What Is This?

It measures 20.5 inches tall by 25 inches wide when set up like this.



My neighbor bought it at an antique store several years ago. It was labeled "yarn winder". Her intention was to use it to display towels on, but it ended up forgotten in her garage. She came across it the other day and gave it to me because she knows I like to knit.

At first glance it does appear that it could be a yarn winder, but the design is wrong. Even if it was mounted on a base, there is no way to slip the yarn off after it is wound.



There are some empty holes in a few of the "spokes" and by the looks of it, something used to be attached there.



The way the pieces are joined makes the thing somewhat collapsible. You can tell it has been stored in a different position than it is now.

I have no idea what the true purpose of this object is, but I'm hoping someone can help me figure it out or guide me to a source that will know.

The only thing I feel certain about is that it once belonged to R. Hartman.



And now it belongs to me.

Easy Spun

Now that I own a beautiful Greensleeves spindle, I want to learn how to use it. I've read the book Spinning in the Old Way by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts. She clearly explains the process of high-whorling. She makes it sound so simple. Surely this is something I can do.

I felt motivated the other day to give it a try. So out came the spindle, the book and a bit of newly purchased Lincoln Longwool roving. I was all excited to figure this out...to learn something new...until...I began to fumble with the spindle and roving. My motivation quickly faded and I only managed to spin a couple of yards of yarn.



I guess my heart wasn't into learning something new like I thought. What I really desired to do was just spin yarn. When I realized this, I abandoned the spindle for the wheel and got to work on some Fine Brown Shetland roving. Now this was easy spinning: relaxing and fun. I spun up a couple of bobbins that afternoon.



And the next day I plied both together. Two-ply easy spun yarn straight off the niddy-noddy. I'll soak it and set the twist when I finish up the rest of the roving.



As for learning how to use a handspindle, I think I'll have to make sure my next attempt happens when I'm away from home and there is no wheel in sight to tempt me to give up.

Summer's End

The weather was so beautiful this last weekend of summer that we had to get out and enjoy it. John and I spent Friday afternoon at Matagorda Beach. It's about an hour from our house and offers something for both of us.

For John, it's fishing...of course, you knew that.



For me, it's a chance to find a treasure from the gulf, take pictures, knit or just enjoy the scenery.

The first sock of the pair I started last week is finished.



It's made from Online Supersocke Cotton (Beach Color 946). I've found that this yarn is "just right" for our climate and it holds up well to machine washing and machine drying. The first pair I made from it a year ago still looks like new even though it's been worn more than any other pair I own.

We stayed at the beach until dark. On the drive home we talked about what we would do on Saturday.



Not surprisingly, we ended up back at Matagorda. This time I brought along the second sock of the pair.



Summer has ended on a good note. Welcome fall.

Just Ducky

For most of the summer, Friday's posts have been reserved for flower pictures, so it seems only natural to continue with a non-knitting theme on Fridays. Today it's photos of a duck I saw at Silver Lake in Utah. She was quite willing to pose for the camera. You can click these for a bigger view.









Enjoy your weekend! It's the last one the summer.

The Best Day (Part II)

After leaving the fiber fair, John and I drove to the mountains. We took the Mirror Lake Scenic Byway. Our destination was Mirror Lake, but our first stop was the Upper Provo River.

John tried his luck with the fly rod.



I explored the area and added another flower photo to my collection.



The sky was beautiful--a deep shade of blue mixed with puffy white clouds.



While John continued fishing upriver, I found a place to sit and knit.



Another pair of socks is underway. Again I'm using Online Supersocke Cotton. This time it's Beach Color 946. The colors may be reminiscent of the beach, but I think they look quite at home in the mountains.

After catching a few fish and knitting a few rounds, we headed for Mirror Lake.



Definitely one of my favorite places! It's so beautiful that it's hard to capture the true feeling of it in photographs.



It takes about an hour to walk around the entire lake. At first glance it doesn't appear to be that big, but when you walk the perimeter you realize there is so much more to see. The scenery seems to change with each stop along the trail.



I kept my eyes open for wildlife. I saw chipmunks, various birds, a muskrat (I think) and a few squirrels. This guy thought I wouldn't be able to see him if he sat as still as he possibly could.



We left just before dark hoping to spot a moose on our drive down from the mountains, but no luck. We did however get held up by traffic...of a different sort.



Hundreds of sheep!



Not the type of traffic jam we're used to in Houston, that's for sure.

(Click the last two pictures for a bigger view.)

The Best Day

John and I had a great time on Saturday starting with the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair. After a couple of wrong turns we found our way to Wheeler Historic Farm where the fair was held.



Once we got there, it didn't take me long to spot Margene and the gang. We joined them for introductions and a quick visit. I was really excited to meet Kim for the first time. We've been friends through our blogs for a couple of years. She greeted me with a welcoming hug and we talked for a bit. Next time I hope our visit will be longer.


