the Akamai Knitter

First off, I want to thank all of you lovely people for being so supportive. You all are the bestest. Knitters truly rock.

I think the reason I’ve been so lethargic and whiny is because I was catching a cold. This past week has been spent getting over it and what fun it’s been! /sarcasm

Actually, I shouldn’t complain too much. Others have had it much worse off then I have and this virus has given me the opportunity to be kind to myself. Instead of spending hours at the spinning wheel and with the beads, I’ve been chilling with the needles. I managed to get the first Mingus sock done while watching season 1 of Supernatural.

I also managed to get some work done on the second sock.

I can’t remember the last time I was truly in love with a knitting project like I am with this one. I want to work on it day and night, but I promised a friend I’d make her some felted clogs.

I would have started the clogs a couple of weeks ago, except the yarn needed to be wound. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate winding yarn?

None of the furniture I have out accommodates my swift and ball winder so I have to lug out a folding table for the express purpose of winding yarn. It’s like having to take out the ironing board. No fun.

I also can’t find the joy in cranking the ball winder. Some people find it meditative, I just find it boring as all get out. Bleh.

The purpose of all this whinging is to convey the triumph I felt when I finally got all my crap out and wound the yarn for the clogs. I gave myself a huge pat on the back and started them last night.

Robin's Clogs

The size 13US needles tend to kill my hands if I work on them for very long, which is fine with me. That just means I get to switch off to another project, like my socks. I can live with that.

Another reason I took a break from the spinning is that my knee is bothering me again. It’s just being a cranky old bitch so a day of rest was in order. I’m having a hard time staying away from the wheel though.

I’m on the last bobbin of another 3ply spun from some merino by Hungry For Handspun. Here’s the first two bobbins.

Summer Meadows

Hopefully my knee will be better behaved today now that it’s had a day of rest and I’ll be able to finish the third bobbin today. I might even be able to use my nifty new chain nose pliers that I bought last week. The possibilities excite me.

It’s Friday everyone! Have a good one!

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Last week I had the house to myself and I had all these plans to get a bunch of work done. I was going to do a massive housecleaning. I was going to spin up a storm, bead like a madwoman, and do a massive shop update. (I was also going to go back to blogging regularly, see how well that worked for me?)

Instead, I was overcome with a case of lethargy and ennui.

To be fair, I did get a few things done. I managed to finish up this skein of yarn.

And I did manage to throw up some new stitch markers on the shop. I really like these charms. How could I not? Tiny spinning wheels!

*clickety*

As the long weekend approached, I revised my plans and decided that over the weekend I would clean like a madwoman, bead up a storm, and spin like a dervish.

Instead I got together with a few friends for some knitting time at Starbucks and dim sum for lunch.

I had a fantastic time and I figured that was only one day out of the whole weekend, right? I could still go home and get things done. Right?

No. Not even close.

Once I got home, I found myself knitting away on a long forgotten sock project.*

(click for Ravelry project page)

I couldn’t even continue on with my current sock project which is nearly done. Seriously, look how close to done I am.

(click for Ravelry project page)

I’m so over these socks. I cannot believe how sick I’ve gotten of them. It’s a good thing these are gift socks. Once they’re done they’ll forever be out of my life.  It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the yarn or the pattern, I just want them done and gone. (Of course I’m washing these before I pass them on.)

So basically, I’ve been a slacker. I suppose I have good reason to be, what with Pressie passing on, but I’ve always set high standards for myself. I don’t know how to stop beating myself up for not living up to my own expectations. I will say I’ve gotten better at the self-flagellation. Still, it’s a hard habit to break.

I’m trying to turn a new leaf. I’m trying to set realistic goals for myself. I gotta say it’s a daily battle with myself. Why is it I can tolerate so much in others yet so little in myself?

Hrm. Who knew this post was going to get so introspective.

Happy Tuesday everyone! Thanks for reading!

*I apologize for the ugly toe photos. I hope you all aren’t scarred for life. I really need to get me some sock blockers.

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I had a very low-key weekend.  I watched a couple of baseball games and a movie.  The movie, White Noise 2: The Light, was pretty good. I love me some Nathan Fillion and it was interesting to see Katee Sackhoff in role other then Starbuck of Battlestar Galactica.

I also plied my ass off.  I ended up with three semi-finished projects. (I still need to wash and set the twist.)

The first yarn was spun from an alpaca, silk, and merino blend roving I got from Lori’s shop, From The Wool Room. Despite its tendency to shed all over the place (I hear this is the nature of silk), it was heavenly to spin! It’s so soft too. This is a simple 2-ply yarn.

Spring Bouquet

I’m choosing to call the second yarn Deep Sea Diving because it reminds me of the ocean’s colors when it’s far from the coastline. I got this braid from MDSW and it’s by Spirit Trail Fiberworks. It’s a 100% Merino 3-ply.  I think Merino has to be my most favorite fiber to spin.

Deep Sea Diving

We have more Merino for the finale. This time by C*eye*ber Fiber. I’m calling this one Purple Fog. It’s also a 3-ply fingering weight yarn.

