Is it cotton candy?

This looks good enough to eat!

But it would taste terrible. Finished 310 yards of 2-ply handspun Romney. More to come.

15 Hexapuffs made in New Harbor.

...and it's still here!

Gorgeous day. Beautiful place. So lucky to be here.

5 mile walk starting at 7:00 am, a bit later than usual, but sleep was so delicious. The cannon fired at 8:00 as I was heading back.

At this point in the vacation, the days begin to blend together, in a delightful way.

Knitting continues on the "Summer of..." MKAL, with the final clue due to arrive on Friday, August 2nd.

Maybe I already posted this. Losing my memory...

Handspinning: plowing through 17.2 ounces of Romney in pinks and reds. I wound bobbin #1 into a cake this morning so I could measure it. The second bobbin is filling up quickly. Trying to get 2 ounces spun up each day.

443 yards of Romney singles

??? yards of Romney singles.

Dragon's Egg Sock #1 for ??? The heel is turned and the gusset is half done.

Nine little hexapuffs are complete.

S

Some new purchases:

Artyarns "Regal Silk" for another MKAL starting August 1 on Craftsy

Malabrigo Sock for the Estuary Shawlette purchased at Over the Rainbow Yarn

 

Quince and Co. Finch for Aranami Shawl - did I already post this???

That's all for today! Hope to finish the first Dragon's Egg sock and make more headway on my Vitamin D sweater, along with spinning 2 more ounces of Romney. Will it (the Romney) never come to an end???

More

It seems that I'm settling into a routine here:

• Early morning fast walk (at least 3.5 miles, more often 5.0 miles)
• Coffee and knitting
• Knitting on sock
• Knitting on sweater
• Knitting on MKAL
• Knitting at least one hexapuff
• Spinning
• Needlepoint

I'm doing a little bit on each project everyday. Works for me!

Photos!

Approximately 5 ounces of Romney singles

MKAL through Clue 6 (of 7 total)

Dragon's Egg Sock #1

3 more Hexapuffs!

Quince & Co. Finch Yarn for Aranami Shawl

Quince & Co. stash of Finch AND Tern

Time Folded

Green Pear Tree in September

By Freya Manfred

On a hill overlooking the Rock River

my father’s pear tree shimmers,

in perfect peace,

covered with hundreds of ripe pears

with pert tops, plump bottoms,  

and long curved leaves.

Until the green-haloed tree

rose up and sang hello,

I had forgotten. . .  

He planted it twelve years ago,

when he was seventy-three,

so that in September

he could stroll down  

with the sound of the crickets

rising and falling around him,

and stand, naked to the waist,

slightly bent, sucking juice

from a ripe pear.

"Robin Red Breast" Gotland 2-ply

August is gone and I don't really know where it went. That tends to happen in August. Now it's September and I'm back at school, beginning my 29th year as a children's librarian.

"Field of Dreams" shetland 3-ply

This summer I spun more yarn than I ever have in such a short period. Now that work intrudes, the wheel sits more than it spins, but that's okay - a significant dent was made in the fiber stash.

"Big Bang" BFL 2-ply

Very little knitting happening, since finishing the Elm socks a few weeks ago. I've started the 8th pair of socks for the year - just a vanilla pair but with most lovely Cherry Tree Hill sockweight merino. This knitting competes for attention with the Penelope Shrug I'm knitting from Quince and Company Finch in a deep charcoal gray. Usually I can find a few minutes during lunchtime at work, but the first few weeks of school are too busy to breathe, let alone knit.

"Northern Lights" Targhee - what I'm working on in early September

My Favorite Month

Yes! It's June! How I love this month - the month when Zig and I got married (30 years ago this year), the month when school lets out for the summer, the month when the sun and the birds are up delightfully early.

Lest you think I've forgotten entirely about my blog, please know that I think of posting every day; I just don't have enough time to set myself down in front of the laptop and create a post. But, here I am, better late than never.

