Reconditioning

Looky, looky what my Mom bought for me at a local Thrift Shop.....

This is an Ashford Traditional from 1982, based on the spokes, the circle of A's emblem on the front leg and the position of the scotch tension knob, close to the spinner.  Yippee!!! This is my dream wheel, the one I always imagined myself having.  Of course, I more imagined a brand new, varnished edition, but in these times when NO ONE has money, I mean NO ONE, you have to be creative in order to get things that you want. Some things we do without and some things we buy used. This wheel is missing the flyer, bobbins and lazy kate. She also needs a new drive band.  The most expensive part to buy new is the flyer, at $48.  I'm currently looking for a used one.  I'll be taking this down to Yarns, Etc. in Chapel Hill so that Mary Ann from Three Waters Farm, can look at it and tell me what else it might need. In the meantime, I spent part of yesterday conditioning the wood. I am amazed at how much better it looks!

My husband uses this recipe for a mixture that cleans and conditions wood. If you use 0000 steel wool, it is really a one step process:

Wood Conditioner/Cleaner

1/2 C Cider Vinegar
1/2 C Linseed Oil
1/2 C Mineral Spirits

Mix this in an old glass jar with a lid (peanut butter, spaghetti sauce). Shake well and apply liberally with the steel wool, giving special attention to dirt and caked dust, etc. Wipe and polish with a soft cloth.  I suggest you use this stuff outdoors. It smells pretty strong.
My spinning wheel is clean and shiny! It should darken and the oil should continue to protect it over the next few years.

Upcoming Workshop

In preparation for my upcoming workshop on September 21st at Downtown Knits, I have been working on some snuggly Granny Square slippers. For these, I chose Liberty Wool by Classic Elite.  This yarn has vibrant colors in fairly long repeats, so it lends itself well to striped and multicolor projects like this one.  I sat in the sunshine most of Sunday afternoon and worked on my squares....

And made them into these lovelies....

I much prefer these to the ones I made previously for my mother, mainly because these are wool. Mom still loves hers, though.
Each slipper requires 6 squares, stitched together with single crochet. You can find instructions at the Purlbee Blog. They can be made larger by simply adding an extra round to each granny square or for a small child, by eliminating one of the rounds for each square. The versatility of size and color make these a great gift choice for the upcoming holiday season and it's never too early to start!

Big Plans

I have big plans for this hand painted roving from Woolgatherings...big plans!

I have gotten the idea into my head that I will be able to spin this (on my drop spindle) and knit a pair of socks for my husband for Christmas....what do you think?  Here is a pic of some of the spun yarn as I get ready to ply with an andean bracelet...

Next, after I plied these single with my drop spindle (2-ply), I used my brand new Niddy Noddy from Fiber Artist Supply Company to wind a skein...SO much better than using my hand and elbow! This one makes 1-yard skeins; small, but fine for the amount of yarn I am spinning right now.

So now, I have started to knit...This ball is about 30 yds, or so. I am planning to ply as I fill spindles, then knit, and so on.  I like the look of this yarn...the plying really helped tone down the acid green and bright yellow.  I think Hal will like them. I have a feeling I may be regretting these size 0 needles, though, when it gets to be October and I have only nearly finished one sock....