This Post Is All About My Better Pal. And Okay, Maybe One or Two Other Things

My Better Pal is wicked awesome. She IS truly a better pal! When I got home from the lovely Rhinebeck weekend, as if that hadn't been enough happiness for one week month year, a fancy striped yellow box was awaiting me.  Inside, it had: Additions to my vintage utensil collection and four balls of super-scrumptious Aurora 8.  I just LOVE it. I told my Better Pal I would show her what's already on my kitchen pegs, so she could get an idea of how on the money she was, so here is a little photo just for her. Does that not give you a kick?! Sweet. Now I'm deciding on what to use the Aurora 8. And believe me, I'll think of something - but quick! I've been DYING to try that stuff.

Thank you, Better Pal, THANK YOU! Once again, you are a gift-giver extraordinaire.

Now, blog, WHO'S YOUR MAMA?!  Huh?  Who's.your. momma!?

Exhibit A:

The first Vineyard Sock for Soctoberfest, she is done.

(pattern: Ann Norling Adult Socks II, for worsted-weight yarn - [the pattern is printed for three different weights of yarn]. Size 7 US dpns. Viney stranded pattern from a mitten in Magnificent Mittens.) The colors aren't really true there. The green is the most magnificent olive, and the purple is more deep plummy-aubergine and less magenta than appears in the photo. Really fantastic. And so warm, I can't wait to start the other one. I cast on for this Sunday night after arriving home from Rhinebeck, finished it prior to 3:30 yesterday afternoon.

I know, I know. You might need a lie-down now. Okay. Go do it, because after you see Exhibit B, you might just faint dead away.

Are you ready?

Ready?

Exhibit B:

Jen, how's the Portland lookin'?  Eh?

I have no idea what came over me. But I started spinning that incredible red Portland wool that I got at Spirit Trail at Rhinebeck this weekend on my larger Golding spindle, and oh, it was GOOOOOOOOOD....... That Golding just spins and spins and spins. I wish I was 7 feet tall and could stand over a bannister, that's how long it spins. And it was coming out so welllllllll, but I said to myself, this is going to take a LONNNNG time to make enough for mittens. Here, let me give this wheel a try. That was at 3:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. I got an email from Laurie. I wrote her right back and said, "Are you still online? I want to show you something. A little preview, if you will." She was. I sent a picture of my spool as it then existed to her. I won't reprint the exclamation she wrote back. You know. I wouldn't want to shatter her squeaky-clean image and divulge that she has a mouth something like mine or anything. But at 5:30, I had completely filled the bobbin. I've used up most of the three ounces I bought.

Now I have a leetle plying anxiety going on. And I want to order MORE MORE MORE. I hope Jen has not sold out of that stuff. Damn, that's good shit. 

And then, it wasn't yet bedtime.  And the lovely seafoam green Island Raised Romney that Cate brought me when she visited was looking so lonely over there on the daybed.

Exhibit C

Now I really do need a lie-down. Identity crisis going on here. It's more than I can take. Plus, my leg.....I can't stop my leg!

Oh, wait! Before I go, looky at one of the cool buttons Sandy has for her Warm Hands-Along. Go join and make some mittens. You know you wanna.

Comments

[Aarlene]

What a hoot! Can you switch legs? I can just see you doing your depo thing and everybody looking around wondering what that noise is: your leg bopping up and down on it's own.
great vineyard sock. I'm thinking of warm socks--it's supposed to get down to FORTY-SEVEN degrees Farenheit on Saturday. Is it the ICE AGE??
I'd like to ask everyone to use whatever powers (thoughts, prayers, herbs or crystals ) they have to keep Wilma the fuck away from the Gulf Coast. Send it to Atlantis. Or anywhere where there are no people, animals, buildings or plants.

[Isela]

Oh Norma...those are gorgeous colors. Give that leg a bit of a rest, sit down and knit a pair of mitts now :). I love the pattern of the sock too. Such beauties you are making.

[Helen]

You are driven! But Rhinebeck does that to a person. :) I love that sock! Just beautiful!

It was wonderful meeting you on Saturday. Thank you so much for stopping by.

[Laurie]

Yeah, you would have said what I said too if you had gotten a picture of what you least expect from spin-resistant Norma. Beautiful wheel work...is the Golding spindle jealous now?

GREAT sock, and just in time for winter. I need to get cracking.

[Cassie]

I do believe there's a DT kit that you can add to your Ashford (someone correct me if I'm wrong)..... but you might want to wait until you have two socks for that.

Seriously? The sock looks great, and very creative but the spinning? I always knew you could do it, I just can't believe you waited this long. I can see that the festival exerted its influence. Yay Norms!

[Kathleen]

Fab pal stuff and awesome spinning Norma! Socks look great too!

