Weekend Knitting

Seems I've been taking a little bit of a much needed break over the weekends to relax, recharge and knit.

One of the knit alongs that I seem to have been sucked into, the Secret of the Stole, has captured my attention - it's not what I think of as "typical" lace, as there are rather long stretches of straight knitting, though it has enough going on what with the motifs and beads to keep me entertained while I hang out with the cat :D

Since each hint is conveniently sent out on a Friday, it means if I'm not slated for other activities over the weekend, I spend the weekend knitting on it, often times finishing the hint sometime during the weekend.


completion of hint 2, unblocked of course :)

The stole is coming together quite smoothly, and the variegation of the CoffeePot Rock is quite alright in this pattern. The beads, unfortunately, don't really show up real well in the photo - I've decided to go with both the iridescent and the luster beads - the luster ones do show up much more readily as they are "solid" in color.

Seems I'm entranced with lace these days, with 2 of the 4 projects on the needles being lace (the other two are frolic and a pair of very complex socks...but more on those later). I've also joined *another* mystery shawl kal - the Mystic Waters KAL, and I'm trying to decide if I can spin up enough yarn out of a gorgeous wool-silk blend that Raquel gave me for my birthday the year I learned to spin....all this time it's been sitting quietly trying to decide what it wanted to become and it is starting to mumble at long last...the big question is whether or not I can spin finely enough to get over 1200 meters out of the fiber I have on hand....

Moth...

...is not necessarily a four-letter word ;)


While this moth did bring a smidge of aggravation (eep - running out of yarn!), it was well worth all the effort at the end. Details and big photos and musings can all be found on the finished objects blog.

Prelude to the Un Pinning

Sorry folks, I promise. Unpinned photos soon - for now you get to look at crinkly bits...I have to reiterate my amazement at the lace blocking process - the tiles on the floor are 12 inch tiles - so the moth, at rest, unblocked is somewhere close to 5 feet across the wingspan....blocked, I believe she is close to 8 feet across!

I love these bumps - they are actually the backside of the moth - backside of the fir cone lace portion, that is. Note their halo - that would be the high angora content showing itself :) This is going to be one heck of a warm shawl, I suspect!

A long strange road indeed....

Those of you who have been reading along for a while, have noticed that I like to play outdoors :) and on occasion, for information about where I've been playing, I link to another site regularly. You may have guessed that I am in some way affiliated to said site - and indeed I am - I'm the proud wife of Todd of Todd's Desert Hiking Guide, an extensive site dedicated to providing hiking routes and info (amongst other things) for the desert Southwest (primarily Arizona and Utah)....incidentally, the DH and I have been wrapped up working on a Really Big Project.

Over a year in the making, this project, in addition to the official launch of Spritely Goods are the biggest, most significant and most rewarding (and perhaps most frustrating at times too ;) ) "Finished Objects" I've ever had the pleasure to work on...

a book. Not a knitting book ;) - but a Hiking Guide for one of my favorite activities other than knitting :) It's chock full of photos, and I'm excited to say I can now add "Cover Girl" to the list of my accomplishments ;) The book is available for purchase directly through Todd's Desert Hiking Guide - we're in the process of setting up distribution to retail locations and Amazon.com. If you happen to know of a book store or outdoor store that may be interested in carrying this book, I'd appreciate any contact info you can forward to me :)

I've learned a *ton* in the process of bringing this project to this stage, and I'm sure I'll continue to learn plenty more. Now that the books are in hand, I can say I'm very pleased with the results :)

Stay tuned for knitting content - even though she's been dry for days, I haven't unpinned the Wing of the Moth yet - was too busy moving boxes around ;)

Corona, Anyone?

No, not *that* kind of Corona!


Sorry for the slightly blurry photo - apparently the Macro setting wasn't working quite right on the camera. This would be one of the numerous scallopy Coronas on the edge of the Wing of the Moth Shawl. I do believe in aggressively blocking my lace...so each of the Coronas got 8 pins each to make sure they were nice and round :) I'm looking forward to the unpinning. All told, I probably used a box and a half (that would be about 150) T-pins to get the job done...

