Fiber Musings

I woke up this morning to an empty gas tank, and $2 per gallon of gas in Seattle. And to top it off, according to this morning’s paper, the gas companies have a formula for neighborhood-by-neighborhood pricing — basically what they think that neighborhood can bear. Unfortunately, I’m in one of those lucky neighborhoods.

But thank goodness for a very small gas tank and great gas mileage (50 miles to the gallon, 2 gallon capacity). Even though the gas gauge light was blinking at me this morning, it only took 1.5 gallons — $3. I won’t have to fill up for another month. Although, if things continue as they are, I will be using my Vespa a lot more! As long as the weather cooperates, that is. In Seattle, that can be a little dicey. But in an El Nina winter, there has been lots of opportunities for some really fun scoots to and from work. Hence the lost of knitting time on busses. As you can tell, I’m not complaining.

My department was just “re-organized” from IT to Finance yesterday. Today was the first divisional meeting. While I was standing in the back of the room, I looked around and there was this woman with fire engine red hair (color of my spinning wheel) from the roots to about half way down the length, then it faded to black, with some reddish brown in between. She had it way up in fluffy pig tails beginning at the crown of her head. (and yes, she was all dressed in red and black to match her hair) It was all I could do to keep myself from pulling the drop spindle out of my computer bag and grab a handful of that hair. I think it would spin beautifully! Is that bad of me?

And before you ask, yes, there are certain people in my company that pride themselves in being different. They seem to congregate in a couple of departments. Her department being one. The woman sitting next to her could have doubled for Boy George during his Karma Chameleon period. Boy, am I dating myself!

America’s Cup Update

Wow! Team New Zealand is just having bad luck on top of bad luck. Their mast broke today during the leg 3 of the 4th race. What a scary sight. I’m glad that no one was hurt during that not so little incident.

Score: Alinghi 4, Team New Zealand 0.

And in case anyone is keeping the other score:

Race 1: Broken shackle before the start of the race; took on 6 tonnes of water; broken boom during leg 1; titanium ring on the genoa shattered (still leg 1); blew out a second sail (yes, still leg 1) and then gave up and was towed home.

Race 2: Outsailed by Alinghi on the last leg of the race, minutes from the finish line.

Race 3: Bad wind call by Team New Zealand, and a great call by the Alinghi weather team.

Race 4: Broken mast in leg 3.

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I finally finished Mom’s red socks that I started way back in January. And, yes! they really are that bright and shiny! I took a couple of detours while working on these socks (Fuzzy Feet, 2 socks on 2 circulars, and the start of the Timber Frame). These were primarily my bus project, but I haven’t been riding the bus during the past couple of weeks, so I decided to just sit down and finish them. Yeah! I promised myself that I wouldn’t start the Lorna’s Laces socks for myself until these were finished. What an incentive!

Speaking of Fuzzy Feet, I tossed them in the laundry with some towels earlier this week. They felted quite a bit, but the circumference is still too big. I’ll need to toss them in another load of hot. As you can see, I don’t do a load just to felt, and I’m not very exacting with it either. I also do stuff that people say you shouldn’t do / can’t do (that has just the opposite effect on me). You see, I use a front loading washer. Believe me, stuff felts in a front loading washer. It just takes longer. And if you are actually doing laundry, well, you’re not wasting time nor water.

Our friend Hugh came out from Boston to go to a memorial service for another friend of ours, Richard. We all drove down to Portland for the service this weekend. Since I did the driving, I didn’t get much knitting done this past weekend. We had a great visit with Hugh though, under these very strange circumstances. Hugh will be coming back in the late spring to go on a sailing cruise so the family can scatter Richard’s ashes in the Puget Sound. Martin will go along as Hugh’s second mate.

Not much else happening here. Work has been absolutely crazy. To give you an idea, I have had some of our European users emailing me and asking why I’m still up during their work day. I’ve been spinning a little bit on the Lorna’s Laces rovings while trying to wind down from a long day/night at work. The trick is to not get so involved and forgetting about the time and not getting enough/any sleep as a result!

