I Said There Was Knitting

I ran out of room and time in my last post before I could share my knitting.

I have almost finished the second square of Fr. Stanly's throw.  The heat and humidity has slowed that down some.  Once I have the first two sides of the circles squared to much of it hangs in my lap.  Hopefully cool weather will be here to stay soon and I can whip it out.

While on my road trip, I uploaded a picture of some of the knitting that had taken place as of the morning of our second day.  I have continued to work on that, at least part time.  You know me, I always have more than one project in the works.  But this is a picture of the Blue Easy Shaped Shawl as of this afternoon.

I was on the Royal Blue when we started the trip.  The color is starting to transition over to light blue again. Every other row the rows are one stictch longer, so it is going slowly now.  But it is an easy knit, just like the pattern said.  I even bought another skein of this "Shawl In A Ball" for another one.

Someday.

I had started the first sock of this pair last week.  And now I am two rows from binding off the second sock.

My first sock with Fixation, a cotton and elastic yarn, and first time using a short row heel.  I had to use the extra contrast yarn on each side of the heel to stitch up the gaps after this picture was taken.  It looks and fits fine now.  As soon as I am done here, I will finish number two.

And as though I didn't have enough projects on hand, a friend gave me this at Knit Nite.

She had kept her size 4 needles, so I transferred it to a new needle and after a few rows, tinked back and tried again with a size two needle.  Much better.  Gauge does matter you know.  

I just need to finish the hood and then the front bands.  I also got a zipper today, so I may install instead of buttons.

I guess I have some knitting ahead of me.  As usual.

Brief Catch Up

Wow, it's been since April when I last posted!  Well, on this blog anyway.  I did share on my Continous Journey blog.  Once.  But while I have missed blogging, I also have enjoyed the break from it.  It is funny, because I find myself still taking pictures for blogging.  I just don't blog.

.

I recently finished knitting a turban for wrapping up my wet hair.

Large cat included for scale.  Well, that and the fact he wouldn't move.  This pattern is really easy.  It is basically a long narrow triangle shawl, folded and stitched from ends to center back.

I decided to pass on the button.  I just fasten it up with a hair clip, one of my larger ones. It is 100% microfiber and soaks up the water just fine.  I like it, but super bulky yarn is still outside my comfort range.  I still prefer lace to worsted weight yarns.  

I also started a blanket for our priest.  Being from southern India he always escapes each winter for a trip home, escaping the January cold.  I thought he might appreciate a blanket.  

The pattern I found is a free one, The Squared Shades Throw.  It is fun. And easy, but not boring.  The large piece shows one of the squares.  It is started as a circle, in stockinette with occasional garter ridges.  Then is squared off using garter stitches and short rows, each side separately.  When all four are done, they are joined with a three needle bind off, and finished with I-cord all around.  The smaller circle on the lower right is almost ready to begin the short rows on the first side.  As long as it doesn't get too warm when it comes time to join them, should be finished fairly quickly.

Other news, most of our kittens found new homes, although we have some of the wilder ones that have come out of hiding.  One little cutie, a calico, has eyebrows like the ones Groucho Marx used to put on with shoe polish.

And next week, while hubby tends the homestead, I and a friend are trekking "Up North" for a little escape.  Can hardly wait.

I hope just it is cooler.

I Promised Pictures.

Here are the pictures that were sent to me from my spinning demonstration on Tuesday evening. Phone pictures so not the highest resolution, but you get the idea.

Yes, I do spin barefoot. At the most only with socks... and only hand knit of course.

This picture shows the sweaters and other items knit from my handspun, I had lots of yarn, as well as fiber: merino, mohair locks, Southdown wool, Shetland wool, blends, silk hankies and even some yummy soft pygora.
Not pictured is another chair that displayed a couple shawls and a poncho. The one shawl was this one completed during the 2012 Summer Olympics. It had bits of many different handspun samples. And no, my Gertrude didn't get to go.

