We got snow this weekend, three times. Toby is much happier, teasing his sister and dancing jigs around the kitchen to escape chores, I've nearly finished Poppy's shawl and mastered a new spinning technique, and thats about it for today.
Saturday 5 of us met up at J's house from 3pm onwards to spin, at 4:30 Bear rang to let us know it was snowing. With the chatting and the spinning and the eating of yummy muffins, well we had not noticed the snow falling out side the windows. Both J and I live on hills, different hills. Bear was worried that we would get down one hill and not back up the other. We dithered, we rang various people around town to get accurate road condition reports, we spun some more, the snow stopped and we all went home. There was more snow overnight, and the next morning this. Both cubs tried to make snow men and have snow fights, but there really wasn't enough to do much with.
The snow was all melted by 11am, as it usually does in Dunedin. Score for the year, one workday frosty and icy morning, and one snow day. For those who are soon to visit Dunedin, this is probably nearly as cold as it gets.
I think I have finally mastered Navaho plying, turning one single into a 3 ply yarn using what I can only describe as a large scale version of finger knitting. Previously my attempts have resulted in curly over-twisted yarn, but this time I got it right. This is 25g of Alpaca, Silk, Merino from Doe. 62m - what can I do with 62m? Maybe I put it aside until the next time I need to make baby booties? Handspun booties - sounds good.
Poppy's shawl is nearly done, I've cast off the body of the shawl, and have actually worked the twisted chain braid all the way around, but this photo was made during daylight yesterday when I hadn't got that far. I've modified the pattern instructions a little, adding a row of eyelets (K2tog Yo) a few rows before the cast off edge. I was trying to match the eyelet detail of the neck edge, not a perfect match but a nice effect.
And a closer view of the twisted chain edge, quite effective.
The edge is worked by alternating and twisting short lengths of crochet chain stitches over each other. This is one technique that will be used again, a nice alternative to an i-cord edge.
The pattern showed long cords added to the shawl ends to tie the wrapped ends around the body, but didn't hint how to make the cords. I'm making mine in the darker yarn, as a 3 stitch i-cord. These will be woven on tonight, and the the shawl blocked ready for wear.
take care
we have wind and wet forcast for today, and I've got plenty more essays to mark before I can knit or spin some more.
S
4 comments:
That is some seriously impressive handspun you've plied there! I would buy it, it looks so professional! Oh, and your post made me cry a little, well I would have done if there was any hydration left in my body. It's been in the upper 90s all day (over 40C), and I have been practically brain dead all day! My thermometer finally says 82, the coolest since I've been awake, so I am going to eat a salad and do a little embroidery. I'll keep a picture of your snow up to remind me that good times are coming in 6 months or so:)
OK, we can handle snow at that level, no problems. The spinning is looking amazing -- that looks like some seriously pettable yarn there (and I love the color!). I'm glad that Toby is feeling well enough to do chore-escaping jigs; that's got to be an improvement since last week?
Oh, thank you for posting the photo of the nice, cool snow! I'm in the US (near Washington, DC) and it's almost 100F here today, and humid!
oh how lovely to be knitting in the snow...we have just emerged from our own queens bday weekend full of rain and i managed to not mark one essay myself!
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