And out of the extra yarn I spun, this is all that was left. Notice how you can just start seeing thru the "wall" of the yarncake. Keeping an eye on the quickly collapsing yarn cake during the bind-off process was making me think that I was going to be needing a Corona...that's for sure!

Yikes! It's Socktober!

Time is surely flying - I can't believe it's already October! Of course, I suppose the fact that autumn doesn't really happen down here (it's still in the 90's can you believe it?!) doesn't really help much with my brain's ability (or non-ability) to register the marching on of the time...

Behold, the first socks of the season....excuse the flashy photo - I kept forgetting to take photos during daylight hours and finally gave in and just took one with the flash.

Both socks are indeed done, and all the details can be found over at the Finished Objects Blog. Clicky clicky :)

I am now sockless in terms of projects on needles, and am trying to decide what to cast on for - since I'm now working 2 lace projects (soon to be 3 what with Secret of the Stole's first clue being released) I feel the need for cabling and texture - or something simple and plain. I think for simple and plain, I might cast on (finally) for Rowan Frolic, after I do some swatching...nothing simpler than 2x2 rib ;)
As for the cables and a sock project I'm trying to decide between Twisted Flower...and Bayerische

oy. the choices.

Knitting on Empty.

Or close to it anyway.


So I'm knitting along, keeping a close eye on my yarn, and I find myself 3 rows into the corona edging on the wing of the moth....and I'm going to run out. There is no way I'm going to make it without having to spin more yarn....

*sigh* I swore I had enough yardage...but apparently not. I guess I need to haul out the fiber and do a bit more hand blending. Thank goodness it's my own blend and I have more fiber on hand! I've pulled together about another ounce or so of fiber - I just need to spin it up - I may have a bit of a WPI matching issue, but that's alright, seeing as the yarn is thick and thin anyhow - ah the charm of handspun :)

Painted Petrogylph

Another adventure not too long ago had me hunting down the elusive "red deer" - these petroglyphs are unique because they are unique because they are actually colored. In addition to being pecked into the stones, these particular petroglyphs have also been painted with reddish-brown pigment. Several other deer in the area appear to have been previously pigmented, though exposure to the elements seems to have washed the pigment away. The Red Deer can be found in Agua Fria National Monument - near the Squaw Creek Complex. If I remember correctly, the access is by 4WD vehicle, and then on foot - though it isn't a really long "hike" - rather a ramble, checking out the ruins and other petroglyphs in the area. Better to tackle this adventure once the weather has cooled down, as the rocks can be burning hot in the summer!

Goodies.

The months have just rolled over....and there are new goodies in the Shop. Since I'm on a lace kick, I've stocked the shop with Malabrigo Lace weight in several colors (mmm supersoft, spun from baby merino wool!), in addition to adding a vibrant red semi-solid in my own line of yarns.

In honor of Spin Out (have you donated yet? It's not too late!) the shop has loaded up on luxury fibers and a slew of new handpainted rovings...head on over and have a browse around!

Very Great Indeed!

click image to see larger version
A while back, I mused upon finding a pictograph that looked suspiciously like my cat. That unique pictograph was found while on my way to this glorious panel - the Great Gallery. This image is actually a panorama of almost the entire panel (over 300 feet in width actual size!) - the figures in the panel loom large - many of them are as large as actual people (5-6 feet tall). It is said that this panel contains over 60 figures and is considered one of the greatest pictograph panels anywhere. It is certainly unique in its size and condition based on my limited experience! If you ever get a chance to go, pack a pair of binoculars (or make use of the ones packed in ammo cans near the site) to get a "close up" view of the details. Now that it's getting cooler, I'm sure the hike would be much more pleasant than when I visited!

One Week Left to Join

The first clue has been released, and it looks to be a gorgeous piece of work. It's not too late to join if you're into mystery lace projects. The group is open for joining for one more week I think. Note that the group is German, though the pattern is also available in English.

