If at first you don't succeed, turn on YouTube

When I grow up, I want to spin like her.

The greatest disadvantage of being self-taught is, when stuck, there is no one around to go to for help. I found myself in such a position today trying to chain ply some yarn on the drop spindle. I've done it before but, for boring reasons I won't go into, was really struggling today.

Finally, I dropped the spindle for the laptop. I learned to spin watching YouTube videos. It stood to reason I could find some much needed help there. And, boy, did I ever.

I've seen a video by this gal before, and it was okay. This one is awesome! It was just what I needed to see. I love how she so casually throws her spindle around. What I'd give to be so proficient. Maybe someday. For now, I've got some plying to do.

Comments

Evergreen asymmetry

This is a chart I've been meaning to get to for a while. The Christmas before last, I was making a whole bunch of Christmas ornament gift toppers . I wanted each to be unique, so some of the miniature sweaters were adorned with duplicate stitch in traditional knit motifs. I hit a snag with the tree. A row of perfect triangle trees is cute. A single triangle tree is not so cute. A chart for a small tree is not hard to find. One which is not symmetrical is. Enter the sketch pad. My goal was a scraggly tree, which was small, but was still recognizable as a tree. This is the result. As a matter of personal preference, I think this looks best when the chart is turned upside down and is used on a piece being worked from the top. That way, the top of the tree comes to a nice point.

Exciting developments

At deer camp, Uncle Mark observed I really need to get back to blogging. He's right! It's been far too long, and there is so much to share. The delay can be partly attributed to my desire to have a video with each blog, which ended up taking much more time than initially anticipated, time I just don't have — but more on that later. Also, my phone storage is full again. In the past, that was solved by using google to back up my photos so they could be deleted, but now my google storage is full, too. I take a lot of photos! Why don't we get to the goodies right away? I have a pattern to share with you! This little fox is incredibly simple to make, and the results are just too cute. It's a basic chevron stitch and whips up in no time. The full pattern is available for free as a ravelry download . The fox design and my lack of time are actually very much related. The story started a couple years ago when my Auntie Becky met a lady named, Lois. Lois had alpacas, a...

Leopard print mittens, because I can

My favorite columnist, Mark Steyn , has a bit of advice proffered when speaking to classes of aspiring writers. He tells them, in addition to becoming writers, they should aspire to do something else as well. What doesn't really matter, as long as they do something. It's been a while since I've read the column, but the gist is, it's a more fulfilling and useful life when one is capable of actually doing something beyond thinking about how to write about things being done. I would agree, capability is a wonderful thing. I've been surrounded by capable people my entire life. Need something built? The boards are in the shed; nails or screws? Need to replace a faulty light switch? I know a guy. Need something turned on a lathe? I know a guy — or three. Have a craving for handcrafted candy? Well, there is a secret family recipe for that. Just stand at the stove for a few hours, stirring to soft-ball stage. Being surrounded by so many people better at everything can b...

Cricket in a Biscuit

Search This Blog