I had a bit of thinly spun yarn on a bobbin from a year or more ago and decided to just ply it up. But I didn’t want to navajo ply it, so I made an Andean plying bracelet. Amy laughs because the first time I tried to do this I couldn’t and rather than toss the mess, I ran the thread all over her store to straighten it all out. Nobody could move.

But now? I can do it!

It does rather make that finger turn purple. But sets me up just dandy to give the evil eye hexy thing to my neighbors. The wine bottle comes in handy to hold it until ready for plying…

About 25 yards, the color is right in the first two pics.

I thought I’d use the rest of the fiber (Amy’s Corriedale, in the color “Mandy”) for the long draw. I’m closer, but not quite there. Here’s half the top, fluffed up, yarn 2-plied, and leftovers.

hmmmm, time for another bracelet.

chanterelles!

nom nom…

Olfactory hallucinations

Phantosmia. Who knew it was a real thing? I haven’t been able to smell much since a bad sinus infection in May, and then at the end of the May I started smelling smoke. EVERYWHERE. Practically all the time. My doc put me on Flonase, but that hasn’t done much, so I’m setting up an appointment with an ENT. The other night I googled “smell smoke” and the FIRST result was a forum about “you smell smoke when it isn’t there”. No real answers, but lots of questions for the doc. Causes range from tumors to polyps to chemical sensitivities to allergies to nose picking to stress to proximity to computers to nerve damage from upper respiratory infections (the most likely for me). Easy things to try include sinus irrigation (which I’ve done) and steam inhalation therapy. You can buy a device, but a bowl of boiled water works just as well. I’ve been putting a few essential oil drops in it, which I can’t smell… until the hot water hits it. YOWZA.

Twice a day, in this stinking heat and humidity, I create my own little sauna. And try to read. And drip and drip and drip sweat. But my face feels great!

Went to Amy’s spin-in on Saturday with She Who Never Posts. Had a great time and saw Julie and some other folks. I seem to have my spin groove back. For the moment I know, but let me wallow in it…

I spun up some alpaca I’ve had around for a couple of years that had a very little bit on a single bobbin…

Details in Ravelry page, but basically a 2 ply, sport-ish, 350 yds.

Next up… experimenting with that long draw on some fiber I’m not loving too much anymore. (Is that Amy’s alter-ego in that painting, wearing her braids with the bow in her hair???? bwahahahahaha)

As in Navajo plied.

Something I got from Amy a few years back… it was intended for spindle spinning…. hahahahahahaha (OK, I know some of you actually do that). It’s wool, but I don’t know what sort, or the color. Toasted something seems to be in my memory. My calculations tell me I have about 370-375 yards total, but I’m doubtful.

Loops about 21-22 inches long x 2 (because though I made the niddy noddy shaft 9 inches long, I didn’t take into account the horizontal bars) = 42 x 107 strands = 4494 divided by 12 inches = 374.5.

mad math skillz no? I need more practice spinning and plying, but this should be good for mitts or part of a hat.

It’s hot… oooh! dropped 0.2 degrees in the past hour to 86.2. And I have a bench burn. I learned earlier this evening that loose dresses ride up when you slide along a wooden bench. Or attempt to slide along the bench, but don’t quite because your upper thigh got stuck to the wood. Walking tenderly… Back to shorts tomorrow. Or loose linen pants…

EDITED: OH! 375 FEET…. is about 125 yards. That makes more sense. Skillz, I tell ya….

Wigmore that is (though I do confess a fondness also for Hendrick’s)

Do you think I could find her “new” (March) cd in Augusta last night? NOPE! But I’ll get her somehow…

knitting

Oh yes, I guess I do do that… the orange sweater lingers. The sleeve was way wonky… I need advice from a knitting friend before continuing.

So, today, during an all day GIS conference, I did a bit on yet another pair of Maine Morning Mitts. They are clearly my “go-to” mindless small project, especially for small amounts of friendz blendz!

OH!

Look what I got from Mel this past weekend (raffle winnings from some time ago),

Way incredibly lovely, eh? Now I just need to get all the fiber off the bobbins and start to work on this… there is about 2 pounds here!

and ooooh!

There’s a hummingbird right outside the window this evening at the bee balm!

Sara I never post on my blog anymore won the snowmelt contest! (OK OK, to be fair, she is active in Ravelry). She guessed May 24, and, guess what? It was totally gone by then! There were a couple of minor wet spots that were raised a bit above the ground… these typically result from ice melting below them. But no ice… I figure it had finished melting that morning. A groundhog even appears to be living in that snowmelt area…

Since Sara works and lives in Augusta, it was easy to deliver her winnings on my way to a meeting (she lives on the east side and works on the west, I live on the west side and work on the east).

She seems happy with the circular needle holder and a couple of buttons. Or maybe it was the delivery of that frozen caffeinated beverage… It has been wicked hot here these past couple days (90’s and humid).

I did a bit of spinning over the weekend…

Something from Amy, not sure what color, burnt toffee maybe? I got this a few years back to use with the drop spindle. Which hasn’t been happening… so it’s now for the wheel. I’m not trying for anything special, just to get back in the groove… then I’ll move on to that alpaca I was working on months ago, or maybe that “I’m trying to spin thin” wool.