In Korea

Well, I've been in Korea for about five days now. Let me tell you it is HOT!!!!! I haven't done any knitting because it's been so hot, and also because I haven't had much time...thought I suppose I could have fit a little in here and there.

The sad thing is that I was only able to squeeze a couple of balls of sock yarn and a couple of alpaca (I think that's what it was) for a scarf, and some DPNs and a circular needle. I didn't have a lot of room (waaahhh!) for knitting stuff, and I couldn't even squeeze in my spinning stuff. I'm disappointed with this. I suppose that if I hadn't brought my lap top I could have fit some knitting stuff in a second carry-on (we were allowed to have 2 carry on pieces, and the lap top counted as one). Oh well, I can always go to Seoul and buy more yarn and needles, unless where ever I end up living has some knitting supplies handy.

We don't know where we are going yet, only what province we will be in. We will find out the city and schools on Thursday, and then on Friday someone from the school (the director I think) will come here to the university campus where we are having orientation, and pick us up and deliver us to the schools. Also, from my understanding, it will take a little while to get internet hooked up, so if I'm not on for awhile, you'll know the reason!

I can tell you, this heat makes it hard to knit. We've been told that our apartments will have air conditioning, so that will help make knitting easier :o). I can't wait to get back to knitting as I'm missing it a great deal - I'm going into withdrawls I think!

Anyway, hope you are all getting a lot of knitting done! Once I get my computer hooked up (I've been using one on the dorm room floor we've been assigned to for orientation), I'll be able to post more! Take care and happy knitting!

I'm Almost There!

Hi Everyone! I'm almost in Korea! I will be leaving here in about 10 hours. The next time I write here I will probably be in Korea...unless I get a chance (and connection) on the plane. So, until then, I will refer you to my other blog (Confirm The Work Of Our Hands) for a bit of an update.

Some Spinning

I admit it. I have been a terrible blogger of late! Shame, shame on me. I hang my head low - low enough as I pick up some spinning to work on!

I mentioned previously that I had some of my first spinning washed and set. Some of that is still in need of a good soak and set, and I hope to get it done before heading to Korea. Here's a pic of that mess.

The ball in front (hand wound because I have neither a swift nor a ball winder, but I'm not complaining, hehehe) is what has been soaked and set. The two bunches in the back still need that process done to them. I have no idea how much yarn I ended up with, but I can tell you the stuff isn't that great. However, I must keep in mind that this is my first overall attempt at spinning on a drop spindle...well spinning on anything really. It is very unevenly spun with some parts being big, some being small, some spun a little too tight, and some not enough. Overall, I guess it's ok for a first attempt. The roving I used was polworth (I think that's what it's called), and it was nice to work with. I got it at London-Wul back in April when I took the class on drop spindle spinning. To the left you can see a bit more of a closeup on the varying sizes I managed to produce.

I have no idea what I'll make with this, but it will probably end up as a scarf. Like I said, I have no idea how much yarn I ended up with, and I'd hate to start something like a hat or pair of mittens and end up running out of yarn. Also, with the different thicknesses in the ball/skein/whatever you want to call it, I don't know if it would be wise to knit a hat or mittens with it. I might just end up making a simple garter stitch scarf...unless anyone else has any other ideas.

This is my latest spinning. It's only single ply as of yet. See how much more uniform it is, and how much thinner it is? I must say I am liking this one much more than the first attempt. I've since learned to use not as much of the roving and to pull (or whatever you call it) it apart more than I had in the first attempt. It is also polworth and I've just really started to spin it. I'm just wondering if it is possible to knit with a single ply, and if so what; or is it better to ply it with another single? Please spinners, let me know!I am also hoping to get sock yarn out of my spinning (at some point), but being such a newbie at this, I don't think I'm quite ready to make sock yarn just yet...I don't know if it takes a lot of practice before one is ready to spin sock yarn, or if newbies can attempt it. Any spinners out there have any idea?

Other than the spinning, I haven't really done any knitting. We had a few days of unbearable (at least for me) heat and I just didn't feel like doing much of anything except for sitting in front of the fan and trying not to melt. My neck was also bothering me (stiff and sore) for this past week and it still is a little...though I can actually move my head without my neck hurting. Right now it basically feels just a little stiff and no real pain - which is good.

I want to knit. I stand in front of my stash gazing at my yarn, looking at my patterns, thinking of what I should make (or at least finish i.e. socks and a baby sweater I started), but I can't muster up the energy or desire to actually sit down and knit more than a few stitches. I think part of the "problem" is the whole getting ready for Korea thing. That has sort of taken precedence over anything right now, which is understandable. But, at any rate, I will be knitting again, and hopefully soon - as in before I leave for Korea!

