Spinning with friends

Yesterday, I met up with three of my friends to spin for a couple of hours. I got to show off the Tina and try out my friend, Jess's, Jensen Saxony. She's had it for a couple of months. I've not had time to get over to her house to see it. It's a huge wheel and spins like a dream. Slower treadling for more spinning time. We both love our Jensens! Elizabeth and Liz got to take a turn at both wheels too.

I had visited the chiropractor in the morning and was running late. Got a quick bite to eat, checked on my kitties, grabbed the wheel and the closest fiber and headed out the door. Just made it on time. Looked at the fiber I brought and knew it wasn't my favorite choice to spin. It was Brown Sheep roving dyed turquoise, avocado green, and gold. I got it off Ebay. It was so NOT like the picture in the auction. Liz took one look at it and asked me if I would trade it to her for some blue and purple dyed Targhee. Of course I said yes! She knows my weakness. Blue and purple are my favorite colors and I've never spun Targhee before. This stuff is soft as a cloud and a joy to spin. I was having so much fun spinning it, I didn't want to stop to go home. (Liz, I borrowed this picture of the fiber from your Etsy shop--Chocolate Princess. I hope you don't mind. :-) She has wonderful handspun and handyed spinning fiber.)

I'm trading Liz a second bag of Brown Sheep roving from the same Ebay seller. It is very nice fiber; I just didn't care for the color. The picture of it showed pink, blue, and purple. The actual colors were much darker in shades of brick red, cobalt blue, and mauvey purple. In return, I get a bag of merino dyed blue and purple. We're both happy with the trades. You can never have enough spinning fiber!

I finished another pair of Elfin Slippers for my mom. I used gray Patons Merino Classic Wool. I've made 3 pairs of these slippers using this same yarn, the same pattern, the same knitting needles, and washed them the same way. So why did this pair come out of the washer looking like munchkin slippers? I stretched them out the best I could and left them to air dry. I gave them to Mom this morning. If they don't fit her, she can gift them to some else. I'll have to make her another pair soon.

I picked up the UFO Shetland scarf I started back in February with the blueberry merino and silk. It's been languishing because I couldn't knit for some time without pain in my back. I cast on the second side and am making progress. I'd like to get it finished and blocked so I can take it to show off at a lace knitting class I'm taking in early June. Anyone else going to IWannaKnit Retreat in Shipshewanna, Indiana this year? I'm not going for the entire retreat. I will be there all day on Saturday for Joan Schrouder's class. I can't wait to meet her!

The first clue is out for the new Goddess Knit Mystery Shawl KAL. This one costs $4 for a triangle shawl. I'm paid up and hope to start this shawl soon. I'm feeling lace deprived! I have to stash dive for 1200 yards of fingering weight yarn. Clue #1 went up on Saturday and someone has already posted a picture of the first section. It's a beaut! (Click on the button in my sidebar to join the KAL.)