My Old Enemy

I spent the weekend spinning away, mentally adding up with I had, doing the math and hoping -most of the time, against hope, that I would come up with 1400g of spun and plied fibre.  The whole last week my real life kept interfering with my wished for life, and not nearly enough time was spent at the wheel. (Despite serious and committed attempts and arrangements, somehow my real life still isn’t knitting and spinning.  I don’t know what’s up with that, but I’m still working on it.)  I spun and spun, and come yesterday morning I had two things. A huge row of singles to be plied, and a sore arm. (That’s unrelated.  I’m trying to learn to throw a ball with some sort of accuracy for Tuesday night’s stitch ‘n pitch.  As it stands so far I have about a 50% accuracy rate.  Half of the balls land squarely and neatly at the hands of the catcher, and the other  50% are apparently what baseball people call "a wild pitch".  Not good.) 

So there I am, yesterday morning with a big pile of plying to do, and as I lined them all up for a picture, I was thinking that if I really hustled and plied fast and dedicated myself, then I could weigh it all and if it wasn’t enough I could spin more and maybe still make my goal… and then I realized that I was done. Totally done.  I did my best, and either I had my goal or I didn’t – but that I wasn’t going to go busting a move that wasn’t part of the plan. 

I decided right then that I would ply it and then leave it all to weigh today.

Plied up yesterday was a gorgeous pinky goldy wool that I’ve lost the tags for,

but is prettier than I can say.

I managed to preserve the colour structure in the roving enough to get one skein that moves from gold to pink across the whole length.   (That was mostly luck.)

This one was a good move on my part.  I’m a  member of Fondle This fibre club, and this months shipment was this beautiful red fibre. 

Each month she ships out some fibre, the spinning directions and a pattern that goes with, and this month the directions were to spin it to a bulky two-ply for a hat, and what better timing could there have been.  It went fast, and is soft and lovely.

Also from the spinning club (but a few months ago) was this a BFL/silk roving that spun itself one evening.

The resulting yarn is heavy, drapey, warm and reminds me of the blueberry patch the colourway was named for.

The pretty tweedy singles from last post spun up into a very pretty yarn indeed.

Exactly what I was hoping for, that one. 

The last effort to pass the wheel was more of the Gold Dust Woman batts that I love so much. 

This yarn is destined for sparkly mittens – a little ray of sunshine in the dead of winter.

When all was said and done last night, I piled the yarn up, called it quits and went to dinner.  Resigned to know my fate this morning.  Up and fortified with coffee today, I fetched up my scale and gave myself a little talking to.  To my way of thinking and performing mathematics,  I hadn’t made my goal.  No way.   I’d be about 100g short I figured, but I was ready to let go.  1300g of fibre over the course of the Tour de Fleece was pretty much made of win (I told myself) and the fact that I liked and was proud of all of it? That was worth more than meeting my goal.  That was an accomplishment.  Besides, the goal was to stashbust, and I did. That’s a lot of fibre to have leaving this den, and I’m not going to beat myself up. 

I started skeining and weighing.

Red/orange Spinners Hill roving 361g.
BMFA merino/yak: 295g.
Seldom Scene Farm alpaca/silk/angora : 114g
BMFA BFL: 206g
Dyeing for Colour bamboo rayon/merino: 115g
Three Bags full Wool/silk/silk noil : 111g
Fondle This! Club Falklands wool: 130g
Fondle This! Club Merino/silk: 100g
Pink/yellow prettiness (tag gone): 105g
Gold Dust Woman batts from the Enchanted Knoll: 107g

I added that up.  I added it up again. I added it up a third time, because dudes! Math and I have an old rivalry- but anyway I add that up (and I even tried in another order…) that is a stunning amount.

1644 grams spun.

 I went over! I spun too much! I was so worried about not getting it done (and  my craptastic math skills) so worried that I would arse it up, that I actually managed to demoralize myself while simultaneously overachieving.  (Story of my life, actually.)
1644g in 23 days. 

I didn’t think I had it in me.

PS.  If you’re coming to the Stich ‘n Pitch tomorrow in Toronto, I’ll be there early, when gates open (5:30) to do things I’m actually good at (signing my name in books, talking to knitters) before I do something I’m bad at (throwing a ball.) If you’re coming down I’d love to meet you.

PPS. I threw a ball for a while at Rachel H today.  Most landed in her glove.  Hope dawns.

187 thoughts on “My Old Enemy

  1. Congratulations on making your spinning goal. And good luck tomorrow. I hope we can see you on You Tube or TV.

  2. You make me want to learn how to spin!..for about a minute..then I become rational again!
    Thanks for the show and tell…They are lovely,

  3. Congrats on surpassing your goal! I ADORE that blueberry patch yarn, but all of it came out so lovely. Once again, awed by your talent and skill. Good luck pitching tomorrow.

  4. Does it matter if you “arse it up” tomorrow night? You overachieved at Tour De Fleece–that’s what counts.

  5. Great result Stephanie – however you look at it! And given that you’re an over-achiever, I wouldn’t be wasting energy worrying about the pitching either.

  6. You are, after all, the Yarn Harlot Queen, or is that the Harlot Queen of Yarn, or maybe Queen Yarn Harlot – whatever – you ROCK! Someday when I grow up I want to learn how to spin, too.

  7. Stef, you will be throwing a baseball to a catcher, a person who makes his living catching a ball thrown in a variety of methods, most of which are beyond your imagination. If your ball can’t land in his glove, he will be responsible. If your ball does indeed land in his glove, you reap all the glory!
    Congrats on the spinning, it is brilliant.

  8. Beautiful! Every last one. Your yarn doesn’t look homemade, but hand spun.
    And someone needs to provide a video of the throwing out for all of us that can’t make it. Finally someone throws out a first pitch that I care about (well, not personally, though I DO care about your well being… well, you know what I mean). Wow tangent. Anyway, you’re throwing out a first pitch, and I won’t be there.
    Throw a strike!

  9. Big, congratulatory hug, Steph. That’s a lot of work done.
    As for “real life” getting in the way of spinning, there’s a reason “spinster” is classic slang for an unmarried, childless woman. I believe the cultural consensus is that it’s better to have love and a family, than to have plenty of time to spin.

  10. I’m sorry this has nothing to do with this blog entry, but I’m guessing you might read comments before your email. How long are the bike riders going to be on the road?. Is it too late to donate?

  11. Congrats on the spinning. Here’s my hint for the baseball throw…it is unlikely you’ll overpower their catcher and throw it to the backstop, so aim high and it just might get there!

  12. So, if the pitch goes wild you can always blame it on the fact that you’ve spent the last few weeks spinning 1644 gms of yarn. It all looks lovely and I hope tomorrow you burn a hole in the catcher’s mitt.

  13. If it makes you feel any better, my four year-old daughter can dribble a soccer ball much better than I can.
    Free baseball throwing advice: just keep your eyes where you want the ball to go. Maintain laserbeam focus right there at the catcher’s glove and don’t deviate in mid-throw, and it will get there. Best of luck!

  14. Steph,
    Way to go! Math is not my thing either, but I am thrilled that you made your goal and more!! Good luck at the stitch and pitch.

  15. Beautiful yarn.. and you aren’t alone with “craptastic math skills” I can totally relate! Don’t forget to enjoy the baseball game.. two of my favorite things.. knitting and baseball together!

  16. YAY! That’s a gorgeous pile of lovely yarn. Go you with your bad self!

  17. WOWZA, congratulations. All that beautiful yarn , hand spun and plied is a real accomplishment. The colours are yummy, love them all. As for the ball throwing, well just have fun , that’s the main thing.

