Happy Friday

I don't have much to report today except to show you this one.


Zoom Handspun 2-Ply Merino Yarn
I am going to a local alpaca farm tomorrow. I am not sure if I will spin or knit. May be I will do both :) There'll be fleece sales, meeting baby alpaca, and local spinners and knitters. So it should be fun.

Drive safe and have a great weekend!

Procrastinate

pro·cras·ti·nate
v. pro·cras·ti·nat·ed, pro·cras·ti·nat·ing, pro·cras·ti·nates
v.intr.
To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.
v.tr.
To postpone or delay needlessly.

Yes, it's me. As you can see below, a pile of Charm Wrap. I know. I am so close and yet so far away. No hurry though because it's been so hot these past few days. But it's getting cooler today and we got some rain this morning. I might just do the seaming tonight.


I don't believe you've seen the finished photos of Opal Socks I did ages ago.



And I still have almost 1/2 skein left. May be it will be enough for a pair of baby socks. I plan to knit it as a baby shower gift which is coming up soon in June.

While trying to "procrastinate" on Charm Wrap seaming, I started a new project. This is sleeve #1 of Sassy Stripes Knit Shrugs. You can find a free pattern at www.modadea.com.

Mount St. Helens

This weekend we visited the magnificent Mount St. Helens. It was 28 years ago yesterday, Sunday May 18, that a volcanic peak in southwest Washington erupted.

The Mount St. Helens disaster on May 18, 1980, killed 57 people, thousands of animals, and millions of fish. The eruption also devastated some 210 square miles of wilderness, including an estimated ten million trees. Before eruption, Mt St. Helens stood 9,680 feet. Now it is about 1,700 feet shorter.


An unexpected phenomenon is taking place inside the volcano. A glacier is growing.

With global warming concerns and scientists showing alarming images of glaciers melting, experts said this may be the only growing glacier in America or maybe the world.


And one of my handspun merino is up at etsy Fiber Monster.


Before plying


Lagoon Handspun Merino Yarn. Almost 300 yards.

The Heat Is On

So are my handspun yarns :) Here're new ones available at Fiber Monster. I have some more in the pipeline. So check back again later.


Chico


Tweedy
It's going to be 87F today and 93F tomorrow. What a change. My brother and his wife are in town for a few days. So it should be fun siteseeing around places. Enjoy your day!

Majestic Handspun 2-Ply Yarn Colonial, BFL Wool

Meet Majestic. It's one of a kind :)

While Charm Wrap is blocking, I caught up with spinning. So much spinning that I forgot about Charm Wrap this whole week. It's a combination of being in a "spinning zone" and trying to avoid seaming. But I can't postpone it no more. My brother is coming to visit this week and the bed in the guest room can't be accupied by my knitting project. Got to get my act together.

So I'm having a seaming party tonight. Want to join?

Jewel Carded Fiber Batts for Spinning

Jewel Carded Fiber Batts for Spinning, originally uploaded by Fiber Monster.

These colors called for me this morning. And Jewel is now available at Fiber Monster at etsy:)

I also spun brown/copper fiber batts I had and plan to knit socks for myself. I hope I have enough of it. The color reminds me of Trekking XXL yarn I knitted socks for my hubby.

Baking

Yesterday we went to Powell's and came home with these books. Knittings books are mine. My husband picked out the baking books. The guy just want to bake! What can I say :)


With baking book in his hand, we went to Whole Foods next door to get some ingredients. And the fun began.



He did all the work. I was mostly being supportive while playing/cleaning shetland fleece I got at this year sheep shearing from my friend's local farm. The baking took longer than what he had anticipated. The first rise took about 3 hours, second rise 2 hours or may be longer. I lost track of time. All I know is that he turned the oven off at about midnight. He started baking at about 2:30 PM. So it took him that long. But at the end, we got these and the house smelled so good.


Before I go, the new batt this weekend is Olive Dotty.

Charm Wrap Sleeves

Last night I worked on the second sleeve and got it done. This morning I got all the pieces together and found this.


The second sleeve is on the left. And the first sleeve is on the right. Houston, I have a problem.


I've got about 2" difference. What went wrong? And which sleeve? After consulting the pattern, I am guessing the problem is on the first sleeve. Everything seems to match up to shaping the cap. It looks like I decreased it at the different rate. I must have decreased 1 st each end of needle every other row 7 times, instead of EVERY ROW 7 times. The only way to find out is to rip it down. Frog...frog...frog...



And about an hour later, I have this. What a lucky guess!