SSS - Spindles, Spinning, and Socks

The winds of change howled through the evening yesterday.  They brought newly-born winter with no compromise possible.  Knitigator and I have a day trip planned to Webs tomorrow.  Our fingers will freeze as we load up the car.

The more astute and knowledgeable will point out that Webs isn't open on Sundays.  We are going for a spinning class with Jenny Bakridges.  My spinning is stagnant.  I need a large push in the two half-moons, and this will do it.

I'm knitting Mr. Etherknitter's hat from handspun.  It's thin, unlofty and spare, despite a solid DK gauge.  Several possibilities: 

a.  overspun and/or overplyed yarn
b.  too much worsted structure rather than woolen
c.  two ply (flat) structure of the yarn rather than three ply

I'll throw up a picture (that's, indeed, what it feels like for this WIP) when I get farther along.  It's Susan's No-Gauge Lazy Sucker hat.  (I probably got the title twisted a bit.)

I was seduced several weeks ago.  While you pick yourself up and off the floor after the laughter is finished, let me rush to point out that spindles RARELY seduce me.  I bought one at Cummington, a Bosworth, when I first started investigating the spinning thing.  Mr. E had to have one, too.  When he tired of the sport, he handed it to me.  And that's all.  I've been to five fiber festivals since then.  I've watched my confreres buying spindle after drop spindle.  "No, I'm a wheel-girl, thanks, no."  Sadly blogless Manise of the comments showed me her new spindle last month.

Steve of SpindlewoodCo had one blank left in this wood.  Spalted birch.  Spalted maple shaft.  It is beautiful.  I "needed" a laceweight spindle, and this is it, at 5/8 ounce.  It spins like a dream, and I suddenly have my travel "wheel". 

Lots of WIPs here in the Knitting Universe, and a FO.  Technically, it is half an FO.  The ubiquitous Feather and Fan pattern from SocksSocksSocks, in Lisa Souza's yarn Sock!, Pacific colourway.  I had three socks at the kitchener stage.  While I don't particularly love grafting, I can do it now without whining, and I love the look.  One down, two more to go, and then warm fuzzies on my feet.  This particular sock may suffer SSS, as I want to start other stuff too.

(In the medical world, SSS stands for a heart condition where the heart speeds up and slows down unpredictably.  Most of the time, it's the slowing down part that hurts.  People pass out.  So they get pacemakers.  This seems uniquely fitting, as when one suffers SSS in knitting, the project, by definition, S L O W S down.  Whenever knitters talk about SSS, I laugh inappropriately.  There currently is no knitting pacemaker.  Alas.)

The latest thing on my bobbin, the second of four ounces of Chasing Rainbows 50% merino/50% bombyx silk, Crocus colorway.  I'm going to wait to ply until after my class.  Maybe I'll learn something that won't suck the life out of the yarn.

Comments

[Norma]

I suppose at some point I will care enough to take a spinning class, but at the moment I simply follow my intuition. I'm sure you'll have a great time and maybe there will be a bonus of actually learning something. Have a great time!

[Manise]

You lucky duck! Wish I was going with you and Kathy! Your spindle is beauteous indeed as is what's on your bobbin. Have a really wonderful time tomorrow :-)

Oh, btw, Webs is open on Sundays 12-5pm until 12/31.

[Cathy]

I'll be fascinated to hear all about the spinning class. Jenny's blog is wonderful. Lovely spindle. Your bobbinful is very pretty. And I love Lisa Souza's colorways.

[Lisa]

I think I need a Knitting Superego to control my Knitting Id.

[Beth S.]

Ah, so you have finally seen the light! :-) Before you know it, you will have a dozen lovely spindles in all kinds of exotic (and humble) woods. Mark my words. ;-)

I can't even pick a favorite.

[Carole]

Judy asked me if I wanted to go to webs for that class but I have other stuff going on tomorrow. I hope you guys all have a super time and learn a lot. And then come and teach me what you've learned, please. ;-)

[Emma.]

I love reading your posts ! So much to enjoy.
Jeannine was my spinning mentor, many moons ago and transatlantic. She got me spinning, I'd send her samples of what I'd spun and she'd critique them.
She opened a whole new world up for me. She also introduced me to E.Z.'s knitting books. A warp speed learning experience. I owe her a lot. Say hello from me, please, and have a fantastic time.

[Lorette]

Knitting pacemaker. Ha! That is just what I need. If somebody would just unplug my computer, I'd get more knitting done, I suppose.

[regina]

I was lucky enough to get a lesson from Jenny in NYC and she's WONDERFUL. I'm envious and wish i could take the plying class with you. She's actually been helping me long-distance, which goes to show that she's not only a terrific teacher but also a generous friend. Have a blast!

[claudia]

Have a fabulous time, and learn lots of useful things.

[Kim]

Lots of good things going on at your house. I love your new spindle, made from my favorite kind of wood. I love spalted anything :-).

Let me know how you like your class. My spinning has becomes stagnant as well. I could use a kick in the pants class to get me jumpstarted again :-). Have fun!!

[Chris]

Love that spindle! Just read a description of spalting - amazing how an ugly process yields such pretty result.

When you ply, do you watch the two singles merge to see how the yarn is coming together? I find that by watching the ply happen, the singles tell me when they are plied properly. You can try spinning small sample singles (blue face leicester roving is perfect for practice samples) and then experimenting with plying to see how much ply twist works with your singles twist. Ply slowly and you'll be able to watch more easily.

[susan]

I like your title for the hat better than mine. ;)

[Kathy]

You must bring that yummy spindle with you.

[Marcia]

Can't wait to hear about the class! I thought about it, as well as Patsy Z's, but things like jaunts to the frozen north got in my way. My new wheel arrived, by the way.....jury is out.

[margene]

Can't wait to hear about the class. Jenny's blog is so full of information. It's wonderful to see you are spindling. I still love to spindle but things with the wheel have started to click and roving becomes yarn so quickly! Your name for Susan's hat is a keeper. We'll be calling it by your name from now on;-)

[Sylvia]

See what JB says, and if you still have questions, send me a snippet of the yarn and I'll give you some feedback. Have fun spinning!

[Teyani]

have fun at your class. I just love spinning classes. I'm taking one from Judith McKenzie-McCuin in January, and I cannot wait.

Your yarn might be suffering from being underplyed. I have found that many of my yarns are more springy when I ply them tightly (as in a bit of overply when spinning) to the point where it looks unbalanced on the wheel. A thorough washing will balance it afterwards, and it will be alive.
I'd consider taking a sample of the yarn with you to class and asking the instructor what she thinks...
Your new spindle is dynamic and lovely!
Wish we lived closer so we could play.

[Barbp]

Oh my gosh the knitting pacemaker cracks me up.

Your new spindle is beautiful as is the yarn your spinning up.

Have fun at Webs and wear gloves while packing up. It's freakin cold in PA right now. It went from 65 degrees to colder than a ... well anyway.

[Lucia]

I wish I were going too! Your new spindle is beautiful. I finally made it to spinning group this week and now can actually spindle a bit... I thought the magic might fade when I got too far away from the spinning goddess, but apparently some of it spun off, as it were.

[Marcy]

SSSssssshhhhhllllloooppppp!!!! Hear that? That's the sound of you getting sucked the rest of the way in. Resistance _is_ futile.

[Andrea]

Lovely grain on that spindle!

[Martha]

I would like to take a spinning class someday. How'd yours go?

[Dorothy B]

Love the pretty new spindle. It looks so smooth and silky.

The new singles remind me of spring. I like.

[lisa Co. Springs]

A knitting pacemaker....now there's a thought.