Waiting and Waiting

and waiting and waiting. And spinning. I won't bore you by whining how work has overtaken my life at the moment. I'll just say I've spent endless time waiting for callbacks and return e-mails instructing me on how to use the new travel software that was designed to make my life easier, but has actually messed everything up. And that's from someone who likes new technology, hard and soft.

I do like my new Bluetooth enabled Jawbone, one of those wireless earpieces that allows me to talk on my cell handsfree. (I have a new cell phone too, a Samsung Omnia, a touch-screen mobile device on which I actually spend more time texting, e-mailing, surfing the web, and taking photos, than talking.) I spun tonight while talking, I spun while watching Keith Obermann. After getting past the dreds in the locks - corny, but true - the fibers easily slide against themselves as I pull them into the spin. It is possible to achieve small moments of flow in a way impossible for me while knitting. While it's possible to achieve flow in any activity one does, I think spinning is the ultimate. I can imagine it's more intense on a wheel, because you don't have to stop and wind.

I hope to get good enough to spin this soon.

I bought it at Nancy's shop, but I want to be able to spin with some consistency before I touch it.

If I can get past the technology blocks to get an airline ticket, I will take spinning as my travel project. Maybe a sock to knit on the plane because I don't have the courage to spin in public yet, but I will definitely spin for at least a few minutes at night will I watch the news. I think the public has gotten used to seeing knitters in public now. I get smiles in airports now, rather than those "what the hell are you doing?" looks.

Back to sliding fibers, the locks make spinning silk seem easy. On a spindle at least.

No, I have not given up knitting though I haven't done since the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

And, no, you cannot have my yarn.

The locks are spinning up nicely. In absence of spinning tools, I separated them a bit by hand at first, and with the advice of Kitty Kitty and Javajem, brushed them with hairbrush. Actually they recommended a flicker and a dog brush, but I don't have those either.

I barely pre-draft now. I tug at an inch or two, then start spinning right away. Almost all of the curly bits disappeared. I'm learning how to retain some of them when I attach a new piece. They will probably disappear in the final knitted project.

It spun up really fast until I had all this on the spindle. It seemed like it was getting too full, so I wound it on the ball winder. Indeed, it was beginning to felt on the bottom where I set spindle in motion, so now I know to wind it off a bit sooner.

Felting's going to be a factor in the knitting project I choose because these locks are not superwash. I'll probably knit socks. Who cares if they'll wear like Russian felted boots?

How will I keep it from felting when I wash the plied hanks? A question for the experts.

I just learned that it's possible to freeze whole citrus fruits and tomatoes, and lots of other food too. Read Mark Bittman's article in last Wednesday's New York Times.

YPF: MSWF Loot

I was intrigued by this roving. it's 100% wool. Most people told me that it needs to be combed, but I ran into a woman who told me that she spins it as is. As usual, the colors drew me to it.

Before Deb, Debbie, and I left for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival Sunday morning, I told Deb that I absolutely did not need any more sock yarn since I have plenty, and my sock knitting mojo seems to have left. What did I buy? Sock Yarn! What was I thinking? It was predictable, I guess.

I couldn't resist these lovelies. From left to right:
Pagewood Farm Hand Dyed Sock Yarn (purple and red, how could resist?); STR Lightweight "Scum Bubbles;" more Pagewood Farm Hand Dyed Sock Yarn; STR Lightweight "Pond Scum;" Creatively Dyed Yarn "Ocean;" Sock Hop by Dancing Leaf Farm, no colorway specified.

Here's Dianne, owner of Creatively Dyed Yarn, doing a brisk business. We had to wade through lots of mud to get to her tent. I guess I haven't mentioned that it never stopped raining the whole time we were there.

Not for one freakin' moment.

Entering the Main Building.

The Fold. I can't believe I actually got into the booth!

Sock Hop by Dancing Leaf Farm

I bought more roving too.

Corriedale, by Grafton Fibers

Blue Moon Fiber Arts Handpainted Roving

100% Merino Wool

Though I love what I bought, I thought the roving selection was small, and few of the colors appealed to me (maybe it was all sold Saturday?) So I bought this too:

Non-toxic yarn dye. Doubly, what was I thinking??? Well, actually, I was thinking about that beautiful over-dyed Sundara yarn that I was hardly ever able to acquire. It sold out in seconds. Anyway, I already dread the mess. And I have to learn how to get the colors I want.

Finally, a new spindle was at the top of wish list. Here's my new Bosworth drop spindle.

I almost bought a Golding too, but decided that I'd get one later. Maybe at Rhinebeck, if I go, or next year. Look at this big Golding wheel. It was beautiful.

Chakra Cotton Spinning Contraption, seen at the Bosworth booth.

The most amazing thing about the day is that I passed this up

Habu!

I've never passed Habu without buying some.