The red the white and the blue

Usually, knitting news comes first.  Then spinning is followed by the garden.  I probably should reverse the order of the latter two, since I am aware that not all knitters spin, and want OUT when the content gets out of focus for them.  Today's test-drive is brought to you courtesy of the Fourth of July.  Happy birthday, wonderful country!  I so appreciate you.

FO!  Socks!  Fleece Artist 100% merino, #1 CP bamboo needles, 12 rows of ribbing, st st body, slip stitch heel flap, kitchener toe.  The fabric is dense, purposefully.  I want these babies to survive.  I really liked working with sproingy FA yarn.  It didn't pool.  This is red.

Drought has slowed the garden's progression, so you get an historical shot from June 13th.  The clematis reached over thirty feet high into the Kousa dogwood this year.  I can see blossoms from the second story bathroom.  I could pick them if I opened the window.  This is white.

Blue comes last.  This is some of my nicest handspun.  Corriedale pencil roving, colorway Ol' Blue Eyes from our inimitable Teyani.  Navajo plyed, the color runs were too short to preserve.  I wet-finished it with whacking, not plunging.  I suppose now that Judith MM has talked of plungers and yarn, all spinners will have a toilet yarn plunger as standard equipment.

Yesterday was a GREAT day in the garden.  I am so behind in weeding.  Putting in the back beds two years ago doubled my garden space, AND the maintenance.  The weed seeds from the last two years of neglect ALL sprouted.  So I hired cheapsummerhelp.com.  Two young men came for four hours and did more to improved my life than the equivalent amount of money spent on yarn and roving.   

Have a safe and joyous holiday!

Comments

[Marcia Cooke]

That yarn is just magnificent! Tell me more about cheapsummerhelp.com.....do I ever need some weeding! Oh, and your clematis is divine!

[June]

Your handspun is so pretty! The summer help thing is a great idea - wish I had that near me!

[Manise]

Yes, the navajo plied blue yarn IS magnificent. The socks and clematis too. Just finished my first BFL donut from Amy as a 2-ply and gave it the wet whacking treatment too- such violence heh.

[Miriam]

Is that the Mahogany color of fleece artist sock yarn? I just finished a pair in Mahogany and I LOVE them!

[Carole]

Love your red, white and blue. And thanks for the heads up on cheapsummerhelp.

[Caroline M]

You didn't just buy in four hours of gardening, you bought in four hours of free time. If you look on it as an extra four hours spinning (or knitting) then it really is money well spent. Of the three I like the blue the best, that is lovely yarn you have there.

[Paula]

I missed an opportunity to weed with two young men?! Damn! You are a leetle bit farther away than Norma so next year give me a couple weeks notice, okay? ;-)

[--Deb]

That handspun is just amazingly gorgeous. Great job!!

[Theresa]

The handspun is beautiful. It looks soft and lovely and makes me wish I could use my wheel while lying down. Spin a little bit for me, eh?

[Kathy]

I LOVE those socks. They look great!

[kmkat]

Yay, redwhiteblue! Yay, cheapsummerhelp.com!

[Carrie]

Whacking and plunging? What does that do?
Great handspun, too - it's so beautiful!

[margene]

Yay for Red White and Blue!! I'm going to buy my yarn plunger tomorrow. ;-)

[Juno]

Two young men improved your life in four hours?
Um, um.....

Clearly I'm having trouble adjusting to celibacy again, because I read that ALL wrong the first time.

(I bought a yarn plunger a few weeks ago. Just a little one.)

[elisa]

Sigh...the corriedale is really amazing!

And I've got a couple (seriously, only a couple) of FA skeins kicking around in my stash that I may have to excavate once I get to California...

[Judy]

The socks are wonderful. But, a clematis that reaches upwards to a second story??? Oh my! I think I have a load of work for some cheapsummerhelp. I worry, if I can't discern what is weed, what I want to keep, how can I possibly expect someone else to do it. Tho' probably, the improvement of having anything removed would overshadow...

[vanessa]

ol' blue eyes is superb!

[Lucia]

A belated happy Fourth to you! We had a great trip and are very happy to be back home.

[Heather]

Alright, please tell me why in your shots your feet and legs look great! In all of mine I end up never posting because I look like I have 'cankles.'

[julia fc]

Yarn Plunger? Cheap summer help? Clearly, I am out of some loops.

[Monica]

Such perty handspun! Must check out cheapsummerhelp...

[Teyani]

gorgeous socks - dramatic clematis (sigh) and oh my.. that handspun is breathtaking. You do us all proud sweet thing.
spin on! and May your garden be abundant this year.

[Kim]

Your handspun is absolutely gorgeous!! I never heard of cheapsummerhelp....LOL...what a great concept! Now you can enjoy your garden while you knit :-)

[Beth S.]

How odd to see you in red socks! Are those really Etherknitter feet, or those of a red-loving imposter? ;-)

And the blue yarn! You must have spun very even, fine singles to get such a nice plied yarn. It's beautiful! Any plans for it? (more socks, perhaps?)

[Anne]

I absolutely adore those red socks. And I don't even LIKE red. Cheerful and perfect just in the time for the 4th.

[Romi]

Gorgeous socks! :)

[Lorette]

"Two young men came for four hours and did more to improved my life than the equivalent amount of money spent on yarn and roving."
I have to say that my mind must be in the same region of the gutter as Juno's. That made me nearly spit coffee at the screen.
Nice spinning job, with or without a plunger. I have to admit I have no idea what a plunger would do for yarn. And the red socks are lovely.

[Theresa]

How handy to have all those colors around at just the right time!

P.S. Residency is somehow so much more work than internship!

[Kellee]

My God, woman! That's your HANDSPUN? *sigh*