Dyed in the Wool Handmade

I’ve decided to admit to myself that I just don’t like spinning from commercially prepared merino top. I’ve started on two separate tops and I’m so drawn to them because of their amazing colourways but after spinning for a bit my mind wanders and I think about all the fun stuff I could be spinning instead. When I got to the point where I was bargaining with myself about putting in time with the merino before I could go do something else, I decided to just stop and do something different with the fibre.

This is merino from Hello Yarn in Warmed. I love the colours but don’t like this kind of prep with such short fibres. So I ripped it apart and took my handcards to it, blending colours as I felt like it. I made A LOT of rolags! I can’t wait to see how this turns out when I spin it up tonight. I’m a lot more comfortable with my handcards now as well, and I think most of the rolags I made are good ones that will unfurl properly.

This is my Sugarplum corriedale. I’ve been working on some repeatable colourways and this is one of them (Dr. Spaceman is another). Lately I’m really enjoying plying with thread! I’m going to have to knit up one of these yarns to see what kind of fabric it makes. I need to find the right stitch pattern and maybe I’ll put together a few scarf or hat kits to go with the yarn.

Updated: Here’s a good YouTube video of the English longdraw from a rolag.

I enjoy Christmas for the most part (read: when I’m prepared), but I am always glad when it’s over. I prefer the sleepy week afterward, when my kid is still home from school and it feels like Saturday afternoon all day, every day.

We spent the eve and the day at my parents’ where I made a prime rib with yorkshires and gravy and roast potatoes with parsnips. Unfortunately, there was a burning oil incident with the yorkshires. The whole house filled with smoke and we determined my parents need new smoke detectors.

The next morning we all opened our presents. I gave Natalie a swift and a ball winder, along with these gorgeous fingerless mitts. I bought the pattern in November and dyed my seacell yarn in a silvery colour. I finished and blocked the mitts on Sunday night, so they were dry by Monday morning. We forgot to take our camera with us, so I don’t have a photo of them! I’ll get one as soon as I can and post it. They turned out beautifully. No one but us will know that I screwed up the lace pattern on both thumbs. Shhhh.

However, they’re really narrow. They fit Natalie and Nicci but they don’t come close to fitting me. Then again, I can palm a basketball so maybe it’s not so much that they’re narrow than I’m a giant-handed freakess. For myself I’m going to try a pair in DK and see how that works out.

Natalie gave me the Knitpicks Options bag in blue (which is much bluer in person) and a generous gift card toward the new couch I want, as well as some Xbox and Wii games for Jeremy and Alex.

Jeremy was the star of Christmas this year because he bought himself bought Alex Rock Band for the Xbox. Best. Game. Ever. BESTGAMEEVER!!11!!one1!!

Right now Alex is stuck at the kitchen table, working on an art research project that is way, way past due instead of playing with his new presents. And I’m being totally nice and not even taunting him about it.

Tonight there’s no dyeing or work for me. We’re going to have some fun with our friends and relax, take advantage of the fact that the kid is not home!

This afternoon we’re making a mad scramble for a few final Christmas gifts and then let the drinking commence!

I dyed some Falklands for the shop a while back in awesome green, yellow and brown colours and named it Dr. Spaceman after an episode of 30 Rock. The fibre didn’t make it to the shop. I spun all 8 oz. of it and made two skeins of this bumpy stuff. I’ll dye more; I love this colourway.

At SnB on Tuesday I finally cast off the shawl. I’d been weaving in the ends as I went along, so now there are only a few more to go and I still need to block it. I saved some yarn for fringe, but I doubt it’s going to be enough. I don’t want to buy another skein of Manos just for fringe, so if I need more, I’m going to try to spin and dye some matching yarn.

The silk dyeing from yesterday was a success! I took some pictures (for the shop as well) but they’re all crappy and I have to do it again tomorrow afternoon in the daylight. I don’t know what happened. It’s like I used to know how to take pictures but now I don’t. When I look at them on my computer they all look surprisingly awful.

I haven’t taken any pictures of the cats lately. Here’s Cuba, just watching some tv.