High Hopes

Hi Knitters,

It has truly been one of those weeks.... 

I know everyone is busy at this time of year so I won't go into detail. It's just all of that regular old end of summer, beginning of the school year kind of stuff.

However, in the midst of the chaos, I am pleased to say that I did finish blocking one of the most stunning items I have ever knit. The perfect yarn for the perfect pattern has happened with this knit.

Here is the information for this incredibly beautiful shawl:

Pattern: My Hope by Laura Linneman

Yarn: 1 skein of Cakewalk Yarns in Footsie (463 yards of fingering weight), in the Smirk colorway, I had plenty left over at the end.

Beads: 2 tubes of size 6/0 from JoAnn's in the Amber colorway

Needles: US size 5, 32-inch circulars 

Modifications:
I held the stitches on the cable needle to the front instead of the back. I found this easier to handle.
I did a yarn over after the first stitch and before the last stitch on the odd rows, and then dropped the yarn over on the even rows. This makes for a stretchier top edge.
I blocked the shawl with a straight edge at the top instead of the recommended crescent shape. I wanted as much length as possible. I used a straight blocking wire for the top edge. I also blocked the rest of the shawl quite vigorously, stretching it as far as it would go and then used pins to make the small points on the bottom edge.

I feel like every aspect of this shawl is absolutely beautiful. The beads, the yarn, the open cable crossed stitches.... perfection.

Thank you, Laura, for an amazing design that has done so much good for the Make a Wish charity.

I have to say at the end of nearly every cable cross row, I never ended up with the right number of stitches. I never counted the stitches once after I cast on. I found this amusing and just kept going. I simply crossed whatever stitches I had remaining at the end of the row. It is supposed to be a 3 by 3 cable cross. I had many 2 by 2 and 1 by 2 at the end of the rows. You can't tell a bit, honestly. The fact that I got to freely knit this without any worries about stitch counts makes me love it even more. It worked out great.

Look!

The shawl is light as air and the beads add the perfect amount of heft at the edge.

Beautiful, simple garter stitch in between open cable crosses... Laura is a genius. Those flecks of color sprinkled into the shades of gray added such an element of fun. Cakewalk Yarn is so dreamy. I wish you all could try it at some point. It is a special treat to knit. Rose, the dyer, is a true talent in the industry. 

Click here for Cakewalk Yarns.

I used all of my blocking pins, every one. I pinned out each point, stretched to the limit.

Above, you can see the shawl blocking. See those empty tins that hold my blocking pins? I pinned along the top blocking wire to hold it in place as I stretched and stretched the yarn to the limits. I love doing this process of blocking and pinning. It is so exciting.

The mittens that snuck into the lower corner are for a new pattern coming up. More on those later. Aren't they cute?

I recommend the My Hope shawl to anyone interested. I loved everything about this pattern and I love the finished shawl even more. The cable crosses are not difficult and I got way better at them by the end of the shawl. I was really quite fast at the crossing of the extended stitches by the time I got to the edge. You can do it!

I need a long weekend and I am sure you do, too. I'll see you on the other side, Knitters. Take care of yourselves.

best, susie

p.s. I just got invited to a super cool knitting retreat in another country and I am going! The hosts are posting about it next week so I can share at that time. I am so honored and excited and I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Candy Corn Socks and My Hope

Hi Knitters,
I finally finished up the Candy Corn socks I started way last September of 2011. I knit the first sock on the plane to Vogue Knitting Live in Los Angeles. After that Halloween came and went and so I sporadically worked on the second sock throughout the year.

This year I will be properly decked out for the Halloween season in this seasonal Vesper Sock Yarn called, Candy Corn. It is a happy day to be finished with them in time for the fall.

Click here for Knitterly Things and Vesper Sock Yarn!

It's pretty funny that the stripes actually match because I make no effort to ever have matching socks when I am using striping yarn. I don't care at all if they match or not so when it happens it is completely by chance.

I knit on US size 1 dpns and used the pattern, How I make my socks (click here for the pattern). This is maybe the fourth or fifth (or sixth?) pair of socks I have knit with Vesper Sock Yarn. I have a bunch more sitting on the shelf to knit up. I love this yarn.

