Planned Purlhood

For The Hencircle!

I’m Adrienne from Pendleton, Oregon (that’s the DRY side of the state), born, raised, and working in this county my entire life. I’m half of a non-breeding pair bond, bring home the bacon, and generally rule the roost. I share my home with 6 parrots, 2 fish, and 1 adult human male aka “Johnny”.

A committed polycraftual, I’ve been known to spin, dye, knit, crochet, nalbind, weave, tat, embroider, sew (modern clothing, historical clothing, home dec, and a few things in between), bead, noodle around in calligraphy & illumination, watercolor and pencil drawing and the like. I’m sure I’m missing something in that laundry list.

I’m also a coffee snob, foodie, and raving Marxist on occasion (rarely in public, thankfully).

I work nights as a Hazard Analyst/Community Liaison Officer for county emergency management on a US Army installation.  I get in a lot of knitting time there, and am always obsessing about my big feet, sock yarn yardage and the sheer lack of cute shoes in size 13W.

I dream of having a small acreage on or near the Oregon Coast with a few sheep, some milk goats, and a flock of chickens.  As a girl I spent a bit of time, at my babysitter’s on the outskirts of town, chasing chickens and gathering their eggs.  I still go barefoot whenever possible.

We lost a brilliant comedian, may he rest in eternal piece - and give the Gods some needed comic relief.

Note:  If you’ve never heard of George Carlin, first please crawl out from under your rock, then be aware that the following videos contain profanity.

The addition of a lightly-used Babe Electric Spinner (NW Flyer type) has enabled me to spin for hours on end and not be limping for days.  Some may think it’s cheating, but I like being able to walk. :)  Plus, this goes faster than I could ever treadle, so it widens the range of yarns I can create!  Oh, and plying?  A complete godsend.

Ok, first up - Spunky Club Fibers!

April 2008.  Wensleydale, “Perfect Storm”.  Singles, fingering weight (mostly), 284 yards, 3 oz.  I have another 4 oz that will join this at the same grist.

May 2008.  Corriedale singles, “Rosebud”.  Worsted weight.  155 yards.  3.9 oz.

Spunky’s “Time of the Month:  Chocolate, Rage and Tears”  (Brown, Red, and Blue).  Romney 2-ply.  Sport weight. 227 yards, 3.1 oz.

I spent an evening combing up some Rambouillet x Finn fleece - it had originally been dyed with Kool Aid during a  "Dyer’s Blonde Moment".  We all have them, but fortunately overdyeing does marvels.

This is an example of what the overdyed locks look like from the "russet over mango".

Combed up, it turns into this!

The rest:

Brown over cherry

Black & Vermilion over Mango

Over the weekend, I knat a hat from some handspun Romney.  I do believe that once I get through all of my commercial knitting yarn, I doubt I’ll be buying more of it.  I’m totally sold on knitting with my own yarn.  I’m getting to be a "good enough" spinner that I can produce a small project’s amount of consistent yardage that I can make something worth selling or wearing in public.  Or, at least, posting pictures of on the intarwebs.

This is about 75 grams of Romney roving purchased from Fleecemaker’s Fibers on Etsy.  I kettle dyed it with vermillion and purple Jacquard dyes, then spun it up to a 2-ply worsted/aran weight yarn.  I don’t know how many yards I got, but it was plenty for this hat and a couple Weave-It squares.

The hat is a very basic affair; similar patterns online include Ellen’s Knit Hat and Mielke’s Basic Hat Formula .

It seems I can spin plant floof, too.

• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 cup all purpose, unbleached wheat flour
• 0.5 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon double acting baking powder (use Rumsfeld or one that doesn’t contain aluminum)
• 12 oz whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 0.5 c unsalted butter
• .75 teaspoon salt

Preheat 10" cast iron skillet in the oven to 350F.  Mean while, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Once the oven reaches temperature, drop the stick of butter into the skillet while it’s in the oven, close the oven door, and while it melts (work quickly as it’s best to get the stuff mixed and into the oven as soon as the wet hits dry and the butter is melted) whisk together the milk, egg, and sugar in a separate bowl then add to the dry.  Fold just until combined.  Just after the butter stops frothing, quickly pour the batter into the skillet and shut the oven for half an hour, or until the bread is GBD (30-35 minutes).

I am not a member of the SCA. I have not been involved in any SCA related activities, sanctioned or not, since May 2007. I am not interested in the slightest with ANYTHING related to said organization.

Those who wish to have me "back" can sod off and mind their own business.

The mailman brought me something special today.

Some bunny mentioned off hand last week that she was sending me "something".  She didn’t elaborate, and I promptly forgot about it.

She sent me an autographed copy of "The Things I Learned from Knitting…"!

Squeee!

Thank you Mistress Rabbitch , thou art too kind.

Pattern: Cabletini by Wendy Knits

Yarn: Knit Picks Risata, “Ash”

Mods: 7.5 sts per inch, 3″ cuff, i-cord bind off