Pixie Purls

I forgot how much I love this time of year, before it gets too cold.

The hairy toby even likes to snuggle this time of year if I don't put the heat up too much.

Yesterday I voted. I got really aggravated with the candidates so I actually only wound up voting for 1 guy for congress and then on all the other law changes. The guy I voted for, he totally lost.

So then I came home and spun up some of that eBay BFL/Merino and it was very nice to spin. I like it has a 3-ply so I hope it's enough for a hat.

Do you see my cute new pajama pants, chocolate brown with pink stripes? So comfy! I went to the Gap Outlets after work yesterday and scored 1 pair corduroy pants, said pj pants, 1 polar fleece sweater w/ a cute zippered collar, socks and some v-neck cotton tops all for $74! Score!

I really want to knit on my socks so I am hoping tonight I can work on them a bit.

Posted by pixie at 10:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I spent my sunday night Wuzzing. While those of you with a dirty mind might be thinking some fairly racy things right now, let me show you what Wuzzing is;

Okay maybe it looks like I am trying to do something racy, but I can promise you I'm not, and it's fun. It's especially fun at 10pm when you know the dogs barking and jumping up and down like crazy probably just woke up the neighbors, and it makes you feel like a rebel. Life is kinda sad when wuzzing at 10pm makes you feel like a rebel huh? However you can see my smile, so you can tell I am enjoying life. Oh yeah, wuzzing is something you do to get the majority of water out of the wool very easily so it dries fast and without any mildew. It just means you swing it around like a helicopter (aim at your husband for best results) until you get too tired to do it anymore.

So the husbeast and I went to Target and Lowes. I got 2 galvanized (no stainless steel in site) buckets, 2 nice little drying racks and those bags that you wash unmentionables in. I also got some dawn dish soap.

($5 buckets, $5 drying racks, $2 Mesh thingies, $2 Dawn Soap = $26 Spent)

Everything I bought and decided to do was purely based on "Alden Amos Big Book of Handspinning" and what I read Sunday morning while in the bath.

1st Wash and Results

3rd Rinse (when my margarita'd self remembered to add soap! Brilliant!)

All Done (Post 4th Rinse)

It was so hard to get all the Georgia red clay out of the tips. I know I didn't get it all out. The water was so hot, and I didn't have any thick rubber gloves to help me along. I also practiced carding today after reading the carding section of the Amos book and I did a la lot better then previously.

Posted by pixie at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

I am just simply counting down the days until SAFF. SAFF means two things, Vegas and Wool. My husband and I are going to Vegas for a whole 5 days before SAFF because he has a speaking engagement. We are staying at the Venetian and I hope we like it! I am looking forward to seeing some of the people we met in Australia (Mostly from Europe). So then as soon as I get back from that, I'll be running of with Claudia and some more of our SnB crew to Ashville for SAFF (October 28th/29th). So I am just counting down the days.

Last night I plied up the rest of the Romney singles I had spun. Oddly enough it didn't break once. I tried changing the direction that i was turning the ball winder, and that or more patience seems to have done the trick.

So tonight I think I'll finish spinning the rest of it (I think like 1/4th was left). I got 90 yards on that so I am hoping for 150 yards so I can make the baby bolero. I have wanted to make that with my handspun for a while. Tonight I'll hopefully spin some and record my podcast. Last night I had a very wonderful TV wind down night. Hero's, Doctor 90210 and an epsiode of "The Girls Next Door" that I had missed. I was so mad when I downloaded the recent "Project Runway", it was a total waste of an episode. Also I realized because of our traveling we missed the "Battle Star Galactica" season 3 opener and man am I mad. Worse then that, the iTunes store doesn't appear to be selling it yet. How can I watch it this Friday without seeing that first episode??

I'm on the second sleeve of the baby cardi and mommy is due in 3 weeks.

