I am gloriously flunking the first heat wave of 2008. "I'm NOT going to turn on the AC. Not. NOT." And I haven't. But I'm wandering the house, enervated by the heat, wilting, damp, unhappy. After I finish writing this post, I will flee to the cool dampness of the basement, and start cleaning the messiness down there.
This, then, is the perfect time to show a stranded, warm, toasty FO. It loses some of the punch of the presentation because of the heat. But, an FO is an FO, no matter how the ambient climate disagrees with me.
Bosnian mittens, kit from Blackberry Ridge
#2 for cuff, #4 for mitten, lots of yarn left over
These were great good fun to knit. I can't claim that the second mitten had fewer wonky tension issues than the first. The second one went much faster. I could see the clear progression of increasing speed in stranded knitting technique.
Neural pathways involved in learning seem to need two steps. The first, short-term step of engaging brain cell connections already present, makes the beginning parts of new skills possible. The part that takes time is making new proteins and new connections between brain cells. That involves making new molecules, very much like bulking up muscle. It doesn't happen in one weight-lifting session, or one session with the needles.
One long knitting session is less effective than multiple short sessions. This worked out perfectly for leaving the mitten on the bathroom floor, and working a couple of rows several times per day. I'm very happy with them, and with having learned a new knitting skill. I'm understating. The word "exhilarating" has come to mind often.
I liked working with this yarn. The 25% mo is soft, and unlike most mo. I'm going to use the leftovers to swatch, so I can use this yarn in a future sweater for Mr. E.
I couldn't tell you why I have been unhappy with my plying recently. Maybe I have been comparing what I see coming off my wheel with sumptuous stuff shown on other blogs. So I tried a brief experiment. I ran a previously plyed skein through the wheel again, and added more twist.
Before and after. I like the second one better. I have been underplying. 
I do that too (underply). I think it's because I'm worried about overdoing it so I head in the opposite direction.
Love the mittens and the yarn!
Posted by: (formerly) no-blog-rachel | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 04:12 PM
love the mitts! and am totally with you on the exhilarating thrill of stretching one's skills to new limits (though I must admit that leaving a knit-in-progress on the bathroom floor would spell certain doom to said object in my house!)
Your spinning is fabulous. Underplying is so easy to do - I often have found that my skeins do not appear to be balanced until they have gotten a rousing dunk in water.
Posted by: Teyani | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 04:37 PM
P>S> I've been wishing for a heatwave... it's chilly out here - only 58 degrees and I still have my heat on!
Posted by: Teyani | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 04:38 PM
Love your use of subtlety! And the mittens.
If you practice plying slowly enough, you can get the right amount of twist with a combination of watching it until it's what you want and counting to match your ply treadling with your singles treadling. And eventually enough molecules will gather and shift into autopilot.
Posted by: Chris | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 05:10 PM
Me? I don't turn the AC on till I'm about ready to pass out (unless I'm making pizza or getting ready to go out) but the The Treasurer can't.stand.heat! It's been on all weekend. I'm taking advantage and have set up my spinning wheel (yes, you heard right!) under the vent in the dining room. Heaven! Love the mitts, BTW.
Posted by: Marcia Cooke | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 05:25 PM
I'd rather over-ply than under-ply any day, and it's amazing how much it relaxes in a hot bath, so that even when you thought it was overplied, it turns out perfectly balanced.
Oh, and the air conditioning? Ours is on, and I'm grateful and not complaining! Although we're grateful for Dad's energy-saving gadget thing, too.
Posted by: --Deb | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 05:59 PM
I felt really exhilarated after my first colorwork mittens too - it was so exciting to think that I actually made them! Yours look great, though I don't want to think about cold weather - it's already way below normal temps here.
Posted by: Cheryl S. | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 07:31 PM
We don't have central AC but we do have several window units. I called uncle and had Dale put in the bedroom one yesterday. I don't mind the heat during the day but I can't stand it when I'm trying to sleep. Love your mittens but the thought of putting them on right now is torture. That said, I'd still rather have heat than cold.
Posted by: Carole | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 08:09 PM
Turn on the AC for a little while.
Great mittens
Wow! What a difference in the plying.
