Monday, March 22, 2010

Ravelry killed the knitting blog

It's a cliche, I know, but in the case of this blog, it might actually be true. It's been quite a while since I posted, and I have a laundry list of excuses: mandatory overtime, snowstorms, power outages, social obligations, etc. The truth of the matter, though, is that I simply haven't felt like updating the blog. Apparently my inner slacker is coming through.

That's not to say I'm ready to abandon the blog, because I am not. However, I've decided to stop feeling guilty about not posting regularly. Sincere thanks to everyone who has continued to stop by and check things out despite my neglect of this space.

Where to begin? It seems appropriate to introduce the newest addition to our household:

hansen minispinner

It's my new HansenCrafts miniSpinner! For almost a year I've been on the market for a spinner that's more portable than my Lendrum. I had also been daydreaming about having an electric spinner, especially for plying (you 900+ yard skeins of laceweight, I'm looking at you). When I saw this little machine, I knew it would fit both requirements.

This really is a sweet piece of kit. It may be a miniSpinner, but those bobbins are enormous. The website claims they'll hold 8-10 ounces of fiber, and I don't doubt it for a minute. I just put 6 oz. on it, and it barely looked half full. And not only does it have great bobbin capacity, but it's also fast, quiet, and cute as a button.

I can't say enough about Kevin Hansen's customer service. When my miniSpinner arrived, it clearly had been damaged during shipping, and it was therefore unusable. Later it became apparent that I had a wonky power supply too. Kevin not only responded to my concerns almost immediately, but he also gave me lots of options about how to make things right. He fully stands behind his product, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this e-spinner to anyone.

Here's the new baby next to its older sibling.

spinning herd
All new babies require additional equipment. In this case it was a Zuca bag and a battery pack. Now my spinning addiction is as portable as I ever hoped it would be. (Please don't try to convince me to take up spindling. I know they're the most portable way to spin, but so far they just aren't for me.)
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11 comments:

  1. Aisling3/22/10, 8:57 PM

    That is adorable !!! Do we get to see it in person at knit nights?

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  2. Angeluna3/22/10, 10:07 PM

    I've already met your new addition and was quite impressed. Do your spinning implements have names?

    BTW, I totally agree that Ravelry killed my blog.

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  3. LittleBerry3/23/10, 7:53 AM

    Hi

    I quite agree with you.. Ravelry has killed blogging and it was nice to hear how you feel about it and blogging and it's exactly how I feel too - thanks for making me feel like it wasn't just me!

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  4. knottygnome3/23/10, 9:18 AM

    very cool! i'm going to have to check that e-spinner out.

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  5. Donna3/23/10, 1:21 PM

    I've been eyeing the Hansen myself - I agree it would be perfect to ply with. Thanks for the positive feedback!

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  6. Anonymous3/23/10, 3:07 PM

    Ravelry killed my blog too!! ;-)

    I am sooooo jealous of your miniSpinner. Congrats!! Did your Lendrum WW bobbins fit it or did you have to get new WW bobbins? I'm adding this item to my Christmas wish list!

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  7. Ann3/23/10, 6:44 PM

    I totally understand how you feel about blogging as I feel the same. I have also come to the same decision - to blog when I can & not feel guilty about it.

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  8. peaknits3/23/10, 6:46 PM

    I feel like my blog is also dying a slow raveled-death:) That spinning is sweet - I can't wait to see what comes off of it!

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  9. Dave3/24/10, 8:54 PM

    Also in the RKMB camp. :-(

    I can't quite tell, mostly because I don't know what I'm looking for, if you got a Woolee Winder for it? That's what's tempting me.

    How did you know I was going to mention the "S" word? ;-)

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  10. Oiyi4/11/10, 12:08 AM

    How does an electric spinner work? Does your hands have to keep up with the speed? Is it just on and off? I am intrigued!

    Okay, that bag is just awesome! Never seen it before, but now I covet it. What for, I don't know. :-)

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  11. Yarny Days8/24/11, 7:56 AM

    I agree that blogging has been killed by Rav. Kinda sad, right? I try to blog at least once a month...well. I should be doing it more often. Great spinner, by the way! I am so intrigued.

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