Mmmm, Fiber!

So, I got a new spinning wheel. I got out my roving. I spun a pile of cat barf. Remember that? Remember how I lamented at how much learning to spin was going to cost me?

I lamented about it to the Knittyheads over in the spinning forum. And one kind knitter/spinner, AKknitter, offered me some roving she had hanging around. It had been planned for a project that didn't come to fruition, and she asked if I'd like to have it for practice wool, with all the appropriate caveats that it wasn't great stuff, might only be good for felting, etc. Here's what came in the mail. Three freezer bags stuffed with natural roving. I gave it a quick grope, and you know what? I think it's softer than the colored roving that I lamented losing to the learning curve in the first place! I'm going to dive into it very shortly.

That same day, I asked for low-cost sources for roving and was pointed in the direction of the Sheep Shed Studio. (Say that five times fast!) They sell the mill end pieces from the Brown Sheep company. Not expensive--only 7.50 per pound for it, and it's by far the softest roving I've had yet. Well, except for my merino and merino blends that are waiting in the stash for me to get better at this.

So now I have a big old pile of fiber waiting to become...something! I'm hoping for some yarnier results this time out.

I'm making great progress with my knitting for the year. I finished all the mittens yesterday and today Ra has decided to smile on us so I took their drying racks outside to the porch where the sun can hit them and get that last bit of dampness out of them. Pray that the sun stays out for a bit, will you? I'd like to mail them this afternoon.

I've also finished a couple of teacher gifts. Bug has a regular classroom teacher and a regular aide. Mrs. Smith is getting the blue felted bag, and her aide, Mrs. Tuthill is getting the yellow one. Bug asked them for their favorite colors and that's what they said, so that's what they're getting. There are also two special ed aides that work in the classroom with specific students, so technically they're not really Bug's teachers. But she assures me that they do help out all the kids with whatever they need as well, so I want to give them something too, something a bit smaller, perhaps. I'm thinking of maybe a couple of those felted bowls I made. I could put something in them. I don't know what. Or maybe I could whip out a couple of washcloths. I don't know. I have a couple of weeks to decide yet. Plenty of time.

And yesterday I didn't feel like blocking the Chinese sweater to prepare it for seaming, but the book was sitting on the end table mocking me, so I made a pair of the baby moccasins on the cover. They took me all of a half an hour to whip out. Naturally, Bug wants a pair, as her slippers are getting too small for her. These only go to a 12 month size, but now that I know how they're made I can probably do some math (gack!) and figure out how to make a Bug-sized pair.

After I spin for a bit.

Last night I went to Jeanne's to play cards and stayed out entirely too late indeed. Tonight is casserole night at Ma's.

My Auntie Charlotte, who is really my cousin--my Dad's first cousin--came by to invite me to join her at Overeaters Anonymous. I know I have to do something. I've thought of OA before, since we've had a chapter at church for quite awhile now. But it was never the right time. Maybe now it is? I don't know. I'll have to think about it for a couple of days. You know that old saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear?" Perhaps the Teacher is here.

I don't know.

First, I spin.