A very nice podcast. You have certainly accomplished much in the past few weeks and add moving to a new place in the mix! I like the natural fleece you showed. The color is stunning. Hope you have a wonderful week full of music, fiber, friends and family.
Always good to see you. Great to let your knitting dreams fly but also important to plan your time to allow for all aspects of your life. Do hope that your move goes well. 🇬🇧
So good to see you! It's nice to watch when you have a podcast--what a happy problem to have so much fun, wonderful things to do that you might miss a week. I am knitting now on a TWT Dunrobin sweater, and if you had not introduced that store to me, I might never have made a wearable sweater. Think of all the people you have helped! Thanks again.
I am so glad to have had any part in building community! And thank you - yes, life is a little crazy, but I do love to make sure to pop in and catch up here.
Oh yes no yarn purchases in 2024 .... not. But yes stash is ..well big. Love all of your projects. love the colors. And your spinning is really cool. thanks for taking us along.
I have a bunch of natural colors of locally grown Shetland (plus some Finn and Cormo) fiber. My big project for the coming year is to design, spin, and knit an all-over colorwork Fair Isle jumper in natural colors. Can't wait to see if I can bring my vision to life! Thanks for your inspiration, Emma.
That sounds STUNNING, Ellen!! One of my favorite things about Shetland wool is the variety of colors. I love the idea of having a big project. It's so nice to accomplish something after a lot of tiny little bits of work.
As a non spinner I can only say, exactly Emma, that’s why spinning would be dangerous for control freak me!😂 You did get your hands on a lot of fibre!!!🎉❤😂
My philosophy for spinning yarn is that I want my end product to be yarn that suits the kinds of projects I like to knit. I'm not going to spend time working on my skills for a low twist bulky single yarn, when that's not the kind of yarn I use for knitting. But if it's a fingering to dk weight, it will serve for a future project. As for the customization aspect of spinning, one way it really shines is using the fiber type and color that you want, down to a single sheep project!
I love these ideas! I definitely have a default spin that goes with most of my other yarn, which I didn't think of before. I think that's probably at least half the battle. Thank you so much :)
Yes!! Thank you! I can't stop knitting these little mug cosies. One of these times, I'll settle on a combo I love...but until then, everyone I know is going to have to live with me throwing mug cosies at them!
Most people seem to have a sort of drafting sweet spot (or rather a sweet region, depending on the things you said like tiredness etc), and it's uncomfortable to get too far from that. However, by changing for example your ratios or treadle rate you can spin thicker or thinner. But there's a reason fairytale princesses are sometimes described as "can spin everything into smooth yarn". It's a special skill!
This is such good advice, Anna, thank you! I think the changing up of little things might help, like you say. I should probably try this on the e-spinner first, where all that stuff is controlled with switches and knobs!
I'm a newbie and learned a lot with the challenges in Camaj fiber arts. I sort of think of certain fiber with plans for a project. But I also have "just for fun" fiber too!
Maybe that's a good way to look at it: some for projects, and some for fun! I honestly find it easier when my friends request handspun sometimes because they have clearer visions for what it needs to become!
I can relate to the Starbucks holiday cup excitement. My daughter is a first year undergrad at Penn and she texted me about the cups this morning (she has a 3 hour jump on me in WA). She loves the Quad (your old neighborhood) but she has to live in Hill because she's in BFS. Luckily for her, there's a Starbucks right across the street. Also, a few months back you talked about the comedy scene at Penn. Are you familiar with Bloomers? My daughter is loving writing and acting with them.
Ah! There is indeed a Starbucks right there, and I remember it well. Hill is at least convenient because the dining hall is in her building! I was lucky that the music department was very close to there so I could pop over for lunch. I have heard of Bloomers and I am so glad she's working with them!! It sounds like a really fun group.
Please write up a pattern for the coffee cup sleeve if you could possibly find the time. That's wonderful way to play with color and motifs as you said and a really quick gift as it is gift giving season soon they would be wonderful. Thank you.
five years of spending a lot of time with a materials scientist is apparently rubbing off on me? selfishly I need you to spin so you can explain to me why my skeins look the way they dooooo
Very cute cup cozy/swatch! I think the universe wants me to spin- I was offered a free fleece Saturday and two hours later I found some brown finnsheep roving at the thrift store..... Another hobby, but I will go cheap with a spindle. What style would you suggest for a beginner?
