Thursday, March 01, 2007

In the middle

It is March, here meaning only that it is spring-winter. Not spring by any means, snow is piling higher and higher and soon I start to doubt if it will ever melt away, but winter is a bit milder now. The forest wakes up, the winds come long ways and bring messages from warmer climates… and I try to be patient for the sun rays to be warm enough to squeeze the first water drops from the snowy roofs and to let the count down of winter to begin… In March during the nights the temperatures might still drop as far down as –30 C but during the day the temperatures will rise on some fortunate days up to 0. There is plenty of light and all this white and clean snow multiplies the light so it always feels like the light has come suddenly. The change is dramatic. And it gets better by the day.

As Cara said it so well in her last post, it is great to be in the middle of a project.

My loom is a pleasant companion. I have finally picked the rhythm and my feet seem to be finding the right pedals and the fabric is getting longer every day. The Pomatomus socks are growing, I’m past the heel turn on the second one and I still feel the love for the pattern. I just might make another pair now that I sort of have the pattern in my mind and the next ones would be so much easier to knit.

But the wheel…The wheel is still something I have to sort out. I have this Merino/Silk waiting to be plied. The problem is that I have already started a shawl with some of it two-plied but really did not like the fabric when I put if off few weeks ago. Should I abandon the project and hide the small two-ply skein and just proceed with the singles plying three singles together. The singles are extremely fine, probably Navajo plying would not work out because I have almost zero experience with Navajo plying. Now I would need to weight and arrange the singles again and I wish I would not need to do it. If only I could love the two-ply fabric and proceed with the first plan. But I just might take care of the Merino/Silk soon because I have 4 ounces of lovely Yak/Merino top from
www.crownmountainfarms.com waiting and I don’t think I can resist it too much longer…

I did not get to bed as early as I should have last night. I was out in town with my good friend yesterday afternoon, we went shopping and had lunch and she told me that she had been buying tiny beads and all kinds of jewellery stuff and just asked me innocently if I have been to the craft shop lately and seen all the new stuff. Yes, we finished the meal quickly to have time for the craft shop before her bus was leaving, and I bought some beads and tools and promised myself to fondle them a bit before going to bed.

It took some thinking and doing before I was happy, but happy I was when I left to bed. The results seem simple but the challenge here for me was to get the stitch markers done so that they would not have any seams where a yarn might get caught but the little things had to be smooth all over.

I could not agree with Cara more, it is very good to be in the middle of a project.

15 comments:

  1. I love your descriptions of the light on the snow and everything being lighter/brighter, and yes, what a big difference from not that long ago.
    The weaving is looking lovely. The Yak/Merino Top very luscious, and love the stitchmarkers, they're so much fun to make...

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  2. Anonymous15:00

    Your weaving is beautiful! I love the pattern. And I'm jealous. I'm not in the middle of anything right now and it's making me very jumpy. I feel unfettered.

    Yay for you though!! I'll just live vicariously for a while.

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  3. I'm diggin' the pattern on the loom. Really. That's excellent. It seems to reflect what you'd described in the weather changes.

    Can't advise you on the spinning, but I saw the stitchmarkers and one thought popped into my mind: "Lene has her mojo back!"

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  4. The weaving seems to make you much happier this time. I am so glad you gave yourself time to get comfortable with it.

    I have seen many pretty yak yarns on-line, I look forward to knitting with it some time.

    The stitch markers you made are so artful and pretty. My little red and blue plastic rings are strictly utilitarian. They hold no pride or joy.

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  5. Anonymous16:55

    The weaving looks wonderful. It has such a modern feel to it both in color and pattern. Even better is how nice it is to see you back in your creative element again.

    I'm digging into a baby blanket these days--one of those patterns that takes a bit of getting used to but then becomes addictive. I can't wait to see it finished!

    We're waiting for a snowstorm here in Maine. I always feel a twinge of sadness at this time of year, knowing that my my favorite season won't last much longer...

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  6. I know about light on the snow! Our nights are much darker in summer when the snow has gone from our mountains - we have a large ski hill in the Comox Valley!
    The weaving is looking well - I really like it. Now advice on spinning I cannot give, but the picture you show makes me want to rub my cheeks in the fleece!
    You are right, being in the middle of a project is good!

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  7. I love when I don’t fully understand the complexities of something and its workings appear to be magic! That is how I see your loom. I am fascinated with childlike eyes.

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  8. Your projects are all so beautiful.
    I am nearing the end of a batch of projects all being complete and feeling very restless about where to go next. This isn't helped by the beginning stirring of Spring - so I can relate To Cara's comment about feeling "jumpy"!

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  9. Anonymous00:07

    Spring is coming here too, but March is definitely coming in like a lion--we are in the middle of a wonderful blizzard, with a roaring wind and flying snow. I really would like to learn to spin. My dream is to learn to spin my own sock yarn. I guess I need a wheel, and someone to teach me. I have the inspiration; you and other bloggers have given that to me.Your weaving looks very nice.

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  10. Such lovely projects and in my favorite colors, too!

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  11. sounds like you really want to do that 3-ply lene.
    and don't make the merino-yak wait too long; it's too nice to ignore!

    the bead therapy was a good move; those stitch markers are lovely.
    and the weaving , well, i am in awe. it is really something else. so light and summery. something to capture the new sun with . . .

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  12. sounds like you really want to do that 3-ply lene.
    and don't make the merino-yak wait too long; it's too nice to ignore!

    the bead therapy was a good move; those stitch markers are lovely.
    and the weaving , well, i am in awe. it is really something else. so light and summery. something to capture the new sun with . . .

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  13. the yak-merino is a very dreamy fiber. I hope that you enjoy the spin.

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  14. Anonymous04:27

    I am so happy your back to weaving. I came here today and instantly smiled at that lovely photo. I am sooo intrigued with it. Also, your stitch markers are very dainty and very pretty, very well done:)

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  15. The trick to Navajo plying is to do big loops and treadle slowly. You make a loop, reach your hand in and make another loop (just like crochet if you do that.) You want to keep treadling slow so that you have time to pull through that next loop.

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