biscornu

I had grand plans last year to hand make a bunch of Christmas presents, and like most other years it just didn't happen. So I'm trying to get a jump on it this year, focusing on a craft that will also help develop my needlework skills. 

Why biscornu? I have no idea. They just sort of popped up in my Pinterest feed and I was enamored, though I can honestly say after having stitched the top of one I'm not sure if I want to cross stitch twelve of them. I have a yard of white linen and no idea what I'm doing trying to cross stitch on it.

This one is small, about 3" square when I started, and I'm looking at it now wondering if it wouldn't make a great pattern weight if I put some washers in it as well. 

 

I did end up purchasing some crushed walnut shells and lavender buds to fill it with. 

Leclerc Saxony Wheel

I came home from work yesterday to this cryptic text that wasn't on my phone by my mother's - would I like a spinning wheel?

YES.

It took a little investigating to figure out whom the text was from, and it turns out this same person had already gifted me with a demonstration kit consisting of a drop spindle, carding combs, and small amounts of wool fleece in various stages from raw to ready to spin. Saturday morning I ran over to her place and picked up the wheel, eager to play with my new toy. In the before times, I probably would have left immediately for the yarn shop, but with the social distancing and occupancy regulations, I had to call the shop first and make an appointment. 

My dad really hasn't left the house since this whole quarantine thing started, but he had reached his limit for sitting around the house so we went on a mini adventure - he stayed in the car while I bought fleece to spin, and I stayed in the car while he bought and traded some coins at the coin shop, and we both sat in the car and ate fast food in the restaurant parking lot because COVID (these are some seriously strange times we're living in; I'm sure anyone who has lived through something historically significant was also shaking their head, to say the least). 

I should have bought more fleece to spin, but I didn't think I was going to be this taken with it. If you don't know anything about spinning, the wool fiber has a bunch of different names depending on what shape and state it's in; I'm going to refer to this a roving. It had to be drafted, or pulled apart out of the hank, before it could be spun.

Nothing comes out perfect on the first go - I need more practice to get a consistent twist in the fiber as well as yarn size. 

Smee is entranced by the wheel. He won't leave it alone when I've got it out. 

Update: Some finished product! On the left is a double ply (1 single ply plus 1 single ply = 2 ply) of the first bits of spun roving and a hank of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Brown Patina (apparently it's wool and mohair, I had no idea until I looked at the label for the color name). On the left is a chain ply, which creates a 3 ply yarn. If you're not already confused, plying this together on the wheel looks a bit like a combination of spinning and crochet.