Oops! I did it again!

Missed my regular Sunday night blog post, that is! Just too many things going and too tired after the weekend, I think.

I finally finished the Clapotis from my handspun just in time for the 90 degree weather on the 4th of July. I spun the yarn last year; it's from the "oops" Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sheep to Shoe that I bought at Tina's first de-stashing sale.

I spun this when I was first learning and did nothing to control the colors or striping; heck, I could barely control the diameter of the singles when I spun this! I particularly pleased with the colors; it looks good with nearly everything in my closet.

The yarn is a 2-ply sock weight, so it folds up small enough to carry in my purse or knitting bag to ward off air conditioning chill. I had random strangers comment on it at Binyon's when we went to pick up ToolMan's new glasses and at the Library when I was checking out books.

I'm finishing up the socks, too; I'm past the gussets and working up the legs. I knit both socks at once like a lot of knitters, except I do mine on two sets of dpns. Yes, I've tried 2 circulars and magic loop, but both those methods are just too fiddly for me; I get better results on double-pointed needles.

This was some of the free yarn included in my swag bag from TKGA; it's Heart and Sole by Red Heart which is superwash wool and nylon that has been treated with aloe. It is pretty stiff but softens a lot after washing and drying. My local Joann's has started carrying this at only $4.99 a ball, so a pair is under $20. If it wears well, it'll probably become my "go to" yarn for everyday socks.

I got a nice surprise in the mail last week when this arrived from Melody at Freshwater Fibers in Eugene, Oregon. I joined a Ravelry group, "Spin-cycle," where spinners can ask for or offer fiber and tools. Melody said she had this pencil roving that she didn't like and was slightly felted, so I asked for it to use for spinning demonstrations. I don't know if Melody dyed this, but the colors are really clear and pretty and the fiber is really soft; it'll be great to use for demonstrating spinning. Melody has lots of other beautiful things in her Etsy shop, so go over there and give this nice lady some of your business.

We went had a family get-together at SIL Faye and BIL Jim's for the 4th. How nice it is to go there and have someone else cook! We had a traditional 4th of July meal of Spanish paella, French bread, and German chocolate cake. They say America is a "melting pot", but in this case it was more of a smorgasbord.

Another nice thing about going to the in-laws is that they have come to expect that the wheel comes with me. BIL Myron used to work for Pendleton, so he's always interested in what fiber I'm spinning, or what I'm trying next. SIL Faye loves the colors and always wants to know what I'll do with the yarn when it's done.

On Saturday, I got the 4th bobbin of "Earth Angel" finished and on Sunday I plied bobbins 2 and 3 together; that's the bobbin on the left. I've found that my singles tend to either get thinner or thicker when I'm spinning more than 2 bobbins, even though I do use a sample card. So, in order to "even out" the finished yarn, I ply bobbins 1 and 4 together (thickest and thinnest) and bobbins 2 and 3 together (both medium). This makes my finished yarns more consistent from start to finish. As for what this will eventually be knitted into? Who knows!