Plying and Spinning

Plied the last bits of my Woolgatherings Superwash BFL today. The drop spindle is a very hand tool, along with my makeshift Andean Bracelet...

Just to free up a couple bobbins for this...

The oatmeal BFL from Paradise fibers...the plan is a nice 2 ply to knit a vest. We shall see if 8oz. Will be enough...

Spinning....

Just received some lovely fibers I want to share with you spinners out there. So scrumptious! 
The first is a rose color blend by Ashland Bay from Slim Chicken. It is 70% merino (21.5 microns) and 30% tussah silk. I'm spinning it on my drop spindle. This spins like butter, but is really more grey than rose...

Next, I have some beautiful, oh-so-soft oatmeal BFL from Paradise Fibers...

This is a full 8 ounces, which I hope will be enough to spin and knit a vest for my husband.  I'll be spinning this on my wheel, two ply, or possibly 3 ply. I need to do some reading to decide which would be best.

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....

CGOA National Crochet Month

A very warm welcome to Angelarae Knits! I'm Angela and have been crocheting for 16 years now and knitting for about 12.  I love to design and teach the needle arts! I am currently a crochet instructor at the uber-fabulous Downtown Knits in Apex, NC.  If you live in the Raleigh area, you must come by! You won't be sorry:0)

As a member of CGOA, I am thrilled to participate in this years NatCroMo Blog Tour, hosted by Crochetville. You can find all the blog links for this year's tour, here.  In honor of National Crochet Month, please consider donating to our sponsored charity, Project Night Night. This wonderful organization exists to provide bedtime care packages to homeless children across the country. They accept crocheted and knitted blankets as donations, so get stitching!

I would also like to offer a free pattern which I have designed especially for this event.  If you have read my blog before, you know I love to spin on a drop spindle.  Usually, I spin fine to super fine singles with wool or mohair and ply using the Andean method. In honor of CGOA and National Crochet Month, I spun up some soft wool top in a beautiful ocean green for my offering today, Handspun Baby Socks.

Fiber: Merino Top from Unplanned Peacock
Spindle: Top Whorl
Spun: Z
Plied: Andean method - S
WPI: 20 (sport)
Hook: D-3 3.25mm
Gauge: 6 sc and 6 rows = 1 inch
Size: 0-3 Months

*Commercial sport weight or baby yarn should be fine for this pattern.




Please use this link to download your free pdf as my 'Thank You' for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy these!  As with any of my patterns, feel free to contact me with questions or issues (or, just to say 'Hi')  I am available to you in the following ways.
Twitter: @yarnmaniac
Facebook: Angela Whisnant
Ravelry: Angelarae63
Email: arwhisnant@gmail.com

By the way, if you haven't stopped by Andrea's, LeAnna's, or Donna's, head on over. Next up, Andrea and Renee!

Forgive Me For Geeking Out....

...but I can't get over how much fun it is to create your own yarn from a large 2 oz. piece of lovely, creamy white, wool roving. I spun this clockwise (z twist) on my drop spindle and am not plying but knitting with it as a single. It is smooshy, and springy and I love it! The pattern pictured is the Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn Clark, knitted with a size 4 circular.

Mini Spindle

This is not the smallest spindle I've ever seen. I have seen smaller ones that were meant as charms. But, it is the smallest one I have ever attempted to spin with, and the lightest. It weighs .28 ounces. I have had to adjust my technique quite a bit to spin a fine mohair on this thing. But, I have been able to do it. I am hoping it may be easier to spin wool, something with a little shorter staple length. I purchased this with the hope that it will be more portable and it certainly is that. It is lovely and well made. Here are the specs :

Maple Burl with Ambrosia Maple shaft
1 1/2 inch Whorl diameter
3/8 inch Whorl thickness
7/8 inch above the Whorl
4 inch below the Whorl

Where Did The Time Go?

Indeed...where did it go?  I realize that my time management skills have not been very good.  I have never been able to accomplish as much as I would like to.  It is something I have realized in working with FlyLady.  I believe it has something to do with my attitude towards tasks that need to be done.  Some I am enthusiastic about, and some, I am not.  I could spend hours spinning or knitting, but accomplish little else. Some might call this a balance issue.  Some time spent on cleaning, some time spent on exercising, some spent on socializing, not too much on any one thing.  I think this is probably a very common problem nowadays. It seems that the more convenience and gadgets we add to our lives, the more we try to squeeze into it.  It can become very difficult to slow down.  It is for me, anyway. 
I have learned, however, that a few minutes here and there do not only add up, but add a great deal of quality and, dare I say, Peace to my life.  I can tackle a cluttered area of my house for 15 minutes at a time and whip it into shape with no problem.  Some areas may require several 15 minute blocks, but they get done eventually.
In her book 'Respect The Spindle,' Abby Franquemont discusses production spinning with a drop spindle and the mechanics of getting more done.  In order to improve your time spinning,. it is helpful to break the act of spinning down into four parts, and time yourself while performing each one: set the spindle in motion, spin a length of yarn, wind onto spindle, and secure the yarn.  She points out that eliminating a few seconds of time from each step can yield a significant increase in yardage. She writes:

"Saving seconds here and there may not seem like much, but they can really add up.  Using the example of our four basic steps and an average time of 103 seconds, a spinner could complete those steps about 35 times in an hour.   If that sequence produces 1 yard of yarn, that's 35 yards in an hour."

She goes on to demonstrate that shaving of a total of 17 seconds, divided over these 4 steps yields an increase to 42 yards per hour.  That's nothing to sneeze at.  So by implication, shaving off a few minutes or, yes, even seconds, of time from tasks and chores during our day, we can greatly increase what we accomplish.
And the thing is, I keep getting the same message from different places. I recently noticed one of my Ravelry friends has something like 400 + projects. When I asked how she knits that fast, she simply said, "A few minutes here and there all add up."
So it comes down to efficiency, wouldn't you say?  Efficiency means skillfulness in avoiding wasted time and effort.
So thanks, Abby and thanks Bruinmom99.  I expect to have all this spun up by next week;->