Trenchwork

Ok, before anyone begins to worry, I really am fine.   I’m just out of practice.  You don’t need to set up a suicide watch—or more likely, a homicide watch—and while I can foresee some days of frustration ahead, it will eventually settle down and things will fall into place, in large part because of an extraordinarily solid support team.  They are truly the reason I enjoy working here; they’re simply outstanding folks.

And yes—I know:  Life is short and I do have better things to do with my time and energy than spend sleepless nights fretting about things.  It’s all fine, and it will be fine.  I have faith in that.  And just to be sure, they’ve removed all sharp instruments from around me.  (HA! They forgot the pointy sticks . . . ) 

No, seriously, it really is ok.  I promise.

On a fibery front, I’ve cast on for the big round Feather and Fan shawl from Gathering of Lace in Zephyr, and have ripped it out half a dozen times because I couldn’t get the tension right.  I’ve also done something dumb to my shoulder, so knitting and other time has been limited (but that too is getting better), but I’ve finally gotten it past the first 10 rows, at any rate!  Think I can have it done in a month?  Ya, I’m doubting that, too.  It’s 2500 yards of lace.  But we’ll give it a good old college try and see what happens.

There’s been this:

Michelle Kaston (blogless, I think) blended the batts for a Spunky club batt swap, and those batts turned into this yarn.  It’s a blend of silk (Tussah), bamboo, Merino, BFL, and Corriedale.  The batts didn’t want to be spun evenly; they were rebels and turned into a thick-thin (14-22wpi), slightly slubby yarn which I span very softly.  It turned into a VERY light and VERY soft yarn, and I have plans to turn it into a cowl.  With a hair over 316 yards, I think I can find something that will work nicely.  And I cannot believe this is only the second purple yarn I’ve spun . . . I think I need to work on that!

And there was this:

The fiber was hand-dyed by Natalie of The Yarn Yard, and is a lovely blend of superwash Merino and nylon which spins like a dream. I span it deliberately thick-thin, with low twist, and as softly as possible, and can’t get over how soft it is! If this yarn weren’t spun as a gift, I’d find something for it for myself! But, I’ve got a newish spinner who needs a little encouragement to use her yarn, and I think she needs someone else’s handspun to mess up so she’ll be less afraid to use her own. There are 217 yards, which is just enough for a fun scarf, hat, cowl, or wristwarmers.

Fiber.  It’s really just as good as chocolate.

And calorie free!

What more could a girl ask for?