the Akamai Knitter

It’s been crazy here. I’ve been crazy. Things have been crazy. I’ve been driving the cats crazy.  There’s just been a lot of crazy.

While all the crazy has been happening, the Tour de Fleece actually finished. It seemed to come  and go within a blink of an eye. I credit that to the awesome team I was on. That would be Team Crankypants. I also want to credit the fabulous Cookie, our fearless leader. We couldn’t have done it without her.

As for the spinning? This is all the yarn I managed to either complete or spin from raw fiber to yarn.

Some of it you might recognize, some of it you might not. Here are some highlights of the last few days of the tour.

This is a low-twist single I spun for the “Challenge Day”.

Rainforest

219 yards

4.65 ounces

12 WPI

South African Fine from “Hungry For Handspun”

This was tricky for me because my feet like to treadletreadletreadle. I had to really make a conscious effort to slow down and just take it easy. I’m actually fairly pleased with the results.

Next up is an artsy fartsy yarn.

186 yards
approximately 6 ounces.
12 WPI

100% Superwash Merino from “Crown Mountain Farms”

I was originally going to coil the singles and add pretty flowers and what not, only I couldn’t find the right flowers.  So then I was just going to coil it, but Megan and Cookie convinced me to simply thread ply it. I’m glad they did and I’m fairly pleased with the way this one came out as well.

Finally, this one was kind of a cheat. I already had the singles spun up. I just needed to ply.

Evergreen

208 yards
14 WPI
4.35 oz

100% 80ct Merino from “Hungry For Handspun”

I haven’t done a 3-ply in awhile and I’m glad I did do this one up that way.  Even though I’d love to keep it, it’s up for sale in the shop right now.  I just can’t keep everything I spin otherwise I’d be drowning in yarn. Besides, mama needs a new flyer.  ;-)

Actually, I can’t decide between a wild flyer or a plying set. Indecision strikes again.

Although I can ply on the Lendrum, it’s become something of a chore.  Treadling on it has become really sticky and although I’ve emailed the manufacturer, I hear he’s not too efficient when it comes to replying.  I’m going to go to the Ravelry group and beg for help next.  I’m also hoping someone reading this might have some suggestions.

When I say treadling has become sticky, I mean it’s hurting my knees. The treadles have way too much resistance to it. This problem has been building for awhile, but it’s gotten to the point where I’m starting to hate that wheel.

It’s just really frustrating.

Time to pet a kitty!

Happy Thursday!

In order to get to my friend’s house at 9am this morning, I got up at 6:30am. I had a few things that I needed to get done and I just need some alone time before I head out the door. I need coffee time, ya know?

Turns out our morning date got pushed back to lunchtime.

So I got up at that ungodly hour for nothing.

Well, maybe not for nothing. I’ve got some photos of earrings ready for listing and look! I’m blogging!

Here are the earrings I’m going to list in the Etsy shop sometime this weekend.

I did indeed ply on that day of indecision and I have yarn to show for it. Unfortunately, I’m too lazy to get off my arse and photograph the two skeins.

As for the Tour de Fleece? I’m still spinning. After the plying, I spun up a skein of singles. Then I started another batch of singles yesterday. I only got 2 ounces done so today I’ll be working on the rest of the 2 ounces.

I’m trying to do a low-twist single. My feet/legs don’t like to treadle slowly on the wheel so this project is taking a lot more time, patience, and concentration then my other projects.

I can show you the fiber I’m spinning.(“Rainforest” from Hungry For Handspun. 100% South African Fine)

I didn’t make it to the vampire movie. I had too many things to do and my tummy was upset. I did manage to get my prescription for my medication later that day though. So things are much better now. Thanks for all the well wishes!

Other then that, I’ve been working on custom orders, but they’re all pieces in styles you’ve seen before. So instead I’ll regale you with a hibiscus growing out on my lanai. It’s not the best picture in the world, but it’s better then yet -another- picture of a cat.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I’m so ready for a nap!

Even though I’ve been busy with the spinning, I’ve still managed to get some wirework done.

Here we have a pair of earrings that were a custom order.

The briolettes are Peridot quartz and the wire is all sterling silver.

