I've knit 3 repeats of the pattern on the Adamas Shawl since last we met. This pattern is really freaking me out since it is increasing to the bottom point. I can't quite comprehend this, but it's working, so I'm good with it. Except that the rows are getting alarmingly loooong. It's going to take me a good hour to complete just one row once I get toward the end. Talk about needing some stick-to-it-iveness!Also, please note that I have done away with those pesky ring markers, whose goal it is to fall off my needles and onto the floor where my 1-year-old can scoop them up and put them into his cute little mouth. Not good. So, I'm glad that I'm getting so used to this pattern that it's easy for me to "read" my knitting and I've been able to find and correct mistakes (there have been (ahem) a few) by simply paying attention. So, good-bye little round choking hazards!
I know you all were worried, but please rest assured that I was successful in talking my 3-year-old son out of wanting purple, pink & aqua socks that match Mommy's. So now, I'm working on this:
This is the first of his "camoflauge" socks he's going to wear to the deer hunt in August. I'm planning/hoping on completing a pair for my 1-year old son and also for my 3-year-old nephew, who will be attending the hunt as well (it's a family thing for my husband).
Of course, I've completed the requisite skein of Blackbird for the week (left-most skein on the top of the pile).
This skein has some issues, and I'm really not sure why. Firstly, it's only 88 yards, where the other recent skeins have been around 100 yards. I usually spin a "batt-ful" of wool at a time and get roughly the same amount, but this was different for reasons beyond my understanding.
Speaking of my level of understanding, I also jacked this up by plying it way too much. When
I usually ply this (when I'm not on crack), I count out 5 treadles per 3-foot draw, and wind the yarn on as I start counting the next set. So it goes: 1-2-3-4-5, (wind on during 1)-2-3-4-5, etc.
On this particular skein, I had a major brain fart and counted thusly: 1-2-3-4-5, (wind on during its own treadle), then 1-2-3-4-5, etc. So I ended up adding an extra 20 twists to those particular lengths of yarn. When the skien came off the niddy-noddy, it was a curly, pig-tailed mess. After washing, it behaved much better, but I'm not really happy with this, and I can't explain why I started counting this way. I am a mystery even to myself.
In other news, I've been keeping up on the Spin-List, and right now they are discussing carders. I have the Louet Jr. Roving Carder, and I like it. However, I have found that it's harder to card finer wools with it without getting a bunch of neps (see my April 3, 06 post). I've got to crank ridiculously slowly, and it just about saps the life out of me. Of course, I happen to like finer wools, so most of my stash is Corriedale and Shetland, and aye, there's the rub.
But a lot of the members are mentioning the Strauch Petite, citing that it makes a lovely batt and cards fine fibers well. The price is pretty comparable to the Jr., and I'm toying with the idea of selling my Louet and getting the Petite. I don't know. I'm still debating. I'd love to hear any pros and/or cons you all may have about this.
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