The tomatoes are coming...

Perhaps this photo is more dramatic from a different perspective:

The plum tomatoes are destined to be marinara sauce, the above haul representing the harvest over three days. There are more coming. Make it stop.

There are good things going on here, like Rogue. I am having a great time with this sweater. The cuffs are both done.

The purple at the bottom is a contrasting hem, which will be sewn down on the inside later.

There are bad things happening, too. You see, we're going to Oklahoma next weekend to visit my older stepson. This in itself is good. But I needed a simple knitting project for the trip. I decided (probably) on the Yarn Harlot's One-Row Scarf and wanted it to be done in something soft and something handspun. Which meant I needed to dye some fiber. (Any other suggestions? This is to go with a corduroy jean jacket in olive green. I don't want anything that requires a chart.)

I happened to have a couple of pounds of lu$ciou$ merino/bombyx top lying around (waiting for me to have the courage to dye it). So I soaked it for a day, then, last night dyed up four 4-ounce portions, one for me and 3 for the shop. The colors were FABULOUS, if I do say so.

This morning I rinsed the tops and spun them out in the washer.

Bad idea.

Mistake #1: I put them in a mesh bag, which I suspect actually causes more friction than leaving them unconfined because the fiber inside forms a ball that rubs against the inside of the bag.

Mistake #2: I believed that the spin cycle was safe. While front loaders supposedly don't felt things well, I have learned that they sometimes do. My Real Vermonter roving, for instance, I swing by hand in the back yard because the spin cycle felts it. Rather than spin out at one constant speed, it spins for awhile and then tosses the fiber back and forth to keep it from compressing. This smacks of "agitation." Bad.

Here's a very expensive pound of merino/silk roving after it's felted:

Fuzzy rope. Can you bear a closeup?

I didn't cry. But I did sigh a lot today.

No matter. I've got more. I had to write a column today and I wasn't in a humorous mood (see silk disaster, above). But tomorrow, I'll skein up more sock yarn and dye even more (yes, Blue Jeans, I know, you want more; I'll try). I'll also dye up more silk (three 5-ounce portions, one for me and two to sell). I need to have the silk done so I can spin it before next Friday.

I'm tired and my head hurts from silk sadness and writing all day. Milo couldn't care less. (He is now Milo the Mouser, having killed two mice in the kitchen last night. I knew his mean streak would have benefits.)

Comments

[Spinning Fishwife]

99% of domestic washing machines in the UK are front loaders and, as you've found, they felt things pretty well.
Poor silk. Can you not knit it up into ....something...on big needles?

[Spinning Fishwife]

PS. Milo gets cuter every day!

[Little Miss Curious]

Oh, I know what that could be used for. How about a wig for the leading role in the next Vermont production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat? Knitter, spinner, gardener, and now felted wig maker extraodinaire! Why limit yourself?

[Carrie]

Sorry, can't comment. Still trying to catch my breath after that terrible accident.

[--Deb]

Ouch! It's very PRETTY rope . . .

And, the tomatoes? Spelling out Help? See? This is why I don't garden.... (grin).

[stephanie]

Wow - actual real tomatoes! The ones you get in the grocery store are not real tomatoes in my opinion.

Oh no - the roving!!

Milo looks pleased with himself. :)

[Helen]

Gosh, that roving is heartbreaking. I think you did well not to cry. Perhaps you could sell it to a fibre artist of the more pretentious sort.

You really have to wonder about what sort of person gets upset about a photo of a cat pooping; haven't they ever changed a nappy, I mean diaper?

And please don't even think about stopping blogging just because of Ravelry. I haven't bothered to go on the waiting list because I expect I'll get on later anyway, and I look to blogs for something different. (Have you noticed, the spell checker in Blogger doesn't recognize 'blogs?') I'm really turned off by all this friending and so on; I'm thinking of starting an anti-social network but I suppose there's an inherent flaw in that.

I need to think of an excuse to buy some Blue Jeans when I haven't knitted the last skein I bought from you yet. Any ideas?

And Milo is getting better and better. I'm so glad he catches mice.

[Helen]

Me again, about scarves. I did a Mistake Rib scarf for a friend last winter and although it drove me a bit nuts because I kept thinking I'd got it wrong (I hadn't), it did look good. It's double-sided, shows off the yarn well, and would leave you with plenty of brain free for watching the game.