My Sockapalooza, Christine over at Needle In My Vein, has received her socks and they fit! Woo hoo! I hope she'll enjoy wearing them when the weather gets a little cooler/colder. Why not make a visit to her blog; tell her I sent ya (not that that will get you anywhere or win you anything). My pal (the one knitting for me) has left a comment saying that she's got mine on their way. She'd been on vacation and had forgot to mail them before she left, which is ok. To be honest, I was a little late sending Christine's socks as well. Anyway, I'm hoping to get my package before I leave for Korea. That would be way cool!

Off to try and knit or spin or start making my list of what to pack, or do absolutely nothing...just depends on what I feel like doing (or not doing as the case may be). Happy knitting!

Edited to add: I am not sure why the paragraphs are all joined together (or at least most of them). I separated them, but for some reason blogger is sticking most everything together. It makes it look like I don't know how to write in paragraph form - really, I do know. It's just blogger's fault.

Sockapalooza Pal's Socks, ISE 4 Scarf, Spinning

Ok, I promised a picture of the socks I knit up for my Sockapalooza pal, and here they are:

They are made with Paton's Kroy yarn (I forget the colourway off hand, and can't find the ballband). I used 2.75 mm DPNs, and the pattern is the Yarn Over Cable from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch.

The foot looks big (it's 10 inches from heel to toe), but I think it's because the cuff and leg are skinnier due to the ribbing nature of the pattern. At least that is what I surmise. I do hope they fit my pal (I'm sure they do...gotta think positive), and I hope she'll like them and the colourway and yarn I chose for her. I also gifted her with the two skeins of yarn I had ordered way at the beginning of Sockapalooza that I was originally going to make her socks from - only to realize that the pattern I chose AFTER ordering the yarn called for part of a third skein of the yarn...

I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. It is very easy to do, and I had the pattern (which was only 4 rows, and 2 of those were the same) memorized very, very quickly. If you haven't knit this pattern and you have Sensational Knitted Socks, I do recommend that you make this pattern!

Currently I am working (albeit slowly) at work on a child's pair of socks using the Little Shell Rib pattern from the same book. It's another easy peasy pattern that is easily memorized. I have no pics of it yet as I only have the leg done...well about another inch until I start the heel flap. Not sure if I'll get these socks finished before leaving for Korea, but I'll do my best so I can add it to the pile of items for the mitten tree at church...which reminds me, I'll have to have my mom or dad drop the stuff off at the church when the tree is up so the items can be put on/under it.

On another note, remember the scarf I knit for my ISE 4 pal? Well, I sent it out to her on June 7 (the day we were supposed to), and after the post office contacted her two or three times, I received my package back yesterday. She never went and claimed it at the post office. I've contacted the leader of ISE to let her know what happened and offered to use my package as an angel gift for this one, if someone has not received a scarf, or it could be used as an angel gift in the next round of ISE. I must say I was disappointed...something may have happened to her or she may have moved (I hope nothing bad has happened), as to why she never claimed it. Oh well. The next round will go better...and I'll also be sending it from South Korea!

I've also been working a little at spinning. I'll try to take pics of the first "skein/ball" of yarn I spun...it's really not a pretty sight...really. I've got a couple more sections to soak and dry before I can ball it up (I don't have a niddy noddy or whatever you call those things to make skeins with). I started into the other batch of roving I got back when I took the drop spindle course, and I must say that is a LOT better and finer spinning. I'll take a pic of that too so you can see the difference. I didn't want to spin the pinkish roving I won in the contest awhile back (scroll down to see the pic of the roving) because I didn't want it to look terrible. I figured I could use this batch or roving I purchased back in April as my next practice spinning before moving on to the beautiful pink one. I do plan on trying to squeeze that and my spindle into one of my suitcases. The spindle will be no problem to fit into my carryon (or any other suitcase for that matter), but the roving will take some squishing...should make a nice cushioning should I decide to pack anything "fragile" to take with me (though at this point I don't plan on taking anything fragile).

Well, off to do some knitting or writing for awhile. Happy knitting!

Been A Long Time

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to let you all know I'm still around. I've been somewhat busy trying to get some things in order for the big trip to South Korea; have had some stress dealing with all that, but things are working out. I'll be posting about that on my other blog, Confirm The Work of Our Hands shortly, so feel free to check it out for an update on the trip.

I finally got my Sockapalooza socks finished! The only problem is that I can't get the pictures off the camera and onto the computer...don't know what's wrong there but as soon as I can get the pictures downloaded I'll post them. I think the socks turned out nicely, and hope my pal will enjoy them!

It's been rather hot here the last little while, though the last couple of days hasn't been as hot, and I haven't felt like doing much of anything - not even knitting.

Just to let the winners of my contest know, I'll be getting your prizes out to you by this weekend.

I hope to have a better post the next time around. Just wanted to post and let everyone know that I'm still around and haven't abandoned blogging. So, until the next post (which hopefully won't be as long as it's taken me to get this one on here), happy knitting!