Spinning Wheel

2nd Fiber Festival

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The pictures are so much better on my new phone!! I forgot to take pictures at the fiber festival again, :/ sorry. I also forgot to get pictures of several skeins of yarn I bought for my son to make socks on his sock knitting machine for his spouse Ev, who picked out the skeins of yarn for his socks :), and I bought some roving for my son to spin on his new E6 electric spinning wheel, was too exciting to remember some things, like taking pictures :p. I bought 2 needle felted zipper decorated pieces of art, but yeah, I forgot to get a picture of one of them before I gifted it, it was a beautiful nativity for a friend who collects nativity deco for her Christmas tree. The first picture is one of the needle felted zipper decorated pins I bought for myself, because I love sheep, I didn’t see an alpaca, but I love all things I can spin :).

The 2nd picture is a beautiful tweed braid of roving that I bought to spin, I love the muted colors!!! This will be fun to spin and knit up!

The 3rd picture is from a class my son signed me up at for the fiber festival, a needle felting class for felted pictures. It was so awesome, but I am going to need to practice a whole lot more, but it was fun!

I love Spring but I always forget at the front part it’s back and forth between cooler weather and warmer weather and all the storms and rain. But that is ok, it’s not below 0 and it’s not snow anymore!! I hope everyone is enjoying their weather where ever you are. 🙂

Alpaca Farm Days 2022 Last Weekend and General Conference this Weekend

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I went to my son’s Alpaca Farm Days on Saturday and after Church on Sunday to spin while people came to see the alpaca and feed them carrots and pet a few of them. My son has 22 alpaca, 4 males and 18 females. He didn’t breed last year so no babies this year, but he has bred them this year so there should be babies (alpaca babies are called Cria) next year! Here are some pictures from the event, 2 pictures of those beautiful alpaca (I wanted to get a picture of the yoga with the alpaca but it was on Sunday morning and I was at Church). He had a skirting/sorting table set up with a fleece on it and he had a tumbler that he built and used to clean the fleeces before sending them off to the fiber mill so they don’t have so much work to do but I didn’t put the picture in (sorry), and he had his drum carder set up to show people how to make batts. The last picture is my Rick Reeves spinning wheel, that I brought to spin some alpaca with. I managed to get 1 bobbin done there and I have started the 2nd bobbin, hope to finish it this week and ply it so I can finish the 2nd bobbin on my Kromski Polonaise. I get anxious when I have too many things going at the same time, so one at a time to get it worked down!

I am going to finish the hat I am knitting (very close to done) and start a sweater to work on this weekend for General Conference week end (friend’s baby is coming in two months). Because it’s on the BYU channel on cable or on the BYU channel free to add on the Roku plug in on TV, and at http://www.churchofjesuschrist.org on line, Saturday from 11am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm and the same times on Sunday, I can sit and enjoy the wonderfully spiritual talks that bring peace to my soul and knit at the same time, can’t get any better than that! Hope you can enjoy some peace in your day and watch a little bit of this wonderful General Conference time.

Please join me in prayers for less damage, injuries and loss of life as possible during the hurricane. I know there will be some of all of that and the devastation of any kind of loss is horrible, so I’m praying for the blessing of help from others, and peace and comfort as they deal with and rebuild what damage was done and that people not affected by this large hurricane will reach out with prayers and physical help to help them. I know the help was much appreciated a couple of years ago when we had that awful derecho.

Finished Fractal Spin!

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Finished the 2nd bobbin on Saturday and plied them together yesterday and washed it and set it out to dry. Done today!!! It is 187 yards and 91 grams, I figure maybe a dk weight. I should have been closer to 200 yards and maybe 93 or 95 grams but I didn’t weigh the halves before I started and I had more on one bobbin than the other, so there’s that, sigh, should still be enough for a hat :). It’s much more vibrant on my phone picture so I’m hoping that the muted colors that show to me are just my monitor. Let me know in your comments if they look muted or vibrant to you.