Almost Famous

Look! It's a photo...of me...in Backpacker Magazine!

The photo is of me swimming in Wet Beaver Creek, a wonderful, though long and demanding "hike" near Sedona, Arizona. Pretty cool, eh*?

*no, I am not from Canada - just from really near by ;)

It only took 9 months....

avastfinished
Originally uploaded by WoodlandSprite

No, it wasn't a baby!

Avast is done :) and it only took me 9 months to finish! Due to the color of the yarn, it is very difficult to see the cable on the bottom hem, though it did indeed come out quite nicely.

All the fine details are here on the finished goods blog.

Man Socks?

What with all the lace going on, and Avast having been temporarily shoved overboard, I recently cast on for a pair of socks. The colors are quite manly - the pattern choice may not be - I'm still trying to decide (and I'm quite a bit further on the foot now too - well, technically I'm done with the foot seeing as I turned both heels last night)....I'm knitting Broadripple from Knitty. Course, I'm knitting 'em toe up, and will be doing a short row heel and a regular ribbed cuff...so they are a wee bit different. I suppose I should have the man they are destined for try them on again now that I have more than just the toe finished and see if he objects to the ripples...

Arrr. It's International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

In honor of talk like a pirate day, I stopped with the procrastinatin' and did up the hems and front bands of Avast. (Avast means "Stop" in pirate-speak, don'cha know?) Determined to make said sweater more useful than ballast, I stuffed it in me booty bag (that would be the bag all the yarn goes into) and hauled it and its zipper off to the local tailor. (I daren't feed handknits to the beast that is called a sewing machine that lives in my household.) It should be ready for its finishing touches next Monday. Now if we could just talk the weather into being a bit more reasonable I'll be set :)

I love lace.

I appear to be on a lace kick. Not only have I finally cast on for Wing o the Moth, I've recently finished this lace project. It was knitted as a gift for someone who did a bunch of work for me recently on a project yet to be announced. Her favorite colors are earthy greens, I'm hoping this wasn't too bright. A pleasure to knit, and relatively quick to finish. More details, as always, over at the Finished Goods blog :)

Choices Choices...

As I continue procrastinating working on Avast (the zipper arrived the other day...I really need to get working on fixing down the hems so I can take the sweater to a tailor to have the zipper installed - before the cool weather hits! (though considering how the summer is going, there's no end in sight!)) ...Anyhow, as I was saying before I got distracted, I've been procrastinating...by selecting yarn. The problem is I can't decide which yarn to use....

The specifications: 1200+ yards lace weight yarn plus beads for the Secret of the Stole knit along (there's still time to sign up if you haven't already!)

My current options (yes, I know I went a bit overboard with the two middle bags of beads, and no, I haven't a clue what to do with all the extras since I tried spinning beads onto yarn and I've decided that while it is pretty, it is definitely not practical):


various Spritely Goods laceweight yarns - click on the photo to go to Flickr for more details (and a bigger pic!)
I can't decide - I've got the choice of merino or alpaca....and then luster or iridescent beads (well, for the blue anyway)...

...course, never one to follow instructions, I also became entranced with some other beads that would match my CoffeePot Rock colorway quite nicely. Course, this would mean the stole would be knit in fingering weight yarn....


Spritely Goods Fey in CoffeePot Rock
Course, the decision if I opt for this yarn is whether to use just the luster beads or the iridescent or both...

I really can't decide. Anyone have guidance? :)

MS3 in Feeorin!

Symmetrical MS3 Grafted
Originally uploaded by spinayarnforewe

A stunning Mystery Stole 3 was knit by Cayli of Spin a Yarn for Ewe out of Spritely Goods Feeorin (superfine alpaca lace weight yarn)

Cayli is an amazing (and prolific) lace knitter :) she's got a bunch more drool worthy photos on her blog and over in her flickr photos!

Missed it again!

I was too busy happily playing in the outdoors yesterday to realize that it was my blogiversary!

