The second Saturday-Monday

It’s Monday of week two. The first week of retirement went smoothly and I’m starting to relax. Today, as I assess my mindset and progress toward my goals, I’m  quite satisfied. 

Although last week’s clean-out didn’t go as quickly as hoped (Does it ever?), if I can keep the pace, I’ll have most of the unused and/or unnecessary out of here by summertime. 

Fiber-wise, I also made a solid start. It seems I was on a green kick, but that was purely happenstance.

For one, I finished a pair of socks that fit me perfectly. I had purchased the wool for a KAL and now am acutely aware that although handpainted yarn looks gorgeous in skeins, it only shines in plain stitches, which don't compete. Handpainted and variegated color yarns fight with almost any kind of pattern. Lace is the worst. This project was a lace shawl to socks.

I also knit up a pair of fingerless gloves that are purely utilitarian to warm my hands in this frigid weather. This yarn, was frogged from a sweater project that turned out too small for the intended recipient and was close at hand. (All the details for both projects are on my Ravelry (Filamenti) project page.)

I also did some on spinning on that Coopworth fleece I have. I got some good cracks in at the South Jersey Guild of Spinners and Handweavers (SJGSW) meeting on Saturday, that extended into a lovely Sunday afternoon at home in front of the fire. 

Now that my wheel is set up for production, my plan is to commit regular time to spin, ideally every--make that most days--until my roving stash is gone.

I have a huge stash of fleece—mostly roving—that I purchased when my desire to spin overrode my available time. With more than three bags full of Coopworth, Tunis, and a little Merino, I am decidedly overwhelmed. Consequently, I made a pact with myself that I would purchase no more fleece or roving until I had spun--or gifted away--what I have. 

So what do I get in SJGSW’s Roc Day gift exchange? Roving, of course.