I’ve had an amazing two days bonding with the new wheel. I’m really and truly in love with my new Vermont Wheel. I do find it somewhat amusing that when I announced to a few people that I bought a new one that they questioned which I was going to sell. Y’all know me so well. Yes, the pattern has been that for each one in, one has to leave. Who am I to break with tradition. I put the Saxony on the Housecleaning Pages this morning and by this afternoon, I have a tentative buyer who is putting a deposit check in the mail tomorrow. I love how this works.
So between work, physical therapy (which I now attend 3x a week for 4 weeks) and the monkeys, I’ve been spending some quality time with the Vermont. I think she needs a name, not that I’ve named any other wheels, but somehow this one is different. Okay, time for a contest. Leave suggestions for names for the wheel in the comments to this post by Friday at 6pm EDT and if I pick it, you’ll get a prize.
What have I been working on? I started with the Grafton corrie cross batt that I bought Saturday. It ranges from a deep green –> magenta –> light blue –> dark blue –>black. The single is super fine. Now I’m not sure about the plying thing. I only bought one batt and I didn’t split it before starting to spin. I’ve been spinning each color separately, with a section of overlap between the two (green/magenta, magenta/blue, etc) color changes. Really pretty.
Sorry, no pictures of the green. I done plumb forgot. I claim camnesia as that was spun in MD when I seriously suffered from it.
I just took this one..
Super fine.
Now back to the plying. My gut impression, and I trust y’all will let me know if this is a bad idea, is to ply with a plain silk. I bought some gorgeous bombyx way back at a prior trip to MD from Little Barn when it was cheaper to buy the full pound (show special) than only a few ounces. I’ve never touched the stuff and its hidden somewhere around here, but I suspect it would be gorgeous. While the white of the silk might dull the colors, I think it might work in the same way that the latest STR Club kit works. It would work color bands in a shawl, which right now I’m thinking the FBS.
Or, there’s the ply it with a solid that matches one of the colors. I did get some blue merino at MD that might just match…
Or, the third option is to andean ply it and skip the whole lace and go for fingering weight. Resulting socks would be interesting as the colors would not repeat. Seriously fraternal twin socks, but again, not a problem for me.
Choices, choices, choices. I need to decide somewhat soon as the first bobbin is getting close to full. I only have 3 bobbins for this wheel and no way am I winding off this 40+wpi single to free up a bobbin. Hmm, might have to go stash diving to see if I can find that silk..
On the knitting front, I finished another pair of socks. Sadly, these never made the blog as a pair on the needles. They’re making their premier as a FO.
The yarn is Lornas Laces Shepherd Sock in the Vera colorway. I started them on 4/29/07 and finished this evening on the train home. I did my standard 56 stitch socks on a US0. I used the turkish cast on with 10 loops. For variety, I used the lace from Hedera on the cuff for 9 repeats. Thank goodness for my small feet as I managed to get the pair from one 50g skein.
I need to go do my stretching exercises as PT is tomorrow and settle down on a yarn for the next pair of socks. There are a couple of contenders including the socks from Rowan 40, Anna. The Louet in a pretty blue I ordered from Loopy Ewe arrived over the weekend. Also contending are the latest socks from the STR Club, the German Stockings from Cookie A. and a host of other handpainted wonders. Choices choices choices.
I’m leaning towards Anna at present.
Craft on!
