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GRANNIE LINDA
SPINS COTTON! |
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FIRST, I BOUGHT A KIT FROM
COTTON CLOUDS AT THE
BLACK SHEEP GATHERING IN EUGENE, OREGON, |
 HERE IS A SAMPLE OF SOME RECYCLED BLUE JEANS COTTON THAT WAS IN THE KIT! |
 THERE WAS A TAKLI IN THE KIT (far right). IT WORKS VERY WELL. I ALSO MADE A COUPLE OF TAKLIS FROM SOME BEADS AND SIZE 1 KNITTING NEEDLES. THEY WORK WELL, BUT SO FAR THE ONE THAT CAME WITH THE KIT IS BEST! |
WHILE AT THE GATHERING I ALSO BOUGHT THESE "PUNIS" FROM
WOODLAND WOOLWORKS. THESE ARE WHAT I AM
WORKING ON FIRST! |
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 AND THIS "FALL MEDLEY" COTTON ROVING! I WILL GET TO THESE AT SOME POINT....IN THE MEAN WHILE...... |
 I AM MAKING SOME PROGRESS WITH THE PUNIS.....AND..... (as of 9/1/08) |
 COLLECTING CUTE LITTLE BOWLS TO SPIN IN! MY FAVORITE SO FAR IS THE PINK BUNNY BOWL. Pictured in the center above, and in the picture at the left.
I WILL CONTINUE TO POST MY PROGRESS......IT MAY TAKE |
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 HERE ARE A COUPLE OF THEM PAINTED. THE HOLES OF THE WHEELS ARE TOO BIG FOR THE METAL ROD, SO I FILL THE HOLE WITH CLEAR SILICONE, LET IT SET 24 HOURS, THEN PUSH THE ROD THROUGH THE SILICONE. (10/6/08) |
 I AM NOW ON THE SECOND - 1 oz. BALL! (10/6/08) AS SOON AS IT IS DONE I WILL BEGIN PLYING! |
 HERE IS THE BROWN COTTON PROGRESS! (10/28/08) |
 I PAINTED SOME OF THE SPINNERS THAT I MADE WITH WOODEN WHEELS. THE 1 1/2 INCH WHEELS WITH THE 1/16" BRASS ROD ARE THE BEST FOR COTTON. THE BIGGER - 2" - WHEELS WORK FOR FINER YARN, AS THE ONE WITH THE 1/4" WOODEN DOWEL SPINDLE. |
 MY PURPLE ONE GOES WELL WITH MY NEW KITTY BOWL. I FOUND THIS AT THE NATURAL FOODS GROCERY STORE - BERRYVALE - IN MT. SHASTA. (10-08) TAKE NOTE: YOU ARE NOT FEELING WOOZY, I DID HAVE TO TAKE THIS PHOTO UPSIDE DOWN TO GET THE KITTY RIGHT SIDE UP! |
 I EVEN PAINTED THE PINK ONE TO MATCH MY BUNNY BOWL! NOTE THAT MY SECOND BALL OF COTTON IS GROWING!!! (10/28/08) I ORDERED A CROCHETED ANGEL PATTERN TO TRY MY COTTON WITH ! WOO HOO! |
 HERE IS ANOTHER SHOT OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE BOWL. IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS
IN LIFE...... |
 11/2/08 |
 DO YOU SEE WHAT IS GOING ON HERE???? THE PLYING PROCESS FINALLY BEGAN THE FIRST WEEKEND OF NOVEMBER! YIPPEE! I HAD NO IDEA MY TWO LITTLE ONE-OUNCE-EACH COTTON BALLS WOULD TAKE FOUR HOURS TO PLY! IT TOOK A LOT OF PEDALING AND A LOT OF TWIST! IT BROKE A COUPLE OF TIMES...urg..BUT I JUST TIED IT AND WENT ON. ONLY ABOUT THREE BREAKS IN ALL THAT YARDAGE WASN'T BAD, I THOUGHT. IF I HAD BEEN BORN WITH A FEW MORE ARMS I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO RE-TWIST EACH STRAND BEFORE PLYING AT THE BREAK...BUT..... IN THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT YOU CAN SEE HOW I PUT EACH BALL IN ITS OWN BOWL, BUT THEY WERE STILL UNWINDING TOO FAST, SO I PUT A NAPKIN ON TOP OF EACH BALL TO SLOW THEM DOWN....NOT EXACTLY A TENSIONED LAZY KATE, BUT IT WORKED! NOTE: I HAVE SINCE GONE TO A ZIPLOCK BAG METHOD SHOWN ON HERE. |
 HERE IS THE BOBBIN! WOO HOO! WHEN I FIRST BEGAN PLYING I THOUGHT I HAD THE SINGLES WAY (!) TOO THIN, BUT AFTER PLYING IT WORKS OUT TO ABOUT THE WIDTH OF SIZE 10 CROCHET COTTON! JUST WHAT I HAD IN MIND! |
 YES! A REAL TENSIONED LAZY KATE!!! I SKEINED THE COTTON ON A ONE-YARD NIDDY-NODDY. NO, I DIDN'T COUNT THE YARDS.... BUT I DO MOST OF MY WORK BY WEIGHT. |
 11/3/08 |
 THE FINISHED SKEIN WEIGHED ABOUT 2.75 ounces. |
 TIME FOR COOKING! I PUT THE SKEIN IN A SIMMERING POT OF WATER THAT INCLUDED ABOUT 1 TBS. or so OF WASHING SODA AND A NICE SQUIRT OF DR. BRONNER'S NATURAL LIQUID SOAP lavender. (THIS IS ABOUT THE SAME CONCOCTION I USED TO DEGUM SOME SILK WORM COCOONS EARLIER THIS YEAR). I SIMMERED IT FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. (Trust me, it smelled MUCH better than the simmering cocoons!) |
 NOW THE SKEIN IS RINSED AND HANGING UNDER WEIGHT IN MY ROOM. Whee! I
WILL LET IT DRY FOR A WEEK AND THEN JUST CARRY IT AROUND WITH ME
EVERYWHERE AND ADMIRE IT!
