You spin me right round, baby. . .

My first spinning class was on Sunday, and it was (surprise!) horribly frustrating. I ended up renting an Ashford Joy because she didn't like the way my Babe's Fiber Garden PVC wheel was running. I have seen lovely lace spun on it, but not by me!

Since that inauspicious beginning, I've been practicing about 45 minutes each evening, and it's getting marginally easier. I'm working on both long-draw and a pretty pathetic-looking over the fold technique. Hopefully by next Sunday's class, I'll be more proficient.

Around here, things are booming. Spouse and I went out sort of for our anniversary and watched the Phillies beat the Giants. It was a good game, and due to the freakishly warm weather, a nice evening out at the park, rather than the Arctic-like conditions that usually obtain. The woman behind us prattled on indefatiguably in a rather carrying voice. Not loud, just unignorable. So, I knit. And I'm past the sleeves now!


To relieve the tedium of a Very Plain Wool Sweater, I think I'm going to do a horizontal cable bottom, and either knit the top of the sweater on to it or sew it on. I do, however, have to make myself finish the sleeves before I do that. Less knitting to flop around and around.

More bees!

This is the best hive I have going right now. They used to just be a ball of bees, but now they've drawn out a lovely bunch of comb. I need to go in there soon and spread it out a little bit. Another gratuitous shot?


This is more like what a wild hive would look like -- this is the view from below, through the screen bottom. I may have to cover it a little in the winter, but in summer it helps with ventilation. That's about 18" of combs. The smaller ones are newer. I just got a call to go and get another swarm. Yay! I'll start getting it today and then finalize the pick up early tomorrow morning. Thing 2 is out painting the last hive right now. I'll install it at a friend's house after I pick it up.

I promise pictures of my new yarn when it looks more like yarn to me. Right now it's more like interspersed roving and thread -- very much a thick-thin effect! And I'm still working so hard on my classwork when I get a free minute that my computer time is slim. If I haven't commented on your blog, it's partly because half the time right now Blogger won't let me leave comments and partly because I'm just not keeping up with reading. Thank you all for comments. I really appreciate them but also have not been responding.

I just realized I'm asking people to forgive me for just being rude. Okay, so that's what I'm asking. Sorry. Soon I'll be back to my normal self. Whoever she is!