Mystic Forest

Last Wednesday I showed you what I had on the wheel. Nothing new in that regard, I'm still spinning away on batt after batt of the "Mystic Forest" custom batts I made up on my drum carder.

But this week I have the first skein to show you. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. Not too glittery --- just the right amount of glitz for a bit of life when the sun hits it.

The first skein is 138 g / 3.75 ounces and somewhere around 298 yds / 266 metres. I estimate that I'll have enough of this blend to make about 8 skeins this size. I still have no idea what I'll make with it. Although I forgot to measure the WPI, I'd say it was about a fingering/DK weight.

What's On the Wheel

Michelle asked if I would consider doing a weekly blog post on my spinning, in much the same fashion that I do the Masters Monday posts. I pondered the idea for a while before deciding that for me, the weekly posts about spinning won't work.

The main reason is that I am a one-thing-at-a-time spinner and, wanting enough to actually DO something with when I'm finished, I spin large amounts of most of the preparations that I begin.

Like this for instance. This is part of about 2 POUNDS of blended batts that I am drum carding and spinning. It's a combination of black superwash merino, bright lime green merino, and a blue/green firestar. I have no idea what I'll make with it when I'm done, but it will be a long while before I card, spin, and ply it all ---- months likely, as I don't spin every day.

That type of long term focus would make for very boring weekly spinning reports.

There's More

I returned on Saturday to Fibrefest International. I was mainly there to keep Kris company while she shopped, but I did manage to come home with a couple more items. The "firestar" purchase was planned, but the bright lime green merino managed to lure me as well. Both will be used sparingly as an additive when I drum card 2 pounds of jet black merino. The black (a free gift with purchase from long ago) was so boring I just couldn't bear it by itself. What will I make with the finished yarn? Darned if I know. Something mostly black with little highlights of shocking green and an occasional twinkle of sparkle I guess.



I've already got a good start using up the sock yarn I bought from Rabbitch of "Rabbitworks Fibre Studio". She calls this line of fingering weight superwash merino/nylon yarn "Toe Jam Sock Yarn" and this russet/black colourway is "King of the Potato People".



I'm knitting the socks in my usual way; toe-up, two at once on a single long circular needle. I generate a basic pattern on Sock Wizard and then make my own little changes and in this particular case, added in a simple stitch pattern. The stitch pattern (2 rows of stockinette followed by 2 rows of k2p2 ribbing) shows in the picture on the sock to the left. The plain stockinette sole shows on the sock to the right.