Spinning....and other things

Haven't been doing much quilting lately. Been too busy spinning....and having way too much fun with it. I've definitely made a nice dent in the hand-painted polypay roving that I've been playing with. Looks like I only have about 3 ounces of it left to spin.....if that much. Of course the exciting part about it all is the new book that came in the mail yesterday. It's called "Spinning for Softness and Speed" by Paula Simmons. It's not a book that is currently on the market. This was originally published in 1982. So far I've only read the first two chapters and have found it to be a real eye-opener. The book basically focuses on the one-handed or point of contact spinning method. A method that once mastered will allow the spinner to spin a more consistent, even, and soft yarn with very little effort. Yes, I did give it a try (even though I've only read the first couple of chapters) and was pleased to discover that I already use a modified version of this method. And here I was thinking that I just spun funny. :) So now my goal is to finish reading the book and to "fine tune" my spinning technique. Reading this book has sure made me relax quite a bit when it comes to my spinning. Especially since I have recently discovered lace knitting (and am loving it!) I foresee quite a bit of spinning in my future.

A quick update on my lace sweater........progress is slow.....real slow. But what is done so far looks really pretty. I'm still working on the left front panel of the sweater. I've only been knitting a couple of rows a day. Really need to re-think my daily schedule so that I have a bit more time for knitting. Or simply learn to manage my time a bit better. I had hoped to have my sweater finished by the end of June. Considering it's the first of July......well, it's pretty safe to say that won't be happening. Maybe I can set a goal of finishing it up by the end of July.....if I learn to manage my time a bit better.....and don't get sidetracked by different projects.....which I tend to do quite often. :)

I'm still working on the applique border for the one wall hanging. Progress has been slow on that as well. Of course it doesn't help things much when it spends most of its time sitting waiting for me to actually work on it. The vine that goes all the way around the quilt center is just about done though. I only have a small part left to stitch down. Then it's a matter of figuring out exactly what I want to do with the rest. Berries and leaves.....just berries......no berries......leaves and flowers instead??? The quilt has a nice fall feel to it and the outer border that I'm appliquing is 4" wide.....so the applique should be kept fairly simple. I think anything busy will just make it look too crowded.