[trek]

Mousing makes a kitty tired.

Don't wish your tomatoes away: I'd just about kill for your harvest.

We will not speak of the felting incident.

[Carole]

Felting is great when it's supposed to happen but in this case it's truly tragic. Mason, who got a mole earlier this evening, says "way to go, Milo!"

[Marcia Cooke]

Ooo, sorry about that roving...could you braid it and make a rug? And the tomatoes? No sympathy....that's what my kitchen looked like two weeks ago! Fortunately, none of my neighbors has a garden apparently, and I've had no trouble getting rid of the overflow. We eat a lot of bruschetta. And, you can "sun dry" them in a low oven then store them in oil. Just saying.

[kim]

Oh, your poor roving! Maybe you can knit something on size 35 needles? I'm trying to brainstorm some ideas and all I'm coming up with is, "Xmas tree tinsel replacement," and basket.:(

[Jane]

Cutest cat photo - ever! The tomatoes look delicious. And sorry for your felting disaster, but I like the idea of using it as Christmas tree decoration. Maybe on a outside tree - the birds could pick off pieces for their nests.

[KateMet]

I'm sorry for your loss with the roving, but, what a beautiful rug that would be!!! I don't know if you have enough to KNIT one, but surely to coil one?? Best wishes on the nest try... Kittens of mousers are usually good mousers. Even if they never see mom hunt. They must have a language we don't recognize.

[KatyaR]

Oh, wow, that must have really hurt! Maybe you can make a little circular rug or mat out of it?

This is a good time to come to Oklahoma--the weather has started to cool down. It's ab-so-lutely deelightful right now!

Have a great trip, and welcome!

[Katy]

Hmmm...I'm wondering if I could cut that roving into smaller pieces and incorporate it into some felted art pieces. Let me know if you want to send any of it to a new home!

[Andrea (noricum)]

Way to go Milo!

That's so sad about the roving/rope! Hmmm... it might look kind of neat sewn on to the surface of something. How thick is the rope? The coil rug idea is pretty good too.

Our tomato crop has been pretty meager so far. We've had about one ripe tomato per day, and are now at the end. There are some very small green ones, but they haven't a chance of ripening before winter sets in. We had a really hot spell in the middle of summer that messed the tomatoes up.

[Kelli]

Oh, no! I read about this on Ravelry, but I had no idea it was you. I'm so sorry! It's terrible when you have high expectations for something and it doesn't turn out that way.

[janna]

I think rubbing a cute kitty's tummy might make you feel a little better! Or think of it as the world's most beautiful rope (but rub Milo's tummy anyway!).

[Cynthia]

Hey, where in Oklahoma are you going to be? I'm in Norman. Want to come knit?

My sympathy for your accident. Live & learn, I guess.

[Deborah Lawrence]

Just a thought; a spray bottle of water is a great way to teach a kitty where NOT to go... like kitchen counters and dinner tables.

[lisa]

I think the one row scarf is a good guy choice. The felted rope there...maybe you could make some sort of coiled pot or bowl out of it (like in pottery)...might be fun, sew on some embellishments. Milo's earning his keep-good for him! At least you have plums and are planning sauce...we just have a bunch of odd varieties of table tomatoes.

[lindy]

I want to reach out through cyber space
and
scritch the lovely, yummy white kitty tummy!

[Liz]

Milo looks very satisfied. Perhaps the roving could become a custom hand braided rug? It's to pretty to not do SOMETHING with it. Good Luck! P.S. I do all my felting in a HE frontloading washer and that thing felts faster and better than my top loader on a good day!

[June]

You didn't ask, but here's my advice: get thee a Spin-X:

http://www.spin-x.com/

[Bea]

Oh Jessie, I'm sorry, I think my bad luck is spreading :P Where in Oklahoma are you going to be? Those tomatoes look delicioso! Milo looks very satisfied :)

[vicki]

Oh, those tomatoes look yummy.... I'm getting not 1 or but 3 boxes from dad.. and he says they're ripening fast... I better get some recipies out!!

Rogue looks great!!

why don't you sew the roving into a rug?? you know how ppl made pot holders when we we're little with out yards of spool knitting... it would look great like that I think ;)

[Em]

Oh dear! That is indeed a sorry sight, but if it is truly and irreversibly felted, then I agree with some of your other commenters that a rope-rug would look quite stunning.