  18. “my rael life kept interfering with my wished life…” Isn’t that the way all of our lives go…

  19. Hi Stephanie!
    Lovely, lovely yarn. You should be very proud. I love it.
    BTW, I can’t throw a baseball either, the guys used to tell me that I ‘shotput’. But a woman that can spin 1644g in 23 days can certainly manage that one throw to be in the good pitches 50%!
    Have faith!

  20. Oh, when I read that title I knew exactly – exactly – what had happened. I hope that you have fixed your opinion of yourself, rewarded yourself with a lovely soak in the tub, and popped an extra beer for good measure.
    If nothing else you can congratulate yourself a day early for successfully throwing that ball! Wish I could be there with you…

  21. Well done on the spinning! Such beautiful yarns and colors — very soothing to my eyes after a long, hard workday!
    How I wish I could be in Toronto for the S&P!!

  22. Congratulations! You did it. 🙂 All the yarn is wonderful and I know you’ll pitch straight and true tomorrow. If you don’t, blame it on a knitting/spinning injury. Just tell all those ball players you hurt your arm … Or that you don’t want to hurt your knitting hand/arm! I have a repetitive strain thumb right now if you wish to borrow it! I’m antsy from not knitting.

  23. ABFAB! Why am I not surprised that you were able to put yourself down while over-accomplishing your goal. And the fact that you seem more than pleased with everything you finished gives you a 20% bonus rating. Also, what Kate said about focusing on where you want the ball to end up – sounds like learning to ride a bike to me (focus on where you want to go, not where the front tire actually is), and you know you do that with no mental effort at all. ALSO! Sharon points out that the apparent perfection of your pitch depends on the catcher’s skills. Love it!!

  24. Not only are your knitting skills wonderful, so are your spinning skills. Don’t be too hard on yourself about throwing the baseball. Being a baseball fan, I watch a lot of baseball on tv and have seen quite a few honorary first pitches. I’m sure you will not be the worst! Thank you for sharing your love of knitting and your humor.

  25. You make me want to learn to spin. And who cares if you can throw a ball? You can spin all that lovely yarn!

  26. I signed up for a drop spindle class in September. Someday I hope I can produce beautiful yarns like that.

  27. Congratulations! … and I am seriously coveting the BFL/silk Blueberry Patch. I actually let out a very pathetic sigh of covetousness when I saw the photo. Absolutely lovely.

  28. Fantastic! I had a feeling it would all work out. Have fun throwing out that pitch. Wish I could be there. I’m sure you’ll be awesome at that too.

  29. Most beautiful yarn! I have tried spinning – spindle and wheel. My hands and feet do.not.play.well.together. Deep sigh. I do have some locally grown and hand spun by a friend alpaca that I will knit up as soon as I can stop petting and cuddling it.
    Hurrah for your spinning and pitching!!

  30. PS Of course you over achieve – just look at your lovely daughters and your darling Joe!

  31. Gorgeous yarn! You’ll rock the pitch, don’t worry… or you could always blame it on spinning fatigue… = )

  32. Congratulations!! Every bit of that fiber was turned into gorgeous yarn that you should be proud of! Good luck at the game, wish I could be there, but Sacramento, CA is a little far to go for a baseball game! 😉

  33. if the pitching were more important than the stitching, they’d call it “pitch n stitch,” not t’other way ’round!

  34. Great Job! Let’s hope your over achieving skills are never turned to dark purposes, such as evil overlording, world domination, etc.

  35. I’m trying not to drool into my keyboard about all of that gorgeous squishy hand-spun goodness. You already knocked it our of the proverbial park with overachieved with all that spinning. You’ll do fine with the pitching. Just visualize yourself throwing a strike! I’ll be there cheering you on. 🙂

  36. wow for the spinning luscious stuff, and good luck on the pitching. Wish I could be there to help will the ball across the plate.
    from– another lousy ball thrower and a pretty fair knitter

  37. Ack. Typing fails in previous comment, but you get the drift. Hanging head in shame and going to knit some squeaky acrylic.

  38. Fantastic job on the spinning. I’m envious of your friends!
    As for the pitching, make sure when you let go of the ball your hand is pointed where you want the ball to go.

