One Crazy Fiber Lady

Time for one last post this year.  Well, technically not the very last opportunity, but I wouldn’t bank on me posting tomorrow.  I’ve been on vacation this week and well, pretty busy.  I alternated between knitting:

I finished Caroline!  Finally.  A year later (details here).  I’m embarrassed that it took so very long to finish.  It’s an excellent design and I can’t wait to wear it.

When I wasn’t knitting,  I was writing code.  The iOS version of KnitCounter is just about done.  I’ve been using it to finish Caroline actually.

This is a slightly outdated screenshot from the simulator.  Somehow I lost the one I took on my phone.  Oh well.    I’ve got a beta tester playing with it and when her feedback is in, I’ll submit it to the app store.  Exciting!

Since Caroline is now done, I needed to start a new project.  Last week I got the evil email from Webs that their year end sale was underway.  I couldn’t help myself and went scanning the sale items.  I picked up some Noro Shirakaba and made my way through the patterns in Ravelry to find something to knit out of it.  I settled on a Comfy Cardi.  I have the back done.

It is awfully sedate for Noro.  Loving it too.  It is a cotton/silk/wool blend and it is excellent to work with.  I’ve made a good bit of progress on one of the cardi fronts and if I buckle down can get it done today.  (Spent the morning futzing with the app again. )

There hasn’t been much spinning around these parts.  Can’t remember the last time I touched the wheel, but it was more than likely when I finished up the Cupcake Fiber batts.  I enjoyed the spinning of the batts into singles…

But the plied yarn?  Doesn’t speak so much to me.  It’s been sitting on the bobbin now for over a month.  I really do need to wind it off at least.

I need to get back to the wheels.  So many hobbies, so little time.

Finally, wanted to share the sweet note I got from Alexander yesterday:

Gotta love those monkeys of mine.

Happy New Year!

I think, for a change, I made some productive use of my couple of days off between jobs.  As I start the new job tomorrow, the time for getting things done is quickly dwindling to an end.  While one of the options for the last couple of days was to work on the iPhone app, I decided to take  a vacation from the computer.  So beyond checking email and doing a little online shopping (new shoes from Zappos are on their way!), I stayed away.  I spent my time in a decidedly fiberlicious way.

I spun:

• Fiber:  Forbidden Woolery - Falkland
• Colorway:  Tabula Rasa
• Yardage:  438 yds / 4oz
• Spun/Plied on the Matchless – 2 ply

It wasn’t all finished yarn around here.  I started a new project on a wheel that you’ll probably see more of again.  I forgot how much I loved this wheel:  The Vermont Wheel!  Not sure how that happened, but there you have it.  I brought her back upstairs to my room a few weeks ago and have gotten back into using it.  I’ve finally gotten around to trying a fiber that’s been marinating for a little while.

And here I was thinking, I should post pictures from Logan’s Run, my hand clock blinking red, carousel, all in honor of my last day at work.  I even went so far as to google for images from the movie.  Except, I did this exact same thing on my last day at J.Crew back in Aug. 07.  At least I’m consistent

So, I shall spare you another picture of a red crystal.

Instead, I’ll show you a picture of a spindle I picked up last month judging from the timestamp on the picture.

This is a Ledbetter modular spindle.  It is pretty nifty.  It comes with three shafts that screw into the whorl so when you finish the cop, you just swap out for another shaft.  It spins very nicely and is just beautiful.

Craft on!

Sitting at the office working on some last minute projects before I leave here for good in FIVE more business days! I’ve got a project that has been making me nuts for over a week now. Unfortunately it isn’t something that I can debug/test run in a development environment, or even easily deploy to an accessible QA. Noooo. Not this. I code it blind, compile, deploy to a share and then have to have the release engineers deploy it to our staging environment. Which, btw, they only do two times a day. Only to add a delete button to an archived forum thread on a platform that is going away in the coming months. Big fat annoying waste of time. Almost done. Almost done.

So last night I get home to find that while the power was still on, FIOS was out. That means No Phone, No TV and no Internet. Bummer. Was planning on streaming stuff or catching up on what I missed last week using On Demand. How did I spend my night then?

I spun to the DVD. I’d seen this movie years ago and bought it not too terribly long when I spotted it on DVD. After Jobs passed away, I dug it out and put it on the top of the DVD pile to watch. And watch it I did last night while I finished up the remaining bobbin of Forbidden Woolery falkland that has been languishing on the Matchless for far too long. I realized after digging through my own blog archives (does anyone else periodically read their own old stuff?) that I used to spend Tuesday evenings spinning. I’m going to have to reinstate that habit! I don’t nearly spin enough, especially to justify the wheel hoard and massive fiber stash!

