such a lovely autumn so far

Our weather has been such a treat lately.  I can't believe that my garden is still growing strong in mid-October; usually frost has killed it by mid-September.

The dogs are happy to be outside as much as possible.  I bathed and groomed them all last week so they were ready for this photo shoot.

 "Throw the toy!  Throw it!  Put that stinking camera away and throw it!"

 "I am groomed and beautiful.  This is my best side."

 "Oh, all right.  Take the stupid picture if you must."

"So many good smells out here this time of year."

Moving indoors, I warped the 15" Flip loom with 20/2 silk using two 8 dent reeds for a sett of 16.  The weft is the Austin colorway fractal-spun laceweight handspun yarn.  It sure takes a lot longer to weave than the fluffy baby throws that I've been doing lately but I love the resulting weft-faced fabric so far.

I feel so clever when I use my fractal-spun yarns.  I really love the gradual and soft color transitions.  I have no idea how I will finish the fringe.  I've been mulling over possibly using beads.  Any ideas would be welcome.

making progress

I'm feeling like I'm making headway around here.  This is the last day of our Regina Ravelry group's Challenge Week to finish WIP's and I actually have finished or made good progress on a few things.

I finished the custom spinning of Romney/Malamute.  It's likely going to be made into a knitted bag by the recipient so I spun the singles woolen but with a fairly tight twist and plyed it quite snugly too for strength.  I then aggressively finished it with hot/cold baths and lots of agitation to bring out the halo of dog fluff before hanging to dry.  The two skeins total about 140g and 415 yds.

I also finished the Austin yarn.

 There is a whopping 1482 yds., 224g.  It seemed like I was spinning this yarn forever and the large yardage explains why.  My plan is to weave a scarf with silk as the warp and the Austin yarn as the weft to show off the fractal 2-ply.

I'm also getting the second Watermelon Sock finished more quickly than the first one.  I'm just about to start the heel.

My next pressing job is also fiber related.  All the dogs really need baths before the cold weather sets in but my hand-held sprayer attachment on the laundry tub is toast and spraying fine streams of water in every direction even with duct tape covering the cracked plastic.  Dan shopped a bit the other day for a new one and couldn't find one that didn't need to be attached to a tub shower rather than the faucet.  Hopefully something will turn up soon.  I usually get pretty wet bathing dogs at the best of time.  I don't relish the notion of the sprayer dowsing me too.

My left foot had a bad summer.  I blogged about what I thought was plantar fasciitis after the Ex.  I saw my podiatrist last week and it turns out that it was actually pain because I had torn a ligament earlier in the summer.  I had been dusting the top of the fridge by standing on a kitchen chair.  When I stepped off the chair, my foot landed on a raised dog bed that someone (probably Cooper) had moved into the middle of the kitchen and rolled my foot.  I thought I heard a snap and it hurt like all get out but I was able to put a bit of weight on it by the next day so didn't panic.  It bruised in lovely technicolor shades over the next couple of weeks but healed slowly.  My activity at the Ex was too much for the newly healed foot and it protested.  So now I am doing strengthening exercises for my foot.  The moral of the story is that housework is hazardous to your health.

Speaking of summer, it still is!  We've had marvelously beautiful weather!  I covered the garden one night in September when it froze and haven't had to worry about frost since.  I'm still getting tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini from my garden which is unbelievable for the first of October.  I made a big pot of borscht yesterday with the garden vegetables.  With weather like this, it's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is next week.

I like lac

My friend Chandra generously gave me some sock yarn and natural dyeing ingredients to try.  I have never used natural dyes so this nudge gave me a chance to play with lac.

Chandra had included some plastic to use if I wanted to wrap the yarn tightly in places that would resist the dye, a method known as ikat so I did that before starting.  Then I premordanted the yarn with alum a couple of days before I dyed it, let it cool, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and put it in the fridge.  I followed Chandra's directions for dyeing but used the crock pot so I'd have better control over keeping it from boiling.  (I have a dedicated crock pot for dyeing - I don't use any of the same tools for dyeing that I use for food.)  After dyeing it, I put the yarn into a vinegar/water bath for an hour or so, then washed and rinsed it.  And rinsed it, and rinsed it, and rinsed it.  There was a lot of residual dye.  Once the water was finally clear, I hung the skein to dry.

Here is the finished skein.

