Weekend Update

Catherine was mentioning that she was working so much that she only finished a few small items. When I'm bogged down with work I find that I finish nothing, but start many new things.

I love the feeling you get when you first pick the yarn and then work out the pattern, sometimes going through several yarns and/or patterns! Whether it's knitting or weaving, the thrill is the same. I've been so overworked that I've started a new working on a twill scarf pattern, a new sweater out of the Beast I started spinning about two years ago, and I've been spinning up some corrie for a fair isle sweater.



I'm pretty proud of the corrie, as it's the first time I've planned out the yarn before I began spinning and then actually accomplished my goal. I wanted a soft, fluffy two ply around a DK weight. I've spun up 6 skeins so far, each a little over 2 ounces and about 260 yds. I'm leaning towards a deserty colorway, dyeing a main color and four contrasting colors using a 1/2% DOS.



The Beast is going to be a thick, cushiony v-neck cardigan, probably with pockets as it will most likely end up more of a jacket. I started spinning this with my Louet, back in December 2002. (see December 26th entry, it shows more of the rusty brown that's in the fiber) Incredibly, I almost finished the three pounds, so I should have more than enough. I'm not sure if I'd be able to spin the rest to match!

I bought several cones of 1/8 wool from Pollywogs and I've been playing around with several different twill ideas. I think I've settled on a Herringbone twill, maybe the one from the Nov/Dec 1996 Handwoven.

I bought Rachael Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2 right before school, thinking I'd get some fast ideas. She's got some great recipes, although she warns that for some recipes you've got to prep the night before to really make it in 30 minutes. I tried the quick Honey Lime Grilled Chicken tonight but I wanted some type of spicy soup to go with it. I combined a few different recipes to come up with this Mexican Vegetable Soup. It was a big hit and I was able to make the soup, chicken, and a big tossed salad in less than 60 minutes (including spinning three different greens).

Have a great week - only 10 days to prepare for Thanksgiving!