Monday, June 09, 2003

Baby Ford

Our Dear Friends announced the arrival of their grandson a week ago; fortunately, his quilt just has to be bound now. I finished the quilting at my Sew Behind day at My Sewing Room (sorry, no website!) on Friday. Then I began yet another (#4!) Magic Tiles quilt -- this one for the daughter of some Other Dear Friends, who will be 13 in August. It's in **brights**, "grouted" with black, and to be backed in a black fabric covered with electric pink, orange, green and yellow dots! Kewl! I have a date with the Longarm at MSR in mid-July, so I'm hoofin' it.

Sittin' 'n' Knittin'

I passed the Point of No Return on the front of my Silketweede sleeveless top, and am now doing the lace insert and the armhole shaping. I've decided to go all out and block this entire project (jacket and under-sweater) properly -- pinning and all. I figure I owe it to myself. I've also returned to the Gedifra Jacket and hope to have a progress photo soon.

In related news, I've been learning to spin with the lovely little drop spindle I got at
Shuttleworks -- and am slowly but surely getting somewhere. I actually made one spindle-ful from start to finish (i.e. washed and dried and turned into a ball) and am swatching it up on a pair of 3.75 mm needles, just to see what it looks like. The stocking stitch is amazingly even and the feel is fairly soft (the roving is from Briggs and Little, their Country line). And it smells so natural!
I have started to use the 'supported' spindle method (using a table) as I find it keeps me from spinning too much too fast and having it either over-spun or under-spun. The 'joining' of ends is coming along, but I think I find that -- and leaving a long enough spun leader -- trickiest.

The clock on the wall tells me that I won't get any Gedifra Jacket knit tonight if I don't stop now. A bientot! And Sweet Dreams....

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