Fiber Arts Friday: Feeling Some Creative Energy

Some of you may know that after 18 months of commuting out of state for work, I was laid off in April 2020 due to Covid-19.

This layoff was my 10th in a 25-year career (so far) and lasted 9 months, until I began a Part-Time Contract in January 2021.

During that 9-month period of focused job searching I did spend time practicing yoga (masked and distanced), cooking nutritious food, and returning to a more regular sleep pattern.  However, very little inspiration, design, or enabling work occurred with respect to creative pursuits.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that I spun a lot of yarn over the last year.  For me, spinning is always part of a much larger project, so it generally does not require much creative energy to execute  But toward the end of my layoff, I even lost the mojo for spinning yarn.

So here we are, in late March 2021.  My employment situation is not fully resolved, but the project I'm working on is quite interesting and the creative juices are starting to flow again... even if it's just a trickle.

I finally removed a yarn from one wheel that was finished in early December 2020.  I am back to spinning nearly every day, have  (occasionally) picked up a long-languishing knitting project, and have had a few bouts of creative inspiration.

I have no promises for regular blogging as of yet... but Spring is coming.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

2020: The Year that Wasn't and Was

A whole lot of things did not happen in 2020:

• Dog Shows
• Trips
• Races
• Competitions
• Litter
• Online Farm Store
• Gainful Employment

But some very important things did happen in 2020:

• Rest and Recovery
• Regular Yoga Practice
• Improved Health and Fitness
• Elimination of Constant Pain
• Whole, Home-cooked, nourishing and creative meals
• Extended Quality Time with my Chosen One
• Goals for the Future

Last night I attended a guided meditation as a means to transition from 2020 to 2021 in a purposeful way.  I found the metaphor of the evening to be quite profound.

For us, the sun has now set on this last day of 2020.

My hope is that when the sun rises tomorrow on 2021, our collective hearts are full of joy, curiosity, kindness, and courage.

Taking a Break

Apparently I'm taking a break from my blog.

I didn't intend to... but I haven't had much of an appetite for fiber pursuits recently, and the cooler weather means I'm less interested in spinning as well.

Neighborhood Elk on a Windy Day

I do have lots of thoughts and have been journaling quite a bit.  So I'll be back soon.

I hope you all are staying healthy.

Fiber Arts Friday: New Normal Socks

I was thinking that I would use my left-over New Normal yarn in my Scrappy Palindrome Scarf, but at 111g (3.9oz), there is enough to make a pair of socks.

I decided to make the simple Toe-up sock pattern that I've used a few times for Hubba.  I intend to work thru the rainbow New Normal Remnants while making two socks at a time.  I have considered it, but have not done two-at-a-time before.

First up is swatching...  The New Normal Scarf used US10 needles in Linen Stitch.  Since I'm making socks in stockinette, I want a more dense fabric.  I started with US6 (lower swatch) which is nice, but not dense enough.  So I made a second swatch with US3 (upper swatch), thinking it might be too dense for this yarn... but since I do not currently own any US4 or US5 needles, I wanted a clue before I ventured out to buy a set.

I think the US3 will work fine for this project.... and as a bonus, I don't need to buy more needles, during a lay-off, during pandemic!

After a few measurements and setting of Way Points, I cast on.  :-)

I cast on 15 stitches because I like a wide toe box.  It should have been an even number, so I added an extra increase on the outside of each sock, which means they now have a top and a bottom, the stitch marker indicates the top and the end of the round.

While working on this project, I need to remember to pay attention so the yarn joins are clean (no knots) and that the ladders are minimized on the sides of each sock.

Resources for Two-at-a-Time:

Top Down - Knitter's Pride
Top Down - Vickie Howell
Top Down - The Spruce Crafts
Toe Up - Very Pink
Toe Up - Kristin Belle

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Copperbranch, part 2

I decided to tink back a few rows, since 42% of the total yarn is required for the edging/lace portion.  This way I am being conservative, since I do not have a third skein of this yarn.

I now have a lifeline in place, 25 sections, and 3 stitches on each end for a total of 406 stitches.

106g have been knit and 87g remain, leaving ~55% of the total yarn.  Lace is next.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Shave 'Em to Save 'Em, Shropshire

Breed - Shropshire

My first thoughts are this yarn is extremely spongy, drafts nicely, and would be really nice in anything requiring a lot of memory such as hats and socks.

I like that this preparation doesn't seem to have lanolin in it.

A nice spongy 2-inch staple.

I was wanting to spin these SE2SE samples thicker, but sometimes the yarn just wants to be what the yarn wants to be... this is much closer to my typical thin gauge.

I think this breed would be lovely in garments requiring some memory such as hats and sweaters.  It would also be lovely in socks and mittens.

I spun a lot of this during the 2020 Tour de Fleece, v1, but finished it between tours.

Shropshire is a member of the Down family of sheep, which explains my thoughts about its potential uses.  Ancestors of this breed are documented as far back as 1341.  The name Shropshire was assigned in 1848 and they were first imported to the US in 1855.

Shropshires are considered good quality for meat, wool, and milking... which, in my opinion, should make them a great option for homesteaders.

The Livestock Conservancy has Shropshire listed as Watch, meaning there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the US and a world population estimated at less than 2000.

This wool was grown in Connecticut, but the roving was milled and sourced locally form the Fiber Traveler/Aspen Kid.

Final Yarn: 
Single Duration: July 9 - July 26, 2020
Ply Duration: July 26 - August 1, 2020
ounces: 3.5
yards: 244, 2-ply
wpi:  12
Ready to Submit:  August 7, 2020

SE2SE Status:  Shropshire
Total Breeds: 22
Breeds Sourced: 16
Breeds Spun: 13
Breeds To Go: 9

Months Remaining: 14 (12/31/21)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: emPower People 2020 - VOTE!

I don't have a lot in the way of dyed yarn.... certainly not much in anything that resembles purple.  However, my Brother and SIL have provided me with a two purple yarns from their travels.  :-)

The most recent is an alpaca they found while on a trip to Peru a few years ago.

This is a hand-spindled, 4-ply, baby alpaca that I've been saving for just the right project.

Given that 2020 has been.... well... 2020, and our upcoming election is the most consequential in my lifetime, I felt the emPower People Project was something I wanted to get behind.

I got close to having to play yarn-chicken, which I don't enjoy.  So I opted to make the last few rows in Pussy Hat Pink.

This is a very simple knit and easy to increase or decrease the size.

Election Day is November 3rd.... just 3 weeks away.  Please ensure you are well-informed and have a plan to vote.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!