Posted by pixie at 02:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I thought I would share some of my flying experience from this weekend with you. On the way up we were good citizens and we made sure not to carry on any liquids of any kind. On the way back to Atlanta I remembered to stash all my lipstick etc but when my husbands bag went through the xray machine, he got stopped for a bag search. There was a half empty bottle of water in his bag. The security guys said "there it is" and pulled it out, and gave my husband his bag back.

So then we went to our plane and I sat down and opened my bag, there inside was a half empty bottle of water. I wondered how it was possible that we went through the same machines, one right after the other, seperated by some items inbetween (our jackets and shoes) and yet, they didn't see or stop my bottle of water. Says a lot doesn't it?

The day before we left for boston my Spunky Eclectic monthly fiber club arrived. Some plumish-purple Romney. I spun up half of it straight away and then plied some to see how it would look. It spun up very even and pretty. The deep and rich purple/pink colors are a nice change.

And I give you this, just because it's cute:

If you look careful you will see Toby!

Posted by pixie at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

MRSF - Note to myself for where to buy my next fleece!

Posted by pixie at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Crazy knitting women - Kind of odd, kind of cute, very cool looking yarn :)

Speaking of pretty purple yarn... my monthly Spunky Eclectic roving arrived. It's a funky plum-ish colorway.

It's what? Romney! Looks like I'm all about the romney this month. It's easy to draft and spin, I don't like it as much as shetland and it isn't as soft once it has the twist in it as the shetland is. We'll see how it blooms when I ply it.

In other news, I swapped out the white Oh My! yarn for some baby green. "Only Ewe & Cotton Too" was really sweet and swaped it out without any issues.

Posted by pixie at 07:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

UK Shetland on the left, American Shetland on the right.

There is a big difference in the roving, however it is important to keep in mind that the UK stuff is actually combed top so it's going to be denser and more even. The American stuff has a lot of VM, a kind of gray/blue tone to it and it has lots of I think you call them, tiny noils and nubs. It was much harder to get an even yarn out of this even if what i spun looked even at first, when plied it looked less even.

I think Scotland was careful not to send the best Shetland Sheep over to the US many years ago when they first got imported. Heh.

It came off the bobbin all balanced and straight like this;

I adore it, and want to melt into it, it's so lofty and soft. Both of these samples are my testers and a little uneven because I spin a little too fast just to get through it, but even with a little bit of thick/think it evens out wonderfuly when plied.

Last night we went to see "Fearless" which btw way was extremly good and we stopped at B&N and I picked up a copy of "Knitting" a magazine from England. It has a lot of main stream yarns and often patterns from current books.

I had to get it when they had this pattern I have wanted but never bought the book for. "Driftwood" in "Natural Silk Aran" (RYC).

I think it's time to get back to some knitting!

Posted by pixie at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

On this new years day (for some) and the fall equinox (for others) I went out with my husband and traveled into the humid and cloudy Georgia Mountains to the Wauka Valley Farm Shearing day.

It was truly a family affair with grandmother, daughter and granddaughters (and a sheep named after great grandma that I got the fleece from!). Everyone was so sweet and full of great info and happy to share. I'm going to go back hopefully in March for their next shearing day and actually help them "skirt" the fleece. Which turned out to be NOT what i thought it was. I thought it had to do with if you put a cover on them to keep them clean but it actually has to do with sorting and picking the fleece before you send it out to be processed.

I got my fleece from PJ the Romney. This particular sheep originally came from a farm that breed their sheep for eating and fleecing. So some of the males that came from very good fleece bearing mommies, get eaten. Two somehow got left and Wauka got them before they could be eaten so now they are the two Romney's that live at Wauka.

The sheep don't like to be caught, but once you do get them they don't freak or fight about the shearing itself. You can even pet their head while it's being done and they don't seem to care. I think they are just waiting for it to end so they can relax.

