Spinning Laceweight

I am spinning up some hand carded 1/2 Border Leicester lamb's wool and 1/2 4" staple Angora bunny fur. I am spinning it laceweight and have been looking at lace patterns to make a shawl for my daughter for her wedding. Not sure if she will like it or not. I am trying to get it as cobwebby as I can but it will be a 2 ply, and so it will have to be thicker than a cobweb style commercial yarn. I am spinning it as thin as I dare and it does have some variation, but it is way thinner than the last shawl I made. So I think it will look OK. The bridal shawl I see at http://www.heirloom-knitting.co.uk/index.html Looks very large and will be larger in a thicker yarn. It's a beautiful shawl but it would take me a long time. I just haven't found anything I like better. So I may have to order the pattern.

I also like the Magical Earth Shawl in "A Gathering of Lace", but I think I want to make that for myself. It's not really a bridal shawl.

The kids are coming to visit me on Sunday before heading off to Navy Pier on Monday for the day. It will be fun to see them. Maybe they can meet the guy I'm dating. I also may have a chance to go to Arizona at the end of the month. It looks like I can and although it will be hotter than hell, I can spend the whole time in the pool or the air conditioning. I love the heat anyway and it will be a time for myself. Again, it would be nice to take my new guy but he says he can't get away. This is his busy time. Oh well. A free vacation is a free vacation. Plus I will get to see my parents. That's always a bonus.

Back to spinning Laceweight!

Heat Exhaustion

Man, is it ever hot in the summer wearing a long dress, hoop skirt and long sleeves. I thought I was going to die of it! It was so hot and humid last weekend. I just don't know how they did it in the olden days wearing all that clothing and working out in the heat too.

I did spinning all weekend which was fun although it seems like I did a lot of little bits and didn't get a lot done on my stuff. But hopefully I interested some new people in spinning. There were a few kids that seemed to take to it really well. I did get some knitting done and one pair of half-gloves is ready for the girls at work.

I played hookey today and went kayaking down at Lake Michigan. It was fun except when a squall kicked up and it was raining hard on us. That was a little scary out in the middle of all that water and with the wind and waves kicking up. It turned out OK though. At least I was not overheated today and I drank lots of water to help get rid of the residual headache from the heat exhaustion. Plus it'll be cold at work tomorrow. It's always cold there.

Candy (my new friend in Sauk City) gave me a big bag of wool for helping them with the spinning. It's pretty, a grey with tan tips and a nice crimp. I'll have to wash it up and make something fun with it. I got more lamb wool and Angora spun for Crystal's shawl. I still am filling up one bobbin though because the lace weight single is so fine that it doesn't take up much space. Then I have to start swatching and figure out which shawl to make. I'd love to design one but that may take too much time.

Did I mention it's really hard to relax while using a port-o-potty? I just can't tell you how much I like flush toilets. LOL Thank goodness I don't really live in civil war times. I will put up a picture of the Wisconsin river that we were by all weekend. It was so lovely there. We all enjoyed the trip, hot as it was and would go again. Plus I got fiber! That's always a big plus.

Infatuation

Well, I have been distracted lately from my fiberous activities. I met a new guy 2 weeks ago and have been smitten ever since. I have been spending a lot of my free time with him although I do take my knitting with me.

I am preparing to go to Sauk City Wisconsin to do a spinning/carding demo at a Civil War re-enactment over the coming weekend. That should be lots of fun. I am making some CD Spindles to take along and give out. Maybe I can addict some new folks to fiber! We can only try. LOL

I also moved my room and took all my spinning stuff downstairs with me and it's all piled up in a corner of the room. So I have to get organized before I can do much more work. I had been carding up lots of wool, washing more wool. I carded up the lamb fleece Leslie gave me with some beautiful Angora, also from her. Then I am spinning it laceweight in order to do a new shawl. I have thoughts of making something for my daughter Crystal's wedding next May. If I start now......

I have also been making half gloves for the girls at work. It's always so damn cold here that I have to wear sweaters and gloves at my desk. That's so annoying!

Well, off for now. I keep meaning to put up more pictures. :-P But Crystal took my camera cord so I have to find another way to download. (sigh) The things we do for our kids.