Thursday, April 05, 2007

Nothing wrong with homely, if it works...

I've been spinning the last couple of days, since I've left my sock project at my mom's. I really, really like spinning - a lot! I did my first attempt at two-ply, with a black and gray mixed roving that I spun as finely as I could. I thought it came out great! I loved the trick of pulling from the center and outside of the ball, and plying the strands together. (My silly fingers keep typing "playing" instead of "plying". It's early enough that I'm amused by this) So after I finished with the black, I felt it had to sit on the spindle to "set" the fiber, and I still wanted to spin. I talked on and on about knitters and their spindles, and how they would be a fine thing to collect (spindles, not knitters), now that I see how smart spinners are to own more than one spindle. They wouldn't have to stop for the night when they'd finished one roving. They might even be smart enough to have several different projects to spin, depending on their mood. Clever spinners.

My husband left the room and banged about a bit, while I relearned how to watch t.v. without something to do. After a time, with all of the drawer opening and closing, and him running to the basement and back, I figured he was making wine, which was odd, since he hadn't said "I'm going to go make some wine." Well, he came back into the room and said, "You don't have to use this, but I made it for you," and handed me the homeliest spindle. Oh, my. "You don't have to use this, but I made it for you"? I just had to grin. He had put it together with a dowel, canning lid, masking tape, and a hook he swiped from our upstairs curtains. Could it even work? I got out some single ply I didn't know what to do with, and tried the homely little thing out. Guess what? It worked! It wasn't weighted the same, but it actually wasn't bad. Pretty soon, I thought I was plying pretty darned well on it. Then I waxed on about how clever and nice he was to save me from just, well, sitting still, and he sat and soaked it up. What a clever man! (The pictures are bad, but it was late, no good light, etc.)




Here's a picture of some red roving I am spinning, which I got from Knitterly Things. I bought three 4-oz. bats, figuring I'll finally have enough to knit more than a hat with. Definitely going to two-ply it! It was too much fun not to do again.



And, finally, a picture of the slightly bumpy two-plyed black yarn I made, probably a DK weight. I only came up with about 67 yards. It was a two-ounce bat, and I don't know if that's good or not, as far as yardage. Eh, it is what it is. I had fun. Next on my list of things to own is a swift, so when I wind this stuff up before I wash it, it will all be the same length. Then, when it's hung to dry, I won't get parts that are bumpy because they're not pulled straight enough. I have, so far, saved six dollars toward the swift. *snicker* I just have to defend the cache against small people begging for ice cream.


14 comments:

Mindy said...

What a great gesture! Homely is perfect when done with love.

Anonymous said...

Awww, your hubby is so sweet!

Anonymous said...

How sweet of him! And I'm saving for a swift, too & a ball winder...& an ott light...and...lol.

AR said...

Hey, it works! Lucky girl. hehe

Love your yarn!

Anonymous said...

How adorable - hubby did good1

Anonymous said...

You know Carrie, I was 'in' on the quilt your hubby did for you and I really think it was him that inspired (possessed may be a better word) Joe to make me a mountain dulcimer for my last birthday. You could market his advice to lesser inspired husbands. ;-) He could be the Martha Stewart for men!

Brigitte said...

Aww, that's so sweet! And it works too.

elizabeth said...

That is so sweet! Here's a thought - instead of saving for a swift, buy some PVC (you already have enough for it) and make a niddy noddy! It's a great way to measure your yarn and let it "rest" before setting the twist. I have three but like my homely PCV one best!

Carol said...

Fabulous! How very cool that your guy would make you a spindle. Where there's that much love, there can't be anything homely:)

Jennifer said...

That's so sweet! Sounds like it works great. It doesn't need to be pretty to work well!

Tala said...

Awww...what a sweetie! You can do the same thing with a dowel, a hook, a CD, and some rubber grommets. Nice, easy, and you can add CDs to make it heavier! And I second Elizabeth's idea of a PVC niddy noddy - that's all I own! Try this one: http://www.doctordirt.com/blog/niddy.html

Lovely yarn - the red looks great! You're doing a wonderful job!

Becka said...

OMGoodness, that is so SWEET! What a wonderful husband you have! Your yarn is lovely! There are so many knitters beginning to spin! I've got a friend who collects very pretty spindles for their beauty and use...me, I don't spin, but I have begun collecting vintage yarn holders!

Marlene said...

Although an umbrella swift is a wonderful tool to own, they are used more for holding a skein while you wind it into a ball. What you really need right now is a niddy noddy. That's what keeps the skein tensioned (and measured)as you wind it off. Your husband could easily make one. They don't have to be pretty to be functional.

Margaret said...

Your husband is definitely a keeper! The masking tape and canning lid spindle is priceless. I see someone already suggested a PVC niddy noddy and the handy husband ought to love that project. Both the red and black singles are just lovely!