Is it a cozy yet?

Well, almost. The green and rose merino I spun is, at last, enough for a tea cozy. I've got about half of it done. It's a modified cashmere tea cozy from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

Also half done: the yarn I need for the rest of my Christmas knitting. I wanted to start the other half on Emma's tiny (50 g max) single bobbin right away but was waylayed by some mean, cruel alpaka. Really bad idea that. I'm pushing myself and Emma to our respective limits in order to spin at least fine fingering weight so the gorgeous, soft (if mean and cruel) alpaka will make a VLT scarf. Emma, she is not made to spin that skinny, and - quite frankly - neither am I. So it takes its sweet time, which might not be such an inspired idea 18 days before Christmas.

I've been looking to buy a companion for Emma. Yes, I know, I've had her for less than a month. I adore her and she'll always be my first love, but ... she has issues. A shake and rattle, for example, that even the most conscientious oiling won't take away. Even with the brake cut loose and the drive band practically flopping off her, she still has too much take. No, really, she pulls on the fiber something fierce. And then there is that lone, tiny bobbin. I've taken measurements and looked everywhere, but I can't find any bobbin that would fit her, mainly due to the fact that most replacement bobbins have a capacity of more than 50 g.
So, I've spent a lot of time on ebay. Shaking my head. Understand, I'm passionate about ebay, maybe because I'm one of the blessed few who made about a hundred purchases over the years but can count their bad experiences on one hand. But the spinning wheels on German ebay are mystifying. I've seen pictures of wheels so dusty you could not tell the colour of the wood, and one picture was taken in the garage with a paint can perched on the treadle. "Excellent condition", I think that description said. Then you have your "perfectly functional"s and "tested, spins beautifully"s. Those would be the wheels with the missing drive bands. I'm assuming that these thorough examinations were made with the drive band in place, but the seller removed it later for aesthetic reasons? When I asked one seller of a reasonably good-looking wheel about the ratio(s), she sent me the following answer: "The ratio is calculated using the diameter of the bobbin whorl and the diameter of the wheel." Well, no poop, Sherlock, but don't you think it would have been helpful to share those measurements?
One other thing. I like Louet wheels, really I do. They are way beyond my budget, even on ebay, but I like them just fine. But why on earth would you put one in your living room as "decoration"? Seriously. I can understand the decorative merits of a Minstrel or an Elizabeth, even Emma would look nice by the fireplace with her spoke wheel and all, but a Louet? They are advertised as "design classics", I'm aware of that, and I'm sure that a spinner would be proud to display her S10 for all the world to see, but buying one (new) for decoration? I don't get it.
Anyway, I'm bidding on a wheel that looks a bit like an S 75 (discontinued, I think). My current bid is half a skein of Koigu (hee) and my overall budget is about a skein of STR, so I'm hopeful.

Sigh. I'm going to have to wait two more days for my winter issue of Knits. Two more days until it's definitely lost and they'll send a replacement. Considering that it has been out for about a month and that I could have ordered it from a German online store for about that long (they charge an arm and a leg, but I could have), I think "sorry, some international subscriptions had a later shipment date this time" is a bit lame. Ah well, something to look forward to.
This year, my Christmas present from me to me is another subscription. Spin Off, of course. So don't tell me, it's a surprise.

No pictures today. I'm writing this at oh-dark-thirty in the morning, so there is not even crappy winter grey light for photos. I'll document the cozy when it's done.