A Week Off Work

I really need this, getting horribly stale and having it affect my RSI as well which is not helping.
Today was the first day and I spent part of it putting stuff away in my studio, getting my measurements sorted to warp up the loom on Tuesday and spinning which doesn't tend to affect the RSI if I'm sensible as it's a different action from hand sewing.

I've got a reasonable amount of spinning done in the Tour de Fleece; not as much as some, but 2 skeins completed and a bobbin spun for the next skein

Left is the Heavenly Wools Dragon's Breath in merino.  This is fractally spun in a 2-ply and will be a Drop Leaf Shawlette once I've got a couple of other items off the needles.  Approx 850m

 The second skein is a 3-ply in white and pastel blue and pink corriedale of unknown origin; the corriedale is an educated guess.   I got 447m for the first skein.

This is the first bobbin of the second skein; hoping I get a similar amount and I have no idea what I'm going to make with it at this point.

I've got some knitting done, past the heel turn of the second Scott Base sock which is for Dh; hoping to get that finished before the end of the month as part of a KAL hosted by Sarah Ronchetti (the designer) and also as part of the Ravelwealth Games.    Dh will be glad to get it too, it'll be another pair suitable to wear to work

I love this colourway now, it's the third attempt to find it a pattern it likes and this time it's been successful!

Next I need to finish the colourwork mitts from Vintage Purls' latest sock club, then a jersey that's been on the needles for a while before I can cast on the shawl and possibly a sock for me; Pirate Danger is calling my name and I've already wound the yarn for it.   My ball winder needed to be tested and videoed now that the drive band has been replaced; unfortunately it's not playing nice now so have sent a link to the video to the makers of the winder in the hopes they can diagnose the problem.   I've got a new one now, but would like to be able to sell the old one as a working concern.

I'm also really close to ordering my new sewing machine; 1st day of August I'll be paying for it and getting it sent down; it's on trial but going by reviews I'm expecting to love it!    If all works out I'll do a review myself.   I'm getting the Juki HZL-F600 Exceed down from Auckland.

Don't have a date for the new spinning wheel yet, once it arrives all going well I'll be selling my current one as I don't have space for both, and possibly the E-spinner as well.  I'll need the money from that to get a couple of things for my loom and some more accesssories for the sewing machine and the spinning wheel!      Unfortunately although I'd saved enough for the wheel and machine I don't have enough for the extra's till I sell those.

Tour de Fleece and Kitty Cats

I'm going to start off with the kitty cat mention.   A few weeks ago I finally decided to change our kitty's diet.   Star is overweight, both have dandruff and Ray always seemed to want to sleep.   I'd done some research and the fact that the kibble we had them on was partly made from grains which are not something any cat in the wild would eat, and the fact that the food has been cooked also concerned me as many of the good things in fresh meat are destroyed by cooking and it can make digestion harder for cats.    It took about 2 weeks for the girls to be prepared to eat fresh meat, but they now seem mostly ok with it and the only kibble in the house now is the emergency earthquake feed.
Things I've noticed as a result of this is that both girls have a lot more energy; they've been behaving like kittens again (my lounge suite is not impressed), this includes Ray who I now rarely find asleep on a bed somewhere.    Also both of them have much softer fur; the dandruff is still there at the moment, but I think there's less of it.
The only real problem is remembering to thaw food for them each day, can't nuke it to thaw it as that partially cooks it, but if you have cats you know patience is not their strong suit.

Ray kitty says "I like this new food"

My cotton yarn for weaving arrived today, so I can start thinking about warping up again, am thinking about waiting a little longer though as I'm doing another weaving course over the next few months so might warp up for that once the first class has been done later this month.    
I will have plenty to choose from now, Fran the lady who gave me the loom has now given me most of her yarn as she has shifted to tapestry weaving and no longer has any need for the fine weaving yarns she had taking up space.   I need to put some more shelves up and then I can go through what she's given me and see if it'll work for the project I want to do for my course.   I'm thinking curtains for the studio.

In spinning news I've been starting on the Tour de Fleece and have spun 100g of Merino from Heavenly Wools in the colourway Dragon's Breath.   This is being spun in the fractal method; I've done the stripped down bump already and am just starting on the bump I'm spinning from end to end.

It's even prettier in real life.

No knitting, the spinning and school holidays have taken over my knitting time; plus I've been helping Dh build stuff in the garage too.