musindigo

…to folks who come by here actually expecting to find regular content. Seems the blog has wound up being extra-neglected lately. The whole spring flew by in a blink with many wonderful activities on the go and also plenty of side dishes and side events (ie. trips to neurologists which involve long trips for my husband - I am the driver, usually) and other developments (our youngest is being assessed for pre-school with the expectation of needing special considerations in order to become comfortable at school - so far we’ve had inferences along the lines of ‘eccentric genious’ and Aspergers to mild autism) which have had an impact on what I consider to be free time (when I am able to blog and knit/spin) and making it challenging to just feel like I’ve got a good length of brainspace in which I could actually compose a sentence (which I’m sure to some of you is a subjective concept ;)). Basically, in a nutshell, it’s been crazy.

And all this lovely evening thunderstorm-type weather (we are so lucky here to not have had the flash flooding and wind-damage of so many areas) is interesting for a few nights, but after a fortnight of having the computer shut down and not being able to keep track of your favourite blogs and keep emails prompt, it gets a little old. The plants sure are happy this year, however. (Not the farmers).

Lots of dyeing and designing on the go, as well - I had intended to post about these shortly after release, but, I’m sorry, many of the newer BFL skeins and merino-seacell have already sold, as has the laceweight - but I am bringing in more base yarns/stock shortly so I can dye up some more. You can kind of have a look at things here. It’s been fun having a little looser more creative approach with these; many of them are one-of-a-kinds. Also a few new patterns have been published.

I have also been working sporadically on my first ‘big’ spinning project - a sweater. I picked up a few pounds of roving in two shades from the lovely ladies next door to my booth at the Knitter’s Frolic (some in the group are known as ‘the Roving Spinners’ from the K-W area). So far, not bad, all things considered. I don’t have a ton of spinning expertise under my belt and I’m hoping as I go along I will wind up with a little less twist in the resulting yarn, but it is working out to the envisioned weight (worsted) allowing me to be pretty sure I’m going to wind up with about 1600 yards.

I know folks suggest you spin all the singles first and then ply for more even yarn overall, but I am not so patient (and I could technically be 80 before I get around to plying).

I had mapped out a saddle-shouldered sweater and was sort of loping along on the sleeve (not very quickly due to aforementioned activity).

Yesterday, however, things changed.

I’d ordered Lisa Lloyd’s new book, A Fine Fleece, among others, and it arrived here yesterday. After wiping much drool from its pages after the first look-through (it really is just one of those gorgeous knitting books which is beautiful, practical and exceptionally usable and classic enough that you know you will still be drooling on it years from now - well, IMHO) I decided the sweater I’d been intending to make was October Frost. It is proving, so far, having put together about 5 inches of sleeve, to be just the ticket. I do hope I am able to finish it by fall. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, I’m now about to head out to the end-of-the-year youth dance where there will be many crocodile tears shed by Gr8 girls now traumatized by the impending summer’s absence of their friends, and the possibility of not being liked in the big Gr9 world of highschool… or whatever it is they decide to be emotional about. It is always an interesting evening. ;) (I am a chaperoning Kinette, one to be feared. ;)).

It would be more bearable if it were not too dark to knit or even if there was wireless in the building…

Hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer (so far)