Well, Color Me Surprised!

I've been feeling a little scattered lately.  Like I'm all over the map.  I suppose I haven't really gotten back into the swing of a full work schedule and the whole Daylight Savings Time thing was bound to take its toll.  I kept thinking I was running ten minutes behind where I should be.  Next thing I knew I was writing lots of blog posts that included distractions like snowplows, kitty treats and the good old zombies.  Misdirections were needed.

But, I think I may have maybe miscalculated just how much I could get done.  Or at least how much I had going that was close to the finish line.

Cathy's Shetland/silk blend finally stopped toying with me and agreed to dry.  I swear to you that that stuff hung around in the bathroom taunting me for ten years.  Or a day and a half.  Which is sort of like ten years when you are waiting for your yarn to finish drying after it's post-plying bath.

But it is finally ready for its Internet debut!

Now, I don't pretend that this is my finest work.  I pretty much just put it on the wheel and let 'er rip.  Overspun areas?  Whatever, that's fine.  Parts that barely twisted before being sucked up into the orifice?  That's nice.  Do what makes you happy, Mr. Wool.  Clumps that made for bulky singles living right next to cobweb fine spinning?  Hey, we'll just call that "texture" and say we did it on purpose.  Anything and everything was fine.

The whole idea behind spinning this was to try and lose some of the over-controlling tendencies I've developed after months of working towards fingering and laceweight yarn.  Frankly, it was almost harder to resist taking a firm hand and forcing the fiber to bend to my will.  I fought to relax...which is contradictory to say the least.  But it was a good transitional spin before starting the next batch of Shetland (actually a blend of Shetland and Finn also from the generous Cathy) and, while its not ever going to make The Spinner's Hall Of Fame, it has its own charm.  It's but a small skein thanks to my not exactly dividing the fiber evenly and there being an odd amount left on the second bobbin, but I think I can find a use for it.

And, as if one skein wasn't enough for a weekend's work, I have that next batch of which I spoke earlier dripping merrily away in my shower as of this very second.  Given the drying times here at The Sheepish House Of Humidity, I figure I shall have a picture for you sometime around next month.  We'll hope for a dry spell or something...

And, for the knitters out there who are looking for something in a compact project, I give you:

The Trek-king Socks!

The picture does not really do these justice, I'm afraid.  The colors are much richer when before real eyeballs.  This yarn came to me from the Trek collection.  Truth be told, it's not one I would have purchased had I seen it on a shelf.  But, Trek has good taste in the yarns so I trusted.  And I was rewarded for that trust, although not right away.  This yarn has been through a great deal of stupidity.  Lost needles, failed projects, endless rewinding that resulted in my completely losing track of the color sequences...all of it was experienced. 

 Finally, I settled on a nice, plain sock, let go of the idea of matchy-matchy stripes and that was the ticket.  Never before have I had so many people stop me to comment on a yarn.  I was rewarded with compliments a-plenty as I wandered about knitting away in the world.  It was a hit from the knitting group to the doctor's waiting room and every space in between.  I have been wearing the socks since I finished up with the knitting this afternoon, but should probably take them off as I really want to wear them to work tomorrow.  We do not want to sully the sock's debut with the stink waves.

There was also a little bit of dyeing this weekend but, much like the yarn, it is slow in the drying.  And how much more of the FOing could you be expected to take, really?  I'll save that for another day.  I shall also save the new yarn that is forming on the wheel.  I may need material later on this week.

You can't always count on surprise bursts of Finishing.  Dry spells lurk around every corner.  You need to be prepared, have a little something in the bank upon which to fall back.

Although a good dry spell might just help with all that soggy fiber living in my shower...

SA