Snowy Springs

That is, we got snow again. And unlike most people around here, I am still stoked about it. Considering we had temperatures almost in the 50's between snows, it's easy to remember that this is not an extended winter, just a spring with flurries. Unfortunately, we had no great picture opportunities on either yesterdays walk or this mornings. And let's be honest, I didn't take a camera with me. I did however get some good post walk pictures.

And that once again is Tucker who likes to sleep with his tongue sticking out, although here he has a bit of the land shark mouth going on. Silly dog.

So, I have not been knitting much these days. I pick the few projects up for a bit and am just not into them so they promptly get put back down. I get irritated with myself when I get in this state and work at fighting off the startitis that starts to edge in. I normally knuckle down and make myself wipe out some projects but now with spinning on my list of hobby's I'm finding that I let myself wander over to the wheel to distract myself.

Last week I got my Cephalopod Yarns fiber wiped out. Can't say I'm thrilled with nor was I in love with the fiber as I was hoping to be, but it's pretty and very soft in the end.

It's a chain ply three ply but to be honest I do not know what weight it is. I just realized that I haven't figured out it's WPI yet and simply can't care too much to go dig it out and do it. I was glad when it was all finished that the fiber that was neon pink spun out darker and more fuchsia and purple like the original online pictures made the unspun fiber appear. I thought the angora and merino would lend itself better to the chain ply and I'm still working on perfecting that technique.

Next I jumped back into my Under the Sea fiber from Huckleberry Knits.

I got the slub single done and plyed it with the thread single for my finished flame yarn. It too was an experiment to play with a new technique and though it is pretty I am not sure of my feelings. The above picture was while it was hanging to dry.

This morning's sun was too good to pass up so I got the yarn skeined up, WPI figured out and out for pictures.

The end product is nice, but I don't know if I will do anything with it or give it away. The polwarth played well and most of it did well though I wasn't familiar with this technique. I do have a couple slubs that failed to wrap well in the plying but oh well, what can ya do? I almost always rename my yarns from the color ways they come named. This one came as "Under the Sea" but I think I like the name "Where the Sea Otters Play" It truly is sea like colors and makes me think of the lower ends of the kelp waving in the darker waters where Sea Otters romp. hide, and eat urchins.

I also ended up with about 80yds of thread remaining on one bobbin.

With all the new plying techniques I got under my belt I decided that this months beautiful "Seek No Further" Combed Falkland Top should be just a simple 2 ply yarn. I broke the fiber into two hanks right in the middle for long color ways, then spun them out as thin singles, trying for something a little thicker than what my hands have been finding to be their natural gauge.

It as usual, was a beautiful spin. Scarlet does such a wonderful job prepping her fibers. After resting for a couple days I plyed them up together last night.

Now It's just sitting on my wheel setting the finished spin in before I skein it up tomorrow night and wash and hang it. I have to admit, the waiting between spinning sessions to let spin set is the part I have the hardest time with. I'm just not patient enough, but soon you will be seeing the finished product.

With all that said, I need to get showered, dressed for work and go pay that ticket before work.  Hope you all have a great day and if you have sun, get out and enjoy it.