Stage 12

Still spinning away for le Tour. Yesterday & today I turned this 2 oz pile of half felted fluff ...

... into lovely, fine yarn.

It will go on the rack to rest for a few days while I select the next puff of fiber.  Part of me can hardly believe how little I have managed to spin in 12 days and part of me can hardly believe that I have made so much spinning time in a schedule I thought was packed.

Stage 9

My spinning progress on the turquoise / purple merino / tencel blend:

 Just a few little puffs left to go... about 3/4 oz

I washed some previously completed skeins this weekend, too.  The purple / green / white came out terribly - the rinse water was deep purple and the finished skein looks sickly.

However the lavender angora from this spring fluffed up to a lovely soft yarn.

Spinning in Stages

I am still meeting my Tour de Fleece goal of spinning at least 30 minutes per day. Most days I have been able to exceed that time and the more I spin, the more I find it's the only think I want to do.  Next year's goal will have to be an hour per day.

Interestingly, the two piles of fluff I've worked on so far are neither of the pictures from the last post.  The first was some white/ purple? black? / green mystery fiber from 2004 (washed and pictures will be coming later).  I pretty much despised spinning it, but there is a nice empty space in the stash cabinet now.  The second is some merino / tencel (?) in turquoise, cherry and purple.  It has hopped from stash to stash but is now in its forever home; soon to be a pretty 2 ply skein.  It might make a nice hat someday.

If I were a more motivated spinner, I would take some fiber and explore the ratios on my Millie... maybe by the end of the tour I will feel the need to branch out but for now I am enjoying hours of spinning light fingering yarn.

Melisandre pour Martha

The socks are done!  They are late in that they were supposed to be the April socks of the month, but early for Martha's birthday in August.

I dried them on the blockers after washing and they came out beautifully. Maybe I should use them for *blocking* instead of just photography.

Le Tour

The Tour de Fleece started Saturday last and I have been chugging along.  Above are two of the items in the "to spin" pile. There is also some lovely green-gold top and I am working now on finishing some white/ green / black roving from *cough* 2004.  It is ugly but I am powering through it.  About half of the last part is left.
My goal for the Tour this year is a time one (again): spin 30 minutes a day.  So far I have been above that mark but not trying to burn out.  Spinning strains the same muscles in my left hand and arm that knitting does.... I don't want to have a blow out.

Score for Ravenclaw

Quidditch is done & turned in 15 hours before the whistle blows.

I have a little yarn still left over.  I added 2 extra rows to the border and probably could have added one more, but I didn't want to run short.  Project is the Ashton Shawlette.

Perhaps a little embroidery with the remainder is in order. Or a matching bookmark.

My Affection

The "Tailchaser's Shawl" is all done.  I still miss my kitty.

Little Victories

Today I walked my dog and paid off the vet bill credit card.  There's plenty more on the to-do list, but crossing off even 2 small things feels like an accomplishment today.

Spreading my Affection

Last weekend Janet & I went to The Getty Villa for the afternoon and had a nice visit.  There was plenty to see: twisty canyon roads, ocean view, shore birds, sea gulls, oh and a roman villa to boot. We had yummy lunch, looked at some art (educational [1]) and sat to knit.  I even managed to picture my shawl among the lavender.

I was only one repeat from the end of the penultimate section here; in the last week I have moved on to the border and the end is in sight.  Unfortunately each row is taking 30 minutes so it feels a little like Zeno's shawl.  Or was it Xeno?  I should look that up.

Previous progress:

The New Normal

I go to work, I come home, I knit and only after the knitting homework can I play some World of Warcraft. The results are amazing!

Steady Progress

Surprisingly, a little progress each day adds up.

It's a Batt, It's a Skein, It's...

The Ashton Shawlette... in progress

The Pick of the Spinner

... is more silk. Here is the second part of the batt all spun into a fine 2 ply yarn.  246 yards, 1.1 oz.

Now, if only I could get the color to show true in all the pictures! This is the same skein from two angles, same light.

Total yardage for everything is about 434, 1.8 oz.

