Swapping and Spinning

As I've always said, a happy Jenny does not update often. This is true with any blog I've ever had, but I thought perhaps a crafting blog would be updated more often, since it's not even loosely based on me bitching about my life.

I was wrong.

I was also hoping that whole "a happy Jenny does not update often" phrase would come out a little catchier, but apparently I was wrong on that count, too. Sigh... someday I'll be articulate and eloquent... Hopefully. (Just in case you're wondering, kissing the much-peed-upon Blarney Stone doesn't actually help in that area, as much as the experience may elicit quite a squak when your arse is slapped by the giggling old man working atop the castle.)

Anyhoo, I am a dirty slut for not taking pictures of the gorgeous yarn of which I have stumbled into ownership in the past week before winding balls and digging in to start several projects. I know. My plan is to do that today, though the pictures will not be as yummy as they would have been. Seriously, if you want to see some yummy pictures of yarn, head on over to see the Craft Pirate. Arrrr they be some yummy pictures of ye olde yarn!!!

Meanwhile, two yarny things of note have happened in the past week. First, the Stinkers held a little yarn swap last Wednesday. I'm excited just thinking about it. We all walked away very happy, I know I did. I got rid of a few skeins of stuff I loved but would never do anything with, and they went to good homes. I got ideas for some balls I've always loved but had no idea what to do with, and I SCORED with what I took home!

heh heh... I scored with some balls... (Sorry, I work with a bunch of guys. And I'm just really immature.)

So, I picked up some blue fingering weight yarn, with which I planned on using as my initial foray into the world of sock knitting (soon to be thwarted by other, greater yarn, but whatevs. I'll definitely still use it!) Notice the best part about it, something I never actually think about... it says SUPERWASH!!!!



I also got some sweet, hot-ass pink dishtowel cotton, with which I plan to make, of course, dishtowels! :) Good lordy check out that color! Love it.



I got my first ever Lamb's Pride from Ariel...



...with which I'm making the Fuzzyfeet slippers by Theresa Vinson Stenersen, as found on Knitty. They're striping up nicely, but they'll look totally different post-felting, of course.



Next up we have these two balls of Knit Picks... um... I forget, in colors Leaf and, um, I forget BUT THE POINT IS the colors were far more flourescent and obnoxious than the original owner had anticipated. So I swapped with her and now I'll make something fun and watermelony! :)



Here we have some lovelies who I picked up at a sweet sale in Meredith, NH a few years ago, which I've never figured out what to do with (what is going on with that sentence?) Anyway, I brought it to swap, because while I love the colors I simply had no ideas, but then Dear Blogless Jessica suggested I make wrist warmers with it for next winter. OKAY! :D



Now, see, Ariel confessed an early addiction (thankfully squashed) to Fun Fur and novelty yarns. We laughed at her, of course, but there was just something about the deep reds in this stuff that made me want to make pasties. This one brings to mind long strands of fake pearls, cigarette holders and flapper dresses. We call it... "Slutastic."



Hot sex. In that classy, subtle way...

Last but most certainly not least, we have what I considered to be the prize score of the night. Four leftover balls of KnitPicks Andean Silk in Lettuce. A yarn which I have been coveting ever since I saw Kat making her gorgeous Hourglass Sweater with it.



Sigh... what a lovely swap...


OH BUT I'M NOT DONE!!!

This weekend we all got together to visit the Gore Place farm Sheep and Shearing Festival! And what a festival it was!

I arrived late due to a slight error in understanding between Ken and I. It seems after borrowing his keys to get his GPS from his car he wanted me to throw them up to him on the balcony of his third floor apartment. I misunderstood and thought he wanted me to throw them onto the balcony of the second floor apartment, whose owners were away for the entire weekend. ::Forehead slap:: Whoops! Sorry! You weren't planning on going anywhere today, right Punkin? Great, see ya tonight!

First, the aminals.

Kingfella



I loved this little guy. I wish this picture could convey how incredibly small he was!



Now the Yarn!!!

I got this, my first real sock yarn, so beautifully hand dyed by Lucy from Mind's Eye Yarns in Porter Square (that's Boston, gov'na). Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it in it's gorgeous state of skeinhood. I wound it that very afternoon into this ball.



Isn't it so gorgeous? I lurve it. I'm knitting my first sock on it AS WE SPEAK. Figuratively, I mean. Not that I'm figuratively knitting. I'm actually knitting my first sock on it AS WE figuratively SPEAK. Here's a photo of my efforts thus far.



So here's the deal with that. I was told standard is to CO 64 and go from there. About an inch and a half into it I saw that it would be way too small, so I frogged it all out and upped it to 80. I'm hoping now it's not too big. Meh, it's a first sock. This is how I learn. Also, because I can't just knit a sock, I'm including about 10 little purly waves. Hopefully they'll turn out looking good, and not really, really crappy. :)

Okay, so the biggest news from the day is that I discovered a deeply hidden obsession with spinning. I am now focused entirely on getting my own spinning wheel. Well, after I deal with a few financial obligations (ah, being 28 and still totally effing poor). But I'm thinking somewhere in the vicinity of June I will be able to afford my own wheel. June or July. By August, definitely. I plan on ordering the HitchHiker, from The Merlin Tree, located in lovely Vermont. It's small, has everything I need, weighs 9 lbs and is completely portable. Not to mention it's the cheapest one available. Even still, though, I love it! We met a woman spinning on one at the festival and I was entirely transfixed by what she was doing. I can't WAIT. I went to sleep that night with my right foot peddling oh, so softly under the covers...

My commitment is so strong to this newly discovered (and not yet realized) passion of mine, that I bouht TWO bags of roving! YAY ROVING!!!

Here we have some gorgeous and silky bamboo fiber. It's even softer than it looks. I got this also from Lucy at Mind's Eye. She's just lovely and once I get my wheel I plan on joining the Spinning group there.



And here, le piece de resistance... One full pound of pure, gorgeous, baby soft 100% Merino top.



Can you feel that? That excitement in your belly? Yeah. That's the combed top. What is UP. Seriously, I know it kind of looks like brains or intestines, but I prefer to think of it as looking like pulled taffy.

Sigh...

I dream of a wheel, and successful dyeing...