Tea and Crackers

I keep meaning to put a new blog post up but I just don't seem to be able to do it. I still feel sort of like death-warmed-over which isn't very fun and I just want to feel better because it's seriously cutting into my knitting time. I finished my laceweight singles though, like I wanted and got them plied.

Just lovely! I got 750 yards too! I'm really happy with that. For 4 ounces, that's very respectable. It's still soft and lovely too, not too fine and wiry. It's Sprites by Funky Carolina in Merino and silk and I love it. I'm finding it difficult not to cast on immediately.

Since that was finished, I needed something as a break before I dive back in to more laceweight so I started spinning a Loop Bullseye Bump. I have purchased a few from destashes but I have not actually spun one. Until now. I did manage to take one photo of this one before I started, it's just a crappy cell phone pic though. Hopefully it will look ok.
The fiber started out Navy Blue, then transitioned into Salmon, then periwinkle blue, soft pale peach, light dusty blue and finally a beautiful royal blue. It was a joy to spin and I could hardly stop myself long enough to sleep.

I finished the spinning in less than 48 hours and almost immediately started plying. I navajo or chain-plied to keep the color transitions as they were and ended up with a lovely yarn! It's a sport-weight. About 322 yards and I love it. Another one I'm having a hard time convincing myself that I should not cast on immediately.

It's hard to see all the color changes when it's in the skein but it's still lovely. It's called Cuckoo Wrasse and has Merino, Nylon and Angelina in it so it's a lovely soft but still silvery, sparkly skein. I'm thinking a shawlette with an eyelet row at the color changes would be perfect. As soon as it's dry because I did manage to convince myself last night that I should wash it at least before I cast it on.
I have been doing a little knitting when I can get my brain to function properly. I have been working on hubby's socks. Again, I do not love the colors but the yarn is squishy and decent to work with so I'm sucking it up. I turned the heel on the second sock and I'm working my way up the leg now.

I should be done with this soon. Then I need to focus on some Christmas gift-knitting before I get back to socks for the handsome hubby.
I also finished part of a test-knit I've been working on. It's a hat and fingerless mitts set for the SimpleKnits blog.

The hat is done and I think it's really cute. I hope to cast on the mitts this evening. I agreed to the test-knit thinking it might make a nice Christmas gift, the set but I'm not sure I'll be able to part with it so we'll have to see. Look for the pattern coming out via SimpleKnits soon!
When you don't feel well what you really need is super simple knitting and that's where most of my focus has laid. The socks, this hat and of course my Multnomah. I'm about ready to start the pattern but I need some mental capacity for that so that's no rush right now.

It may end up a gift for Christmas, we'll see how the list ends up.

I've also been working on my handspun Spoke sweater, finally. I was going to do the math to make the pattern work with my gauge ages ago and I just didn't seem to be able to convince myself to get it done so I enlisted the help of a lovely friend and she passed back a pattern written to my specifications. I cast on almost immediately and have most of a back already.

I really didn't realize how much 1x1 rib there was in the pattern but I'm slogging ahead imagining how it will all be worth it when it's done. Anyway, I'm going back to bed with some tea, gluten free crackers and some British Mystery shows on Netflix. One of these days I'll feel better and then just wait! The knitting will be full-on Christmas focused!!