I like it a lot!  I think the best description for the final color is faded raspberry with the undyed yarn giving it the same casual look as well-worn denim.  Thanks, Chandra!  I bought some pre-reduced indigo and will try it sometime in the near future as well.  Honestly, I won't be abandoning my Jacquard dyes to switch over to natural ones.  While I like the result very much, there was a lot more clean up from the lac than there is from acid dyes.  Everything that the lac touched needed to be scrubbed.  However the resultant soft color provides enough motivation to use natural dyes some of the time too.

I've also been very fortunate to get an amazingly beautiful alpaca fleece from my LYS owner (Golden Willow Natural Fiber - Rav link) and friend Sharon's own alpacas.

I knew that I wanted to spin some samples before deciding how to prepare it.  I like sampling; it gives me so much information.  First I used my cotton cards to prepare a sample for woolen spinning.  I then combed some on my new Valkyrie Super Fine combs.  They are so newly developed that they aren't on the website yet; I heard about them on Ravelry and contacted Chris that way.  They have three rows of very closely set tines.  I am a fan of all the different Valkyrie combs and these are perfect for super-soft alpaca!

I spun this bit worsted short forward draw.

Here are the two samples before wet finishing.  It was dark already when I took the next pic so it's not wonderful.

I fulled the woolen skein with agitation and hot water/cold water baths then I whacked it against the counter.  The worsted skein just had a warm bath before I hung both to dry from my kitchen cupboards.  They are so light that they twisted in the plying direction when wet so that's kleenex on them to provide a slight bit of weight while drying.

Here they are after drying.

The verdict?  I like them both depending on how they'll be used for knitting.  The fleece is plenty big enough for more than one project so I'll prepare some each way.

I finally finished the first Watermelon Sock for Katie.

After having to restart this sock because it was turning out too small, I kind of lost enthusiasm for it.  Hopefully sock number two will be finished a lot more quickly.

another baby throw

I finished another (acrylic!) woven baby throw similar to this one.  My physiotherapist is having a baby boy this fall so the latest is blue and white.

I can't believe how much fun weaving with texture is, even with acrylic! washable novelty yarn.  It weaves up quickly too.  In fact warping takes longer than weaving.  I like the effect using the bunny-tail baby yarn but weaving the ends were a bear.

I had trouble getting the warp even on the last acrylic! baby throw so I thought I would try measuring the warp this time rather than direct warping it.  I don't have a good place for attaching the warping board to a wall and wasn't comfortable doing it with the board in my lap leaning against the table.  Putting it on the kitchen counter was the right height so I put cupboard liner non-stick stuff under and behind it to anchor it.  It worked really well.

Yes, I know the experienced weavers will notice that I goofed at the top there.  I didn't notice it until I had enough wrapped that I didn't feel like starting over and it wasn't a problem because the acrylic! yarn has a bit of stretch.  I'll know to make the two sides after the warp cross even next time.

It takes a bit longer to tie the warp on both front and back but I was pleased with how evenly taut I could make the threads.  I used the shelf liner instead of paper for winding on and it worked great for that too.  Shelf liner is my new best friend.  I'm finding all kinds of uses for it, none of which include lining my cupboards though.

The shuttle in the above picture is new and very cleverly designed by Weaving Weft 2 Wright on Etsy for using with a rigid heddle loom.  It fits into the shed well and is long enough to be able to pass it back and forth.  I tried a regular shuttle once and it just kept falling through the warp.  The new one works great!  This one is for the 25" Flip loom and it came with a long bobbin but I found that three regular LeClerc ones fit fine too.  I also bought one of these shuttles for my 15" Flip.  It will be really nice for winding on a lot of fine weft yarn for plain weaving.

I have been creating batts of Malamute/Romney for a custom spinning order.  I have the batts finished and have starting spinning.  It's nice to make progress on a couple of tasks around here.

dianna left a comment on my last blog post asking how the Cascade spindle spins.  It is a little heavier spindle than I usually use but it spins well.  All three of the new spindles work well - being center weighted they don't spin as long as rim-weighted ones like IST or Goldings but they are fast.  I found that the low-whorl, spiral shaft one is a little fussy about how it is spun or the yarn pops out of the top of the shaft but it is a very light spindle for a low-whorl so that might be part of it.  I'm willing to forgive its quirks because it is so beautiful and unusual.

mojo a go-go

I know that I have been missing in action and I have no good reason for it.  I just haven't felt like blogging.  So there you go.  Anyway, it's not that I haven't been doing anything.  I've been puttering around on various projects but not finishing any of them so nothing seems too exciting yet. 