I could have gotten some Correidale cross etc but I'm just not to into Correidale right now so I wanted to try the Romney. Wish me luck, it's a lot to wash. Speaking of the fleece, it cost way more then I was expecting. How much do you guys pay per pound for your raw fleece?

PJ gave me 3.5 pounds of a beautiful, creamy Romney Wool.

I didn't wind up seeing anyone I knew, we got there early, 9:30am. The husbeast came with me and seamed to really enjoy himself. It was really fun to share the experience with him and when we went to the pet store later to get the dogs food he told the sales women (who we know and talk to often) all about the fleece and how many sweaters I could make from it and how much it cost and what the shearing was like. Heh.

>> Video of PJ being Sheared

Posted by pixie at 06:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Lookit! A mini beer to go with my mini wheel!

If you look close you can see my swift, the ball winder is on the other side. It's a very good location!

On my way to the kitchen to get said beer, I came across a Scorpian. Don't worry no bug pictures from me. I have a slab home and georgia has scorpians so there you go.

I am sooo happy with this shetland, which is funny because I didn't think I would be (this wasn't as nice as some other stuff). It just goes to show how much shetland is *my* wool. I'm still not through the first ball. I really am hoping I can get a sweater out of it. I think probably another Split Neck (the blue sweater from the last post). I am waiting on a Hello Yarn Acid Dye Kit and once it's all spun up, I'll take the worst spun stuff (probably the first ball) and dye some samples and pick a color. Probably a stormy sea green if it plays well with the wool.

Posted by pixie at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Here is the view out the little window above our kitchen sink. There was a stunning orange butterfly I couldn't get a good picture of, because of a large bumble bee.

It's an extremely large butterfly bush. On the right day, at the right time there can be dozens and dozens of butterflies. This year I have not seen a lot. I am hoping we see a bunch in October like we did last year. We have 3 large trees like this in our back yard.

>> View Video of me spinning this roving

I spent most of today working from home (we are trying to launch a very big website, internal), and then after I spun away my weekend-work blues. The roving has some VM (Vegetable Matter) in it, and it's not nearly as nice as combed top, but it has a wonderful wild natural appeal to it. I can't wait to ply it, but I think I should spin up all 18 oz of it before I ply to try to keep it consistent, or at-least until I run out of bobbins. Happy Happy Joy Joy (Joy)

Update 11pm

>> View Video of me creating a 2 ply from 1 ball
Please excuse my awful posture etc.

Posted by pixie at 05:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Whats this? Do you know what it is? It's my new baby. It's my "Joy Ashford". I was freaking out for the last 7 days waiting on this to get to my doorstep. It arrived yesterday in a fancy box.

It's a Double Treadle with Scotch Tension, but best of all it's a "true" double treadle and I don't get dead spots where the wheel gets stuck. (Note the doggy nose!)

Here is a close up of the tension nob and the drive band. It has springs on both sides, and it runs over the bobbin.

Here she is in her natural habitat. I always felt my lendrum was a boy, but this one is most certainly a girl. The Joy is named after the actual "Joy Ashford" who is the mother of one of the Ashford guys.

Mini Review:
So far so good, I like how the flyer has to come off to put a bobbin on, sure it's a bit of a pain but it's on so nice and securely it just feels very stable and well put together. I like how short it is, I'm not a tall women and this is the perfect height to sit on my couch and spin. It's light as a feather and easy to carry with the nifty handle.

It came with great directions on how to set it up. I have yet to try plying on it but I love the onboard Lazy Kate, it even says you can ply off of it. I always thought it was just for bobbin storage.

Here is the very first thing I spun on it. Luxe Merino Top Superwash from Knitch. I attempted to spin a worsted weight single. I am very pleased with it!

I plan on selling my Lendrum locally. No need for 2 portable wheels. I feel like this one is a lot more portable, however including the bag it was a lot more money. Oh and for those who want to know, I got it from the Copper Moose with 2 extra bobbins, maintance kit and shipping, all for no charge.

