Since last week, I've learned to ply. Which means that I'm making yarn. Not at a breakneck pace, mind you, but still making yarn. My own handspun, which I think is entirely delightful.


And now that I'm making my own handspun, I have an entirely different view of it. I purchased a small skein of some handspun over the summer, and hadn't the slightest clue what to do with it. It seemed to precious to disturb. Well, now it's not. And it's going to turn into wrist warmer things, or perhaps a cowl. Because the process of handspun (from roving to singles to plied to knitted object) is now to delightful to interrupt. I'm going to work with it this weekend.

And I'm going to take this ball of fiber (which has gotten considerably smaller since this photo!) and make more of these singles.

Then I'm going to ply the singles together, and make some more of this!!

Which, I promise, is much prettier in person than this poor photo makes it look! And I've got two skeins of it now. And I'm going to finish two spindles worth of singles next time and try to make a little larger skein. And to ply a little differently! Ahh!

Beyond that. Thanksgiving is here. My little brother is coming over. We're eating turkey sandwiches, and probably watching crappy tv. Or something. And he's bringing his new girlfriend who is *gasp* 6 years older than he is! (Last time we were at Dad's, dad kinda freaked out about the age difference, and how you don't want to trap yourself, and older women want to settle down, blah blah. We laughed. Mom was 4 years older than he is (so he knows from experience) and Renee is 10 years older than me. Ha!)

Big weekend...

Raeface and I went down to Tennessee this weekend to see my grandmother. She had heart surgery last week, so we went down to visit her, etc. We ended up getting to take her home from the hospital on Saturday morning, so that was exciting!

We always have a good time in Knoxville. The gay bars there are absolutely hysterical. This time moving to Knoxville was on our minds, so we started deciding who we would be friends with. And making up stories. And watching all the ladies interact. Turns out that lesbians are the same everywhere. And we wouldn't be friends with many of them - much like here! Ha!

Anyway. Grandma is doing fine. Obviously, she tires easily and is a little grumpy, but that's what happens when they crack open your chest.

That's a long drive to make over a weekend, though. Which is a disheartening thought, especially since someone really needs to start making that drive once a month or so. Not that she's in bad shape, or anything, but someone needs to visit more than once a year. Seriously. And, since I want her land, I should be the one to do it. Crikies!

Umm, spinning, oh my goodness. There wasn't much time this weekend, but. I picked up some new fiber on Thursday, and a new spindle! and .. well, there need to be photos. I'll get those soon.

Spindling

So, the spinning is going really really well. I picked up a new bag of Tuscan Grove roving. It's beeeeaaautiful. It's called Electric Storm. It's a superwash merino, colored neon orange, neon leaf green, white and black/dark gray. In class Monday night, we all went over to the fiber wall to see the offerings. The other ladies picked a bag and went up to the register; I picked a bag and went back to my spot on the couch and started spinning.

I worked on it some more last night. I've probably spun about an ounce (or close to an ounce) right now; it's spinning between a dk and a worsted right now, but I've got a new, lighter spindle on the way. That should thin it down to closer to a dk or lace weight. Then I think I'll ply it with some of the plain white, or the other storm colored roving (a similar green color, purple, dark gray, etc) and then make a scarf with it! I think it would make a lovely My So-Called Scarf. Or something like that. Perhaps.

It's fun that I'm already planning on knitting with the yarn I'm making.

I spun some last night, on the clunker spindle. (Which is 2.76 oz. The one I ordered is 0.9 oz. I'm looking forward to the difference.) I pre-drafted about 3 yards of fiber, then started spinning. Standing up, I could get about 2 yards spun before I'd have to wind everything (which, with the additional drafting, equaled about 1/3 of what I'd pre-drafted.) After I'd spun all I could reach, I'd let some slack into the yarn (because at that point it really is yarn!) and sometimes (about half the time) it would be perfect! with hardly any overspun sections.

I'm starting to look at wheels. That's a while off, though. I need money, first. And space to put it.

meme. sorry.

Are you cheating on someone right now?
Dolly Parton. No.

Do you hate when couples are like "i love you" after datin g for about 2 days?
Umm, that's the lesbian way. 'Cept Renee and I. We're not lesbians.

Do you like coffee?
Does it count that I need it? Because I do.

Ever been so anxious or overwhelmed that it felt like you couldn't breathe?
Yes. Certianly. Of course. Weekly, it seems.

Do you believe that love is all you need?
I'm too young to believe in the Beatles.

What' s your favorite lollipop flavor?
Delicious.

What kind of mood are you in?
Exhausted, pretty much. And my ear hurts.

Are your parents divorced?
Widowed.

What were you doing eight o' clock this morning?
Probably looking at drawings. Or something.

Who is the last person you told a secret to?
Likely, Raeface.

Do you wish you were somewhere else right now?
Of course.

Last thing you purchased?
New roving last night. It's beeeeeeaaaautiful.