3 yrs ago yesterday (and well over 550 posts apparently) I started nattering on to myself in public mostly about fiber things, though I've prattled on about other things as well :) It's been an interesting, and surprisingly rewarding experience. Thanks to all of you who read, and also to those of you who have commented - I often wonder if I anyone is reading LOL

Sorry for the interim slow down - I've got something brewing and it's keeping me a little bit preoccupied...I hope to rejoin you all in a more regular fashion soon!

September Shop Update!

A variety of goodies have made an appearance at the shop - cruise over and check it out!

Ancestral Feline?

Not too long ago, I had a chance to brave the heat and hike down into Horseshoe Canyon to view the various pictograph panels that the canyon is known for.

Imagine my surprise when we rounded the corner to view the Horseshoe Panel - and the first image to catch my eye was of a 4-legged animal facing a humanoid with a funky hairdo - the 4-legged creature bore a remarkable resemblance to my cat.

Witness the evidence here:


I really wish I had a Feathers McGraw doll - or even a rubber chicken for Troy to look at in the photo above - it would have made the two images a perfect match ;) Incidentally, my cat does indeed walk around like that - with his tail raised high overhead and curved over his body - he's always been that way!

While I do have wishful thinking that the animal in the pictograph is a feline, I highly suspect it is not some ancient relative of my Troy - rather I think its a dog. Apparently there is good evidence that canines have been companion animals for quite some time - and have even made it into panels such as this one.

Nearly There...

As the summer creeps onward, I snatch time as I am able with Avast. All the knitting is done, and the poor sweater was left abandoned in a heap on the back of the loveseat awaiting my pleasure (and patience as I can't stand having that much wool in my lap when the temperatures are still topping out near 110 F!)...course I do let the cat(s) sit in my lap if they are so inclined ;) I can't resist a content kitty...

Anyhow, I figure if this sweater is going to be ready once the temperatures settle back down to a much more reasonable temperature, I need to stay somewhat focused and continue to make progress with the finishing. In this case, it meant taking it off the back of the loveseat, filling a sink and drowning it giving it a good soak so it could be rolled between towels like a sweater-filled burrito and then laid out flat for blocking.

I swear by blocking for lace - it's where all the magic happens - I'm not so fond of blocking sweaters. I'm not sure why - I think it has to do with my fear of getting a sweater all wet and relaxed, only to find that the fabric stretches and stretches and the next thing I know, I have a dress on my hands....

Happily, that awful scenario didn't play out with this one. The fabric tidied itself up nicely in the blocking process, making everything look happy and uniform. The above photo is of the zipper bands (yes, I need to turn them back on themselves and stitch em down) - and to the left we see the happy raglan decreases.

I completed the blocking freehand, seeing as the garment is essentially complete minus the finishing details like turned in hems, cuff and installed zipper...To make sure it was about right in size, I grabbed a favored jacket and laid it on top of the relaxing sweater - and it looks like I got the dimensions just right.

Once dry, the sweater will move back downstairs so I can tack down the hems/flaps that need tacking, and I will be hunting for zippers...Anyone out there have suggestions? Initial measurements indicate I need to find myself a 32-inch zip in a suitably matching hue.

Lace for Lucy

Closeup of Dayflowers and Leaves
Originally uploaded by WoodlandSprite

One of the Luscious Gracious Ladies celebrated a birthday not too terribly long ago - she happens to love bright colors, and I happen to be in a lace kick, so I knitted happily away, creating this lace scarf for her.

I think it's fair to say I'm good with the lace knitting now, and I've taken to skipping the whole lifeline placement - how daring ;) Speaking of lace, there's a new knit along due to start in the not too distant future - another mystery stole project - this time hosted by Nautical Knitter. Should be fun...care to join?

Of course, all the particulars, including larger photos, can be found over on the finished objects blog.

Quality Time

I finally had some quality time with my spinning wheel this weekend - First I churned off some merino singles for the shop.

