Yesterday, Theo and I stopped at a trailhead I had wanted to explore for a while. It is about ten miles from home and I pass it on my daily commute. It is part of the riverbed beyond the dam, where old tree stumps protrude from muddy banks that clearly were once at the bottom of the river.
I also finished a handspun sock out of Manx Loaghton wool, one of my favorites. I love springy wool, and this one fits the bill! I spun a light worsted/DK 2-ply, then knitted it densely using sz 1 needles. This works beautifully because 1. I knit so loosely, so #1s are like #3s or larger for me, and 2. manx loaghtan is so fluffy and elastic that a worsted weight yarn is actually much lighter than it sounds and works into a lightweight, squishy, warm fabric with plenty of give despite the density. I like a sock to really hug my foot, and I like them dense, so this is pretty much my ideal sock wool.
I'm using this knit to try an afterthought heel for the first time, so I'll update when I find out how that goes. I have a pair of handknitted socks from another knitter who almost exclusively uses afterthought heels. I like solutions like that - cutting the Gordian Knit, as it were. I'm eager to try my first steek, and I'm more than halfway through the body of the sweater that's going to Get It.
I washed llama last night, and I have many more washed wool locks available on Etsy now. It still isn't rewarding me financially right now, but it's good for me to be working toward something approximating independence as a craftsperson. I'm also wondering if I should put some free tutorials up on the web for wool prep, spinning, etc.
If only I didn't have a debilitating headache every other night, I might actually get somewhere someday!
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