Works in progress

Almost too many to count, and probably some I've completely forgotten. Here are the ones I can remember.

I have a beautiful charcoal gray scarf on needles. It's probably going to be a Christmas gift if I can bear to part with it. (and they move Christmas to June) I do lurve me some cashmere! It's a little pattern I made up. I won't claim it as my own, because I'm sure it's been done before. It's too simple NOT to have been done before. If it is, I have no idea what it's called, and I've never seen it written down, but I haven't looked real hard either. Want the pattern? .......... OK


I'll call it
Steve's Completely Original, Never Been Done Before Scarf.

Cast on 38 stitches.
Knit 7 rows
Begin 6 row pattern repeat
1. Knit
2. K4, (P4, K1) six times, K4
3. K4, (P2, K3) six times, K4
4. K4, (P2, K3) six times, K4
5. K4, (P4, K1) six times, K4
6. Knit
Repeat rows 1 through 6 until scarf is as long as you like it.
Knit 7 rows
Bind off all stitches
simple, huh?

It makes a nice cushy textured pattern. It sort of reminds me of waffles. (mmmmmmmmmm, waaaaaaffles)


Let's see, what else am I knitting?
I have a super secret project for a very special knitting friend who gave me a TON of blue hand dyed wool yarn quite a while ago. She's getting some of it back after I get it knitted up. More info and photos to follow.


I'm knitting a toe up sock. I haven't turned the heel yet. There are plans in the works to knit a second sock to match the first. I'm using white yarn because it's easier to see, and it was in my stash. I think I may dye them with walnut hulls after I knit them. They may actually become kilt hose, as I have ordered myself a kilt from Alt.Kilt. Check it out. She's got a sweet little operation going, and a touching story about how she got started.


I'm knitting a top down, shawl collared cardigan for myself. It was going to be my 2010 SAFF Sweater, but that didn't happen. I'm using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, which pre-dates Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran, (for those of you keeping track), but it's pretty much the same thing. It's a beautiful shade of blue with purple, (that's right.... purple!) and turquoise slubs. One partial sleeve, One full sleeve, two button bands, and a collar, and I'm done. I'm teaching a top down sweater class this month, so chances are some of it will get done.


I'm working on a beautiful, INCREDIBLY soft cashmere hat for Miss Nancy. She's having chemo, and will soon need something to keep that noggin of hers warm. I'm knitting love and healing thoughts, (and I think maybe some peanut butter cracker crumbs), into every single stitch I make. LOVE YA NANCY!


OK, now I'm tired, and I've thought of about 10 other projects I've started, but not finished, and what am I doing instead of knitting? Blogging! That's OK. If I wasn't doing this, I'd be screwing around on Facebook or Ravelry.

Time to blog again

Yes, it has been a while. That's not an apology, just an observation. I think writing a blog should be fun. I started looking at mine like it was homework. I've never liked homework. Now I'm going to do my darndest to make it fun for me. Hopefully it will be fun for all who read it too.

Lots of things have happened in my life since I last wrote. Probably the biggest thing that has happened is; I decided to come out to my family and friends, and live my life as the gay man that I am. (yes, I know you're all shocked) For too many years I have done what I thought my family, my church, (God), and society as a whole expected me to do. I thought if I acted straight, I would become straight. I thought if I prayed to God, he would make me straight. None of that happened. What I learned was; there is nothing wrong with being who you are. I also learned that living a lie, and trying to be something you're not, creates deep unhappiness. I wish I had come to this conclusion years ago, but I'm learning that all things happen when they should. I still have a lot of things to work through, but luckily I'm surrounded by many supportive and loving family members and friends. I love you all.

I am still working at Cut Flower Wholesale. With the help of a therapist and prescription anti-depressants, I manage to show up to work on time every day and do what is expected of me without killing anyone. Luckily I still have my other job. Teaching at Knitch is my joy and my passion. If you had told me three years ago that I would be teaching people how to knit, I would have said you were crazy. Now I cannot imagine my life without it. I had no idea I would enjoy teaching as much as I do. Apparently I'm quite good at it, (that's what they tell me), and I plan on doing it as long as I can hold a pair of needles in my hands.

Hope you like the new blog design. Think "chocolate covered cherries" - one of my favorite color combinations!

Happy VD!

As some of you know, my "real" job is in the wholesale floral industry. I've been doing it for 15 years, and have been over it for about the last 6. I just made it through Valentine's Day #15. I wasn't as busy as usual. Typically, when VD falls on a Saturday or Sunday, flower sales are down, and the restaurants seem to do better. I'm sure the present state of the economy didn't help things either. I've been wanting to do something else for several years, but I was making such good money, I really couldn't afford to go somewhere else and make less. Soon I may get my wish, and have to find work somewhere else. I work on commission, and I've had several big clients go out of business in the last few months. Like they say, be careful what you wish for.