Desert Daybreak singles - merino & firestar
I keep meaning to increase the stock on hand of handspun singles in my own blended colorways, but somehow I keep getting distracted. It seems it doesn't take much to distract me these days - or ever for that matter :P I don't think I'd ever lack things to keep me entertained if I was able to retire from my day job immediately!

After spinning for the shop, I spent some more quality time with the wheel to churn off some fine merino angora singles for my Spun Stitches project.

The 2nd skein of yarn is now finished to join the first :) I now have 6.8 ounces of yarn, approximately 950 yards with which I plan to cast on for the Wing o the Moth. You can just see the sparkle of angelina fiber in the photo - it's terribly difficult to capture, I'm hoping I manage to capture it in the finished work. The difference you see in the yarns is due to the fact that the smaller skein is spun from a carded batt, while the larger skein was spun from the exact same fibers handblended at the wheel. The plan is to knit the beginning of the shawl with the more uniform skein, leaving the more variegated skein for the rest of the shawl where the color runs will hopefully not detract from the lace.

Spin Out 2007!

Cara over at January One has done it again - she's organizing the 2nd annual Spin Out with a huge prize stuffed raffle to benefit Heifer International. Every year, a portion of Spritely Goods sales are donated to Heifer International, and just as last year, I'm happy to be a part of Spin Out by donating some goodies as a prize. I wish I could attend in person - but alas, I fear a trip to NYC is not in my near future.

Knitting for All Seasons

It often seems like my knitting goes by the wayside in the summer months - and occasionally it seems like I fall into a rut as to what to knit next. With this as my dilemma, I was happy to receive a review copy of The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons: Sweaters and Accessories for Men and Women. I don't actually have any of the Yarn Girls' books in my knitting library, though I have certainly heard of them.

As the title suggests, the book is arranged by season - offering patterns for apparel and accessories for the various seasons for both men and women. The models in this book all look like everyday people, rather than runway models, which is a definite plus. The patterns appear straight forward and easy to follow, and likely are suitable for beginning to intermediate level knitters. Sizes are listed ranging from XS to L, and finished measurements are provided to help guide you to the correct finished size. For the sweaters, I would have preferred that an actual chest measurement be provided, rather than "width" (which must be doubled and compared to ones chest measurement to determine appropriate size). Based on the photos, a lot of the womens garments appear to have very little ease - with this said, the largest womens size usually has a 40-inch chest measurement (though some are smaller).

The sweaters and accessories are simple and classic in design, and I will likely use them as jumping off points for various projects (I never seem to knit a pattern exactly as written for one reason or another - but that's one of the things that I love about knitting!) - I've already got several of them earmarked for the knitting queue! If you haven't already had a peek at this book, it's definitely worth having a look.

One sure way...

To lure a knitter into your booth is to have a mascot sitting prominently in the aisle way in clear view of any passers by. Cute, isn't he? He is the mascot for Soft & Cozy a company that imports and distributes finished wool products from New Zealand. Unfortunately for me, they didn't have any yarn :(

Anyhow, it cracks me up when I go to a non-fiber tradeshow only to see the benefits and technical "performance features" of wool touted :D But good to see that wool (and other natural/eco fibers) are working their way into main-stream. The big eco fibers that seem to be working their way into technical apparel this year are ingeo (corn fiber), cocona (coconut fiber) and bamboo!

A small glimpse...

...into what my home looks like when I've been doing shop-work:


cat included for scale :) (and yes, that is some new fiber that will go up next month :) )

Typically, I don't have drying racks occupying what little free space I normally have in my kitchen - however, I had to bring the fully loaded racks inside due to an impending dust storm (we can't have all that freshly dyed yarn getting all dirty and dusty!)

No news (or little news) to be reported on the knitting and/or spinning front - I'm ever-so-slowly filling my second bobbin so I can knit the Wing o the Moth, and I'm making slow, steady progress on some stealth knitting. Avast, has alas, been set aside due to my aversion of "finishing" pieces - yet when I sit and think about it, there really isn't *that* much left to be done - I need to turn in all the bands/hems and have someone install the zipper for me! And voila! It would be done!

