Random thoughts of a fiber enthusiast - mostly fiber related, sometimes coherent

Category: Spin Page 45 of 69

Fall is in the air

And it’s been cold.  Walking the dog now means long pants and sweaters instead of shorts and t-shirts.  My fingers are cold.  I can’t find my fingerless gloves, then I remembered that I left them up on the island for keeping my hands warm while walking on the beach.  It’s time to make another pair.  My eyes fell on the Green Bananas yarn.  It’s a bit thicker than what I like for socks (almost DK weight), but they are perfect for gloves. The first one took nearly a full day, since I was making up the pattern as I went.  3 rip outs later, I’ve got a glove.  The second one went quickly because I just matched it to the one already knit.  Unfortunately, I didn’t measure quite correctly (difficult to see when the lights are dimmed at the club and belly dancers are doing their thing), so it’s slightly smaller than the first.  But they’ll keep my hands warm while walking the dog.  He won’t mind.

Specs:
Gauge: 5 sts/in
Needles: US #4 (3.5 mm)
Pattern: My own, using the wide gusset recipe from Interweave Knits, Winter 2003. Gusset over 2 sts instead of 4; increased to 14 sts for thumb gusset. 3 row picot hem. 32 sts around. Otherwise, fit as I went to determine when/where to start fingers.

New Spinner

A Womack Butterfly Electric Spinner appeared on my door step last month.  Yeah, magically.  I don’t know how that happened. (If you believe that, I have some prime real estate in Florida for you…)  It really does spin wonderfully.  And it’s quiet!

The wood is spalted maple.  I bought it with the Woolee Winder option.  After all, why go fast when you have to keep stopping to move the yarn from hook to hook?  I requested the flyer on the left because I draft with my left hand.  More importantly, I’m right handed so the right hand is a bit more sensitive when adjusting the speed dial. This way, I don’t have to cross my body when I need to fine tune the speed.

My test spins?

Fiber: 4oz. Spunky Eclectic 100% BFL Green Bananas
Plies: 3
WPI: 11-12
Yardage: 220 yards

Singles spun on the Butterfly, plied on my Schacht Matchless.  I chose to ply on the Matchless because I make frequent stops when I ply to adjust this and that.  It’s easier to make quick stops with the wheel than on the Matchless.

Before I washed it, the yarn was very stiff.  I was disappointed that I may have overspun the singles.  But after a soak, the fiber softened right up.  The yarn isn’t particularly even, by my standards, but I’m quite happy with it,  Another pair of socks, coming up!

Fiber: Chameleon Colorworks BFL, 4 oz. each of Eggplant and Purple Rain colorways.
Plies: 2
Laceweight (didn’t measure the WPI on this)
Yardage: 1168 yards

Purple Rain is variegated, with blues, purples, and a small hint of green (bobbin on the left).  Eggplant (middle bobbin) is a nearly solid that is the same as the darkest purple in Purple Rain.  The resulting yarn (right bobbin) is, unsurprisingly, dominated by the purple.  It’ll be interesting to see how the colors pop out when knitted.  I’m thinking a lace something, either a square or a round shawl.

Again, the singles are spun on the Butterfly, and plied on the Matchless.

#8 & 9

There’s been a dry spell on socks. Unless there was another pair of finished socks that I can’t remember. Completely possible.

October Socks (Socks #8)

Yarn: I can’t remember — Lana Grossa?
Needles: 2.5mm
Pattern: My standard toe up socks with 64 stitches around.

It was a limited time colorway, sold in hanks.  The colors reminded me of fall colors.  I worked on these during SOAR.  The first sock was finished during the field trip to HTTM.  My eyes were on the fall colors in the hillsides from the bus.  My fingers were working on these socks.

I’m rather disappointed how the yarn patterning turned out.  It’s too mottled for my taste.

November Socks (Socks #9)

Yarn: Handspun Spunky Eclectic 100% BFL; 3 ply; fingering weight; spun in October 2008.
Colorway: Burning Bush
Needles: 2.5mm
Pattern: Standard toe-up socks with waffle cuffs.

Waffle pattern:
Row 1 & 2: k2, p2
Row 3 & 4: k

The yarn is extremely cushy.  I was aiming for the look of my favorite sock yarn — Zitron’s Trekking XXL.  I love how Trekking gently flows from one color to another without repeats.  I think I really came close with this.  I stripped the roving into thirds lengthwise, but otherwise, just let things happen.  The yarn is still thicker than Trekking, but it’s much softer and has more loft.

Granted, it probably won’t wear nearly as well, since it is 100% BFL, but it is lovely.

I added the waffle pattern to the cuff, because I’ve always loved the Blueberry Waffle sock pattern, but have never actually made a pair because I merrily knit along and forget to switch to pattern.

I started out the year making about 2 pairs of socks per month. It was because I was trying out a bunch of different toe/heel methods. Things have slowed down dramatically since then. I wonder if I can average 1 pair a month for the year? 7 weeks remaining for 3 more pairs. We’ll see.  Maybe there’s a miracle and there were completed socks that I forgot to document.

Page 45 of 69

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén