Love, love love the 'rain & mud puddles!'

Looking good Alexus... the yarn and the spindle.  What is the whorl made of?

I have yet to spin superwash but I've heard terrible things about it



Cormo wool

crock pot dyed



then hand carded



spun



Navajo plied



Cotton, for summer socks for hubby.

I've been busy spinning and dyeing this week (besides getting caught up on my soapmaking.)

Canadian Wool (from the last Canadian fiber mill ran under a water wheel power).  Crock pot dyed




Some local Coopworth
I am currently spinning more of this red coopworth for a two ply.



Yarn from the 'leftover' of the above two yarns



Local Icelandic indigo dyed loosely plyed with very thin Shetland



Also, crock pot dyed this local Cormo turquoise, red & purple

Finally forced myself away from the spinning wheel to make soap this week.  Monday was preparing a 55 lb of master batch.  Only got 3 batches made on Tuesday when I realized I was out of lye.  Lye was delivered last night, so more soaping today.

All of these are Jersey milk soaps

OMH (unscented) toasted oats, honey from our hives



Cotton Blossom (TD & silver mica swirl)



Lily of the Woods (lavender, patchouli with touch of lily of the valley)



New to me EO blend.  Rosemary, sweet orange & tea tree (no colorants)



EucaMint



Citrus Basil



Lemongrass & Sage



Last of this particular EO blend




Back to the spinning wheel I go!

Love them both!  Wow!  The 2nd one screams LADYBUG!!

No spinning this week ... I've been playing around with my J loom.  I wove a couple dish cloths, then had warp left over so I used up bits and pieces of hand spun for a table runner



Up next was a Civil War Confederate carbine sling from the Spanish moss I prepped & spun

Great job Alexus!! 

Worsted spinning is not only fluffier, it is warmer too!

Here is the corrie. 

Top two skeins (total 340 yards) are single ply, thick/thin
bottom skein (150 yards) is 2-ply

They still need to be 'set' in a final wash.

Pattern from Knitty  The heel construction of this really intrigued me.  One down, one to go!

It fits amazingly well.  The only recommendation I'd give is to complete the heel before the foot & toe so you know how far to knit.

Got the first sock finished ...  This heel fits amazingly well!

Why there's no heel in it yet!!

This pattern intrigued me because of the different way to construct an after thought heel.  I don't like the way the 'regular' after thought heel feels/fits my foot.

this is what I knit up last night.  I'll be putting the heel on it tonight.

While down with knee surgery, I knitted a couple pair of socks.  The yarn is Brown Sheep WildFoote handdyed Lilac Desert & Ragtime.  



The pattern is Spring Forward

I took a couple liberties with the red/purple pair.  I purled the 2nd stitch of each pattern repeat and knit through the back loop of the yarn overs.

[FRONT]

I doubt 100 feet will be enough for a rope bed, at least not for the one I had.  Rope has been 'spun' for centuries using a rope making machine, not a standard spindle or wheel.

Here is my husband's rope making machine:

FRONT:


BACK:


DEVICE USED TO HOLD SEPARATE STRANDS OF HEMP OR JUTE:


I'm sure there are videos that shows how this works