apparknitchik

::cough cough::

It irritates the beejeebers out of me sometimes to know that I am A. a really bad insomniac (I can't sleep, but I can't actually do anything else, so nothing gets done) and B. a really bad sickie.

I know folks who, upon coming down with a cold or the flu, happily rest on the couch and knit.

I can't do that.  And it's a sure sign I'm coming down with something when suddenly not only to I have no will to knit or spin, if I even try it turns into a disaster.

So, the lacy scarf got this far, but no farther:

 

And the spinning? Half is done, the other half started, but I was too tired to do more:

 

Before the cold *really* hit, I decided that I could actually work something plain and simple, so I started another (insert shameless plug here) Scarborough Dude Scarf.  Since I've already made three of them, I figured I could get this one started without too much trouble:

 

I was going to knit it purely because I fell in love with those colours, but it turns out the other point five likes it, so he may end up with a new scarf this winter.

Once I finish it.  Because now that I'm feeling better, I came up with a neat idea that I wanted to try out, and put everything aside for the time being.  No photos.  Top secret for now -- and top secret for ever if it doesn't pan out.

like a record, baby

The scarf is coming along, but really, how many pictures of progress on it does anyone really want to see?

So, a glimpse at the next bit of spinning on the spindle:

 

 

It's Fleece Artist, 65% Wool/35% silk, and I've got 50g, so I'm spinning it laceweight so I have as much yardage as I can manage for a scarf (hint as to *which* scarf is in the first picture).

I was very tempted to spin singles to make it go farther, but I really wanted it plyed, so plyed it will be.  I've actually got half of it spun and plyed and washed and hung to dry, and yesterday I started into the second half of the fibre, so I'll probably have it done next week.

I don't want to jinx myself, but this is turning out really nice, if I do say so myself.  I'm not the most brilliant of spinners, but after a long stretch of turning out very underspun yarn, suddenly this is...better.  Much better.  Not perfect, but much, much better.

Just hope I have enough for a small scarf when it's done.

wip it. wip it good: lace ribbon scarf

I needed to start something easy, something I didn't need to think too much about (because everything else I'm working on needs some thinking about, and since a change is as good as a rest...), so I decided it was time to get to another Lace Ribbon Scarf (designed by Veronik Avery):

 

The yarn is my handspun, 225g of Finn Top, dyed by Knitterguy, and spun during the last Tour de Fleece (yes, that's me, too).

It was always intended to be a Lace Ribbon Scarf -- and, in fact, this is the second time I've spun the yarn for this very same scarf -- the first time was in last winter's Fibre to Scarf exchange (organized by Ted Myatt).  And I'm finding more and more that when I spin, it's with some purpose in mind.  More on that in a future post.

in which i get a little cranky

There's a new yarn shop about to open in town.

Now, you'd think I'd be happy about that.  On the one hand, yes, I am.  It stumps me that a place this size, with a few knitters and spinners in it, can't support ONE shop.

Yet, we've already seen one shop disappear, and with the recession looming (oh, let's face it, it's already here), small cracks are already showing up.  Shops elsewhere closing, distributors going out of business.  Of course, I did think it had to happen -- there had to be some shakedown in an industry that saw a massive expansion almost purely on the back of novelty yarns. 

But still, it would be nice to see a shop here, a place where community could be built. 

The big question for me, though, is this:  is there going to be an animal in this shop?  Because the reason I didn't frequent the previous shop was because of the animal.

Don't get me wrong -- I understand the appeal of animals, I understand the companionship, I understand how for some customers, they might make the place feel more like, well, home.

But there are some of us out here who have allergies -- myself, to the point of having asthma attacks requiring me to haul out my puffer, and I really hate using the puffer. 

And it's not just visiting the shop -- if any of the animal's dander gets on the yarn, I can have the allergic reaction at home, too.

So, to the business owners out there:  yes, it's your business, and yes, you get to run it how you want it.  I recognize that.  As a customer, I have a choice, and frankly, I'll choose to shop elsewhere if it comes down to having an asthma attack or not.

And I know I'm not alone in this -- there are others out there who don't want to deal with the animals, either.  Is it prudent in tough economic times to eliminate a portion of your potential customer base?

(Just so we're clear here -- I'm a pretty good knitter, I'm pretty knowledgeable, and I'm happy to share what I know.  I'd be a good person to have around during a knit and chat evening.  Just saying....)

Okay, so I'm a little cranky, but I just thought it had to put out there.

well, i might as well start off on the right foot with a finished object

From the book "Young Rowan", I give you "Spook", in Kidsilk Haze, a gift for my niece on her 11th birthday (yes, I am a Good Auntie):