Finally, after yesterday's rain, I managed to get everything brought in and put away. I'm glad I tossed the stash for this. I found some fiber, and yarn, I had forgotten about. Now I have more projects in mind.
That's all I need.

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Spinning Success

I think I was a hit.

At my spinning demonstration Tuesday at the church ladies group, I may not have known what I was going to say but I had plenty of display items, two tubs full! What I didn't have was presence of mind to take a picture of the table laden with fiber samples, hand knits, yarn and tools. I didn't even think to have anyone take my camera and get a picture.

But I didn't need to worry about what to say. I had a few questions to get me started, and continued from there. The one in charge, was great about asking some to get me started. Then as I referred to some of the items on the table (sweaters, socks, hat, fiber, etc) she passed it around so everyone got a chance to see it up close.

There were lots of questions, and I think those who were there enjoyed themselves.

I know I did. But I still haven't completely unloaded the car.

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Crafty Little Me

I almost forgot the other day, in my review of current knitting projects, to show my progress on the Ten Stitch Blankie.

That was almost a week ago. I have since continued the right side to the top and turned the corner.

There won't be a lot of knitting going on tomorrow though. I may have mentioned a while back that I was drafted into giving a talk on spinning at our church ladies group. Tomorrow is the night. So tomorrow will be devoted to gathering stuff and loading my car, Hharry.

I will be tossing the spinning stash and sorting my handspun and knits using my handspun. Two wheels, my Traditional, and my portable Joy, will be loaded into Hharry together with samples of fibers. I hope to have Shetland roving, hand painted top, some merino top, mohair blend, Southdown, even some silk hankies, and angora cloud if I can find it. I plan on taking two shawls, and possibly two sweaters made from my handspun. One shawl is a sampler of an assortment of my handspun, the other is cormo silk. I may toss in my "Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook" too.

It may be more of a super "show and tell" than talk. I hope they like it.

 

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Fiber Fumes

So, on the day after attending a fiber festival with a friend, what do you do to recover from the lanolin and yarny fiber fumes? You play in your stash of course. While I just could not justify spending upwards of $75 for a single skein of the ombre dyed yarn that was everywhere (going from one color to another, or light to dark, over an 400-800 yard skein) I still found something to love.

Of course there was some stash enhancement while there. I purchased the two skeins of semi solid blue, and got the green free. I think they are probably destined for another shawl, since I wear shawls more than sweaters. One of the three patterns I purchased was a two color shawl.The skein on the left had a sample that was knit up into a scarf that really showed off all the light and dark color spots. I think that skein is telling me it wants to be socks, simple ones to let the colors play together nicely.

I also made a purchase to replace my broken sizable zero needle, which is already safely inserted into my Simple Brainless socks, taking over my broken needle.

On the way home we stopped at Arnies, a mega multi-craft supply store. I got some more yarn in a slow transitional colorway to possibly use with another shawl pattern I purchased.

Eventually Sandy and I made it home. With her mothers illness we had not gotten together much all summer. I was happily surprised when at the last minute we were able to make this trip. It was great fun to be able to spend the day together.

It does not, however, count as the "up north" roadtrip to compensate for the knitting of her Traveling Woman Shawl.

Even if I didn't get a picture of the finished shawl from her Alaskan cruise.

 

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Hearth and Home

My hometown, Hesperia Michigan, is celebrating 150 years this summer. Each weekend from July 4th through Labor Day there is something going on.

This weekend is dedicated to Hearth and Home.

You will notice on the schedule above, this Saturday there will be some demonstrations in the pavilion at Weaver Park. Old timers like me may know it as the old fair grounds. There will be demonstrations of quilt tying, basket weaving, Dutch oven cooking, and spinning. Guess who is the guest spinner?

Yes, that's me.

Hmmmm. I have a feeling that I won't need to bundle up quite so much tomorrow. Last October, when I spun at the library, the temps were in the low to mid thirties. (I can only dream of those temperatures now.). At least it is only supposed to be in the mid to upper 70's tomorrow.