At least you have the tomatoes to console you (comfort food!), and a Rogue sweater that's coming along beautifully!

[margene]

Can you card the silk and mix it with wool as a way to save it? Spinderella cards silk and it's lovely to spin. Wish I could stop by and relieve you of a few tomatoes!

[Sonya]

When Milo sleeps, he really sleeps! Your tomatoes look so yummy. Our neighbors are letting theirs rot on the vine (!) so my husband has been mosying over after dark and helping himself to a few. Love the color of your Rogue.

[alotta.knittin]

So sorry to read about and see your fiber disaster....ah well....

Could I borrow Milo for a week or so? We have a mouse or mice here in my office and the building services folks can't seem to do anything about it...I can see that all we need is a good mouser!

[Carol]

Aw, what a darling little kitty Milo (is pretending to be);) Why not stitch up that roving into a cirle throw rug? Handles for felted bags? Draft stoppers?

[heather]

Your rope is beautiful! There is an artist in St Johnsbury who felts and makes beautiful things. Can you cut up the chain and use the pieces for jewelry or mobiles? Her business name is Under the Moon. I don't know if she has a website but it might give you some ideas! It would be a shame for it to go to waste!

[Sylvia]

Actually, I'm not sure that roving will hold up to the friction of being used as a rug. How about braiding it or just using it as is, and sewing it in a spiral to make a sit-upon for your desk chair? It should have a nice cush factor.

Or, will looking at it simply depress you?

[kate]

Hmmm...Milo seems to be settling in nicely.
I like the spiral rug idea - for your bare feet when you step out of bed in the am. Sorry about your roving accident. I've done that with yarn, but w/o problems but have always been afraid ti do it with roving. Although, I do do it with fleece. Hmmm...rambling again.

[yvette]

Milo looks so angelic when he is sleeping!!!
I feel your felting pain, my front-loader felts fine too, not always intentionally.
Just this morning I was discussing how we could make a wig out of roving for no2 sons pantomime costume, it would make a nice wig.

[Susan]

Oh god, it's almost too painful to look at!

In my latest yuppie/crunchy Fair Trade Whole Earth type catalog I saw the most BEAUTIFUL christmas garland made from felted balls that were then strung together with maybe a few beads between each - think that would be a good project for your daughter to try and do? Maybe scissor up the roving into even bits, felt them even more into little balls, and then when dry string them up? I can certainly send you the picture of the garland if you think your heart could stand it......

;>

[Michelle]

Hey good boy Milo! You earned your keep! Once you kill a mouse or two you've got a home fur-ever! : )

[Heide]

Maybe you can run the roving through the wash cycle again to make it really tight and then make a felted coil basket with the yarn ropes so that it isn't wasted. The colors are very lovely. Milo is adorable... and such an accomplished mouser for so tender an age.

[lisa]

Hi, What pretty rope! Sorry about that, it's going to get cold soon, how about a kitty basket? At least it would be pretty to look at and I'm sure Milo will love it. Love to lurk here, please don't stop.

[Beth]

I was totally thinking basket with your new rope. You could just sewi it together or use some silk thread to tie it in places. I think it would be beautiful.

[Teyani]

send those tomatoes out here girl - i didn't get any thing year (a very chilly summer here)
yikes - felted silk-merino... gasp... looks like you might be making a very gorgeous braided rug from that lovely felted fiber !
dear milo - he's so cute.

[JessaLu]

Your Rogue is looking great so far! Milo looks so comfy - and cute :o) Sorry about the roving :o(

[Eunice]

i was having a bad day spinning (entirely my fault-- there is such a thing as too much predrafting!) and then i read your post. owch. all that beautiful silk and merino.

maybe you can make a really nice felted shibori scarf/cape?

p.s. i love your tomato picture :) i'm having the same problem with peppers as well.

[Michelle]

I think you should make a Medusa wig with it.. attach pieces to a knitted beanie or something...
would look cool sticking out everywhere. : )
Go as crazy knitter/spinning lady.
Is your new coat an olivey green? The picture is dark. I ask because last fall I bought an olive green jacket and I've been thinking of kniiting a scarf to go with it. I don't know if I would've thought to try muted colors like that. But it looks nice that way. Cool idea. But I think I'm gonna go with a grape jelly color anyway. Something from my stash. : )