Tuesday, December 21, 2010

It ends well...

So busy! Work is slammin' me with ends to tie and projects to wrap up.  Still knitting up odd bits of the stash for Christmas though.  Here's the output (details on my Ravelry project page):





Oh yes, that's a hand spun neck warmer!  Yippee!  It's going to my mommy cause I think it will match the mittens I made her a few years back. 

And look what I made:

So very happy with this!!  I had it sitting on my desk as I worked today so I could admire and pet it.  The fiber is BFL from Viola! that I bought at the Woodstock Fiber Festival in October. It spun up more evenly than the merino did, but I had a bit of a break down when it came to plying.  Seriously, there were tears.

I had read in Respect the Spindle that it helps with yarn management to wind your singles off into a ball before plying.  So I did, and pushed it off the ball winder onto a TP roll.  Then that went into a coffee cup and I was off.  Everything was going swimmingly, I was watching Elf and having a jolly ole time when one of my plies broke.  And when I looked at the yarn coming off the ball, it looked as though the plies were coming off unevenly.  Don't ask me how, I just thought it looked like a bunch of knots, pig tails and a rotten mess.  The thought of several weeks worth of work wrecked brought me to tears. 

If I had a mentor, she or he could have talked me down, but as it was, on my own, I had to get a grip and investigate the horror more closely myself.  And of course, everything was fine.  It was just the plies coming back on themselves.  Put under tension they started to behave again.  What a moment though!  Now I know, and I don't think I will ever forget that lesson.

There's plenty more fiber to go.  I'm enjoying spinning this up so much and I'm flabbergasted at how beautiful the colors are: 

I'm so proud of me!!

6 comments:

  1. hey, I made that tasseled fez a couple of yrs ago.

    lovely handspun!

    I too am waiting for xmas slowdown of work to begin, but so far, full speed ahead.

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  2. I'm proud of you too! 'Cause I haven't a clue what you're talking about re: plys and spinning. :)

    Hey, you didn't show off your Tudora! I saw it up on ravelry, and it was bee-u-tee-full! Makes me want to make one asap. Looks like a good last-minute knitted gift.

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  3. Oh Laurie, your handspuns are just lovely. The colours are gorgeous together! 'Bout the tears - I was almost there myself when I was plying recently. What a mess I made....it knotted and twisted back on itself and...and.... I sorted it out after quite a few choice words LOL.

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  4. Nice job on the plying. You've become an awesome spinner.

    Merry Christmas.

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  5. No sympathy here... I have no idea about spinning because I'm scared....---less thinking about it!
    Your creation is wonderful! Keep it nearby for a pat every once in awhile. How reassuring, and gorgeous! (I'm a new follower.)

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  6. Some darn nice knitting there, Laurie. I know nothing about the spinning, but can tell a nice job when I see it. Well done. Great new hobby you have discovered in 2010! All the best in the New Year.

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