Gum Ball Hank & More to Spin & Knit

I have finished my first hank of handspun yarn.

I finished spinning the Gale Arts Gum Ball roving last night. This morning I wound it from the jumbo bobbin onto the niddy noddy.

** A couple of notes to self here: great idea to wind it onto a bobbin as the spindle got full. I need a much bigger niddy noddy. **

There were too many strands to get a count so I still don't know the yardage. I soaked the spaghetti looking yarn in a warm bath of Kookabura and then rinsed it. I rolled it into a towel for less than a minute. Huge fear of felting!!!! Then I looked at it and decided that I did not want it to dry that way. I am using directions from both Spin It and Start Spinning. They both say if the yarn is for crochet or knitting projects it can just be left to dry on the towel. Uh, I don't think so. It's still too curly, even after a few gentle pulls where the ties are. I decided to hang it in the shower. I have a set of acrylic stands so I set one in the shower and hung the hank on it. Much better - there was a downward pull on the damp strands and much less curl. Then I thought - the small stand is about the length of the hank, why not wrap the hank around the stand? So that's what I did. The measurement around is 36 inches, how cool is that!?! All I have to do is count the strands and I will have my yardage.



I finished drafting the rest of the A Day At The Fair Roving to spin on Miss Kitty (my Ashford Kiwi wheel) over the weekend.

Next on the drop spindle will be Monet. I will start drafting it after lunch.

I finished my third Clapotis. Interlacement Tiny Toes (#s 203 & 209) and Cherry Tree Hill (Tropical Storm) Sock yarns on size US 6 / 4.00 mm needles. I added 3 extra sets of 12 row repeats in sections 2 and 4 to make a bigger scarf/shawl. I think the next one I knit will be in Socks That Rock. I have decided all of the ladies in my extended family are getting Claps for Christmas. Carolyn, Davielle, Sedonia, Harmony, Lacey, Julie, and Doreen. I have already knit one for my Sister, but I think she wants a blue one. My brain just twitched, what a great way to knit down my Socks That Rock stash and my Wollmeise. ( I actually have Wollmeise in my stash that I don't like in the particular colorways - True Love being one of them.) So what's that come to? Eight more Clapotis. I probably should cast another one on this weekend. 8~}


Next to be cast on for myself is the Travelling Woman Shawl in Fiber Optic Lazy River. I must have this shawl knit properly with the charts in the right order. LOL, I have completely lost count of how many shawls I have knit for the 10 in 2010 Shawl KAL. I need to check Ravelry. I am counting the Clapotis because I have knit them all oversized - 60" in length - which I believe meets the minimum for the KAL.