Death(ly) Hallow(s)

In a blaze of page turning, I finished off Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this past weekend - I'm now finishing off the book on CD version :) For those who have finished who are wanting more info about what happens to all the characters, you can find a transcript of a chat with J.K. Rowling on Mugglenet.

Not too long before the release of Deathly Hallows, I finally had a chance to go on a vacation :) - the destination was just outside the town of Escalante, Utah - a hike...


...down Death Hollow. How fitting :) Photos featured here are taken after the perennial water source is reached - depending on local weather, and your own personal hiking speed, getting to the perennial water can prove to be a brutally long day. Once there though, the nature of the canyon changes dramatically - and is simply stunning.

On occasion, the pools are actually deep enough to require a swim to get across - in case you're wondering, that is indeed a child's pool toy - it was brought on the trip to aid in keeping our packs dry :)

We flew through in just three days - it is certainly possible to stretch it out longer, though for those interested in exploring the area, it should be noted that nice campsites can be hard to come by - especially in the lower reaches where poison ivy abounds. Luckily, we had heard about the poison ivy and took care to avoid it! Optimal time of year for this hike is perhaps earlier in the spring or later in the fall.

A Sneak Treat!

Lucky Me! I was lucky enough to have received an advance copy of Romantic Hand Knits: 26 Flirtatious Designs That Flatter Your Figure by Annie Modesitt. (officially released for sale tomorow, August 7th)

If you want a sneak peak inside the book, check out Annie's Flickr set. The book itself is stunning to look at - the photos lush, the knitting just gorgeous. Since I received the book, I haven't had a moment to do much else other than to page through and ogle the photos. Various of the projects in the book, will, I'm sure eventually make it onto my needles - and others will provide inspiration for yet other projects. The patterns are broken down into 3 sections: Above the Waist - various tops from tanks/camisoles to sweaters and cardigans, Below the Waist - Skirts and Dresses, and Accessories - which include hats, gloves, scarves and stockings. It's fair to say I found patterns in each of the sections that caught my interest.

In addition to lovely photos and patterns, the book also has plenty of helpful information regarding techniques that may be considered more advanced or non-standard to the average knitter such as embroidery, crochet and basic lace knitting techniques. Also included is a recommended reading section in the back to help augment my knitting library :) I'm looking forward to spending a bit more time with this book as I work my way through my knitting project queue :)

During Lunchtime...

...the shop was updated!


In addition to 10 new limited edition colorways, a bunch of colors that were out of stock have been restocked, 3 new colors have been introduced, and a couple colorways have been expanded into Sport/DK weight. Cruise over to Spritely Goods to check it all out.

2/3rds there....

Well, I've slept on it...no $30+ shawl for me, no siree! Instead I had some quality time with my spinning - churned off 4.5 ounces / 608 yards of fine fingering/baby weight yarn...and it's been mumbling about being turned into a Wing o the Moth shawl - I need 300-400 more yards, so it's back to the spinning wheel I go - this time, I'll be spinning off a batt, rather than a bowl of hand blended (no tools used) fibers. If you look really carefully, you might see the sparkle in the yarn - I added sparkly angelina fibers to the yarn as I was spinning it. I'm really eager to get started, but I've decided to use this yarn for the outer portions of the shawl as I suspect it is more variegated in appearance than what I'll be spinning from the batt. I better get to it, if I want to get this thing cast on anytime soon!

OPK, pehaps something to queue?

Bladmönstrad sjal
Originally uploaded by Queen Mudd

This gorgeous shawl, knit by Queen Mudd has had me intrigued since I set eyes on it. It's just stunning. It's designed by a swedish designer, and the pattern can be purchased (not downloadable) either from the designer directly or from Helylle an online yarnshop in Sweden...the hangup? I hate to admit it, but it's the price. approximately $33. Just for the pattern. I may very well cave, but I'm definitely sleeping on it - my knitting queue is somewhat ridiculous and while I adore knitting lace, I still rarely wear it!

