Good grief. I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted! I HAVE been busy ... dyeing for Sock Summit, going to Sock Summit, going to the beach, sending the kids off to school. And lately, knitting quite a bit, spinning quite a bit, and washing and dyeing fleeces even more.

One pair of socks, finished:



I knitted these with Spirit Trail Fiberworks "Frija," which is a fingering weight superwash merino/cashmere/nylon blend. This yarn is SO wonderful. I had used the sport weight version before (Paivatar), but I really like this weight, too. These socks are so soft and squooshy, but also have alot of spring and memory to them. I put them on for the photograph, and really don't want to take them off.

The colorway is called "River's Edge" because the blend of deep, watery blue with browns and grays reminded me of the edge of a river, where the water meets the gray of rocks and browns of tree trunks and soil. After playing around a bit, I cast on enough stitches so the colors would swirl around the foot. The leg has 4 more stitches, and that coupled with the 2x1 rib pattern really changes how the colors work together. (I don't have any of this colorway in stock, but I do believe Morgaine at Carolina Homespun does, if anyone is interested).

Another pair of socks is about 3/4 finished ... and a sweater which has been on the needles for almost two years now has also seen some progress.

I've been spinning on a large project for the last couple of months, whenever I could find time. The spinning is finally completed:



This is about 2,200 yards of two-ply yarn, about DK weight. One ply is 50% merino/50% bombyx silk, the other ply is 100% bombyx silk. I have to admit that I really didn't enjoy spinning these fibers. The fibers themselves are lovely, but ... white. Really, it was incredibly boring. Yard after yard after yard of it. I could not get into any good meditative place while spinning this, unfortunately. The whiteness of it. Really, just plain labor. So, it took me longer than expected to finish the spinning, because it was something I had to force myself to do rather than look forward to expectantly.

Anyway. The plan for this is to knit it into a rectangular shawl, and then space-dye it (I am afraid that the knitting of it may end up being much like the spinning of it, and though I hope not I am not wholly optimistic). So, stay tuned. I plan to start on the knitting of it very soon. I'm not going to even say when I'd like to have it done is, but I'd like to have it finished sooner than later.

Two other recent, small spinning projects are:


130 yards of worsted weight 50% cashmere / 50% bombyx silk in greens. This was leftover from the recent Spirit Trail Handspinning Club. There is no "real" yellow in this yarn like the photo is showing (I SO need a new camera!), but a blend of spring greens and deeper greens. It's destined to be a pair of mittens for a friend.


140 yards of sort of bulky superwash merino, also left over from the recent Spirit Trail Handspinning Club. Pastel colors, which I don't dye often but turned out to be appropriate as there is a new baby expected in our extended family. I have another braid to spin, and it's then destined to become something for the new little girl arriving in a few months.

Other than my own personal fiberly pursuits, I've been washing and dyeing a boatload of fleece these last couple of weeks, trying to get it all done in time for Rhinebeck (not to mention that I now have a boatload of yarn both here and on its way to me for Rhinebeck and the KR Retreat). There is several batches of CVM, Rambouillet, Gulf Coast, Santa Cruz, as well as Gotland X, Romeldale, Teeswater/CVM X, Polwarth blended with luxury exotics, more dyed Polwarth ... lots of fibers, lots of colors.

Six batches of dyed fleece are on their way to the mill now, with 4 other batches sent last week, and 4 more to go. I also washed a Wensleydale fleece, and a Teeswater fleece, that I'm going to sell in the locks because they are so pretty. Here's the Teeswater:



Isn't that just the most amazing mix of colors?!