Violet Mittens: Mid-Month Check In

So it really snuck up on me that we are half way through February already.

Spinning

I am slowly working on spinning up Knit Picks Stroll roving (actually it is top, despite how it is labeled) that I dyed red and black. I am trying to spin a sock yarn and therefore am spinning fine and it is just taking awhile because most of my spinning time has been spent on the Flatiron.

I am still working my way through the blending board merino sweater spin project. I just filled up my 8th bobbin. I have 16 more little rolags to go, that is about another bobbin's worth of singles. I have been spinning at least 4 per day, so by the end of the week I should be on to plying.

Flax in handspun Jacob a.k.a. the Shave 'Em to Save 'Em Sweater Challenge project is in the homestretch. I have already knit the sleeves so now I am just working on the last few inches of the body. I have about 3 more inches of stockinette to go and then the ribbing and it will be ready to cast off. I want to cast off no later than February 17 mostly because the next KAL I am joining begins the next day.
Newleaf: This week I pickup up a sleeve and am working down the arm. When I am done with the Jacob Flax sweater this will become the top priority sweater. It is a lot of stockinette except for the cuffs of the sleeves were I will get to do colorwork then. I have an inch of so of the body done. I would like to finish the sleeves this month and then in March I can concentrate on finishing the body.
Festive Sweater: This is definitely on the back burner, but still has WIP and not UFO status. I knit a little on the body every now and then.

The only socks I have going at the moment are the purse socks. I know I've said I am in no hurry to get those complete, but I do want to move them along a little. I am planning on putting some concentrated effort into getting the heel done this week. Those parts require paying a little bit of attention so I need to get through it and then I can go back to mindlessly knitting the foot.
I do keep thinking about casting on another pair of socks but it hasn't happened yet. I might before the month is done

Harlow Worsted: I cast on for this yesterday and am now knitting my first brioche project! I made it a goal for 2022 to finally learn brioche, so here I am, working on that. I have about an inch of it done so far. I am getting the hang of it and enjoying it, but it isn't a fast knit for me.
Handspun Mini Rainbow Fade Garter Stitch Scarf: yep, that is what I am going to call it and it should be self-explanatory. I am trying to use up scraps and little bits and pieces, so this is just a project to do that. I have a lot of little samples and leftover bits and clearing some of them out by putting them together in a project is bringing me joy.

I have a scarf on the rigid heddle loom. The warp is tan and gold wool and the weft is a single ply aran weight yarn. Again, this is just playing around and using up stuff from my stash that I might otherwise just destash.

Last weekend I combed some more Corriedale nests, this is ongoing...
Then I had some fun with the drumcarder. I took some of the clean combing waste and made a couple batts blending that with some sari silk.
I also took out a bunch of small mill ends, colors I would probably never put together intentionally, and ran it through the drum carder several times and produced a few batts. It blended up into something that was interesting rather than hideous. It was completely play, but it turned out to be a good learning experience.
I ended up blending one of the random mill end batts with some of the Corriedale sari silk batts just to see what would happen. It was ok, but the results were less interesting than the two individual batts were.