When Good Knitting Goes Bad...

I've been working on the Liesl top by Cocoknits. It's cute, it's a tunic style and something I'm sure I'll wear. I'm making it out of Allhemp from Hemp for Knitting, which is a 100% hemp sportsweight yarn, similar in feel to Euroflax linen, in an orangy color I like and it's a fiber that I'm really fond of, too. With all that love, this should be an easy project. But it's not going so well...

This is the second project using this yarn... actually the second project using this very ball of yarn. It started as a shapely tee that called exactly for this yarn. Still, it took me forever to get the right gauge. After I started on the second skein, I realized that I didn't like the feel of the fabric... wayyyyy too still and firm. So, after some confirmation with others, this top was frogged.

I had the Liesl in my queue with some linen in mind for it, and decided that I'd start it with the allhemp. Gauge is good, hand is good, or so I'm hoping if I can ever get past row 5! 3 times, I've miscounted my stitches in my cast on row or dropped a cast on stitch and had to start over. Now, on row 5, dear Finley decided he needed love and pushed my knitting, just enough for a stitch to come off the needle... I set it aside to love him and he sat on the piece. By the time he had wiggled little cat self off of it, the stitch was no more, run all the way to the cast on row again!!

So, this project needs a timeout! or I need a timeout from it.

Spinning, on the other hand, made me happy. I finished spinning up 4 ozs of superfine merino on my new-to-me Rick Reeves wheel. I had painted it in Easter colors and spun it nice and fine, just the way the wheel likes it. Then I navaho plied it on my new-to-me American Traveler, using the bulky flyer and bobbin. What a dream wheel!!

Here is the result: 408 yds, 3.95 oz. Soon to be the Heart-to-Heart Scarf, with beads and all.

Knitting may have gone bad, but the spinning is ohhh, so good!!

Off for some more spinning for me :)