And now, on to the knitting!

Socks, socks, socks! I can't get them out of my mind. Once I found a toe up cast on that I like, (Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on), and a heel that I like, (The Fleegle Heel) it's the only thing I want to knit. My Numma Numma Saucy - colorway Famous Chocolate Fondue was originally going to be a scarf. Now it's definitely going to be socks. I keep thinking I need to have more sock yarn in my stash. I mean I only have enough to knit 5 more pairs! My sock yarn stash is totally out of proportion to my regular yarn stash! I just finished my first sock using Blue Moon Fiber's Socks That Rock! LOVE IT! Can't wait to get some more! For those of you that don't know, you can buy it at Knitch. Apparently, we are one of only 11 places worldwide where you can buy it. I hope we're getting more soon. I'm putting my vote in for "Muddy Bottom Breakdown" and "Manly Yes, But I Like It Too". (who names this stuff - hilarious!)

My sweater class starts this week. I've contacted all of my students, and they sound just as excited as I am! We're doing a simple, knit-from-the-top-down raglan, but I'm going to suggest options to make their sweater uniquely their own. I will finally be knitting a sweater for my son Andrew's. He requested it and picked out a pattern a couple of years ago, and I've had the black yarn in my stash ever since. I thought it would be a good sweater for this class. He is so tall and thin, it should take no time at all.

I need to get the baby blanket started for my niece's third baby. (her 3rd in three years!) She is due in March. We're doing lavender for this one, so I've purchased some lovely acrylic from Hobby Lobby. Can you tell how anxious I am to get it started? I think I'm going to do a round pinwheel blankie this time.

That's all for now folks, but before I go, I just had to share this photo I found on the Internet. Doesn't this just make you want to learn how to crochet?!

it's a beautiful day

I woke up to blue skies and sunshine today. It was just one of those beautiful north Georgia winter days. There was no annoying alarm clock going off at 4 am. I actually slept 'til 9:00. Got up, had a leisurely shower. Went to Knitch to pick up my paycheck. Had a wonderful lunch with Doug at Everybody's Pizza. I've never been there before, and I'm definitely going back. Doug and I spent about 4 hours at the Peachtree Handspinners Guild meeting. Got to see some folks I haven't seen in a while, and had a great time. I meant to bring my camera, but forgot. (oh well) I came home to find Beth had cooked an extremely tasty chicken curry dish. I got all caught up on my TV shows I missed this past week, while at the same time executed a perfectly turned Fleegle Heel on my Socks that Rock sock. I would be hard pressed to imagine a more perfect day!

I didn't get weighed today. The weight loss is not going so well, and I really just did not want to see any numbers this morning. On a brighter note, I think I've broken my own record for most blog posts in one month!

finished socks

Well here they are. My second pair of socks. This pair didn't take nearly as long as the first. They're not very fancy, but I'm not a very fancy guy.


I used Jarbo Garn's Raggi sock yarn, (100g, 150m, 70% superwash wool, and 30% nylon), knitted on US #6 needles, one ball per sock, (size 13 EEE), toe-up, Magic Loop, Judy Becker's Magic cast on, Encroachment Heel, and sewn bind-off.

(wow, that's a mouthfull)

I'm already planning my second pair. I'm using Socks That Rock medium weight, colorway Valkyrie. I'd like to try the "Fleagle Heel" on these, but can't find directions on line anywhere. (Hockeymom........ HELP!!!!!) I think I'll dress these up with some cables too.

Now there seems to be a little problem developing. As you know, I have acquired a wee bit of a yarn stash. Within this stash, there is practically NO sock yarn. As you sock knitters know, you must use sock yarn to knit socks. (don't you?) I could knit other things, but right now, I want to knit socks. I'm really trying to refrain from buying more sock yarn. I do have enough to knit four more pairs, and that should be enough for now, ..............right?

(heaven help me)

And now for the weekly weigh in. I did practically NOTHING as far as diet and exercise go this past week. OK, I did try to get in a little more fiber in my diet, (oatmeal cookies), but that was about it. I now weigh 284.4, so I lost .4 lbs. I'm hoping for bigger numbers next week.

a trip to the hospital

Last night, about halfway through Lost, my wife started having severe chest pains. By 11 pm we were sitting in the hospital emergengy room. After checking her heart, lungs, gall bladder, and heart again, all systems were clear. Fifteen hours in the emergency room, but it's nice to know she's in nearly perfect health. We still don't have any idea what caused the pains. I have to say that EVERY single person at the Gwinnett Med Center in Lawrenceville was wonderful. The ER seemed to be super busy, but they still took the time to explain everything, and Beth felt really well cared for. If you have to go, (and I hope you don't), I hope your experience is as good as the one we had. The patient is now resting comfortably, propped up in front of the TV, with remote control in hand, and I am attempting to finish a sewn bind off on a toe-up sock. (no, I didn't bring my knitting to the ER..... damn!) Tomorrow it's back to work, and hopefully I'll see some of you knitting at Knitch tomorrow night!

