A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Good Morning!

I spent last night getting some fiber things done!

I have a Corriedale fleece that has lots of lanolin in it and I had decided to try extracting the lanolin so I can use it to make homemade soap. Since it was much cooler last night I decided to give it a try. I heated water in the largest pot we have to about 140 degrees F. and put a mesh laundry bag full of wool into the hot water. I let that “steep” for a while before moving the wool to another bath that included soap to finish cleaning it. I then too the hot, lanolin filled water outside and poured it into a new, clean trash barrel along with some cold water (to help it cool faster and so I wouldn’t melt the barrel. I repeated the process with a second bag of wool and left it all cooling. Last time I checked on it last night it looked like maybe the lanolin was starting to congeal on top of the water. I covered the barrel to keep critters out and moved it off to the side in the yard. I have to warn DH not to touch it so he won’t accidentially dump it, but I’m hoping by the time I get home tonight be be able to scoop off the lanolin. This is the first time I’ve done this so I really have no idea if it will work, but I had figured, why go to the store and buy lanolin to make soap when I’m constantly pouring tons of it down the drain? Keep your fingers crossed for me!

The wool is now drying in the house on a sheet. Not sure yet what I’m going to do with it but I wanted to get it scoured soon anyway, before it gets all felted from sitting around in this heat. Actually, there are a group of us talking about having a dye workshop of our own sometime late this month or early next month so if I were to spin this up it would give me something to work with then. . . . hmmm. . . .

I also decided to reinvestigate the Off-White summer top that has been living in the UFO pile for a while now. Apparently, I started it 3 years ago!!! I took out the pattern and what I had finished so far and took a closer look at it. I had stopped working on it at one point and had taken the needles out without noting what needles they were . . . . bad idea! When I tried again a few months ago to start working on it I couldn’t find the right ones and there was a noticable difference in gauge. I also think this was something I had knit rather tight and my knitting has improved (or at least loosened) since then. I frogged the 1/2 of it that was only part way done and blocked that yarn. Then I looked more closely at the half that was done. It really isn’t very good. I can see a number of mistakes and some very awkward stitches . . . . so I got out the pattern to see what’s what, and well . . . two things. I had actually not been knitting it right! The piece I had in my hand wasn’t going to do what they had in that pattern, no way! And looking at the finished picture, I realized, I don’t even really like this top!!!!! So now I”m thinking I’ll probably make two tank tops out of the yarn. I want to make one that is kinda slinky to wear on the weekends if we go out somewhere and a second that has a little more to it that I can wear to work. I think I have enough yarn to do both. I took a fresh skein last night and I’ve started swatching it on a size 5 needle, the label says to use a 6 but I think my 6 must be busy right now cause I couldn’t find it . . . . so I’ll try the 5 and see if I like the swatch, if not I’ll just have to go buy another 6 is all . . .

At least I still like the yarn! It’s Plymouth Wildflower in Natural and I do like the feel of it . . . its a cotton/acrylic blend but it seems to have a nice hand . . . . we’ll see what happens with this swatch and take it from there. . . . .

No progress on the purple shawl yesterday but I may try to get a bit more done on it tonight . . . .

Quick update:

Very productive lunch today, Marianna’s socks are done!!!

Well, except for binding-off the second one and weaving in the ends, but the actual knitting is finished!

Mari, thank you for the suggestion, I like that idea!

well, 2.5 hours and counting . . . .

Happy Wednesday!

I had written a post but somehow it vanished before I posted it!

I had a lovely evening last night! I went to M’s house for dinner and knitting. She gave me a tour of her stash, mine pales by comparison, and her beautiful apartment. We had a wonderful Tuna Salad for dinner and her Mother’s Frozen Strawberry Pie for dessert, yum!

The buns were still in the patio when I got home so we had to try to catch them again. They don’t like to be caught! They have been spending the past few days in our screened in patio with the ceiling fans on due to the heat! Not that they are spoiled or anything . . . ; )

I’m working on Marianna’s other sock, I’ve got about an inch to go on the top of the leg (they are toe-up) If I don’t finish them at lunch today I will when I get home tonight, just to have them done! Then I’ve just got a few ends to tuck in and I’ll be able to give them to her! Not that she is going to be wearing a lot of wool socks this time of year . . . but you never know, we could have a chilly evening, couldn’ t we?

I’m making progress on the purple shawl. I didn’t do any of it last night (too big and hot to travel with) but I did do about 2 pattern repeats on it the night before . . . It does still have a ways to go but I’m optimistic that I’ll finish it by the end of the month anyway . . .

I’m also working on my holiday knitting list. I’m starting earlier than the past 2 years, and I knit a bit faster now than I used to, but I’m likely still not starting early enough!

I’ve been working on adding more WIP and UFO info here in part to help me keep better track of it. I’ve broken projects down into categories and my new plan is to only have 1 project in each category on needles at any one time (UFOs don’t count though I’m hoping this will help to eliminate that category or at least keep it under 6 objects). I can only start something new in that category when the WIP that occupies the “current” status has been finished or if it has been more than 6 months since I touched it last it could be moved to the UFO pile. This also gives me a place to list all the projects I want to be working on next which should help me to keep a better list of what all this yarn is for . . . and I’m trying to add pictures of the yarns and patterns when available.

Oh, I’m also considering adding my own yarn reviews, what do you think? Do you want a running list of the yarns I’ve used and what I thought about them? I’m thinking I’d include long term info, like wear and tear, how it handles washing and by what method etc, at least for the things I make for DH and myself . . . I haven’t sorted out just what this would look like yet, but don’t be surprised if I get around to it later this summer . . . .

I’m also trying to work on expanding the knitting, spinning and pattern links . . . so if you have any that you think I should know about please do send them to me!!! I’d like to turn this blog into a resource of info in addtion to my ramblings . . . .

And when I have a chance I am going to finish writing up the pattern for Dom’s sock and I may add the purple shawl pattern as well . . . . trouble is finding the time to get it done. That sort of thing is lots harder to get away with working on at work than just adding a few lines or links to a blog . . . . which means I have to do it in the evenings . . . and lately its been tough to find the time! Hmmm, if only I could have myself cloned so one of me could come to work and the other could stay home and get stuff done! wouldn’t that be something!!!

Alright, off to do some much needed filing! Have a great day!

Just a quick note . . . more structural changes to the blog today . . .

I’m headed to a friends this eveing for dinner, stash review and spinning, only trouble is I was 1/2 way to work when I realized I’d left my wheel behind! Ahhhh! Guess I just have to work on the sock that is in my bag!!!

More tomorrow . . .

I’ve been playing around with the layout so this page may look a bit different. Let me know what you think!