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.
Spinning
I had a successful Tour de Fleece! I didn’t get as much accomplished as the spinners who spun literally pounds of yarn, or a whole pile of skeins. But I exceeded my goal of spinning at least 15-20 minutes a day; most days, I spun for at least twice that long. So I count that as a win!
Rusty Truck: This yarn is done! I started spinning this during the 2024 Tour de Fleece, finished both 4-oz singles by November 2024, chain-plied the first of them in spring of this year, and finished chain-plying the second during Tour de Fleece 2025. It has been washed and measured; the two skeins combined come to 538 yards (8 oz.); I haven’t checked the wraps per inch, but it feels like a light fingering yarn. The fiber is mixed BFL top, dyed by Lazy Livin’ Fiber.
Flame Bright: I spun this singles during this year’s Tour de Fleece in July. It’s an intentionally thick-and-thin art yarn, spun from three art batts that I created last year on my blending board using red and orange merino, scraps of black and yellow wool (type unknown), and some angelina and sari silk threads. I plan to spin a thin red singles to ply it with. The yellow wool is a bit scratchy, so unless it softens with washing, this is probably destined for a bag or table runner rather than a garment. I’ll probably try weaving with it.
Boreal: I started Boreal during the 2024 Tour de Fleece. I’m spinning it on my folding travel wheel, a Louet Victoria I have named “Alanna” because she is small but mighty. (Yes, that’s a reference to the Tamora Pierce series.) The fiber is a 4-oz. braid of Malabrigo Nube; it’s merino, but Nube tends to be rather compacted and have some nepps (little clumps or knots of fiber.) I split it three ways vertically, intending to do a three-ply fingering yarn, but I may end up doing a chain ply instead. I didn’t get far with it last year, so during Tour de Fleece 2025, I finished up one bobbin and started the second. I have added a little more to the second Boreal bobbin since TdF ended on July 27 (the second photo.)
Knitting
May I Borrow This Please shawl: This is our fiber guild’s first knit-along (KAL). I started it in June on Worldwide Knit In Public Day, and hope to finish it by the end of August. The pattern is May I Borrow This Please by Lorraine Waitman. The yarn is technically a fingering weight, but it looks and feels much more like a DK; it was hand-dyed by Hairball Yarns in New Mexico, an indie dyer who I think is no longer dyeing yarn.
The guild is actually doing two patterns simultaneously; the other KAL pattern is the Simple Rules Cowl, and I hope to knit that next… but I will either have to buy or spin the yarn.
Dad’s Homestead Tweed Cardigan Vest: This has been hibernating for the past 6 months, and I need to get back to it. I had intended to finish it for Dad’s birthday, but it’s going to have to wait for Christmas, now.
Celestial Socks: I finished this pair of socks today. The pattern is Hermione’s Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder (Dreams in Fiber.) It’s one of the most popular sock patterns on Ravelry, with over 43,400 projects; I’ve made 4 pairs (although I modified one pair to add a slip stitch because I didn’t like the way the yarn was pooling. And I always use my go-to heel from the Ann Budd sock book.) This pair is knit in Paton North America’s Kroy Socks FX yarn, in the Celestial Colors colorway.
Anne - Books of My Heart
I love seeing all these! Great work.
Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Knife in the Back by Karen Rose @karenrosebooks.bsky.social @berkleyromance.bsky.social @berkleypub.bsky.social @KarenRoseBooks @BerkleyRomance @BerkleyPub
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you! I wish I were better at posting about my crafting, but at least I’ve gotten back to doing creative stuff, and it feels good.
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits
Oh wow, it all looks great! I’m really curious to see the finished art yarn; I’ve never done intentional thick & thin yarn like that, and it fascinates me.
And hooray for finished socks!
Nicole @ BookWyrmKnits recently posted…WIP Wrap-up for July 2025
Lark_Bookwyrm
Thank you! I’m trying to finish up the Boreal before I spin the red singles for the art yarn, so it may be a while. Spinning that thin takes a long time. I don’t understand how people can spin an entire braid of yarn in an afternoon. (Well, I do… I assume they are spinning long draw, using a smaller whorl/faster speed, and spinning thicker than I am.) My slowness frustrates me, but at the same time, I don’t want to hurry. I enjoy the process as much as the finished yarn.