I splurged on some new spindles since I last blogged.  These first two are from Malcolm Fielding and I think that they are stunningly beautiful! 

Olivewood/Bowyakka/Kingwood top whorl, 25g.

and Pink Ivory/Purpleheart/Horizontal Scrub spiral flute low whorl, 20g.

 The yarn fits into the spiral groove on the shaft as you wind on.

And from Ask The Bellwether, I got a Cascade Mt. Rainier, 35g

and a little Akha spindle, which I have yet to master with my attempts to spin cotton on it.

We have been in a very unseasonable September heat wave this week after last week of cool, rainy days.  Whether it's hot or cool, this is the usual behavior of the dogs.

Austin and Robbie snooze somewhere near me.

Bentley hangs out on the sofa in the sunroom, as usual, unless the air conditioning is working in which case the door is closed to the sunroom and he has to find in indoor perch.

 Cooper likes to be outside in the back yard regardless of the weather.  He has decided that he is Dan's dog and ignores me when I call him in.  When Dan calls him, he trots in obediently.  This is what I see when I call him in.

 What a dog!

still summer

I was spinning at the Ex for all five days and now I'm paying the price but I think it was worth it.  My shoulder and foot don't agree.  All that spinning at the wheel made my right shoulder cranky so I switched to standing and spinning with the spindle for one day and now have plantar fasciitis in my left foot.  Now I can't stand or walk without significant pain and I can't sit at a wheel spinning either.  It's weird and I'm feeling quite ungrounded (if that's a real word).  Spinning has become so much a part of my life that I really miss it.  The foot and shoulder pain is also preventing me from giving the dogs a good brushing and they really need it.

Anyway, enough whining.  The Ex was quite a civilized experience; or at least as civilized as it gets for a busy fair.  We were in a building with a stage at the back for a couple of vocal/dance shows and the quilters/knitters/rug hookers/stitchers/etc. at the front.  It was air conditioned and volunteers were fed a lovely supper each day.  I really enjoy eating food that someone else prepares so those suppers were much appreciated.

I found that the wheel was the big draw for the public.  The spindle just didn't seem to attract attention like the wheel did.  My niece Katie at the wheel attracted the most attention of all!

 

 She has become a very good spinner!

We managed to teach quite a few kids and teens to spin on spindles and some even got their first experience spinning on the wheel.  It always amazes me how much easier learning to spin seems to come to kids compared to adults.  I've decided that adults over-think the process.  But one of our spinners has convinced her husband to learn to spin and knit.

 

 Susie is proud of Jeremy but she says she is getting a little nervous because he has been eyeing her fiber and yarn stash already.

There's a saying around here that the Ex is the last hurrah for summer before the cooler weather sets in.  While it's certainly true that the nights have been cooler than they were in July, tomorrow's forecast is for a humidex of 41 C!  That is about 105 F!  I think summer isn't over just yet.

Right on cue though is the sunbeam on my kitchen windowsill.  I took this picture yesterday.

We are gradually tilting away from the sun on our journey to the short dark days of December.  I think I could handle winter better if it didn't get dark before suppertime.  I guess I should just soak up the light while it lasts.

Finally, I had to share this pic of the web beside my chair in the living room.  Just the way the light shone on it, I was able to watch the industrious spider spinning it last night.  It was fascinating to watch how it was spun in triangles and so quickly.  As usual, Nature puts on the best shows!  I noticed today that the web has caught dust and dog hair but no insects so I think it's time to relocate the busy little spider outside.

 
Click to embiggen if you want a better look.

spinning at the Ex

I will be spending some time spinning at Regina's Exhibition this coming week.  If you're heading there, come and say hello.  I'll be in the same Co-Operators rink as Saskatchewan Express.  I'm looking forward to it and hoping my body will let me spend many hours there.

such fun!

Lynn was having a 5th blogiversary contest on her Never A Dull Moment blog and I won!

The postal strike delayed the arrival of my prize but it finally came last week.  It was so much fun to open up the parcel and see all of the fun things that it contained.

The two skeins of Misti Alpaca are so soft and lovely!  There is a cute knitting card and a note pad with a map of the Caribbean area on it as well as a postcard of sunny Florida that I will put on my fridge to cheer me through the winter.  There are sock knitting needle point protectors.  Lynn also took a risk and sent me a yummy bar of dark chocolate that she worried might melt en route.  It arrived here none the worse for wear so it must not have been left out in the heat during its journey.

