Something old, something new...

I just wanted to update you all on what I've got going on. For starters, I set the twist on my "Watch for Me by Moonlight" yarn and all I can say is Holy. Crap. It fluffed up and got much bouncier after drying. I can't say how much I heart it! I plan on taking pics today in the sunshine. Maybe I'll edit this post and add a pic later.
I've begun a spinning project to tide me over until I get May's SAL fiber from CJKopec Creations. This fiber is 100% tussah silk from DyingforColour (Etsy), called "Scottish Heather". I loved the name so I bought it, even though I'd never spun silk before. I was nervous about the silk, actually, since I have heard that it sticks to everything and I have dry skin that easily "hooks" on fiber. I am spinning it on my .95 ounce Golding. This is the perfect spindle for this project. It's heavy enough that I don't get the single too thin and the rim-weighting means that it spins almost until forever. I think the silk has something to do with that, too. I find that I actually have to stop the spindle before it's ready to stop, because otherwise the single gets dangerously overspun. It looks divine, though. I absolutely love it. I'm making sure to moisturize a LOT before I touch the silk, which seems to be helping.

I had April vacation last week (public high schools close for a week in April here in Maine) and had a goal of getting some knitting done. I managed only this week to actually do some. I did get my Not-So-Wispy done (I will block it today, I hope), but Girasole sat in my knitting bag untouched. I just didn't have the mental fortitude to accomplish any knitting that was anything other than mindless. I did get eleven rows done on it this week, though. I'm almost halfway done chart D. Chart D is a spiral that goes first in one direction, then another. I think I will have to change colors where the direction shifts; I didn't want to, but I only have so much of the gray yarn. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that making this choice doesn't ruin the blanket. I'd like to get to the color change by this weekend, which is about four rows away.

I knit a section of my entrelac scarf yesterday and had to wonder why I put it down in the first place. Although I'm doing it on size one needles, the entrelac makes me feel like I'm getting a lot accomplished. I love the Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn I'm using, too, because the colors are fantastic. Fan. Freaking. Tastic. The scarf will be amazing when it's done. IF it ever gets done.


Oh! I forgot to mention! My friend Karin from knit group (more on her and her SHEEP in an upcoming post) is making a wholesale order to Peace Fleece and is letting me get some yarn using the pricing she gets ($4 a skein, people!). I'm getting one skein of Siberian Midnight and one of Firebird Orange for now. I would like to knit a sweater and need several skeins of black for the body and sleeves (I'll be using my own handspun for the yoke), but that will have to wait a few months, I think.

I think that's about it right now... I'm looking for a pair of socks and some sock yarn to knit next. I've been listening to Lime N Violet's podcast a lot lately, and they are crazy about socks. They are infecting me with their sock madness! Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm looking for a toe-up sock.