.....and now for a little nap.

there and back again

Well I'm back from my little business trip to Ft. Lauderdale. It was SO nice there! Daytime, 72 degrees, nights in the 50's. It was a a little cloudy and breezy, but no rain. Yesterday we ate breakfast outside under the palm trees in short sleeve shirts. Today I'm eating hot oatmeal, snuggled warmly inside flannel pj's. It was nice while it lasted.

The flight was OK. I'm actually looking forward to flying again in June. Some of you know I have not flown since 9/11, and swore I would never do it again. I think the only reason I was able to fly now is due in part to the anti-depression/anxiety meds I've been taking for the last year and a half. (ain't chemistry wonderful!) The take off was a little scary, and I have to admit, I was turning a short-row heel in my mind for about the first 10 minutes of the flight, but after that I was OK. It was a little crowded to knit, even though I brought a simple scarf to work on. I also think the boss is a little embarassed that I knit, so I tucked it away for two days, and didn't knit a stitch.

The trade show was fun, and I made a lot of connections with some new tropical plant growers, and got to see some of the folks I'm already buying from. Two days of walking really did a number on my leg, and actually started in the other leg, and a couple of other places I haven't felt the pain before. I know this problem is completely weight related, and only I have the power to fix it. In an effort to be held accountable for this, I've decided to post my weight every week on my blog. I'd like to loose about 40 lbs. before I fly to Colorado in June. (I'd like to do a little hiking while I'm there.) Today I weighed in at a whopping 284.8! (OUCH! wish me luck)

Beth and I are off the the Dekalb Farmer's Market for some fresh and healthy fruits and veggies. Come see me at Knitch tomorrow!

knitting socks

That's right, my dear readers, I am knitting socks. I know I said I never would, but never is a really long time.

Those of you who know me, know I have completed one complete pair. The first sock was knit in the traditional way, from the cuff down. I did NOT use double pointed needles. (hereafter referred to as "The Devil's Toothpicks") Why would I? I know how to Magic Loop! It was knit with the traditional heel flap and gusset, and the toe meticulously kitchenered. The second sock was knit in the same fashion, with the exception of the heel. I decided to try a garter stitch - short row heel. This left large gaping holes, and about halfway to the toe I crammed the whole mess in a bag and buried it deep beneath my stash and UFOs.

After about a year and a half, I dug it out, ripped back the heel, re knit the damned thing, kitchenered it, and I was done. I used Brown Sheep Superwash Worsted. Did I mention I don't like knitting with really tiny needles? I have big hands, and big feet, and I like to use the bigger needles. Anyway, the yarn has no nylon in it, and I've been told that the heels will wear out more quickly. There really is no chance of that ever happening, as the stuff is so itchy, I can't stand to wear them for more than a few minutes. At this point, I was done with socks.

Over the past year or so, I see everyone knitting socks! Dyeing their own sock yarn. Designing their own patterns! We're extremely lucky to have one of the most incredible yarn dyers right here in Atlanta, and she sells her yarn at Knitch. Her sock yarn is to dye for! (tee hee) She even named one of her colorways after me. I'm sure you all remember Famous Chocolate Fondue. Then Knitch gets Blue Moon Fibers Socks That Rock! (medium and heavy weight) Have you seen this stuff?! BEAUTIFUL! I wanted it ALL, but restrained myself, and bought only two skeins.

I knew I wanted my next pair to be knit from the toe up. My first pair, I barely had enough yarn to kitchener the toe, and really don't want to run out when I've almost finished. Haley showed me two different toe-up cast ons, which I promptly forgot as soon as I got home. (Hey Haley, I'm old, gimme a break!) I decided to check out You Tube, and discovered Cat Bordhi demonstrating Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on. This is a most miraculous thing. How someone comes up with something like this, I'll never know. So now I'm knitting socks, and loving it! (photos to follow) I haven't gotten to the heel yet. Does anyone know if Judy has a Magic Short-row Heel?

foggy day

WOW! It was really foggy all day long, but sort of nice for a change. I mean I wouldn't want it to be like this every day, but every now and then.....



We got up early and caught a matinee of Bedtime Stories. Beth really likes Adam Sandler, so Andrew and I went with her. It was a cute movie, but not the usual type of movie I go see.

We got back home, and I headed into work for a couple of hours. I've been off for a week, and I didn't want there to be any surprises when I walk in at 5 am on Monday. (no, I didn't win the lottery........ this time) I also know I wouldn't have been able to sleep Sunday night just thinking about it, so I cleaned up and organized a bit. It really wasn't that bad.