[JoVE]

I spun quite a lot on the spindle yesterday, too. Completely distracted me from going and buying curtain fabric. That stuff looks really nice. And I love that red (though I don't suppose the colour is right on this monitor). Don't you just love worsted weight socks? They go so fast.

[margene]

Golding Spindle!? I knew that was the secret to success. Rhinebeck is magic...I can tell.

[Rachel H]

Wow, look at you go! I love your sock - great design, great colours! Amazing the sort of transformation a couple of fibre festivals can effect on a spin and sock resistant person. *wink* MUST get me to one o' them next year...

[Cara]

DAMN! I want a wheel NOW.

Good work Norma. Good work. Hope you find your Momma soon. ;-)

[Teresa C]

Yeah, what Cara said.

[anj]

resistance is futile! you are now one of us! HAHAHAHAHA!!

I wanted to buy that portland too, but I restrained myself and bought the jacob instead. Norma, I knew you could do it.

BTW you could use both feet to treadle or switch off.

[Vicki]

It's kinda freaky, Norma. Extremely cool and very pretty, but you're freakin' me out a little.

[Kathy]

Awesome handspun! I have those same vintage utensils in my kitchen -- all around the top of the cabinets. And only red.

[Beth S.]

1. You have gorgeous new Karabella yarn.
2. You joined a mitten-along.
3. Therefore you should make fabulous Karabella mittens.

Q.E.D.

[Lee Ann]

See, now, Laurie was all freaked out that maybe you'd been replaced by an alien disguised as Norma, but me, I'm with Cassie. It was only a matter of time plus practise with something that works and gives you confidence. Et voilà, you have created gorgeous singles, like we knew you could...YOUPIIIII, NORMAAAAAAAAA....

Or, in my language, that's some wicked good spinnin', there, lady...

And damn, that Golding is beautiful. I should have bought one in Vermont. That exact design is the one I was coveting. The Bosworth works really well, though.

[Nathania]

Damn, girl! You go!

[rock chick]

I will feel so vindicated if just one -- just one, mind you -- other person gets the Robert Klein reference in Norma's post. Whether she intended it or not. ;-)

[mamacate]

DING DING DING DING DING! We have another one! Norma is officially over the edge, with no hope of redemption. It's a long, deep slide, but you have a whole winter ahead of you.

Oil up that wheel, the ST shouldn't be giving you problems. And I do believe you'll need to get an antique Quebequoise wheel for your family room. Decor issue, really. To go with your winder. So keep practicing; you'll need to be able to spin fast. ;) Not that it's going to take you long. The initial learning curve is steep, but from here on out it's all joy.

[Risa]

What a cool pal you have! The sock is lovely. I have that Norling pattern, love it, my first sock knitting came from there.

Beautiful spinning and oh yes, the Golding is the secret to truly loving the spindle. The wheel is where its at though. Nice job and welcome to the afflicted club :)

[Sharlene]

Ooh ooh ooh, I've been wanting to try the Aurora too. I've been looking for a suitable pattern. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

[Libby]

Jealous, right here....my grandmother had a wheel, and when she passed away I had not yet started knitting, so when I finally did and remembered that teensy important fact, my grandfather had THROWN IT AWAY.

I forgave him...but I'm still sore.

[Carole]

Can I welcome you to the club? Even if I've only been in the club for 2 weeks myself? I don't know what the world is coming to. You're knitting socks. You're spinning. Rockin' my world a bit here.

[Erin]

I'm surprised you don't have spinner's limp with all that spinning! I know just how you feel though. I started spinning last year after Rhinebeck. Rhinebeck is such a dangerous place!

[Amie]

Seriously, doesn't Jen's stuff just make you want to take off all your clothes and roll in it? Tell me that's not just me.

And re the Golding spindle. I'm not really sure they should be legal. They're just unfair. But I've heard urban/spinning legend tell of a woman who sat on top of her refridgerator to spindle.

I'm just saying.

[KKay]

Whoa, Nellie! Take it easy girl. xox Kay

[Cathy]

Now you can virtually spin with Judy and I!!

[sandy]

Phew! See? THIS is the problem with taking a day or two off from reading the blogs. So much to say, so little time.
But.
You are a spinning QUEEN! I love all of it! Including the sandy yarn up above. I believe that the plying issue will work out. Or not. Doesn't matter. Terri entered my picture in a contest, it won, you are spinning the yarn and it has the most incredible incredible best karma of my life. See? It's good.
:)
xoxo
I'm sure there's more, but who can remember??

[Trish]

Love your blog, Norma. I am making the Must Have Cardigan with Aurora 8 - YOU WILL LOVE THAT STUFF!! Have fun!

[better pal]

a matching piece?!! i had no idea, that is too weird! glad you love everything...
~Better Pal