Posted by pixie at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

I had to get a photo of it on the husbeast, and he likes it lots!

We cleaned out the living room, dinning room and hallway so it's all ready for the new floor tommorow. I get to work from home so I can watch over things, and now that Jesse is back I have starbuck so it's much easier to blog.

My husband heard today from a co-worker that the search engine dogpile gets 4,000 searches a day for free knitting patterns. I wonder how many google gets? hehe!

Posted by pixie at 08:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It was nearly one am and my left hand index finger was so sore! I spent all saturday day knitting nothing. I was indeed knitting but it was just fits and starts and rips. I wasn't motivated to work on anything amungst all the other stuff going on, so around midnight I decided to start the hat from my burgandy handspun.

I finished at 2pm today.

Durring all of this Toby insisted on sleeping on the baby cardi. It was really driving me mental but I finally just let him and prayed none of the yarn got knotted or tangled. He slept on all 4 peices.

Posted by pixie at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

I went to Sears after work and ordered a new Dryer. Wound up with a Kenmore (made by whirlpool for sears, funny stuff).

The hubby is taking a very last minute trip to go to PA to ski with his dad. He hasn't seen his dad sence the wedding well over a year ago so this will be nice for him, and his dad is going to pay for the ticket! I thought it was interesting Hotwire.com cost the exact same as the tickets purchased off the airline website.

Orignally we had both wanted to go to Telluride to ski, but after researching I felt it was too expensive just to ski. I don't love skiing that much, I would much prefer to go closer and spend less. So I brought up my wanting to go to Europe, as in 2007 we will be going Australia again because he wants to go one last time before we have baby. So hrm, if he gets to have his wish why can't I have mine? Hehe, so we decided our one big trip this year will be to europe!

We have some some friends in the UK & london so I would like to see them, as well as maybe make it to Ireland (sp?) or some place like that. My father was actually born in London, and his mom was from Ireland and when he was little they all moved to Australia and then to California (clearly not the Jewish half of me!). So I get to dream of Europe for the rest of the year. I am guessing it will be around August and our anniversery that we get to go.

So then after that I came home and spun for a long while and nearly have a full bobbin!

Posted by pixie at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So last night after everything, the husband and I decided some alky-hall and roving would make me feel better. Margarita's and the State of the Union Address for everyone!

OMG my roving totally matches my Margarita glass, wtf! Look close or click on the photo to find out who those people are.

I'm so proud of how this is going, it's nice and thin. The slower I spin, the thinner I can get it.

I sped through the burgandy Correidale. I prolly ruined it but who cares, I was tippsy and relaxed, so it was worth it!

I'm a rebel, I didn't even bother to set the twist!

Posted by pixie at 12:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well my yarn arrived in the mail, and I forgot to mention I got some roving at the Distaff Day thang.

Ebay Coopworth

Distaff day Merino (My first Merino!)

I am still waiting on the Blue Face Leciester(sp?) from CopperMoose... hrmm...

Oh and a shot of the sweater, all these purling rows are killing my hands! I'm out of practice.

So um, yeah. I'm not allowed to buy anymore roving or yarn :)

Posted by pixie at 06:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Best Knitting Blogs - only a few here I had not seen before.

Distaff Day

Pictured here from left to right Jen, Jane, Hockey Mom, Mouse, Pixie & Melissa (photo taken by Janice). Desiree was also there, I'll update this with a link to her blog later tonight when I am at home with my email.

Here is Melissa trying out my Lendrum. She near filled up half a bobbin and was a complete natural! She has used a drop spindle before but never a wheel. Hopefully she will post some photos to her blog of her wonderful spinning!

I had great fun at Distaff day and was so thrilled to meet so many cool bloggin knitters! Mouse and Melissa pulled me out of my corner and helped me carey my wheel and chair over so I could sit with them. Everyone was just so nice, I am motivated to have a knitting day at my house with some Wine and Chesse and lots of yarn!

