Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Challenge

I need a little break from knitting. My Petrova is done, except for the I-cord and blocking, and after teaching a spindle class last weekend, I'm in the mood for a small spinning project. The challenge? To spin AND knit a pair of Bibliogloves in one week. I challenge other spinners, especially spindlers, to do the same. This is a perfect project for such a challenge--small, good for luxury or exotic fibres, easy to knit, fun to wear.
Q & A:
1. What fibre will I use? At first I was going to make my new Bibliogloves in a beautiful green merino I found while teaching at Rosehaven Yarns last weekend. Then, once home, I realized that I desperately wanted some alpaca content and perhaps an undyed natural colour. Upon scrounging around in my fibre stash I came across 100g of Ashford merino/alpaca in a creamy white. The thing about alpaca white is that it doesn't have the yellowy cast so many sheep wools have. OK, so white is supremely unpractical for fingerless gloves. I know that, but for some reason I crave this regardless. It's emotion, not reason, that's ruling the day.

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2. What spindle will I choose? I'm going with my new Akerworks modular spindle with a 10" shaft and a large whorl. Last summer, after the Yarn Harlot blogged about these, my curiosity got the better of me and I ordered one.
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I'm in love! I love the way the whorl comes off and the whole thing packs flat. I love that when you lay it down on a surface, it doesn't roll off onto the floor. I really, really love the cover on the hook which not only keeps the hook from grabbing hold of everything in your bag, but also acts as a stopper on the fibre when you take a break (see above). The only thing I didn't love at first was that the carbon shaft was slippery and it was difficult to get enough grip to initiate a good spin. I've solved that with that little rubber band you see wrapped around the base. 
3. Will I dye the fibre? No intention to do so at this point (see 1 above). Of course, that could change. FYI, did you know that Kool-Aid unsweetened crystals are no longer available in Canadian supermarkets? I looked up mail ordering, but unless you want to order 150 packets of Grape in bulk, forget it. 
So, join me in my pre-Thanksgiving (remember, Canadian Thanksgiving is in early October) challenge. I'll be wearing mine at Rhinebeck. 


Unless it's too hot.