Thanks Lynn!  What a treat!

plied

I plied the teal singles.  It seemed to take as much time to do the plying as it did spinning the singles but that can't really be the case.

Dan's fever was caused by an abscessed tooth.  Apparently the root of the capped tooth was dead and likely had been for some time when his body decided to attack it.  It's been cleaned up and Dan has been taking antibiotics since Monday.  He's feeling much better.

light show

I was in the sunroom last evening carding some merino when the light changed suddenly and everything glowed.  I looked up to see that the sky looked like this:

 the sun started setting just as there was a sudden rain shower.

Once the shower passed, the sky glowed violet.

 We mere humans can try to create beauty but it's hard to top Mother Nature.  So lovely!

Tour de Fleece is over today.  I didn't get a lot of spinning done during TdF this year but did finish this bobbin of woolen singles from my batts the other day.

It's so much faster to spin this yarn than my usual very fine singles.

Poor Dan woke up last night with a very high fever.  He was a bit better today but still not well.  My first thought was West Nile but he didn't have a headache so I'm hoping that he just picked up a bug.

hot!

It's hot here on the Canadian Prairies.  Currently, at 6 pm, it is 31 C (88 F) with a humidex of 35 C (95 F).  Often our summer heat is tempered by low humidity but this spring's wet conditions mean that there is a lot of water still sitting around so the humidex factor makes the heat seem even hotter (and the mosquitoes are vicious).  Thank heaven for air conditioning!

Here's the view of the dogs from my seat at the computer here.  Notice that Austin, Robbie, and Bentley are sensible dogs and know what to do on a hot summer afternoon.

And then there's Cooper, bugging me to put him outside.  He doesn't care if it's hot - he loves to have me spray him with the hose while he leaps into the air to catch the water in his mouth.

We went to a movie on Friday night for the first time in years (Bridesmaids, cute movie,  good for summer viewing).  Yesterday I woke up with a backache that spread up into my neck and gave me a headache too.  I'm still sore today and hoping this isn't the start of a flare.  Did sitting at the theater make my body cranky or is my pain a random occurrence?  Who knows?

Anyway, I've been spinning a bit for Tour de Fleece.

Prepping merino fleece for spinning.  I love scouring and prepping fleece!  It's quite magical.

Finished first bobbin of the 'Austin' custom colorway from Spinning Awesome Good (didn't she do a great job?)

 and started the second bobbin which will be shorter repeats of the color sequence for fractal spun ply.

And I finished up the Bee Mice Elf 'Miss Havisham' BFL 3-ply.  I learned to make a photo collage for this one and I feel very clever!

And now I'd better take the dogs out just in case Cooper really does need to go.

satisfaction

I think "satisfaction" is a very appropriate title for my blog post today.  Here are some things that give me satisfaction.

I live in Canada.  There is nothing that gives me more peace of mind, thankfulness, pride, and satisfaction than living in this magnificent country.  Happy 144th birthday, Canada!  I feel truly blessed to have been born and live my life within your borders.  (The above picture was taken from my back yard a few days ago.)

On a much lesser scale but still satisfying:

These lovely batts are ready for spinning.

 I had some mixed dyes in shades of green and teal that were starting to get old so I used them to dye a mix of fibers from fleeces in my stash.  Pretty much any odds and ends of scoured fleeces that were kicking around got thrown into the dye pot.  They ranged from soft Merino/Rambouillet to Corriedale crosses to Clun Forest and the result is a bouncy blend with some crispness.  Most of the fleeces came from Val at Wooly Wool of the West on Etsy.  I flick carded individual locks before carding them together.  I think the spun fiber from these batts will make lovely woolen mittens and/or hats so will spin them allowing air to get into the twist for warmth.  Tour de Fleece starts tomorrow and this will be a good project to get that rolling.

Next up, remember these little nests of combed fiber?  I spun them for sock yarn and was a little short of enough yardage so spun up a single of merino/bamboo to ply with them.  The result will make soft but strong socks.

And finally, I am satisfied that my husband is officially unemployed since the school year ended yesterday!

drat!

Drat, drat, drat, drat, drat!

I am kicking myself.  It was a rookie mistake and I should have known better.

I was working away on the heel flap of the Watermelon Sock when something twigged.  All those stranded rows?  The ones I was so proud of?

Too.  Tight.

I had completely forgotten to adjust the size of the sock so that it would actually fit over the size of the foot for which it is intended.  Stranding takes away a lot of the horizontal stretch in the knitting.  Duh.