Trenchwork

Yes, I’m back. Everything is unpacked, put away, and I’ve caught up on nearly everything but the blog. The house is mostly painted, two of the catch-all spaces are cleaned out (to the best of the limitations at the moment), and the interior wall in my office is in the process of being knocked out to add about 50cm of width (but only 85cm of height). This week I also need to get back to serious work, so my play time (ha! who counts painting a house as play??) is over. But I DO have a few things to show for the last month.

The visit was a good one despite the triple-digit temperatures (seriously, 110F heat index?? on a regular basis?? In what world is that a comfortable??). It was, however, too short and a bit chaotic, and one of those which leaves one thinking of buying a lottery ticket or finding that elusive genie.

Aside from a tiny bit of shopping, a lot of visiting family, and an even greater amount of gasping for breath in impossible temperatures and humidity levels, I did a bit of spinning, some washing fleece (which I’ll show you later), and some knitting.

And believe it or not, I actually finished a few things.

First, the skein of Manos wool/silk which was gifted in the SP13 swap was just enough for a Flock Together cowl.

It’s an easy pattern, although I modified it a bit to add the increases toward the end. It threw the pattern off, but I can live with that. It’s a soft yarn and has good drape, and the cowl is cozy and soft. And yes, I’m rather intending it to be for me.

Second, remember these batts?

Which became this yarn?

Well, it became a Wavy Feathers Wimple (actually, a cowl).

I’m not a sock knitter, but cowls make easy travel knitting, and are small enough for knitting on the plane. The pattern is easy, and I used nearly all the yarn for this particular pattern, and I’m very pleased with how the yarn handled. The cowl is soft with a bit of a halo from the kid mohair, and a bit of shine and glitz from the minor fibers. And no, I’ve not yet decided whether it’ll stay with me or move on, but I have a hunch it’s destined for a gift.

On another front, I needed a spinner’s lap cloth and realized I couldn’t make it myself. For a long time, if someone asked me if I could sew, I used to answer that I could at least sew a straight line. HA! Let’s get real; that line is about as straight as a sidewinder snake’s track. It wasn’t rocket science to realize I couldn’t make something which would look halfway decent. So, I asked a very special gal at the folk’s church—one who is a serious quilter—if she’d do the job for me. I gave her the design and specs, and cannot say how pleased I am with what she did. Check this:

That back (or front, if you prefer) looks rather plain, but notice the middle section:

The pocket is exactly the right size to hold a small plastic cutting board which works beautifully for flick carding.

And the other side:

The bars are exactly 1″ deep, and the contrast colors will make measuring twist easier. Both sides allow you to see a dark fiber against a light background, and a light fiber against a dark background. I’ve broken it in and am just—as some folks on this side of the pond might say—chuffed.