It's on the way

My fleece, that is. I received a notice that the Black Welsh Mountain fleece that I requested has been shipped. The post on Ravelry about it from the breeder was not encouraging - more scurf (sheep dandruff) and second cuts than usual. Hmmm. Well, at the worst I have purchased some expensive mulch for the garden and learned not to buy fleece over the internet. Hopefully it will be better than that. I am ready. I have my Unicorn Power Scour and Rinse, I have a plan and a ready and willing assistant. (DH - Isn't he the best?!)

I have decided that my handspun wrap/lap robe will be a wrap and it's almost complete. I am knitting the last color I will add and have most of a pattern repeat (7 rows) to go. I am going to hunt up some patterns for small projects to knit with at least some of the remaining handspun - some of it was very nice to knit with. The rest (short lengths or whatever) will probably make it into a lap robe next year.

I hope to get to work finishing some of my winter projects over the next few weeks. I'd like to get Mom's hat re-knitted and finish up the striped vest that I haven't looked at yet. I need buttons for the Slinky ribs sweater (I plan to buy those tonight) and put that to use. Rob's blanket will be a boating project again this year and I expect to finish it this summer. I have 2 pairs of socks going and both pairs are at least half completed (as in at least one sock complete). I still have 3 shawls on the needles, but lace makes a great summer knitting project, so I have hope that at least 2 of those shawls will get completed over the summer.

I've been spinning my Wensleydale for a little while each day. I am limited by my back problems as far as how long I can spin each day. Spinning is supposed to be fun, not painful, so I am trying to be good. On the days that I don't spin the Wensleydale, I spend a few minutes plying my silk. I did some wheel spinning over the weekend, but that, too is limited. I have some beautifully dyed correidale pencil roving on the wheel. I've never spun from pencil roving before. I was actually tempted to knit with it unspun, but since I don't like myself in chunky knits, I resisted. I am planning on a worsted weight 3 ply yarn, no specific project in mind. I just like the look and feel of the 3 ply more than 2 ply when I tested it.

Interweave Knits spring issue includes a sweater pattern that I like a lot. It just looks like something that I would wear often. I refer to the cover sweater, the Leaf and Picot Cardigan. I was trying to convince myself that I can handle the calculations necessary to make it in some stash yarn that is fingering weight ..... I think I'll buy something in the right gauge, though, so I can relax and enjoy the knitting process more. I saw on Ravelry that someone is making it with Silky Wool. That sound good to me, if I can get gauge. Decisions, decisions, decisions .....

I hope to get some photos this weekend of our gutted downstairs bath, my current knitting/spinning projects and maybe more signs of spring.

Maryland Sheep and Wool festival classes are posted.
I made my reservation for my cabin for Rhinebeck. I can't wait!

Some good news - the expensive repairs on my car worked. Also, the fishing trip that Bob was supposed to go on (that was missed due to car trouble) is not a total wash. The company has agreed to let him fish another time - essentially a "store credit". Yippee! Mom's second cataract surgery went better than the first, and she's feeling pretty good. She has 3 more weeks of eye drops to go. giggle.