Setting yarn singles

After procrastinating for months, I finally got around to setting the yarn singles I'd spun up during my introductory class.

Here they are hanging with weights (mugs) to stay stretched as they dry:

The really curly one (second from the right) was the first one I'd made, when I was having trouble with the twist getting away from me and making lots of little curls in the yarn. The left-most single is the most straight, as it was the last one I made from that braid of roving. Here are close-ups, from first to last:

And twisted back up into hanks:

I have much more of the pink merino/silk blend (on the left above) to spin up. The blue/purple one is all gone. I want to use this yarn for something, but it wouldn't do for a fancy project where the uneven twist and width would show. No ideas yet.

Painted spinning wheel

I really wanted to get my spinning wheel painted to make it one of a kind and increase its esthetic appeal (although I think the design itself is quite beautiful). My sister is an illustrator but she usually does her work on paper, not on objects. She still did me a favor and painted it for me with a simple but elegant pattern of leaves and flowers:

It's perfect - almost exactly what I had pictured in my mind. The only difference I would have made would be to make the flowers different types and colors. No complaints, though. Thanks, Sis!

Utility belt

I've gotten tired of having to carry a purse all the time, and I have too many necessary items to fit them into pockets. (And of course, women's pockets are famously tiny.) I decided to switch to a utility belt. For a while I thought that I would sew one up for myself, but knowing my history, it would take at least 6 months to get around to it. So I found a cheap yet fashionable one on Amazon. I've been using it for the past two weeks and it's perfect.

It fits my phone, wallet, keys, 2 pens, tissues, business cards, dog poop bags, and chap stick. I can easily attach and remove a dog treat bag, although I'm considering adding a small extra pocket to carry just a few extra/special treats.

The Black Squirrel's grand opening

My friend Chase just had the grand opening for her yarn and fabric shop in Berkeley! It's called The Black Squirrel. I'm so excited for her and of course I had to buy some things at the opening party even though I spent a lot on yarn and fabric last month and am supposed to be holding off for now. Here's what I came home with:

100% Targhee wool green and gray roving. I was looking at a yarn on the shelf that was a pale pink and green, and thought "how pretty if it were gray with flecks of green," and then looked over and saw this roving! It has a lot more green than gray but perhaps I will find another wool skein to mix it with.

A "wraps per inch" tool to measure the "weight" of the yarn I'm producing. The more times the yarn is able to wrap around the 1-inch cutout (without overlapping), the lighter weight it is.

A large tote bag with that adorable logo. One can never have too many reusable bags.

And a smaller tote that says "this is taking FOREVER to make." Accurate.

Homemade yogurt

I've been making and eating a lot of yogurt for the past couple of months. I'm still calibrating my vanilla bean recipe, but mostly I make it plain and unsweetened. Sometimes I add strawberries or raspberries for sweetness - or just the juice that drains out of frozen berries:

Bread in a jar

Having all the ingredients (except live yeast) already portioned out makes it easy to mix up bread dough on a busy morning.

It will sit on the counter to rise for 5-6 hours, and be ready for baking in the afternoon.