The Weaving Works hosted a Spin-In last Saturday. Approximately 30 people appeared through out the day with a variety of wheels and handspindles. Our equipment was arranged in a large circle so we could chat while spinning.

There were quite a variety of fibers being spun. One brave novice learned how to use a spindle for the first time while spinning soy silk. I stuck to practicing with some dark purple (not black as the picture shows) merino which will be used to learn Navajo Plying in a class on Wednesday night. Here it is on the lazy kate, although I noticed that I put the pegs in backwards.

It’s too bad that I forgot my camera although Terri did remember her camera and promised to post some pictures on her blog.

Shirley said that the next Spin-In is scheduled for October 9th. Besides getting a chance to meet and compare spinning techniques and advice with other spinners, it’s a good excuse to pickup spinning supplies since all spinning related items are discounted 10%.

In 1790 John Greenwood, George Washington’s dentist, adapted his mother’s spinning wheel to power an early version of a dental drill.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division

Emma suggested that I might try putting my unruly yarn through the wheel once more to see if that would help. Well I’ve been respinning some of it on my hand spindle and it seems to be working. I also marched over to the new library and checked out The Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning. He takes up the subject of plying in a much more detail fashion any of the other spinning books.

I never thought that plying on a wheel would be so difficult.

The Weaving Works is having a Mother’s Day sale this weekend and knowing how much my mother loves socks, I picked up a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn.

Mom, this yarn will eventually become the “fall” socks that you requested. Happy Mother’s day.

Knitting helps me unwind from deciphering and writting Java programs during the day, so you won’t find any knitting geek code here. I shutter at the thought of knitting emulating computer programming.

I’ve been meaning to make a short list of my knitting quirks so instead of code here’s my knitting history in a “nutshell”.

• modified picker (wrap yarn around the needle with my index and thumb)
• 2 years experience (+ six months many years ago)
• not a fast knitter, will immediately rip any mistake but manage to get all projects completed
• strongly prefer Addi Turbo nickle plated needles
• favorite yarn is Koigu merino
• swear to only use natural fiber yarns unless making socks, then a little nylon is ok
• try not to stash yarn but …
• knitting book stash is bigger then my yarn stash
• like challenging technical projects
• have done intarsia in the round, lace, fair isle (but all have been small projects)
• haven’t knitted any blankets, shawls, scarves, hats, washclothes or aprons
• will never knit an apron, cell phone cover or knitting bag
• avoid anything with more then a few rows of garter stitch
• first project was a sweater and second was a pair of socks
• knit first pair of socks twice, first time with traditional heel then second time with short row heels
• will knit garments flat or circular without prejudice
• swatching is a must
• knit in public on the bus, in a car, on a boat, before a movie
• never more then two works in progress
• usually stick to fingering, sport, DK weight yarn
• mostly self taught via books
• started spinning yarn with a hand spindle and have a wheel on order
• haven’t quilted since taking up knitting
• not thrilled to hear crochet is the next big thing

Only an inch or so to go!

Next week I’ll be spinning up a storm.

Don’t worry Lily, I’ll finish your socks before I start another knitting project.

I’m currently reading Aran Knitting by Alice Starmore. Wow, what a great book. The aran pattern samples are simply amazing. I can’t decide whether to knit Na Graga or Irish Moss for Paul.

I almost finished the second sleeve while on a short weekend trip to Orcas Island but ended up ripping out most of what I did when I realized that some of my decreases were not correct. I could have probably let it go but I’m too much of a perfectionist. I will however get this sweater done by next Sunday before I start spinning class.

I wish I could say that I knitted the sweater that I wore in the picture but I didn’t. It’s from Icelandic Design.

It turns out that Tundra isn’t the only Jo Sharp sweater featuring the Rib Texture Pattern mentioned in my previous post. I just checked out Knitted Sweater Style from the library and it has a v-neck pullover version with this stitch. Ripple also appears to have an interesting stitch pattern, although it’s hard to tell from the picture in the book.

I’ve flipped through Jo Sharp’s books at the yarn store so many times but wasn’t instantly compelled to knit anything from them. Now that I’m starting to take a second look, I admire many aspects of her designs and enjoyed knitting a swatch with her DK yarn.

Did you know that Amazon lists knitting books that are scheduled to be published this year? When I’m curious to see what’s coming out I do a book search with “knitting” as the subject and then sort the results by publication date. All the new books are listed first. I keep hoping that one day I’ll see a revised edition of The Principles of Knitting on the list.

Thursday during my lunch break I dropped by a bookstore to check out the latest issue of Piecework and noticed that the winter issue of Vogue Knitting is out. While flipping through VK, I came across a sweater called Frosty Flakes that features the same stranded pattern as the Latvian mittens that I just completed. I like how a portion of the bottom part of the body and sleeves has the stranded pattern with a dark background then switches to a light background.

While browsing the internet this afternoon I came across yet another sweater to put in my Future Prospects file. It’s called Gilet Lace by Beregere de France I love how the lace pattern on the sleeves is also on the shoulder.