Spinning Mornings

I have decided it is time to resume my 'Spinning Mornings' because I have not been spinning at all lately and I really miss the peace and quiet and sense of fulfillment these few minutes in the morning at my spinning wheel provide to me. And I know if I don't spin in the morning, I never seem to get to it later in the day. So, on this beautiful Autumn morning, when the Japanese maple tree outside the window I spin in front of is at its most glorious red, 

Japanese Maple in all its red glory.

I sat down at my wheel and gifted myself 30 minutes of spinning some glorious brown (of course) Jacob roving. It was exactly as Zen-like as I remembered and after just a few moments I was moving smoothly along spinning at 32 WPI (which will 2-ply with some beautiful light brownish-creamy Jacob roving  I just happen to have in my stash, to 16 WPI and will give me a lovely sock weight yarn). If I keep this up, I should be able to get through my entire roving stash in................

Jacob roving with newly spun single @ 32 WPI

Our Favorite Place

After we spent Saturday in Rhinebeck, NY at the NY Sheep & Fiber Fest where I exerted all of my will-power and came away with only 3 bags of fiber & yarn - we headed to Maine and one of our most favorite holiday locations. It doesn't seem possible that just a few weeks ago we were enjoying the comfort of this wonderful place...Topside Inn, which sits on Boothbay Harbor's highest hill. We have been returning here every year (sometimes twice) for many years for rejuvenation and relaxation. The innkeepers, Brian & Ed, make us feel very much at home and we spend wonderful days in the fresh, clear air just reading, knitting and walking. We love this wonderful fishing village - Boothbay Harbor, and especially enjoy spending time there in the off-season when most of the tourists have fled south and we can walk the streets alone at night. This past October we spent a particularly peaceful holiday not moving the car from the time we arrived until we, sadly, had to leave. We started the days at our favorite corner table on the dining porch sipping tea and quietly watching the lobster boats head out for the day. Then our delicious breakfasts, always presented beautifully, are served. After breakfast we usually spent an hour or so reading in the living room in front of a toasty fire (this was October in Maine and temperatures were quite cool in the mornings - my Maine Morning Mitts came in very handy). Then we usually moved to the 3rd floor sitting area and gloried in the gorgeous view. DH read and I knit. The weather was so perfect on this holiday, that by late morning the temperatures had warmed up enough that we could sit in our favorite rocking chairs on the porch and continue our reading and knitting in the crystal-clear Maine sun. Time for lunch, so we walk down the hill into town for scrumptious lobster rolls and a walk around town; then back up for the rest of the afternoon to read and knit. After watching the sunset each evening, we sipped a glass of wine and then headed back into town for dinner and another long walk around town and the harbor. Back to the Inn to read by the fire before turning in so that we were rested for another perfect Maine day at Topside Inn. It doesn't get much better than this as far as we are concerned. If this type of holiday appeals there is no better spot than 'The Inn on the Hill' (Topside) in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

I spent a lot of time reading while away but also a lot of time knitting and I almost finished my latest sock project while in Maine. Since the last couple of pairs of socks took lots of concentration & counting, I wanted a 'mindless' pair to knit while away so I decided on a 1x1 rib cuff and a 3x1 rib for the leg & instep...it was the yarn I used - Socks That Rock from Blue Mountain Fiber Arts - that made this pair of socks so special. The colorway was Fall "on Tap" and it knitted like a dream with incredible stitch definition. I am looking forward to making many more pairs of 'Socks That Rock'.

Tomorrow I teach my class - 'Socks-101' - at The Spinnery I have seven students and am really looking forward to the opportunity to turn more knitters in sock fanatics! I'll report back with some pictures next week.

'Sock Summit 2009' Socks Redux

Forgot to mention that the yarn I am using in the SS09 socks I am knitting -so I stop whining about NOT being there- was hand-dyed by me in honor of the 'Dye For Glory' competition...I call it Autumn Sunset and it really glows in the sunset light.

Unbelievably, just as I was expecting 'tons' of Tweets from SS09 participants---Twitter crashed! At first I though it was because ALL of the SS09 Tweeters were Tweeting simultaneously on Twitter (do not even ask what that really means!) but that was NOT the case. Twitter was under a 'Denial of Service Attack', (Yes, it is as bad as it sounds) as my DH so helpfully explained! During the day, Twitter slowly recovered (and I realized how much I 'missed' my Tweet buddies...Oh, no, it has begun!)...it still doesn't seem to be at 100%.

After a VERY long 20 hour day-I believe I will crash-as soon as the final out is made in the Yanks-Red Sox game (Go Yanks!) being played as I type. After a glass (or two) of my favorite Pino Grigio I may finally be ready to try to sleep until 4:30 AM today (i.e. Friday, 07 August 2009).

'Sock On' SS09!!!!

A Few Updates

Still lots of spinning and knitting going on...still LOTS of spinning and knitting to go - until what? Am I running a race? Sometimes it feels like it - and I just keep falling further and further behind the leaders - whoever 'they' are.

