Slacker!

I know what you must be thinking.  The Bronx Knitter quit after day 8 of the Tour because she just couldn't hack the heat or humidity.  If that's what you were thinking, you would be incorrect.  For the past two weeks I have been on vacation, more like a stay-cation since I didn't go anywhere.  I've been toughing out the humidity, and the rain and the heat.  Spinning is happening, and so is knitting.

Day 9:

I finished plying 4 ounces of Shetland and I love everything about it!  The feel, the color and the way it even retained its integrity after it was plied - and it's rare for me to say that.  Have a look for yourself:

Isn't she lovely?  I don't know the yardage yet, but she's been plied, washed and dried and she still looks like a million bucks.  Yardage pending.

Day 10:

James (from the Wolfe Farms Podcast) has been working on the Hitchhiker by Martina Behm for some weeks now, and I've been watching with bated breath to see how it comes out and debating about if I wanted to make one myself.  As time ticked on, I could see that it was now or never for me to make my decision.  So I did it.

The clouds came out just as I snapped the picture, so here's a different view:

The yarn is from Mystical Creation Yarns (no longer in business).  It's lace weight, I think it's merino yarn and I know I purchased it prior to 2008, or earlier than that.   It's been hanging around and I finally used the last of it.  You may recall seeing that I made the Daybreak Golds out of this yarn, but it was gifted years ago.  Now I can say that I'm practically out of the yarn and another 'leftover' is out of the stash!  Yay!

Day 11, 12 and 13:

I managed to spin up three spools of Jacob fiber.  At first it felt similar to Shetland, then while drafting it, it kind of felt like alpaca, then I just wanted it over!  The white was in good shape, the gray was filled with vm, and the black I spun in the dark because I didn't know what the heck was going on!

I'm glad it's almost over because it's got to be more pleasurable being yarn than it was being fiber.  This is fiber from Jenny Jump Farms in New Jersey that I purchased last year at The New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY.

Day 14 & 15:

I was a slacker.  My shoulder and hands were hurting and I had spin splints from pedaling.  Besides, after the Jacob and time spent picking things out of the fiber that would scratch the skin off my hands, I needed a break and time to consider my next spinning choice.

The hunt and find ended abruptly when I realised that in order for me to make an informed choice, I would have to empty the fiber cabinet.  No way!  The only choices I had were the fibers I could see.  So the winner is Perendale which I never heard of, but it sure is pretty.  Have a peek:

Wow!  It's all ready to go.  Purchased from Crown Mountain Farms, 4 ounces.  Turns out Crown Mountain is closing it's internet doors and the dyer/owner, Klaus, is going back to Germany.  I, of course, wish him and his family well, but I sure hate losing an online resource.

Lastly, being home these past two weeks has been an eye opener for me.  You know how you can never really know your neighbors no matter how often you see them or how they seem?  I believe that's true everywhere, but here's an example of what I experienced this week - in my last few days home.

My neighbor's daughter came to me and said the mail carrier left a note on her door that she has a package which they left with the neighbor two doors down.  The neighbor two doors down is an elderly gentleman who lives alone - well, mostly he lives alone.  His house is stray cat central, and he often leaves his doors open so the cats can come and go as they please.  Anyway, I digress.

The daughter asks me to go with her to the old man's house to get her package and me, intrepid soul that I am, agreed to walk with her.

Me: Hello, anyone home?

Old Man: Hi.  I'm here.

Daughter: There was a note on my door that a package was left here for me.

Old Man: Yes a package was left.  Let me get it.  He goes inside and come back with an open package.
Sorry I opened it.

Daughter: Did you take anything out?

Old Man: I took it all out.

Daughter: Did you put it all back?

Old Man: Probably.  I think so.

We all stand around looking at each other for a second or two, then me an daughter walked away shaking our heads.

Here's what was in the package:

All we can do is pray on this block that someone else besides the old man is home when we are not so that our packages will remain in tact when we get them.