There was a package waiting for me there, and I couldn't wait to open it. I discovered, via Ravelry, a couple of knitters here in the Atlanta area (Norcross), that also make the most wonderful scented soy candles! I ordered Tangerine Lemongrass, and just plain Lemongrass. (I lean toward the more citrusy scents) The Tangerine Lemongrass is burning right now, and it is so fresh and bright and clean and tart. LOVE IT! Check their website out here. It was hard to pick out two from the many scents they offer. The candles are $12.50 each (they're a nice size) and you get free shipping!



Next it was off to the airport to pick up Claudia. It's so nice to have her back! We had a nice drive from the airport to her house, so I got to hear all about her trip. Hermine and Noah sure were glad to see her.

Now I'm home, and in my PJ's. Can't decide if I want to knit or spin. I am sort of getting the urge to cable, I just need to find a project.

I'm off to work at Knitch tomorrow. If you're looking for something to do, come knit with us for a while.

See you there!

a little spinning........

Well I did get to do a little spinning yesterday. First I had to ply the last bit of Shetland I had already spun. That freed up an extra bobbin.


I already had a whole bobbin of light blue BFL spun up.


I purchased some dark blue BFL at SAFF to ply with it.


It seems the more I spin, the thinner it gets! I'm wondering now if I can even spin a thicker yarn! Anyway, the blue yarns are so thin I'm thinking I may add another color, (white or tan), and do a three ply yarn. Otherwise it will be so thin that I probably won't knit anything with it. I'm gonna have to get out some more roving and seriously try to spin some thicker yarn.

Got to spend the day with two of my best buds; Nancy and Doug! We hit the sushi buffet at Rusan's, and then tried to decide on a movie. There was nothing really exciting to see, so we went to Ikea to people watch. Nancy bought a lid rack for her pot and pan lids, and Doug bought a nice halogen desk lamp to use while knitting. I know it's nice, 'cause I have one just like it! Oh, and I bought a half dozen warm cinnamon rolls which we proceeded to sit right down and snarf.
($4 for a HALF DOZEN!!!!! That's like what you would pay for ONE at the Cinnabun place at the mall!) We finished off the evening where we finish off almost every Friday evening....... at Knitch. My wife Beth joined us, and we picked out some yarn so she could knit her dad a new scarf. He lost the one she knit for him when she was 17, and he was SO upset. He loved that scarf, but she told him he would love this one even more. We picked out a lovely steel grey-blue shade of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky. (the original scarf was acrylic Wintuk yarn from Sears) This one's gonna keep him nice and warm.

That's it for now. Beth and I are going to see the Adam Sandler movie tomorrow morning, and then I'm going to pick-up Claudia from the airport! It will be so good to see her again. (10 days is WAY too long for you to be gone! We miss you too much!) Only two more days off, and then Monday at 5 am it's back to the daily grind. (yuck!)

Unless, of course, I win the lottery tonight.

I can dream, can't I?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Well here we are, a brand new year staring us in the face. Resolutions? Nope, I haven't made any. I should probably go on a yarn diet, (and a food diet, as far as that goes), but I'm not in the mood to start today. I've been off work all week, and just enjoying sleeping late, watching movies, and knitting. I'm going to pull the wheel out today and do a little spinning. I received my NEW Knit Picks needles yesterday, and pulled them out and got them all organized. It's nice to have them back. I missed them.

I do have some things to look forward to in the upcoming year. In a couple of weeks I'm going to fly again. I haven't flown since the spring of 2001, (didn't enjoy it then), and said I would never fly again after 9/11. I'm also planning a trip out to Colorado in June to visit a good friend, and possibly hit the Estes Park Wool Market. I guess it's not so much a fear of flying, but more a fear of hitting the ground really hard that has kept me from flying. I've come to the conclusion that we really have no say when it comes to our time to leave this plane of consciousness. While plummeting to the ground in a blazing fireball is not the way I would choose to go, I realized that we don't really get to choose. After all, there are many things that are much more dangerous than flying, like driving home on 85 in rush hour traffic. Life is a journey, and I've decided it's time to kick back and enjoy the ride!

I'm teaching more classes at Knitch this year. I'm really excited about it! I have a Learn to Knit class in January, and I'm teaching my first sweater class in February and March. It's a simple knit-from-the-top-down raglan for folks who already know how to knit, but are just sure they could never knit a sweater. I'm here to tell them they can! Now I just need to come up with some more classes for spring. (ideas?)

I have my 30 year high school reunion coming up this year. Not sure if I'm going or not. I really haven't kept up with anyone I went to high school with. It seems like I knew everybody back then, and now I look through the yearbook and wonder, "who are these people?", and "what's with the hair!?". I may go anyway. It would be a good way to visit with my parents too. They're not getting any younger. (as my mother keeps reminding me)

I have another milestone coming up this year. My 20th wedding anniversary is on September 30th. WOW, 20 years! It hasn't always been easy, but then nothing worthwhile rarely is. I just hope the next 20 are as good as the first. (or possibly better)

So that's it for now. If I were going to make a resolution today, it would be to blog more regularly. For those of you who do not blog, it's really a lot of work. I always feel like there should be lots of pictures, and it should be very entertaining, and sometimes I'm just not in the mood. Then I realized this blog is for ME. So you may see me blogging more in the upcoming year. There may be fewer pictures, and it may not always be entertaining, but I hope you'll come back and read it anyway.

