• Not Actually Embarrassing
• 7

I’m not saying it’s perfect.  I’m not even saying it’s good.  I am, however, saying I don’t find it overwhelmingly embarrassing.  It is demonstrably yarn.  Even someone who didn’t spend much time interacting with yarn would likely identify it as such.  Funky, exuberantly-textured, oddly-colored yarn — but yarn none the less.

The suggested skill level for the retreat was “able to spin a continuous thread. (Note that we didn’t say that you should be able to knit well, or spin well. A basic beginner would be comfortable.)” I think this qualifies.  If it doesn’t I’m more or less out of luck, as the class is in a bit more than a week and I don’t know how much better I’ll get between now and then.

It’s about 2.75 oz and 200 yards.  It took the better part of a week (at about an hour a day) to spin and ply.  I’ve not the slightest idea what I’ll do with it.  There’s a good chance I’ll just keep it as a pet for the time being.

• Summer Knitting Sale
• 1

In an effort do debunk the notion that knitting is only for the cold weather months (pardon my northern hemisphere bias, I know it’s not hot everywhere right now), and in a fairly shameless attempt to help have a bit more cash on hand when I get to the silk retreat at Port Ludlow, I’m having a sale.  All my sock patterns that usually sell for $5.50 will be on sale for $4.00 for the next week.  In addition, if you buy two of these $4.00 patterns you can choose a third pattern for free.  Just send me a note (either email or ravelry message is fine, my email address is hunter @ violently domestic . com and my ravelry user name is hunter) letting me know which ones you bought and which one you’d like and I’ll send it right out to you.

Editing to add:  Yes, it scales.  That is, if you buy 4 patterns I’m happy to send you 2 free ones.  And of course if you want me to send one of your free patterns to a friend through ravelry I can do that too.  Just let me know what you need!

• Book Yarn, Part VI
• 1

Today I’m showing off Three Irish Girls’ lovely Kells Sport in the color Brennan.  I’ve not worked with this specific base before, but I have used (and very much enjoyed) their Adorn Sock in my Calcareous socks.

I first found Three Irish Girls’ yarns at Sock Summit.  Their combination of beautiful colors and a wide choice of base yarns was irresistible.  I knew I wanted to include a variety of yarn thicknesses in my book, and Three Irish Girls makes one of the most sock-suitable sport weight yarns I’ve ever found.  It can be hard to find sport weight yarn that comes with enough yardage, but theirs does.  It’s also (like all of their bases) available in any of their glorious colors.  What more could you ask for?

• Utterly Without Shame
• 2

So I’ve gone and done it.  Once before I succumbed to the biggest knitting blog cliche out there and showed you my cat.  Apparently doing it once broke some sort of internal restraint, because here I am doing it again.

It seems all my kitten-based indiscretions are related to spinning.  The last time I mentioned them, it was in a post where I declared that my affair with spinning was at an end.  Two weeks later, I found out I was going to the silk retreat in Port Ludlow which features spinning.  A deep and abiding fear of being the worst in the class prompted me to get back to work.  I got nicer spindles and am actually rather enjoying it now that I have better tools.

So, apparently, are the hellcats.  That’s Barry going to town while Levon looks on awaiting his turn.  Helpful wee creatures those two.

• Funambulist
• 4

Funambulist \fyu-ˈnam-byə-list\ noun

- One who performs on a tightrope

(No really, it’s a real word…not even some 1970s made up word…an actual, real live, been around for a long time word.)

Just a tiny sneak peek today.  These socks are for the From Robin’s Nest Four Seasons Sock and Fingerless Mitt Club (quite a mouthful that is).  They will be exclusive to club members until next summer.  However, I’m more or less shameless and will use just about anything as an excuse reason for a post.

What can I say?  Most of my knitting at the moment is super duper secret swatches for the book.  It’s fun, eventually it will lead to lots and lots and lots of chatter, but for now — very boring for you guys.  Sorry about that.  The good news is that this part of the process should be done in the next week or so and I should be back to more public knitting shortly after that.  And of course I’m off to the Yarn Harlot’s Silk Retreat in early July and I’ll be posting from there too.