No Knitting Today

What?!? No knitting?!?

I have been spinning for only a year and only have one wheel. A knitting friend has been spinning for eight years and has eight wheels. I don't plan to accumulate spinning wheels though. I like my Majacraft Rose and will stick with it. I took a three-day comprehensive spinning class with Judith Mackenzie-Mc Cuin at the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival last week which got my interest and enthusiasm in spinning up again. As a result I bought more roving and fleece than yarn at the festival, and have been spending time carding, combing, dying and spinning.

Here is a Corriedale roving I bought at the festival and dyed at home.

Various shades of cranberry red. This is an experiment/practice yarn.

Spun and plied.

Washed, set and skeined.

It is overspun. I should have streched it out while it was still wet to balance it out. I forgot about that part! Anyway, this is a practice skein and it didn't turn out too badly. I still have more of the same roving and hope to do better next time. I will save this for Runty's felted cat bed.

Speaking of Runty, the little (well, maybe not so little) guy was snoozing the whole time.

While Runty likes to bat the needles when I knit, he is not so keen on the spinning wheel. He stuck his paw in the wheel once and didn't like it so didn't try again. Good.

Outside the yard is taking on new shapes.

The old tired shrubs and the much-hated Roses of Sharon are gone. Yippee! I really like the meandering line. Lee Ann (my knitting buddy and landscape designer) is having low retaining walls built on the sloping side of the house to help hold the soil together. They are shaping out beautifully.

Now that the Yew is gone, the Rhododendron is getting more light. Maybe next year it will flower.
We put a temporary trellis for the Clematis since the old tree trunk on which it was climbing is now gone. We will figure out what to do with it later.
And here are the plants waiting patiently: Astilbe, Columbine and Bleeding Hearts for the shady spots; Yarrow, Coreopsis, and Delphinium for the sunny side...

And Sweet Williams everywhere. Sweet Williams for Bill. Gotta go get Sweet Williams.

Okay. Back to work now. I am going to the Barn after work today. We will try to put together our first Hokie Healing Blanket. I have my camera so stay tuned for update tomorrow.

Happy spinning and gardening.

And of course happy knitting.