Take care,
Steve

OMG! I have a blog?

I completely forgot about this thing! I even missed my own blogiversary! (August 12th). I'm off work this week, so I hope to get caught up on a few thing around here, including reading everyone else's blogs!

Let's see..... what have I been doing?

I haven't knit another stitch on Cobblestone since I last blogged. I am off this week, so I hope to get some knitting done on that. Of course, now I'm just itching to knit the latest sweater I saw on Jared's blog; the Spiral Yoke Pullover. (too many projects started - not enough finished!) It would be SO comfy knit in Shepherd's Wool!

I've been working on the entrelac sweater I designed, and I just can't seem to put it down. I find entrelac so fun and easy and satisfying to knit. If you haven't heard, I'm teaching an entrelac class at Knitch in September. My first teaching gig, so I'm a little nervous, but it should be lots of fun. I think there are still some spaces open, so what are you waiting for?!

I finished a beautiful scarf for the Men Who Knit scarf exchange. I used one strand of Shepherd's Wool, (Stonehenge Fiber Mill's super soft 100% merino available at Knitch) and one strand of Knit Picks Andean Silk (alpaca, silk, merino). It's a nice, soft, comfy, heavy scarf for my exchange pal that lives MUCH further north than I do. It has a wonderfully textured pattern. I sure hope he will enjoy it. I've got to get it in the mail this week.

Chuck has mostly been sitting idle in the corner, as I have not been spinning as much as I would like. I know I need to get in more practice if I want to be as good as Doug! I need to make the time for it, as I find it very peaceful and relaxing to spin. I still have another Mach 1 available, if you know anyone who's interested........ (more shameless self-promotion)

I'm leaving on Thursday for my annual family reunion in Parkersburg, WV, so I'll see you in September!

Measure twice, knit once

As I sit here re-knitting the yoke of my Cobblestone sweater, it finally dawned on me what I did wrong. In the pattern, the sleeve measurement didn't seem long enough. This is usually a common thing for me because I have long arms, and when buying long sleeved shirts or sweaters, I usually have to go to a big & tall men's store. After measuring 3 long sleeved shirts, I came to the conclusion that the sleeves needed to be 3 inches longer. I know! That's quite a bit, but hey, I measured! So of course I knitted the extra long sleeves, attached them to the body, and started knitting the yoke. I was a little more than 3/4 of the way finished with the yoke when I decided to try it on. The sleeves are way too long! How can this be?! Rip, rip, rip the yoke, rip the sleeves back 2 1/2 inches, reattach to body, begin knitting yoke again. Which brings me to today.

And then it dawns on me......

When I measured my pre existing sweaters, I laid them out flat and measured them from the underarm to the cuff. As I was knitting my sleeves, I measured across the top of the sleeve for length. Now anyone who's ever knit a sleeve knows that you decrease along the underarm toward the cuff, or increase if you're knitting from the cuff up. When you lay the finished sleeve out flat you've created somewhat of a triangle. (it would be a triangle if you continued decreasing the cuff til you had only one stitch, but it would be kind of hard to get your hand through...... anyway, you know what I mean)

Now my mind wanders back to my 10th grade geometry class when I say "Why do I have to learn this crap?! I'm never going to use it again!"

WRONG!

The underarm side of the sleeve would be the hypotenuse side of the triangle, and we all know that side is longer. I think there was some sort of formula to figure it out, but I'm sure I'll never have to use that again. (hey, that's what the internet is for, right?)

So I'm sitting here re-knitting the yoke of Cobblestone, and the only thing I can think about is the fact that It probably won't even fit me come winter, because I'm losing so much weight with Weight Watcher's . (16.2 lbs. in 5 weeks) I'm going to have to start something new and thinner, or I'll have nothing to wear to SAFF! (maybe it won't take me as long, since it will be a few sizes smaller)

Mach 1 update
According to UPS tracking numbers, the wheels will arrive next Tuesday. Can I tell you how excited I am? I will have my wheel for spinning guild next Saturday! Hey, do you spinners name your wheels? I was sure I heard some of you calling them by name. I have a couple picked out.

How about Ernst?


You know! After Ernst Mach, Austrian philosopher and physicist who came up with the concept of faster than sound travel.
I don't know. Even though he looks like there might have been a spinning wheel in the house, not such a pleasant or easy name to pronounce.
(Ernst, Ernst, Ernst.......)

My other choice, and so far my favorite is Chuck.



