Wednesday, June 05, 2013

Settled

Since getting bit by the fiber bug, I feel unsettled if I don't have something on the needles, spindles or wheel. It used to be books; I hated being between books. I always kind of hated being IN a book, too, because if it was a good one, all I wanted to do was lose myself in it; real life was such an interference. The fiber arts are much better, because I can be involved in life and a knitting or spinning project. In fact, I tend to be a better conversationalist while knitting or spinning because I don't get fidgety.

Life was too busy in May to even think about starting a major spinning or knitting project. I finished knitting a little gift project and spun the light grey Shetland I had drum-carded earlier, and kept moving the three big skeins of yarn I dyed for my Buds and Blooms cardigan out of my way. With the let-up in my hectic schedule, my fingers were getting itchy. So last night I wove in the ends on the gift knit, then took the Shetland singles I spun on my Jenkins Delight Turkish spindles and started plying them on Myrtle, my myrtlewood Jenkins Swan:

This old shoebox works slick for plying two balls of yarn; I've never once had them get tangled in there!

Ah, that feels better!

That's it for today from . . .

6 comments:

Retired Knitter said...

What kind of spindle is that?

Laura said...

I love the shoe box! I may have to try that for Navajo Plying on the Canadian - having only one bobbin means that I have to wind off a ball, and ply from that. I can pretty much assure you that if I tried 2 balls in a box, they would be horribly tangled by the end... Just my luck with string!

Michelle said...

That is a Jenkins Turkish "Swan" spindle; the Jenkins make the BEST spindles! You can order one from them at yarntools.com; they will also have a booth at Black Sheep. (GO! LOOK! :-)

Are you still coming the weekend before?

Michelle said...

Maybe if you can't LOOK at the balls, they won't tangle. hee!

Unknown said...

Oh, that's an interesting though Michelle; if you can't see it, it won't tangle. I think my would still manage to tangle.

Like you, I used to spend any and all of my "free" time reading, but had trouble putting down the book. Unless I'm working on something complicated, its much easier to put knitting down and move to something else for a while. Plus, yes, we can talk too.

Theresa said...

Ok Michelle, I went to the Jenkins site but, alas, they don't have any spindles for sale! Yours are so cute but I didn't realize just how small the spindles were until last weekend at the Hoosier Hills Festival. I wish I had lingered longer to look at them, but didn't. Now I kind of have the urge to get one to play with as I bought a high whorl to spin while vending there (I didn't have room to bring my big wheel).
Anyway, now I'm possibly on the hunt for one!