Monday, August 08, 2005

Juxtaposed

It was a lazy weekend, just the way I like them. Tom wasn't very motivated to work around the house, so I didn't feel too guilty about being lazy. I decided to spend some time yesterday spinning. So, I was sitting at my wheel, spinning up some lovely Corriedale, laptop by my side, listening to XM Radio. Every now and then I'd stop to reply to an instant message. It was an interesting juxtaposition of low and high techologies.

I have a question for those of you who spin. How do you not overtwist your yarn? I'm treadling as slowly as possible, but the resulting yarn still seems to too much twist in it. I know that plying will remove some of the excess twist. I have an Ashford Traditional wheel, single treadle. I think I remember hearing (at sometime in the dim past) that Ashfords are prone to overtwisting.

In knitting news, I cast on for the second sock from h*ll. I will be soooglad when this pair of socks is complete! I don't like the yarn (Trekking XXL), although I know that atleast a few people out there just love it. I don't like the colorway, either. It's muddy. And I knit a few rows of the Fern Leaf shawl, remembering to knit after every pattern row.

I'm contemplating casting on a hat for the nephew, just to knit something that doesn't feel like it will take forever. Or maybe a pair of mittens. Or perhaps I'll start the poncho I want to make for Christmas.

And in Extreme Knitting Challenge news, I have an entry from Carole. She took her sock to the top of West Chop Lighthouse. I don't think many socks-in-progress can boast that privilege.



And here's an artful picture of the sock viewing the shadow of the lighthouse:



To all of intrepid Extreme Knitters, the button is still in progress. I haven't forgotten!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Go Carole! That's another lucky sock. My sock saw two moose this weekend but did you see the Harlot today?!

Anonymous said...

Teri, I had a friend purposely MAKE me spin a loose single (sooo hard for a beginner). Does the traditional have ratio change capability? If so, largest whorl, smallest wheel. Then spin so slowly that you think yarn could not possibly come out of it- unless you're planning to ply- then its amazing how it will even out! Good luck!

About "extreme knitting" will it be going on until fall? I'm in VA too (Madison) and I have an idea, but I don't do much outside until October!

Katherine said...

Are you planning to ply your singles? or use it as a singles yarn.

If you're plying you want a lot more twist in the singles because when you ply you twist in the opposite direction--thus untwisting the singles.

To check how your yarn will look plyed you just pull out a length of single and double it, then let it twist. That's what your finished, plyed yarn will look like.