Now for the SP7 questions!

Continue reading "Spinning Photos & SP7" »

Posted by pixie at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

This Sunday I am going to the annual Distaff Day celebration at the Peachtree Handspinners Guild. I will probably be all shy at first, and I even have atleast 2 or 3 people who I 'know" from email lists and blog land, but have never met! So that will be fun.

So last night I knit for a while and then decided to get back onto the wheel. For the first 20 minutes I thought the wheel was broken, everything seemed wrong. I sorta futzed with stuff, and spun up some of the crap roving, and then moved back to the corriedal and I think everything is back to normal. I seem to have a need to be in some kind of zone, or to warm up. Only then do I get a nice and even yarn. It's okay though, a formula for success is still success!

This burgandy roving will be a hat for my husband

The spinning book has a pattern for a nice ribbed hat made in handspun and I can say it's decreases do not make a pinwheel and will not be femanine hah. So my husband is waiting on his hat, but knowing me it may be summer before he gets it :)

I'll be putting together an entry about this weekend with photo's the final information!

Posted by pixie at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Work gave us today off, yay!

Well I don't think I should be allowed to buy anymore roving until I spin all the other stuff up, I also got some dark teal and some burgandy Correidal on Sunday from the same place I got the aqua stuff a year ago. So I think all together I spent $60 on roving including the web stuff. I have already spun up one bobbin of the teal. Maybe today I can spin all of it! I need to practice right? Spinning is so fun to practice. I don't feel any of the pressure with it that I feel with knitting. When I knit I can't mess up a stitch or the pattern can be ruined. I know I am far to uptight about it, it's just the way I am about it. Knitting is not zen for me, but then in some ways it is. Maybe I should say, sometimes it is.

Spinning on the other hand is instant zen (I have been reading "Zen & The Art of Knitting"). When I spin I focus on my hands and how I am drafting, and minutes fly by like leaves in the wind. I like to listen to music while I spin, and I find myself often singing. I am not clear from the book if zen is a place you think about things or you don't. I think you're supposed to clear your mind of everything, so that is spinning for me. One of my favorite things to do is take a bath, but in the bath I think LOTS, or I read. My mind is very busy and I find it's a great time to think about things I need to think about. So I guess that's not Zen, so I wonder what it is? Meditation maybe? Are you supposed to think about stuff when meditating?

I'll be running to Quilted Hearts to get a spinning book, as Barnes & Noble doesn't have any in stock and I don't want to wait a week and pay shipping, and double my order just to get free shipping etc. Plus I want to look through them before I buy them.

Everyone wish me luck in resisting buying any Alpaca Roving!

Posted by pixie at 11:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tonights work

The color in this photo is more true to the yarn

Detail of second skein

So being all pleased with myself I was allowed to order some new roving:

Blue Face Leicester 2lb Roving -Extrafine Exclusive

Coopworth Swirl Rov 8 oz Scotish Thistle (jjfarm)

This one is the real winner to me, loooove the colorway, hope it doesn't suck in real life!

100% Coopworth Swirl Roving 8 oz in Mermaid (jjfarm)

100% Coopworth Swirl Roving 8oz in Flame (jjfarm)

Posted by pixie at 08:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

My 4th night spinning, this time a beutiful Aqua Corriedale Top from Louet that I had gotten when I bought my drop spindle. Wow I never got anything this good on that thang!

I am very pleased with how this spins up, and I was very careful not to over twist which I keep reading the new spinners say they try to avoid doing. I actually spent a good 20 minutes spinning some of the roving that came with the wheel. Can't say again how much I hate that stuff. I will be stuffing that into the bottom of my yarn bin for when I just want to spin and don't care what.

I also have this Corriedale in Jade as well as some other roving in a pretty brown. I got it at Hidden Haven Farm in Alpharetta. It's dated 12/04, so I guess I got it about this time last year.

