Finishing

This has been an exciting morning. Well, not morning any longer, but it was an exciting morning. It doesn't get much more exciting than to find a comment from Franklin on your blog. I figure it must be like getting a letter from your favorite movie star or favorite dignitary, only better!!! Wow!

I have been meaning to get back to the spinning, and how could I possibly not, after that? However, I decided that I really should finish up the little hat that I knit during Anne's after surgery PT first. It was still on the circular needle, which I hadn't realized till last night, when Anne was looking for some size 8 needles. The little hat was further exposed when Anne wanted something to put the kitty pi bed on to dry, and we discovered that the brass container that I keep the week's newspapers in was just the right size. So, I decided it was way past time to finish this little hat. Here it is!




It is just a little hat, sized for a small child. Oh drats, I will go ahead and put up another photo. I had thought that putting a skein of sock yarn next to it would help give some idea of the size of the hat, but the photos I took then didn't come out as well as I would have liked. Here we go...




Anyway, the hat came out pretty nicely, and will keep some random child's head warm some winter.

After completing that finishing work, I decided I was clear to spin. I found that I had used all the short bit of roving Anne had initially given me from the big bag. All except a little bit that had been spun and I had been unspinning so it could be redone. I didn't really like the way it looked for actually spinning, and decided to use it for a future leader or something.

That meant I got to start in on the much longer hunk of roving that Anne had ripped off for me. I just realized I should have taken a photo. Oh well.... I followed the teachings of the I Can Spin video. I cracked it like a whip. From both ends, since it was so long. Little tiny pieces of fiber flew through the air. No, it wasn't as bad as that sounds! Just a little fiber here and there. Then, I divided it down the middle lengthwise, and did the same again with one half. Then I divided off one little section. I once again followed the teachings, and went down the length, gently pulling section by section, and seeing and feeling the fibers slide along each other. So, I was set, right????

I got it connected to the last spun bit, after thinning and respinning most of the long end that was left on the spindle. That process was not encouraging, as I think too much time had passed, and it all seemed so uneven and fat. I found that it did go some better with the new longer hunk of roving. I still have a lot of difficulty getting it to draft and flow nicely. I also have trouble getting the spindle spinning well enough so that it will actually spin long enough for me to get anything done! I do have the height problems too, with being 5'2". My spindle seems to love going in reverse. But, I feel that things will work out eventually. I haven't lost faith! Without further ado, here is what it looks like now.











My beginning yarn will definitely be kept rather than used. I hope it doesn't take too much longer to reach that "got it" level!