After Chuck Yeager, the first man to travel at Mach 1, and a fellow West Virginian, I might add. Of course I could also go with Glamorous Glennis, the name of the Bell X-1 plane that actually broke Mach 1. Chuck named the plane after his wife. Maybe I'll just go with Chuck. I kind of like it.

OH, OH, OH, Before I forget. I was gifted by my wonderful friend Shirley Robb with a HUGE bag of the most beautiful dark chocolate brown ALPACA fleece I have ever seen! This stuff is right of the animal, so I'm going to have to figure out how to process it, and comb or card it, but I am up for the task. (I've actually been looking at drum carders too!) Thank you SO much Shirley!

I've been tagged for a meme

I always thought it was pronounced ME ME, (you know, like Mimi Rogers), because hey, it's all about ME! Found out today it actually rhymes with seam. Anyway, I thought this would be a fun diversion while patiently waiting for my new spinning wheel to arrive. The Great and Powerful Chickengoddess has tagged me, (thanks Alma) so here goes!

The Rules: Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. Your answer, of course, is the answer to the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
1998? Working at the same place I am working now. I had not discovered knitting yet, so I guess I wasn't doing anything important.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
1. Find that ball of Kauni yarn I couldn't find last night and stayed up 'til 11:00 looking for.

2. Order orchid plants for work next week.

3. Post this meme on my blog.

4. Fertilize my Plumerias.

5. Fix my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Anything with chocolate. Anything with caramel. Anything with nuts, especially pecans. (why do I find I am now craving turtle brownies? Thanks Alma!)

4. Places I’ve lived: Parkersburg, WV (born and raised), Morgantown, WV (college), then, the Washington, DC metropolitan area including, but not limited to; Springfield, Annandale, Fairfax, Burke, and Falls Church, VA also College Park, MD. Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, CA, Chattanooga, TN, and now Atlanta for the last 14 years, (actually Lawrenceville, but I usually just say Atlanta), pretty much in that order.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Quit my job. Buy a Tesla. Build a beautiful, stone, earth-friendly, solar powered, wind powered, home in the mountains of North Carolina with lots of cabins around for all my friends to come and stay as long as they like for free. Build another one in Dingle, Ireland just because I like to say "Dingle" and I love Ireland, and raise Shetland sheep and dingleberries there, (hire a shepherd), donate to The John C. Campbell Folk School, build a fiber arts center in Atlanta so the weaving guild, spinning guild, and knitting guild would all have a permanent home under one roof, hire a personal trainer, eat macadamia nuts whenever I feel like it, (don't tell my personal trainer) Take care of my parents, immediate family, and close friends.

The rules say I have to tag 5 people now. How about Doug, Brett, Stuart, Claudia, and Jane? And if you're feeling left out because I didn't tag you, feel free to swipe the meme and post answers on your blog, then let me know in the comments.

Got fiber?

I received a nice big box today from our UPS man. NO, it was NOT my wheel! (I can not wait for it to get here!) I received my first shipment of fiber! I got three nice big one pound bags of Bluefaced Leicester, (I think most spinners just call it BFL). One is a creamy white color, one is sort of an oatmeal color, and one is a nice medium brown. I also got a one pound bag of brown Shetland roving, just for a comparison. They're all undyed, natural colors, and SO soft! Look how pretty!


I can't wait to spin some of this, but alas, no wheel yet. I guess that is the downside of buying a wheel from someone who assembles each one by hand, and does not have a whole warehouse of them sitting around just waiting to be shipped. I spoke with a spinner from Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, and she has actually spun on a Mach 1. She went to Yarn School in Harveyville, Kansas, and got to try one out. LOVED IT! Also, doesn't that yarn school sound like a fun time? I might have to check it out next spring. I also think I may be going to John C. Campbell this fall for a spinning class. (anyone want to come with me?) I've heard that Martha Owen is a great teacher. I am dying to spin! I'm also dying to dye, and she teaches that in this class too. I've ordered some custom dyed BFL roving from a hand dyer on Etsy. I'm hoping it's going to look something like this;


Or this;


I'm basically ready to go, just need my wheel. I think I may give the folks at SpinOlution a call and see what the ETA is.
(UPDATE, Wednesday, June 18th..... the wheels have been shipped!)

My new wheel, and MORE!

Well, I've just sent off for my very first spinning wheel. For those of you who haven't seen this, check it out. It's a SpinOlution Mach 1! (looks like a real guy's wheel, doesn't it?) I am so impressed by this wheel, and I haven't even sat down behind one yet. SO impressed that I have signed on to be their sales rep for the state of Georgia! Yep, that's right. I now have my own little, home-based business. I'm going to open an Etsy shop when my first wheels arrive, and sell them through there too. I'm very excited about this, and have already sold 3 wheels, not counting my own! I do, however, have very realistic expectations, and do not plan on quitting my day job anytime soon, (DAMN!) I'm just hoping it will give me a little extra spending money to support my new addiction habit hobby. I have already purchased some very inexpensive natural colored Blue Faced Leicester and Shetland roving from a great place called Paradise Fibers, and ordered this book from Amazon. Even though I know I will learn much more by spinning instead of reading, I'm sure this book will be full of great helpful hints. Oh yeah, check out Ravelry, they already have a SpinOlution group, with some nice photos, and some great things to say about this wheel.