Foot Model Abe wearing Turbo Toes

Lots of knitting and spinning going on. I finished Turbo Toes, from Clara Parkes The Knitter's Book of Socks, and gave them to Abe. I'm still undecided on whether I like toe-up sock design, and also whether I prefer knitting socks on two circulars, the Magic Loop method of sock knitting, or good old double pointed needles. On this particular pair, I exhibited wishy-washy behaviors - casting on with dpns, then switching to two circulars, then using Magic Loop for awhile, then reverting (on the second sock) to dpns.

Hold on. I was just sitting on the deck, blithely typing, when I heard some noises near me. Turned and saw a cute gray squirrel approaching me - he had no idea I was there. I shooed him away, and returned to typing, but not long after I heard more noises. Bigger, crunching-branches-type noises. I thought our little bear, who visited us four times yesterday, was back. I stood up to get a look, and saw, not the little bear, but two full-grown bears ambling down the hil towards our driveway. One was HUGE. It might be the largest one I've seen. They both knew I was there - they looked right at me. I grabbed the camera, which, fortunately, was sitting right near me, and snapped away. The big one snuffled up some birdseed from the freshly-filled feeder. The smaller one had not only eartags, but a radio collar. Here's some pics:

I don't think the one on the right has been tagged...

Speaking of the little bear, here's the juvenile who pestered us for about 4 hours on Saturday. Abe was making pulled pork tacos, which required roasting a large piece of pork loin for six hours, which had been marinated in spices for hours before cooking. Needless to say, the aroma wafting out our open windows and doors was...tantalizing, to say the least. This little guy sure wanted him some tacos. He even went so far as to walk up onto the deck and try to get in the screen door by standing up and pushing, but we managed to scare him off. He wasn't very intimidated by us, though, and we're worried that his lack of fear is going to lead him to a bad place.

Yes, he looks like a wood carving, but he's real.

I have to say, I'm a wee bit nervous sitting out here now. Zig and Abe are off at a driving range, so it's just me and the baseball bat Zig dug out yesterday. Maybe I should go get it...

Okay, back to knitting and spinning. Since finishing the socks, I suppressed the noble tendency to go back and finish up the string bag (which is rapidly morphing into a UFO - UnFinished Object), or to make more headway on the DeGraw tank I started last weekend, and, yes, cast on The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief, using the mauve Fonty Gueret I picked up in Paris. This is going to be a birthday gift for my dear friend Pam. So far, it's a quick, fun knit. The yarn is a soft, sproingy merino.

Fonty Gueret Merino for The Age of Brass and Steam Kerchief

This is turning into a long post. Knitting and spinning and BEARS, oh my! On (at long last) to spinning. I finished up four ounces of Spunky Eclectic's "Peace on Earth" South African Fine fiber. I ended up with 318 yards of 2 ply, in what I suspect will be a fingering weight. This was a fun spin.

Spunky Eclectic's "Peace on Earth" South African Fine 2-ply

Of course, as I was working on this fiber, the May 2012 shipment arrived, which means I'm STILL 5 months behind on the fiber club. It could be worse - I AM gaining ground.

Spunky Eclectic's "Big Bang" Blue-Faced Leicester Top

"Birds n' Berries" Targhee

Now I'm just starting to spin for a fingering weight 2-ply, using SE's "Birds n' Berries", the January 2012 shipment of Targhee. I divided the bump vertically, hoping for some striping, but that never quite seems to work out the way I want it to. As usual, what seemed like a lackluster colorway is becoming breathtaking gorgeous on the wheel. I've fallen in love with this. Here's a photo of the un-predrafted bump:

Well, I guess that about wraps up my fiber life. And wild life.

Yes, I've been exercising regularly, too, but I am still far from being described as "lean", "angular", "slender", and the like. Still, I do feel good!

