Mon 1 Jan 2018
2017 has wound to a close, and a new year is just beginning! Good time to update the blog.
Last night, I cast off for this scarf that I finished knitting over a year ago. I thought it was finished, until I pulled it out to wear the other day, and realized that there was still a needle hanging out of it. Everything was done but the bind off, but I wanted to do a 2×2 tubular bind off and needed to look it up online to refresh my memory. It didn’t happen right away, and then the scarf got put aside, then tucked away somewhere, then we moved, and I never made it back to finish it off. Until last night. Half an hour with a tapestry needle, and it’s done. (Except for a blocking and a few ends that need weaving in. Those will happen soon. Really.)
I thought I would (literally) have wrapped up this shawl (that I started back in May) in time for Christmas, but like the last garter stitch rectangle, everything was smooth sailing until the very end, which I reknit 4 times, before finally figuring out that the problem was further back. I ripped back to the last turn this week, and am working forward again from there. It appears to be on the right track this time, at least, so fingers crossed that it actually makes it across the finish line soon.
I also started a little spinning project this week, because it’s been too long. I don’t even remember when I spun last, but the blog says it was January 2016, and I don’t have reason to disbelieve it. Too long, anyway. The project itself is nothing special; I just grabbed a couple of braids from the old shop stash, and am throwing together a probably-DK weight 2 ply. Something fast, small, and easy. About halfway done with the second 4-oz braid.
I spent a couple of hours today out in the sunroom, carding one of the fleeces waiting to be spun (this is a larger spinning project that the short one pushed off in favor of getting something actually done for a change, but I do want to get started on this someday soon. I bought the fleece at Rhinebeck – apparently in 2012, believe it or not. It’s a gorgeous fleece and I’m excited to spin it, but it was a greasy bugger. I thought I had finished thoroughly washing (and drying) the whole thing twice, and as soon as I started carding realized that I needed to have another go. Just before we moved, I pulled apart every single lock in the 7-lb fleece by hand, and soaked them in the washing machine for a few more rounds (the washing machine is now in storage until we move again, so there was a hard deadline). It appears that the fleece is now actually clean, so hopefully that will mean more spinning soon. Next step is the carding, though. Today, I got a couple of batts done. I’m imagining that this will be an all-winter kind of project, but it was nice to be in the 80 degree sunroom while it’s 10 degrees outside. I forgot to take a photo. Imagine batts of brown wool here.
I finished and blocked the manta ray back in November, but I haven’t woven in its ends yet. I like the idea of this garment, but it doesn’t quite work in this particular execution (needed slightly more length, especially in the front section), so I’m considering ripping it out and doing something else. I love the yarn too much to leave it languishing for years in a project I never wear. So, one of these days when I’m feeling ambitious I’ll have a frogging party and return it to about 1200 yards of beautiful alpaca yarn.
I think that’s it. I’m sure there’s something else, but it will have to wait until next time. Which will, hopefully, be relatively soon.
Oooh! I was rewarded for checking to see if you’d posted anything new.
This post feels energetic – lots of things moving forward or moving backward in order to move forward. The scarf looks just perfect and I’d be wearing it whether the ends are woven in or not. It is so satisfying in its texture, both the cloth and the edging.
And spinning! And carding! Maybe I’ll get some of that done this year, too!
Congratulations on getting a few of those pesky projects finished or back on track! I’m very envious of your spinning – it keeps falling by the wayside for me, even though I have something on the go that I’m actually excited about. Maybe I’ll be inspired when I get home from this current trip. I kind of want to see the manta on a body before the ceremonial trip to the frog pond – it’s such an interesting shape, I keep wondering how it looks when worn.