Friday 2 January 2009

Aiming For Balance In The New Year





Christmas morning found me in Knitting Headquarters learning how to spin balanced singles. Instead of spinning in one direction and plying in the other which automatically balances out all of the twisty bits, single ply involves spinning carefully one way and hoping that the yarn is neither too twisty to knit or so soft that it disappears through your fingers. The judicious use of boiling water and an icebath helps things along, felting the yarn a little and making things less kinked. This way I can get the colour combinations I want, a la Noro without striping them out of all recognition.

The rest of Christmas day passed in a blur of food, family and fog. My mother's buffet never lets us down but the weather was more grey than festive white. One little figure shining out of the gloom was the old family fairy. More akin to the bargain basement than the realms of glory, but much loved for all that.


And if Tom is reading this, it's my turn to put her on the tree next year!

12 comments:

inkberryblue said...

I love the fairy and the note made me smile ~ my mother's kept some of a similar ilk that my sisters and I wrote to each other.
...and I think your handspun is absolutely gorgeous and very inspiring!
Happy New Year!

Bonnie said...

Love that note, and the fairy. Wishing you a very happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

Love the yarn! I once wove a scarf with singles in warp and weft. The singles had been sitting on the bobbin for quite a while so the yarn behaved itself. Thought I would get some wild and crazy effects when I washed the scarf - but much to my surprise it stayed flat!

Julia said...

Happy New Year Magnusmog!
Love all that zingy colour in your balanced singles.Sounds like a very skilled operation!

zippiknits...sometimes said...

Happy New Year, and that is great about the tree top fairy being part of the balance of life, just like plying. lol

soxchik said...

Love the tree fairy. Happy New Year Moggy!

Unknown said...

Happy New Year! Happy Spinning!

Karin said...

Happy New Year!!!
That note! The fairy! The handspun! What a great post. Somehow those three things go together really well...

Funny: I took pictures of roadsigns, too, this year, on the way to my SIL's house.

Karin said...

Ohhh! I get it!! There is soo much more in that post now that I think about it! You are even more amazing than I ever knew! Wow. What a poet you are.

woolydaisy said...

i love the family fairy!!!!

Jane said...

The fairy is adorable...do you put the note in the holiday things so you remember year to year? Happy New Year!

mary jane said...

she is so beautiful, as is your yarn, balancing sounds difficult...