The next piece is a pendant.

It’s called the Garden Candy Pendant and I learned how to do it in a custom class taught my Michelle at The Bead Gallery.  I took the class with KnottyNaomi while she was here visiting from California.

Naomi and I met through Ravelry. She’s truly a spinner extradonaire as well as a fantastic jewelry maker! Check out her lovely yarns if you get a chance!

Here she is on the left with the short hair gettin’ busy. Michelle is on the right doin’ the teachin’.

I had a wonderful time and we both decided that whenever she visits, we’re going to take a class together. Yay!

I think I’ve finally recovered from a hectic weekend. There was much shopping. I bought a new pair of sandals. I saw the new Harry Potter movie. It was good,but it was long. Two and a half hours. Definitely worth it, IMHO. :)

I wanted to see a vampire movie with a friend today, but I’m just not up to it. There’s been some medical drama over my acid reflux medication and I’m busy trying to survive without it while trying to get my hands on more of it.

That’s okay though. I expect to see her on Friday where we plan to have a True Blood marathon. :)

Sammy wants to know why he can’t get in on the fun.

Happy Wednesday people! Be true to yourself!

Or something like that…..

On Day 12 of the Tour de Fleece, I spun up some Supercoils from some of Jen‘s nifty fiber. The colors are as far as  you can get from my normal color palette, but when it comes to art yarns I like to stretch the boundaries.

This is a Superwash BFL yarn and it was so much fun to spin. Take a closer look.

Once I was done with the coils though, I felt it was time to get return to my roots. So for Day 13, I unearthed a project that has been moldering since October of last year. This is what I had already finished.

This projec is so old, Jen and I can’t even remember what kind of fiber it is. We’ve narrowed it down to either Merino or Rambouillet.

Once Day 14 (yesterday) was over this is what I had accomplished.

Now that Day 15 is here, I’m wracked with indecision. Do I ply the two laceweight singles? Or do I ply these singles I had finished before the tour started?

Maybe if I kick my ass hard enough I could ply both of them today.

o.O

Or I could do an art yarn with this beautiful batt.

I’m thinking beehives/granny stacks like these.

Or I could start spinning another 3-ply.

Or a squishy 2-ply.

Or a puffy single.

Or more coils.

I am overwhelmed with the choices.

o.o

The boy-cats have abandoned me and have become camera shy. Instead, I give you Saturday Sky.

I love it and I hate it. On one hand, I’m praying for rain. We need it. On the other hand, I’m hoping it doesn’t because it’ll turn up the humidity knob to some kind of unbearable level that I’d rather not deal with.

Happy Saturday, people! Rock on.

Last year, my dear friend Megan gifted me with the most beautiful batt.

I don’t have much experience with batts, so I let it marinate in my stash. Then the Tour de Fleece (Ravelry link) came around and I started corespinning.

It occurred to me that this batt would make a pretty nifty corespun yarn. So I set to it on Day 5 of the Tour.

It was a pleasure to spin and all the more special because such a close friend gave me the fiber.  I really like how the Romney/Cotswold blend grabbed the crochet thread as I spun.

The finished yarn has 52 yards in the skein and weighs approximately 2 ounces.

Today is Day 12 of the Tour and I’m still spinning, spinning, spinning. I have more art yarn on the wheel, but nothing is ready for show and tell. I have a stock pile of vanilla yarn that I finished up before the Tour but nothing is ready for show and tell there either.

Between the Tour and the custom orders I’ve been trying to keep up with I’m also woefully behind my blog reading. So I’m publicly apologizing to all my friends! I swear I’ll get my act together soon.

Tomorrow afternoon, I’m taking a jewelry class with one of my favorite people. I’m really looking forward to it. Then on Friday, it’s shopping with blogless Dayna. Last weekend, there was a going away party and a luncheon from which I’m only now recovering from. I’m not really sure, but I think this constitutes “having a life”.

o.O

When that happened, I have no idea. I’m much more used to the idea of myself hermitting in my home and venturing out maybe once a week to knit night.

Sammy just can’t bear all this time away from me, as you can see.

Plfft. Likely story.

Happy Wednesday, people! Thanks for putting up with me. ;-)