I have actually never spun with a spindle! But I think a drop spindle is usually what folks start with. If you're interested in wheel spinning, I would suggest an e-spinner like the Electric Eel Wheel - you can control EVERYTHING so well, no need to treadle, and the price point is really great for such a useful tool! www.dreamingrobots.com/product/eew6/
I’m an advocate for “Letting the design/s flow whenever” … I always have a spiral 3-5 subject notebook ready for all my ramblings, sketches, thoughts, etc. Sometimes that well dries up & I page thru all my copious notes and…wowee… more iterations flow ! It’s so much fun! Yeah, limit my yarn buying… nope. This thought DOES pass thru my brain. Occasionally. Then I promptly ignore. As I gaze dreamily at THE. STASH. haha I’ve learned that I need to keep a running list of: A) “Use this xyz yarn for bcd pattern” as well as B) “Pattern lmnop would be great with hij yarn, use stash (??) yes/no. Buy yarn (??) yes/no.” Too many ideas for projects!! Always have quick/er projects to knit !! Then I can ponder those larger projects I must have… Such a vicious, perpetual cycle. I wouldn’t want it any other way! I’ll let you live my spinnery dreams, okay? I’ve got enough knitting/crocheting to keep me busy for … 174 years … or so. Thanks for cup cuffs idea! I plan to make wristers (mitts without fingers or thumbs) for colorwork explorations!! Thanks for Show & Tell !!
I think I am guilty of not writing enough things down! I have notebooks, and usually I keep them in close proximity, but I don't think I spend enough time actually jotting things down. Perhaps I need to start offloading the ideas into some kind of spreadsheet. But I, like you I suspect, have an ever-changing mind and sometimes writing things down makes me feel like I'm boxing myself in. Coffee sleeves are lovely - so are wrist warmers! Might do that too.
Re notebooks: I’ve found that if I get alllll the things rambling about in my brain onto paper, it frees up more “space” to (again) fill up with new/more/other ideas. Years later, I may (or not) go back & read …. Oh, yes!!! Forgot about that train of thought/pattern/project!!! This method works for me, and I totally “get” the “I don’t want to stop the current thought/project process…because it may distract me … “ from the one niggling in the background … Probably why I have a gazillion ideas and few/er finished objects. Perhaps my brain needs to clear out to make room for more! 😛 haha Hmmm…. kinda like S.T.A.S.H… ahem
A very nice podcast. You have certainly accomplished much in the past few weeks and add moving to a new place in the mix! I like the natural fleece you showed. The color is stunning. Hope you have a wonderful week full of music, fiber, friends and family.
Thank you so much! I am hoping the move goes well. I can't wait to see how the fleece looks once it's been washed and combed!
Always good to see you. Great to let your knitting dreams fly but also important to plan your time to allow for all aspects of your life. Do hope that your move goes well. 🇬🇧
Thanks, Elaine!! The older I get, the more I realize I also need to let myself sleep! I can't wait to be in the new space.
Beautiful!
So good to see you! It's nice to watch when you have a podcast--what a happy problem to have so much fun, wonderful things to do that you might miss a week. I am knitting now on a TWT Dunrobin sweater, and if you had not introduced that store to me, I might never have made a wearable sweater. Think of all the people you have helped! Thanks again.
I am so glad to have had any part in building community! And thank you - yes, life is a little crazy, but I do love to make sure to pop in and catch up here.
Oh yes no yarn purchases in 2024 .... not. But yes stash is ..well big. Love all of your projects. love the colors. And your spinning is really cool. thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for coming along on the journey! I'm glad to hear there are others feeling the solidarity of de-stashing.
I have a bunch of natural colors of locally grown Shetland (plus some Finn and Cormo) fiber. My big project for the coming year is to design, spin, and knit an all-over colorwork Fair Isle jumper in natural colors. Can't wait to see if I can bring my vision to life! Thanks for your inspiration, Emma.
That sounds STUNNING, Ellen!! One of my favorite things about Shetland wool is the variety of colors. I love the idea of having a big project. It's so nice to accomplish something after a lot of tiny little bits of work.
As a non spinner I can only say, exactly Emma, that’s why spinning would be dangerous for control freak me!😂 You did get your hands on a lot of fibre!!!🎉❤😂
I certainly did!!! It's a lot especially for someone who is about to move house...
My philosophy for spinning yarn is that I want my end product to be yarn that suits the kinds of projects I like to knit. I'm not going to spend time working on my skills for a low twist bulky single yarn, when that's not the kind of yarn I use for knitting. But if it's a fingering to dk weight, it will serve for a future project.
As for the customization aspect of spinning, one way it really shines is using the fiber type and color that you want, down to a single sheep project!
I love these ideas! I definitely have a default spin that goes with most of my other yarn, which I didn't think of before. I think that's probably at least half the battle. Thank you so much :)
Hmmm, mug cosy swatches for next year's Rhinebeck?? Love seeing all the fiber and dyeing and spinning and knitting.
Yes!! Thank you! I can't stop knitting these little mug cosies. One of these times, I'll settle on a combo I love...but until then, everyone I know is going to have to live with me throwing mug cosies at them!
