Oh, Linen Stitch, I can’t say mad at you!

Every time I work something in linen stitch, I vow never again to use linen stitch. But I just love the fabric it makes, so I keep coming back for more abuse. I’m knitting with Quince & Co Lark, which is springy, and thus, easier on my hands. But still. It takes for EVER. But look! A lovely, rigid, heavy, woven-looking fabric.

So one of my goals is to spin a pound a month. I can’t actually start spinning until next week, but I decided to go ahead and pick out my pound for the month. I’m really looking forward to coordinating all my Hello Yarn fiber from Yarn Schools past, but for my first month/pound of spinning, I wanted a no brainer. So I  picked my 1-pound corriedale Jelly Roll from Decadant Fibers from Rhinebeck 2009. The outside looks like a smashed watermelon, and the inside looks like a gas station oil puddle rainbow. At first, I thought to break it all up and spin it with some kind of plan, but I decided to roll with serendipity and just spin it willy-nilly and ply it likewise. And I think I may try to spin it without the TV. I may listen to an audio book or a podcast, but I think it will be more relaxy and zen without the TV blaring. Maybe from there, I’ll graduate to silent spinning. Baby steps.

Besides my pound of spinning a month, I also have to produce a sweater a month and a mitten/sock a month. For the mittens, I’ll reknit my iPhone mittens to test my new pattern. And I’ll use… let’s see… the rest of my Cascade 220 leftover from Sue’s watermelon set? And for my sweater, I’m writing a new pattern for Craftzine this month, a nice layerable number in Knit Picks City Tweed HW. Ta da! January, planned!

It’s a superbusy month! Here’s my lineup:

This weekend: Woolfest! I’m vending and I’ll be doing carding demos as well. I’m selling fiber, spindles, etc. and I’ll have my famous DIY Carding Bar with Fiber Buffet set up for DIY batts. Which reminds me, I’ll be spending all day tomorrow dyeing! Zip!

Next weekend: 2-Hour Hat and Cozy Cowl classes at The Wicked Stitch. Both classes include both the yarn and ALL of the pattern options for the class. (So for the hat class, you get 4 hat patterns, including Laurel and French Kiss!)

Weekend after that: Insubordiknit workshop

Weekend after that: Kansas Day demo on Saturday, then Spinsters Club on Sunday!

I’m keeping February obligation-free. Well, that’s not strictly true. But I’m not going anywhere or signing up for any eventy things. I am taking a class on cold frame winter gardening  at Flint Hills Technical School or whatever it’s called, and I have shitloads of work to catch up on. Which is why I’m keeping it open in the first place. It’s more like I’m reserving it to catch up before spring busy madness than using it to take a breather. But a catch-up is even better than a breather, because you get all that exercise patting yourself on the back.