: Nightingale by Vintage Purls
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy in colorway Dusky Aurora (dark blue) and Gypsy Knits Sock It in colorway Fairy Tree (pale yellow)

(bottom of foot)

I cast these on because I had an uncontrollable itch to knit something in fair isle.  I want to do this pattern as a cardigan, but I couldn’t wait for the necessary yarn to be ordered for that, so I did some stash diving and came up with these yarns to do the socks.  At least this way, if I ever do the cardigan, I’ll have some matching socks to go with it.  I’m having fun with these – fair isle is so much fun!!

So, that’s what I have on my needles this week.  (Plus a shawl that I can’t show you.  Which is taking forever because there are beads involved.  Yep.)  I wonder how many more socks will end up on my needles by next week?

Happy Knitting!!

I finished another pair of socks:

Pattern: improvised – (a  basic cuff-down 64 stitch sock with short row heels)
Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug in colorway Gauguin, with colorway Velvet Plum for the heels and toes
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)
Started: January 12, 2012
Finished: January 24, 2012

Nothing spectacular about these – I did a 2×2 rib for the cuff and short row heels, and then decreased to 58 stitches for the foot after the heel, for a better fit.  Then I did a basic wedge toe.  Not sure I like the pooling going on, but the colors are wonderful.  It’s nice to add another pair to my sock drawer!

Short row heels with small gusset

I have two other pairs on the needles for my ‘art class’ knitting, so I’ll most likely have another finished pair to show you very soon.  Socks do make such wonderful ‘waiting room’ knitting!

Happy Knitting!!

So, here’s the pair I’m working on right now:

I’m using Lotus Yarns Charka yarn in the colorway Katherine.  I’m loving this yarn – it has 10% cashmere in it, which makes it so soft and sumptuous.  On top of that, I’m loving the colors in this skein – sable browns, and blue-greys.  I can’t wait to finish this pair so I can get them on my feet!

I’ve got another WiP I’m actively working on, but it’s a new shawl design – so I can’t show it to you just yet.   But I can show you the yarn I’m spinning for it!

It’s a cream colored 100% Polwarth, which I’m spinning as fine as I can so that I can then do a two-ply lace weight (or as close to lace weight as I can get!!)  It’s spinning up pretty slowly, since I’m spinning so fine, but I’m enjoying it so far.

Thank you for all the condolences for losing Harpo- my heart is still sad.  Our other cat, Minnie, has been depressed ever since he passed, so about a week ago we decided to go ahead and add another kitty to our family.  Meet Gracie, a 7 month old orange/brown tabby calico:

She is quite the kitten, and attacks my yarn and knitting needles, as well as my spinning wheel, so trying to knit and spin has been interesting these last few days.   Minnie is slowly getting used to her – she keeps looking at us as if to tell us that she didn’t want an annoying kitten, she wanted Harpo back.  But hopefully with a little time they’ll be best buds… and our hearts won’t hurt so badly from missing Harpo.