  39. Beautiful, beautiful yarn you created! Good luck with your first pitch tomorrow…you’ll be great!

  40. Just remember . . . keep your eye on the catcher’s glove the whole time you’re winding up and throwing. It makes a huge difference in accuracy!
    And wherever that ball lands, there are a whole huge chunk of knitters who are going to love you all the more for it (despite those who will heckle you for the rest of your life).

  41. I’m trying to decide which I like the best, and it’s a hard choice, narrowed down to the amazing gold to pink skein, or the beautiful blueberry silk and wool, or the tweedy. All gorgeous.
    Sometime, I’d love to hear your method of picking rovings that will make beautiful yarn, because so many sellers on Etsy and elsewhere are selling the sizzle, not the steak, multicolor braids with every “bump” a different color.

  42. OK- I’m sorry, I still think in ounces….so you spun 57.98 (we’ll call it good at 58) ounces! Yikes! that’s over 3 1/2 pounds of yarn. WOW! Great job Steph- should keep you busy for a while….

  43. YAY YOU! Somehow I knew, even as you panted and groaned your way along, that you would overachieve your way to the goal. Good on ya, girl. (Me? I just bought a second wheel today. Like I have so-o-o-o much spinning time that one wheel isn’t enough to fill it all up.)

  44. I hope you are not surprised when those of us who have been reading this blog for awhile are not surprised that you surpassed your goal.

  45. Congrats!!! Remember, ANYTHING is better than that horrible pitch Mariah Carey did! You can do it!

  46. Congratulations for going above and beyond. That’s really beautiful yarn.
    Have fun at the stitch ‘n pitch. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

  47. Congrats on the spinning! Gorgeous stuff!! Wish I could go see you at Stitch & Pitch… Have fun!

  48. I shall be there at the game in spirit and wishing and hoping the ball sails merrily right into the catcher’s mitt. Most importantly I hope you have a wonderful time and lots of people get to see your kind face. That is seriously beautiful yarn, Missy!

  49. Go Harlot! Go Harlot! Go Harlot! Wooh! Wooh! Wooh!
    Awesome job. And such pretty pretty yarn! I’m telling ya, I gotta learn me to spin.
    Wish I could come up for the stitch n pitch. We don’t seem to have those here in The D. I know you’ll be awesome.

  50. Good Job with the spinning. I will be at the game tomorrow to cheer you on, can’t wait!

  51. I can’t be there in person, but am hoping that the Blue Jays will televise the pregame so that those of us below the 48th parallel can watch and cheer you on!
    And congrats on the “tour de fleece”!

  52. Well done! And good luck throwing out that first pitch. As a not-yet-spinner, I am endlessly interested in seeing a batch of fibre next to the finished, spun yarn. Thanks for showing us all your goodies.

  53. WooHoo!! Gorgeous fiber! Have fun Tuesday @ the game! Taking a sock? That should freak out the non-knitters!

  54. yeah Harlot!! Great job and what lovely outcomes. Just lovely. > I am still working to find my knitting mojo. I left it somewhere and been having a heck of a time finding it. Any suggestions? 🙂

  55. Here’s a thought: How about showing up at Stitch n’ Pitchers? Knit and drink beer. I know it’s a stretch, but think how much fun practicing will be!

  56. haha demoralizing oneself while simultaneously overachieving. You are fabulous. Wowzers that single ply sweet tweedy bit was just magic. And the red. And the blueberry – I really like seeing the fluffy balls and then the yarn. My soul just sings. I know the pitch it out – so I’ll wander the internet as perhaps you were Kinneared…or plain old filmed. Hope you enjoyed it lots!

  57. I want you to know it’s all your fault that last Thursday night I rooted around in the room I laughingly call my studio, brought out my vintage Louet S-10 and a tub of Fingerlakes Un-Spun, and proceeded to bliss out.
    All. Your. Fault.
    Thank you.