I'll let you know when it gets here, and you can come over and take it for a spin!

Stash reduction SALE!

OK, here we go. It's time for the big stash reduction/wheel acquisition sale! I spent a long tearful evening with my stash last night. I told them that some of them just had to go. They took it better than I thought they would. They were like, "Dude, we're yarn. Our only purpose in life is to be knitted, and you're using us as closet insulation. Frankly, we're getting a little tired of waiting! We're outta here!" Like I said, they took it better than I thought they would.

OK, here's the deal.

SHIPPING:
All prices include shipping to anywhere in the continental USA. (basically, I'm just too lazy to figure them out, so I'm including it in.) If you're local, and I know you, I can deliver it myself. If you live in, let's say, Canada, or perhaps Patagonia, and you just have to have something in this sale, email me, and we'll talk about shipping charges, but I would prefer to ship within the continental USA only. Yarn will be shipped immediately after payment is received.

PAYMENT:
I prefer Paypal. That's how I plan on paying for my wheel, so if the money is already in my Paypal account, all the better. Once again, if you're local, and I know you, I will accept cash, or possibly a check, but I REALLY prefer Paypal. If you see something you want to purchase, let me know in the comments section at the end of this blog post. I will strike it out, put your name there, and then you can Paypal me. In the comment section of Paypal, maybe put what the yarn is, and your blog name, whatever. I just want to make sure the right yarn goes to the right person.

My Paypal account is beanpotguy@yahoo.com
It's a long story. I'll tell you about it someday.

The yarn has been stored in a smoke-free home. We do have two cats, but they are never allowed in the guest room, let alone the walk in closet in the guest room where my yarn is stashed. Most of the yarns are still in the sealed plastic bags I received them in. If you're freaky about a possible stray cat hair, I'd say don't buy this yarn, but the chances of finding one are zero to none.

and now......
THE YARNS

Rowan Polar: This yarn has been discontinued, so this may be your last chance to get some of this soft beautiful stuff. Here's what they had to say about it on Knitter's Review. It is 60% wool, 30% alpaca, and 10% acrylic. It knits up at 3 stitches per inch on US 11 needles. It has 109 yards in each 100g ball, and retailed for $11.95 per ball, or $119.50 per bag of 10. I'm selling it for $60 per bag. (full bags only, unless otherwise noted) All colors are the same dyelot. Here are the colors and quantities I have;

Color #645, Winter White (the name says it all)
One partial bag (8 balls) $50

Color #649 Jaffa (a spicy reddish orange)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

#653 Dark Truffle (a yummy dark chocolate brown)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

Color # 654 Blast (a dark flame red)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

Color # 655 Combat (a military greenish gray)
One full bag $60
One partial bag (9 balls) $55
Both bags $105

Color #647 Stormy (a beautiful charcoal gray)
One full bag $60

OK That's about all I can handle tonight. If I don't make enough for my wheel, there may be another sale, so get it while you can. I have also listed all of the above yarns for sale on Ravely, and at these prices, I don't expect it to last long!

Adventures in handspinning, Part 2

So I went to my first handspinners guild meeting yesterday. What a wonderful group of folks. It was a very large and informal meeting. Everyone was sitting around in this great big circle with their wheels. There were a few announcements, and a raffle, but other than that, it was just sit and spin and mingle. There was also beautiful hand dyed roving, and natural colored alpaca to purchase. (I did resist. You would have been proud.)

I did get to try a few wheels. First I tried Katey's new Schacht Ladybug. If you can get past the cutesy name, it's a really nice wheel. It doesn't fold, but it has three handles, located at different points, to pick it up. It was very lightweight, and the treadling was SO smooth. The treadles were well spaced, so it was fairly comfortable to use. The wheel is actually a child's bicycle wheel. (really, it even has the hole where the air valve would come through!) I liked all the extra added attachments you can buy for it too.

Then I tried Jane's Ashford Joy. I found it not as easy to treadle, but I'm thinking it may have been the fact that it was a single treadle, and I had just been spinning on a double. I clumped up a couple of yards of beautiful pencil roving that she had been spinning beautifully, and passed the wheel back.

There was a single treadle Lendrum that a couple of the first time spinners were using, but I did not get a chance to try it. I noticed a double treadle Lendrum across the room, and Katey "suggested" I go over and ask the owner if I could try it. She was very nice, and let me sit and treadle it for a few minutes. What a great wheel! I was very impressed. I did not think I would like the way it was angled, but I think it's tall enough that it shouldn't matter.

