Struggling with monogamy

2/21/2015

Good morning and happy Saturday! It looks like we’re in for a bit of a “warm spell” this weekend with highs in the 20s and 30s. Unfortunately, those temps are bringing more snow too. I’m keeping a close eye on the weather today as it is threatening to affect the guild’s Spin-In event today at the Presbyterian Church in Schoharie. If we’re lucky, the snow won’t start until MUCH later this afternoon.

My plan is to bring the last ounce or so of Toasty to spin up on the little Cardarelle wheel and even out the three bobbins that I’ve filled. That’s not likely to take all afternoon, so in the interest of finishing up a spindle project, I may bring the merino/silk blend that I’ve been spinning on my Tilt-A-Whorl spindle. A spindle project means I’ll be free to walk around the room and visit with other guild members and see what they’re all working on. The added bonus is that completing spinning both a wheel and spindle projects means I can start something new.

Project monogamy is something I’ve always struggled with. Living with multiple wheels and multiple spindles means I could, theoretically, have a project in progress on as many wheels and as many spindles as I own. At times I have had more than one wheel project going and more than one spindle project going. The trouble I’ve found with that is when I have time to work on one of those projects, it’s hard to decide which one, and whichever project I choose, I often find myself thinking of all the others while I work.

These days I try to keep myself limited to just one wheel project at a time and just one spindle project at a time. Each project can get the attention it deserves and has a better chance of being completed in a reasonable timeframe. If anything is left to languish it’s the spindle project. I kind of treat them the way I do sock projects. I always keep a sock project going because they’re small, easily portable, and great for when I only have a few minutes here or there to work on them. The same goes for my spindle projects.

I suppose that by limiting myself to one wheel project and one spindle project at a time you could say that I do practice monogamy with my spinning projects at least in regards to the tools or methods. As for knitting projects, I haven’t been monogamous for years, and I don’t see that changing. Ever. I know some knitters who have a dozen or more projects on needles at any given time. I’m not entirely sure but I think at most I think I’ve had seven knitting projects in progress at the same time. Right now I’ve got just three: a sweater, a pair of socks, and a scarf. But since socks are always in progress and there’s never really any rush to finish them, I’ve got room to start a fourth knitting project.

This morning I’m stash diving for what to spin next after I’m done with my first few ounces of Toasty, and I came up with this luscious 50/50 blend of mohair and Romney from Puff The Magic Rabbit. There are no other details besides the fiber content, but I’m guessing that it’s Romney on the fairly fine end of the scale, and kid or yearling mohair. The roving is so silky soft and I’m already thinking about it as the weft in a light and fuzzy woven scarf. I can’t wait to start spinning it!

That’s it for today. If you’re heading out anywhere today please drive carefully!