Fiber Tourism - part II

On Saturday morning we headed out of Ottawa torward Toronto to take in a Blue Jays game before saying goodbye to my parents and heading north again. Enroute, G kindly allowed me to detour us to Port Hope to visit the Black Lamb.

I tried out a Majacraft Suzie Pro and a Little Gem. I really liked both of them. However, I liked the way the Suzie treadled better than the Gem. I would still like to try a few other wheels, but so far, I'd say the Suzie is my favorite of the ones I've tried.

The Black Lamb had big baskets of fiber tempting me in every corner.


I succumbed to some tencel roving. I've spun merino/tencel before, but never 100% tencel and I think this could be a fun challenge.

Sunday afternoon we watched the Jays play the Cleveland Indians. Although they lost 4-5, it was one of the highlights of the trip - my first ever major league ball game!

Fiber Tourism!

My family met up with my parents in Ottawa last Monday for a week of sightseeing and fun! Of course, I couldn't leave any yarn shop unvisited and included a few in my travels. My goal was to try out a few wheels. Don't tell my Ashford Traditional, but I'm looking for a replacement.

On Monday night, we watched the Mosaika show. It was quite enjoyable: the show uses the parliament buildings as a screen. Tuesday, we toured the center block of the Parliament Buildings.

I enjoyed it much more than I expected. The architecture is really impressive and I hadn't known that the building was built to honor the soldiers who lost their lives in WW1. The library was really amazing, all the wood details were well worth a visit. Tuesday afternoon we visited the Aircraft museum.

Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, more museums, including the War Museum, the Museum of Civilization and the Nature Museum. And a bit of Shopping!

One of the shopping stops was Wabi Sabi, a fun fiber arts store in Ottawa. Both M and I found some merino/silk fiber that begged to be brought home with us (with really great prices, I might add).



M helped me pick out mine: it was a toss up for me between two teally greens and this one. M pointed out that this one was really more my color!



And of course he picked out the purple. He says this will be the first he spins on my wheel!

Wabi Sabi has a Louet S15 and a Babe in store that I got to try out. I can appreciate the price of the Babe and the double treadle, but really didn't like how it wobbled. Plus, I just can't get past the PVC. (my apologies to any die-hard Babe fans). The Louet I liked better, but found getting the bobbin off a bit fiddly, I'm sure I could get used to it and I like it's modern appearance and smooth treadling.

And since my parent knew I was looking for a new wheel, they brought me this:


Isn't that a cute little wheel? "Respect the Spindle" was brought along for reading material on our trip - highly enjoyable and informative!

Sushi Club - East Friesian Lamb

My July installment of Natchwoolie's Sushi Club arrived today. Absolutely gorgeous bouncy, soft, creamy white East Friesian lamb's fleece!



As usual, dog and cats had to have a sniff of the sheepy goodness enclosed in the ziploc bag! And again as usual, the kids groaned at the farm fresh scent!



It looked like so much fun, I gave it its bath immediatly! And it has already fluffed up so much. I can't wait until its dry and ready to spin.

Rambouillet Fines and SuperFines

My first shipment for the Sushi Club arrived a few weeks ago, and I just realized I neglected to take any photos of it in it's original sheepy goodness. The puppy could not get enough of the smell and the kids couldn't wait until I washed it - different perspectives!

Here's one raw lock, with a measuring device to indicate scale



The washed fluff, with some silk noil that I'm carding in for a tweedy effect. There are two little nests of carded fiber in the upper right corner with pale pink noil already carded in.

This is soft stuff with a lovely staple length. I could pet it forever!

New Purchase - treating myself for the year

I've been saving for a new wheel. Not that I don't love my very old second (maybe even third or fourth) hand Ashford Traditional, but it's only got one speed and I hear all these neat things about ratios and wheels with greaseless bearings and smooth pedal action that I really think would make my spinning more fun. Don't get me wrong, my dear Ashford Traditional, I love the dead spot you have at the top of your wheel that I makes me have to pedal quickly to keep you from stopping and that if I want to make a high twist yarn that I have to pedal like a hamster on speed in his exercise wheel. But a new wheel would be nice. However, I kind of blew a hole in my savings this past week by purchasing the Sushi Club from Natchwoolie. Why Sushi? Because it's raw fiber from the animals Brenda raises.



Here's the description from the Etsy listing

"Make It RAW" receive 4 ounces of a different color or type of raw fiber or fleece each month of the year. We raise all kinds of fiber bearers....alpacas, llamas, cotswold, shetland and merino sheep, angora goats and angora rabbits in many different colors so you never know what you might get. It will be lots of fun when you get your fluff.

