July 31, 2006
Nofo
Yo, I'm talking to you, yeah you're the one
I knit and I knit and you never get done
I think you're shackin' with Penelope when I'm not around
She ravels you out before she puts you down
Knawmean, nofo?
Ahem. NO FO.
This weekend I felt like spindling, so I took all the little test cops off my spindles and plyed them, or else threw them out if they were just not worth the time. Here is a clear demonstration of the difference between crimpy fibers and not-so-crimpy fibers. Both of these hanks were wound on the same niddynoddy. Look how much the bigger one has shortened.
The bigger one is (I think) cormo and rambouillet, and the smaller one is an unusual shetland sample that I got from a shepherd. They both had sat on the spindles for a long time so the twist was pretty inactive - they seemed terribly overplyed till I got them into hot water and they sort of balanced out.
I pulled out a bunch of bluefaced leicester roving to start spinning on the big wheel but it was just too darn hot to sit in that room. A spindle is movable. I got out some camel and silk top that Melane brought me as a MS&W hostess gift last year. It's a bit challenging, especially when it comes time to do joins, but it's spinning up pretty nicely.
I'm not sure how big a cop I can put on a little Golding Tsunami. We'll see how far I can push it. Then I'll have to figure out the best way to ply it without getting into a mess. Maybe I'll have to go with the old knitting-needle-lazy-kate approach. I think I have about 8 ounces of this stuff. Emily petted it and immediately wanted me to make something for her out of it. Yeah, right. We'll see.
Posted by Prudence at July 31, 2006 07:01 AMSo close on the socks!
If you want to make a center pull ball with the camel, I found that if I just held on to the ring with the end of the shaft pointed toward the ball winder it came off really slick.
Posted by: Kerry on July 31, 2006 07:47 AMWhat a beautiful luster that single has! I love silk blends for that very reason!
Posted by: Cheryl on July 31, 2006 09:26 AMOoooo...ahhhh...shiny! Hey, Mom, will you make *me* something out of that? ;-) I love the "off the niddy" pictures - I've seen that same thing happen, and it cracks me up. I tood off some very sproingy CVM and put it next to some Romney - amazing difference! So why NOFO, anyway? Just too danged hot to knit?
Posted by: Sam on July 31, 2006 12:00 PMthat eleanor is a cruel mistress.
Posted by: vanessa on July 31, 2006 08:13 PMI can't believe how lustrous the camel-silk is spun up. Eleanor says it's too hot for socks anyhow - go spindle.
Posted by: Melanie on July 31, 2006 10:31 PMSuch gorgeous spindling Caroline! I have so much trouble with silk, I'm envious!
Posted by: June on August 5, 2006 08:43 AM