Saturday, April 16, 2011

Weekend Update

I don't have much knitting to show this week. Work was busy and I am helping a friend with a fundraising even for a non-profit tomorrow, so I've been concentrating on that in my free time this past week.

Last weekend I got an orchid for my knitting room. I had one last year, but it didn't last through the winter (I'm sure my brown thumb didn't help it). This one is larger (so I hope has more girth to sustain itself with my care). So far so good. The picture is a little dark, its overcast today and I thought the flash would be too bright.


I was perusing my blog reader this morning and came across some new designs to benefit the disaster relief in Japan. I though I would share some of the ones I came across.

Designs by Romi

Janel Laidman

Wendy Johnson

I am back to practicing spinning. I tried one weeknight this week and think that I wasn't predrafting enough and that I was putting too much twist into the yarn. I took out my copy of Productive Spindling again (since last time I successfully spun it was with the assistance of this book) and tried again today. All went well. I am going to try and spin for at least 10 minutes a day until I am comfortable with it. I have one braid of roving I am working from that I am using for practice and don't expect to get anything out of it except for learning. I have another braid waiting for when I can spin consistent yarn.I'm impatient, so I think instead of going slowly and drafting consistently I try and whiz through and end up with super thick slubs or super thin sections that break.

I am working on the Baby Surprise Jacket. I'm more than half way at this point. I really hate when people ask me to knit things for them. Right now I would really like to be working on the In Dreams Shawl, but I want this baby jacket completed so its off my to do list. I think I wouldn't mind except I spent the last two weeks finishing that baby blanket for the shower this past Wednesday ... so its a double "have to" knitting right now!!

6 comments:

WildflowerWool said...

Thanks for the links. Good luck with the baby surprise sweater.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful orchid! I saw a LOT of those at the farm market today.

Sue said...

That is a lovely orchid. Keep at it with ten minutes a day spinning. Even though it might seem like a drag, short daily practise is the way to go with anything we want to learn how to do better.

Minding My Own Stitches said...

The orchid is lovely. I need to show some discipline and spin everyday too! It really is all in the drafting, isn't it!?!

Marushka C. said...

Beautiful orchid! I force myself to leave them in the store since I'm definitely not in the green thumb category. Good luck finishing the BSJ so you can get back to knitting what YOU want to be knitting.

I am a new spinner (using a wheel, I had no flair at all for a spindler) and I agree with your plan -- a little bit of time almost every day will get you where you want to go. It's working for me!

Anonymous said...

The orchid is gorgeous! Good luck with keeping it alive.

Spinning, oh, spinning. I have a wheel, but it is sadly neglected as I have no fiber. I keep forgetting to allot space for it in my knitting budget.