A few loose ends

Just in time for the summer monsoon ;)

I've finally finished all of the knitting on Avast - it's all finishing tasks I have left to do - basically I need to sew down the hems for the sleeve, and turn in the bands and sew those down. Once that is done, I'll need to wash and block the sweater so I can take a measurement for the zipper - then go zipper hunting and decide if I dare install it myself or if I'll hire out for that (again).

Preliminary fittings indicate that it will fit perfectly :)

I'm Listening...

...indeed. It was a race of library holds to see which would come available first - I certainly didn't expect it to be the Book on CD! I'm still holding relatively steady at position 9 for the actual book - which, by the way, I still plan on reading cover to cover.

Anyhow, I'm trying to give myself a chance of having both the books and listening experience at the same time by limiting my listening to working out - never have I felt so disappointed when the timer ran out on my treadmill run and no other machine was available to prolong the listening experience! How's that for new motivation for working out? :D

As for the running, I'm officially on W7D2 of the C25k program, still following a low heart training plan. I tried upping the speed by 0.1 mph today as I've been easily staying within my target heart rate zone on the last several runs. Amazing what a measly tenth of a mile per hour will do to one's heart rate fluctuation!

Death by Dustbunny

After 10 long years of faithful service, the old Hoover started making a lot more noise and was developing a definite shimmy. My DH did all he could to try to revive it, however this time, it seems the dust bunnies had pulled one over on the old machine and there appeared to be no coaxing it back into trouble free performance.

One would think purchasing a new vacuum would be relatively straight forward, though it turned not to be. Obviously, since the last one lasted 10 years, I'd like to see at least that same kind of performance from the new one. Add allergies and a pair of cats to the mix, and the job becomes a bit more complex. Vacuums, it seems, run anywhere from less than $100 to well over $400. I had learned via researching dust control measures for my carder that baghouses (bagged vacuum systems) work more efficiently than cyclone systems - further research on the matter confirmed that for ease of use and efficiency, I should stick with bagged systems. With this small bit of knowledge in hand, it was just a question of researching available models.

Turns out I've abandoned Hoover - so much for brand loyalty. The shop that I had planned on purchasing the vacuum from did not carry any bagged hoovers - the only option was this rather boldly colored vacuum, made by Eureka. I had recalled that a Eureka had done quite well in the recent Consumer Reports reviews - but I wasn't certain that it was this one - it turns out after some additional research, this one did indeed do quite well with Consumer Reports, being rated a best buy.

Of course, once purchased, it had to be assembled and taken for a "test run" - it's much quieter and appears to be more powerful than the old vacuum (managed to pick up a fair bit of dirt out of the carpet even though old faithful had just been used that morning (prior to being declared terminally ill)). So far so good - I guess only time will tell.

As for Old Faithful Hoover, he's sitting in the front foyer waiting to be ushered out. I'm trying to decide if he's "fixable" or not - after all, the motor still runs, if a bit louder and with more vibration than I would like. I suppose I can either freecycle it or see if anyone else cares to adopt it.

Going into Hiding...

...well, kind of anyway. While everyone else will likely be finished and through with the Deathly Hallows by the end of this weekend, I will be patiently awaiting my turn with one of the local library's 20 copies (I'm number 30-something in the queue) - that is...unless I cave in and wind up picking up a copy at a local bookstore sometime this weekend while running other errands. I fear the only way to keep the book spoiler free is to go into some sort of virtual hibernation....we'll see how much knitting and spinning gets done while I await my turn :)

Have Tube....

...will knit?

I got this cool mailing tube from a (currently) bloggless friend (hi J-Dub!) and it is the perfect size for storing a spindle and a whole whack of fiber - of course, a cardboard mailing tube is not so fun to look at, so I've been thinking of knitting a cover, felting it to size, adding a strap or two and (in theory anyway) voila! A tubular purse or a convenient non-crushable case for a spindle!

