Getting back into blogging . . .

So now that I seem to have managed to start posting regularly again I’ve decided to clean up the blog a bit! I worked on it a little bit last night, removing old broken links and webrings that I was no longer in etc.

While doing that I came up with an idea to get me reading a few other blogs again as well. I started visiting my “Web ring neighbors” by clicking on the previous/next links for the rings. I don’t know how many I’ll get to do but this morning I started off with the Fiber Arts Ring and clicked over to CJ’s blog and even left a comment . . .

She had a post about something that sounds like great fun:

The idea is to set a spinning challenge for yourself, post about it on your blog and try to compete it during the Tour de France. I love it so much that I’m planning to email her and offer to donate a prize from Inspirations! Perhaps some nice handpainted fiber . . . .

My challenge is going to be to spin up a pile of roving samples that I had dyed. I’m going to alternate the colors and then navajo ply (something I’ve never done before) and use the yarn to knit hats for the hat box that I keep.

The hat box is something that I have been doing for a few years now. When I get a chance I knit up a winter hat, usually from leftover yarn or sometimes handspun, and put them in the box. Then as the weather cools off I break out the box and have let various kids (and even a few adults) choose a hat from the box. In past years I’ve given them to my cousins and Aunt, to Pixie Dust and to a few other kids we know. The idea is that instead of knitting a specific hat for a specific kid, I knit what I feel like and then they can choose what they like best . . .much higher satisfaction ratio for them and for me! And after all the intended recipients have made their selections the remainder of the hats get donated to charity.

Anyway, I’m signing up for the tour. The hardest part of the challenge for me will just be in finding the time to spin! I think I’m going to spin this up on my Ashford Joy as it is currently living in the house anyway and will be easiest to take out after the little guy has gone to bed most evenings. . . . lately I get to sit and do fibery things starting sometime around 10 pm . . .

Speaking of which, I have made some progress on the socks. The leg of it is now about 6 1/2 inches long . . . another 2 to go before the heel . . . not bad considering, see:

I really like the way the stripes of color actually spiral around the sock leg, pretty neat stuff ;)

And look, my lavender is making a real come-back this year. Lots of flowers!

Okay, gotta run, my boys are looking to be fed!