The fit on these plain stockinette stitch socks with a heel flap and gusset just can't be beat. You know, if you can take the time, or knit enough socks, that you have this style of sock memorized, it becomes as easy as knitting a garter stitch scarf. The sock formula I love to use is second-nature at this point. You could all do that, too. It's really fun and so satisfying to have a drawer full of fantastic handknit socks to choose from in the fall and winter seasons.

I've finished doing a beaded-bind off on another shawl. I can't wait to get it blocked today. Right now it is a scrunchy ball of a shawl. After blocking, the open cross cable sections and garter will be shown to their truest beauty. This one is sure to become a favorite.

The lovely Laura Linneman designed the My Hope Shawl pattern as part of a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation. This is a wonderful pattern and I highly recommend it.

I have to say that the Cakewalk Yarns that I knit My Hope in continues to be a favorite yarn of mine. The yarn is so much fun to work with. The heathered gray in the Smirk colorway in Footsie (click here to see Smirk in the shop) is sprinkled with bursts of bright colors. For whatever reason these colorful spots make the knitting more fun as you work.

I was listening to Paula on her podcast, The Knitting Pipeline (click here to see Paula's My Hope), and she just completed the My Hope Shawl in Cakewalk Yarns Footsie, too. She ran out of yarn right at the end of her shawl, but I had lots and lots left over. The Footsie has 460 yards and the pattern calls for 470 - 500 yards. It's always interesting how gauge can make the yardage used differ by so much.

The loose cable crosses were very enjoyable. Like Paula, these did not bother me in the least. I, too, as Paula said, have heard a few other podcasters voice their dislike about this stitch pattern, which I can understand. However, I loved this section of the shawl. I got pretty good and fast at it by the end. One thing I did differently than the pattern suggests is that I held the cable needle to the front instead of the back. It was easier for me to hold onto this way and helped to keep the loose stitches in order. I know Paula said she did this section without using a cable needle at all. I always like my cable needle though.

It is always fun to hear another take on a project you also knit. Everyone always has different ideas and tips and tricks. That's another reason knitting is the best, right?

Have a good Monday and a great, great week.
best, susie

Waiting for Winter Mittens

Hi Knitters,

The winner of The Stella Collection is JerseyShoreDeb (rav id)! Congratulations to Debby and thank you to everyone who entered. I have another giveaway coming up that includes lots of yarn and lots of books. Stay tuned for that.

I have to share the mittens I finished yesterday. They are incredible if I do say so myself. I knit them from 150 yards of my handspun yarn from Dyeabolical roving in the Themyscira colorway. You can read all about the yarn by clicking right here.

I started and restarted these mittens many times over. I couldn't get them quite right at first due to the gauge and the handspun yarn. Finally, I settled on US size 6 needles which knit up the handspun at 4.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. The handspun is definitely a worsted weight.

Really, these are just about perfect. The fit is the best, the fabric is dense and squishy, which is perfect for warmth, and the colors in the yarn make a gorgeous pair of mittens.

I love these mittens!

I am working on a new mitten pattern that will have 3 sizes, small, medium and large, and can be used with any worsted weight yarn. This handspun pair fits me and it is in the medium size. I am going to knit a couple of more pairs, one in Noro Kureyon and the other in Fresh Isle Fibers watermelon striping worsted. I'll share along the way.

Now I'm just waiting for winter.....

Have a super weekend, Knitters.
best, susie

The Stella Collection Giveaway!

 (photos provided from The Stella Collection)

Hi Knitters,
I told you I'd be back with another fun giveaway and here it is!

First off, the winner of the Adorn Anew ebook is, czcestaro (rav id)! Congratulations! Thanks to everyone for entering.

Today, I am reviewing and offering you a chance to win something a little different, a sweet lace collection. The pattern collection includes four patterns for two shawls, a scarf and a cowl. The designs just get prettier and prettier. The Stella Collection is an ebook put together by two stellar stars in the knitting world, Julie Crawford of Knitted Bliss, and Tanis Lavallee of Tanis Fiber Arts yarn.

Click here to see The Stella Collection on Ravelry!

Click here to see Knitted Bliss!

Click here to see Tanis Fiber Arts!

These are two creative designers. They both have a very elegant but wearable design aesthetic so it is great to see them combining their talents.

