Spinning my wheels

So, it’s been forever and a day since I’ve had any real fiber related posts to speak of. I think we are about due, over due really. A while back I agreed to make two pairs of worsted weight slipper socks for a friend of the family, for her kids (two grown adults with huge feet! Hope they don’t read this). This experience has been, interesting, to say the least. Basic worsted weight socks are generally a breeze to knit through. Ha! That is unless you have to knit them. Then it becomes a chore, and I get a little whiny when it comes to chores I don’t want to do. See Elizabeth, you come by it honestly. The person I was doing the knitting for, I love dearly, dearly! I hate these socks though. First off, I miscalculated how much yarn I’d need because I didn’t realize how large the sizes were that I would be knitting, a men’s 12 and a women’s 10. So, not only did I not make any money on these socks, they ended up costing me money to make. Which is fine because I grossly underbid myself when she asked me to knit them. I broke a firm rule of mine, and paid the price. My knitting for others rule is this:  “You can’t afford me. So don’t ask.” It’s not that I don’t knit for other people, it’s just that I do not knit for others when they ask me too. I like to knit something for someone else knowing it will be a surprise and because a pattern or yarn caught my eye and made me think of them. Not because I have too.

So, here are the socks.

Yep, they are socks.

I wish I could say they were knit with love, but they were knit with impatience and whininess instead. I wouldn’t wear these puppies out of the house, just to be safe. Who knows what would happen with all the bad mojo they have absorbed.

Mostly I spent the entire time knitting them wishing that I could knit something else, anything else! There were at least 20 different patterns I wanted to cast on as soon as I cast off these socks. So of course, as soon as I finished knitting them I sat staring at my yarn corner going, “Hmmmmmmm…beeeeeeeeeoooooooooooop.” What have I been doing instead? Spinning. Spinning my fibery little heart out. I’ve been watching youtube tutes on how to do Navajo plying, and fractal spinning, etc.

My handiwork from the last few weeks.

A delicious thick'nthin spun in merino and angora, yeah, I totally bury my face in this all the time.

BFL and Tussah Silk, soooo gorgeous!

A sample of some merino and bamboo, totally squishable.

Polwarth, two hanks from the same singles, one is fractal spun and 2-ply, the other was leftovers that I used to practice my Navajo plying. Both gorgeous.

 

I did end up casting on a quick project for myself, worsted weight slipper socks. Yeah, I know, ironic, but hey, my feet are cold lately. I also swatched for a cardigan that has been waiting patiently since the designer debuted it…you know, about 8 years ago. Which just goes to show you how classic the lovely Bonnie Marie Burns over at Che Chicknits is. Her gorgeous, Miss BB, cardi is ready to go. I think B Marie is my knitting twin, I always get gauge on the first try with her patterns.