Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Yaaaaarrrrrrrnnnn

I totally missed out on talk like a pirate day. Again.

*sigh*

Instead I finally pulled the slightly more than 3 oz of organic cotton off the CPW. This is what that much handspun cotton looks like:

I assure you that however impressed you might be, its not enough. That is a crazy amount of cotton. Seriously. Do you know how long that much cotton takes to spin?

Anyway, I wound it off onto one of these nifty weaver's spools that I got so I can a) get stuff off the single bobbin antique and b) actually be able to find an empty bobbin for the sonata once and awhile. They were quite handy, very cheap and they hold a lot of yarn singles. Also they fit a cheapo ashford lazy kate.

I am still experimenting with the best way to wind them. I rigged up a makeshift quill thing attached the sonata flyer to get the cotton off but I suspect this is not a real good idea long term. I did locate my mini-dremel, which would be a pretty good solution, but the battery charger is MIA. I distantly remember going "Oh hey! I've been looking for this for three years!" back when I was packing in Kentucky, and then immediately stuffing it into a random box of crap so...

Yeah, its possible at this point I just need to get another dremel.


I also finished my experimental merino this weekend. I was trying to work on spinning thicker singles, which I think I was moderately successful at, but by the end of it there was all this really pretty yarn and I just knew plying was going to ruin all the colors.

So I dawdled for awhile and angst for awhile more and then someone at a knit group pointed out that the colors were kind of mardi gras and I should do something with gold beads.

Yes, well.

After three hours of cussing at seed beads that idea was scrapped, but I did ply with a gold thread.

I rather like it.

Weight varies between a light fingering to a dk and its quite light and soft and lofty. 320 yds to the larger skein, 230 to the smaller. A little over four & a half ounces total. The roving was from allspunup on etsy and I want more. No idea what it will become yet, but the nice thing about making yarn is that sometimes the yarn can just be the end project and sit around looking pretty and impressive until you come up with a pattern for it.

Less sucessful this week was dyeing.

When I first dyed this it was a sunny yellow. It was a quite pretty color actually, very bright and vibrant. And not at all the warm ambery yellow-gold I was going for. So I, in my infinite wisdom, thought I'd just pop it back in the pot, add some reddish browns and a bit of selective green. Tone it down, warm it up, mellow it out...

And I'm not sure I like it.

Actually I'm not sure I hate it.

Its muddy. The colors bleed everywhere instead of staying in the nice distinct areas I put them. The greens just give a greyish tinge to the roving, and the browns split a bit and there's more orange and less gold than I wanted.

Its wet still, and so I'm reserving final judgement for daylight and dry wool... but its not looking good. I suppose worst case this becomes sampling fiber and I get another batch for the finished yarn... but I'm bummed out.

Maybe I should have just been happy with my sunny yellow.

Also, my orange dye stock has taken on a disturbingly gelatinous texture. Its freaking me out a bit.

Also, also. I got my Kauni today. But it deserves its own post so I'll save it for later.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Gotta hit em all!

I have my map all laid out here:


View 2009 Yarn Crawl in a larger map

It is still a work in progress but you are very impressed, no?

Game plan as of today (subject to change, overtime and the chaos that runs my life):

I am factoring about an hour time spent at each shop, with an attempt at a half hour of buffer where possible to account for traffic and getting lost.

Friday - get off work at 3. Get to Bluebonnet and Gauge before they close (both at 6pm). Make it to HCW if there is time, but don't strain it (also to close at 6pm).

Saturday - hit a line of stuff towards San Antonio. The Yarn Barn Opens first on Saturday so get there before ten (this means leaving North Austin by about 8am). Work back to Yarnivore (11:30). Stop somewhere interesting in San Antinio for lunch(12:30-1:30). Drive back out to Old Oaks Ranch in Wimberly (3:30). Final Stop of the day is the Knitting Nest (5:30) &/or HCW if I didn't get to them Friday. HCW might be a smarter choice since the Knitting Nest will be open Monday until 9pm. Have a celebratory dinner somewhere in Central Austin and gloat proudly over all the yarn I didn't mean to buy.

Sunday - hit the way out there shops. Start at Stonehill in Fredricksburg (10am - once again this is an 8am leave time morning). Loop back to the Tinsmith's Wife in Comfort (11:30). Stop for lunch somewhere in Comfort or Boerne(12:15-1:15). Hit Rosewood Yarns (1:30) and Ewe & Eye (2:30). Go home and take a nap. Or alternately hit the Knitting Nest or HCW if they are still missing from the passport and then go take a nap. Wonder over dinner why I thought this was such a good idea. Snuggle up with pretty yarn and try to get some sleep before the weekend is over.

Monday - get out of work by 4. Get out to Yarnorama. Since I work out in Taylor even if I have to stay late this should be achievable and, unless I'm still missing the Knitting Nest, my last shop. Go home and stare at the new stash. Resolve not to buy any more yarn for at least three months (well... resolve for six and then fail to last more than 2).

Spend the following week in a state of yarn shock, eating out because there was no time to go grocery shopping or do the dishes over the weekend and sniffing clothes because usually laundry is a weekend task as well. Pass in and outer of hyperactive yarn crazy and fits of frantic startitis.

Indeed. It shall be a great thing.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

I should know better

Rather than hunt down some Kauni I, in my infinite wisdom, decided to dye up some KP sock blanks for a Revontuli shawl. This is for my Grandmother for Christmas and she wanted a rainbow of colors. So I painted on the colors and ran it through the dye pot (twice because I wanted to make sure the color took all the way through) and... its crap.

Okay, its not crap exactly. Its more or less rainbow colored, but despite my best efforts white spots remain and so my reds knit up splotchy pink and the Kelly Green, which incidently was the ONLY color to dye all the way through, came out pretty well neon due to what I'm guessing is some yellow splitting (at least... its never dyed up quite this neon green for me before).

Also, I seem to have forgotten that I hate KP essential. HATE. Somewhat unsurprisingly the yarn was not improved any by being pre-knit into a sheet. It still makes my teeth hurt to knit with it.

So.

Dyed yarn is getting tossed (or RAKd or something... there are people in the universe that would probably like this yarn... if I didn't hate the base so much I think the end result would make some pretty badass knee-high socks) and I've found a couple of skeins of Kauni in the EQ colorway on a ravelry destash.

Odds are good I won't like working with the Kauni either, but at least the colors will be good and it won't make that awful squeaky noise when I knit.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Knitter's Log 09.05-08



Yarn Date: 09.08.09

Encountered dangerously powerful yarn fumes in Paige. Crew eventually escaped but not without casualties.

Damage Report includes: 1 laceweight cardigan pattern with yarn

Estimated time to recovery: determination pending science team reports

Incoming fiber is already integrating into the system, long term affects of the species are not yet determined.

Issues with engineering resulted in two failed cast ons. Further study uncovered lack of processing power at fault. Am assured that new mathematical models will correct the problem.

Shipment of incoming fiber is predicted for this week. Containment procedures are in place and I am cautiosly optimistic to begin processing gift knits.

Total Hours logged this period:
Knit: 14.5
Spin: 2.5
Dye: 3