(photos provided from The Stella Collection)

The collection has both written and charted lace patterns for your convenience. There are gorgeous photographs of each design from several angles. I think it is all a stunning presentation.

Here is the description of the collection straight from the designers:
A collection of four shawl designs, each featuring a different Tanis Fiber Arts fingering weight yarn base. The shawls are all unique, like each star in the sky. Stella is Latin for ‘star’, two shawls are inspired by stars in constellations, and two are inspired by the biggest star of all - the sun!

(photos provided from The Stella Collection)

I have been longing to try the Tanis Fiber Arts yarn, it looks incredible and always gets fantastic reviews. This yarn is on my "must try" list.

(photos provided from The Stella Collection)

Above is my favorite design in the collection. I think this looks like so much fun to knit. I love the garter stitch body of the shawl with the rhythmic lace along the edge. Lovely.

Julie and Tanis have generously offered a copy of their ebook, The Stella Collection, to one lucky winner. I am so excited for someone to have the opportunity to knit up some gorgeous lace this fall. If you would like to win this beautiful book of patterns, please leave one comment on this post. Please leave your email address or Ravelry id so we can send you the ebook if you win.

Good luck, Knitters. This is one you don't want to miss. I'll be back in a couple of quick days with a randomly selected winner. I have one more review and giveaway up my sleeve coming up next week.

Let the comments begin!
best, susie

Adorn Anew Giveaway!

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

Hi Knitters,
First off, thank you for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette love! I have had record-setting pattern sales since its release and I can't thank you enough for your enthusiasm. I love that there are so many first-time shawl knitters, first-time beaders, and first-time knitalong joiners getting involved with this simple shawl pattern. There is nothing better than that.

The Quaker Ridge Knitalong sign-ups are zooming right along. Sign-ups are open through Sept. 9th. Thank you all so much! I put all of the links at the top of my blog sidebar for your reference.

Now onto the business at hand, which also includes knitting and beading.

The adorable Laura Nelkin strikes again with her clever beaded jewelry knits in Adorn Anew. The patterns are being released one by one, so Adorn Anew has four patterns that have already been released and will have ten patterns in total by December 2012. When you purchase the collection you are automatically sent the new pattern when it is published. The anticipation makes it fun and exciting as you wait to see what Laura comes up with next.

Click here for Laura Nelkin's website!

Click here to see the Adorn Anew collection so far on Ravelry!

Click here to see the knit jewelry kits Laura has available! (These look wonderful.)

The photos below are of the patterns released so far in the Adorn Anew Collection.

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

The Mudra Cuff is my favorite so far in the collection. I think this would make a fantastic gift for any age and what a quick handmade gift this would be for the upcoming holiday season. I think these are a must for my nieces and daughters this year.

By the way, Kirsten Kapur, another favorite designer of mine, is hosting a giveaway right now for a kit for the Mudra Cuff. Don't miss this chance. Click here to see Kirsten's review and to enter to win the Mudra Cuff kit! How great to have all of the materials, including the beads, clasp, flosser, yarn and pattern, in one little bag. Laura packs her kits in sweet little bags that can then be used to give with the finished jewelry inside. These kits are also being sold in local yarn shops.

Click here for Laura's etsy shop! Here you can see what the kits are all about.

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

Laura's work is beautiful and  her patterns are clear and easy to follow. She is an energetic designer and teacher, plus she has a great sense of humor about everything. I love that about Laura. She is a fun designer to follow. She designs all sorts of things, not just jewelry. Her beaded shawls are amazing.

Click here for Laura's design page on Ravelry!

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

I think this gray and blue set is stunning. I would love to wear this.

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

If you are thinking about trying beads, Laura's jewelry patterns are the perfect way to give it a go. These projects are small, fun and quick. You will be learning from the bead-master, too! What could be better than that?

(photo provided by Laura Nelkin)

I love this dainty earring with the colorful yarn and beads.

Well, I have some exciting news. Laura has generously donated one copy of her collection (that's 10 patterns by December) for one of you! I am so excited for you to have the chance to win this collection. Please leave one comment on this post to enter to win. Your comment must include your ravelry id or email address. I will be back in a couple short days to randomly select a winner.

I have another collection to review and giveaway right after this so stay tuned for that as well.