  58. Ply me to the moon
    let me spin among the stars
    we’ll find out what knits are like
    on Jupiter or Mars
    In other words…

  59. I had a very similar experience with a bike race once. They started the girls with the ‘B’ boys, and I was sure I saw all my competition leave me in the dust within the first five miles. I spent the entire race chasing.
    At one miserable point, I was all alone on a very long straight stretch. When I got to the end of it, I gathered my courage and peeked behind me, terrified that the sag wagon was discreetly following behind. Much to my relief, there was nobody. There was so much nobody I started to worry I wasn’t even on the course. But then I passed someone in charge of making sure I didn’t miss a turn.
    When I crossed the finish line, the winner of the boys’ ‘A’ race rode up beside me and asked how I was feeling. Unwilling to admit no loss had demoralized me quite so much, I said nothing more than, “I’m too exhausted to feel anything.”
    Well, you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when, a little while later, I was called up to accept a little plastic trophy for first place.
    Yep, I know exactly how you feel. Congratulations. Well done!

  60. Gorrrggeeoouuss! So how does a southern girl get on the list for some of that stuff!!!

  61. It is so beautiful! All of it. Makes me want to take up spinning… But not yet. I am almost there. I just enjoy knitting the wool too much to add a step before it! 🙂

  62. Your way is better than patting yourself on the back for underachieving…as plenty seem to do nowadays.
    Someone recently asked me to give credit for ‘effort’ and I said, “I don’t want the pilot of my plane to have ‘tried really hard’ when learning how to land. I want him to be able to land.”

  63. Well done!
    You’ve every right to be proud.
    I could never turn my relaxing hobby into any type of chore. Good cause, save my life or those I love – I just couldn’t do it.
    Can’t knit on demand, either. Gifts I can make, and I do it all the time

  64. Congrats on the gorgeous yarn and overachieving.
    Good luck tomorrow. I wish I could be there.

  65. Stephanie – simply stunning is all I have to say. I’ve followed your little adventure and have rooted for you the whole way. I’m a newbie spinner so I bow to you!! Congratulations – it is all so beautiful.

  66. Best of luck with the pitching thing. You know, don’t you, that all the knitters in the stands will cheer wildly no matter what you do? So don’t worry too much.

  67. You are made of Awesome! The pink and gold no-name is my favorite. I’m always on the lookout for yarn that color!

  68. A plea from those of us who cannot be there – a video please!
    And … Do not wear what Mariah Carey wore. Sneakers or flat shoes would be better. Trousers should be loose enough so that one can lift a leg to pitch. Topped by a hand-knit a sweater – to show people that knitting is what you do. (Maybe a blue one to match the Blue Jay’s uniform colour?)
    And my DH wants to know – why have you been bestowed the honour of a ceremonial pitch?
    His exact words: “The Blue Jays players are not knitters, and neither I think are most of their wives or girlfriends. How did the Yarn Harlot get the go-ahead?”

  69. How cool is that!
    (Why does this not surprise me?)
    Everything is beautiful. Of course, I’m partial to the blueberry patch. Yet the pinky goldy wool turned out amazing. I’d take that if I were on that special list.
    You’ll be fine tomorrow. Those who usually spin a third more than the goal will certainly put that ball right over the plate.

  70. Every inch of that stuff is gorgeous. Love it, love , love it.
    Get up tomorrow, take a hot shower, s-t-r-e-t-c-h.
    Remember throw with your whole arm, not just from the elbow … step forward with the opposite leg, while bringing the energy up from the ground with your throwing-side, point at where you want the ball to go with your glove hand, and let fly.
    And, pretend Mr. Squirrel is in the catcher’s mitt.
    Relax, you’ll be excellent.
    And YouTube will be slightly more full.

  71. There are two lines in this post that I can absolutely 100% relate to:
    “My real life kept interfering with my wished for life.”
    and
    “I actually managed to demoralize myself while overachieving.”

