WIP Wednesday – July 3, 2024

WIP Wednesday (for “Work In Progress”) is a meme where we share our current fibery projects. It was started by Nicole @ Book-Wyrm-Knits, who also reviews books at book-wyrm-reads. 

Tour de Fleece Spinning

Tour de Fleece 2024 began on June 29 and will end on July 21. My only goals are to spin at least 15 minutes a day, regardless of the project, and to try drop spindling again. As you can see from the first photo, one of my projects is a spin I began in February; it’s a mixed BFL handdyed by Lazy Livin Fiber in a colorway called “Rusty Truck.” I finished the first bobbin (the full one) that month, before I messed up my wrist in March. I began the second bobbin in early June, after being cleared to leave the brace off during the day. I’m trying not to spin too much at a time, so as not to prolong or set back the healing. I’m using my primary wheel, Olwyn, for this spin; she’s an Ashford Traditional.

In the second photo, you can also see the project I started on Sunday, Day 2 of Tour de Fleece. I’m spinning Malabrigo Nube (merino) on my travel wheel, Alanna. The colorway is Boreal. To increase the frequency of the color changes, I split the top (roving) roughly in thirds along its length. I’m considering doing it as a three-ply, but I will need to buy a fourth bobbin and an extra pin for my Louet lazy kate. (Alanna is a Louet Victoria, and the bobbins are not interchangeable with the Ashford bobbins. They don’t even fit in my Ashford kate.)

Obviously there have been several days of spinning since Sunday, but because I’m not spinning for long most days, and I am spinning pretty fine for both projects, my progress isn’t that visible in a photo, so I’m not posting the day 3 and 4 photos here. (You can see them on my Instagram if you’re interested.)

In getting ready for Tour de Fleece, I finally wound my plied “Blackberry Jam” yarn off the bobbin and skeined it. There’s still part of a bobbin left unplied; I think I will make an Andean plying bracelet and ply it up. The photo above is fresh off the bobbin; I will wait to soak and set the twist until I get that last remaining bit plied.

Knitting

I had started a charity hat before I messed up my wrist. I still can’t knit much before getting either pain in the wrist and hand or tingling in my thumb, forefinger, and the outside of my wrist. But I can manage a row or two a day. (Spinning is easier on my hand and wrist; there is less motion for the wrist, and my grasp is softer.) Pattern: Basic Beginner Hats for the Family, by Vanessa Ewing. Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver in “Buff”.

Similarly, I had basically finished my Bijou Socks; all that was left was to graft the toe seam. Pattern: 8 Stitches per Inch Socks, by Ann Budd (my go-to basic sock recipe); I used a 3×1 rib stitch the full length of the leg and across the top of the foot. Yarn: Saki Bamboo by Wisdom Yarns, in “Bijou.”

Links:

NOTE: Because a small percentage of people have reported health issues associated with Ravelry’s site design (visual stress, headache, migraine, seizure), I will always indicate which links lead to that site. I will add that personally, I find their “Herdwick” light setting more comfortable for my eyes than the default skin. I continue to use the site because I find it very useful,

• Charity Hat (my project page on Ravelry). Pattern is Basic Beginner Hats for the Family by Vanessa Ewing (Ravelry link; pattern only available there.)
• Bijou Socks (my project page on Ravelry). Pattern is 8 stitches Per Inch Socks (Ravelry link), from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd (Goodreads link).

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