Tour De Fleece is on!!

What a great way to start a long weekend, a reason to spin, spin, spin!  Wishing I had my new (used but new to me) spinning wheel to be able to produce more but Spinky will do just fine.  My little work horse will keep on and on as long as I can flick her to spin.

Tour De Fleece on Ravelry is a spin-along during the Tour de France. The concept is simple, They spin, we spin. A real spinning themed spin-along. I've created a page for my progress so you can check it out if you like. (Tour De Fleece)

I've been off of work due to some back problems so I've been working on some knitting and spinning.  Not much else I can do when I'm confined to my recliner.  So between sleeping, knitting, and spinning I've actually kept myself active with projects.  TDF will be a great project as well.  Knowing my goal is to spin a total of 8oz of fiber will keep me spinning daily.  That doesn't sound like alot but when you're doing it on a support spindle and not a spinning wheel, it's a fair amount.

One of my knitting projects is a simple shawl.  Since it's my first one I wanted it to be an easy one and so for my free pattern on this post I'll share it with you.  It's called the Skinny Ruffles Shawlette by Lindon Down and it's really simple.  I'm actually enjoying seeing how fast I can progress on it so for a beginning knitter like myself this one was perfect!!  Happy knitting!! And Spinning of course!!

Back with changes

Well alot has changed since I posted that first BLOG under a different blogsite.  Lets see where to begin, Lily came home 2/17/2011 but she didn't come alone.  Her brother Nilla was just too darn cute and I couldn't resist. Today they look a little different but still just as adorable and loving as they were 4 months ago when I brought them home.

Moving on to my passion, spinning.  I mentioned my next spindle was going to be an Ann Grout spindle well that didn't go as planned either.  As much as I love that spindle, and I will get one, my next purchase was an even better choice, the Spindolyn. OMG... for someone like me with back issues, this support spindle has been a spinners dream.  I practiced for several hours on it before I got to a point where I liked what I was spinning and then I just went crazy with it.  I spun some singles and put them on my homemade lazy kate. If you're interested in the lazy kate all I did was use a weave basket from walmart took some empty paper towel rolls and cut them in half to use as bobbins.  You could use empty toilet paper rolls as well but they seem to be a little thinner.  Take some long knitting needles and push through the side of the weaved basket through your "bobbins" and ta da a lazy kate.  I just hand wrap the yarn onto the bobbins straight from my Spindolyn.  Once I was ready to ply I grabbed the two yarns, ran it through the weaving of the basket to give a little tension and use the Spindolyn to ply them together.  It worked out beautifully see here and here.  Amazing what you can do with things lying around the house.
Once spun I wound it up on my ball winder and there it is, the first handspun yarn on my Spinky. (named my Spindolyn)

Okay, enough for today.  Next time I'll tell you about what I'm getting next for my spinning addiction.  I'm so excited!!!  But... I'll save it for later.  Now I want to end with a free pattern I like.  This is currently one of my WIPs called Grrlfriend Market Bag (yeah but that's the way they spelled it!) and it's on Ravelry as a free download.  If you have never been to Ravelry (you living under a rock??) it's free to join and access to lots and lots of patterns and a great community for the fiber arts.  Just sign up real quick, promise they don't spam you, and you'll have access to the pattern.  And remember, Spinning makes the world go round.  Happy crafting!!

Grrlfriend Market Bag

New passion - Spinning

I posted this on a different BLOG before I started Spinatic:

Okay, I received my first spinning kit in the mail Jan 29th, 2011 and I haven't stopped practicing since.  I love it!!  I wasn't too impressed with the drop spindle so I went on eBay and found this drop spindle which I like alot better and for under $10 w/free shipping I was sold.  Now you could make this yourself if you really wanted to, it's just a wooden car wheel and dowel from Hobby Lobby for about $5 but you'd have to sand it and slap some varnish on it too.  I'm one of those types that would rather have someone else do the work if they are already doing it and I reap the benefits as long as it doesn't cost me too much and them too much pain.  Yeah, I'm spoiled, I'll admit it. :)

Now that I'm totally in love with spinning yarn, I want to get really good at it as well as learn everything I can from the start of the process to the end.  This video was really good for a quick glance from a real pro using a Navajo spindle.  The whole process is just so fascinating to me.  My next spindle will be an Ann Grout spindle which is for short fiber like cotton or camel.  I want to spin cotton since I love to make dishcloths.  The spindle gets good reviews and fairly inexpensive I think, $26 + shipping.

Whenever my husband allows me, I want to purchase a spinning wheel.  Well, not just any spinning wheel, THE Kromski Fantasia spinning wheel. It will be awhile since he bought me Lily, my little Morkie, the newest member to the family.  She will be coming to live with us next weekend, I'm so excited.  She was born 1/1/11, how cool is that??? A new year's puppy!

I started a monthly fiber club from Gritty Knits, after all the research she has the best price and really nice product if you're interested.  Trust me, I searched for days trying to find one that wasn't too high priced and this one had really good comments.  She seems very sweet and responded right away to my request to join her club, even though it was too late for the month of February shipment, she went ahead and got it set up and shipped out so I could have some this month.

Okay, I think I've chatted enough for my first post on my blog, I hope you enjoyed reading it!!  I want to try to end each blog with a link to a free pattern I like or have done.  This link is for a really simple bag I found.  I made one (minus the knitting needles) and use it as my project bag that I carry with me EVERYWHERE.  I like to knit in the car on the way to and from work, it's an hour there and an hour back.  Thankfully my husband works at the same place and likes to drive. (probably just "hates my driving")  But doesn't matter I get to knit, crochet, or spin yarn which is way more enjoyable to me. Happy hobbies!!

PDF: Knitting Needle Knitting Bag