  72. I think that since you spun so much over the goal that you should get to keep the Jabberwocky.

  73. Stephanie, that is truly incredible! Congratulations! When I get a new drive-band for my Lendrum, I think I’ll set a goal of spinning anytime I watch All My Children….that should bust some stash, eh?

  74. I am just learning to spin (I’m really good at overspinning and not “giving the yarn to the wheel”) so I am in awe of your accomplishment. I am also drooling over the blueberry yarn. Autumn colors may be your cup of tea, but that blueberry is the stuff of my dreams!
    Well done, you!

  75. Congrats!
    Have fun at the game tomorrow, Stephanie! I do hope this winds up on youtube.

  76. You’ll do fine at Stitch & Pitch. BTW, the Milwaukee Stitch & Pitch is August 11th if you’re in the neighborhood….. 😉

  77. God, What a woman!!! I’ll be thinking about you this evening and wishing I were there. But, I’m down in NB, surrounded by water and trees and mosquitos and loving every minute of it!

  78. What an unbelievably, beautiful whack of wool!
    Congrats to you!
    From Eve in Carlisle

  79. Love, love, love your yarn. Beautiful color combos and textures. Can’t wait to see the mittens with the little sparkle. All that work probably gave your hands more strength and agility. You’ll do great throwing the ball!!!

  80. Your yarn is just beautiful.. I’m in awe of people who can take fluffy fiber and turn it into yarn. Amazing and magical.
    Good luck with the Stitch and Pitch tomorrow night. Have fun with it. It’ll be a great evening.

  81. Hahahaha! So much for the 1400g. Take that you fibre!
    (I spun a measly 250g or so grams, much less than I hoped and didn’t even blog what I did spin. Oh and 150g of that was fat singles. 😎
    Hope the pitching goes well.

  82. If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing !/? (delete as applicable)
    Well done! what fabulous yarns.

  83. If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing !/? (delete as applicable)
    Well done! what fabulous yarns.

  84. Wow! I know NOTHING about spinning and I may take some lessons at one of the local yarn shops (several spinners at Asheville, NC Homecrafts). You make such PRETTY stuff that it’s inspiring. So, here’s my ignorant/totally clueless question that may make experienced spinners laugh and roll their eyes: couldn’t you have weighed your roving beforehand to get an idea of how much to spin?
    Aubrin

  85. Stephanie, all i can say is You Rock!
    good for you. the spinning turned out beautifully and you will do great tonight however it turns out because you are our YARN HARLOT! Best wishes.

  86. I love it when you spin! Such gorgeousness!!! Please, please, please tell me that your “first pitch” will be on youtube later tonight!

  87. Your spun yarn looks just fabulous! You know that.
    But they are having you throw the first ball because you’re YOU, not because you’re a wonderful pitcher. And you do YOU just beautifully! Good luck and don’t stress.

  88. Wow, look at that pile of pretty. Congratulations on exceeding your goal. Hope your pitch goes over the plate – good luck!

  89. I’m a US high school math teacher and LOVE math, BUT, I still love your blog even though you besmirch certain numerical topics.
    Also, I was in Toronto last week (husband’s mom lives there), and as every time I go, I was wondering if I’d pass you by on the streets … you know, since it’s such a quaint little city.
    Maybe next time.

  90. Awesome spinning and congrats on reaching your goal!
    I have my son recording your throw since I’ll be away from the television tonight. Good luck and have a great time.

  91. There you go, making me want to spin again. Great job on Tour de Fleece. Hurray for underpromising and overdelivering. That’s totally the way to go.
    Have fun tomorrow! (And remember, even if it all goes awry and you end up hitting the mascot with your pitch, you’ll have a fantastic story to tell forever.)

  92. yes! victory is yours! and tonight, for the big game…. no worries! you will be surrounded by so much positive energy and good will from family, friends and fans that only good can come of it! i see a perfectly respectable pitch coming across that plate!
    i hope to be there…… where will you be for signing, greeting etc?

