For my sister....

I can see a thin crack on this edge, but it's nothing - it's common to have these cracks in not-new wheels and it's nowhere big enough to affect function nor appearance IMO.

Snow!

After the thunderstorms we had this past week, this afternoon it started snowing!

What a weird winter!

In spinning news, I bought a drop spindle. :-)  I love that the Chinese coin replica has a dragon and phoenix on one side:

And I actually had pretty good luck spinning the bit o'fluff that came with it:

Though one drawback is that the 'coin' is rather... 'flimsy'.  I think I bent it the first time I dropped it, as I hadn't noticed that it wasn't flat before then. :-/  Still spins like a champ though, and I've even learned to do the thigh roll (I had to - the shaft is so slick I couldn't hardly flick it!).

This is a very lightweight spindle and spins very fast, and I was thinking of spinning this lovely batt from Blushingewe

Turquoise Dream  merino wool, bamboo, alpaca, soysilk

 as laceweight - this spindle would be perfect for this if I can take spinning 3.5 ounces on a drop spindle.  Though I'm in no rush, so I should be able to do it if I pace myself.

This also came in the mail:

Northern Lights alpaca/silk

I kind of went on a shopping spree last week.  Anyway, it's sooo sooooft, and from a new to me vendor, KnittyandColor.  I'm going to need to do some experimenting with this, as I don't want to the separate colors to get muddied. 

I've also done a bit more on the great wheel:

What a fun spin!

Today I was out in the woodshop for a brief time, and fiddled with turning a spinning 'puck' out of a leftover piece from turning. 

I twirled one of my Baataras in it, and it seemed to like it. :-)  I definitely need practice in turning these though.  I think I'll work on my Baatara project tonight and give the puck a good test-drive.  Next up on the lathe are experiments: a wool finger for my great wheel as I'm curious about them, and a wrist distaff, as I'm going to need some kind of wrist distaff if I end up spinning that lovely turquoise fiber on a spindle and I'm curious how the wooden distaves work.
 


And for my sister:

Not much to report again...

But I did start a 'real' project on the great wheel. :-D

I actually have twice that much on the spindle now but the light was weird this afternoon, so no updated pic.  I'm really enjoying this - maybe because I started by limiting myself to a half-hour at a time. This is a moorit shetland from Unwind Yarn, and I love the color!  Here is a bit unspun:

That's "Ocean" on the right, and another braid of moorit shetland called "Azure" on the left.  Current plan is to use both to make Wingspan (Rav pattern).


I also got a really interesting batt from Blushing Ewe:

The photo really doesn't show how awesome this is.  I'm still thinking about how I want to spin it.


And for my sister:

Actual Weaving Content!

I finally have the log cabin project off the loom! :-D

I didn't do so well on the edges, but I'm hoping that will look better once it's been off the loom a bit and after I wash it.  It's pretty crinkly right now since it's been on the loom for almost 3 years!!  I'm thinking of doing a twisted fringe; that's all that is left to do with this unless I decide to edge it, and that's unlikely.  It will probably be a dust 'cover' for either a loom or a wheel.


And I've done a bit of spinning, because I bought a Russian lace spindle from The Spanish Peacock.  It's cocobolo, and a really pretty piece of wood:

I don't know what this white fiber is - it was a sample from another spindle I bought awhile back, but it's nice to spin - drafts easily and is quite springy.

And I'm trying cotton spinning again, only this time on a bead spindle:

The spindle itself is pretty wobbly, as the bead's hole isn't quite in the center, but the spinning seems to be easier with this type of spindle.  Though it goes sloooowly.  Not sure I'll ever get through that 8 or so ounces of cotton roving I bought in a destash last Fall!  But maybe all of a sudden it will start going faster. :-D

And for my sister:

This is the look you get when you have a ball in your hand. :-D


And to my anonymous commenter - yes, a lot of my photos are fuzzy to varying degrees.  I don't have steady hands, and my dogs don't sit still while I'm trying to take their picture with a slow camera.  Luckily I'm not a professional photographer! :-D

Holy cow!

I actually got some stuff done this weekend!  I don't know what got into me, and it will probably take me 3 months to get the next thing finished, but I'm feeling very accomplished. :-D

First - I *finally* finished the capelet I started knitting 2.5 years ago:

And - I got to use my 'new' skeinwinder:

This is the fastest I've ever spun and plyed a yarn. :-D  This was a wonderful spin - love the colors!

And - I finally tested my e-spinner design:

and it works!  The only parts that are currently secured are the maiden uprights.  The bobbin travels a bit too much on the flyer shaft but I'll fix that once I put a finish on the wooden base.  I'm using my original plying kit for my Babe Production, since it never fit the wheel quite right, and a sewing machine motor off of one of my olde sewing machines. :-D  Now to pick a wood stain.... :-D

And I bought Boss Dog a bed like the one I got for the Lazy Girl last week.  I think she likes it. :-D

These have memory foam in them, and I'm hoping they will be good for my old girls.  I think I need to make the 'bumper' taller though!

My... the time goes by so fast!

And as often happens I haven't accomplished much.  But I have been spinning this beautiful sparkly fiber on my ReinTwindle:

And I got out the Navajo spindle and did a little on that - wow it's been a long time since I've used it!

 Oh and I finished the lovely yellow singles on the Reeves.  I'm letting them rest on the bobbins until I get a speed controller for the sewing machine motor I'm using for my e-spinner (fingers crossed).

And I caught my buddy sleeping on the new dog bed I bought for Lazy Dog:

Actually, it fits him better than it does her - she's bigger and doesn't quite curl up small enough to fit on it.  She was on it most of today though - I think they both like it. :-D 

Knitting with handspun....

So I finally finished my first handspun project! 

This was fun, though I was a bit short on yarn so I took a bit of confetti roving that I had in my stash and quick-spun enough to bind off.  It's knit a bit loose due to having so little yarn, but I like it. :-)

Then I kinda went nuts and bought some fiber, but honestly, how can anyone pass this up?

BFL, "Marigold"

I started spinning it on the Reeves as soon as it arrived! :-D

That's a flash pic, so it looks a bit washed out.  It still has the same deep colors as the roving.  I bought this from Unwind Yarn Company .  I'm actually on the third quarter it - it's going really fast and is a lovely spin!

I also bought a silk brick from another Etsy shop that I will have to try to get a photo of when the sun comes again, but the colors are gorgeous!  My hands are really dry right now so it will be a bit before I start spinning that.


Your gratuitous puppy pic!