Purple Wool/Mohair

I *finally* finished spinning all my purple wool/mohair mix, and I think it's the most I've spun of anything!  But first, isn't it lovely?



That's 300 yards (yes, three hundred).  It must be the most I've ever spun, because I've never filled a bobbin with so much yarn!  I completely forgot to check the WPI, but based on comparison with some others, I'm guessing it's somewhere between a fingering and lace weight...



I still have no idea what I'm going to do with it...  I think I can get away with not plying it, since it's fairly even (yay!) so maybe something fun and lacy?  I know I find socks tedious and I don't really have use for a shawl, so who knows! ^.^



I got in a bit more spinning today  (Okay, I already finished everything I brought back from school. >.<), but I'm thinking about doing something a bit more exciting with them, so we'll see!

- Cristy

Currently Watching: Hitler's Britain on Hulu.com

So organized....

Yeah, even I get in moods where it's very have a place for everything and everything in its place.  Ugg.  Sure, I appreciate a clean room, but I'm just not naturally organized!  (Where was I got with this?  It's 3am and I'm tired.  Oh right...)  Anywho, I spent part of a 6 hour car ride to the beach organizing some random fibers I got Thursday.

(Apologies for the extreme blandness, it's about the types of fiber, damnit, not the color!)  The first two pictures are of the same page, and the third picture is the second page of fiber samples.



I should probably start by warning you that, since all of these fibers came from someone else, everything i know about them is word-of-mouth...  So let's see...  That first column is cotton from New World Trading.  I rather liked the color speckles and it's wonderful to touch, but the short staple length approximate length of individual fibers) makes it ridiculously difficult to spin.  A decent skein of this would take lots of patience.  The second column is from my hometown, so it's locally grown/produced/cleaned cotton.  Despite the ginning, it still has a lot of crap in it, but honestly, you can't even feel it once it's been knit.  The third column is my absolute favorite, although I'm not entirely sure if it's Irish linen or cotton.  Either way, it likes potatoes and Guinness and yes that was stereotyping.  Other than that, it's possibly my new favorite fiber and undoubtedly extremely expensive!  (I tried to add (US 6) knit samples where I could, but for some, there just wasn't enough fiber.)



Okay, that linen in the first column?  Freaking pain in the arse.  I never had more respect for the ancient Egyptians than when I was trying to spin in and, given the ancient Egypt phase I went through in my youth, that's saying a lot...  At first, it stuck to everything except itself, especially my hands, and then, once I wet it like you're supposed to, it refused to draft.  I rather suspect the (freakishly long) staple length through me off as well.  I'd definitely try it again, but not anytime soon...

And that last one is just fun.  All I know about it is that it's a Mutant (Google suggests California Variegated Mutant Sheep.)  It's surprisingly pleasant to spin, especially considering I'd never spun from a batt before.  The sponge-iness is weird, but definitely makes for an extremely elastic yarn.



Yep, that's it for today... time to haul my poor exhausted butt to bed. ^.^

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stenfani

Purplepurplepurple...

I got to devote Thursday almost entirely to spinning!  I spun most of the purple mohair/wool fiber in the morning, then spent the afternoon with my lovely spinning teacher/friend trying out some new fibers and went to a spinning night at a local yarn store!  (And I bought more yarn. :p  )



I think it's pretty....  I'm still deciding whether to ply it, but if I do, I'll probably use a different yarn to get as much length as possible.  Perhaps a dark violet?  Although I've been meaning to try something lacy, so it might just stay as is.  It's definitely thin enough for something complex.



Clearly, I still have a little to finish spinning, so I'll probably finish that on Monday.  Again, it's from Yarns, Etc in Chapel Hill, NC and I definitely recommend it.  I'll probably try to visit the boyfriend at school this summer and get some more. :p

Oh!  And my yarn purchases:



The red is Cascade 220's Soft Spun and the blues are their Pure Alpaca.  Best part?  Only $22 for all three!  (Regular price would be about $40)  The store, Close Knits, is closing at the end of this month and having a huge sale until everything's gone, so if you're in the Gastonia, NC area...  I only wish I'd heard of them before than this week... *sigh*

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Sanctificum" - DJ Tiesto

Doodles...

Like I said a few days ago, I've been keeping busy tidying the hell out of my room.  Most of the stuff I found was, well, crap...  but there were some art supplies I hadn't seen in *years*.  Like these crayons...



All I know/remember of them is that they're really nice Staedler crayons my father brought back from a visit to Germany  (business trips meant my brother and I got gifts! :p  ) and based on my Googling, I'm not sure you can find them anymore...

But anyways, after years of inactivity, it was time to put them to use!  First, an abstract thing (on the Left in the warm colors) very much inspired by Drew Barrymore's commercials.  I think, among the celebrities, she has one of the most positive body images, especially without obsessing over surgery.

And the green tendrils are just... abstractness...  (Right)



A bit more realism here....  Just a doodle of a red carnation my mother received for Mother's Day  (the restaurant we went to for dinner gave them out!).  This is also when I realized the crayons came with white and started using it for blending. >.>  Not sure if I like this one; I'd definitely change a few things if I could.  The stem is definitely funky.



