This Week's News
Lots of things have happened in the last few days, so here is a round up in as short a version as I can manage :
Spinning :
After finishing my beautiful Smoke & Mirrors Yarn I waited two days then moved on to spinning Imogen's first attempts at carding. Remember these little fluffy mini batts or if rolled up like cigars they would be rolags?
The yarn is turning out quite pretty, very sparkly and soft. I weighed the bundles all together and it came to exactly 4oz / 113g so I split into two lots and decided to pick up the darkest ones going through to the lightest ones on the first single. This worked out quite well so am doing the same with the second single.
Whilst spinning, Imogen has started another lot of carding this time in purples. I tried to explain to her to try and get a more definite tone going from darker ones to lighter ones but there are definitely more darker ones in the pot than light toned lavender. There is lots of sparkle though and they are very pretty so am going to spin those next into yarn before moving on to my beautiful Knitty And Color Mysterions spinning batts. The first one has arrived, the second one should be here in a couple of days as I bought them five days apart. The postage from the US was quicker for me to receive this one than if I had of bought them from within the UK.
In my hands the batts is actually much prettier than in the photos, lots of dark aubergine and black sparkles and the texture is beautifully smooth. I am excited to be able to spin them together as one 10oz / 284g skein of yarn.
Knitting :
I have almost finished knitting the 9 Pearls Scarf now using my Summer handspun yarns that I spun last year. Its turning out quite nicely and last night I had to attach the second skein wound into a ball as the yarn had run out. Such a shame one skein didnt make the entire piece because I only need about 20g of the second skein to finish it. However, this means I will have lots of yarn left to make another quickie project, maybe something to match the 9 Pearls Scarf, not sure yet will have to think on that one when the scarf is actually finished.
Plans are coming along very nicely for my handspun jumper design. I have only three more yarns to spin for it and can make a start on the knitting. Feeling quite excited to be able to do a silk and mohair blend of handspun too. Preparations are going very well for that yarn in particular.
Dyeing :
Yesterday I produced my first 100% naturally dyed Tussah Silk braid from a completely exhausted dye bath of logwood purple and madder roots deep red. Basically I had popped the 120g silk into a pot of luke warm water with acidic mordant and poured the already prepared dyes on top. Popped the lid on and started heating it but then the dinner was ready and we were all very hungry waiting because the potatoes refused to fluff up and become soft in the vegetable curry. So once it was ready I wanted to serve it all up straight away so I placed a lid on the simmering dye pot, turned it off as I couldnt watch it any longer and went to eat. After dinner Harvey wanted a snuggle so I brought him upstairs and got into bed with him. It was after 1:30pm the following day (yesterday) I remembered about the pot on the cooker as we were discussing a late lunch in the living room. To my great surprise when I went to look inside the dye bath, it had totally exhausted, not a trace of colour left in the water. Result! I dried the silk last night laying it out on dry towels in front of the gas heater in the living room. It dried very quickly and later last night I braided it to see what it would look like if I were to list similar fibres in the shop. The colours are very beautiful deep purples and reds, was initially disappointed at the four or five small streaks of white here and there but actually it doesnt look too bad now that I see the braid in the daylight. So watch this space, lots more MHE Naturally Dyed Tussah Silk to follow and be listed in the Shop. This one I am going to spin with some natural grey undyed mohair locks that my friend sent me at Christmas time. I am hoping for a yarn similar to this one :
which is from this brilliantly put together tutorial Spinning Mohair from Attenuated Locks. Going to give it a good attempt at the very least, I have my supplies now so after I finish with Imogen's mini sparkly batts I can make a start.
Health Update :
Nothing new to report on the health front really. Still living in immense pain most of the time which is highly frustrating. I considered whether I might have developed appendicitis last night as my stomach and all around my abdominal cavity emulating from the right side to the left was so achy and painful. Like gripes but much much more disabling. I was backwards and forwards to the toilet but nothing was happening. It felt like a huge expansion of gas in an air bag that was sealed shut by a cork about to pop at any moment. Still very very sore this morning but more tired than anything and that ridiculous pain in my lower spine tailbone area is still raging so I'm not going to sit for much long on my bed to type this entry out. Harvey has woken up so I am going to get back into bed with him and snuggle in the warm for a while.
I have my surgeon appointment on Monday so am looking forward to getting some answers and a date fixed for the operation. At least pencilled in if he wants to wait for the results of the MRI scan in two weeks.
