A quick update on long weekend Labor Day weekende 2002

It was so busy, I didn't even journal. The weather was very hot and humid again, and I stayed inside most of the weekend, which was nice for getting fibery things done, but not really a celebration of the long holiday.

Sat I finished a second bobbin of angora, and plied them. I skeined them off onto the plastic pipe I use for washing yarn under tension. There was 160 yards in appoximately 1 1/2 oz of angora.

Sunday I treated myself to a trip to the local yarn store. They were having a labor day sale, and I used the opportunity to visit with them after having not seen them for almost a year, and adding to my stash. Got Regia and socka yarn for socks, Cashmereno for glorious gloves for me, and enough Sindar Snowflake to do two baby projects. Also got a needlepoint canvas, since they are doing a close out on those to bring more spinning fiber into the shop. This canvas for a needlepoint Christmas stocking is very large and lovely, but set me back enough, that I will wait to buy the yarn for it. It is tiny holes, almost a petit point canvas. (I wonder if I could possibly spin the yarn for it.) The only roving I got was a varigated in purples and a solid purple merino, that was just too pretty to not take home. I bought the Soar Socks on Two Needles book too.

Monday and Tues both were dye days. I will write a separate post on that, because I learned much and had lots of fun. I also went through the rubbermaid tub of my handspun yarns, and marked the ones that are for sale, getting ready for the booth in three weeks. What I wanted for myself went into different bags depending of the project I have in mind for them. Possible projects include more angora stuffed rabbits, alpaca ski (head) bands, and a collection of yarns, all 2 ply about the same thickness, that I have been accumulating as I spin various samples of wool given to me. Some is from exchanges, some just from odds and edds of roving. There is a wide selection of colors, some dyed by me last year in my first dye class. Right now the bag looks like potential granny squares, or maybe someday I will see a vest or sweater that would work.

And having gone through that tub, I decided there were four skeins of yarn that needed reskeined and washed. So those got wrapped on the plastic pipe, and now that the pipes are full, I can wash them.

Tues evening I got together with the spinning group. Took my wheel, and spun alpaca roving, trying to get the single thinner. When I needed a break from that, I used one of the members knitting expertise to get the socks started on two needles. Very confusing and fussy at first, but by the sixth row, I was feeling pretty comfortable with it. The biggest advantage I see, is when I put the sock in a carrying bag, I don't have to worry about the yarn coming off the needles, which I find to be a problem with the standard sets of double pointed needles. I am just not thinking about turning the heel right now, plan for that to happen when I am back with the group again!

CW