Cricket in a Biscuit

A basket full of singles and two plied skeins, that much closer to a finished sweater. It's safe to say I underestimated what, exactly, a spindle spun sweater from raw fleece would entail. I started carding fiber in October of 2015, and the project is still not complete… but it's getting closer! My first miscalculation was the amount of time it would take to card an entire fleece by hand. Hint: it's a long time, especially when your husband is allergic. I did not see that coming! I've processed other wool around him with no trouble, but something about this particular fleece put him in a bad state. Generally, I prefer to work with wool outside, so I didn't think it would be a big deal, but the fall of 2015 proved rather rainy. When there was time, there was rain. When there was sun, there was no time, and working inside wasn't an option due to allergens. Still, by summer, I'd made some decent progress, having carded approximately 2/3 of the fleece ...

How a simple hobby lead to a simpler life "Does it save you money?" A question which invariably comes up when people find out I am a handspinner. As someone who uses a lot of yarn, it is logical to assume I would save money by making my own. "No," I chuckle, "it does not." Angora goat: a luxury fiber I'd have never otherwise tried outside of spinning. Now, just as a brief aside, handspinning has brought me into contact with much higher quality material. I rarely purchased 100% wool yarns, but I do spin them quite frequently. The cost of fully prepped spinning fiber is very much in line with commercial yarns of similar fiber content and quality. So, while my costs have increased, the quality of my finished items has as well. Still, spinning is a hobby, and as such, it is done for enjoyment, not economy. Supported spindling: my favorite way to spin. I used to feel guilt over my spinning related expenses, due mainly, I suspect, to being a...

January is well underway, and it is cold! When the temperature gets this low, our poor furnace struggles to keep up, which can make finding motivation to do more than cuddle under a blanket on the couch difficult. It is really hard some mornings to slip into those workout clothes and get started, but I'm keeping up with Hammer and Chisel * despite the chill. Into the third week now, I'm starting to see the progress and can feel it when I strap on my belt. Even better, I'm getting stronger! This week, I set a new personal best for both pull-ups (overhand) and chin-ups (underhand) with eleven each. I do use an assist band, but it is still a huge improvement. The quick and measurable increases in strength, balance and flexibility with Hammer and Chisel are quite empowering and why I love the program so much. Darren had to spend a couple nights away from home due to road conditions, and he noticed a difference in just the three days he was gone. Also seeing a lot of pr...

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...

"Don't use your head, and the whole body usually suffers." "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." Two quotes, the first from my grandpa, the second from a high school teacher, which convey the same message; it is incumbent on you to think things through and plan ahead. Failure to do so will result in consequences which are yours to handle. The paradigm shifts, however, when you are married and/or have kids. Poor planning on the part of one — or both — can have implications with a broader reach. We were hit with a pretty big snowstorm on Friday, 17.2 inches before 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It was not a surprise storm — we had several days warning, but still we were unprepared, and there were consequences. Fortunately, none were serious, and we learned some good lessons. First lesson: When a storm is coming, move the vehicles off the street before there is a foot of wet, heavy snow on the ground. Maybe even pu...