FO: cosmopolitan.

Quick post today, because my parents will be here in an hour to keep working! (Today is their last full day here, and we still have so many things on the list: swap out more storm windows for screens, clear off a few inches of compressed leaves from what I think is a stone patio out the back door, hang prints, decide about curtains/curtain rods, wash the outsides of the windows…) I’m excited to show you all of our progress very soon.

These pictures are of my finished skein and change of some SCF organic merino in cosmopolitan. I split the fiber lengthwise and was aiming for long repeats, and while there is more barberpoling than I was aiming for, I’m happy with the result. This is 230 yards (205 + mini-skein of 25) of squishy light worsted weight wonderfulness. I’m so excited to check out all the patterns you suggested for my Rhinebeck-cauldron. Any thoughts on this? It is super soft organic merino, so I’m thinking hat, cowl, or super simple fingerless mitts.

Time to pour the coffee and gear up for another day of home improvements!

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yarn cakes.

handspun yarn cakes

handspunyarncakes2

Last night I dumped all of my handspun out on the couch and tried to think about what each skein might want to be when it grows up. I’m realizing that I need to start thinking more strategically about my fiber acquisitions, because most of the things I want to knit require more than 1 4-oz skein of varying length/thickness. I also realized that I really love my handspun, and that it is incredibly fun and rewarding to knit with. I’d really like to try to keep a handspun project on the needles all the time.

syeshawl

To this end, last night I cast on Laura Chau’s simple yet effective shawl. I’m using my Spunky Club organic merino in the Twilight colorway, which I spun and plied on a spindle. I have 250 yards, which probably won’t be enough for a full shawl, so I plan to supplement with some worsted-ish leftovers from other projects in like colors.

syemacrco

It looks like it is going to be a rainy Saturday, which bodes well for both academic and knitterly productivity.

handspun and cast iron.

I should be writing. In fact, I should be writing A LOT, but instead, I’m feeling the need to dash off a quick post. I’ve written a few paragraphs for the paper this morning, so I can justify this. Right? Right. Also, it could be argued that talking about late nineteenth/early twentieth century cast iron is incredibly relevant to my work. Maybe I’ll footnote my recent ebay acquisition (just kidding):

castiron

castiron2

Isn’t she beautiful? I have been lusting after a workhorse skillet like this one, and in addition to how delicious my eggs have been this week, I really love that this new-to-me kitchen staple has a great deal of history — made in the period I study, for starters. (But enough about that. I have to save it for this paper, remember?)

Also, because end-of-the-semester paper writing is rather traumatic, I decided I needed something squishy and soft to pet nearby. I used my new niddy-noddy to skein up my Spunky Club organic merino in Twilight, and then I washed it to set the twist and hung it to dry.

twilight niddynoddy

twilightyes

I am in love. 250 yards of 2-ply that my eyeballs think is a pretty even light worsted, with some subtle dk weight interludes, spun on my Spinsanity spindle and plied on my heavier Louet spindle. Still drooling over wheels, folks…

Back to it!