Old Dog - New Tricks

My desk isn't always this messy, sometimes it is even worse.  And since everyone in the house thinks my desk is where you stick anything that you don't know how, or don't want to, deal with, I'll clean it up when I get back from the reunion.  It will be much worse then.

I quite obviously have a computer otherwise I would not be here, but I also have a laptop, it is old and it's keyboard does not work well, (the teenager who had it before me tended to pound on the keys). But a $12 keyboard from a Meyers closeout, that fits handily into the laptop bag, fixes that.

If I leave the laptop in it's bag until I leave I find that it really doesn't want to work when I get there, so this year I smartened up a tad, and brought it over from the studio, (no internet over there) and plugged it in yesterday morning.  So for the past 2 days I have had 2 computers running on my desk, (Sierra ask what was going on and I told her I was emulating her grandfather and becoming a multiple computers at once user - she boggled) connected to the house net, (and thereby each other) and have been removing things I don't need from the 8gig little laptop, (remember when a computer with a 512 meg hard drive was all one would ever need?  I do!)

So I have been grabbing the wrong mouse for 2 days,  And typing on the wrong keyboard. If you look at the top picture the mouse for the laptop is next to the white keyboard, and the main computer's mouse is in it's holder/recharger on the shelf  just above, the black keyboard sitting on the trashcan is for the laptop, both computers have working touch pads, which I use mostly, but for games I use the mouse which is faster.  Yes I am spoiled, why do you ask?

So after 2 days of installing and deleting, and virus scans and de-fragging, the lap top has a new wallpaper ( the cover art of the Way of Kings due out in 40 days not that anyone is counting) has the Kindle for PC program and a book or 2.  Working e-mail, and browser.  I-tunes is updated and ready  to go.

I still have the most important part, I need to transfer the knitting patterns that I am using over to the laptop, this afternoon.  Then I can turn my attention to the other things like the knitting bag, checking that all needed accessories, needles etc are packed along with the yarn, and any books I need.  And I still need to get the Brag Bag packed with the finished thing to show off.  Good thing I still have 2 weeks.

Red and Green and Green

The Shetland is green. It spins very fine. It goes on forever.


The Suffolk is red. It spins very fine. It goes on forever.


The cotton/wool is green, It spins very fine. It goes on forever.

I don't think I planned this very well, I should have gotten out the Jacob that will be long draw spun into worsted weight, that spins very fast, it will go on for a while because I have at least one sweater worth.  But it would be fast. and I could fill multiple bobbins in a day.  That would be fun.

Red Suffolk

Getting a break from the white Suffolk with some brick red Suffolk.  This stuff spins up so thin and pretty much spins itself.  (I am just there to feed the roving in and take out the trash)  The vegetable matter comes out pretty easily, but there is a fair amount in it.  But the red seems to shed it easier than the white.  Wonder why?

I am going to have to take a break for a couple of days soon and get 4-6 more summer nightgowns made before the trip.  I am also working on Snow Queen very slowly, 2 rows at most a day.

Day 5 and new sock yarn

Today I finished spinning the second bobbin of Suffolk and then took 2 plies of Suffolk and 1 ply of silk, into a 3-ply fingering weight sock yarn.  It skeined off into 247 yds so plenty for 1 sock, and the other bobbin will be plied tomorrow.  The silk catches the light, and shines wonderfully.

My Mom likes white socks, and wool socks so these will probably be her birthday present in August.

Day 2 of Tour

Green cotton/wool blend spun on the Charkha.  Eileen Hallman says that one can fill a Charkha spindle in 10 minutes, and while that may be true for her, it is not yet true for me.  But I am getting better at not letting it drift apart before I get enough twist to hold it together.

The last of the dark green Suffolk, spun and 2-plied.  Still have to skein and measure.

And last but not least I have 75 grams of Suffolk, the roving has a fair amount of vegetable matter but it picks out pretty easily, it is spinning up really fine, and I am planning to 3 ply 2 strands of Suffolk and 1 ply of commercial silk thread. ( I was given a box of the stuff so I may as well use some of it.)  The silk should add both strength and shine.

Tour de Fleece day 1

Today was the start of the Tour de Fleece.  This morning I got out the Suffolk fleece, and one of the green dyed cotton/wool rovings and started the Suffolk on the Lendrum, and spun until my legs got tired.  Then I got out the Charkha and spun the cotton/wool until I filled one spindle.  When I go upstairs to get ready to go to bed, I will spin some of the Shetland.  If I am not too tired.