Neck Warmer etc.

Whew! End of July already? Where did the time go?

Mostly into commuting. I am literally spending 3 hours a day on the train and bus.

It has been good for my knitting, because it is nice and portable, but I have been a bit behind on my spinning. It's not easy to carry your lazy Kate around with you! That said, I am pretty close to finishing my fluffy cotton-candy yarn. The three singles are ready to be plied, sitting on my lazy kate; sitting on my bookshelf so they come down from over my shoulder while I spin.

Had to push some books out of the way to put it up there, though.

I was expecting a lace-weight yarn, but it looks like it is going to be sport-weight. I still don't know how the plied yarn really looks. I am getting a sense, but I am looking forward to seeing it on the niddy-noddy.

Three-plies, on the spindle

I am also working on the beach skirt: it is almost done, and I promise there will be a post all about it when I am finished.

I have a quick update on another project though. Back in November, I made a hat using brioche stitch. I mentioned in my project update that I was starting a matching scarf to use up the yarn. So, did any of you wonder what happened with it? (of course not, I am talking to myself)

Well, I put it in my project bag, then someone cleaned the apartment and stuck the project bag in with my yarn stash. Since that room eats things, I didn't even think of it again until last week.

I was filling out the forms to submit a few projects to the Maryland State Fair again this year. I wanted to submit my brioche hat, but I know that hats are going to be a very crowded contest. So, looking over other categories I could submit to, I noticed that there is one for a hat/scarf set. Perfect! Now, where did I put that scarf...

Anyway, I finished the scarf. But I kind of ran out of yarn. So it is not really a scarf. I'm calling it a neck warmer, and hope the judges won't be too picky about it.

Hat and neck warmer set

The one thing that I wish I did differently, is that if I knew it was going to be a neck warmer, I would have done a provisional cast on, so that I could connect the two ends seamlessly, instead of having a somewhat messy seam.

Neck warmer with seam. Can you spot it?

Anyhow, even if the judges aren't fans, I know the hat is super-duper warm, and I bet the second part of the set will be just as nice when winter hits.

One more view of the warmer:

What a twist!

An Update and a Trip Report

Hello internet people!

I know that I have been lax in updating recently. It is not so much that I have been busy, I just have been mostly working on big projects, so updates are sparse.

First of all, I did finish the bulky merino yarn I was working on. Definitely not my best work: There are some parts where I obviously wasn't paying attention, and the singles have far too much twist. I think I just didn't realize how important it is to have low-twist for both bulky singles and merino wool in particular. Plying forgives a lot, but not everything.

Bulky Blue Merino yarn

I have started on some matching black yarn, and I do hope that I learned something from the first try, and it will be better.

Black Merino Bulky singles on the bobbin

Progress continues on my skirt, but I don't have a good picture for you right now. I am hoping to finish it in time to enter it at the Maryland State Fair.

I also went on a trip to Virginia Beach with my husband and in-laws last weekend. We went to Antiques Roadshow! I brought my antique castle wheel, in hopes that the appraisers could tell us how old it was and who made it. Well...

It was made in the 20's or 30's. But it wasn't commercially made, so who knows where it is from. Pretty much what I was told by the person who sold it to me.

We got a bit more useful information about the other three things we brought (a ring, a vase, and a set of silver) but no huge surprises. We had fun talking to people in line though, and everyone was really interested in my wheel - some intern even filmed me talking about it. I also got some funny questions when I got bored and took out my drop spindle. All-in-all, a fun time.