Just before my birthday I got an itch to spin and knit myself a sweater. I looked at patterns, picked several I like and then started researching fiber sources. I wanted it to be fairly soft, but also to have some sheen and to wear well so I turned to one of my favorite fibers to spin, the fleece of the Blue-Faced Leicester. I contacted Klaus at Crown Mountain Farms who was able to bring 4 pounds of simply gorgeous, fluffy, pin-drafted roving with him to Black Sheep Gathering for me to pick up, saving me on shipping costs.

I split 4 ounces of roving into 1 ounce bundles and did some test dyeing in July after making a trip to the Eugene Textile Center to pick up some Jacquard Acid Dyes. With just a few tests I was able to settle on a color that I'm reasonably sure is one I love (if I change my mind once the yarn is spun, I can always over-dye it). Each 4 ounce roving was dyed once in silver grey and then over-dyed with a mixture of turquoise and kelly green. I've started the spinning, but it's slow going as I'm easily distracted by my knitting. I did first spin a sample skein though. This wee skein is 1/2 ounce of three ply yarn and a dream to spin which is good, since there's a lot of it to spin.

Had a little bit of a rough week, full of sad things. The least of which was the demise of my beloved and trusty plastic Royal brand ball winder. Above is the last cake of yarn it will ever make, an 880 yard skein of lovely olive green merino laceweight yarn that I purchased from the Yarn Chef for a super secret project.

Alas, when one's husband trips and knocks over the kitchen stool that the ball winder is attached to, the plastic handle may just break right off upon impact. And herein lies the greatest weakness of the plastic ballwinder. The plastic handle and the winding mechanism are all one piece. All plastic. So when the handle breaks off just where it projects from the base of the winder it is impossible to fix. We tried to epoxy it on but the amount of epoxy needed to seal it would have stopped the mechanism being able to turn. Not so handy in a ball winder.

So, I ordered another one. A wooden one, made by the Strauch company, complete with ball bearings. It's set to ship on or around the 22nd, and hopefully will arrive shortly thereafter. It's a more expensive ball winder, over twice the cost of the Royal but it's general sturdiness, better clamping abilities and the ball bearings mean it will last easily twice as long as the Royal, therefore justifying the cost. I'm buying for longevity, baby.

Speaking of buying for longevity, I should officially extend congratulations to T and Mr. T, on the impending purchase of their first home. Coming soon, a product review!

I got the first gifts I've been allowed to open early last night [gifts are starting to trickle in from our families but those go under the tree to be opened with TheBoy's family on Christmas Eve/Day.] Last night we had our Guild meeting her at the apartment and I was presented with gifts from M, S, and E. M spun me some beautiful suri alpaca yarn which she then overdyed a grape-y purple and added some pale purple beads to it. It's so soft and lovely and I just need to figure out what to make from it.

S made me many lovely stitch markers and if we got more sunlight there would be a better photo of them here. Since we don't, here's the best I could do:

E presented each of us with a 4 ounce baggie of Merino/Tussah blend and a challenge. We drew names from a hat and have been challenged to secretly dye, spin and then knit an item for our recipient from this same beginning point. Without conversing about it amongst ourselves. I have from the 21st of December to the 21st of March to complete this task and I have to admit I think it will end up being a lot of fun. Now to figure out what colors of dye I might need to purchase. We're allowed 5% "foreign" material in our project apart from the dye.  I won't be blogging about the procedure until after March, but keep a look out on that.

4 ounces 100% corridale koolaid dyed in my crockpot. I'm not happy with it, way too much twist, but it's recipient is thrilled, so that's what counts I suppose.

And in further news, I am a klutz. Always have been, always will be. The building that I work in has, in part, these absolutely terrible floors made of short cut pieces of 2x4s laid in rows. They had to rip a bunch of it out and replace it with concrete because it got really water damaged this winter. Well, because of the recent rain, part of the floor by a previously rarely used door has swollen. As I was hurrying to get some proofs to another department in the building, I headed out that door and tripped on the lip of the carpeting. Tripping and completely biffed it, and fell. I was wearing a metal bracelet about 1" wide and totally bruised my arm for about 2 inches around the bracelet [the bracelet bent on impact]. I also have a bruise from the cuff of my jacket, where it cut into my arm. I'm pretty sure I whacked my shoulder on the post between the two doors because it sure hurts now [although no mark or swelling, just the joint]. My right wrist and knee hurt, but not badly. Anyway, I picked myself up and made it as far as the department I was headed for who luckily have injury remedies. I didn't break the skin [although the bracelet did peel back a little] but when I saw my bruised wrist I may have freaked a little. I've been in a fair deal of pain this evening, and my mobility is limited in my left arm [and of course I have to be a lefty!] It isn't broken, and if it doesn't heal in a few days I'll get it looked at. And now, for viewing pleasure...Bruises!