Too Busy

This year, I promised myself that I would do some craft work each day, even if only 5 minutes worth.

Most weeks I managed to do that. 

The last two weeks I have crocheted a total of 5 rows on Ian’s Angry Bird Pig. We have been super busy at the end of the summer season, prepping Ian for Kindergarten and moving a family member. 

Time passes with not a single minute of any kind of craft in a 24 hour span. 

I’m sad about the lack of doing it. However, I admit to being too exhausted to care. Moving is hard work.

School starts next week. I am looking forward to helping Ian with his transition into school. I am also looking forward to dedicated craft time during school hours.

The Fair!

The county fair is alway a kick!

I don’t eat the chocolate covered bacon or deep fried butter sticks, but I do enter handmade items in the Home Arts area.

I have been entering textile goods in the local county fair for over 8 years. I have also demonstrated the arts of spinning and weaving whenever the opportunity arises. I have participated in the Los Angeles County Fair and, for the last two years, the Orange County Fair has been my Fair of choice.

This year was a real kick because I got invited to an awards ceremony for the Home Arts division. It was a hoot to accept an award with a ton of strangers oohing and aahing over my hand-spun and hand-knit shawl.

Here I am accepting my award with two fair officials. I had not planned on taking a picture but the enthusiasm of the crowd and other award winners was contagious. A lady next me was kind enough to snap this photo with my phone. I had to wait through 40 minutes of other winners’ names before mine was called. It was just plain fun.

This is the award winning shawl. The yarn won a 1st place blue ribbon for hand-spun skeins. The shawl won a first place blue ribbon for hand-spun finished item and it also won the division winner ribbon in Spinning. Hence the awards ceremony.

I don’t always win a ribbon, although I am quite proud when I do. But that’s not really the point. The point is to show what kinds of skills and interests we have as a community. I encourage everyone to enter the local fair, whatever their craft and wherever they may be.

Long Wool Fiber Study, part 5

Shetland is a double coated fiber. In post Long Wool Fiber Study, part 4 I wrote about using combs to process Shetland locks into roving. I really liked spinning hand combed roving.

Here are my results.

Shetland - Undercoat/Down - washed - 5/8 oz. - spun 7/17/12

• locks combed on 5 pitch combs
• used large diz to pull roving
• spun back draft - woolen (drafting fingers open and close as twist move up fiber)
• thin roving wanted to spin fine
• some lanolin remains makes fibers soft and smooth feeling
• very easy to do long draw with my fiber holding hand
• lovely to spin top
• 2-ply - 105 yards - 22 wpi (wraps per inch) - size 2 fine

Top preparation made it easy to have real control of my long draw to make a smooth consistent and fine yarn. The final yarn is very very lofty and soft. I wish you could feel it.

Shetland - Outer coat - washed - 5/8 oz. - spun 7/23/12

• locks combed on 5 pitch combs
• outer coat pulled off combs by hand - aligned parallel
• top preparation is easy to draft
• fiber has a wiry feel
• definitely stiffer and less lofty than undercoat
• spun forward draft - worsted (drafting fingers smooth fibers down as twist moves up fiber)
• finished yarn is smooth and crisp
• 2-ply - 78 yards - 22 wpi (wraps per inch) - size 2 fine

The outer coat was interesting to spin in contrast to the undercoat. The fiber was very wiry and the resulting yarn is not as smooth as a worsted yarn should be, but it is more tightly spun than the undercoat. I would not make anything that would be worn next to the skin.

I Andean plied both skeins. Andean plying is a way of wrapping singles around your hand to make a two end bracelet for plying. I like using this method as it plies every inch of singles. It’s also great for sampling. Although 200+ yards of singles is a bit more than a sample. I did get tied to the wheel until the plying was finished. I like Andean plying better than using a wound ball with 2 ends as I always seem to get the two ends tangled somehow.

The Bomb!

My latest "commission..."

A set of Angry Bird Amigarumi toys. The Bomb is the first of 3 birds and 3 pigs I have to make.

I found free crochet patterns on Ravelry. Thanks much Adorable Amigarumi.

In case you need a size reference...

The Bomb is bigger than Ian’s head.