The spinning of the Border Leicester is moving slowly along - I have found this fiber, because it is so coarse, somewhat painful to spin for a long time...it actually rubs my fingers a little sore if I spin with it too long. I have about 3 or 4 more pounds of it to spin - maybe I should wear protective gloves - NOT! And I really have not even made an in-road with the Dorset which is much more pleasant to spin - there is only so much time in a day and I do other things with my life as well (like all of you who read my blog) - like knit and read and attend concerts and garden and keep a home and work and try to keep up with Tea-and-Roses (not too successfully since I have become a fiber-junkie) and cook and blog and Tweet and, and, and...

I finished the Double Bubble socks for my grand niece's birthday - only a month late; but I think she will like them. The Booga Bag is felted and my current sock project fits perfectly in it. I can see these being knit as future gift items for family and friends. If I expect to have any for Christmas (of 2009), I better start knitting them yesterday! Although the kniting is quick & so is the felting and it is a fun and rewarding project.; the whole thing still takes time!

I am still following the preparations for Sock Summit 2009 (aka SS09) with envy and I voted in the 'Dye for Glory' contest; there are some absolutley gorgeous sock yarns exhibited on the Ravelry pages. If you are a Ravelry member go to this link http://www.ravelry.com/socksummit and cast your vote in each of the categories. Of course, I want to own many of the entries but realized today that I have EIGHT different brown colored sock yarns, all gorgeous & all hand-dyed, in my stash right now. And that doesn't count all the other sock yarns I have that are just in the brownish-family or were bought to make socks for someone else...like the beautiful 'David's Eyes' (Cascade Heritage Sock yarn) I just bought to knit a pair for my DH (aka David). PS The yarn does match his eyes.

Long story short: I am addicted to hand-dyed sock yarn and I can't stop buying it even though I now have enough that if I knit a pair of socks a month (which I won't) it would take me almost 4 years to knit up my stash; that is, if I can refrain from buying anymore hand-dyed sock yarn (which I won't)! HELP! Is there a 'Sock-Knitter's Anonymous' out there anywhere?

Knitting Connections

Last evening at my knitting circle (aka 'Purls of Wisdom') there were two new members. We are always happy to expand our merry group and welcomed them with open arms and smiling faces. As the conversations swirled, one of the new members looked at me and said, "I know you from somewhere". I had been thinking the same about her. She then said, "A B&B in Connecticut". I exclaimed, "Under Mountain Inn". Yes, saith she. Seems we (DH & I) had spent a lovely long weekend with this new member of Purls, her husband and mutual friends at this inn over 14 years ago. She had also worked in the same company as my DH many years ago, as had her DH. Talk about coincidence's. We were thrilled to re-connect. And it was knitting that made it happen!

Still knitting on the 'two-at-a-time-toe-up-on-one-circular-needle' that I intend to send my great-niece for her 10th birthday next month. It is a really fun pattern (Double Bubble) to knit and the yarn is perfect for my GN, but I really have to spend a lot more time knitting over the next couple of days to complete them in time for her birthday...and I don't have much time over the next couple of days to do just that. I must become a faster knitter...or stop doing so many other things...not! Perhaps one could comment that if I spent less time 'blogging' and more time knitting then I would be further along on the socks...and one would be correct!

Also still carding and spinning the gorgeous silver Border Leicester...have 22-ounces spun but not plied with many, many, many, many more ounces to go. And then we start on the white Dorset and Border Leicester. And that will also coincide with our (friend, DH & me) foray into dyeing with natural dye stuffs...Yeah! Am very excited about that. Other news...on Monday I am to have my first 'lace-knitting' lesson from a Purls of Wisdom friend. Oh, yes...I WILL master those dreaded YOs!!

Winter Knitting

Seems like all I want to do anymore is knit and then knit some more and then spin and then knit again...I realize that this is not all bad...but I accomplished almost nothing else during the entire month of January and I still have to update my website and complete writing, editing and mailing the winter issue of the Tea-and-Roses Quarterly before the winter is over!! My 'sock knitting addiction' keeps growing and I have three different pairs on needles right now...I am totally committed to the Magic Loop method of sock knitting and next time I will be casting on two socks at once...no more second-sock-syndrome for me. We have had a wonderful winter in NJ...lots of cold weather and just enough snow to keep everything white but not really get in the way of life (unlike the poor people in the Midwest) since before Christmas and I really don't want it to end...no I am not crazy...I just love cold weather, snow and warm hand-knit socks (so does my DH) and turtlenecks and warm hand-knit sweaters and a raging fire in the fireplace and a steaming cup of tea and my knitting needles and hand-dyed and/or hand-spun yarn and my books (when I need a brief respite from knitting and spinning), good music (listening to the Met's production of Lucia di Lammermoor as I type)...doesn't get much better than that...IMHO :-)