Time for a snuggle now I think, will write more when I am able to sit up with my laptop on my lap table again.
Spinning :
After finishing my beautiful Smoke & Mirrors Yarn I waited two days then moved on to spinning Imogen's first attempts at carding. Remember these little fluffy mini batts or if rolled up like cigars they would be rolags?
The yarn is turning out quite pretty, very sparkly and soft. I weighed the bundles all together and it came to exactly 4oz / 113g so I split into two lots and decided to pick up the darkest ones going through to the lightest ones on the first single. This worked out quite well so am doing the same with the second single.
Whilst spinning, Imogen has started another lot of carding this time in purples. I tried to explain to her to try and get a more definite tone going from darker ones to lighter ones but there are definitely more darker ones in the pot than light toned lavender. There is lots of sparkle though and they are very pretty so am going to spin those next into yarn before moving on to my beautiful Knitty And Color Mysterions spinning batts. The first one has arrived, the second one should be here in a couple of days as I bought them five days apart. The postage from the US was quicker for me to receive this one than if I had of bought them from within the UK.
In my hands the batts is actually much prettier than in the photos, lots of dark aubergine and black sparkles and the texture is beautifully smooth. I am excited to be able to spin them together as one 10oz / 284g skein of yarn.
Knitting :
I have almost finished knitting the 9 Pearls Scarf now using my Summer handspun yarns that I spun last year. Its turning out quite nicely and last night I had to attach the second skein wound into a ball as the yarn had run out. Such a shame one skein didnt make the entire piece because I only need about 20g of the second skein to finish it. However, this means I will have lots of yarn left to make another quickie project, maybe something to match the 9 Pearls Scarf, not sure yet will have to think on that one when the scarf is actually finished.
Plans are coming along very nicely for my handspun jumper design. I have only three more yarns to spin for it and can make a start on the knitting. Feeling quite excited to be able to do a silk and mohair blend of handspun too. Preparations are going very well for that yarn in particular.
Dyeing :
Yesterday I produced my first 100% naturally dyed Tussah Silk braid from a completely exhausted dye bath of logwood purple and madder roots deep red. Basically I had popped the 120g silk into a pot of luke warm water with acidic mordant and poured the already prepared dyes on top. Popped the lid on and started heating it but then the dinner was ready and we were all very hungry waiting because the potatoes refused to fluff up and become soft in the vegetable curry. So once it was ready I wanted to serve it all up straight away so I placed a lid on the simmering dye pot, turned it off as I couldnt watch it any longer and went to eat. After dinner Harvey wanted a snuggle so I brought him upstairs and got into bed with him. It was after 1:30pm the following day (yesterday) I remembered about the pot on the cooker as we were discussing a late lunch in the living room. To my great surprise when I went to look inside the dye bath, it had totally exhausted, not a trace of colour left in the water. Result! I dried the silk last night laying it out on dry towels in front of the gas heater in the living room. It dried very quickly and later last night I braided it to see what it would look like if I were to list similar fibres in the shop. The colours are very beautiful deep purples and reds, was initially disappointed at the four or five small streaks of white here and there but actually it doesnt look too bad now that I see the braid in the daylight. So watch this space, lots more MHE Naturally Dyed Tussah Silk to follow and be listed in the Shop. This one I am going to spin with some natural grey undyed mohair locks that my friend sent me at Christmas time. I am hoping for a yarn similar to this one :
which is from this brilliantly put together tutorial Spinning Mohair from Attenuated Locks. Going to give it a good attempt at the very least, I have my supplies now so after I finish with Imogen's mini sparkly batts I can make a start.
Health Update :
Nothing new to report on the health front really. Still living in immense pain most of the time which is highly frustrating. I considered whether I might have developed appendicitis last night as my stomach and all around my abdominal cavity emulating from the right side to the left was so achy and painful. Like gripes but much much more disabling. I was backwards and forwards to the toilet but nothing was happening. It felt like a huge expansion of gas in an air bag that was sealed shut by a cork about to pop at any moment. Still very very sore this morning but more tired than anything and that ridiculous pain in my lower spine tailbone area is still raging so I'm not going to sit for much long on my bed to type this entry out. Harvey has woken up so I am going to get back into bed with him and snuggle in the warm for a while.
I have my surgeon appointment on Monday so am looking forward to getting some answers and a date fixed for the operation. At least pencilled in if he wants to wait for the results of the MRI scan in two weeks.
Time for a snuggle now I think, will write more when I am able to sit up with my laptop on my lap table again.