All in all, it was a great time, and I will be joining next month. I left the meeting thinking LENDRUM. It's a really nice wheel. It folds. It's solid MAPLE for cryin' out loud. It has some weight to it, which is a plus in my book. It has lots of accessories INCLUDED. I think the price is VERY reasonable for what you get.
So I'm thinking, "Lendrum, yes, Lendrum, that's it."

But THIS keeps popping into my head.

It won't leave me alone.

Call me crazy, but I really want this wheel, and I haven't even seen one in person yet. I haven't touched it, treadled it, or SPUN on it, and yet I must have it! To me it looks like a real "guy's wheel". Nothing ornate or frilly here, just 22 lbs of solid, spinnin', madness!

And the name?
Is it a Ladybug? ....no.
A Babe? ....no.
A Little Gem? ....no.
A Julia, Victoria, Millie, Suzie, or Rose? ....no.
It's a freakin' MACH 1 !
I mean hell, it may as well be a car, or a jet! It costs a little more than the Lendrum, but not much. It doesn't have a WooLee Winder that fits it. (yet) It's 22 lbs, but I'm a big guy. I can lift 22 lbs. The Dyson vacuum cleaner at Knitch weighs 18! (yes, I weighed it today)
I'm not ordering it tonight, and probably not tomorrow. I'm still doing my homework, and I'd like to talk to a few folks that actually have one, and see what they think. I'd also like to come up with the bucks before I buy it, rather than tacking it onto my already overused credit card. Keep an eye on my blog. In the next few days I'm planning a stash reduction/wheel acquisition sale. I promise there's going to be some really good deals.

It's gonna be hard to let some of it go, but I'm gonna need lots of room for all that roving I'll have to buy.

Adventures in handspinning

I couldn't wait 'til the clock hit 4:00 today so I could zoom over to Knitch. Melissa brought her Kromski Sonata for me to to play with. This wheel is very easy to set up, and I was spinning in no time at all. (not well, but spinning none the less) I can see that this is going to be much like knitting in the fact that the more you practice, the better you get, and if I'm going to practice, I need a wheel. I think I'm going to have to have someone hold my credit cards for me because I'm pretty much sold on the Sonata. It's taking every ounce of self-control I have, (which ain't much), not to just go ahead and order one tonight. The only thing keeping me from it is the anticipation of going to my first handspinners guild meeting tomorrow! (I'm so excited! I hope I'm not too big a pest! I'll try to behave.)

In the mean time, to satisfy my lust for handspun yarn, I ordered two skeins from baba black sheep yarns on Etsy. Here's a photo of it next to the yarn I spun tonight. See if you can guess which is which.



(I know it's hard to tell, but the ones on the left are mine.)

I want to spin yarn like the skeins on the right!!!!!

It is so soft and luscious and plump and EVEN and (did I say soft?), and beautiful! I am determined that some day, in the not too distant future, I too will be spinning yarn like baba black sheep!

Which wheel?

I had no idea there would be so many choices in spinning wheels! I've been doing a lot of reading, and I've pretty much decided I want a folding wheel. It would be fun to be able to take it with me when I want spin, and the compact size would be convenient for storage. I found a great side by side comparison on four different models at The Woolery. I've seen the Ashford Joy, and Melissa's Kromski Sonata in action, and I think I've narrowed it down to these two. They both weigh about the same, despite the taller height of the Kromski. (which I find attractive, since I'm a tall guy) Aesthetically, I like the look of the Kromski. I noticed the Kromski has bigger bobbins. I'm assuming this means you can spin more yarn before you have to change bobbins? (in this case, does size matter?) I also like the fact that it is made of real wood, and not plywood and laminated MDF.

Sounds like I've made up my mind, doesn't it? OK, here's the one thing I think I don't like. I really think I want a single treadle wheel. I took a day long spinning class once a couple of years ago, and I couldn't tell you now if the wheel I used was a single or double treadle. At the risk of sounding vulgar, I can't imagine myself sitting for any length of time with my legs that close together. (oh dear, have I said too much..... again) I'm sorry, but I just don't sit that way. (at least not comfortably for any length of time)

I guess it all boils down to a test drive. I'm sure Melissa would let me take her wheel out for a spin, and we have a single treadle Joy at Knitch that I can try. Also, if I do buy the Joy, I can buy it at Knitch. If I buy a Sonata, I'll have to send away for it. Decisions, decisions. At this point I would welcome any feedback at all.


Despite all the spinning wheel shopping, I have been doing some knitting. I finally frogged back the sleeves of my Cobblestone sweater, (I made them too long), and reattached them to the body. see......


So it's back to knitting garter stitch in the round. And what's more fun than holding two pounds of wool in your lap when the temperature is 80-something outside. Now I understand why y'all knit socks!