New Projects

Please ignore the ugly bearded head.

So in the wake of working on the massive shawl and wrapping up those long languishing socks I've been smacked in the face by a massive case of startitus. Since the games have ended (less than a week ago)  I have completed one birthday present (pics later since the recipient reads the blog), an adorable new cloche for yours truly. This knit up in like 3 hours, felted it with the laundry the next morning and walla! I love it, I just have to actually attach the feathers and it is ready for the first chilly evening of fall. Also on the needles are new birthday socks for Dan, he's finally getting his wish and getting plain old stokinette socks, my one concession is it's self striping yarn, so at least it has something to keep my interest. Last night I started the next birthday present in the cue, which will have to remain a mystery for now because I'm designing the pattern.

And even more exciting, my shawl was featured in Hand Spinning News! This totally made me do a little happy dance, which was amazingly hard since I spent 9 hours today staining my mom's back deck. Recognition is always nice to receive.

Tour de Fleece

Last Saturday the race began and I got underway with goal of 12oz of laceweight 2 ply. I'm pacing myself at the moment...we do have until the 22nd. This is my progress so far.
around 2.5 ozs of very fine singles.

Color accurate singles

I'm pretty happy with it, but the high mileage spinning makes for slow going. Will hopefully get to finish the last 1/2 oz or so today and then on to a new bobbin tomorrow. If you haven't done so already you should go check out all the amazing new yarns being born over on the Tour de Fleece group on Ravelry. They are simply beautiful!

Today I also get to help 2 of my friends help each other. I have 1 in need of finding a home for 2 cats that she can no longer take care of and another who just happened to be in search of 2 cats. He is meeting them today to see if everybodies personalitys mesh and hopefully they will have a new home in New Jersey. This saves them from having to go to a shelter where they may have a hard time finding homes since they are adult cats.

Not color accurate, but the penny gives an approximation of size

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th and please remember to keep your pets safe on this holiday. More pets escape and are killed or wind up in shelters from 4th of July fireworks than any other time of the year, so make sure everyone is tagged or safe inside tonight!

Upcoming Competions

Tour de Fleece and the Ravelymipics are right around the corner and though I have bee considering my project for several months now I hadn't selected my teams until this weekend.
I choose Team Kromski for Tour de Fleece, makes sense since I spin on a Sonata and Team Knit Your Handspun since I will be knitting my Tour de Fleece spoils into the Spanish peacock shawl that I have been coveting for months.
I'm getting pretty stoked about it although I really wanted to have finished my other handspun by the time the Tour starts, I just don't think there will be time what with 1st summer semester wrapping up and second summer semester starting all at the same time. Maybe I'll get 4 more ozs done before then, I had an idea for a sweater design for it so the sooner the yarn is done, the sooner I can hide it from all of you until it's done :)