Oh well, back to work.

Craft on!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Besides all the geek stuff and knitting bits, there’s been spinning.  Kat picked this fiber at the GSSB festival for this year’s hat.  Ain’t getting any warmer so I figured I’d get to work and start with the makin’ o the hats.

 

Details:

• Fiber:  Forbidden Woolery BFL
• Colorway:  Jack and Jill
• Purchased:  GSSB 9/11/11
• Weight/Yards:  4.05 oz / 192 yards
• Spun & Navajo plied on Van Eaton wheel

Its been a week since my last posting… and there have been some doings that I need to catch you all up on.

first:  Remember the Dansko shoes I was trying out not too long ago?  Well after almost two weeks of trying them out in the house, they felt fine at night after work.  So I’d put them on in the morning to wear to work but wouldn’t make it out the door in them.  After about a half hour of the morning wanderings (getting the kids up and dressed, doing the breakfast thing, packing lunch), I’d have to go change into something else.  I called uncle and returned them to Zappos.  Got to love their service!

second: Since I haven’t posted a fiber-y acquisition in a LONG time, it’s time to renew that tradition.  At least this way I’d have a better idea of how long things marinate in stash   Anyway, this is more Polwarth from ZarzuelaFibers in Stormy Seas colorway.

Isn’t it gorgeous?  I’m looking forward to spinning this.. but it needs to marinate first

third:  On the spinning front, I broke out the skeiner and wound the Pomegranate Blossom yarn off the bobbin.

Yardage is 457 yards, which is more than enough for, yes, another pair of socks.  I might go crazy and knit something else with it.  Haven’t decided, but then again, it needs to marinate as well.

fourth:  Now that the above was off the bobbin (and I started Weight Watchers again), it was time to break out some fiber and start something else.  30 minutes of spinning is worth 1 activity point.  Yay me.  So what did I break out?

• Fiber:  Falkland
• Artiste:  Forbidden Woolery
• Weight:  4oz
• Colorway:  Tabula Rasa

I’m spinning this for a two ply.  Pulled it into two halves (not lengthwise like the Pomegranate), and am splitting each of those into random thickness, one half for each bobbin.  Isn’t it purty too?  I must have a thing for this colorway as I also have yarn in the same colorway.  A lace weight yummy blend just waiting for the mental energy and right pattern.

fifth:  Another finished pair of socks.  Well the first sock has been finished for goodness only knows how long.  I don’t remember when I tucked it away, only that I did.  Thankfully I tucked the first sock in the yarn basket along with the remaining yarn.  I found an odd sock in a different yarn basket that was complete except for weaving in ends no where near a mate or yarn supply.  Joy.  Anyway, I cast on for this mate last Wednesday night after posting and bound it off last night.

• Yarn:  Vesper
• Colorway:  Strange Little Mama
• Needles:  US0
• Pattern:  My basic sock formula over 56st.
• Started:  ???
• Finished:  8/2/11

No, I did not try to match up the stripes.  I just got VERY lucky!  Even more interesting, the first sock was done cuff down and the second toe up.  He he.

sixth:  Since the one and only active project was now completed, I needed to start something else.  I went digging through the sock yarn supply (never fear, there is plenty of it) but hemmed and hawed over much of it.  Had trouble deciding which it would be.  Got caught in an internal debate over hand spun v. commercial.  What weight?  Etc.  Finally this yarn spoke to me:

• Yarn:  Spunky Eclectic
• Colorway:  Neapolitan
• Needles:  US1

I cast on this morning on the train.  I wasn’t able to knit on either the PATH or the subway this morning (don’t usually there anyway as it is just 2 stops on the A) so I didn’t get terribly far.  However, by the time I tucked it away in my bag to get off the train this evening, I had finished the toe and was making progress on the foot.

seventh:  I’m not making as much progress on anything right now as I got sucked into yet another video game.  Nothing huge this time, but an amusing little time suck on my iPhone.  If you haven’t checked out Tiny Tower yet, not sure if I should tell you to do so or run and save yourselves!  Here’s a quick look at my tower!

