More wool and knitting

A year ago in the Autumn I was busily spinning the wool you can see below. I - the person who does not (did not) knit - was going to make socks for my grandkids. You've seen the earlier pair of socks. Anyhow I wanted to spin "enough" yarn this time. As before all this came from different breeds of sheep. The black is from a Finnsheep named Robot who lives in Petäjävesi. It took me hours to clean Robot's wool which was loaded with debries. I persisted partly because it is Robot, and partly because it is Finnsheep, and partly because it is black and partly because the wool itself had potential. The brown is from a ManxLoghtan from England. I probably mentioned earlier that Manx is a rare breed and that my first exposure to Manx convinced me to spin and made me go to extreme lengths to get more of this wool (and nearly drove a few friends and acquaintences nuts in the process). The tan is not showing it's potential here. It is Coburger Fuchsschaffe (Coburg fox sheep) from Germany. It reminds me of making oatmeal cookies and has red kemp scattered throughout that looks like cinnamon among the tan and cream wool. The white is Osterfriesies Milchshaffe (East Freisian milk sheep) from Germany and my dear friend Gisela. All of these are rather harsh and the yarn is definitely thick.

Recently my wonderful sister Robin sent me a box full of knitting books that she had inadvertantly inherited with the purchase of her new home. She also sent Elsie Davenport's classic on Spinning which does indeed have a few tips I have not seen elsewhere. On Wednesday evening (26 November, 2008) at the regular Puikkoset (needlework group that I go to) I began knitting a pair of socks. When I got home I couldn't help going through the knitting books again. One of which (45 Fine and Fanciful Hats to Knit by Anna Zilboorg) I was seeing for the first time as I'd loaned it to my dearest daughter Funlayo more or less the moment it arrived. In it I found this oak leaf motief. It is 10 stiches across. Each of my four needles has 10 stiches....

So I switched from doing the planned color stipes to trying this motief. Now I am wondering if this is going to be "socks" or a sweater. In any event it will be WARM. The oak leaf motief will continue on the other side of the black "branch." I have other 10 stich patterns from other books lined up and pages marked to try also. I think I am about to enjoy knitting!

Smiles,
Susanne

Long time busy

I wanted to begin with something witty: Like the ice on the ground Wednesday or the whipped cream snow that covered things on Thursday and tripped me when I stepped in a snow hidden pot hole and went sprawling, or about all the chocolate cake I've been making - quadrupled a recipe for Devil's Food cake and served 50 + I had fun in a large industrial kitchen with a mixer more appropriat for mixing cement... but it worked.

I aslo wanted to have something amusing to relate but I can't think of anything. But I do have a few pictures here Well that's one of Lilja at the top. She was learning to make the spinning wheel work.





And this is Sofia with my other wheel. Again you can't tell that anything is happening. Both are just learning to make the wheel spin consistently and without wasting energy.






And this is of our friend Shervin and Joakim. It was taken on November 12, 2008.

At least you know I'm alive.
Smiles,
Susanne