This is for raw fiber right of the animal and is not scoured or washed.

I'm so excited! I need more fluff in my stash like an extra ear, but I can't wait for my first shipment to arrive! and the second... third... excitement all year!!!

Do I have too much yarn?

Yesterday was 100 Day at the kid's school.

The primary grades celebrate the 100th day of classes by having fun activities involving the number 100. It's a way of making math concepts fun and making the otherwise dreary winter days of February a bit more exciting. One of the assignments they have to complete at home before 100 Day is to bring in a collection of 100 somethings.

M asked if he could bring in 100 snippets of yarn. "It's ok if you don't have 100 different balls to snip from, I don't mind having some repeated," he said. We had sort of forgotten until he woke up that he had to bring the project to school, so while he got ready for school, I began snipping. He put it all together with time to spare.



I guess I must have been in denial about the size of my stash. I never really thought I had that much yarn, but I was able to sit on the couch and snip 100 bits of yarn off different balls and skeins without leaving the couch. After M had left for school, I noticed that I hadn't even touched the stash in the laundry closet.

It really does beg the question, "Do I have too much yarn?"

While I Knit my Gauge Swatch

I've got an idea I plan to use for the Generic Mitten Tutorial, but I'm still working on my gauge swatch, so "Generic Mitten Tutorial - The Cuff" needs to wait until my swatch is done.

I will show you this much of it:



This is a pair of M's recycled socks. He blew out the balls of the foot and didn't tell me until the holes were far to big to darn. I probably could have repaired them somehow, but they were starting to get a bit small anyways. To go with this lovely neutral gray, I'm going to use lots of Phat Fiber fingering weight samples.

I also bought some new yarn last weekend. I hadn't seen this particular Paton's sock yarn before and I loved the colors.


I'm making leg warmers to wear under my jeans since I spend about 10 hours a week in the freezing cold arena watching the kids figure skate and play hockey. I think this is a great plan. Nobody but me will see my wildly colored legwarmers and I will be toasty! I will not have enough yarn in the two balls I bought to complete my leg warmers to the length I like - I hope to be able to find another ball next time I'm in town.

Just to Break up the Monotony

I have so little to show you on the knitting front. Secret project knitting makes for very boring blogging. Perhaps I can distract you with what I plan to spin once I'm done the secret project.
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Some beautiful batts from eXtreme Spinning. Love! Love! Love! I can't wait until my wheel and I can spend some time together.
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CJ describes these as:

XSive SoX Batts for socks that sparkle and shine. Superfine merino,
bamboo, firestar and angelina have been blended smooth to create
this fun batt of softness that wears incredibly well. It also washes
easily and yet is sparkly and shiny. Navy Blue blended with Grass,
mmmmm, yummy year 'round colors that work equally well for both
sexes, young & old

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New & New

I've put together a new pattern. I think it's unique, fun and exciting and I can't show it to you.
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Yet.
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I have new yarn. It is a gift, of sorts. I think it's new this year to Rowan - Felted Tweed Aran. It also comes in a DK weight and a bulky weight.
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It will be used to knit the new pattern. So while I knit on the pattern that I can't show you with the yummy yarn I've never used before, I won't be able to show you any work-in-progress shots.
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Not until December 9th!
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I Won! I Won!

It seems that I never win anything - giveaways, raffles, any thing that is randomly drawn...

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But today I won a wonderful smooshy skein of sock yarn that I can't wait to see in person. Northern Lights Fiber Co. ran a give-away on her blog in honor of the 100th sale in her etsy shop.

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I'm off to dance around the kitchen now!

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New Yarn!

For Mother's Day, the kids bought me yarn! the little dears! They chose SRK's On Your Toes Bamboo sock yarn (color ON260808) and Wisdom Yarn's New York sock yarn (color 222).

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I've already begun a pair of sock with the Wisdom. I'm trying Wendy's Fingeringweight Toe Up Slip-stitch heel sock.

.I believe B, my wool-hater, chose the Bamboo. Something tells me she'd like me to knit the Shetland Shorty from Knitty with my present!

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Phat Fiber May Box

I got a box! I couldn't believe how quickly they sold. I forgot to get online this morning for the first box drop on Etsy, but was ready at 6:55 EST this evening. Hit refresh at 7:00 and got one! They sold out in about 60 seconds! I can't wait for it to arrive!

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