  93. Congratulations on the spinning, I am still refusing to be lured in! No spinning here. Just keep your eye on the catchers glove.

  94. Congrats Steph! Great job. They’re absolutely beautiful.
    Good luck at the Stich n’ Pitch! You can do it!

  95. oh, I just love those yarns, it’s hard to decide which is more beautiful than which! What an accomplishment!

  96. Congrats on meeting your spinning goal! All of what you have posted looks absolutely lovely and I’m rather jealous of the friends who will be on the receiving end of such loveliness 😉
    I’m sure the pitching tonight will be just fine. You are, after all, a knitter and not a pitcher so I’m sure nobody will be judging your pitching skills!
    I’ll be one of the ones in purple cheering you on. Apparently there will be quite a few of us there. 🙂

  97. Congratulations! They are all stunning yarns (though I have a weakness for both blue and sparkly).
    Now that you’ve stashbusted all of this fiber it is time to buy another fleece, right?

  98. Congratulations on surpassing your spinning goal. The resultant yarns are so beautiful and it’s been so exciting to see the transformation. As someone who does not spin I’m amazed at what you’ve done. Good luck with the pitching tonight – I can’t do that either!

  99. Please make sure somebody films the first pitch so you can post the clip!! I’d love to be there, but since I can’t be, I wanna see a video. Pretty please!
    Awesome spinning job. I haven’t recovered enough to figure up how much I did. But it was all fiber from the Fondle This club. Lovely, lovely fiber…

  100. This looks astounding. I’m renting a wheel at the moment with the intent to buy and oh good lord, I hope to make something even half as gorgeous.

  101. To quote a math professor friend of mine – “that’s not math, that’s arithmetic” – and I agree, I’d rather be knitting than figuring. I even bought the designated yarn recently for a magazine pattern, thinking gauge would be a cinch. It wasn’t, so I knit it anyways and will use it as a sort of over-vest, since it was too weird to do otherwise.
    You are, by any rational standard, already an overachiever in what you do, and you should embrace all that, right up to that first pitch.

  102. Lovely yarns. I envy those upon whom you’ll be dumping them! With this kind of sucess, I wouldn’t worry – your pitching will smash on, too.

  103. Great spinning! Best of luck throwing out the first pitch tonight..I wish I could be there, but a long drive, an international border and big lake are in the way. Just remember that ‘knock ’em dead’ does NOT mean hit the catcher. Oh..and they go to great legnths to make the ceremonial pitcher look good..I wouldn’t worry.

  104. Just Beautiful! And you not only met your goal but surpassed it. I really, really love the tweed, but then, I’m a sucker for green. You truely are an inspiration and I just love your Blog. Thank you for keeping it up all this time. I came across it by accident a couple months ago and have become a true fan of both this and your books ever since. The pictures and stories of ALL of your projects have pushed me to try new things and expand my comfort zone in knitting – I’m about to dive into the world of lace. Thanks again for all your effort and energy.

  105. Congrats! I was sold and complete at the first photo. This looks like a candy or ice cream store for knitters. The colors are so lovely and evenly arranged. There is this wonderfully strange combo between gorgeous harmonious colors and a rustic-type workshop in the background. So kudos on your photography, too!

  106. Wow! I can only dream of being able to spin as well and as prolifically as you, Yarn Harlot. Who cares if you can pitch?

  107. Your spinning is gorgeous! I’m so impressed at all you managed to get done. Best of luck with your pitching! Wish I could be there.

  108. You overachieved by 17% – that’s nearly a fifth more than you needed to spin! I hope you’re suitably pleased with yourself – at least enough to make up for feeling bad while spinning. I’m hoping that the cardigan I’m making will be worth the acres of stockinette on 2.75mm needles. I would like to finish it for a knitting even in a couple of weeks – it’s not looking so good… (I did its moss stitch button band at the weekend – the sweet sweet relief of a dash of variety!)