Good luck and let the comments begin!
Susan

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Pattern Now Available

Hi Knitters,
The Quaker Ridge Shawlette pattern is now available for purchase at a discounted price in my Ravelry Pattern Shop. Please note that this pattern is also available to non-members of Ravelry and to approved Ravelry Local Yarn Shops for wholesale.

Click here to see more and/or to purchase the pattern for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette!

The price is now $4.00 per pattern from now until Sept. 9th, 2012. Starting Sept. 10th, 2012, the price will go up to $5.00.

The official Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong sign-up and thread is now open on the Itty-Bitty Knits group. Sign-ups will close on Sept. 8th at 12 midnight, Central Time.

Click here to sign-up for the knitalong and/or to see the information and thread!

The Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong will run from Sunday, Sept. 9th, 2012 through Sunday, Oct. 21st, 2012.

For those who finish a shawlette, and post a photo by Oct. 21st, you will be automatically entered in the drawings to win some fantastic giveaway prizes!

More information will be coming soon but for now you can purchase the pattern and start gathering your materials.

By the way, I want to include everyone who wants to participate so although it is best to be a member of Ravelry and join in on the knitalong thread, if you don't belong to Ravelry and want to join, please let me know.

Let the sign-ups begin!
best, susie

Weekly Hodge Podge

Hi Knitters,
Here's a taste of what is happening over at my house....

I am working on the pattern for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. It should be ready very soon and I'll keep you posted. (Here is the rav link for the shawl.) This morning though, I did do some knitting. I finished the sleeves and button bands for this new top-down seamless baby hoodie design. I have two adorable buttons at the ready as soon as the wool dries. The yarn is the beautiful and yummy Quince & Co. in Lark. Check it out right here!

This is another sample for my Vogue Knitting Live class this Oct. 28th from 2-5pm in Chicago. I have about 7 different options for the basic baby cardigan so far to choose from for the students taking the class. It should be pretty fun. I hope to see you there! I heard from the event coordinator at Vogue that this class is almost sold out now, too.

All of these these new baby patterns will be published and made available at a later date for purchase.

I have started winding the small amounts of handspun yarn leftover from knit projects into tiny balls leaving enough at the end to make a loop and tie a knot. They are like little ornaments. I don't know why but they look larger in the photo than in person. The biggest one is about an inch big.

TC brought home a puppy that belongs to some kids she babysits. The kids came over with her, too, and they played outside for a long time. The puppy is so cute, obviously. TC just loved him. His name is Bucky. I guess the kids named him.

 I am spinning up this gorgeous roving from Sunshine Yarns called Desert Cactus. 

I pre-drafted and wound it into these fluffy roving balls just waiting to be spun. I can't wait to finish this up to see the final outcome but it is taking long because I have 8oz. and it is going to be a three-ply yarn in the end. I'll share when it is finished.

I finally started Laura Linneman's My Hope shawl in Cakewalk Yarns sock yarn in the Smirk colorway. Oh, that yarn is good. It is gray with speckles of beautiful colors thrown in. I love both the yarn and pattern so much. This is a perfect match.

For some reason I am getting bunches of new sign-ups in my Craftsy Wee Ones Seamless Knit Toys online class. I mean hundreds and hundreds of new students over the past week. I am not sure why, but I am certainly happy to see everyone over on Craftsy. I still check in at least several times a week to answer questions and to see new finished projects.  

Anyway, if you are one of the new students, thank you for joining me on Craftsy! The elephant above is included in the class along with the patterns for a hippo and bunny. All three toys are knit from the top-down and are seamless, including the top-down sweater. The class is jam-packed with fun toy knitting techniques and tips. You learn a lot while making some cute little Wee Ones knit toys.

Click here to see information about my online classes for Craftsy.com!

Click here to find out about the individual pattern for the Wee Ones toys!

Click here to see my other Craftsy class, the Not So Itty-Bitty Giraffe class!

So that's what has been happening around here. What's going on at your house this week? I'd love to hear about it. I have two or three reviews and giveaways coming right up so keep your eyes out if interested.

best, susie

Quaker Ridge Shawlette Coming Soon!

Hi Knitters,
Well, I never expected the reaction to the teaser for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. The pattern preview shot to the number one spot on the Hot Right Now Top 20 Patterns on Ravelry! That's so much fun and it has spurred me on to get that pattern written and released quickly and to pick a date for the upcoming knitalong. Thank you for the interest in the pattern.

