Captain's Blog: One Week Til Spinzilla!

By now, if you're participating in next week's Spinzilla event, you already know what team you're on. Whether you're joining me on Team Louet or competing on any other the other many teams, here are some quick tips to help you get ready for a monster of a spinning week!

1. Clear those bobbins! If you're going to be spinning up your fiber stash, be sure to have plenty of empty bobbins to get the job done.

2. Perform routine maintenance. Check your spinning wheel's manual to make sure your wheel is in peak performing form. If you are using a Louet wheel, there is a handy online support center where you can troubleshoot various issues and download PDF versions of wheel manuals.

3. Wax on! Put the perfect finishing touch on your wheel with a nice coat of wheel wax to clean and condition the wood and any leather parts, too. I'm a fan of the wonderful-smelling herbal organic wax from Heavenly Spinning.

4. Take inventory of your fiber stash. Now is a great time to plan which fibers you'd like to spin up, how you'd like to ply them, and what weights or other techniques you'd like to use throughout the week. Again, this is a good time to take into account how many bobbins you'll have at your disposal so that you can maximize your spinning/plying time for maximum output!

5. Figure out your Method for Measuring Yarn. If you're new to spinning, you might not have a preferred method of measuring the yarns you spin. Here are a few suggestions from the Spinzilla FAQ:

My Spinzilla to-do list!

Wind onto a skien winder or swift where you know the circumference and count turns
Use a niddy noddy
Use a yardage counter
Using a McMorran yarn balance, or the new Yarn to Yards balance
If you don't want to take your yarn off your bobbins, weigh your bobbins before you spin, then weight them after and use a balance to calculate yardage.

If you are planning to ply your yarn during the course of the event, remember that you'll need to submit your yardage in singles. We recommend measuring your plied yarn, then multiplying the yardage by the number of plies (chain ply counts as 3-ply).

We'll begin spinning at midnight EST on Monday, October 7. For more details on how to submit your finished yarn and yardage, check out the Spinzilla FAQ or the Spinzilla Ravelry group.

Happy spinning!

Overdyeing A Finished Knit

Even after just a few years of knitting or crocheting, you're bound to have some finished projects lying around that never get worn or used. After 10+ years of crafting, I have more than just "some" or "a few"....and with my ongoing quest to declutter my house this year, I've become obsessed with going through these forlorn projects and making some Big Decisions. Sometimes, they are perfectly fine and just need a new and loving home. Other projects may have not turned out quite right: there might have been some mistakes in the knitting that I thought I could live with, or the yarn was gorgeous but not well-matched to the pattern, or my taste has drastically changed since I finished making the project...in any case, why on earth did I keep knitting?! Who knows, but I don't feel good about gifting anything that falls into this category to someone else. These projects have been relegated to the "frog pile" (or should I say, frog pond?), to b...

Easy DIY: Beaded Vintage Snowflake Ornament Kits from Solid Oak Inc.

I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...

handmade by stefanie

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