My Forays into Fiber and other Geeky Things

Greetings from the North-Country; It's been far too long, and it's December already. The garden has gone from this To this.... While inside we have decorated the tree.. A FO and a project that I have on the needles. The hat is to be gifted, the socks are MINE ;-) The hat is out of Bartlett hand spun that I received as two huge balls of roving. I spun it about a year or so ago and got 280 +/- yards out of one of the balls. It languished in "I dunno what to do with it.." and it finally became a hat. Let's take a look out the back, up the valley. This was in November. Now we have this sight of the other day. You may see the fog that has settled along the water. As the days grow shorter, remember it's not that far from dancing the Maypole..... "When you breathe your last line Will you make your exit stage left/stage right? Well, you might decide while there's still time. You have an angel on your shoulder But you wear the old god's horns. And you danc...

Wordless

I am debating upgrading dopey again I am currently running Intrepid (8.10) I don't particularly like the way Ibis handles the R30 track-pad There are great instructions here... from Ubuntu Geek. I will think about it a little further. Let's take a closer look of the fiber that I am spinning this month. I will have lots of Corrie to knit this summer. BTW, Phaedre is going to the wheel hospital via Dave's at Clermont and get her back at Cummington or I can drive from here to there in 4 hours 20 minutes one way, or I can wait a month or he can ship. Watch out, there's this "New Street" that could be confused with "Old Street" it's around the post office..... Cya next week.....

Update on the Mystery wheel . I saw another almost like it with a smaller wheel when we went to Adirondack fiber festival last year. So I know there are more out there. Even Dave is flummoxed on what make it is. So, any takers from the field? Ideas? Buhler?

Oh, our run was extended until October 8th come down to Cohoes to Beauknits to see our stuff..... Notso glare filled now with the October overcast.... I am still so jazzed that Barb thought we were worthy...

The second post of August. I had best show you all what's on the needles, yes? Lets start with the newest project first. Around the beginning of June, I finished a few things. This for instance I had to go hunting for a pattern so it lay dormant The roving, merino of course, was from Carolyn of SeeKay Crafts I just loved spinning it. So much later I found a pattern and cast on Now it looks like this...... Carolyn, thanks for your colorway of "Spring Green" this is what it looks like knitted. Another thing on the needles since June is this pair of simple socks. Which are cleverly stashed in a "Harley Flames" box knitting bag by JessaLu Stitches. Yes, real men, knit, spin and carry project bags. And the red scarf is still coming along, I was hoping to have the first one done by Sept 1st.. Not happening... Btw, get out there and hike the trails these last few weekends of summer, but with this study, be prepared to go in circles

Yeah, I vacated. "Vacation" such a mis-understood word. For me it was a retreat. Off went the cell phone, out came the spinning. I spent my time here I have finished the Shetland!!! Sorry for the slight blur, I inherited my wife's craptastic camera ;-) I have a better pic below. But before I went out to the wilds of western NY, I spent some time poolside with my father in-law Picking up a dropped stitch on that red scarf (Irish Hiking) I am making for the Red Scarf project. Yeah, Live stitches to the right . Dropped stitch on the Purl before the cable. However, as evidenced by this piccie you would never know it happened. But wait, that's not all. Before the Shetland, there was the Icelandic that I have given away to someone who actually likes the stuff. I hated spinning this, it felt (no pun wanted) like spinning Brillo!!! Right now, I am spinning pure black merino from s pinner's hill What a pleasure...... One more photo from the bonfire.

I made it to the HUDSON RIVER STITCH and Spin over the weekend, sufficed to say, TU FIBER BLOG and ROWSRED (she who organized it) covered it better than I. However I spun full tilt boogie on Phaedre I still feel that I have got nowhere as the fiber I am spinning is 40 WPI!!!!! Not quite gossamer but getting damned close. I did get a chance to drag my previous fiber out into the light 540 yards +/- ~ of Spring Green colorway by SEEKAY Merino goodness.. I already have a pattern, she who spins is getting another lovely scarf, lace of course. Oh, one more thing......... My workplace has something vaguely related to fiber. As in the former business........ HUYCK FELT Co after a few mergers and sales ( research paper here SAGE COLLEGE) I've always sorta known I'd wind up in a fiber mill... My first job was refinishing Wire Stitchers and a stitch is a stitch......

You all know about the next set of socks that I cast on, right? Knit Picks tweed essential I love the feel of this yarn on my hands I can't wait until they get on my feet. and I am spinning this.... CORRECTION it's shetland, This came from http://www.missbabs.com/ Finally I cast this on this afternoon... It's a charity project for the RED SCARF project Pattern is here This is for aged out foster children who are in college or vocational school to give them a red scarf for Valentine's day and to show support that, yes there is someone who cares......

Okay, you got me, since I last posted, I finished this Merino from SeeKay Colorway "Spring Green" I loved working with her fiber. Took you to work to see what my desk really looks like. and rode my bike to Lock 2 of the Erie canal (There is NO lock 1!) I also went to the Woolgathering at Thatcher Park I am short of words this month because I have been relatively silent and more contemplative as of late. I have been spinning more and knitting less I have become enamored with Corriedale roving and seem to purchase it every chance I get. Lyman's Sleighbell Farm 4oz $5.oo A nice brown that I am going to blend with another bit of the Cory Cross that is from Tina to see what happens. That's all for now, as I said, summer is close and I become word-less. Until next time. Computermechanic.

It's spinning on an Ashford Traditional circa mid 1970's with the 3 ratio flyer mod along with a "springy" drive band mod.  Example of genre to my left. It's far from rocket science as one could get. I mean it's wood and leather and metal. I am trying to spin fiber for socks that I will be knitting. Example of fiber; So add that to my skill set besides fixing bloody windows boxes. I like this yarn and hope it does work out for soxes.. Stay tuned for 250 +/- yards of Blue Super Bulky tomorrow