Friday, September 26, 2008

I apparently blame a lot of things on others.

Like my recent burning desire for a loom. I blame someone who will remain nameless but knows who she is. Don't you, Ms. Posts-pictures-of-herself-measuring-out-warp?

I've been trolling eBay like mad. There are a few prospects, though they each have their downsides. Like the floor loom for really cheap...but you have to pick it up from NJ. Nrgh. Or the one that's in McLean, but it's just a table loom. I think that might be reasonable to scratch the itch and see if I'm still as in love with the craft as I once was.

Anyone want to buy me a loom? Pretty please? It'll help me with my long-term fantasies! When I was 15, I took a weaving course for a semester at school. I fell in love with it and proceeded to tell everyone that I was going to run away to the Scottish Highlands and become a professional weaver. Enh. Got one of the two done, though I came back. Now I just need a loom.

Yes, I do have a lap loom, but...well. Let's just say that I find it unfulfilling to my desires, 'k? Want more harnesses than one! Rigid harness for the lose! And it is damn awkward to try to use. Oh, right, I wasn't going to say why I didn't love it. Well, that's not everything, but it is a reasonable starting point.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

What has been seen cannot be unseen...

Or "Why math is not my friend".

The project that I'm working on expands. I thought I had to reach a certain number, but when I consulted with the pattern again, I found that I had misremembered, and needed to go quite a bit further along.

To be precise, I suddenly had (yes, I did the math, which was a mistake) about 13,000 more stitches ahead of me in my project than I had anticipated.

I should never pick up a calculator when it relates to number of stitches (for just one portion of a project!) again. It's too scary.

*sigh*

Thursday, September 18, 2008

*tink tink tink*

Some mornings, things just don't go as planned. I've been trying to make that little pirate knit hat for my future nephew and I'm currently on the 4th or 5th iteration of it. It keeps turning out too small. (The internet says that a newborn's skull measures about 14" on average! Unless I want my nephew to be a conehead, I need to work on my gauge a bit.) Today I grabbed bigger needles and swore I'd get it right...except that now I'm burnt out on it, despite the added cuteness of the changed pattern I'm using. The original skull and crossbones hat is out, new cuteness is in! Or it would be, if I were knitting it. Instead, I decided to work on a larger project that I've been dragging around with me for a while. Easy-peasy project, just two colours that intersect at one point.

The problem is that I'm a little sleep deprived, and therefore not very bright. That means that when I got to the colour change, I cheerfully twisted the yarn like a good little knitter and then picked back up the first colour and knit half a row before I noticed. I even followed the pattern, I just didn't look and notice that it wasn't the right yarn. Sigh. I guess there's a downside to being able to knit and read.

I mean, work hard. And stuff. Yeah. *shifty eyes* Hi Ted!

As an aside, the badger sporran was finished on Saturday in time to go to a party and horrify people. I'll take pictures and post them later. SO CUTE!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

ZOMG!

Ok, so this link won't work for non-Ravelry members, but you who have signed up for the joy will enjoy it. Daven has demanded that I make one...as a sporran for him. Awesome!

*twitch twitch*

So, if you recall the photo I posted a while ago of some red/orange/pink spinning I'd done...Well, I filled that bobbin up, and as I got my 4 new (unfinished, grumble, didn't think of that) bobbins, and the singles are very very scrawny, I decided to navajo ply 'em.

Thin. And evidently not spun tightly enough for easy navajo plying. *ply ply BREAK CUSS ply ply* repeat. I must say, though, that the finished product looks far nicer than I'd expected. I'd not played with navajo plying slow colour changes before, and it's turning out quite lovely, even if it aggravates the piss out of me.

Did I mention thin? This will take me just short of forever for a single bobbin, and I've still got a huge amount of roving to spin. I have a feeling that'll be more of a long-term project. It's still spinning up to something like a sport weight, possibly a bit heavier, but not much. It won't be soft enough to wear against my skin, but I think I should have enough for a cardigan or something of that variety.

Totally unrelated to spinning, but still involving yarn: I went to Michaels today because I had to buy some of this. I saw it a couple of weeks ago and kept thinking about it, so clearly had to possess some. I plan on making a really obnoxious baby hat out of the green and white for the nephew who will arrive right around Halloween. :)

Edit: I'm making the pirate hat in green and white. (In a newborn size, as yanked from another pattern, therefore there will only be three skulls.) Both of his parents already have pirate skullcaps, he clearly needs one!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Stuff! Also, Things! Well, mostly Things.

Thing one: I have decided Navajo plying is the spinning equivalent to turning the heel on a sock. Not terribly difficult once you get the hang of it, but it leaves you feeling terribly clever.

Thing two: Flick carding is fun. Cria fluff is static'y. Imagine trying to wrangle a particularly affectionate yet cantankerous cloud, and that's somewhat like trying to flick card this stuff.

Thing three: My fluff arrived! Or, at least the big order. I highly recommend these guys. The fibre is just To Die For. I need to get that 30lb bump now, please. Anyone got $400 laying about that they want to spend on fluff for me? *cute* In addition to the 100% Rambouillet (soo nice!), the silk/alpaca blend is just incredible. Again, very cloud like, and it just screams to be spun into laceweight. There was also a free sample (first hit's free!) of what I think is soysilk, though I'm not sure. The staple length is very uniform, but it's so soft and smooth...the little sample bit that I twisted between my fingers and let ply back on itself is thread. Just thread. Lovely lovely lovely.

Thing four: Uhh...There is no thing four. You get three things, and you'll like it!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Retail therapy, take me awaaaaaaaaaaay!

In this case, 4 more bobbins. My unfaithful-to-a-single-project nature requires more options to do single plies of random fibres before having to do another corresponding bobbin.

Just go with me on this one, ok?

(edit: Also, this. So pretty!)

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Glub glub.

As Happygoth so cleverly suggested, in light of recent life events, I'm drowning my sorrows in roving. Though, I do admit I resisted buying this, and bought this (and this) instead, as it seemed like a more reasonable amount. However, the first may eventually be acquired, as I love the idea of that volume of fluff in the house. I blame Darcy, as after seeing her enormous volume of fluff, I've been having stash envy. Never you mind the piles I've got, I need more!

But such lovely and unblemished roving calls for the purchasing of dye. Mad scientist dye experiments, coming soon!