I want to start some cria (baby alpaca) fiber on my Rick Reeves wheel also, I haven’t used it in a while and I need to get back on it and make sure I don’t loose what I gained on spinning on a double drive wheel.

For my knitting, I am working on an orange color baby sweater (I might have already shown the start a month or two ago) and still working on the sock (lol) and a comfort shawl and one of my charity hats. I will post pictures later this week on how far along they all are. There are a couple of bookmarks I want to get started and done too, but they are small and can be done quickly. I don’t like having too many irons in the fire but here I am, sigh.

Hope everyone is enjoying the wind down of summer and thinking about the fall weather. 🙂

May the 4th Be With You!

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May the 4th

I almost forgot to post this today!  After Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, days just seem to swirl together as I try to figure out what day it is during the middle of the week, let alone remember the dates.

I have been wanting to switch rooms for my bedroom and craft room for quite a while, but lots of heavy stuff to move and it just seemed to daunting.  But I got a little help from a family member who was more than eager to come to my house one day last week and get out of his own for a while, lol.  I got the rooms switched!!  The “old” bedroom was large and had lots of natural light, the “old” craft room was small and the window was on the wrong wall to get the lots of natural light I need for sewing.  I like the rooms switched much better, but now I will have weeks of sorting and pitching or boxing up, rearranging and getting it just the way I want and to be less cluttered, lol.  It’s ok tho, I have decided to spend about an hr in the craft room everyday working on the sorting and de-cluttering, as the clutter will drive me crazy until it’s all sorted out, but I am already happier :).

I had to find someone else to make bobbins for my Rick Reeves wheel as the last ones I had made from a furniture maker didn’t work out.  The person, I’m getting them from now, makes them for others and knows exactly how they need to be.  He said they should be made and ready to ship by the 15th, I’m excited to get the bobbins so I can make some 2 ply yarn on it.

Hope you all are getting out in the sun a bit, I have been spinning or knitting on my balcony on the days the sun shines on it. 🙂  It’s so peaceful to be out there in the sun, listening to the birds or wind chimes.

New Child’s Flax Sweater and Some New Progress Keepers!

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Before I start, just wanted to say, I didn’t forget Easter.  I celebrated Easter on the phone (conference call) with some members of my church, it was nice.  I just didn’t get on the computer afterwards.  Hope everyone had a good Easter, even tho we were all physically distancing ourselves.

I did finally get a picture of my Spring Robin :).  He kept his back to me so I didn’t get that beautiful red breast, but there he is :).

I didn’t get around to posting 1/2 way through this new Flax knit but here it is all finished.  Still using Hobby Lobby’s Yarn Bee Soft & Sleek, colorway Violet Stripe.  I think I neglected to say in my previous Flax sweaters my needle sizes etc.  It calls for a worsted/aran yarn and the one I am using is worsted.  I generally have to go down a size needle to get correct gauge because I am a looser knitter, but I went down two sizes on the body and sleeves and one size on the neck and cuffs.  So I used a size #5 on the ribbing and cuffs and a size #6 on the body and sleeves.  I’m sorry I don’t know what the mm sizes are :(, I like the fabric it created much better.  I used a 16 inch circular on the neck and body and 9 inch circular on the sleeves and cuffs.  I do like the way the color blocks on this yarn and pattern :).

I think my next project will be some more of those cute lace bookmarksI made 2 years ago.  They are a free pattern and the link for those is on my linked page.

I did some spinning on my balcony today, since it was about 60F.  It was nice to sit outside and enjoy a peaceful spin :).  I’m working on the second bobbin for the white wool/alpaca I am spinning.  I am having to have someone to make new bobbins for my Rick Reeves wheel, the other ones I had made didn’t fit and they didn’t have the metal piece in the middle to protect them while I spun.  I found someone who specifically makes them for this wheel.  Hopefully I can order them next month.