Latest Handspun

Superwash Corriedale. 312 yards 2-ply. Spunky Eclectic

Hey, this is the September 2011 shipment. I'm never going to catch up!

Spinning Wheel

by Neva Flores
 

Come twist my weave with your spinning wheel
Bend my twine into your making
Hold closely to your heart, that which you feel
When you take on
This undertaking

Spin my beautiful colors into a yarn of your choice
With your lovely spindle
I watch you spinning round, listening to your voice
As I become
Elegantly detailed

Remember, as you twist my weave, to always
Keep one hand free
One to hold your distaff far away
The other, to spin your love
Into me

Yes, I'm Still Here

PARIS

Paris
A wonderful city
A place for lovers
Paris
A city to dream wild
Paris
In that river the boats are moving with lovers inside
Watching that beautiful sky above the river
And the moon from that beautiful sky
Is shining in
The river
Paris
A city that never sleeps
Paris
The romance is in the air
Paris
The lovers are feeling the love that are in the air
Paris
That smell of the roses the lovers can smell
Paris
This is the sign that spring is here
Paris
Spring is the most beautiful time of the year
Now that winter has finally gone to sleep
Paris
The lovers welcome spring with open arms

Aldo Kraas

Paris was indescribable - in all positive ways - therefore, I won't attempt to describe it. But I'll be putting photos up on Facebook, a few at a time, and who knows? I just might insert a few anecdotes in here, now and then, if the mood strikes.

But what about the knitting, you ask? And the handspinning? And the exercise? Well, I'm back with lots of things to show and tell.

First off, I have photos to show of six different fibers spun up during the winter of 2012, that I FINALLY got around to washing, thwacking (to set the twist) and drying in the bright sun.

This side: "Change", "Angkor Wat", "Nightmare" - all Spunky Eclectic fibers

This side: "Night Owl", "Little Periwinkles", "Headache" - all Spunky Eclectic fibers

Washed, Thwacked, and Drying

Unfortunately, I've already added all these to the spinning "mileage" gadget, but I do hope to make some significant progress on what's been waiting for me so patiently - the "Tartan" fiber that I'm more than 50% done with.

String Theory Seri leftovers

As for knitting, I (as always) took more yarn/needles/patterns with me to Paris than I ever could have knit in a month, and I didn't even finish the Tour Eiffel shawlette I had hoped to wear while there. But it's finally off the needles, as of today, and is washed and blocking as I type. I knitted this using String Theory Yarn's "Seri" in their "Carina" colorway, and I LOVE it. The 100-gram skein had 1120 yards in it.  I measured (on my handy yarn meter) the leftover yarn, and I still have 400 yards left (maybe a yard or two less than that) for another project. Thank you, String Theory!

Tour Eiffel Shawlette is off the needles!

Tour Eiffel Shawlette detail

The center of this photo shows the motif captured in the shawl.

This was a delight to knit. Natalie Servant's directions and charting were clear and complete. The finished product is soft and feather-light - perfect for these (way too chilly) spring days.

I thought the graphite color was going to be a perfect match, but realized, when actually there, that the real tower is painted brown. Oh, well. A shawl knitted in the true color would be UGLY. Mine is BEAUTIFUL.

Now I am trying to finish up the second of the pair of vanilla socks I began way back in (gasp) February. So much for the lofty goal of knitting two pairs a month in 2012. Eiffel Tower shawls take a long time, as do Fair Isle Malthese Flower shawls (I'm ALMOST done!). And I'm still plugging away on the tangerine string bag for Zig.

I lied. Here's a Paris story. I made my way one afternoon to Lil Weasel, a tiny yarn shop in the Marais. I was the only customer, and I allowed my lack of French to scare me, but I did manage to ask for, and purchase, several items, including two colors of yarn actually produced in France. (It seems that there isn't much of this.) The shop was lovely, welcoming, colorful, and very well stocked with Cascade and Malabrigo.

