Caora Dubh = Caora Done
Five Skeins
Five Plies
Finally Finished
Five July
1,677 yards, sportweight. Yarn Finshed. Spinner Smug.
Boogie Nights
In between spinning jags, I have been working on my sassy rayon disco tank top. Remember how scared I was to wind the ball? Fully warranted, as it happens. Fortunately for me, I had the benefit of others' experience, and knew to tread carefully. I only had to deal with one gnarly backlash, and then all 500 yards were wound. Miraculously, there is not one single knot in the whole skein.
Because there is only one yarn ball, I had to come up with a clever plan to work the piece from the top down. My thinking is that when I run out of yarn, that's when I'll be finished. What could possibly go wrong?
What I did was this: I cast on the front, working the hemmed edge first, then increases on either side until it reached my underarms (determined by the scientific method of holding it up to my chest a bunch of times). Then, because I didn't want to break the yarn and have an end to weave in, I made the back using the opposite end of my yarn ball. Then I joined front and back together, casting on some extra underarm stitches, and began working down the body. It didn't take me too long to realize that I needed some means of attaching front to back at the shoulders. I thought knitted cord would be nice, but how to make sure enough yarn was left for that at the end? Opposite end of the yarn ball, to the rescue again! I put the top on, using scrap ribbon and safety pins as "straps" so I could tell how long to make my knitted cords. Then I knit the straps from the opposite end of the yarn ball and sewed them in place. While I was at it, I ran some elastic through the top hem to stabilize it.
Things seem to be working okay so far, but I don't love how the back looks (hence my not showing it to you yet). I'm thinking of a second pair of straps. Or Something. Drapey rayon is so weird. So are sparkles. So is knitting on "big" size seven needles. All of which are adding up to a fun, yet surreal knitting experience. Each time my Weird-O-Meter goes into the red, I stop knitting for a while and spin some more Black Sheep.
If my sources are correct, the Tour De Fleece begins today, and I have a brand new fleece whose box I haven't even opened yet. Could I possibly get some phase of its processing finished within the allotted time? While simultaneously finishing Caora Dubh? Weigh in, Gentle Readers, and talk me down off the ledge. I need your encouragement to take up the challenge. Or your permission to totally flake out. Whichever.
Process Milestone: Combover Complete
One of my goals for vacation (Really? Who sets vacation goals?) was to return home with all of the combing done on Caora Dubh. To that end, I enlisted the help of two of my favorite smallies: Lindsay, and Susie's son, Adam. Lindsay is exactly three weeks older than Adam. When they were really wee, Lindsay took to calling Adam "Baby" as soon as she learned that she was older. He somehow put a stop to it around the time they turned three. But I digress.
Lindsay taught Adam how to comb the locks, and keep them pointed all the same direction, lined up and ready to spin. What could be cuter than smallies with fleece and dog combs?
I have no idea what they are plotting here, while I spin along innocently in the background, but you can bet they are up to something. Not for nothing: The photographer here is none other than Campbell. Something's clearly afoot.
The smallies got a lot of combing done, and while I didn't make the goal, I was able to complete it this morning. It didn't hurt my motivation that the new coopworth fleece arrived while we were gone. In a bizarre fit of self-control, I told myself I couldn't open the box until the combing was complete.
Here is the finished Pile O' Fluff, ready for spinning:
I can now officially state that it's all spinning from here on out. No more processing left for Caora Dubh.
Let's hear it for Child Labor.