Silkalicious

My new favorite preparation for silk is the batt style. So light! So fluffy! 

Spring Spinning

I am supposed to be finishing the red socks but have found myself doing a lot of spinning the last couple of weeks.  I plied 3 oz of angora singles, spun & plied a couple puffs of a purple wool blend and started the pink silk batt yesterday.

I have to report that spinning a soft and fluffy batt of pure silk is an amazing thing.  Most of my prior silk experience has been with hankies or top / sliver and it is slippery and compressed or drifts apart and flies away.  Figuring how to get into the batt took a few moments, but once I ripped off a strip and started spinning, it went very well.  Also... a little goes a long, long way.  I am still only halfway through the strip I pulled off last night!  The batt is from Lambtown a few years ago and is a lovely mauve color. The shop specializes in natural dyes.

 One puff spun, one puff to go

 Both mini skiens. It sure does compress!

 The angora skein, about 350 yards

2.25 oz of wool / silk blend from Ruth N. It might be next on the spindle after the mauve silk.

Glamp Loopy

It is time for Camp Loopy again and I am all prepared. Our theme is to pick a project that is based on a book or movie (or TV series) and which uses about 400 yards.  I have also been mulling over what project to make to remember Fritti Kitty.  They and a well-timed birthday gift certificate converged and I will make a Tailchaser's Affection.   The hard part now is waiting for the cast on date (6/1)

There is plenty else to do while I am waiting, however.  I have been making lots of blanket squares for the Steampunk Blanket and the end of that project is in sight after two years.  The red socks for Martha passed the last fitting and now I can knit with impunity.  I would like to get the spinning wheel(s) spruced up and ready for the Tour de Fleece and I also have quite a pile of half finished projects staring at me.  Dogkin, Juno Regina, Irtfa'a, and CeCe for starters.

A processed polwarth fleece found a new home with me and I realised that it would make a nice 3 ply for a Sky Ladder blanket... it could be a busy spinning/ knitting summer.

Birthday Revels

Pretty tipsy right now, let me sum up.
Saturday:

• chores, chores, chores

Sunday

• renaissance faire. Great fun

Monday

• crochet
• pie with Ruth
• margaritas with Martha & Dennis
• can't feel my face. 
• got an emai from someone thanking me for a picture, don't know which one. Am concerned.
• Also washed the rats in the morning, before tequila

And because I am still riding the tequila high & can't use my computer, a picture of a silk batt & the Ravenclaw tower from last fall at Blizzcon

Sad April

First I lost my beautiful Lola (guinea pig) to a fast-moving stomach upset, then today I took Fritti in for an antibiotic shot and ended up having to euthanize him.  Whatever has been going on in his mouth / sinuses for the last few years finally won and when I saw that he had been sneezing blood all day there was no other choice.  My poor little guy.  

Fritti came to me as a stray at the San Bernardino house July 4th weekend 1997. He was tiny, scrawny and covered in fleas.  We went right to the vet to get cleaned up and although he was an asshole for the first decade, he started to mellow and seek out my company more and more in the last several years.  The last year or so he has been my constant desk companion... if I wanted him here or not.

I have no idea what Galen will do without him - they were best buddies for so long.  I am happy that he isn't suffering anymore, but I will miss my little guy.

Workless Wednesday

Another Wednesday off and I managed to fill it with chores & responsible things... mostly.  Laundry, packing & shipping soap, making lunch instead of eating out, changing my sheets and such all qualify me for an "adulting" award.

In the afternoon Anne & I went to the birdfarm, got Frostys at Wendy's and enjoyed the beautiful spring day while getting caught up.  A chocolate shake soothes a lot of frazzled ends.

I even got a little knitting in - finished up 2 washcloths to ship with soap and put a few rows on Martha's red socks.  They are coming out very well.

Charybdis

Knitting continues.

The Burled Arch / Mission Complete

The stole is done!  I made it in time for both deadlines. It is lovely and warm, soft and squashy.

Iknitarod Time Again

Watching some sled dogs, knitting some shawl. 

