In the studio

It feels like there's been a lot happening and at the same time very little. I've taken advantage of the end of the Christmas rush with a good deal of selfish knitting. I finished my Bleecker Street cardigan, finally, and it's drying on the blocking board. The fit, from what I can tell so far, is great. The fronts were doing quite a lot of curling though, so I wanted to give it a good block before wearing. It would be wonderful if it were ready to wear to Monday night knitting!

After that, I immediately cast on a simple, plain hat with the leftover ball and change from the sweater. I haven't photographed it. It turned out well, though I wish I'd done it with either more or less slouch. It's right on the edge. I might line it though, as it's only a sport weight and I could use a little more warmth here up north. That will probably fill in the not enough slouch just enough to make it a good hat for me.

After THAT I cast on the Chilly Podsters that have been on my list for years. I started out working the fingering weight pattern, but quit after deciding they wouldn't be warm enough. They're a fingerless glove with a mitten flip top. I've needed them ever since the advent of touch screen phones, and now they are mine. They are knit from Cascade 220 superwash worsted weight on size 3 needles. I usually knit my kids mittens, also worsted weight, on size 5's, so this fabric is even more dense than I'm used to. They were really tight when I first put them on, but they are loosening up nicely with wear, and the dense fabric keeps them warm. Even so, I might go ahead and line the flip top if and when I line the hat, because why not. I love the functionality of the flip top thumb. I only did it on my right hand and I'm glad I did. Sometimes it doesn't quite overlap and that's a little annoying, but that's really the only thing!

I've been picking away at the sock yarn blanket too after snapping up scraps from a much smarter knitter whose blocks are about 4x the size of mine. I'm really loving this time to myself. I've yet to feel much in the mood for sewing, but I'm hoping it will come soon. I've got some ideas for myself, and possibly the shop. We'll see. I'm not pushing it.

I also, after a few years of idle speculation, acquired a spinning wheel. My years of speculation have merely been idle because it turns out wheels start at $400 and go up steeply from there. A little much to invest in a possibly passing fancy. I'd been casually looking on Craigslist, and found a working vintage wheel, origin unknown. The guy threw in a dress form, which I've also been looking for, for just $5, and a pile of yarn (chosen from several bins) for another $10. She's a bit bustier than I am, but since I'm looking more for decor than fit, and more for a $5 pricetag than $50-200, she's perfect. She needs a stand. I'll have to work on that. It was a pretty good trip, and no mom, I didn't get murdered or maimed.

As for the spinning, I spent an evening disassembling, dusting, and greasing up the moving parts. It still runs a bit rough but I think it will get better with time. I ordered some fiber. I'm pretty terrible. Most of the time I spin frustration, the others I seem to be spinning tightly spun rope, not pretty soft yarn. Yes, this will take some practice.