Today, I am sharing the needed materials for the shawl and the knitalong starting and ending dates. The pattern will be released within the next week or so. It will be available for purchase on my Ravelry Pattern Shop at a reduced price up to the starting date of the knitalong. At that time the pattern will still be available for purchase but the price will go up slightly.

I will announce the start and finish dates and have updates for the knitalong on this blog and I will also start a thread on my Itty-Bitty Knits Ravelry group as soon as the pattern is up for purchase. Please hop over to Ravelry and join the group if you haven't already done so, we'd love to welcome you over there. It is a really fun, helpful and talented group of knitters. I will gather prizes for giveaways for the knitters who complete their shawls in the allotted time for the knitalong.

Click here for the Itty-Bitty Knits group on Ravelry and please join if interested!

I will start the thread on the forum group for the shawlette knitalong as soon as the pattern is released for purchase. You can officially sign up for the knitalong as soon as the thread is open in Itty-Bitty Knits which will be in the next week or so. I will announce all of this information here on the blog.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette and please favorite or queue up if interested!

Starting date for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette Knitalong: Sunday, Sept. 9th, 2012
Ending date for the knitalong: Sunday, Oct. 21st, 2012

Of course, if you'd like to knit the shawl and not join the knitalong, that's just fine, too. You can work in your own time frame. My blog will go on as usual covering all sorts of knitting fun during the knitalong which will mostly be held on the forum thread.

If you would like to join in the knitalong, now is the time to start gathering your materials.

(The photo above shows my favorite way to wear this shawl - so chic and warm!)

Pattern information for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette:

Shape: Semi-circle with a straight-edge at the top, worked from the top-edge down

Finished measurements after blocking: 70-inch wingspan, 22-inches deep (including the 1.5-inch optional ruffle)

Difficulty: Easy! Beginners welcome! Both experienced shawl knitters and first-timers will enjoy this straightforward design.

Skills needed: I'll help with all of this along the way once we get started.

Cast on

Knit

Purl

make 1 right (m1R)

make 1 left (m1L)

knit 2 stitches together through the back loops (k2togtbl)

Bind off

Placing beads

Yarn: 2 skeins (360 yards per hank) of Madelinetosh Pashmina, 720 yards,  (I used approximately 570 yards total, with about 150 yards leftover in the second skein of Pashmina.)

Yarn Note: Any sport weight yarn will work great for this shawl. The shawl is easily modified to make smaller or larger because you aren't tied to a certain number of stitches at any time during the knitting of the shawl. It could easily be any size you'd like.
If you use a different sport weight yarn or a different weight yarn the yardage requirements will vary.

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch (unblocked)

Please note: Gauge for this shawl does not have to be exact, however, if your gauge differs from 5 stitches per inch you will have different yardage requirements. 

Needles: US size 7, 32-inch circular needles or size to obtain gauge

4 stitch markers needed

Optional beads: 2 tubes of size 6 glass beads.

Please note: This size bead worked fine but some - not all - of the beads were too tight to get onto the yarn with the flosser. If you'd prefer a slightly larger size bead that would work fine, too. I am happy with the size 6 beads, but definitely try the beads out beforehand if at all possible. You want to make sure you can get the beads over the flosser and onto the stitch/yarn fairly easily. You could also use a crochet hook method for applying the beads but I found the flosser method worked better for me. 

Click here for Laura Nelkin's excellent tutorial on the Superfloss and crochet hook bead placement technique. 

Click here for The Knit Girlls' fantastic tutorial on bead placement with Superfloss.

Note: I bought the 2 tubes of beads at JoAnn's. The color I used is called Emerald Mix. 

If you are not interested in the beads you'll just do a regular old bind off and be done! It will every bit as pretty without the beads.

Ruffle option: The pattern includes an optional ruffle. If you are short on yardage you could leave the ruffle off or make it a few rows shorter.

If you choose to do the beads and the full ruffle, you will end up with 492 stitches and will need that same number of beads. If you choose not to do the ruffle but would like the beaded edge, you will end up with 246 stitches and will need that same number of beads.  It's up to you!

Here are some more photos of TC wearing the Quaker Ridge Shawlette. She is as tall as me now if not a little taller!

