Chained

I was saved from purchasing more fiber at the spinning guild meeting because the woman managing the estate sale was a no-show. Just as well. It's not like I don't have enough fiber or it can't be purchased elsewhere.

The program for the meeting was chain-plying. Several of us volunteered to demonstrate, but apparently no one wanted to actually teach. It would have been nice to have a handout of some sort. Oh, well. I went with the hopes of emptying all my almost empty bobbins, but plying takes longer than one thinks. I did clear one that night and another one today.

In case I haven't posted it before, here is a link to my favorite chain-plying video, from Classy Squid Fiber Co.

Knitting: The socks are not inspiring me except as an experiment. After knitting the toe on one, I decided to do the second sock top-down. I don't think it will make a big difference - both starts are fiddly - but the toes will look different. I also started a hat, but I'm not having much luck with the instructions.
Spinning: Chain-plying my little heart out.

I'm trying a new way of (doctor-supervised) eating. Somehow my name came up as a candidate for an 8-session workshop in plant-based eating. The group meets every other week to learn something new, and during the in-between weeks, we get a phone call from the exercise guy. The main goal is to manage diabetes better, perhaps even reverse it. My borderline diabetes is under control; in fact, the supervising doctor (not my GP) told me I could discontinue the metformin. It's my cholesterol that needs some help, since I don't tolerate the medications. Other pluses are weight loss and more energy, neither of which I have seen much of yet, but then I just noticed today on one of the handouts that for weight loss one must limit grains to two servings a day. Some days I want to quit the program, other days I'm enthusiastic about it. We'll see how it goes.

I didn't want to go, but I'm glad I did

My SO has covid (again), so I have not been out and about like I usually am with him. When the Fifth Saturday Spin-in at Teasel Hill Angoras came around this weekend, I decided to go, then decided not to go, then decided I would go for part of the day. I drove there after lunch, taking the scenic route. I wasn't sure who would be there, and I didn't know some of them, but we all connected over fiber. It was great to just sit and spin and let the conversation flow.

Even though I crochet, spin, weave, and dye fiber, my favorite activity is knitting. It's a good thing I like it because it is S-L-O-W - I'm not a fast knitter. Last Sunday, lacking the drive for much of anything else, I spent the day knitting, something I have not been able to do for quite a while because of my shoulders. But despite all that knitting, and more during the week, I am still not done with the L-Bag. I am on the bottom, though, so maybe today? For sure, if it rains. (The yardening is pulling me away from fiber.)

While not knitting, I attempted chain plying, using some superwash fingering. That went quite well, although the result was super kinky when it came off the niddy noddy. A wet finish and a bit of weight hung from the skeins while drying fixed that.

Then I tried chain plying some Shetland. Ugh. It went much slower, due to the sticky nature of the wool. I think fiber content will be a consideration when selecting what to chain ply.

Knitting: Almost done with the neverending L-Bag.
Spinning: Chain plying; wet finished the two-ply silk/tencel/merino blend; started spinning the fiber I purchased at Three Moons.
Weaving: I wove diamonds!


Today I plan to rearrange the den a bit, to help me with the Peruvian diamond weaving. I need a place for the magazine with the pattern, the book that reminds me how to do leno, and my laptop where I view and re-view the instructional video. This is definitely a challenging project!