Purple Fog

Now that these are done, I can concentrate on my Ravelympics spinning.  I’ll be showing you all what’s on the wheel a little later this week.

But now is the time to unveil the winner of the contest.

*drum roll*

Hattie of Stitch Therapy

Because Hattie was the only one to get all them all right I decided to do a consolation prize. So I did a random drawing of everyone who entered and the consolation prize goes to:

Julie of Ozark Knitting!

I’ll be contacting you both for more information on how to get your stitch markers to you.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated. I think I’ll hold more contests in the future, only I won’t make them so tricksy.

I’d also like to thank everyone for the get well wishes. I’m slowly getting better. The muscle relaxants help, but they turn me into a first class space cadet. Not that I wasn’t one already, but I think I’m making less sense then I normally do. I suppose coherency is overrated?

Happy Monday everyone! Be well.

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Friday has snuck up on me. I’ve been so busy, the whole week has gone by in a blur.

There has been spinning. Spinning of an unexpected colorway. I’m calling it Spring Bouquet. All I could think of when I was spinning the singles were Easter eggs, but it’s not Easter.

alpaca/silk/merino singles

I normally don’t choose pastels, but I couldn’t resist this blend of fiber. It’s 50% alpaca, 30% silk, and 20% merino by From The Wool Room.  It was heavenly to spin despite the fact that I kept expecting the Easter bunny to jump out and yell “boo!” at every turn of the wheel.

Once I finished with the pastels, I searched for the antithesis of pastels for my next spinning project.

I came up with this.

100% Superwash Merino - Spirit Trail Fiberworks

I feel like I’m diving into the ocean whenever I work on this. I just love these deeply saturated colors.

Deep Sea Diving

It’s also been a great mail week. Since Kris has shown me that she’s got a bigger fiber stash then I do, I’ve decided that I need to catch up with her.

My newest acquisitions from Hungry For Handspun aka the Moonlight Baker.

Water Lilies by Hungry For Handspun

Earth Day by Hungry For Handspun

I don’t think I’ll have a problem catching up with Kris’ stash size. In fact, I might already have done so and more.  But pulling out all my fiber and taking a picture might be too traumatizing, so we might never know.

Another acquisition for the week was a gorgeous sock project bag by Cheeky, my Plurk buddy. She just opened her Etsy store this week and I was her first customer!

I couldn’t resist the hot pink kittehs and I’m really impressed with how well it’s sewn.

new sock project bag

One last thing. I’ve  thrown together a shop blog, so I can blather about what I’m doing for my little endeavor there instead of doing it here. Hopefully I can maintain both blogs without too much trouble.

Happy Friday everyone! Have a great weekend. :)

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Last night there was a  meeting of the Aloha Knitters so I finally got some knitting time. I was shocked to realize that the last time I had picked up the needles prior to that was on Saturday! :-o

Despite the chaos of the chatter of twelve different women and meeting Naomi, which was really exciting, I was actually able to finish the knitting of the Nanner Socks.

Pattern: Nanner Socks by Wendy Johnson

Yarn: Shibui Sock in Jonquil

Needles: Size 2.25mm/1US

Started: June 28, 2008

Finished: July 10, 2008

No modifications.

I had so much fun knitting this pattern. It was super easy to memorize making it the perfect project to tote along with me whenever I had errands to do. It was also an adventure as I got to try a couple of new techniques. The first was the Turkish Cast On.  The second was the heel construction.

Usually when I do toe-up socks, I do a plain short-row heel but with this pattern Wendy has you do an actual heel flap. I’m a huge heel flap fan so I was eager to try it, but  I was a little mystified by the heel turn. In fact, I really couldn’t see how it would work out. But I kept plodding on and lo..

… a perfect heel. Wendy is genius.

I think I’m going to try to do this type of heel for all my toe-up socks. Unfortunately I still don’t get how she does it so the math mystifies me. But then math usually mystifies me.

As for the spinning? The spinning continues to consume me.

On Tuesday I started spinning the Superwash Alpaca/Merino fiber Lori sent me. By the end of the day I had finished this much of the bobbin.

I just love the stuff. It’s so soft and buttery. It was like drafting a cloud. I was able to finish it all on Wednesday. I plan on Navajo Plying it sometime today.  Thanks again, Lori.

I also managed to finish the first bobbin of the Corriedale From Hell. Lemme tell ya, I feel quite virtuous about it too.

In celebration of the finished bobbin, I threw this on the wheel.

Berry Pie Filling Merino roving from Moonlight Baker. Good stuff.

Jen sent me this roving to “test spin”. For some reason she wasn’t sure if her roving was good enough for general consumption. I have to say it’s plenty good enough. It’s 80 count Merino and it’s another buttery soft roving that I wish to eat.

Gratuitous close-up shot.

I have a graduation party to go to tomorrow night. I hear the place doesn’t have adequate air-conditioning and I’m having second thoughts about going. Only the food will be really good. And of course the people. The people I will love.  I think. I tend to hate people when it’s humid and I’m sweaty. Is the food and people worth sweating for?

Have a good weekend everyone! Stay cool. ;-)

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