Not sure how to best explain it.  Has some vague reminiscences for me of a game I spent a great amount of time playing:  Sim Tower (which btw is available for iPad under the name Yoot Tower).  But a little bit more than just adding floors, upgrading elevators and choosing what to put on each floor.  No, this has cute little pixelated people that have interests, ideal jobs.  The businesses need to be stocked and people ferried around via the elevator.  Okay, it doesn’t sound glamorous, but it is quite fun.  I took this shot a couple of days ago when I had 17 residents and 11 floors.  My tower has moved much further along.  I now have 35 residents and 22 floors.  Okay, its a lot more interesting than I made out.

That about does it.  I have an early company meeting tomorrow so need to call it an early night.  Friday is the company picnic at Governor’s Island, which should be interesting.  Never dull when I commute with the twins

Craft on!

…. and we have a pair!

Bonfire Socks – Project Details

• Needles:  US1
• Total Stitches around 52
• Heel – PGR short row heel working 9 pairs
• Toe:  Judy’s Magic Cast On
• Cuff: 2×2 ribbing, binding off with Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind off
• Yarn:  Handspun from Polwarth fiber in Bonfire Color from Forbidden Woolery (spun June 2011)
• Started:  7/16/11
• Completed:  7/27/11

Looks like I’m getting back on my old pace of actually knitting things.  Well, socks anyway.  Up next?  Well it was going to be the second sock to match the first sock knit so long ago that I don’t remember what the yarn is, nor what needles it was knit upon.  I think the yarn is Vesper in Strange Little Mama color, but I could be making that up whole cloth.  Sick thing is that the first sock is complete, well except for the ends that need to be woven in.  I was going to start the second one, but I left my US0 Blackthorns in my tote bag at the office this evening.  Either I use different needles {shudder} or pick a different yarn.  Hmm.

There is this yarn that I could use…

I plied up the ITW fiber that I spun on the sidekick last week.  See, I can ply without an electric!  As it is still sitting on the bobbin, I haven’t a clue what the yardage it, but its more than plenty for a pair of socks.

But then again, I’m not lacking for either yarn, needles or things to knit.

I do have to point out that in some project in the last couple of months (think it was the kindle sock), I discovered a new to me cast on and bind off.  I linked them both above in the socks project detail.  Must say that I’m completely sold on both.  Definitely give them a try.

Okay, off to decide what the next project is going to be.  Definitely a sock as I’m catching up on Game of Thrones on the Nook Color while commuting.  I missed it airing on HBO while I read the book.  Now that I finished it (and oh boy how the hell did I miss this series of books before now!!!) I was going to go back and watch the episodes On Demand.  Sadly, I missed them by 2 days.  HBO pulled them.  I let google be my friend and found the season online.  Thank goodness for Divx.  Oh and the divx player for Android that I’ve got on my rooted Nook Color.  I can watch an episode a day over the course of my commute.  Makes for good knitting time too  Anyway…

Craft on!

As I settle into the new job, and climb up the up-slope of the learning curve, I find myself settling in, getting comfortable and returning to the old things that made me happier.  Family, friends and workplace make me happier, the rest is gravy so to speak.  So, reading for pleasure, knitting and spinning are all making returns.

While reading on the train this week, I’ve been working on the sock I started Saturday morning.  It was nothing more than the toe when I packed it for work on Monday, but as you can see, I’ve made some serious progress.

Again, this is my handspun (see here for the fiber and here for the plied up goodness on the bobbin).  I do love knitting with handspun.  Could kick myself for not doing it more.   I love how the colors are playing out as this sock progresses.    Why yes, I am using a set of Blackthorn needles.  These are US1 in a custom 7″ length.  I lurve them.  I also have a set in US0.  The 0 is sadly, a replacement.  I lost my knitting bag one day while commuting and in it was a lovely skein of Leann’s yarn and my US0 Blackthorns.  Oh and the bag was one of my favorites from Jessalu (but thankfully not my custom Red Sox one!).  Sigh.  So sad.  So I ordered a new set and while I was at it, got the 1′s for the slightly thicker sock yarn.   I use 0′s for weight like Lorna’s and Trekking XXL, 1′s for everything else.

Last night while watching the sluggathon in Baltimore, I finished up the remainder of the ITW fiber.

I spun the two halves of the fiber differently.  It started out as one length of 4oz.  I split it in half lengthwise so I wound up with two sections, roughly 2oz each.  I then split on half lengthwise a number of times into sections no larger than my little finger around.  Maintaining the same start/end order, I spun the first bobbin (background) using these strips randomly.  For the second bobbin (foreground), I used the second half as is, just drafted it, to create longer runs of the individual colors.  I’m really looking forwarded to seeing how this little experiment worked out.  I’m toying with plying them up on the Sidekick, but we all know how much I love plying

On a different note, I bought yet another pair of shoes, trying to find something that both my left tingly toed foot and cranky right ankle don’t mind.  They are both being rather bitchy as of late causing much discomfort.  Commuting with complaining feet is no fun.

