Spindle Storage

I've been trying to do a bit of organizing lately, and found I needed a solution to deal with my slowly growing spindle collection. With the weather turning cold and the increasingly dry air, I didn't want the shafts on them to start to warp. I loved how Caroline, of the blog formerly known as Pink Tea, handled it with a towel bar but I couldn't figure out a place to hang something like that. So, I grabbed a pasta drying rack and rest the whorls where the pasta normally hangs. Now...no snickering from you "real" spindle collectors.
From left to right: Navajo spindle from Grafton Fibers, Hatchtown Kaari (Fishtail Oak on Hickory/Padauk), Golding Swan Lake, Kundert (Walnut/Cherry/ Maple), Mielke Emily (Maple/Padauk), Mielke Lizzy (Lacewood), Merike's olive wood starter spindle, Tabachek Compact Deluxe Santos Rosewood/Pecan.

My favorite little Golding Tsunami has too small of a diameter for the rack, so I popped it in this fun coffee cup I bought at Creative Fibers in Mpls last summer. It's swaddled in a wrist distaff so it doesn't lean over too much and warp.

And, I purchased several more Russian spindles from Galina at Stitches Midwest and have them resting in a vase.

Here's another shot of the coffee mug. It has sheep and spindles on it! The woman who makes them was vending at WI S&W this fall but I didn't pick up a card from her booth. I think she's a regular member of Kerry's spinning group, though, so maybe she can get you in contact with her if you need one.

Lastly, here's a shot of my latest finished socks. They're made from Lisa's Sock! in Elektra (the skinny version) and the pattern is Spey Valley from Knitting on the Road. The patterning near the top gets lost a bit in the variation of the yarn color, but it was interesting to work the braid variant Nancy Bush uses which is much easier than a regular Latvian braid--none of that twisting the yarn when working one rnd, and untwisting when working the next. I worked these socks toe up and also did an afterthought heel.

Check back again soon, because I'll be posting pics of some knitting and spinning stuff that I couldn't find room for and will be putting up for sale.