slow going

Posted on | March 20, 2009 | 16 Comments

My Ariosa Wrap Cardi is slowly growing.  I finished the back and fronts quickly (lace pattern on size 9 needles will do that), but lost my will to knit when I realized last week that the Amanda Jacket just wasn’t going to cut it. 

I picked the needles back up Wednesday, seamed the shoulders and started knitting the collar.  I used stitch markers and paper clips to indicate each wrapped stitch, as Summer Tweed is so tweedy that I was worried I’d miss one if I didn’t have a reminder to look for it.  The collar has progressed almost to the point of binding off, and then onto the sleeves!  Yes, I’m knitting this out of sequence because I wanted to be sure I had enough yarn for a full-sized collar.  And I have to modify the pattern for the sleeves because the pattern has small, short sleeves and I want 3/4 length sleeves.  Picky, picky, I know.

What was I doing while I waited for the love of knit to return?

I spun a mountain of wool!  Crazy, huh?  I didn’t spin all of this since last week, I’ve been working on it for several months, a bobbin here and there.  It’s 500 grams of natural gray Polwarth from Francine at Rovings, three ply, 12 WPI which makes it a solid worsted-weight, and the yardage about blew my mind.

Get this.

1,514 yards!!! 

Can you believe it?  That’s like, 10.5 football fields of yarn!  And 31.5 football fields of singles!  (Why am I using football analogies when it’s March Madness?!?!)  I’m so glad to be finished with this huge spinning project!  My bobbins have never felt lonelier.  I believe it will grow up to be a cabled sweater, but which one, hmmm…. St. Patrick maybe?  And should I dye it or leave it gray?  Decisions, decisions!

I think I will wait for the yarn to tell me what it wants to be and in the meanwhile, I’ll finish my Summer Tweed cardi!

Have a great weekend everyone!  Hooray Spring!

Category: April, NaKniSweMoDo, spinning

Comments

16 Responses to “slow going”

  1. Molly
    March 20th, 2009 @ 8:51 am

    I have a selfish reason for wanting you to dye it: I have about 2000 yards of Rambouillet that’s a dead ringer (well, more a sport/DK, but otherwise) for your Polwarth, and I’m trying to decide whether/how to dye it to a color I’ll actually wear.

    Obviously, since it looks like mine, I think your yarn is gooorgeous. ;)

  2. Becky
    March 20th, 2009 @ 9:01 am

    You’ve been busy! Over 1500 yds. of 3-ply?! Geez! Dye or don’t dye, I think it’ll be beautiful either way. If you dye it, it’ll turn out a rich, deep color because of its base color. Girl, if I drive down to visit you, will you teach me to spin long draw?

  3. Imbrium
    March 20th, 2009 @ 9:20 am

    Wow…look at all that gorgeous spinning! If you dye it, what color are you thinking?

  4. Anne
    March 20th, 2009 @ 9:21 am

    That handspun is beautiful. I would leave it the sheepy color that it is – a cabled sweater would be stunning in it! (My 2 cents – ignore me as you wish.)

  5. Carrie
    March 20th, 2009 @ 9:30 am

    Holy cow, you are a spinner to be reckoned with. (And you say drum carding is “too slow”?!) My goodness, what a feat.

  6. Laurie
    March 20th, 2009 @ 11:04 am

    That is beautiful yarn! Your yardage is so flexible. I would leave the color as is, because it is so lovely. It needs to show its sheepiness.

  7. Tina M.
    March 20th, 2009 @ 11:21 am

    WOW. You win. Not sure what you win, but let’s just say you win at everything!

    Personally, I’d overdye it with purple for a rich, middling dark lavender. You’d look stunning in that color.

  8. Cookie
    March 20th, 2009 @ 12:38 pm

    I love the color of your current project and adore the home-made yarn. I would leave it that wonderful sheepie color, but that’s just me.

    Happy Friday!

  9. margene
    March 20th, 2009 @ 2:35 pm

    Oh my that yarn is gorgeous!!

  10. cyndy
    March 20th, 2009 @ 3:39 pm

    Very NICE!!

    Interesting arrangement of paper clips!

    And I have complete faith in the yarn telling you what it wants to be–the question is—when will it decide?

  11. Manise
    March 20th, 2009 @ 8:16 pm

    Gorgeous handspun! I’m a sucker for gray, so I’d leave it au natural.

  12. Tami
    March 20th, 2009 @ 8:30 pm

    Swooning over the handspun!

  13. Nora
    March 22nd, 2009 @ 4:42 am

    Wow – you did a fabulous job! That will make one gorgeous sweater!

  14. Jeanne
    March 22nd, 2009 @ 7:02 am

    That yarn is gorgeous – it will make a beautiful sweater!

  15. Tonni
    March 23rd, 2009 @ 12:43 pm

    WOW!!!! I love the natural color of your new yarn… I just want to squoosh it :)

  16. vanessa
    April 13th, 2009 @ 2:12 pm

    that is some seriously gorgeous handspun!