Bobble Bobble or "From the Ahses"

Episode 35:

 

1. Production Scheduling

   1. Production

   2. What’s In my Tea Pot

   3. Shipping

   4. Materials Sourcing

   5. After 5

 

2. Production

   1. The Holden Shawlette by Mindy W ilkes being knitted from Wollmeise Twin in Nazar Boncugu ( merino super wash, semisolid) Electric Blue. Ignored for hats.

   2. Cup Cake Hat by Jane Mack What can I say I can't resist a funky hat. I'm knitting this out of stashed left over acrylic. I'm on the 2^nd row of Bobbles in the icing

 

3. What’s In My Tea Pot

 

1. Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea

i Don the wonder Intern found this one and was nice enough to gift me a box for Christmas.

ii. The Back of the Box:  While out Candy Cane Decaffeinated Green Tea may lack the traditional red and white stripes and candy cane shape associated with your traditional candy cane, that familiar minty taste is ever present.  We’ve taken some of our favorite holiday flavors like refreshing peppermint, creamy vanilla, and spicy cinnamon and mixed them with a naturally decaffeinated, rich green tea.

iii.Sooo yummy and just the ticket for when a winter cold settles into the sinuses. Plus and I know this has nothing to do with the tea… It has a festive Narwhal on the box! What is not to love about a Narwhal with ornaments on his horn! I give the tea high marks ad Don get’s big brownie points for getting me my own box.

 

4. Shipping

   1. Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater by Carol Barenys from Loops and Threads

   2. The Perfect Beret by Janelle Masters Knit from my Lake Effect handspun. Great no nonsense beret pattern to have on hand. I did knit the medium size and the opening grew a bit I may ,make the small size for myself next time.

 

5. Materials Sourcing

   1. I got the yen to do something with the fiber I have from Humphrey the camel. 

   2. When I bought the fiber I was told that the staple length was too short to spin on its own and that I’d have to blend it with something.

   3. Belleoftheball from #Spinchat recommended merino.  So after some thought I went to Etsy and bought some Merino locks.  The locks came pretty dirty and there are quite a few second cuts.  Not happy with them but I had been so Jazzed about taking this project to guild (and the drum carder!)  that I took it anyway.

   4. My research

i. Earlier in the week I did some trolling on the internet for advice on blending fibers and how to use a drum carder.  Ask the Bellwether sent me to … you guessed it YouTube!  (The Frugal fiber artists best friend) and once again to Rexenne.  (I’ve run into Rexenne’s videos before.  I used one when learned to Navajo Ply.)  Holy energy Batman!  She is really PUMPED about fiber in her videos!

ii. Rexenne had a 4 part series on You Tube on how to use the drum carder. How to make a bat, how to lend colors, and how to mix fibers.  (AHA!)

iii. Incredibly informative

5. When I got to Guild I had a good idea of how things were supposed to work.

6. My Process

i. First I ran through the merino Locks fluffing them out by hand so that they I could almost see through them. 

1. The merino was so fine that it was sticking to our hands and may have had a bit of static in it.

a. Things that I forgot

I A Pan / or bag to put the bats in

ii. My Hand card to use as a burnishing tool

iii. My sushi mat looking place mat to roll the bat off the drum (though we did fine without it)

2. We ran through enough locks to make 1 good size bat

3. I then Split the bat in halve and then quarters and ran one quarter onto the drum

4. Once I had the 1^st layer off merino on the drum I applied a layer of the camel directly to the large drum over top the merino.hb I used pretty much the same motion that I would use to load my hand cards.

5. After that the second quarter of merino went through the carder producing a big sandwich which we sectioned off and ran through a few more times to blend.

6. Then f course I decided there wasn’t enough camel and had to do most of the process over a few times.  The 1^st bat took FOREVER!  The second bat went much more quickly once we had the process down

7.      My only regret is that I only did about half my fiber and I have it all spun those 2 bats gave one of my small bobbins full.  I now either have to wait until the February meeting to use the drum carder on the rest or blend it with my cards at home. I may try to do some on the cards and see what the noticeable differences are in the single.  It might make an interesting juxtaposition between the two plies.

8.      Interesting thing I learned in this process…  My dad …who goes to guild meeting to eat…J  Likes to play with the drum carder.  Look out Hank’s in the Hood!  Bob on the Boulevard may be comin’ for ya!

6. After 5

   1. Cheese Crackers

i. I’ve been looking out for a recipe that was similar to the cheese crackers I ate at the guild Christmas party. I think I found one!

ii. http://busycooks.about.com/od/quickbreads/r/cheesecrack.htm

iii. I found one on about.com (there’s a link in the show notes)

iv. They take a whole stick of butter but the boys had them gone in one night and were asking about them the next day.  So double up the batch they are small. J

v.This is also a great use for left over grated cheese.  We usually have grated cheese in bags in the fridge for on top of Tacos, chili, and pizza… we love our cheese. So you can imagine my dismay that I didn’t have the 2 cups I needed for the recipe. So I went through the fridge and combined all of the cheesed I had.  Mostly cheddar, some fiesta taco blend, some mozzarella….  They turned out soooo good. Just like a cheez it with out the sonic orange coloring.  (And no Cheez food product!)

vi. I keep trying to make another batch of these but the butter has to be really softened to mix with the cheese.  I keep taking out the butter to soften and it either meets with an untimely demise… sat to close to the toaster oven and turned to goo or I forget about it which had been driving Joe a bit batty.  “Something weird is going on and I don’t think you’re doing it.”  “Oh really?  What’s that”  “I keep finding sticks of butter left out in the kitchen.”  Hahahahahah!  “Seriously that was me!  I’ve been trying to make cheese crackers all week and I keep forgetting or get distracted!”

2. Nifty gizmo

i.A while back I tried to buy a pompom maker for hat’s and such. I saw one on sale at hobby lobby and picked it up only to realize when I got it home that it made heart shaped pom poms instead of round ones. It’s been languishing in my project bin. I’ve been playing with it this week and have yet to get any more than a vaguely heart shaped mass of yard. It’s fun to play with but will take some mastery. May be a good use for some ratty acrylic I have around the house.

3. 3 videos up on the show notes for Humble Pie or … Episode 34 A few more to go. They are o frills but a few sections are interesting

4. Still haven’t heard from 2 of the winners from the Christmas memory contest. I’ll give it another week and then I’ll ear burn you on Ravelry just incase you’re behind on podcasts like I am.