Craft update.

I think I need to do a craft update more regularly, just to remind myself what I'm doing and where I am with things. This is supposed to be a blog with knitting and spinning content after all!

1) Finished the back of the Iro waistcoat/vest/jerkin. Srill not totally enamoured of the bright blue stripe but it's going to be warm at least. I've decided to make it high necked with a small ribbed stand up collar and the zip running right up to the top, given that this is supposed to be a for warmth garment.

2) Made a little Christmas gift bag.

3)I've got to the heel of the second Regia Cotton Color sock. No, not fast progress, but this project lives in the car and I only put knitting time in on it when I'm waiting for the kids at school/sports events/etc. Once I have finished 4) I will bring this upstairs and finish it here, because I'm getting bored with it and want to cast on some other socks.

4) The Dead Parrot. I am on to my third ball of yarn, which will also FOR DEFINATE be my last. Just remind me to poke my own eyes out with a spare needle if I ever even think about using this stuff again, will you?

5) I have finished spinning the two bobbins of singles of Aspen, the October (?) Fiber Club fibre from Spunky Eclectic. Can I just urge you to click across and look at her fabulous fun fur wreath? I tell you, it almost makes me look at the spare ball for the Dead Parrot in a new light. Almost.....

6) I am on the last 10% of the November fibre from Amy as well, the Goblin Eyes.

I am planning a big plying session this week, to do the above two sets of singles. I my humble opinion I've been waiting for a new piece for Old Man Louet my Louet S10 to arrive. Old Man is thirty years old next year and it's been becoming increasingly obvious that one of his important joints was wearing out. The older Louets have a bolt arrangement at the top of the footman, where it joins the drive wheel, rather than the newer push-fit sealed-for-life bearing. This bolt was wearing badly and even copious amounts of oil at every session couldn't eliminate the increasingly loud banging and clattering noises as I spun. So I emailed Louet Nl (The USA people have their own site...this one is for the other side of the Atlantic) and explained my problem. I got a reply almost immediately to tell me that there was a spare parts kit availible that was designed to sort this exact problem and just to order it via my nearest Louet Dealer.
It just so happens that my nearest dealer (and pusher of fibre, books and other all too tempting goodies) is Doreen of Scottish Fibres, a person who I see most weeks anyway at one or other spinning group. So that was easy to do and I got the kit on Saturday. The kit comprises a new footman rod , with the relevant connectors at each end plus the rest of the bearing assembly section for the drive wheel. It took five minutes to fit, assuming you have the right size of Allan key handy. (The ones from Ikea flat pack furniture fit perfectly). There are no instructions, but it's pretty self-evident. And now the new assembly is fitted Old Man Louet is...totally silent! It's like he got a new knee fitted and he's spinning like a frisky youngster. No idea how much the kit was, btw...Doreen hasn't got the invoice yet. I'll let you know. But given that Old Man is now spinning like new again, I think it will be worth every penny. And IMHO there's few better plying wheels than the bobbin led Louets, with their huge bobbin capacity and the way you can pull plying samples in and out with total ease.

What else?

7) I've been working on making the house a bit fancier for Christmas. There's not much that I can do to improve the look of the bare/flaking/falling off plaster etc,not in two weeks, but I have been recovering the the scatter cushions for the lounge sofas. I bought a pile of wool tartan mill ends from The Scrap Store a few weeks back and am using these. Hopefully the effect will be eyecatching enough that no-one will notice the scruffy paintwork, lol.


Oh well, on with Christmas tasks. Two weeks to go, urgh. Better vacuum the lounge sometime soon!