spinning

Occasionally I like, oh lets not kid ourselves I LOVE having knitting visitors.  Lucky for me Mr. Tempted and DD are good with it too.  This past weekend THE Knit Girllls (Laura and Leslie), Sara and Jessica all came to stay.  We had such a great time together.  An incredible amount of fiber was spun and yarn knitted but most of all there was a whole lot of laughter and fun.

The first evening everyone was here we had the most amazing summer rain that cooled everything down enough that we could really enjoy the deck.  I am so amazed at how much knitting got done this weekend.

Now doesn't this look like a good time?  I have been acquanted with all of these girls for 3 years but this weekend we really got to know eachother. First thing we learned is that Jessica loves guacamole.  I think I might have overplanned the food because day 2 the only cooking that was done was breakfast quiche and yarn/fiber dyeing.

Day 2 included a whole lot of spinning!  We all had our wheels and it was a very relaxing and fun day.  There was just a whole lot of laughing and talking. 

Knitting and spinning have brought me hours and hours of enjoyment, along with warm feet, hands and shoulders.  I have to say that the greatest benefit I have recieved from my years of knitting and spinning is the amazing friendships that I have developed. 

Thanks girls for making the drive and I can't wait to do it again.

I have finally recieved the yarn for theLoopy Ewe and will be dyeing like a mad woman for the next week to catch up.  I will also be preparing for the upcoming Stringtown trunk show on August 14th.  I would love to meet anyone that can make it there. 

As I promised in the last post I am showing off the 50% Soysilk/50% Wool roving and yarn I made recently.  I love it, not at all difficult to spin and it is so soft.  This one is in the process of becoming my very first Clapotis, I know I am way behind the times but I just couldn't ever find the yarn I wanted to use.  Now I have and I love the way it is knitting up.

I am really enjoying the yarn and the pattern, lots of knitting fun.  I will be sending an order of the Soysilk roving off to The Loopy Ewe today, if I can get to the UPS store.  We have snow and ice so not real sure I will make it.  But I will share a picture of all the pretty colors.

Due to scheduling conflicts we quite commonly open gifts early, our kids are all over the place at Christmas and it makes it very difficult to get together.  This year we opened gifts this past Sunday evening when our middle girl came home from school.

Those of you who have tried to surprise an older child at Christmas will understand the dilemma we were faced with this year.  Emily is 11 and it would be impossible to hide a large box from her, so what do you do?  Well we wrapped it up and stuck it under the tree without a name on it. Of course that only peeked her curiosity, so when she started asking who it belonged to she was led to believe that it was for Mom.  My DH whispered in her ear "you know that momma wants a new spinning wheel" thus began the teasing and hinting. LOL  Several times over the last few weeks I said things like "I think I will peek at my big gift today"  her response was an outraged comment like "Don't you dare, you will ruin the surprise!!!"   This went on for weeks, every once in a while I would try to get her to tell me a little about it to no avail she wasn't telling anything.  LOL  Getting smart in her old age.

Finally it is time to open gifts and everyone starts in and Emily pushes "My" big gift over to me.  She tries to get me to open it for a few minutes and finally Dad says "but it isn't hers its yours".  The look on her face was priceless!  Then she exclaimed "but I don't want a spinning wheel". LOL  She finally opened it.  She was ecstatic and kept makeing comments about how mean we are one second and how much she loved us the next.  This is one of the memories she will hang onto forever.  Oh and btw she got Guitar Hero World Tour the complete Band.

Today when I woke up, turned on the computer and logged into all the different sites I always log on to.  I finally opened my Plurk window and what did I see??  Wendy had posted that her list of knitters gifts were featured on Lime n' Violets Daily chum and Tempted yarns made the list.  Seriously, how cool is that!!!!   In fact what made it even better was that my buddy and partner in crime occasionally, Keri from 3am Enchantments also made Wendy's list.   Some of you may remember that early this spring I had Weeones make stitch-markers for several of my buddies, she also made the list.  In fact I have something from everyone on the list (bought the only copy of Casting Spells in Bartlesville) except Celtic Swan Forge and Splityarn.  Guess I will have to do something about that. LOL

It was amazing to be listed by such an accomplished and well loved knitter and then to be in such wonderful company and with one of my favorite indie dyers The Sanguine Gryphon.  Yes, I buy from other dyers, I love indie yarns, I love seeing what others do and love getting to meet them, I can be such a fangirl.

This is some of the fiber that my "partner in crime" Keri and I dyed the first time she came to visit.  Well she has now spun it all up and sent me a picture this morning. 

Amazing how different it looks huh?  I am always amazed at how different a roving and a finished yarn can look.

Next time I will share some of my spinning I did with the fiber I am currently dying for The Loopy Ewe.  I will say that I love love love the finished yarn so much that after looking for over a year for the perfect yarn to knit my very first clapotis with, I think my search is over.  I know I am way behind the times but I have been looking for just the right yarn for it. 

Our family along with most of the United States celebrated Thanksgiving Day last Thursday and boy do we have a lot to be thankful for.  Our children are healthy and happy, one has bought her first home, one has just been accepted into Nursing School and the little one is in her first year of Middle School and is still talking to us (lol).  We are still happily married 9 years and counting.  Our families are all doing well and we have been able to see most of them in the last month.

Tempted is thankful for all of those who have been so instrumental in our success.  Dad, Del, Kaye, Wendy, LB, Keri, Jana, Lynne, Lynn, Elabeth, Shelley, Sheri, Tammy, Kate, Lisa, Michelle, Druanna, Karen, Amy, Robyn, Robin, Terrie and so many many more.   We know that we will forget someone but hope you will forgive us and know that  we are extremely grateful for all the support and encouragement so many of you have given us. 

I have been staying busy and can't even talk about some of it yet!  Although it is very cool to get to know something that others have to wait for *insert evil laughter* it is also real real hard.  I want to talk about it and show you all pictures.  Sorry no pics of the Super Secret Project.

I do however have a pic of the yarn that I made from the roving that I showed last post.

  This is a big pic but it's all I got today.  It will be a Noro like long color repeats I will make a nice pair of toe up plain socks with it.  Since I just finished a sweater for the nursing student and now need to knit on the SUPER SECRET PROJECT I won't get to start it for a little while longer.  Also Keri and I have a scarf planned to start around Christmas with the Dk BFL we dyed last month.  OK I am getting tired just thinking about it.  LOL

I finally finished the Merino/Cashmere roving this is my version of Persuasion, 388 yds, 17 wpi (sport wt.) from 6 oz, 3 plyed.  This is my first attempt at a 3 ply yarn, don't think I did too bad. 

Now I am searching for the best pattern for it.  One of these days I will have the pattern first and make the yarn to match.

My friend Keri and I have had a brainstorm AGAIN and have another great project we are starting, shocked aren't ya.  Yesterday we took 4oz of Superwash Merino roving each and dyed them beginning with one color at one end and then changing throughout.  We are planning on spinning and Navajo Plying them, the theory is that it will give us very long color repeats with subtle transitions for a thick striping effect when knit.  Keri's is on the right and mine is on the left.  Pretty huh?

There will be updates on our progress.

I am also happy to announce the Loopy Ewe had another sneak up last night and Glam Grrl made an appearance again and was well received.  Also you have to check out the new bag from 3am Enchantments, it is a very cute sheep fabric with the cutest little zipper pulls made by WeeOnes! 

Oh and the Super Secret Project is Super Secret and I can't tell you!!  Muhahahahahahaha