Spindlitis

I’ve been doing a lot of knitting and even some spinning on the Pipy! First up is my finished Hansel, full version.

I used charcoal Bartlett sport weight, with some Shetland yarn in “Cunningham Red”. I think the white might be Jamieson from Schoolhouse Press. The grey is Cascade 2020 worsted. I needed that color to finish and the fingering weight was just too light. I’m going to block it this weekend. I really enjoyed making this Hap. The pattern is well written and there is a Craftsy class.

Right after I finished this, I found out about the SpinOff Hapalong. It’s just started and I wanted to get in on it. But my fiber just got packed out in the truck. I ordered more. I ordered fiber for the Theme and Variation shawl in The Book of Haps. Then I ordered some natural colored grey wool for a second hap to be done at a later time. The grey came in before one of the wools for the first shawl. I started spinning it and haven’t stopped.

The Pipy had been out of commission for so long, that I had almost forgotten it had been fixed. This seems to be the perfect project. I’m trying for fingering weight. It has really been fun to use this wheel. I’ve owned it since I first saw it back at Arachne Webworks in Portland, in 1973.  Once I got going on this, I knew that shawl one would now be shawl two. I ordered three more natural colors from the same Etsy shop, Lost Acres Farm. This is the grey with a white, black and charcoal. I should have leftovers which will likely lead to hap number three. I’ll post the yarn for the first shawl when I finally get the main color. It is taking forever to get here. I’m doing a pattern called Old Shale Shetland Hap. This is another one done from the center square out. I also picked up Shetland Old Shell Triangle and Square Shawl, which does the  border, then edging and finally the center. I do want to try that style, but not just yet. Things are picking up around here as far as packing, so I don’t want to be working on something complicated just yet.

I have also been spinning up some odds and ends, mostly plying some on spindles.

I’m trying to gather up some of the yarn that needs to be plied and work on it as I have time. It helps me clear out a few things in the office, which needs to be packed up this weekend. We are going to refinish the floors in the bedrooms, so it all needs to be packed up. Also, I have a sewing machine for Abby. She needs to be able to patch Quinn’s work pants. I found a nice Wards Signature that I will go through tomorrow. It has built in cams, so probably fancier than she needs. But it looks to be a solid machine and is pretty quiet. I’ll have to go down and give her a sewing lesson too.

I have a new to me, lightly used Swift coming in next week. I wanted to buy one at Christmas, but had already spent too much. I seem to use one Swift for knitting stuff, one Swift for spinning stuff and the Yeoman duffle for projects that I’m working on. I don’t have an actual knitting bag and these haps are good sized. And I had to give in and buy some new henleys. I like the ones from Duluth Trading. I have worn the sleeves in two of them ragged and two other tees are worn out at the neck. And when I say they are ragged, they really are. I just had to give up and get something that was in better shape. And I’ve got to finish hemming the two walking skirts I made. I tend to get stuck at the hemming stage, but I need those skirts. I can’t find anything that is as comfortable. I may try using Abby’s machine on them this weekend.

So, more projects to come! Hope to be knitting the hap by Monday. And maybe I’ll have the Hansel blocked by then too.