It’s only Wednesday, and it’s already been a tumultuous week so far. Unemployment’s not an easy job, and I’m still amazed at how much stuff there is to do every day. But things are looking up, and I’ve got a wonderful supporting cast of family and friends in my life, so I’m expecting the clouds to part and the sun to come out any day now. Meanwhile, my car’s in the shop, and I’m looking at anywhere between $1000-1400 in repairs, but hopefully I’ll have it back in good shape on Friday (or Monday at the latest, unless something drastically bad happens), so at least that’s one worry I can mark off the list. Of course, the timing belt may have to be replaced in the next few months, and that’s not a cheap fix, either. I’m beginning to fear that Lucy’s days may be reaching their end, and it both saddens and terrifies me to think about buying a new car.

But, between searching, applying, and interviewing for jobs, worrying about car repairs, and working on mom’s website, I’ve been knitting and spinning. I was finally able to get the AC fixed (it turns out the breaker outside had been tripped, and it was simply a matter of switching it back on), and it’s now a nice normal temperature inside, which lets me work far more efficiently. I did notice, however, that once it had become cooler and dryer inside, my spinning wheel all of a sudden became a lot more difficult to use. Mom suggested a few tweaks I could make, and I suspect that that drastic temperature and humidity change (it went from about 92° to 72° inside in about 2 hours) caused some of the parts to shift around just a little bit. It probably needs a good oiling, but as I lack both DW-40 and a car, it won’t get that til this weekend. On the plus side, it gave my right leg a good workout, pumping away to finish up my most recent skein!

So what was I spinning? Another 2-ply combination of the Louet wool top in the Grape Jelly colorway and the natural Romney wool. This time, however, I spun and plied it much more tightly. All three of these skeins in the photo below are from the Louet wool top - two are plied along with the Romney, and one is a 2-ply of just the Louet.

Three different 2-ply yarns, all spun from Louet wool top in colorway Grape Jelly, two plied with natural Romney wool

It’s amazing to me how different they look, even the two that are plied with the Romney. The first one I did was more loosely spun and is a DK weight; the second one that I finished the other night is far more tightly spun, and is a fingering weight. I haven’t washed that one yet to set the twist, so it’s still pretty stiff and trying to twist back up on itself something awful. But I’ll get around to that one of these days…

A closer look at my newest handspun, a tightly-spun 2-ply fingering weight from Louet wool top in colorway Grape Jelly and undyed Romney wool

I also started my V-Neck Cardigan from Louisa Harding’s Modern Classics last night. I’m using Garnstudio Silke Tweed in colorway 02 on size 3 needles. (I love my Addi Natura needles! They’re definitely my favorite bamboo circs.)

V-Neck Cardigan WIP from Modern Classics by Louisa Harding, in Garnstudio Silke Tweed

The Silke Tweed is actually a little rough on my hands. In its current state, it’s not particularly soft or stretchy, and it feels almost a bit like linen. I know from experience that it’ll soften up later, but I have to give my hands quite a few breaks when I’m working on this sweater - they tire out and cramp up so quickly. This is precisely why I don’t choose to work with cotton very frequently. However, this’ll be worth it, because, well… it’s silk and wool! And it really is very nice yarn, so I’m forgiving.

Closeups of my V-Neck Cardigan WIP

As I said in an earlier post, I haven’t been watching nearly as much TV these last few weeks as I had been in the past, instead opting to listen to audio books or music while I knit or spin. However, I still give in every now and again and watch something, be it the news or even some god-awful reality or game show (forgive me). I can’t help it. It’s probably indicative of how bad the shows are that what I’m about to share with you are two of my favorite ads that are currently running. Not shows - ads.

The first is a BP ad. I have to admit, I love BP. If there’s one nearby when I find I need gas, I will always stop at a BP. My reasons for it are silly though: I love the green and yellow logo. I also love their new ad campaign. This one in particular is just really adorable.

The second ad is one for Hallmark, for their new line of music cards, this one specifically aimed at Father’s Day. It’s not a cute ad, per se. In fact, it’s almost a little scary. But it is definitely an attention-grabber, and it’s a little spooky how well it was done. That, and it makes me feel terribly old.

So, that’s all for now. I’m hoping that next time I post, I’ll be able to start off by saying “Yay! I’m no longer unemployed!” So, keep your fingers crossed for me!