40 in 1

A while ago some people in Ravelry got together and split 40 balls of Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4ply (one of each color). Here is my little collection.

I decided I had to do a project that included them all, so it became a sideways garter stitch scarf. (This decision was based on my strong desire not to have to weave in eighty ends Ü)

I just did a row of each color, holding the yarn doubled and using 4mm needles. So there's a row of purly bumps on each side in each color.

It's 120g. I had lots of left-overs in all the colors except what I used to cast on and off (probably because I was using a bigger needle). I think there were about 240 stitches per row, and it's 125cm long (175cm with the fringe). It's only 10cm wide, though. Garter stitch is so compacted. But it's nice and thick, soft and warm.

A finished object! About time... Ü

BTW, Happy 10th Anniversary to me! (and my dear hubby, Nathan, of course Ü)

No spinning tonight.

I got a note in the mailbox today, saying there was a package at the post office for me. (The postie drives a little car and so can't be bothered delivering most packages himself...) So we all drove over to the post office and I picked up my spinning wheel accessories, plus this little wee bit of fibre to spin...

Only 500g... Ü ... plus a little bit of sock wool...

Now the drive band turned out to be exactly like the cheap string you can buy at the supermarket, and the brake band looks like fishing line. One part we were missing (a pin to hold one end of the brake band) is not part of the kit, apparently, so Nathan is going to whip one up in the shed if I don't find one in town tomorrow. So no spinning tonight. Sigh.

Without the brake band I can't even get it to pull string through onto the bobbin, so I can't even play with it, and I'm feeling very... um... mechanically challenged. My brain doesn't appear to work that way. I fiddled with it for a bit before Nathan noticed and took pity on me. He knows exactly what's what (from doing a tiny bit of internet research some time ago) and how to alter it, if I like, to do this and that... He knows the answers, where I can't understand the questions. lol.

I think I will spin the white stuff first. There's 200g to practise on, and I can dye it later. The purple one... not my color usually, but everything suits cute little kids. I'm not sure why I bought orange, yellow and brown fibre, except to see what happens. hehe.

Look at ewes...

After all the work I'm going to do, hand-washing, hand-carding, hand-dyeing, hand-spinning and hand-knitting fleece into cute knitted things, it's almost wrong that it could look so good in it's original unhandled form!

Look at these little cuties. We picked up these girls on Sunday. They're both two, and ready to be sheared (along with Barley and Daisy), so soon I'll have 4 fleeces to play with, along with a little bit of... um... fiber I might have bought from EGMTK when ordering some bands for my spinning wheel. I may never have time to knit again!

Does anyone have a brilliant name suggestion up their sleeve? Or two? ;)

Slacker report

Not a lot of knitting has been going on, I must say. Occasionally I do a row of my 40-color scarf, but I've completed very few things. I got this in the mail, finally, after a few minor ebay hassles. Cost me $150 (including postage). I am now waiting for EweGiveMeTheKnits to get some more accessory kits so I can replace the drive band and the brake band. They weren't included, but since it's an ancient Ashford Traditional, they no doubt needed replacing anyway Ü


The very friendly woman of EGMTK says that it's a hardy model, and can stand up to the enthusiastic attention of a two-year-old no worries, so Byron has been spinning the wheel a little...

I did finish a couple of these. 30 stitches wide, 40 rows, with 10 stitches of garter stitch on one side and 3 on the other. Hardly worth writing about

but they do look cute on his little hands.

I also finished these tiny boots for the new bub. Nathan thinks they're too small, but it was a fun way to use up some of that nice cashmerino I made my Ishbel from.

I started them before I knew if it was a boy or girl, because I figured it was a pretty neutral pattern and color.

Now to get back to the other kids before they trash the other room... little monkeys. How do they always know when you feel a bit tired and queasy? They always choose those days to go mad! Oh well... today is Friday, and I can run away as soon as Nathan gets home from work! I get Friday nights off for Shopping and Bludging ;)