Last Day

Tomorrow I go back to work. I have no idea how I'll be able to juggle everything in my responsible, adult life, let alone how I'll manage to make room for blogging, but I'm certain I'll figure something out. I've made some great friends through this blog, some of whom I've been fortunate enough to meet in person, others not (yet). I'm really going to try to make an effort to post at least 3 times a week, but if I don't quite make it, please don't hold it against me.

This weekend it was just me and the kiddies. Phil had a boys weekend at the Pinball Wizards Convention in Allentown, Pennsylvania (you can check out all his pictures here), and had a blast. It's obviously always a little difficult when Phil is away, but it's also kind of nice to spend more time with the kids, and to get to spoil them with junk food that Phil normally frowns upon. Special times and special privileges.

Oh, before I forget, here's a picture of yours truly modeling the lovely Cluaranach.

I really love it a whole lot, and I'm hoping it'll count as appropriate Rhinebeck-wear. You'll notice that Maxime is also covered in handknits in this shot. Tee-Hee!!!

To celebrate my last day at home, I ditched the kids (!) and headed down to Ariadne for a spinning workshop. This was a beginner course, where we learned to spin using a drop spindle, and I really enjoyed it. Here's my first ever handspun:

(By the way, this EXTREME closeup is brought to you courtesy of Phil's brand-new camera, a Sony something or other... hang on, techno-geek that he is, he's pointing out the exact brand-name.... OK, it's a Sony DSC-T300. Roll eyes here.)


Here's a shot of the thinner areas of my yarn compared with the Opal Feelings I purchased before the workshop (WHAT??? It's for Phil!). And oh yeah, the Opal is a FOUR-PLY (as opposed to my 2-ply). So yeah, I've still got a ways to go.

Now obviously it's not perfect (not by any stretch of the imagination), but I think it's pretty good for a first yarn, right? I mean, if you look at some of the stuff that's out there (Ozark, anyone?), I think it's pretty gosh darn nifty.

That being said, I don't know if I've got it in me to really get into it that much. It seems like there's a whole lot to learn in order to really get good (which fibers are best suited for what, draft, crimp, spindles, wheels, etc.), and I don't know if I've got the time or the inclination to learn it all, you know? I mean, when am I going to knit if I'm spinning all the time???

On the other hand, getting into spinning would open a whole new world of possibility as far as stash enhancement is concerned... :P

I'm also pretty sure that the initial fascination with spinning a bland natural colour fiber probably goes away fairly quickly, and that it would be a whole lot more fun to spin some dyed top instead. However, I'm going to hold off on that impulse until I've spun the entire 8 oz of Corriedale that we were allowed to take home with us to practice (20 minutes a day keeps the doctor away, or something to that effect). We'll see if there's sufficient improvement at that time.

OK, I'm off to check the train schedule and make my lunch for tomorrow, then I'll practice my newly acquired spinning skills (Get DOWN with your bad self!) before hitting the sack. After all, I'm a workin' gal now :)

Happy Knitting Everyone!