Border Leicester

Posted by ann

Originally uploaded by purlingswine

My morning spinning routine is paying off. I have managed to spin and ply another of last year’s Rhinebeck purchases! In my mind this will free me up for some guilt free spending at the festival this year.

Last year I had a strategy to try and break out of my typical color choices. I would say that my weakness with both my knitting and my spinning lays in my color spectrum or lack thereof. I gravitate towards the same colors over and over again and have trouble seeing how a touch of a more vibrant color will set a whole different tone for the yarn and the project.

With that being said, I still don’t like this yarn! I need to see it knit up – maybe then that yellow and fuscia will work themselves into some kind of peaceful accord. There are a few crosshatch scarf patterns out there and that type of stitch pattern could be just the thing.

Here’s a funny little story – I was so intent on breaking out of my color chains that when I saw this yarn I must have been temporarily blinded and thought the tag said it was Blue Faced Leicester. Everyone raves about BFL and I was exicted to give it a try – some BFL and new colors – it was a jackpot of experiences! So I start spinning this stuff last week and call Cara to say “WTF?? I don’t understand why everyone raves about this stuff! It is not a dream to spin – a bit rough and nubbly.” Even in her pregnancy delirium she was able to say, “You idiot – it’s Blue Faced Leicester, not Border Leicester!”

if you can’t laugh at your friends, it’s not worth having them. I happen to have some BFL on the wheel right now and that stuff is like butter!

Do you know that Spin Out is this weekend? Cara has been hard at work organizing this event – and the raffle prizes are even more spectacular this year! The weather reports are also looking promising. Check it out and join us! Even with the deluge of rain last year it was tons of fun.

What do you think about the new digs? I am seriously loving this WordPress site and as soon as I can corral Boar into helping me map my domain name, I will make this move official …….

Posted by ann

I spent yesterday sitting and spinning in the great outdoors. It was the Smithtown Historical Society’s Heritage Festival and our spinning guild was asked to demonstrate. What a fun day and what a great festival! They had tractor pulls – all of these antique John Deere tractors pulling, or trying to, massive cement blocks. The lure of that particular event was lost on me. The civil war reenactors were there. A recreation of Charles Lindbergh’s fly over. (when he made his historic trip across the Atlantic, he flew over this particular homestead). A village smithy showing how it’s done. They also had three falconers there with their birds – that was fascinating! But the very best part was sitting and spinning with the guild. I also managed to get lots done and have two bobbins full of border Leicester that awaits plying.

Today I will be heading to Kathleen’s for a little knitting get together. Peggy will be there, along with Sue and Granny and we will have lots of laughs for sure. I also want to pick their brains (and yours!) about a project. One of the spinning guild members was wearing this poncho/vest thing she had bought on a trip to Ireland. I’ve never seen anything quite like it and would like to knit one up …… here are the details:

it is waist length
it has button tabs on each side of the waist to loosely hold it together
v-neck
seamed
there are increases from the waist to the outer edge (which hits at the wrist) and when those tabs are buttoned, it make a very, very loose sleeve
I would describe it as a mini poncho, or a vesty type thing with bat-wing shaping

I have a two piggie things to show you today. The first I have just ordered and don’t have yet. I am so excited – this is a real find and an unusual piece for the collection. I found it on Etsy.

and the seller (Pigatopia) had even more styles. Choosing between them wasn’t too difficult since I knew I had to have the Boar one and I may even wrap it up and put it in his Christmas stocking! won’t he be surprised and when he opens it he will look at me and think, I should have bought her that ratchet set I’ve always wanted.

The other most excellent Pig was given to me yesterday. At the spinning demonstration one of my favorite spinners, Martha had this surprise for me ….

she found it at a garage sale and was using it under her wheel at home to keep it from walking away. She wanted me to have it! Thank you Martha — I LOVE it! I have been wandering around my house mulling over where to put it and am thinking I will hang it on a wall somehow – it is so sweet!

Boar and I are heading to Dallas tomorrow for the annual Pepsi trip – I need to start thinking about what knitting projects to pack!

WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN??

Posted by ann

I suppose I have been away from the blog for too long – Typepad asked for my password! No real reason for the lack of blogging – life and lack of bloggy energy got in the way.

I do have a treat though! But first a small story …….

You know I love my spinning guild. I look forward to each newsletter, each meeting. And every month, I have to dust off my wheel to take it along! shame on me My free time is spent with my knitting needles and rarely if ever with the Lendrum. Do you know the guilt we all seem to have over all the yarn in our stash? Well multiply that by three for how I feel about my fiber stash. At least with the yarn, I am knitting. Some of my fiber is an appropriate age to send it on the school bus for its first day of elementary school! At our last spinning guild meeting I thought to myself, “Why don’t I do this more often?” This thought happens at every single meeting. And then I come home from the meeting, unpack the wheel and there it sits motionless until the next month. tsk tsk

Well, August was the month for change. Since the last guild, I have spun everyday. My wheel is kept in our basement (which is a very nice basement, all bright and finished). I am down there every morning to feed the dogs and start the laundry and this month after doing both of those things, I sat myself down for a bit of spinning. Many of my Ipod programs are podcasts and more often than not, these run about 20 minutes. So I would select something interesting and spin. and here are the results …..

This is a merino/silk blend. I bought it at Rhinebeck last year from a Abi’s Web. They are from Hinsdale, MA. I have about 300 yds. and need to find a project! I shall be cruising around Ravelry to see what’s out there. By the way, I want to mention that Ravelry will be where to find any of my holiday knitting which should be starting this week. After the holidays, I will post those projects over here.

Posted by ann

This week has been busy! First off, I re-joined this. I went with Flair and Lisa for what is becoming our annual rejoin. We have all made solemn vows and on this, the second day of the program, I for one can say so far, so good. If nothing else, it is always loads of fun to see these two and the meetings give us a definite date night each week.

Another thing adding to the feeling of stress for the week is major sleep deprivation. I had to have a big talk with someone
about what a pug can reasonably expect from his humans at 4 in the morning. This lecture was preceded by me chasing him around the yard in the pitch black in my grandma nightie and flip flops with a flash light and the whip (yes, the whip) doing that whisper screaming thing …..
“P o e g e t i n t h e h o u s e P O E ! ”

I did take time to relax and have fun at this. Oh Spinning Guild, how I love thee. This month’s meeting was a spin in – no program, just sitting, spinning and gabbing. I met a few new members, one was Christine – very cool chick who may have fallen in love with my Lendrum and Woolie Winder!

Today’s excitement …….It is D#1’s 20th birthday!! We shall be celebrating with some shopping and dinner at a restaurant of her choosing. I simply refuse to believe she is that old. So let’s all agree to wish her a happy 15th, shall we?