Being the Tortoise

It has only been a few weeks, but it already feels like the winter holidays are so far behind us. Decorations are put away, schedules have returned to normal, and the winter gloom has really settled in here in Spring Creek. On top of that, I was promoted to a new management position at work mid-November, so I knew that it was only a matter of time before my capacity for crafting would shrink away. I was racing to the finish line at the end of the year to try to wrap up some old projects, but as soon as I got those done it was like I had no more wind in my sails. I knew that was bound to happen; January just feels like the time of year when I want to bury myself in a pile of blankets, tell the never-ending freezing rain to GO AWAY, and hold out hope for when the sunshine and warm breeze will finally return.

Until that time comes, wool is the answer. I have made a small amount of progress on my current drop spindle project which I had started to test out four new spindles that I purchased last year. The idea was that I would take a 4oz braid of fiber and split it into four 1oz pieces, and spin each ounce on a different spindle. Then I would ply all four together to create a 4-ply yarn. I started this project in July and it has been patiently hanging out in the background as I got to other things, but I recently picked it up again and finished the first ounce.

This is what I have dubbed my “Kyle” spindle, purchased because he loves mushrooms. I have now started spinning the second ounce on my acorn spindle.

I’m really interested to see how consistent I can be across the four spindles in terms of how thick my singles are. The weight of the spindle as it is suspended in the air can significantly affect how thick or thin you are spinning, and each of the four spindles I will be using have a different weight and a different center of gravity. The center of gravity can impact how fast a spindle spins, how long it spins, and how stable it is while spinning. There is a lot to play with and make note of here, and I have been enjoying the process so far.

I have also been very slowly combing some Tunis wool that I washed back in September. This is a breed of sheep that my friends Katie and Michael (and I, by proximity) are considering getting at some point, and we figured it would be worth the trouble of trying out the fleece first to see how we like the wool. I finally have 100g of combed wool, which was my benchmark for spinning up a skein of yarn, so now I can begin the spinning process. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this turns out. (Side note, if anyone has any suggestions for how best to get rust off the tines of my combs, I am all ears.)

It feels like the theme of my current projects is “slow and steady wins the race.” Everything has been progressing at what feels like a glacial pace, but progress is progress and I won’t fret over it too much. I only completed 10 knitting projects last year, and that’s counting three sweaters that were practically already done, and a hat that just needed to be blocked. So in reality, I only knit six items last year – three pairs of socks, a sweater, fingerless mitts, and a stole. That doesn’t feel like a lot, and I hope to do more this year, but we’ll see where the journey takes me. So far I have a single sock done on my first official knitting project of 2024.

This pair is knit using Polka Dot Sheep Tenderfoot 80/20 in the “Mallard” colorway, with some sparkly gray yarn for the contrasting heel/toe/cuff. I made myself a full sweater out of the gray a few years back, and then made myself a pair of socks to match, and then gave Kyle a skein to make himself a pair of socks as well, and I still have some of the yarn left over, so I wanted to make use of it. These socks will be a gift and I was shocked to find that I didn’t have anything suitable in my stash to use for the recipient, so I was forced to order a fresh skein of yarn for this project. We all know how much of a hardship it is to go yarn shopping (said with absolute sarcasm.)

I did recently do a thorough inventory of my yarn stash, as I do at the beginning of each year, to remind myself of what I have, cull what I no longer want, and do a general inspection for all types of troublesome critters. I maintain a spreadsheet of my stash to keep track of everything and I’m always eager to see the tally of how much yarn I used throughout the year, how much I inevitably added, and what my total amount of stashed yarn is. It feels like a nice way to begin the year and gets my mind thinking about projects using yarn I had all but forgotten about. I was surprised to see that I am so close to only having 100,000 yards of yarn in my stash. My final total was 104,000 yards and while I typically don’t set firm resolutions for my year, I really will feel accomplished if, at the end of 2024, that number drops below the 100k mark. 4,000 yards in a year is incredibly doable (a pair of socks is roughly 400 yards, a sweater around 1,500) – the hard part will be to not replace the stash I use with new yarn.

Without even realizing it, I’ve been setting goals for the year in this post. 1. Knit more than 6 projects this year, and 2. Reduce my stash to below 100k. I’m wary to set any more than that because I prefer to keep my crafting boundaries loose to accommodate new interests or unpredictable detours in creativity. I do, however, think I did quite well with the goals I had set for myself in 2023 and would like to see those continue. Those goals were:

Spinning – That’s it, that was the goal. To simply spin yarn. And I definitely succeeded there. I spun 20oz of yarn last year, and would like to see that trend continue.

Knit with handspun – Here as well I had a simple goal. Knit at least one project using handspun yarn. I made myself a pair of fingerless mitts, and a pair of socks. Hopefully I will see more handspun projects this year as well.

Spin fleece – While I have purchased many fleeces in my life, and experimented with sorting, scouring, combing/carding, and spinning the wool, I had never processed enough to spin into a full skein of yarn for a project. Last year I spun my first skein of Shetland wool that I processed myself, and this year I am already on my way with Tunis, and some Gulf Coast Native to follow.

Wrap up old projects – You saw at the end of the year that I really had to push myself to make progress on this goal, but in the end I cleared three sweaters out of my UFO pile (un-finished objects), finished a hat that had been languishing, and completed a needlepoint project that I started at the beginning of the century when I was still in high school. But believe me, there are more old and unfinished projects lurking around these parts! I would love to clear one or two more of those out of the dark corners where they hide.

And lastly, Use my knitting books. This one, though I technically met the goal because I knit a single pair of socks using a stitch pattern a found in a single book, still feels like it can be improved upon. My bookshelf is such a font of knowledge and a wealth of inspiration, it feels a shame to not be tapping into it as a resource for where my knitting can take me this year.

Whether you spent the new year updating spreadsheets or shaking your fist at the rain, I hope you’ve found time to relax, visit with your intentions for the year to come, and look back at all you accomplished in 2023. Here’s to a wonderful 2024!