So these arrived from Zappos (Dansko Maeve).  They’re comfy.  So far.  In the house.  No telling what they’d be like on the open road.  I had Dansko clogs, but dumped them in the Goodwill Donation box after rolling off the side of them a few too many times for my comfort.  I’m hoping the ankle straps will prevent that from happening.  I’m wearing them around the house this evening.  Maybe I’ll wear em to work tomorrow, though I do have some extra walking as I’m heading into Manhattan and the old ‘hood to have lunch with a dear friend and former coworker.  Fingers crossed.

Craft on!

Got some stuff to share, and look at this, its under a month since my last posting!  While I sit here watching the Sox play the Rays on ESPN, I figured I’d update.  I’m stuffed from a pasta dinner (that my digestive system is seriously bitching about) in a gorge maneuver prior to starting a lo-carb diet tomorrow.  The discomfort is a further reminder that my system just doesn’t like processed wheat. Ugh.  Anyway..

First up!  My first finished object in a long time.  This is a pair of socks that I started in April I think.  I finished these Friday night. The yarn is Forbidden Woolery Twisted in Ravenclaw Blue.  Love the yarn and truly love the socks.

I knit these on my nifty square Kollage needles using my standard pattern (56st around using US0).  The second sock took considerably less time to knit than the first!  I’ve started another pair, this from my handspun, fiber from the same source as this yarn.  Not much to show but managed to garner attention at the restaurant this evening as the lady from the next table saw me knitting from the corner of her eye.

I’ve spent some time with the new wheel.  It went to Tami’s house on Thursday night where we had our SnB rather than Panera for a change.  I also took it out on the patio this morning and finished off the first bobbin’s worth of fiber.  This is Pomegranate Blossom from Into the Whirled in Polwarth.  I just adore polwarth.

While I haven’t had a marathon spinning session with the Sidekick quite yet, I can give an early review.  She’s definitely a Schacht,  A good, solid spinning wheel that is doing what I ask it to do.  It folds down nicely without too many steps and is relatively easy to carry about.  But beyond the portability, she doesn’t spin like a portable wheel.  That’s been my complaint regarding the easy to move about wheels, that they just aren’t worth the time.  You can take em with you, but you don’t feel like spinning on them when you get there, so you bring something else instead.   From what I remember, the feel of this is much like the Ladybug.  I do like that the flyer / bobbins/ whorls are all interchangeable with her big sister, my Matchless.  I’m sure I’ll write more about her in the future.

I’m taking stock of the current crop of wheels and noticed the herd has grown to a significant number.  I think it might be time to move some along.  But there’s a bit of a problem there.  Which one(s)?  The three that get the least amount of usage (with the exception of the Tina in the entry foyer that just looks good there) are the: (click links for pictures)

• Reeves 24″ Saxony
• Van Eaton Production
• CPW

The Van Eaton is the only wheel that I can spin a thicker yarn on, and well, the chances of putting my hands on another one of these wonderful wheels anytime in the future is nil, considering the waiting list for this one!  I don’t think she’s moving.  The Reeves?  She’s a beautiful wheel and when I do use her, I use her happily.  See the replacement problem excuse above also for this one as well.  So if I should move one along, it would be the CPW.  Anyone interested?

Just because I was playing with the camera, I have this picture of Serendipity, where you can see her in all her funkiness.

Just look at that under-bite!  And the mess near her eyes.  One fugly, but adorable cat

After a very long wait, my Schacht Sidekick is finally FINALLY here!  I’ve been wanting a folding portable wheel from Schacht since I bought my Matchless.   I pre-ordered this in February and the nice man in the brown truck delivered it this evening.  I haven’t gotten much time to play with it very much (had to run to the mall to return a couple of pairs of shoes to Nordstroms) but I most definitely took it out of the box and gave it a spin.  That and take some pictures with both cameras (Canon 300 HS & Canon Digital Rebel XT with 50mm).  See if you can tell which camera took which picture.

The fiber is {drool} Polwarth from Cris that has been mellowing in stash for far too long.  I’ll give this wheel some love tomorrow night while watching the All Star Game.

Craft on!