Still Winter Here

I'm sure many of you have been following the progress (or, more importantly, lack thereof) of warmer days here in Utah on Margene's blog, and while I do wish it would warm up just a bit here, the colder weather has been keeping me inside working on fibery pursuits, so it can't be all bad.

I spun up a little sample skein of rambouillet and silver beads for Norma yesterday and that's drying after a bath (probably will go out to you in the mail tomorrow, Norma), and since I had some extra time and empty bobbins, I pulled out the few ounces of Oberon blend I had kept for myself and started spinning that up.  Oof.  Lovely, if I do say so myself.  There is definitely a directionality (is this a word?) to the roving; that is, it is easier to spin from one end than the other, which is something I find typically with blends that Lynn does for me.  I'm not sure if it's what I'm sending her, or how her big machine processes it, but at any rate, it virtually flies onto the bobbin if you get the right end picked.

I'm trying to spin this a little thicker than my "autopilot" singles so I won't have to knit it on size 2 needles. 

I've also had a lot of "help" with my weaving project.  I finished the whole first repeat (it'll take about 7 repeats to weave the entire thing) yesterday afternoon.  Emma absolutely loves the movement of the shuttles and the beater, and the yarns, and so, she must sit with one leg on each of my legs and her front paws resting on the front beam of the loom, where she can watch the shuttles go back and forth.  She will then try to stick her paw out and pat the yarn into place before I pull the beater back and pack the yarns in.  (Shhh.... don't tell her this, but she may get locked in the basement for part of my weaving time tomorrow because, while this is really charming for about 10 minutes, keeping her balanced and not whacking her front feet repeatedly is NOT fun after the 10-minute mark.)

Of course, she's keeps herself occupied for the rest of the daytime hours helping me transcribe.

(One day soon we will replace ALL the carpets in this house, including the dark red one in here, which drives me crazy.)

All for now....

Comments

[Nicole]

I love Emma! She's so cute. You can send her to my house for a bit while you weave...

[margene]

Emma and Chaos would have a fun time together.

[Marcia]

Ooo, ooo, Rambouillet and beads! I almost missed that...more info, please!

[AmyP]

Don't you just love "help"!

[Anne]

We could get her together with Mickey, I'm sure they'd have a blast playing together.

[Karen]

Hmmm, no picture of the rambouillet and silver beads? Now I will be wondering all night what it looked like. ;) The Oberon looks wonderful!

[Christine]

At least it's just Emma helping you weave. Ginger and Whisky work in tandem. They have it planned out perfectly. One will distract me on one side of the loom while the other attacks the open flank. I'm helpless. Threats to tie their whiskers together doesn't seem to work either. The two older cats could care less, until I shut the door and then I have four sets of paws coming under the door -- "Hey, hey, hey. Why did you lock us out??"

[Teri S.]

She's a cutie! I love her white eyebrows. My Emma hasn't learned about weaving yet, or spinning (alas, the loom and the wheel have been quiet for way too long), and only "helps" occasionally while I knit, mainly because she can't sit still long enough. Hmmm...beads on rambouillet. Two singles with beads on one, plied together?

[Laurie]

Always a mixed blessing, escaping those procedure bullets.

Most roving I buy seems to have a directionality. I think it is related to the carder/commercial comber mechanics, and how it comes off the machine.