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AFTER I FINISHED MY FIRST SKEIN OF WHITE, I
CONCENTRATED ON SPINNING SOME OF THE NATURAL BROWN
THAT I BOUGHT AT BLACK SHEEP GATHERING. (ROVING IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO) I SPUN A SMALL AMOUNT, TO EXPERIMENT WITH (ABOUT A 1/4 OZ. CENTER-PULL BALL). THEN I TRIED PLYING ON THE TAKLI.... ( I HAD PLIED MY FIRST SKEIN ON MY WHEEL). I FOUND THAT WHEN I SPIN MY SINGLES, I FLICK THE TAKLI WITH MY RIGHT HAND AND DRAFT WITH MY LEFT HAND. I FLICK THE TAKLI CLOCKWISE AND IT MAKES THE SHAFT SPIN TOWARD THE CROOK AT THE BASE OF MY THUMB. WHEN I TRIED PLYING AND FLICKING COUNTER-CLOCKWISE WITH MY RIGHT HAND, THE SHAFT TRIED TO SPIN OUT OF THE CIRCLE OF MY FINGERS! I TRIED USING MY LEFT HAND TO FLICK THE SHAFT, AND HELD THE BALL I WAS PLYING FROM WITH MY RIGHT HAND.... FINE, BUT VERY AWKWARD! I SUPPOSE WITH A LOT OF PRACTICE, I WOULD GET THE FEEL OF IT, BUT I FIND THAT IT TAKES TWO HANDS JUST TO KEEP THE SINGLES TAUGHT AND READY FOR PLYING....SO I PLIED A BIT ON MY TAKLI, THEN FINISHED UP ON MY WHEEL, WHERE I COULD MANAGE THE CENTER PULL SINGLES BALL WITH TWO HANDS. (HENCE - TWO SMALL SKEINS OF BROWN). I SIMMERED THE SKEINS IN A POT LIKE I DID MY BIG SKEIN, AND PUT SOME SMALL WHITE ONES IN, TOO, THAT I HAD MADE WHEN I FIRST STARTED SPINNING COTTON. (ALL FOUR SKEINS EQUAL ABOUT 1/2 OZ.)
AMAZING HOW MUCH DARKER THE COTTON IS NOW,
AND THE WHITE SKEINS PICKED UP ABSOLUTELY NO EXCESS COLOR,
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 FRONT |
 BACK TADA!!!! I HAVE MADE SOMETHING WITH MY HANDSPUN COTTON! THIS IS AN ANGEL! IT IS AN ALTERED VERSION OF A PATTERN FROM LEISURE ARTS LEAFLET (#255) "Crocheted Snowflakes & Angels". I USED A SIZE 7 CROCHET HOOK AND THE ANGEL IS ABOUT 3 INCHES TALL. IT WEIGHS LESS THAN 1/8 OF AN OUNCE! LEAVES ME PLENTY OF THREAD FOR MORE!!!! WOO HOO! ON TO MORE.... (11/24/08) |
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NOW HERE IS SOMETHING! I MADE A BOOK MARK WITH SOME OF MY BROWN
COTTON! I USED THE HANDSPUN AND A SET OF 2 DOUBLE POINT NEEDLES, SIZE 0.
IT IS A PATTERN I FOUND ON LINE AT KELYARN.COM:
HERE ON
TO MORE THINGS...... |
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(12/21/08) SO...HOW MANY SPINDLES DOES ONE NEED? PROPORTIONATE TO
THE AMOUNT OF BOWLS ONE NEEDS..... :) |
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SOMETHING NEW..... AFTER A SHORT TRIP TO KAUAI IN JANUARY, I USED SOME SHELLS FROM THE BEACH TO MAKE SPINDLES! THEY GO WELL WITH THE COCONUT BOWL I BOUGHT THERE! ALOHA!
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THIS IS THE DOILY I KNITTED WHILE TRAVELING TO KAUAI. I PUT SHELLS AROUND
THE PERIMETER! IT IS A DESIGN FROM
GLORIA PENNING'S
BOOK, KNITTED HEIRLOOM LACE II, CALLED "STAR OF THE SEA"! I USED COMMERCIAL CROCHET COTTON.  |
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MADE FROM MY HANDSPUN BROWN COTTON! A SMALL (6" DIAMETER) DOILY CALLED A
"SUNRISE COASTER" FROM OPERA'S (COATS) DAZZLING DOILIES - TO KNIT p. 11. I FIGURE...MY HANDSPUN
WORKS UP TO ABOUT A SIZE 10 CROCHET COTTON. I USED SIZE ZERO (0) NEEDLES
FOR THIS ONE. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW MANY YARDS I USED, BUT I WEIGHED IT AND
IT DOESN'T EVEN MOVE THE POSTAL SCALE I USE....SO IT WOULD BE SAFE TO SAY
LESS THAN 1/4 OUNCE! FUN! 3/09 |
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ANOTHER DOILY KNIT FROM MY HANDSPUN COTTON! THIS ONE IS CALLED "ELLA" AND IS FROM ONE OF GLORIA PENNING'S LACE DOILY BOOKS: DANISH LACE TREASURES. I USED SIZE 0 NEEDLES AND PUT THE DOILY INTO A METAL HOOP USING FISHING LINE!
3/09 |
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A CROCHET COTTON CROSS BOOKMARK! (4/09) |