Anyone else have a thing for plaid recently?  I realized the colors *exactly* match a swimsuit I just bought a few days ago.  Like, creepily so..  Anyways, this kind of plaid is nice, gingham, not so much.  My Scottish roots rear their heads once again!



I can't decide; is this too terrifying?  (Yes, it's a portrait of my main character from WoW, stop judging!)  Considering I'm working with chunky ROYGBIV crayons, I think it's surprisingly accurate, actually.  Despite the ridiculously uneven tusks and lack of defined hair, of course. :p  (You can stop squinting at the scrawl in the corner; my preferred nickname on this character is Part.)  I've also decided the best way to see this picture is click to enlarge, then walk *all* the way across the room to look at it.  Compression kills!



OK, last thing.  And yes, something else WoW-inspired...  The technique was fun, at least.  First, put down a layer of yellow and orange and then blue and purple stripes.  Using some sharp tool (knife, in my case), etch a design.  It was 3am and I was feeling uncreative, so I drew something I had at hand, my character's (sweet) ride.



Apologies for the parentheses abuse tonight; I don't think a single paragraph escaped unscathed.  It's just my crutch when I'm tired.  I'm hoping to get back to fiber later this week.  I just bought some yarn from a friend today, and I'm going to a store tomorrow for spinning so, at the very least, I'll have something to show off!

Fluffy pillows and soft mattresses,

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Bad Romance" - Lady Gaga

Just Another Bedtime Story...

Anyone else in the mood for a little story?  Here's my mash-up...

Once upon a time, there was a great and terrible dragon named Smaug.  Smaug was feared throughout the surrounding towns for both his fiery breath and insatiable appetite.  Many a brave soul lost their lives attempting to vanquish him...



One day, Smaug kidnapped the king's daughter, a princess known for her beauty and charms.  For weeks, the dragon stayed in his lair, closely guarding the princess and his hoard.



After weeks of not seeing Smaug, the townspeople decided to risk the dragon's wrath in the hopes of rescuing the princess.  Of course, they had to call the most famous of all dragon-slaying knights, Sir George!  The king sent him on his way, promising the kingdom, a lifetime of riches, and (of course) the princess's hand if he returned with the dragon's head.



But as Sir George approached the dragon, he saw just how cute and misunderstood the creature was.  Smaug hadn't meant to terrorize the village people; he just had a big appetite!  And, after spending so much keeping company with the princess, Smaug was hungry.  Sir George knew exactly how to train the moody dragon.  He fed the dragon his less-than-trusty steed, successfully taming him.  Smaug then let Sir George and the princess ride him all the way back to the king, where he was re-christened Murphy and lived on an imported diet of barbarians and trouble-makers.



Oh right!  And they lived happily ever after...

(As for the treasure?  Well, how do you think Sir George funds his dragon-slaying trips?)



The End!

Thank you, thank yous to Lucy for letting me test her Dragonet pattern, which will (probably) be shortly available on either her blog or Etsy.  Her pattern is wonderfully detailed and full of illustrations.  I used about 130 yds of Cascade 220 Heathers in 2445 and a size 3.75mm hook.  Whenever she posts her pattern, I'll try to remember to keep you posted!

More (clickable) pictures:

Recent Roving Aquisitions...

I thought I'd show up some of the roving I bought before leaving school.  (What?  I had to stock up for summer!)  First, I grabbed some wool top.  (It comes in lovely, bright colors for $2/2oz and a discount if you buy in fives at Yarns, Etc in Chapel Hill, NC.)  I've gotten it before, but never got to try it with the spinning wheel.



Don't they look silky smooth?  No idea what I'm going to do with these...  Maybe try making some art yarn?

But I'm *much* more excited about my Wool-Mohair mix!  I'd been eying these bundles since before I could spin and finally bought one!  The ball was rather messy from traveling, so I unraveled it all over the kitchen counter....  (Anyone else  find this oddly reminiscent of bacon?  Like a pile of perfectly cooked, purple bacon strips.)



And freshly re-wrapped for spinning!



(What do you think about fingering or lace weight?)

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Rehab" - Amy Winehouse

Apologies...

Oh, I've been awful this month...  I'm not even sure how I've managed to be more busy at home than at school.  Or the other hand, my craft space is finally organized!!



Okay, it's really more a craft closet than a space, but everything has a place now!  I mean, there's the skeins and fiber in the milk crates, beads in the red box, embroidery stuff in the small clear box, stationery in the brown box... the list goes on.  Luckily, a lot of the roving is at my father's, otherwise it wouldn't fit.  (Unfortunately, I don't get to use the top shelf, but I guess the winter blankets have to go *somewhere*, right?)

And I've clean the rest of my mom's house.  (It's mine during the day, when I'm the only one home. :p  )  Everywhere from the bathroom to the kitchen to the depths of the basement has been reorganized and vacuumed.  Like spring cleaning in hyper drive.  Hey, I threw out two full trash bags of stuff from the bathroom alone...

I'm hoping I'll have time to post a real content-type something tomorrow.  It's been too long.

- Cristy

Currently Listening to: "Starstruck" - Lady Gaga