Here's to hoping that you are having a beautiful August Sunday. Lots more to come on the Quaker Ridge Shawlette and again, thank you for the overwhelming support.

You are all the best!
best, susie

This Week So Far

Hi Knitters,
This week has been a productive one. I finished editing book proofs yesterday which took hours on the phone with my trusty editor. With that off of my plate for a couple of weeks (the book pages will return to me again one more time for further work) I worked on a few projects needing to get finished.

Many months have passed since I started my first shawl design. I set it aside to work on more pressing projects. Last weekend I picked it up again to work on in the car as we drove to Chicago for a day of fun. I am calling this shawl the Quaker Ridge Shawlette due to the stitch pattern inspired by Barbara Walker's Quaker Ridging stitch pattern in a Treasury of Stitch Patterns.

This is honestly a super easy shawl and is perfect for first-timers or someone wanting a simple, generous shawl to work on. I absolutely am in love with this semi-circular shawl. The shawl is clean-lined and the perfect way to show off some gorgeous yarn in a clear and easy way.

Click here for the Ravelry project page for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette!

When we got home all I had left to do was add a ruffle and complete a beaded bind off which was no small feat. The ruffle and beaded bind off are completely optional. You could just do a few rows of garter stitch and bind off. This would look great, too.

It took many hours of ruffle knitting and bead placing, but I finally finished binding off and I even blocked the shawl yesterday. Voila! The finished Quaker Ridge Shawlette has now been wrapped around my shoulders early this morning.

Here you can see the beaded bind off close up. I used a flosser to place the beads. Click here for a great tutorial on how to place beads with a flosser.

Anyway, I am in love with my new shawl. It is so beautiful and drapey. The beads add so much. The pattern is coming soon. Plus, I am going to have a knitalong for the Quaker Ridge Shawlette early this fall. More details will be coming up!

The pattern calls for a sport weight yarn. I used 2 hanks of Madelinetosh Pashmina, which is 720 yards. I had 47 grams leftover at the end. The colorway is Forestry which is rich and gorgeous. I knit on US size 7 needles, 32-inch circular, at 5 stitches per inch in stockinette before blocking. The blocked shawl is about 70 inches across the top edge and about 22 inches deep including the ruffle. It is a semi-circle shape.

Let me know if you are interested in the pattern and/or the Quaker Ridge Shawlette knitalong!

Click here to see Pashmina!

This cardigan is my Ravellenic project so I am glad I finished it in time. It is a sample for my Vogue Knitting Live class coming up in Chicago on Oct. 28th. I just checked in with Vogue and my toy class is sold out and this baby cardigan class is almost sold out! Click here to find out more about signing up for the class and other classes.

I've already cast on another baby cardigan for the class in a heathered gray color that will have a hood, plus a different edging and closure. I have some yellow buttons that I may use for this gray hoodie.

I am using Quince & Co. Lark, which is a wool worsted weight, for all of these cardigans. I am in love with this yarn and company. Click here for Quince & Co. All of these patterns I am working on will be available to everyone in the future, not just students in the VK Live class.

I dug through my buttons to see if anything would work on the tiny striped cardigan but I am not seeing anything that clicks. I need 6 tiny buttons for this one. I may have to search for some new buttons somewhere.

I have just a few spinning photos to finish out the day. I have this hank of 270 yards of a bulky weight merino in the photo above. This is a very playful hank that I finished awhile ago. I can't remember  where the fiber is from. I started a scarf with it but then ripped it out. It wasn't quite right and now I am not sure what this will become.

I am also working on spinning up singles to make a 3-ply out of 8oz. of Sunshine Yarns superwash merino roving in the Desert Cactus colorway. It is very pretty with lots of shades of gray and purple and even splashes of rust and green here and there. It's really interesting because it looks so different in the braid compared to the singles on the bobbin. That makes it fun to spin. I have the roving divided into thirds and I am on the second bobbin now. I am trying to spin very thin since it will be a 3-ply in the end. We'll see what happens.

I'll leave you with a photo of TC and me in Chicago. We had lunch at an outdoor cafe, shopped and walked around the city. It was a fun-filled, and hot sunny day in the windy city.

Well, those are some of my happenings this week. Have you gotten any knitting or spinning done this week?
best, susie