Knitting's a Hoot

Scylla Socks

All done !

Pretty as a Pigture

Added a guinea pig / cavy to the family.  I have been watching her at the pet store for about 2 months and finally couldn't resist any longer.  Thinking of calling her Trifle as she is a tortie & white. She's been home about 24 hours and things are going well so far. Lola is not hugely impressed but has not flipped her lid, either.

Lola and Trifle

Ready for her closeup

Her right side has all black markings (with white) and her left side has all red markings (with white) except where a black splash spills over her back. Unusual and stunning. It is like having two pigs in one!  I haven't had an abyssinian in a long time, I forgot how cute their crazy fur is.

Coursera - History of the Slave South, Assignment 2

While Jefferson waxes rhetorical with observations about slavery and speculation about black physiology in the "Laws" section of Notes on the State of Virginia, the "Manners" section seems to give a snapshot of his actual judgement about slavery. He fears that the wrath of God will come down on the new Republic and observes "The spirit of the master is abating, that of the slave rising from the dust" (p 175).

Returning to the "Laws" section of the text, we see Jefferson's observations about the very nature of blacks. While our essay prompt mockingly refers to 'science', this was cutting edge science for Jefferson and his contemporaries and these were serious concerns of the day.  Jefferson proffers many differences between blacks and whites, not only "political", but also "physical and moral" (p 149). He argues that upon the emancipation of the blacks in the Republic, they should be given a fresh start in a new land and be replaced by white immigrants; they cannot be incorporated into the Republic due to "Deep rooted prejudices entertained by the whites" and "ten thousand recollections by the blacks of the injuries they have sustained" (p 149). He goes on to delineate ways in which blacks are different from (read: inferior to) whites in their most basic attributes. He remarks that they are less attractive than whites, their bodies process waste differently from whites, giving them a "strong and disagreeable odor" but also makes them "more tolerant of heat, and less so of cold than whites" (p 150).  Jefferson continues by stating that blacks require less sleep, use less forethought, and are more ruled by sex than romance than whites. In fact, he summarizes nicely for us his position when he says "In general, their existence appears to participate more of sensation than reflection" (p150).

The modern reader at this point is tempted to raise a query at this point - what about blacks who were not slaves, or who became free and gained an education?  Here Jefferson compares the idea of an educated black writer to a white one: "though we admit him to the first place among those of his own color who have presented themselves to the public judgment ....when we compare him with [a white writer] we are compelled to enroll him at the bottom of the column" (p 152). Jefferson does not waver from his theory of black inferiority, even citing examples of enslaved whites who were far "smarter" than his contemporary enslaved blacks in America, and under supposed far harsher conditions (p154). Clearly he does not support the idea that slavery itself is the problem here.

For Jefferson, the only way that the idea of emancipation could be entertained was by putting forth the idea of removing all freed blacks from the American (white) Republic. He again contrasts the American situation to that of ancient Rome:   Among the Romans emancipation required but one effort. The slave, when made free, might mix with, without staining the blood of his master. But with us a second is necessary, unknown to history. When freed, he is to be removed beyond the reach of mixture." (p 155).

Resting Monday

Took the cat to the vet, finished the first Scylla sock & took 2 hampers of wash to the laundromat. A big day. 

Productive Saturday

• Went to work
• Tidied living room
• Knit on Scylla sock
• Checked on Hogsmeade Owl Post
• Watched an hour of Coursera lectures
• Watched some "Breaking Bad"
• Made lunch, fed dog
• Rejuvenating nap

Knitting Friday

The Scylla socks are moving right along - I am working the heel of sock 1 now.  Only 9 days left to go in the Olympics though so I had better keep up the pace.

The Marigold / Meadow Flowers shawl is also moving along well.  I finished both inner sections and am gearing up to start the two outer sections.  Beads have been obtained although I need to find my handy dandy breading crochet hook pretty soon.

Fritti the kitty is still acting odd, so it is back to the vet again Monday.  Wish us luck!

The Perfect Way to Study

At home, with knitting!

