KnitMe

Overspun

I spun and spun this weekend, I seemed unable to stop.

After all the white I've spun in the past year I was desperate for color, so I grabbed the 2 ounces of Wensleydale I bought in May at MS&W with my Hatchtown spindle.

I've never spun Wensleydale before, it's different. At least this particular sample didn't want to draft AND didn't want to hang together as a single without a lot of twist. I did a lot of growling and snarling but the little half-ounce hank came out gorgeous.

I wasn't quite sure why I just had to buy this particular shade, not generally being a green lover (I'm particular about my greens), but it definitely spoke to me and it was small so I went for it. I'm glad I did because it turns out to be the most beautiful emerald green.

I think it's about 35 yards, half an ounce. I won't end up with much yardage but maybe it could be part of a hat.

I FINALLY, after THREE tries, got my first sleeve going on Arches.

The first time I did it, I misinterpreted the directions for the placement of the short rows for the cap shaping. The second time I did it, I didn't concentrate enough. The decreases under the arm are shaped with S2KP2, which is just counterintuitive if you are accustomed to SK2P, so I occasionally slipped 2 but then K2 and P1, and other absentminded things like that, and so ended up with the wrong number of stitches after 4 rounds of decreases. I finally got it right. Here is the gusset under the arm.

My advice on this is to work the decrease rounds as if you were doing lace: allow no one in the room and just say to yourself at each decrease: "S2 - K - P2".

There are also 2 small errors in the front neck shaping, which I will eventually put in the Pink Tea errata page. Rows 5 and 7 of the front neck shaping end K3 and K2 but it should be the other way around. This will be quite obvious to you after working the horseshoe lace so many times, but it's clearly a mistake.

My big spinning time was spent on the 8 ounces of Wild Things merino that Lisa brought me at MS&W. Once I started spinning this beautiful stuff, I couldn't stop.

It drafts perfectly and is so soft. I spun for hours, after 2 days I'd filled up a bobbin.

It's difficult to photograph, the colors are dark and intense. It's about 3.7 ounces and at least 350 yards, maybe more. I foresee another hank of this next weekend. I might have to buy another 4 ounces so I'll end up with enough for a shawl.

If you missed it, be sure to scroll down and see Melanie's gorgeous Perendale fleece....

Posted by Prudence at September 7, 2005 09:32 AM