Energize me!

beautiful beach only for looking--no public access--so pretty though


knitting while camping

Well, I'm back from the first family camping trip. We went to Big Sur and it was a lot of fun. Sleeping on the ground really makes you feel old! I have 2 boys (W who is 10 and R who is 8) and they loved camping. Boy monkeys and fire are a match made in heaven. Well, not really, but it is quite amazing how attracted to fire they are. Our first foray was not bad, we got to figure out all the things we'd like for next time we go.

I've finished my energized single socks! I'm very happy with them. I dyed the fiber in an indigo pot in a dye intensive/weekend class I took in June. It is all spun on my drop spindle, and is my first handspun drop spindle project.


Needles: Size 3

Pattern: Ann Budd's sock pattern from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns: Basic Designs in Multiple Sizes & Gauges.



Other than that, I've tried three types of plying with two strands of yarn.
1. plying from 2 bobbins 2. andean plying (instructions from here http://www.kurrajonghandcrafts.com/SSAL/Andean%20Plying.pdf)
(no, I haven't been in the spin a long, but think it's really, really cool) and 3. plying from a center pull ball which I believe is described in The Spinner's Companion, by Bobbie Irwin, basically just making a ball and then putting it in a bowl and plying with the yarn coming from both ends. I have to say that plying from a center pull ball has been my favorite so far. I only tried Andean Plying once, so I should give it more of a chance, but I felt with more than 1/2 a bobbin that it would be hard on my poor middle finger. You never know when you might need that one. I had to work at keeping it from turning blue. Maybe I was not doing it quite right. Still working on the Victoria Tank, on repeat 10 of 29. My lonely Monkeys have been neglected, I made myself start the second one and have left it unloved and unknit. Now that one pair of socks are done, I'm having trouble not starting another project. I have the yarn for the Interweave Bonita Shirt, and the yarn I've spun for my Chevron scarf. I have promised myself I would put in some good time with the Monkeys before I get all distracted with something new.