New Skill Acquired!

New Day Socks

I knit these socks way back in June, but lost them in a knitting bag in the closet. Dug them out tonight, and discovered that they were finished except for the bind-off. A few short minutes with a tapestry needle, and voila!

These are knit from my handspun yarn - the fiber is corriedale wool in the "New Day" colorway, from Spunky Eclectic's monthly fiber Club. I love these orange-reds! Nice to have warm wool socks on a cold night - it's dropping below 30F tonight, which is really cold for us in the Deep South.

Alke asked me if the Huck Lace will close when I wash the towels. Yes, the fabric will draw together more when washed, though it will not be completely closed and dense. It will also 'poof' a little, giving texture which is good for drying hands and dishes.

Jolene asked about the Russian Spindle - I haven't tried it yet. I'm going to bring it with me to our guild's Roc Day celebration this Saturday. There will be ~100 spinners in attendance... I'm hoping someone can give me some hands-on instruction. From what I've read, you DO spin with it supported in a little bowl.

Adrienne says she has the same Tibetan Spindle, and the shaft is hickory. Thanks, Adrienne, for the wood identification!

First Towel Done

The first Huck Lace towel is done. This first towel has just the plain natural colored cotton for weft - the next 3 towels will have colored striping. I really like this pattern, and foresee many towels woven in this manner. I have lots of 8/2 cotton. :)


I acquired several lovely tools in the mail today. I am enamoured of spinning/weaving tools handmade by artisans, and I like to support small businesses. First let me show you the Bosworth (Journey Wheel) boat shuttle, in Bird's Eye Maple:




And here are two supported spindles, made by Edward Tabachek - the first is a Russian spindle, in walnut:



The second is a Tibetan spindle, in purpleheart and an unknown wood in the shaft:



I look forward to getting to know how to use these lovely spindles - they are supposed to be wonderful for spinning lace.

Huck Lace Towels

I started warping the loom with these towels on New Year's Eve. It is my intention ("resolution" sounds so formal) to weave more this year and learn more about my craft. So I started this project in a structure I haven't used before - Huck Lace.

These towels are from a kit I bought from Cotton Clouds. I own the magazine that contains the project instructions, so I just got the yarns.

I've warped 4.5 yards for 4 towels (32" each, should be 24" hemmed after washing).

After some problems getting the warp complete (learning opportunities!) I started weaving last night:

Happy New Year!

Hello, my poor neglected blog.

Let's try again, shall we? I'd like to keep you updated on a regular basis, with photos and descriptions and details of projects begun and completed. 2009 has been a difficult year - but the calendar has brought us a brand new one, filled with promise and possibilities.

So let's "start as we mean to go on" - and I'll come back and feed you more often.

Happy Twenty-Ten!