And as you can see, I bought some more progress keepers from CharmingMinis , they are sooooo cute, her artistry with polymer clay is amazing!! She always sneaks in a extra gift.

Hope everyone is staying safe and that we get back to normal soon, at least it’s getting warm!

New Stitch Markers and Progress Keeper, Spring But Not, Fiber Festival and that Dang Virus.

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I have been enamored with The Mandalorian from the Disney Star Wars series.  I have finished all the season “chapters” as they are called and await this fall when the new new season comes out.  Ugh only one season a year.  But while I wait, I bought a Mandalorian stitch markers set with a Yoda progress keeper.  I got them from Adoreknit and as usual they are wonderful.  She even gave me an extra progress keeper that has the Mandaloian helmet in color and a stitch marker holder to keep them safe.  She is a great maker!

It’s Spring here but not, I have seen a few Robins, no pictures yet, might not happen this year, go into that later.  I have seen the Geese coming back, but because I live in the mid-west, Mother Nature said it’s not Spring until she says so and she sent us more snow last Saturday.  It was raining today.  Spring will be here sooner than later tho :).

The Saturday before last I went to a fairly local fiber fair with my son and his spouse.  Picture shows part of their set up and I have a picture of my son using his new sock knitting machine.  He loves it and makes a pair of socks pretty quickly :).  They had me bring my more portable Rick Reeves spinning wheel and spin while I was there.  Almost finished with bobbin number 1 of the Alpaca/wool blend I was spinning at the Mall fair in Dec (yeah I’m a slow poke sometimes) then I will spin another bobbin and ply a skein of yarn :).  It was a fun day.  This wheel spins very well and I’m enjoying the experience on a double drive wheel.

I did get another charity hat done, but haven’t gotten around to getting a picture yet.  Caught another cold about 3 weeks ago (does that make 4 or 5 this winter?) and just dealing with some bronchitis now.  It’s not as bad as usual but I haven’t felt like doing a lot.  I’m doing my best to stay inside because of that dang virus going around (that is why I don’t have any first Robin pictures, but I’ll keep trying), tho once in a while I remember something I forgot at the grocery store, I try not to go, but you know how it is :P.  I was able to start and finish all of the 2 seasons of Lost in Space.  It was pretty good but oh my gosh the new season doesn’t start until next year!  All these one season a year shows will make our heads explode!  In the mean time I’ll just re-watch Merlin, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the Star Trek series, at least they are all finished and aren’t going anywhere.  I do enjoy a good marathon from time to time :).

Everyone stay safe.

Craft Fair and New Progress Keepers :)

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I bought a new progress keeper that I have been saving for.  It is a hand crafted polymer progress keeper.  I bought the little duck in a bottle (looks like it’s swimming in the bottle.)  She buys the bottles but crafts the duck and puts the stuff in the bottom to look like water.  Her crafting is amazing!  She also sent a cinnamon roll progress keeper and a crown stitch marker.  Please go check out her shop CharmingMinisShop on Etsy, you will be amazed at her crafting skills.

I was asked to help a family member at a Mall Christmas craft fair.   His spouse was out of town and he needed help and I happily agreed to help with their alpaca merchandise.  I have included some pictures of his set up and some cute Alpaca stuffies on his table.  The yarn is from their herd.  I did this on Saturday and after Church on Sunday.  It was fun, I was encouraged to bring my spinning wheel to spin there, so I brought my Rick Reeves Wheel, which allowed me to get some spinning practice on it. 🙂  Since it is a double drive wheel, and I’m not real practiced on those (I’ve always used a scotch tension drive) and since alpaca is a slippery fiber, I blended some alpaca with a little wool on my blending board so that it was a little more grabby and easier to spin on a different wheel.  Went well :).

Hope everyone is having a great December :).