Of course, this is just some grand idea that I've been bouncing around in my mind - I've been thinking of doing perhaps some mosaic knitting or fair isle, or perhaps even grabbing some random bits of handspun to knit this bag up - but I'm having difficulty figuring out how to start - I was thinking of knitting a round base (course I haven't quite figured out how to do that other than to perhaps try to copy the start of the kitty pi bed) and then just knitting up the sides until it's taller than I need so it can be felted good and proper...oh the possibilities :D

Messageboards

Petroglyphs and pictographs are interesting things. Whenever I visit sites that have these neat archaeological features, I am always mystified and I wonder sometimes what they are meant to mean. I've seen spiral petroglyphs before - but they are typically never connected to anything else - this glyph reminds me (for some reason) of some line art creature from some childhood book. Of course, I have no idea what creature it is, nor do I recall what book it was from, or if it was perhaps not even from a book, but perhaps a movie - or maybe it was some fanciful figment of my own derivation - memories are funny that way. Regardless, I'm sure that's not what the originator wanted to convey :)

If I'm remembering correctly, this was another one of the glyphs found while hunting for the elusive duck in the desert.

Speaking of spirals, they do make me think of spinning - I've finally broken into my bowl of fiber for my spun stitches project - the spinning is going slowly as I'm trying to spin finer than normal, - the fiber has been mumbling about being turned into a Wing o the Moth shawl - we'll see how it comes out in terms of yardage - I still don't think I'm spinning finely enough to ply it into a lace (heck, I'd settle for a fingering weight) yarn - at this moment I'm entertaining trying to knit the shawl out of singles - but I'm not so sure that's such a fantastic idea - though I can't imagine the lace would bias strangely - especially with a proper blocking....I'll get a photo once the bobbin is more full - there is a piteously small amount of yarn spun thus far.

Sola

Sola, the new SOAK scent by Amy Butler is now in stock at the shop! The scent is quite nice, and is supposed to evoke the fragrance of an evening garden. I'm not typically one for florals - this one is more spicy than sweet, and I'm quite liking it :)

Other things I'm liking - it seems that the continued training has finally resulted in my heartrate settling down properly. I finally completed W6D3 (25 minutes continuous jogging) - still at a very slow speed of 3.5mph, but I'm well within my target heart rate zone. If things continue, I'll go ahead and up the speed a little bit! So far, I've had no signs of the shin splints returning (knock on wood), though I have occasional bouts with numbness in my feet - I'm trying to figure out if my feet are still adjusting to the new orthotic devices, and have also been trying to make sure I don't crank down on the laces when I get ready to run. Hopefully by the end of the summer, I'll have my pace picked up a little, and my mileage moving in the right direction - I have 2 races on the books for this winter season, one of which is an (eep) half marathon!

A Milestone Reached!

One Year ago today, Spritely Goods moved to its own domain. I've learned a ton in the last year, and have had a fantastic time growing the site. I'm looking forward to continuing this adventure, with my eyes set boldly on growing it large enough so I don't have to play at being an engineer for too much more of my career :)

My, what big feet you have!

Certain places in the desert southwest are perfect for hunting out evidence of previous inhabitants and cultures. While hunting for a particular Duck earlier this year, I came across these panels of these Big Footed and Handed guys (and the little deer - I love the little deer!) Can you imagine if you had to actually knit socks or mitts for these folk?

Flamin' Hot!

We're well into the summer and the weatherfolk are figuring that it will not be a surprise to see temps in excess of 120 F at some point this summer. Yeesh. And what do I do? I play with wool, of course! It almost looks like the carder is on fire, doesn't it? Well, don't worry - it isn't :) That's a new colorway called Daffodil - now in the shop, along with some other July updates :D

Speaking of wool, I'm on the front bands of Avast! I've essentially got the front bands and the bottom hem to go, then some tidying up of random dangling yarns and then off to pick out a zipper. A brief (really brief - remember, soaring temps and wool sweaters don't mix ;) ) try-on indicates that the sleeves and body are indeed long enough and it looks like it will be a good fit :D hooray!