Posted by: Teresa | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 08:13 PM
Yes, you were underplying. Do you have the appropriate amount of twist in the singles?
We've run the AC a few times already, more for the novelty of having it in our new house. I prefer to do without, as I'm always cold and usually have a heating pad and blankets to try to stay warm, but DH and DD wilt. It's toasty here today, but we're just lounging in shorts and eating strawberries and cherries from the farmer's market.
Heard an interesting talk on metacognition yesterday. Am hoping to cross paths with the lady during DD's summer school term.
Posted by: Sylvia | Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 08:21 PM
Lovely mittens! I too underply. Good experiment to run it through again- like it better the second time. AC is definitely on here. Too effing hot after such cool days last week. Felt good after roasting myself setting up three 3'x3' black boxes like Norma's and filling them (sort of lasagna style) after emptying the old ones- used up most of my new compost :-) Used the packing boxes under each box-the ultimate in recycling and killing off of weeds. Planting is tomorrow- at last! I may have to get yet another box- rather cheap and the new found gardening real estate is making this kind of addictive. Hee!
Posted by: Manise | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 12:51 AM
Beautiful mittens! I've got a skein of heavy laceweight that was plied and then run through the wheel a second time to add more twist. It's improved, but needs still MORE. It's in time out until I feel like doing it again ...
Posted by: Danielle | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 07:33 AM
I love those mittens - and they ARE very fun to work. Glad you jumped in and tried 'em.
Posted by: Anne | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 08:03 AM
I salute you for putting on thick, stranded wool mittens in the middle of a heat wave. How you managed to avoid spontaneous combustion will be a mystery for the ages!
And your twice-plied skein looks great. That's a nifty trick, isn't it? :-)
Posted by: Beth S. | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 10:10 AM
Excellent diagnosis! ;)
Your skein after re-plying is absolutely gorgeous.
Posted by: Jackie | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Very nice! I wish my plying were that even. With luck it will be.
Posted by: Lucia | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 01:25 PM
There is a reason why I live waaay up North....I much prefer the cold weather to this dreadful heat and humitity. Like Manise, my AC's went in this weekend. I do tuck money away all winter so that we can be comfortable in the summer.
Interestingly enough there was a woman on Good Morning America today talking about changing neural pathways to keep your brain healthier. One thing she said was to close your eyes while doing something you always do, so I sat this morning knitting with my eyes closed...LOL
Your yarn.......scrumptious! The second one does look more balanced....very nice!
Posted by: Kim | Monday, June 09, 2008 at 07:46 PM
Most people do indeed underply....even me. Skeins can take alot more plying twist than ones thinks.
Posted by: claudia | Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 08:46 AM
That is so interesting that you would do better with brief sessions... maybe because the rounds are short and you can hold the thought of the row, then rest, kind of like holding a yoga pose. I often feel like my yarn is too kinked, until I wash and set it (with a few good whacks). I think I need to pay better attention to what I am doing while spinning and what results, instead of just zoning out!
Posted by: Birdsong | Tuesday, June 10, 2008 at 10:44 PM
You know the part in beginning spinning books/articles where the expert says, "Now that you've plied a few yards, stop for a moment and see what your yarn does if you let it hang in a curve between your fingers and the orifice. Is it making a nice smooth curve? Great! You're making a nicely balanced two-ply. Does your yarn kink back on itself into little yarny pigtails? Then you've over-plied. Put a little less twist into your plying. " And blah, blah, blah...
I think the experts are WRONG! I think the yarn should appear overplied and just this side of kinky, before you bathe it.
Or maybe I'm wrong. Hell if I know. I think I need to experiment more.
Posted by: Lynn | Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 07:35 AM
Beautiful yarn! I underplied my yarns for ages, then did one that I thought was wildly, excessively overplied, and loved how it came out.
Now I'm experimenting with Navajo plying, and it's a whole different ball game to learn.
Posted by: Ali | Saturday, June 14, 2008 at 09:05 AM
Lovely mittens... we, too, are holding out against turning the A/C on. Fortunately, every other day is cool enough to pull this off.
Plying is always a learning experience. I had trouble underplying with the Schacht Matchless(seems that's pretty common) and no trouble with the Sonata.
Posted by: Cathy | Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 06:38 PM