Lil Weasel Yarn Shop, Paris, France

Mauve Fonty "Gueret", a DK- weight yarn made in France

Red Fonty "Gueret" from Lil Weasel

Gorgeous Malabrigo destined to become a Pimpelliese scarf

The Gueret yarn will, I think be knit up into "Saroyan" and "Brandywine" scarves.

Well, that's about enough for now. Oh, yeah - exercise. We walked more than 50 miles while in Paris, and since we've been back, I'm back in the saddle with weights and aerobic activity.

...and March fades away

(excerpted from The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot) APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.

(excerpted from The Waste Land, by T. S. Eliot)
APRIL is the cruellest month, breeding

 

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

 

Memory and desire, stirring

 

Dull roots with spring rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Malthese Shawl - first half of the top border - the second half will fold backwards onto the first half, wrong sides together.

My lack of posts is criminal. My dear college friend Carol gave me a very gentle kick in the pants via Facebook yesterday. Thanks to her, I'm back. All I can say in my defense is that the Malthese Flowers shawl has taken over my non-professional life. I work on it and work on it and work on it and work on it ad nauseum yet never seem closer to the top of the piece. I was taken unawares by the fact that the border on all three sides has to be knit twice so that the second one is the facing of the first one. That added a solid week and more to the project. It's not looking good for Paris. But maybe it's just too BRIGHT for Paris - I would stand out like a double dahlia amongst all the sober, chic BLACK.

Speaking of black, I did purchase yarn and a new pattern booklet for a simple, shaped tank. That's the first yarn purchased this year, I do believe. Marji had a model on display in her shop, and my resolve vanished.

DeGraw tank pattern with black "Ripple" yarn - Tahki Stacy Charles

The only other yarn purchase was a carton full of Knit Picks Cotlin - 20 skeins in all. These will be used to knit up a new armada of string bags for Zig, as the ones he currently has are much the worse for wear, with runs and breaks and all kinds of knitterly havoc. It pains me to knit an entire new set in BEIGE, so I ran wild with color selection:

Knit Picks Cotlin for string bags

I justify this purchase by filing it under "Household Expenses".

No progress AT ALL on handspun - the photos here are probably the same as in the last post but it's Thursday night and I'm tired and too lazy to go check:

First half of Tartan

Wimpy start on second half of Tartan

As regards diet and weight loss, I'm stubbornly hanging in there with diet and exercise, but not seeing much reduction. I do, however, feel really good, and it seems as though my clothes fit me better, so I count that as progress toward the desired goal.

Conference Week

It's the second of two crazy school weeks. The first was back in November, after the first trimester report cards were sent home. Now we're done with the second trimester, and parents are streaming in for evening and/or after-school conferences. Our school is always bustling during these weeks - the PTO holds a Scholastic Book Fair in the gym, sells Hartland clothing in the front hall, and a town resident who is a portrait photographer sets up her portable studio in the library to shoot photos of kids. Kids stream in and out of the library while their parents meet with teachers. We enjoy it, but we all breathe a sigh of relief when the week ends.

Zig's traveling this week - gone for two nights. As always, I'll toss and turn...

Knitting and spinning. The spinning (Falkland wool) has been spectacular. I'm now plying (2-ply) the singles, and the finished yarn should be lovely. Knitting-wise, the second vanilla sock is on hold. I'm working on Malthese in the morning before school, and on the Tour Eiffel shawl during lunch and in the evening.

It's March, but it's still pretty darn cold:

Winter Clothes
by Karla Kuskin

Under my hood I have a hat
And under that
My hair is flat.
Under my coat
My sweater's blue.
My sweater's red
I'm wearing two.
My muffler muffles to my chin
And round my neck
And then tucks in.
My gloves were knitted
By my aunts.
I've mittens too
And pants
And pants
And boots
And shoes
With socks inside.
The boots are rubber, red and wide.
And when I walk
I must not fall
Because I can't get up at all.