Spring Spinning & Knitting

Well, after having the Baynes and the SR-30, I decided what I really needed was a double-treadle Schacht Matchless, so I bought one. I love LOVE that wheel. It has every other wheel I have ever tried beat all to hell. I have been spinning myself dizzy on it. I made some beautiful blueberry colored merino 2-ply which is currently being knitted (by me) into a pair of pretty socks. I knit 2-at-a-time cuff down on one long circular. Right now there is some pretty merino hand dyed by a lady in Monroe, MI -- not too far from here but I found it on Etsy on the Matchless. I am spinning it orb thin.....and it has a matching color to ply with it which I will fill the second bobbin with. I am using the highest speed whorl with a high speed bobbin, and it's been a lot of fun. I am also joining The Friends of Fleece spinning guild who are meeting today......but sadly I can't make my first meeting today and will need to wait until May because...... Today is my harp lesson with a lady here visiting from Paris who is a friend of my harp teacher. Then in the evening is a master class and I'll be playing a very challenging Bach piece. I could see myself zooming from my subbing band gig in the early morning to a city an hour north of here, to my lesson an hour west of here, to my nieces for dinner a 1/2 hour south of there and back to the masterclass.....all in one day and being able to focus.....no that wasn't going to work. So I gave up the spinning today. We all enjoyed the 80+ degree weather yesterday after a hard, cold, snowy winter in Michigan. Today it's raining and getting cooler as the day progresses.....and that's okay too.

It's a new year......

So far, I've been enjoying retirement....such as it is. I work hard on the church job, and I've subbed a few times for music. I'm not crazy about the subbing. I'm spinning and getting better. My new wheel makes nice lace weight yarns. I just finished over 400 yards of pastel merino plied with angora. I finished knitting a pair of alpaca mittens for my brother and a pair of worsted weight homespun socks for my sil, a pair of mittens for a friend, another pair of fingerless mitts for a friend, a pair of homespun mittens for myself, and a pair of socks for myself and a friend out of commercial yarn. I am currently working on a turquoise long cable sweater and am about half done. On February 5th I will be going to Knit Michigan. I have a new private voice student who is quite good.

Life seems pretty good.....