Inspiration

I am finding inspiration everywhere...so much so that I cannot focus on what I actually want to do. Frustrating but exciting! I am incredibly inspired by Wendy's mitred square sweater and want one, badly. Only a cardigan. In different colors. So I have devised four colorways of Crown Mountain Farms roving to make into ten different yarns, each of which will vary wildly just because of the dyes and the preparations. Now to have the money to purchase and the ability to pick just one...

Having completed my first square for our new church knitting group's charity project, a square knit corner to corner, as a reward for finishing, I started this:

Being a total sheep, some Monkey socks. I really like the pattern. I am still rather intimidated by lace and have managed to already memorize the 11 row repeat after 3 times through. Great job, Cookie A.!

These colors did not photograph well in the sun, but it is red, green, acid green, turquoise, occasionally yellow and orange. Okay, okay, maybe only a sock I could love, but I do love it!

I have finished the back of the violet sweater, but have moved on in my total knitting promiscuousness. That project will be completed, but perhaps after the first flush of love of the Monkeys. And spinning more of this:

Crown Mountain Farms Hand dyed superwash wool in Magic Carpet Ride. I SO love this wool in this colorway, it is making me want to make the hypothetical sweater with it, even though it won't have any orange or purple. That seems wrong somehow. The sweater would be sage greens/wines and I would love it.

My other potential colorways are: purple/green; orange/blue; and blue/yellow. I have them all worked out.

I also finished Navajo plying the Dandylion bobbin, although this is only half the wool. I am very happy with this yarn, however. It is fine and even and the colors are nicely separated.

This yarn will definitely go the L.A. County Fair this year. I include the ubiquitous dime for scale. It is a thin fingering weight and will make lovely socks someday. I'm thinking using it for fairisle patterning with something else. But not till it comes home.

I will finish this very long post with the spinning version of the Mother's Day meme.

The directions are the same as those book memes and the more recent knitting one. Bold those things you have done, italicize those you wish to do, and leave plain the ones that are of no interest to you.

FIBERS SPUN

Fine Wools (i.e. Merino, Cormo, Rambouillet, Polwarth, CVM, etc)
Longwool & Crossbreed Wools (i.e. BFL, Cotswold, Lincoln, Romney, Coopworth, Teeswater, etc.)
Down-type Wool (i.e. Black Welsh Mountain, Dorset, Cheviot, Shetland, etc.)
Double Coated Wool (i.e. Icelandic, Navajo-Churro, Karakul, etc.)
Mohair
Cashmere
Angora
Alpaca
Llama
Camel
Vicuna
Bison/Buffalo
Yak
Quiviut
Dog
Cat
Silk Caps/Bells/Hankies
Silk Sliver
Linen
Hemp
Cotton (prepared)
Cotton from the Boll
Engineered Fibers (Rayon, Bamboo, Soysilk, Ingeo, Ecopoly, etc.)
Recycled Fibers (Sari Silk, Jeans, Garnetted, etc.)
Holographic Fibers (Angelina, etc.)
Commercially Combed Top
Commercially Carded Roving
Hand Combed Top
Hand Carded Rollags
Hand Drum Carded Batts

FIBER TOOLS USED
Flicker
Hand Cards
Mini-Combs
English Combs
Hackle
Diz
Distaff
Drum Carder
Nostepinne
Niddy Noddy
Yarn Meter
Skeiner
WPI Tool
McMorran Balance
Top Whorl Spindle
Mid-Whorl Spindle
Bottom Whorl Spindle (includes Turkish)
Supported Spindle (Navajo, Tahkli, etc.)
Castle Wheel
Saxony Wheel
Great Wheel
Portable Wheel (Little Gem, Joy, Lendrum, Hitchiker, etc.)
Electric Spinner
Charka
Tensioned Lazy Kate

SPINNING TECHNIQUES & YARN TYPES SPUN
Worsted Spun
Woolen Spun
Long Draw
Short-Forward Draw
Double Drafting
Singles
Energized Singles
Andean Plied 2-Ply (Wheel or Spindle?)
Center-Pull Ball 2-Ply (Wheel or Spindle?)
2-Ply from Bobbins/Cops
3-Ply from Bobbins/Cops
Navajo Ply 3-Ply (Chained Singles)
4+ Ply from Bobbins/Cops
Bulky/Super Bulky Weight
Worsted Weight
DK Weight
Sport Weight
Fingering Weight
Lace Weight
Cabled Yarns
Fulled Yarns
Slub Yarn
Marled Yarn (Barber-Poled Colors)
Seed Yarn (1 Thick and Soft Ply, 1 Firm and Thin)
Wrapped Spiral Yarn
Flame Yarn (Like Seed Yarn, but with Slubs)
Turkish Knot Yarn
Boucle Yarn
Beaded Yarn
Coiled Yarn
Encased Yarn (Fabric, Flower, Feather, etc. Captured Between Plies)

OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES
Buy a Fleece
Wash a Fleece
Blend Fiber Types (Combed or Carded)
Blend Colors (Combed or Carded)
Dye Handspun Yarn
Dye Prepared Roving/Top
Dye Locks
Solar-Dye Fiber
Kool-Aid/Food Coloring Dye Fiber
Natural Dye Fiber
Commercial Dye Fiber (Gaywool, Jacquard, etc.)
Attend a Wool Festival
Take a Spinning Class
Take a Dyeing Class
Spin in Public
Teach Children to Spin
Teach Adults to Spin
Knit with Your Handspun
Crochet with Your Handspun
Weave with Your Handspun
Design a Project to Match Your Handspun
Design a Project from Fiber to FO
Spin Yarn to Match a Commercial Pattern
Make Socks from Handspun
Make a Scarf from Handspun
Make a Felted Project from Handspun
Make a Large Project from Handspun (Shawl, Adult Sweater, etc. >1000 yds)
Keep a Spinning Journal
Use A Reference Card to Aid Consistency
Spin Yarn for Pay
Dye Fiber for Pay
Write a Book on Spinning
Write an Article on Spinning
Make DIY Spinning Tools (PVC Niddy Noddy, Lazy Kate, CD Spindle, Hackle, Wrist Distaff, etc.)

Some of these I've only done once, but I feel like I've done quite a bit in my four years or so. I do have a spinning/knitting book idea that I would like to follow through on and I owe Joy some yarn that she paid for LAST YEAR. I may very well be spinning for a large project soon, but that too will take time. In the fall, when my children are both in school full time, I will hope to concentrate on technique and learn how to spin more interesting yarns, boucle, beaded, textured yarns. Right now, I have so little time, I feel the need to be spinning things I know I will be happy with and that's okay.

Consider yourself tagged, if you like!