Back row, left to right: Susan, me, Margene, Judy
Front row, left to right: Teresa, Carole, Kim

I hope I have all the names right. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Later I also met Kim, but I didn't get a picture.

This was a wonderful little festival. Not a huge affair, but plenty of vendors with good things to sell.



There were classes offered and demonstrations too. You couldn't miss this guy: quite colorful in dress and personality.



He kept the crowd entertained with demonstrations of the great wheel.

And there were a few animals too.



I picked up some great souvenirs.



A beautiful Greensleeves spindle (Maureen's Mjolinor made from Masur Birch) and a couple of different rovings: Lincoln Longwool from Nelson Land and Livestock and a blend of Corriedale, Alpaca and Mohair in a purplish color from Spinderella's.

After saying our good-byes to the gang, we stopped by to check on the Wheeler Farm sheep.



Then we headed up to the mountains to spend the rest of the day at Mirror Lake. That's a story for next time.

Where's Wool Winder?

Since socks are always my first choice for take-along knitting, here's proof that I've been on the go more than I've been at home lately.



Cast on in Oklahoma, knitted some in Louisiana, worked on a little bit at home (Texas) and finished in Utah. Only two weeks from start to finish. That's about as fast as it gets for me.



Basic Sock: 3 x 1 ribbed leg, short-row heels and toes, worked on 64 stitches
Yarn: Online Supersocke Cotton
Color: Beach 948
Needles: US 1 DPNs
Sock Count: 17

This week Wool Winder is in Salt Lake City. I'm here with John and he's here for work. After work each day we've been getting out and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.

Fishing at Silver Lake


Deer in Provo Canyon


Bridal Veil Falls


And the really great thing about this trip is that it coincides with the Great Basin Fiber Arts Fair this weekend. You can bet I'll be there tomorrow ready to buy a souvenir or two and say hello to a couple of blogging buddies. Can't wait!

September

007 Snap a Dozen Days


Ruby-throated Hummingbird

September is the month that our backyard comes alive with hummingbirds. It is rare for us to see hummers in the spring. And we have never had one stay for the summer. However, when the hummingbirds begin their southerly migration, they tend to stop over in our yard to feast on the flowers of the Turk's Cap shrub.

You can see how perfectly designed flower and bird are for each other in the photo above (all pictures in this post can be viewed in a larger format with the click of the mouse). As the hummingbird dips in for the nectar, her head brushes against the stamen and is dusted with pollen.



This year we have about six Ruby-throats that feed regularly in our yard. Each day we are entertained by their acrobatics.



And awed by their grace and beauty.



These amazing little birds are my favorites and I look forward to their return each year.

Baby Bolero

Book: One Skein by Leigh Radford
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
Color: Strawberry Cream
Needles: US 8 and 9
Size: Newborn

Believe it or not, I was in need of another gift for a baby girl to be born next month. There always seems to be someone having a baby around here. At this point everyone is expecting me to include a hand knitted item as part of their gift. Who am I to disappoint them?

This little bolero was quick to make and fun too. The body is knitted in one piece from the bottom up starting with a provisional cast-on. The sleeves are knitted separately. To finish, seams must be sewn on the shoulders, armholes and sleeves. The ribbed band is knitted on by placing the live cast-on stitches on a circular needle and picking up stitches all around. An optional eyelet motif adds an element of design to the back of this simple jacket.



My edition of One Skein was published with a mistake in the pattern. You can find a list of corrections here.

Friday's Flowers

Friday's Flowers has been an enjoyable part of my summer. I've had lots of fun photographing flowers in my yard and on my travels. To end this series of posts, I'd like to share with you some of the roses that bloom in my garden. These photos were taken at different times throughout the summer.

Valentine



Lafter



Blumenschmidt



Dr. Grill (I think)



Dame de Coeur


Have a great weekend!

Little Pumpkins

I know two ladies who will be having babies in October. They are sisters and the neat thing is they are both expecting boys on the exact same day. I wanted to make something for their babies and pumpkin hats seemed like the natural choice.



Little Pumpkin
Book: Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson
Yarn: Berroco Comfort (50% Super Fine Nylon, 50% Super Fine Acrylic)
Colors: Kidz Orange 9731, Sprig 9721, 9745
Needles: US 7, 16" Circular and DPNs
Size: Newborn

This is the first time I have used Berroco Comfort and I am very pleased with it. I found it at SWAK on our recent trip to Oklahoma. It's an extremely soft, worsted weight yarn that doesn't feel at all like you would expect acrylic to feel. It feels so nice in fact, that I would even consider using it for myself. And the best part is that it's easy care -- machine wash and dry. Each skein is a generous 210 yards which was more than enough for both of these hats. Since the price was right (I paid $5.50/skein), I bought several skeins of orange to have on hand specifically for pumpkin hats. I'm glad I did.