I’m getting close but I’m also cutting it close…..12 more rows and one long cast off row. I hope to be blocking no later than tomorrow afternoon so I can do a photoshoot on Sunday. I said I was cutting it close.
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24
Feb 2010
I’m knitting and really hoping that I can finish before the Olympics are over. I think I can do it. I’ve made decent progress on my Multnomah. I have about 24 rows of the feather and fan pattern left to knit. My goal is to finish knitting by Friday and block on Saturday. Here’s a rather dark picture of my progress:
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20
Feb 2010
I’m in the middle of an olympic break!!! I stayed up way past my bed time last night to soak the yarn and get it hanging to dry. I have over 500 yards and I should be able to get my Multnomah knit with that yardage. I’m a bit behind because I was hoping that while I hang out at the dance studio this morning (over 2 hours), I could make a good start on the shawl but I need to give the yarn some drying time. Yarn pics later…. and by later tonight or tomorrow I’ll be knitting. Now I’ve heard of some fabulous knitters getting Multnomah done in just a few days. I guess my hindrance is that I have a really busy weekend coming up as well as a very busy week at work. I haven’t had one of those days where I could just cuddle up in a corner on the couch with my knitting all day long in a very, very, very long time. I’ll be sneaking knitting breaks wherever and whenever I can.
In the mean time, this morning while I hang out and wait, I’ll be working on a sooooper-sekret little shawl project or a pair of handspun socks or maybe both. Shawl the first hour, socks the second hour.
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19
Feb 2010
I’m still plying………. I tried to ply all of my singles last night but even though I kept going until my neck and shoulders were sore, I had to finally give up. Plying these nice and fine singles just takes a whole lot longer than I thought. So now, my schedule is way out of whack. I probably won’t be home until about 8 pm tonight. I can finish the plying tonight but once I was the yarn and set it to dry, it probably won’t dry until late Saturday and I might be able to cast on on Sunday. My plan was to take my two hours of wait time at dance tomorrow to really get into it and get a good head start on the knitting. Now I feel the pressure because my well laid plans are not working out. But hey, that’s what an Olympic challenge is all about, right???
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Category: Ravelympics
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18
Feb 2010
Late last night I finished spinning the singles. I set the wheel up for plying and quickly plied a few yards. I even sat down this morning and plied another few yards before doing my motherly morning duties. I’m at work and I can barely wait to get to the wheel tonight. No matter what, I will finish plying tonight and if I can swing it even wind it off and soak it so that by tomorrow night I can wind my skein and start knitting. Go TEAM GO!!!
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Category: Ravelympics
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17
Feb 2010
Keep on spinning, keep on spinning………… I guess 5.2 ounces does take longer than a normal 4 ounce bump of fibre, especially when you’re spinning really thin.
Plan is: finish spinning the single tonight, ply tomorrow night, skein and soak as fast as possible. I should be able to be in a knitting position by Saturday.
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Category: Ravelympics
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14
Feb 2010
Nothing much to say today. The weekend went quickly. Hubby and I went out for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner (by ourselves) last night. That was nice but in my own selfish way, I was a bit disappointed that I was left out in our little gift exchange. We always have a little gift for each kid and I had something special for hubby….. but I guess that’s what happened when your birthday is only a week later. I really should have bought that camera bag that I really wanted last night for a treat. I’ve also been scouring Etsy all day today searching for fibre but I really don’t need any new fibre and nothing I just “HAD TO HAVE” popped up today. So, I am just giving up for today. Going to try and get the kiddies to bed now and then going back to spinning on my Ravelympic project.
Here’s my progress. First, still on the bobbin and second, first bobbin is done and showing the rest of the fibre to be spun.
Back to work tomorrow. The weekends are always so short. Once I’m done the spinning, I can take the knitting on the road so I’ll be able to make some progress at lunch time and other times even though I might not always be at home.
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12
Feb 2010
The Olympics have officially begun. I thoroughly enjoyed the ceremonies on TV with the exception that the kidlets were not particularly quiet. They are in bed now……. yeah!!! I think I am headed there soon, too.
With the opening ceremonies over, I have just spent the better part of the evening starting my Ravelympics project. Yes, when I came home tonight, my wheel was empty. The fibre was sitting in my spinning chair and Bugsie was just waiting.
