Drum Carder

Wow, I keep getting inspired to get a drum carder. The universe must be calling it to me. Every web site I go to has the most beautiful and creative mixes of fibers all rolled into perfect little batts. I want to be a Batt DemiGod, too! I saw some great batts on Etsy.com earlier today, and saw one that integrated sari silk, glitz, wool, and possibly alpaca as well - it looked like a rainbow on a cloud! There was also one called Mermaid that was especially enchanting. I am taken with all things that look like sparkly versions of nature...Besides, I am getting tired of having to hold glitz in my hand and draft it in along with the wool as I am spinning. That is annoying and probably uses more glitz than I would if I just preblended everything together.

I just got a chance to read Pluckyfluff's blog, and she had a photo of her studio... all I can say is: I'm jealous! She has two wheels and a wonderful white work-room in which to retreat. I have...a 466 sqft condo. Which is great, I'm not complaining, but it is hard to have to put away everything when you're done. Which is why I think I want some miniature-type drum carder, and I am somewhat frustrated that I haven't been able to try any out recently. I keep going to the LYS (mentioned below), but they only have this ginormous Louet one...seriously...the thing is huge. I think it has a 10" or 12" wide roller?!

Speaking of LYS'es...I just went to the LYS (The Weaving Works, over on 45th St. in the University District), and picked up a bunch of yarns and needles for some new projects to keep me busy on tomorrow's 6 hour (or so) plane ride to Atlanta. I've got a couple of www.knitty.com patterns, one is a short sock with a lace pattern up-top (which I believe the yarn I picked for it is...cotton/wool? I hope so..I love wool's springiness to countact cotton's lollabout tendencies), and one is a cabled headband (which I am making in an alpaca-silk combo yarn). I am also taking Cat Bordhi's "Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles" book, and am going to attempt to make her Simple Sock out of there with some really pretty rainbow-colored self-striping sock yarn! (I have to say, I bought a sock yarn that was supposedly self-patterning back when I was in college, and I FINALLY got around to knitting with it, and...it is lame. It gives you little pointilist dots of color everywhere, but I don't really like the overall effect... At the time, I didn't realize the color repeats were way too short for anything that I would consider self-striping. Who knew 4 balls of yarn and three new needles (well, one dp set of #5's and two 24" circular #3's) would set me back $75?

I am practicing making socks now for X-mas, and for the Boy. (My coworker got a kick out of the fact that I call him "The Boy" to those who don't know him). I think I blogged about this, but a few months ago, I dragged the Boy to Whidby Island with me to go ogle some alpaca fiber on sale, and I ended up getting a pack of very pretty light gray alpaca (it tends to match the Seattle sky much of the year (heh)), and so I figured I'd make him some socks or fingerless gloves out of it. I've noticed that even in the dead of winter here, he is not a hat-guy, so I figure at least he can wear the socks. And the alpaca is uber-soft, so I figure if I blend it with some Bluefaced Leicester to give it some "pep", it'll be A-OK to spin. Or I could spin it pure alpaca, since I know he'll throw them in the washing machine, and I want it to felt as little as possible!