Fun Day at Alpaca Farm Days

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Today I was asked to participate at my son’s Alpaca farm for Alpaca farm Days.  Something the Alpaca farms do here this time of year every year.  Do they do this all over the country?

It was fun, many more people than was expected came and enjoyed the Alpacas, and the Alpaca products my son and his spouse had for sale.  They had a sock machine, a hat machine, and a drum carder out for people to see how they worked.  They also had a screened table, which allows dirt and vm (vegetable matter) to fall to the ground, and show people how they skirt and pick through the fleece 2nds (the smaller less desirable parts of the fleece, tho they are still very soft they are shorter).  They use the 2nds to make the felted dryer balls people love to use :), the 1sts are sent to a fiber mill to be washed and spun into yarn.  A friend and I spent the day spinning on our spinning wheels and answering questions regarding spinning and using my blending board and carders.  I look forward to doing this again next year. 🙂  Please enjoy the pictures above, oh the two Alpacas are not kissing lol, they are not as close to each other as it looks, but it made for a cute picture.

Spinning on the Kromski Polonaise and a New Project.

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With the help of the Kromski Raverly group and a local friend, I was able to get the Polonaise configured to be a scotch tension drive, thankfully it comes with both options :).  The pictures do not do it justice, it is a dark mahogany color but looks like a walnut color in the pictures.  It is portrayed a little better in the picture of the singles I am spinning tho’ it still does not show the dark mahogany color as it is, it is really beautiful.  It spins like a dream and I am enjoying spinning on it immensely.  The fiber is some super wash merino that I had dyed some time back when I spun a skein for a friend.  I am spinning this skein to make a scarf or cowl (we need those here in the winter :P) for Marge’s sister (also a friend).  Something for her to think about her sister when she wears it.

Changing Staircases  I also cast on a new project.  Was going to make this last year for Christmas for a family member but I fell and broke my hand so that didn’t happen.  Not taking any chances this year, if I procrastinate, “Murphy” will come to visit again and he is not allowed in my home :P.  This is the Changing Staircases shawl by Trysten Molina of Dragon Hoard Designs.  I am using Stroll Tweed Sock Labs yarn by Knit Picks in the Teal Tweed colorway.  It’s really pretty and has a generous 462 yards.  Because I am a loose knitter I am using a size 4 instead of a size 5 circular needle.  Tho’ it looks difficult, this pattern is very easy and easily memorized :).  Not sure if you can see it very clearly but I am using a beautiful bronze heart progress keeper made by Stephanie of the Knitting Samurai podcast, from her Adore Knits Etsy shop.

I am loving Spring but could do without all the rain, but at least it’s not snow :P.

 

Spinning Wheel Acquisition

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A friend of mine passed away a couple of months ago and her husband said she had asked that I be given her spinning wheel and all her fiber.  I wasn’t sure what kind of wheel it was and when I received it today I had to put some of it back together, but it is a Kromski Polonaise.   It’s a beautiful Mahogany finished wheel and will look much nicer when I get it cleaned up from all the dust that has taken up residence on it,  I honestly don’t know that she ever spun on it but she loved fibery things.  I will figure out more about it and add it to my wheel collection and spin on it.  This one appears to be able to be used as a double band drive or a scotch tension.  There was a number (wheel number?) date and signature on the bottom, will have to investigate that.   The band was not on the wheel so I will try to figure out making it work as a scotch tension, but I can say the wheel moves very freely, I have a feeling this will be a really nice wheel to spin on.  Hehe , I think my Rick Reeves wheel is a little jealous, you can see it in the back ground doing a photo bomb :).

I did start the 2nd baby sock.  Starting little socks is not my favorite thing to do because it is easy to twist when joining in the round with so few stitches on double pointed needles so I take extra time and care when starting them, hate frogging (for my non knitting friends, frogging is ripping it out, think ribbit, ribbit to rippit rippit :P).  The rest should be much more relaxing to knit ;).  Hoping to have it finished by Friday.  🙂