Posted by pixie at 09:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Spinning Wool - I created this spinning community on livejournal. I always enjoyed knitting.livejournal.com and I didn't see any useful spinning communities. Feel free to join up! It will be a place to ask questions, and to post FOs!

Solid Socks Along
Time is running out now! I would like to request that you please email me you're photograph submissions between now and January 5th. Afterwords I will post the winner :) pixie AT pixiepurls.com and please use the subject "Solid Socks Photo".

Posted by pixie at 12:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I spoke with my mother today, she sounds better then yesterday but still fairly stressed. She had friends over today I think and is having friends and family come by to say hello to him. I think she just wants him to have the very best of life in his last week. I do wonder how long he will go for, the vet insisted days, but mom went outside with him today and he chased a stick, ran around outside and ate a little bit of cheese... then fell asleep on my mothers bathrobe. I am so happy he is doing so "well" if it is truley his last few days. I hope he goes so sweet and peaceful in his sleep, thats what I hope for most. It doesn't seem like he's going to die, I can probably sit here and deny it for a while.

Here is a photo of my first bobbin full;

My first attempt at plying, I just sort of guessed as to how to do it;

Posted by pixie at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The fantastic Cara from January One rescued me by explaining how to attach the break thingy properly. It didn't really come with specific instructions so I was fairly lost as to what and how it attached. I just finished spinning some of the stuff that came with the wheel. I could have never figured that out on my own.

Thanks Cara!

In sad news this afternoon I found out that my Sheltie MacGyver who I got for my 16th birthday, is dying of Cancer. He is probably going to die in the next few days. He has been with my parents ever sence I left for GA for college. He is theirs now, but he will always be mine too and I am so sad. Please send your thoughts to a sweet doggy in Virginia named MacGyver. I hope he goes peacfully and content. It's especially hard on my mother and I as you please send strength her way to. I find myself depressed and not able to be to excited about anything, I just tried spinning to give myself something to do, it was slightly helpful in giving me something to focus on... anways... that's all I have to say right now.

Posted by pixie at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

It's so cute, when I leave in the morning all the animals go look out the window that is directly in front of my car. Tala is almost always in the window, she finally seems to get along much better with Willow. However, if she tries to come into the bedroom and Willow runs after, there is a bit of hissing to be expected.

In other news my Lendrum arrived in Atlanta at 10pm last night:

12/28/2005 7:00:00 AM OUT FOR DELIVERY ROSWELL, GA US
12/28/2005 12:44:00 AM ARRIVAL SCAN ROSWELL, GA US
12/27/2005 11:55:00 PM DEPARTURE SCAN ATLANTA, GA US
12/27/2005 11:01:00 PM LOCATION SCAN ATLANTA, GA US
12/27/2005 10:03:00 PM ARRIVAL SCAN ATLANTA, GA US

Update: My husband has told me it has arrived :)

Solid Socks Along

Baby Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. CO 48 st US #2

Well I doubt very much I will have mine done in time but that's okay, I am a new sock knitter and prone to millions of mistakes.Take that orange sock for instance. It fits yes, and is not hard to get over my foot, but I will tell you what, it seems a tad stretched out on me, ruins the way the pattern looks. I think i could have given it more ease and it will would have ribbed in on my foot and not been loose, and looked prettier. I am not stopping though. I am knitting this sock soooooo slow (this means not very often and in short spurts), but it's actually a fast knit.

Posted by pixie at 09:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I just ordered my Lendrum from the Fold. If you wanted one by the way, The Fold has them in stock, and Woolery just got like 16 wheels in so the waiting list probably just got taken care of.

Cara from January One just commented to my last entry letting me know she ordered her Lendrum this morning from them! So I followed suite of course...

The lady one the phone was great, very nice and sending along a free Niddy Noddy, and said they have a 100% satisfaction garuntee so if when it comes I don't like it, I can send it back! I think she's sending along some wool as well. It should arrive next week!