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Here’s my variation to the Philosopher’s Wool Timber Frame pattern. I’m making it with Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in Moss and Raven. I’m following their instructions for weaving in the yarn. There is absolutely nothing to snag fingers on!

I still need to work on my tension. The outside looks slightly corrugated because my right hand tends to knit a little tighter than my left (I normally knit continental). So even while weaving, I’m pulling that stitch in a little tight (indented). I’m glad that I decided to do a “practice” garmet before tackling the Kilim Jacket. Hopefully, I’ll figure out how much tension to put in by that time.

I’ll be cutting this into a shaped armhole with a V-neck vest. I can’t wait. Since I’m so short, I’ll be making it a lot shorter than what the pattern calls for, so I’m about 1/2 way there already. I had thought of starting the Timber Frame pattern part way up so that I can get to the shorter repeats near the shoulder, but I decided to try it just as it is and see how it comes out. There’s always the next time.

Spinning

I’m finally plying that painted silk rovings that I spindle spun. I’m plying on my new Golding drop spindle. It’s one of 2 that I got for Christmas. (Blue Flower and Purpleheart) Wow! These things spin forever! So far, I still haven’t got the hang of spinning wool rovings with these babies because they are much heavier than the spindles that I’m used to. But they are perfect for plying the silk.

Finished skein: approx. 25 grams, 440 yards.
Photo 1
Photo 2

Fiber Cats

I’ve noticed that most fibery and knitty folks seem to have cats and show quite a few gratuitous kitty pictures, so I’ve decided to offer a little eye candy for the kitties … Flo Control. You can watch the daily/hourly adventures of Squirrel and Alexia (Flo has already left for kitty heaven) by following the Today’s Events link on the Flo Watch page.

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Not much happening this week, I’m afraid. I’m on call again, and I start my motorcycle safety class tomorrow night and all day Saturday and Sunday. Very little fiber stuff happening this week.

Sunday, I started the PW Timber Frame using that moss green yarn I bought a month or so back (the one that refused to be either of the 2 projects I started on it). I got some black for a 2 color vest. I’m practicing the PW FI method before I get started on my kit.

New camera came via UPS yesterday. So far, I like it. The clarity is wonderful. It even takes little movies! Now I just have to install the software and start learning the other side of it. Once I get that figured out, I can start posting pictures taken from it.

That’s it. Night all.

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It’s been cold in Seattle. Okay, not as cold as back East, but definitely chilly here for Seattle (mid thirties). EliSpot definitely thinks so. She burrowed herself under the down comforter for her afternoon nap. She’s not pleased that I disturbed her nap.

Ta Da … may I present to you … The Fuzzy Feet!

The pink one on the left with the fuzzy cuff is mine, and the grey with purple cuff is Martin’s. I haven’t had time to felt them yet. I’ll do that tonight or later this week.

I went to the Philosopher’s Wool workshop and saw all those wonderful sweaters up close. I tried on a few and touched a lot. What wonderful stuff. Eugene entertained us with his storytelling while Ann taught us how to weave in our fair isle stitches, steeks, getting over the fear of cutting into our knitting, and how to size and do the final fit on the sweaters — and how to resize.

It was a really fun workshop. We knitted along while they talked. We looked at all the colourways and all the different knit patterns. Unfortunately, my sinus headache got to the point where I couldn’t see straight at the end of the workshop. All I could do was keep knitting in order to concentrate on what Ann and Eugene were talking about (and to take my mind off of the headache). As soon as I stopped knitting, I had to leave. I barely got home. But not before I bought my kit (grin). Once home, I crawled into bed in a dark room for several hours before I felt human again.

It was a difficult decision, but this is the kit that I finally decided on … the Kilim Jacket in the Hollyberry Colorway. Oops, I mean “colourway.”

Socknitter’s CyberSock Class — 2 socks on 2 circulars update

I finished these a while back but haven’t taken the pictures. You can see them here.

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