Nothing sets off red, better than green.  Right? Yesterday I spent a bit of time dyeing a couple skeins of Lincoln.  I wanted a red that I have been carrying in my head, the red from one of my carpets.  I’m planning on using this yarn for a pad I want to make for a footstool.  This morning I went out looking at RED. 

The yarn was spun on my HitchHiker using the 9:1 ratio umm ‘drive wheel’.  If you haven’t switched yours over, you might want to think about it.  What a difference, at least for me.  This is from a Lincoln fleece that was given to me a couple years ago.  While it was in the grease it felt soft and almost silky.  After sending it out to be processed, it became a sort of stiff, dry, not at all soft, beautiful grey roving.  Perfect for rugs, chair pads, stuff like that, not anything I’d want close to my skin.  It spins easily and I’m using the middle finger, from the fold, long draw method.  Still practicing.

Finally, three days without rain.  All began like this. 

With the high humidity, I haven’t felt much like standing over a dye pot.  Knitting hasn’t appealed to me.  Weird, everything has it’s time.  Gardening begins at 6:30 – 7am and ends as soon as possible.  Spinning.  That’s what holds my attention lately.  Hours of it, everyday.  Carding, too.  When I get to hot, I swim, or read, then back to the wheel.

Before I say anything about knitting, spinning or fiber, I
have to tell you about last night’s movie. DUMA. If you love animals, enjoy
the music from Africa (or not), if you own a cat, like
or love CATS… this is your new favorite movie!!!! Starts with a young boy and a Cheetah cub, at
the I’m learning to walk and still on a bottle stage. It goes on from there. I can’t figure out how they managed to make
this film. It is unbelievable. In spite of the wonders of Netflix, this is
one movie I want to own. Do not judge
this movie by what I’m going to say next, but I had Buckaroo Bonzai sitting
next to it (another of my all time favorites, see don’t judge), and this is the
one I’d pick to own. I think I already
know most of the lines in BB, having seen it at least a dozen times. DON’T JUDGE!!

 
So, on Knitting:   (*Please note: I have changed this post a bit since a number of you hae commented on your use of the magic loop alone to do heel flaps and gussets.  I too have done them, but found it easier to use an additional dp needle to pick up the stitches on the heel flap.  Thanks to all.)

Yesterday, I covered most of my reasons for using two circs when
knitting socks but a couple of you emailed me with a question about the magic
loop vs. the two circs. Method.  There
are Pros and Cons to both.

2 Circs:

• No other equipment is needed. When doing the gusset pick up, you have 4
  needle ends. For travelers, this is very
  convenient. You never have to hunt down
  an extra needle or a random toothpick, you are self contained. I like that.

• Having two circs enables me to use two different sizes of
  needles on the same sock. As I said in
  the previous post, I use one size smaller needle for the heel and sole of the
  sock. Can’t do that with the magic loop.

• With two circs, you have to put up with and learn to completely
  ignore the flopping extra needle ends that dangle from the back of your sock,
  ALL THE TIME. Ignore them. That of course would be the Con and the Pro
  to using the magic loop.

• Both methods give less opportunity for ladders.  There’s a good thing. And you don’t have to keep adjusting your
  stitches as often. Two halves, two
  ladders. I pull my yarn tight on the
  first stitch and do not have a problem with ladders.

 

Magic Loop:

• No dangling ends, but there is a loop sticking out, looking like
  mouse ears or some such.

• * You will still have to carry a couple extra needles to do the
  heel flap and the gusset that goes with it. (I think it makes it easier.)  Of course you could use a short row heel and avoid that part.

 

That’s about it. It
promises to be a cooker out there this weekend. Perfect for working on wool socks.  Oh, and now spell check is out on Typepad.  Lately it has been a rocky road.