Plans for the upcoming weekend?
Tennesse. To be with grandma.

Did you sleep in past noon today?
Ha! I wish!

Who is your last missed call from?
Probably my brother. Or raeface.

When was the last time you ate Frosted Flakes?
It's been a looong time.

Do you know any songs that are older than you are?
Yeah buddy.

Can you even walk in high heels?
Some of them. Depends on whether or not I'm having a good ankle day.

Do you like peanut M& M's?
M&Ms are legally no longer chocolate. Bleck.

Do you like water parks?
I like water. But I hate children. Well, children in groups.

What was your last phone conversation about?
Umm. Scheduling this weekend, I think.

Last place you went to eat out?
Casa .. something in Gahanna. It was okay.

Who were you with last night?
Spinning class!

Are you listening to any music right now?
No. Just work noises.

When was the last time you were truly and completely happy with your life?
I'm pretty okay right now.

Next time you will kiss someone?
This evening, I would hope.

Is your handwriting large , tiny, or pretty normal?
It's neat, and slightly on the larger side. It's pretty stylized, I guess.

Are you there for your friends?
The friends I have, sure.

Are you a forgiving person?
No. I'm not forgiving, but I don't think it's worth the energy to hold a grudge.

Anything bothering you now?
Just my ear.

Who were the last people you ate with?
Raeface made dinner last night. It was delicious.

What are your plans for tonight?
Doing dishes, folding laundry, ordering a new spindle.

What color are your nails right now?
Un-manipulated.

What is the last non- alcoholic beverage you had?
Coffee. Goodness.

Where did you last sleep other than your house?
I don't frequently sleep other places. The castle, I guess.

Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
Temperate.

Have you ever been on a horse?
Years ago.

Do you get distracted easily?
Depends. How focused am I?

What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?
Took off my clothes.

Have you ever changed clothes in a vehicle?
Again, years ago.

What' s the last thing you put in your mouth?
Coffee. Still.

I made more yarn last night. And I need to take my camera to the electronics store to get a cord to connect the camera to a computer, because I really want the world to see the amazing stuff of dreams that I spun last night. (And by 'amazing stuff of derams' I really mean over spun and under spun yarn of varying thicknesses that's better than the stuff I made Monday night.) Actually, there was a stretch where I had a good length of nice, rather consistent, yarn. That was really exciting. But then I lost my focus and it started stretching out and it broke. So I stopped for the evening.

Plus, at that point, they'd already decided that Obama won so I didn't have to stay up any later.

Knit night tonight. I might get my Jitterbug socks finished. And maybe start on the sweater!!!

I totally made yarn last night. It was pretty frinkin' sweet. I'm going to go home tonight and make some more. Perhaps it will be of slightly higher quality than what I produced last night. (The stuff I made last night has segments of overtwist followed by segments of undertwist. Kinda like think & thin, but really curly.)

Anyway. That was exciting. And I enjoyed it. And I can't wait to go back next week and learn the next step. Or perhaps even just a refinement of this step.

AhhhH!

Oh, and I voted this morning. Have you voted?

Ahh! Spinning class tonight!! Ahh!!!

That's exciting. I'm excited. Woohoo!!!

Ahh! Happy November!

So, I totally punked out and did not go to the Obama rally. I was really not feeling crowd friendly this morning. Rather, I felt more like a girl who hasn't slept properly in several weeks. Whatevs. Last night, I finished the last of the icord for the handknit surprise for the Starbucks and Yarn swap. It (and by it, I mean the package as a whole) still feels like it's lacking something. I think I'm going to put together a project bag, or a project notebook, or a pattern binder... something. Maybe. Or I'll just send it off as-is, because it's still pretty fantastic the way it is. Umm, the cozy is delightful. I love it. Might have to make me one.

I made a second one while I was making the first one, and that one will go to the angel package hoard. I'm doing a third one right now, out of some fantastic blue-green-yellow-brown yarn. It's a different style, and maybe I'll actually make myself one in this style. It'll be awesome.

It's been a weekend, for sure. Halloween was a fun night with some fantastic costumes to be seen (like a pumpkin patch, and a 7' tall Oompa Loompa) and some delightful food and drink. We stopped a Jeni's on the way home Friday night, and I got a delicious sundae (blood orange ice cream, dark chocolate fudge, a dark chocolate brownie, and a "severed lady finger!!!") that was entirely too large for me to eat. I ate the brownie and the lady finger, and the hot fudge - but other than tiny tastes, I pretty much gave the ice cream to Renee's brother. The ice cream was delicious, surely. But I just couldn't handle all the dairy - ahh!

This week looks like it should be pretty okay. My work week is already planned; I like it when that happens and I know what to expect. Home life should be pretty calm, I think. Except for trying to decide what to say to my Dad, if anything, about how I feel about what he's doing with his life... I feel that, perhaps, a letter to the magic Bubbopants is in order on that one, though. I just can't seem to decide myself.