Coursera - History of the Slave South, Assignment 1

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database is a useful tool for accessing information about who enslaved people were, where they originated from and where they were sold.  We can combine these three parameters and begin to draw conclusions about how the slave trade shaped the American South.

The first table of data isolates the regions in North America where enslaved Africans were received.  At the start of the slave trade, there was a small total number of slaves and the difference between the colony with the fewest slave sales and the most is not very great. In the hundred years of the 18th century, however, the number of slaves increased dramatically, particularly in Virginia and South Carolina, which had plantations and cash crops. Slave importation for most other colonies did not increase as drastically, although a couple of colonies began importation during this time.  When compared to the total quantity of people sold into slavery during the slave trade (12 million), the North American colonies were an afterthought with a total import number of just over 366,000 people.

The second table of data isolates the regions of origin of the enslaved Africans who were transported to the North American colonies. Please note: this export figure of 242,000 is 1/3 less than the import figure discussed above. While locations of origin were spread along the coast, at the beginning of the slave trade the regions of the Bight of Biafra and West Central Africa were the first large scale exporters to the colonies. As the demand for slaves increased in the 18th century the areas of Sierra Leone, Windward Coast and Gold Coast jumped far ahead of the others in both percentage increase and overall number of slaves sent abroad. Interestingly, West Central Africa continued to export large numbers of people throughout this time and even into the 19th century when supply from the other regions either tapered off or was dramatically reduced.

The third table of data combines the information we have already reviewed and shows which specific areas enslaved people were taken from and where they were bought in the colonies. While most colonies (northerly and southerly) had slaves originating from all regions, primarily the plantation economy colonies had slaves who originated in West Central Africa or the Bight of Biafra. 

These charts are a useful resource for looking at the data of the slave trade.  The specificity of the information begins to rehumanize the very idea of a "slave trade"; knowing that people were taken, sold and transported between specific ports brings them closer to us. Unfortunately, the tables do not tell the whole story.  The reasons why the southern colonies received large numbers of people from these regions is not revealed by the tables; could it have been price, supply,  cultural attitude (temperament) or a combination of all these?  We are given points of disembarkation, but as so many enslaved people were captured & sold by rivals, enemies or human traffickers, where did they actually live before their journey began? Working with raw data and tables like these, while interesting, is just the start of the story of the slave trade and its shaping of the American South.

One Down

Kalajoki socks are done - that is 1 pair down, 13 to go.

Strawberry Surprise

Finished and blocked the Strawberry Shawl ("Vernal Equinox" by Wendy Johnson).  I think it came out wonderfully. The actual yarn has more black in it and is very deep & rich.

January Knitting

There has been so much knitting already this year.  I am still finishing up Amy's Equinox and am in the home stretch.  I think there will be enough yarn, but it has been a real knuckle biter.

I started a hat out of MadTosh and Shibuiknits Silk Cloud - still on the ribbing.   I am a little concerned it will be too small for my head, but ribbing is stretchy, right? The pattern is Green Tea Latte and is free!  It is my Loopy Challenge for January. Colors are Grasshopper & Lumen.

Next on the needles is a Kalajoki with Mountain Colors Bearfoot (colorway Yellowstone).  I have been longing to make socks again and it feels good to have one on the needles.  I really like the pattern as it is just tricky enough to keep things interesting, but not all over patterning.  

Sideways pictures YAY!

Just About Done

The silk & yak shawl is complete except for the finishing - wash, block & work in the ends. It will be a good detention turn in for the House Cup in January.

I love it beyond all reason.

A Little Crocheting

... and spinning was done at the end of last month.A few more squares for the steampunk blanket, some mohair spun on the drop spindle during Blizzcon and some red shetland that I picked up at the Torrance fiber fair.

Currently there is a shawl project with no pictures (I ran out of yarn and it is in the "time out" corner) and this small shawl (larger now) that is a real treat to knit. 

The yarn is handspun 3 ply silk & yak. I just started the 3rd (or 4th) repeat of the dark colors and it is stunning and soft as ... silk & yak.