Socks and Cowls and Handspun—Oh My!

June 12, 2019 Lark_Bookwyrm WIP Wednesday 2

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.

I haven’t posted a WIP Wednesday post since April 17 (oops!), so there’s more than usual to show you this week.

Spinning

“Mirkwood”: I finished spinning and plying the “Painted Velvet” wool-bamboo blend from Gurdy Run Woolen Mill (above.) I ended up with 3 skeins of 2-ply yarn. I chain-plied the remaining singles and ended up with a tiny little mini-skein. 6 oz. of wool total. It’s a bit scratchier than I like next to the skin, but I think it might make a decent winter scarf. I named the yarn “Mirkwood” because with the olive, burgundy, and occasional blue tints in the charcoal-gray base, it reminds me of the forest in The Hobbit.

“Alpine Forest”: My dad took me to the yarn shop over Christmas, and I picked out this lovely green Polwarth wool to spin because green is his favorite color. (I can’t remember what they called the color; I’ve renamed it.) I spun it onto two bobbins and chain-plied both. I’m happy to report that I have finally got the hang of chain-plying, and I’m really happy with how this came out (above.) Despite the occasional changes of thickness due to my still-uneven spinning, the yarn is soft and squishy and bouncy, and will make a lovely neck-warmer… as you can see below (scroll down.)

Finally, there’s this wool-mohair blend from Gurdy Run Woolen Mill (above.) The original colorway name is “Rhubarb,” but with the black that runs through much of it, I’m not sure that name works for me now that the fiber has been spun. I’m thinking of calling it “Japanese Maple,” but I’m open to suggestions! I spun 6 oz. of fiber onto 3 bobbins (one very full, two less so), and now I’m plying them into a true 3-ply. It’s my first time working with mohair, and I deliberately let the singles vary a bit in diameter; I think that will enhance the rustic feel and appearance of the fiber.

Knitting

I finished knitting the Helen cowl (above) but still need to block it, sew the ends together, and add the little gathering loop.

I finished sock #2 of my Hermione’s Not-So-Everyday Socks (above) and just need to soak and block them (as much as I ever block socks!)

Here’s the Alpine Forest NeckWarmer I’m knitting for my dad (above.) Like the yarn, it’s soft and thick and bouncy. I’m using the Yarn Harlot’s One-Row Handspun Scarf pattern, but I will modify the pattern to make it short and add buttons and buttonholes, so the ends cross and button in place.

So that’s it. It looks like a lot, until you realize this is about 6 or 7 weeks of crafting, and the cowl was half-way done and the socks were nearly finished back in April.

Next on the knitting schedule is a baby blanket for my niece’s baby; she’s expecting a little girl in August. I bought the yarn today, and I’ll cast on sometime this week.