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Thanks for the comments on the handspun, ladies! It's always nice to get kudos from knitters and spinners I know and respect. There were some questions I'll answer here:

Marnie, glad you like the yarn color. I was a bit surprised with the final plied yarn because, well, it was called "Rose" and I thought it would be more rosy-colored. But it's growing on me. You're right, it has a vintage feel. I believe Copper Moose has 2 pounds of this up for sale. Mmm....

Julia, I honestly didn't think of setting the twist on the single first. I always thought it was best to set handspun *after* plying. But I don't know. I'd like to know what other spinners think. Now, if I could only spin Manos singles like you...

June and Kerstin, the other 3 bobbins that came with the Lendrum were full! Anyway, I thought it would be kind of cool to spin all 4 ounces onto one bobbin--I like that overflowing look. But you know, I shouldn't have been too cocky...

Jillian and Terry, I usually wait until the 2nd or 3rd generation of a particular computer model before I buy; I like to have as many kinks as possible worked out by the engineers before plunking down my money. Especially since Macs aren't cheap!

On to the rest of the post!

Take a look at my "new" wool cards, purchased from Susan, whom I met at the GLASWG event late last year. There was a bit of fluff left on the combs and I proceeded to pick them out. I emailed Susan to tell her that the I had figured out how to get the fiber out (by using my Mason Pearson hairbrush, of all things) whereupon she promptly replied that the little bits are good for the cards! Who knew?

I guess they keep the teeth clean. Anyway, I fell in love with them: the worn down edges, the crooked teeth, the "L" and "R", the shape of the handles. The cards belonged to the mother of the woman who sold it to Susan, and she had used them for 25 years. Wow, yeah?

Watching: This link stolen from Monica of the dumbest dog video that you've probably already seen!

Have a wonderful weekend, everybody!

Hi everyone, hope you had a restful four days! Thanks for the comments on my handspun as well. I'm definitely dyeing this batch, and as to a project I'm thinking socks for the BF (hence, blues and greens). If you like to experiment with fiber types, I'd recommend Lanas de Libélula, which is fellow knitter/spinner Wendy's store. LdL carries a wide variety of fibers (Finn, Swalesdale, Welsh, etc.); Wendy also sells her own beautiful hand-dyed and handspun yarn. Go check it out!

Another meme, this time from Mia. This reminds me of Truth or Consequences, of Spin The Bottle, of Two Truths and a Lie. I'm going to make this more interesting and I'll play Two Truths and a Lie here. He he. Don't ask me which is which, I'll never tell. And if you do feel like meme-ing, please feel free to take it for yourself. So. Have you ever...

1. smoked a cigar - yes
   
2. crashed a friend’s car - yes
   
3. stolen a car - no
   
4. been in love - yes
   
5. been dumped - yes
   
6. dumped someone - no
   
7. taken shots of alcohol - no
   
8. been fired – yes
   
9. been in a fist fight - yes
   
10. snuck out of a/your house - yes
    
11. had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back- no
    
12. been arrested - no
    
13. made out with a stranger - no
    
14. gone on a blind date - no
    
15. lied to a friend - yes
    
16. had a crush on a teacher- yes
    
17. seen someone die - no
    
18. been on a plane - no
    
19. thrown up in a bar - no
    
20. miss someone right now - no
    
21. laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by - yes
    
22. made a snow angel - yes
    
23. played dress up - yes
    
24. cheated while playing a game - no
    
25. been lonely - yes
    
26. fallen asleep at work/school - yes
    
27. used a fake id - yes
    
28. felt an earthquake - yes
    
29. touched a snake - no
    
30. run a red light - yes
    
31. had detention - no
    
32. been in a car accident - yes
    
33. hated the way you look - no
    
34. been lost - yes
    
35. been to the opposite side of the country - yes
    
36. felt like dying - no
    
37. cried yourself to sleep - yes
    
38. played cops and robbers - no
    
39. karaoke - yes
    
40. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t - yes
    
41. laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose - yes
    
42. caught a snowflake on your tongue - yes
    
43. kissed in the rain - no
    
44. sang in the shower - yes
    
45. made love in a park - no
    
46. had a dream that you married someone - no
    
47. glued your hand to something - no
    
48. got your tongue stuck to a flag pole - no
    
49. worn the opposite sex’s clothes - yes
    
50. been a cheerleader – yes
    
51. sat on a roof top - yes
    
52. talked on the phone all night - yes
    
53. ever too scared to watch scary movies alone – yes
    
54. played chicken fight - yes
    
55. been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on - yes
    
56. been told you’re hot by a complete stranger - yes
    
57. broken a bone - yes
    
58. dipped snuff - no
    
59. lived overseas - yes
    
60. ever passed out/fainted - no
    
61. blown bubbles in the wintertime - yes
    
62. BONUS! Yes, I made up my own: had a boyfriend who grew a strain of "herb" for me and called it Happy Happy - um, no
    

Comments closed for this post!

Thanks everyone for the responses on Mirabella. I'm actually still kind of nervous about it (beginning designer's nerves, y'know), and curious to see how it'll look when someone knits from my directions... Aerobic isn't found everywhere; I believe it may be discontinued, but I hope that doesn't discourage anyone from using another sock yarn that knits to the gauge specified. One thing that I recommend is using a yarn that is solid or subtly variegated, or with a low-contrast variegation. Wendy talked about variegated yarn and lace here, and I echo the opinion.

I put the pattern in the sidebar, and Liesel asked for the pattern to the Drooping Elm Leaves Scarf so I'll be adding that shortly.

So, I bought a Lendrum. Yup, I *finally* did! I won't bother to mention how many spinning blogs and reviews I read, how many people I pestered, how many books I pored through at the library, how many Spin-Offs I read this year to try to make my decision. BF and I rode to The Village Spinning and Weaving Shop in Solvang last weekend to try out a few wheels. Proprietors John and Marsha were so kind and patient with me. BF and Marsha actually talked about motorcycles, of all things to find in common, while John showed me the intricacies of the Ashford Joy and the Lendrum. In the end, the Lendrum Double Treadle (Regular package) won out on versatility (more ratios) and price, even though I had my heart set on the more aesthetic Joy. But there was no big loss. I am *in love* with this wheel!

As you can see, I dove headfirst into spinning some fluffy, creamily white Coopworth. I bought 8 ounces, enough to practice spinning on. I have consistency problems (too thin, too thick, not enough twist, way too twisty), but this is only the first half ounce, so I expect to do better!