*does the happy dance of joy*

Posted by pixie at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I did some more calling around and I found a lendrum spnning wheel DT, availible for ME! Should I order it, or wait until January 8th to order it? I'll admit I'm a bit jelouse. So many MANY people on knitters review and other sites who have just recieved or are waiting on theirs.

I want to spin to, and I don't want to be behind everyone in learning! Arn't I silly? I feel like a 12 year old stamping her foot because she can't get what she wants. But there on my coffee table is 3 checks and a $100 dollar bill. That leaves $50 to be paid by me, and free shipping! It would arrive in about 7 days she said.

My husband wants me to wait, and wait and wait. I don't want to wait! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I shouldn't be allowed to by myself a Chuanuka/Xmas present I suppose, but that's what the money was for right?!

*pouts*

Posted by pixie at 04:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

(sounds like a some kinda stinky oil or something)

I did it, I am on the waiting list for the Lendrum DT 220 from the Woolery. Very nice women who spoke to me on the phone. I would probably be able to get it in late Febraury and it gives me time to save up money, and I can take my name off the list at any time.

I was waiting to appease my husband anyway, might as well be on the list ;-)

I am at the toe decreases on my second trekking sock! After this I'll be taking a go at my solid socks finally. I havn't had much time to knit with being sick and trying to clean the house for the holidays.

I am wondering if I should order one from WEBS when it gets down to it, they are $50 cheaper, but they don't come with the travel bag.

Update: I have $200 in my hand so far! I am betting I won't get the additional $100 thought because I think my mom is going to buy something for our house.

Posted by pixie at 01:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Learning on a Louet Double Treadle with a buttery white Coopworth.

Greta and I went to Quilted Hearts for some spinning lessons! It was a lot of fun. I'm a bit PMS'y so I wasn't as hyper as I normally am. I was mostly frustrated when trying to start again, when you might get a break and have to re-attach. I have fairly good hand eye cordination so I feel like I did pretty good! Greta's looked phenominal. She has a louet she purchased at a festival and had a bit more practice then me but even still she is defnitley a begginer and her's looked beutiful and very even.

By the end of the 2 hour class I had the whole thing down, I just need to practice loads and loads to get better. I do plan to buy a wheel but not any time soon! I can go to quilted hearts and practice for $5 a day and Greta sounded like she wouldn't mind coming in as well so we could spin together. It was really fun, I just wish I wasn't a tad pissy today!

TA DA! My first "ball" of yarn. It's nothing special, but I'm proud!! lol

Posted by pixie at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well as I live out in the country and spinning lessons are always durring the day when this working girl can't go. I am trying to arrange a private lesson in early december! Wish me luck in getting it lined up. It's been difficult so far, lots of phone tag.

Posted by pixie at 08:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

She's just so happy I cleaned out her litter pan..

Tonight spinning went much better then before, I tried the blue after I had some success witht he white. I hope it's enough to try playing and knitting a bit with. Probably isn't.

Posted by pixie at 07:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well I SHOULD be going to Yoga but I hate that Yoga class. I NEED to make myself do yoga with the Ashtanga DVD I got. Need. Self. Discipline.

I can't recall how in the world I got this places name, but "Hidden Haven Farm" is only a few miles from my work and I had been emailing the owner(?) back and forth asking about spinning. They have a $5 spindle for begginers and some good newbie rovings, as well as raw wools. Sounds like they have sheep.

If you make a purchase they will show you how to use everything and they have Louet which from what I can tell in blog land seems to be what everyone starts out with, but not what they wind up with. I think I would still prefer an ashford, but lets not worry about wheels yet shall we?

So I got directions and I'll be heading over around 5:30 to get a drop spindle, some roving and a lesson. Maybe I'll find a good extra something for my SP3! OH how exciting!

Posted by pixie at 12:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)