The last month has marked the annual “busy” time at work, meaning my personal life screeches to a halt as I settle in with my compatriots to do the people’s work.
OK, a little overdramatic. But now that I’m finally peeking out of the trenches, for at least a little while, I can start to reconnect with the world. Very exciting.
For starters, I has some houseguests this weekend, and while one left early this morning, this one is sticking around for the week…
- I am just so handsome.
…although I did pack him a lunch, told him to play nice and sent him to daycare for the day. He was quite happy to go!
I also managed to finish up a certain project that I’ve been plugging away on for quite some time.
- Worth every minute of effort
This is “Pleione,” 485 yards of fingering weight merino/bamboo blend. I ended up going for the 2-ply, and I do think it was the right choice. Spun on the Greensleeves, plied on my Heavenly Handspinning Little Joe.
- I give Greensleeves so much credit for this
I think this yarn is just heavenly. Thus, the name.
Pleione is a name from the heavens. She is the mother of the Seven Sisters who sit with her and their father, Atlas, in the night sky as the nine brightest stars in the Pleiades constellation, a part of Taurus (which is my astrological sign). Pleione is a blue-white star surrounded by a cloud of red hydrogen gas–making her appear purple. I think it’s fitting.
- You…are my…shining star…
I don’t know what Pleione will become; for now, I’m just enjoying the look and feel of the finished yarn.
- Ok, just this one more, I promise…
I’ve also been working on some blue-faced leicester top that I got from DragonFibers in the “Gems” colorway on my Heavenly Handspinning Lovely Su spindle.
- Singles on Su
While I don’t think BFL will become my favorite breed to spin, I’m glad that I went for it with this top. It’s good to feel how the different fibers behave. This is my first experience with a long-wool, and I can totally see the good qualities it has.
- A little bit closer
Also, this fiber was space dyed–so I didn’t have to work to get any regular color repeats–which gave me the added opportunity to try a new technique: the Navajo ply.
Working right off of Su, I picked up Little Joe to try my hand at Navajo plying on a spindle. At first it was a little tricky (the first of the “chain bumps,” for lack of a better term, are very noticable and sloppy, but I’m thinking that a good wash-and-whack will help) and I still have to “park-and-chain” (meaning I make a length of chain and then add twist, instead of chaining while the spindle’s spinning) but I think the end result is really coming along nicely. And, it’s the first time I’ve achieved a worsted weight! Go me!!
- Ignore the incandescent light…focus on the plying
Su, by the way, has been the perfect spindle for this project. There’s nothing showy about Su. She’s not a fancy wood or shape. But what she lacks in style she more than makes up for in substance. Of my three Heavenly Handspinning drop spindles, I do believe she’s the best spinner.
- Su, you are lovely
And while she’s no ugly duckling, I do think she lets the true beauty of the project–the fiber–really stand out.
Finally, wonder of wonders, I am making slow progress on the knitting. Though if it’s gonna be slow progress, it should at least be impressive progress, and I think my Twisted Neopolitan socks fit the bill.
- Hey! It’s just about time for a heel!
Unlike the Herringbone Rib socks, where the slipped stitches slowed the whole thing down, these just cruise. But the tweeding…oh, the tweeding…
- An ingenius pattern
…oh, how I love thee…
Madori, by the way, is quite happy to have a houseguest for the week…though they were both more than a little mopey after Mr. Blue-eyes left this morning.
- The Mope Twins