  109. Reminds me of my favorite old Garfield cartoon. You see Odie chasing something around the yard, ending up sitting on the branch in the tree. Garfield turns to us and says, “It’s amazing what you can do when you don’t know what you can’t do.” Congrats and celebrate. Good luck with the pitch!

  110. I am of two minds here. On the one hand I was really pleased to watcg you come to grips with missing your (absolutely crazy) goal of spinning so much in so short a time. You achieved that perfect Zen detachment and I approved of that (aren’t you glad?).
    But on the other hand…dang but if that isn’t a gorgeous pile of luscious yarn you achieved. Which naturally only encourages you to set more insane deadlines for yourself…

  111. I think I would like to be on your Christmas list!
    Good luck with the toss tonight.

  112. Beautiful yarn! Don’t worry so much about the wild pitches. That’s what professional catchers are paid to do-catch wild pitches. In any event, a 50% wild pitch rate may be better than most of the Red Sox bullpen at the moment.

  113. “I didn’t think I had it in me.”
    While we, on the other hand, had absolutely no doubt whatsoever. Not only did you overachieve weight-wise, each and every one of those is stupid gorgeous.

  114. Congrats! on the spinning and the beautiful yarns you created. Maybe if you promise the catcher a nice pair of mittens or socks, he’ll run and catch the ball wherever it goes?!?!? It might be worth a shot. Wish I could be there, it sounds like a lot of fun.

  115. Wow, very cool pile of loveliness! That thing you said really hit me: managing to demoralise yourself whilst simultaneously overachieving. I do that too, it really sucks arse. Any ideas on how to stop it? 🙂

  116. I demoralize myself while overachieving too… why is a question for the therapists I suppose. Don’t worry about the game so much… think of it this way. Most of those people probably won’t know who you are. (Hey… that didn’t sound as encouraging as I intended it to be, sorry. ) 🙂

  117. Congratulations on making your spinning target. I’m sure you’ll make your pitching target too. I might even watch a baseball game to see if I can see you and all the knitters…

  118. Jaw dropping beautiful. I looked at the blue yarn, and sucked all of the air out of the room. SO beautiful.

  119. Re: using Gold Dust Woman batts for sparkly mittens — I used another colorway of Josette’s sparkly batts (this one had black wool, with a little gold and purple, some red and orange sari silk, and gold angelina — lovely!) to make Brooklyn Tweed’s Grove Mittens. They came out exactly as I had hoped and I can’t tell you how many compliments I get whenever I wear them. Happy spinning and knitting!

  120. So happy you were able to overachieve your spinning goal! Let’s hope the same thing happens tonight when you pitch. I know you can do it! Either way, I know it will be a great story.

  121. Congrats on going over and making your goal!!!! I am so proud of you and the yarn is beautiful to boot!!! *Big hug* Congrats!!!

  122. Man you rock!
    Unfortunately it’s probably the demoralizing that enforces the overachieving…ask me how I know! Suggest you bask in the glory of the achievement and remember to look where you want the ball to go!

  123. Fancy yarns and so much of it too! Congrats!
    I’ve always looked at fiber (roving?) and have been curious. The colors never make sense to me, but seeing your befores and afters just make me oooh and aaaah. I totally get it now. Makes me want to try spinning.

  124. You are my heroine, and I aspire to achieve a fraction of your greatness. Your yarn is gorgeous! I so need to stash-bust.
    Good luck on the pitch!!

  125. Does the weight of the wool change much with spinning?
    Couldn’t you weigh the batts and roving beforehand and collect your 1400g or required amount of wool and then spin your way through the pile?
    That would eliminate the math, since you could look at the pile and see how much you have to do.

  126. Steph,
    You’ve already got a home run, so the pitch will just be icing on the cake!

  127. Beautiful. My husband just got to throw out the first pitch at a Saint Louis Cardinals game, so I have really enjoyed following your story – the bird was right – very cool.
    But really I just had to comment wondering what the postman thinks of your Fondle This box every month…

Comments are closed.