Most people seem to have a sort of drafting sweet spot (or rather a sweet region, depending on the things you said like tiredness etc), and it's uncomfortable to get too far from that. However, by changing for example your ratios or treadle rate you can spin thicker or thinner. But there's a reason fairytale princesses are sometimes described as "can spin everything into smooth yarn". It's a special skill!
This is such good advice, Anna, thank you! I think the changing up of little things might help, like you say. I should probably try this on the e-spinner first, where all that stuff is controlled with switches and knobs!
I'm a newbie and learned a lot with the challenges in Camaj fiber arts. I sort of think of certain fiber with plans for a project. But I also have "just for fun" fiber too!
Maybe that's a good way to look at it: some for projects, and some for fun! I honestly find it easier when my friends request handspun sometimes because they have clearer visions for what it needs to become!
I can relate to the Starbucks holiday cup excitement. My daughter is a first year undergrad at Penn and she texted me about the cups this morning (she has a 3 hour jump on me in WA). She loves the Quad (your old neighborhood) but she has to live in Hill because she's in BFS. Luckily for her, there's a Starbucks right across the street. Also, a few months back you talked about the comedy scene at Penn. Are you familiar with Bloomers? My daughter is loving writing and acting with them.
Ah! There is indeed a Starbucks right there, and I remember it well. Hill is at least convenient because the dining hall is in her building! I was lucky that the music department was very close to there so I could pop over for lunch. I have heard of Bloomers and I am so glad she's working with them!! It sounds like a really fun group.
Please write up a pattern for the coffee cup sleeve if you could possibly find the time. That's wonderful way to play with color and motifs as you said and a really quick gift as it is gift giving season soon they would be wonderful. Thank you.
I agree!! No problem - I can chart a few different designs and do a quick little pattern.
Hello Emma from Mounds, Illinois.
Thank you for watching, Janet!
10/10 on the heat conduction talk!
Maybe you shouldn’t teach me to spin if it’s going to convert my yarn purchasing to yarn AND fiber purchasing 🙃
five years of spending a lot of time with a materials scientist is apparently rubbing off on me?
selfishly I need you to spin so you can explain to me why my skeins look the way they dooooo
Very cute cup cozy/swatch! I think the universe wants me to spin- I was offered a free fleece Saturday and two hours later I found some brown finnsheep roving at the thrift store..... Another hobby, but I will go cheap with a spindle. What style would you suggest for a beginner?
I have actually never spun with a spindle! But I think a drop spindle is usually what folks start with. If you're interested in wheel spinning, I would suggest an e-spinner like the Electric Eel Wheel - you can control EVERYTHING so well, no need to treadle, and the price point is really great for such a useful tool! www.dreamingrobots.com/product/eew6/
I’m an advocate for “Letting the design/s flow whenever” … I always have a spiral 3-5 subject notebook ready for all my ramblings, sketches, thoughts, etc. Sometimes that well dries up & I page thru all my copious notes and…wowee… more iterations flow ! It’s so much fun!
Yeah, limit my yarn buying… nope. This thought DOES pass thru my brain. Occasionally. Then I promptly ignore. As I gaze dreamily at THE. STASH.
haha
I’ve learned that I need to keep a running list of: A) “Use this xyz yarn for bcd pattern” as well as B) “Pattern lmnop would be great with hij yarn, use stash (??) yes/no. Buy yarn (??) yes/no.”
Too many ideas for projects!!
Always have quick/er projects to knit !! Then I can ponder those larger projects I must have…
Such a vicious, perpetual cycle. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
I’ll let you live my spinnery dreams, okay? I’ve got enough knitting/crocheting to keep me busy for … 174 years … or so.
Thanks for cup cuffs idea! I plan to make wristers (mitts without fingers or thumbs) for colorwork explorations!!
Thanks for Show & Tell !!
I think I am guilty of not writing enough things down! I have notebooks, and usually I keep them in close proximity, but I don't think I spend enough time actually jotting things down. Perhaps I need to start offloading the ideas into some kind of spreadsheet. But I, like you I suspect, have an ever-changing mind and sometimes writing things down makes me feel like I'm boxing myself in.
Coffee sleeves are lovely - so are wrist warmers! Might do that too.
Re notebooks: I’ve found that if I get alllll the things rambling about in my brain onto paper, it frees up more “space” to (again) fill up with new/more/other ideas.
Years later, I may (or not) go back & read …. Oh, yes!!! Forgot about that train of thought/pattern/project!!!
This method works for me, and I totally “get” the “I don’t want to stop the current thought/project process…because it may distract me … “ from the one niggling in the background …
Probably why I have a gazillion ideas and few/er finished objects.
Perhaps my brain needs to clear out to make room for more! 😛 haha
Hmmm…. kinda like S.T.A.S.H… ahem