(Strongbad reference, guys.)
Why was today so great? See for yourselves.
Meet Terpsichore (Ter-psycho-ree), named after the Muse of joyful dance. I love this thing so much. I don’t know if I ever mentioned, on here, the switch from getting a bow from my Great-Uncle to getting a bow and an electric violin from my Great-Uncle and my dad and step-mom, but here she is. It came with a case and a 10-watt amplifier, but of course I can play with headphones so I don’t bother the neighbors. The tone is great, and DANG is the thing gorgeous.
Also today:
Our heap of loot from Detta’s. We had an awesome time- Detta is incredibly nice, and has so much amazing wool and spindles and wheels and …well, pretty much anything a spinner could want. I bought the two bobbins, and these:
A little half-ounce sample of carbonized bamboo,
Nearly an ounce of bombyx silk caps, and
4 ounces of Superwash Merino wool/ Tussah silk (65/35 blend).
Janelle got:
4 ounces of tussah silk/linen 50/50 blend (eventually to be spun into a lace shawl or something for perhaps her wedding) and
An opossum/wool 25/75 blend, which I’m spinning up already to knit a hat and neckwarmer for her. (No, she doesn’t spin, she just likes soft things and knows if she buys it I will spin it.) (Eventually.)
Oh MAN this stuff is soft. I’ve never spun opossum in any form before, but this stuff is just amazing. It’s a little sticky to spin, but that just means it holds together wonderfully, and even spots that are a little overspun are buttery soft. I must have more of this! Luckily, it’s also very very light, so 4 ounces ends up being a huge amount. I may have enough for mittens as well. I’m doing a 2 ply worsted (hopefully!) so we’ll see when I’m done, I guess!
Oh, the second sock? Right… well, since my hand is still not totally back up to snuff, I’m moving along on it rather slowly. I got the toe done today.
Since I’ve decided Sundays, from now on, are for spinning, I’m hoping to get the foot done by Tuesday. My goal is to mail these off on Saturday or Sunday, but because I’d really like to get in a photoshoot with my sister’s husband (who has size 12 feet) for the pattern, I’m not sure when I’ll actually get to send them. I’m probably going to write a “thank you, I’m sending a proper thank-you in a bit” letter tomorrow just to make it clear that I’m not ignoring my uncle!
I played my new violin for a little bit today- maybe 10 minutes all told- and discovered something about being out of practice. If you don’t play violin for, say, a couple of years… and then you start again… you get noodle arm. My left arm is… not happy. At all.
I’m going to have to ease back into this violin thing.