Bugsie waiting for the Workout
As it was time, I used the scale and started dividing up the fibre, trying to get close to having equal halves as much as possible. It always takes a bit of juggling.
Capri - Ravelympics Fibre
The lighting in my house does not make for great evening photographs but you get the idea. This is gorgeous fluffiness. Over the cours eof the evening, I have spun about 1/2 of the first bobbin. I’m not sure how far I’ll get this weekend with the spinning. It’s a busy day tomorrow with our regular activities plus hubby and I are going out for a bit of shopping and a nice Valentine’s dinner. The way the day tomorrow is shaping up, I won’t be home much. Unfortunately, I also had to bring home some work so I will have to do some of that on Sunday. Ideally, I’d like to be done with the spinning by about next Wednesday, ready to cast on for the knitting portion of the project around Thursday or so.
Let the Games begin!!!
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08
Feb 2010
No matter who people around her may feel about the Winter Olympics and whether you approve or disapprove, the show is going to happen. There are things I don’t necessarily agree with but in the end, it’s here and I think it’s pretty exciting and now that it’s here, all the effort might as well be enjoyed.
Today, the torch relay came through our work complex. Our local weater man happened to be the torch bearer and I was right at the torch switch off point.
Olympic Torch Relay
It was a pretty cool experience and I was so pleased that we had such great weather and that it was as easy as stepping out of the office for just a short little while.
I finished a pair of gloves this weekend. I love them!!! The pattern is called Knotty Gloves and I enjoyed knitting them very, very much.
I used a fabulous SW Merino/Alpaca blend handspun. I think this handspun was my very first 3-ply. It’s not cold enough for gloves and I have the feeling that we might not get cold enough weather any more to wear gloves but as long as I keep them safe from Sam, I’ll have a fabulous, toasty pair of gloves for next winter. I could highly recommend this pattern. I love my handspun gloves but I also might make a pair with the few skeins of STR that I have kicking around.
Knotty Gloves
Having some Fun
Ravelympics Update!!! After seeing the torch today, I am so ready. I am trying to estimate how long my 5 oz bump of merino/bamboo/nylon will take me to spin. I’m planning to spin the singles so I end up with a nice 2-ply heavy fingering weight yarn. Not too heavy because I want the yardage for Multnomah but not so fine that I’ll be spinning forever. Time is of the essence. To get ready, I am just finishing up some Finn from Crown Mountain Farm’s February Fibre club shipment. Once I finish that, I will leave the wheel empty until it’s Olympic ceremony time on Friday. I might give Bugsie a good oiling before then and off we go. I think if I can have all the spinning done by early the next week, I have a fighting chance to get it done!!! GO TEAM Manicpurl GO!!!
Off to spin away at the Finn now. I had tap tonight and my legs are screaming. Even the treadling hurts………. ouch……. but it was oh so much fun!!!
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Category: Just Babbling, Knitting, Ravelympics, Spinning
Tags: Knitting, Olympics, Ravelympics, relay, Spinning, torch 3 Comments
01
Feb 2010
Recently, I participated in another SAL (spin along) with All Spun Up. I haven’t missed on of her SAL’s yet. This time the fibre was totally different to me as it was Wensleydale. The colours were absolutely amazing. Aptly named “Blaze”, the fibre seemed like it was on fire with its rich shades of reds and oranges. Wensleydale is a very long stapled fibre and also more coarse than anything I’ve spun before. I went with the majority in the group and attempted a slowly spun, low twist, light weight single. I spun on the lowest ratio that I have for my wheel at the time and did a short draw technique. Going slow is a challenge for me but I did it. The finished fibre is fabulous. I can’t wait to knit it up…. might even cast something on tonight. If I do, I’ll let you know what I decided to do with it.
Blaze Wensleydale
My other spin was the January fibre for the Crown Mountain Farms fibre club. This one was Falkland – a fibre I know and love – in some amazing colours. I decided to do a slightly heavier navajo plied yarn and I think I was rather successful. This one screams mittens to me.
Awakenings - Falkland
On another note, I can’t believe it’s February today. I’m blogging instead of getting everything ready for work and school – aka kids lunches etc. so I’d better get going.
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Category: Spinning
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