Knitting the Nupp: now we know...

how to make the thing (see video below) and pronounce it, too. I always thought it was pronounced "nuhp", but it's "noop"! That's phonetically spelled, folks; it's still spelled 'nupp'. So advises Nancy Bush, one of my knitting heroines. I've got her book, Knitted Lace of Estonia: Techniques, Patterns and Traditions, on order from Amazon. Unfortunately, the publication date has been pushed back by SEVERAL months (waaah!).

SO...Knitting Daily is offering the Estonian Lace Scarf as a free download (you gotta join, though!) and you can purchase the Estonian Triangular Summer shawl pattern ("Lily-of-the-Valley" - only 6 bucks!) published in the July/August 2008 Piecework magazine (which is also in the book).

I must be crazy...

to attempt typing anything today. I was up all night, 'til 7 this morning (insomnia). Hubby helpfully got me back up at 9:20 to go the Spinning Retreat Dawn was holding for her first students.

SO...I was supposed to get there at 10, with 2 passengers. Got there around 12 with NO passengers! How I managed to spin and talk at the same time is beyond me. Guess I can talk any time, though.

Neway, Rabeka and I left about 3:15 and went to Twist. Sat on the couch and drooled 'til Meems got off work at 4. I am soooo tired. And I can't even go to bed now, or I'll get up at 3 a.m.!

And poor Shelly sounds sooo sick. She sounds like a mouse, squeeking and whispering everything, poor girl. 'Tis the Season, I guess.

Yes, I really *have* been spinning...

and to prove it, a few photos. None are completed projects as I'm always starting one thing, then another, then dropping those to go experiment with something else!

Speaking of experiments, I've got a really cool mohair single spun up as one of those totally hairy art yarns. I just HAD to see if I could do it. Don't know if I did it correctly, but I did it and *I* like it. The Angora goat (from Feathers and Fleece Farm - no website) was amazingly colored. There are, like, 5 or 6 colors (NOT shades..colors!) on this doe: white, cream, champagne, silver, medium grey, medium taupe - and several shadings of each one. GORGEOUS! I think this had to be yearling mohair, at least. Some of it was as soft as super-kid, even. You might have to click on the picture to enlarge it as not much detail can be seen, otherwise. I tried to take a good picture, I really did!











I have also done a bit of experimental spinning on four gorgeous silk hankies from The Yarn Yard in the UK, hand-dyed in glorious Autumn colors. There isn't much done yet, and my spinning is just terrible (I've NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to silk hankies and caps) and, of course, my photog "skills" are just total crap, but...in person this stuff just glows (literally). I think it would be very hard to ruin silk, regardless of how badly it was spun (or is that just wishful thinking?).











Lastly, I've got 2 full bobbins-worth of a spongy, down-like roving from "Shadow", a ram (wether?) on Nancy's farm, Naked Pines Ranch. I can't believe it, but I've forgotten what his breed is! It's white with lots of black fibers running through it, and my sis thinks I ought to make it a 3-ply. I've tons of it, so I guess I'll be spinning just about forever on it! Hope Nancy's got more, though - I really like this stuff :-)

I want one, too!

Oh, these wheels are sooo COOL! I found them on Pocket Wheels by Doug. They would be perfect for lugging around with you, pretty much wherever you went! I wonder how they spin? And can you see the size of that orifice and bobbin? Now, THIS might make a very nice 'art yarn' spinner!

You can spin with *anything* when...

you're desperate. Or can't find your spindle. Observe, mes enfants:

See? I rest my case. You can spin with anything!

What possessed me to spin with that, you ask? Well, I saw this fluff of pink stuff on the table. Seeing how the table is loaded with knitting and spinning crap (we usually have to eat elsewhere), I thought, "maybe I ought to start thinking of clearing it off." So...I picked up that pathetic 6" chunk of roving. Shut up. It was a start. Then, a chewed-up pencil caught my eye. I tied the fluff onto the middle of the pencil and gave the pencil a whirl. Wibble-wobble. Stuff slid all over the length of pencil. Wondered what I had that could stabilize it some. Nothing on the table. Wandered over to the 'frig and found that old baby carrot just sitting there. No way was it going to get eaten. Stuck it on the end of pencil (which actually had a point. NO pencil around here has a point - they're all perpetually broken off.) and there I went. Even self-plied it using the carrot-pencil spindle.

Daily Knitting's Eunny Jang...new video!

Well, once again, I'm posting far too late to for my own good, but I just had to share the new video by Knitting Daily, of Provisional Cast Ons by Eunny Jang. GREAT video, and absolutely everyone should know how to provisionally cast on! It's easy, it's fun, like most of knitting is. Yes, I know - and have done - the 3 basic versions she gives us in the video, and several variations, but I sure don't mind having an occasional reminder of how to do it; especially the one using the cable needle. I am ALWAYS getting that one messed up, with the loops going every which way but the right one.



Oh ... I forgot! YES! I voted! Always have, in every election unless I'm totally sick. I knew I'd accomplished something today, but I'm so freaking tired, I couldn't remember! That's plumb scary, having Senior Moments long before the age of 65. Ugh!

Today was also our 20th Anniversary :-) Strange - I don't remember it EVER falling on Election Day before?!? I'm sure it must've, though... Yet another Senior Moment...

ugh...groan

Well, like Meems, my day could have been titled:

"Let's See How Little Can Be Accomplished Today."

Answer: Not a DAD-GUM thang!

It was a nasty, yucky day, even with the glorious-weather-that-I-didn't-get-to-enjoy. I felt rotten all day long & so did Dave and Meems. I never even got out of my pajamas. I need a shower. ::sigh:: I don't care - I'm too tired to get one. I'm almost too tired to type. But I will, because I haven't posted in days! I've hardly spun, so busy I've been with doing other things this week. I need a spinning fix...and I'm too tired to even do that! This is really bad.

Gosh, and yesterday, the whole day was so great! The cup/cozy exchange at Cafe Moderne was a total blast. What-the-heck-happened to today, eh???

Anyway, there were about 12 people there (10 exchangers and 2 buddies). I got my own sister's cup! Hoo-rah! I'd been coveting it since she showed it to me, wishing and wishing I could just steal it from her. Then she'd have to go buy another cup in a hurry! ☺. Naw, just kidding. I was determined to be brave AND kind to the turk knitter who got her special cup. Now I ask you? Just how likely was it, that I'd pick the number of the bag holding her cup?? I mean, it was a 'blind pick' - couldn't see what slip of paper I was picking up, so...?!? WHOOT! It's a huge thing, this cup/mug. AND totally cool Retro! Yes, yes - I'll get you a pic. Unless you like Retro stuff, you'll probably think I should have my head examined, but then...I might think the same about you - for not liking it. So there.

Come to think of it, though: I DID accomplish something; I finished the Quilt block for Jan! No, no pics. I'm too lazy to even think of trudging around looking for my camera. Solly.

So...end o' post. I'm too tired to write anything else. G'nite, all.