JessaLu Knits (and Spins!)

…the one with all the yarn.  ;o)

I finally had a chance to wind off that big huge bobbin I’ve been waving in front of you guys all week.  After a soak and a thwack here is what I ended up with (shown with regular size Kromski bobbin for scale):

This is Superwash Merino from Crown Mountain Farms in the Blue Suede Shoes colorway.  I bought the roving in 2007 (when Teyani was still dying for them) and I had thought I started spinning it then but I was wrong, I started in February 2008.  While it isn’t as long on the bobbin as I thought, a year and almost a half is a pretty long time!

I had two full Woolie Winder bobbins of singles that I managed to cram onto my Kromski plying head.  Almost 8 ounces!  (shown here on the bobbin with a regular size Kromski bobbin for scale).  The paper is there to contain the yarn and keep it from going over the edge.  That paper helped me get another 50 yards on that bobbin – that and turning the hooks sideways so they didn’t catch on the plied yarn on the bobbin.

I had to manually wind on the last 10 yards or so.  I used the park and draft method – I plied up the length I had pulled from the kate, then turned the bobbin with my free hand while I held onto the plied yarn with the other hand.  It was an interesting 30 minutes, I tell ya.  ;o)  But I was NOT going to have two skeins of this yarn!  I was determined!  So, all told, I ended up with 556 yards of sport/DK weight Navajo plied goodness.  I have no idea what I’m going to make with it, maybe a shawl of some kind?  Knee socks?  ;op

In other spinning news, I had my arm twisted into joining…

Crankypants is very fitting for this time of year – since the tourists have shown up en masse and they’re annoying the hell out of me already.  I’ll give you guys a better update on what I’ll be spinning, etc. on Monday.  Have a great weekend and if you’re in the US of A, an awesome holiday!  Happy Fourth!

…was she was getting a tattoo on her wheel.  ;o)  Though there were some guesses that were pretty funny, hehehe

This past Saturday was the second annual Stitch and Spin in Catskill, NY.  Through some good luck and some creative googling I was able to get my friend Don to come to the event with his paints (and his amazing talent) to trick out some wheels.  Usually Don looks like this when he’s working:

(yes, that’s my Jeep getting detailed, he’s done both my Jeeps, R’s Dad’s ‘48 Ford, our friend Ernie and Ruth’s Dodge, oh hell pretty much every one of our friends who has a hot rod has had it pinstriped by Don, he loves us, hehe)

On Saturday, Don looked like this:

…and this:

…and this:

…a couple of the ‘tats’:

HA!  Risa’s going to have to keep this one for a while, methinks.  ;op  She looks happy though, doesn’t she?

You can see more (including closeups of my lil bee addition) by checking out Tina’s post and Harriet’s post on the Times Union Fiber Arts blog (please if you can, leave a comment on the TU blog, they still don’t believe we have such numbers, hehe.  But then come back here ‘cuz I have more for you to read…I’ll wait…you back?  cool.)

In knitting news, someone keeps asking about my sock progress so here it is:

Firestarter on the left, Lothlorien on the right.  ;o)

…the one with all the guilty pleasures (the television kind):

1.  Survivor.  I’ve watched all 18 seasons, most people who know me IRL know to not call my house between 8 and 9pm on Thursday nights.  ;o)

2.  The Real Housewives of Orange County.

3.  The Real Housewives of NYC.  Bethenny is my absolute favorite.

4.  If I ever get a chance to watch it, I have a feeling The Real Housewives of NJ will be on this list…

5.  The View.  Though I haven’t watched it lately…

6.  Martha Stewart…but don’t tell anyone.  ;op

7.  TMZ or Entertainment Tonight…one of those shows that comes on after the news but before the ‘real’ shows at 8pm

That’s it, seven.  I guess I don’t have very many guilty pleasures when it comes to TV!

So tell me, what are your guilty pleasures on TV?

p.s.  Another crappy iPhone photo…for those who thought I couldn’t cram any more onto that bobbin:

HA!  Where there’s a will…there’s a way to get 7+ ounces onto a 6oz bobbin. ;o)