I have been scurrying around, gathering roving, my hand cards, some uncarded locks, a couple drop spindles and spinning totes. My traditional wheel, Addy, is already loaded in Hharry and ready to go. I can hardly wait. (Why yes, I do have more than one wheel. But only three now. I have had two others that I learned on and passed along.)

So please stop by if you have the chance. I will be there from 10am to 2pm and would love to see you.

 

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Reminiscing

Gosh, was it really seven years? It must be because these pictures popped up from June 2009.

Our Spin Guild took a field trip one week, to the fiber mill near East Jordan, Stonehedge Fiber Mill.

One of our group had a bunch of wool to drop off/pickup. (She has her own wool room there.). The rest tagged along for a field trip.

What fun! They showed how they clean and prepare wool both to leave as roving or to spin into yarn to sell.

And their spinning room. Wow.

We may have even made a few purchases.

 

Then we were off for lunch and another stop, with more purchases.

Hey gang, we need to plan another trip like that some time. It was fun.

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A New Sweater? Quick!

I am frantically trying to finish up some of my projects.  The baby sweater must be finished very soon, and I would like to get a good whack done on my Navy Encore Tweed Vest. Why, you ask?  Good Question.
I slipped in to the rabbit hole again and am getting ready to start another sweater.  Hey, one of my goals was to knit at least one or maybe two sweaters for me this year.  So, I am following through on that.  But the rabbit hole was one I didn't see coming.
I love reading posts from several blogs.  One of the ones that has been re-activated recently is Mason-Dixon Knitting.  The blog is managed by two ladies, one from Manhattan, and one from Nashville who blog back and forth.  They have also written some knitting books together, including a new adult coloring book, with knitting based pictures!
This past week, one of the posts on the blog was about beating boredom by "Banging Out a Sweater."  The idea was to knit, a loose gauge, Icelandic yoke sweater.  The suggested sweater was Stopover, and is pictured at the link to the blog posting.  Since it was a pullover, I have to say, I was resisting quite nicely.  The next day however, an alternative sweater was listed, for cardigan lovers. Or the idea of how to "cardiganize"the pullover.  I was smitten by the Freyja.  It is a bit tighter gauge, but equally lovely.  (That link will take you to the Ravelry page for the free pattern.)
I even went so far as to order "yarn" called for.
Why the quotation marks?  Because the yarn called for is unspun Icelandic wool.  It is more like a loose pencil roving, very delicate, but strong when knit, due the the long staple of the yarn.  So basically knitting with a strand of fluff.
The other thing is that the yarn was ordered from Reykjavik Iceland,with 6 to 12 day shipping.  Even with the humungous shipping charges, it was cheaper than ordering it from a local online store. Besides, there is something kind of neat about knitting an Icelandic sweater with Icelandic wool.  I will miss the February 1st start date, but that is ok.
And did I mention the sweater is steeked?  That means when I get done knitting it in the round, I cut it up the front to make it a cardigan.  Then the hard part, crocheting around the edges.
And since I have no pictures in this post, just links.  Here is a photo of my pensive Leo, basking in the sun.

Nice kitty.

Stealth Project #1

Finished and delivered.

When I decided to make an owl for my owly friend, I searched and even purchased several patterns. But this one, available on both Craftsy and Ravelry as The Guardian Owl, was hands down the winning pattern. It last was seen here on the blog looking rather like a mysterious hat-like mound of wool. Or rather alpaca. It is knit from a bulky rose gray alpaca yarn I had ferreted out of the stash. And to make it even more personal, it is stuffed with roving from the llamas once owned by the recipient.

This is the pattern I mentioned I wanted to knit using the magic loop technique of knitting. After wrapping my brain around the concept, I think I may be using it often for sleeves as well as for socks. Especially when traveling with sock projects. It certainly eliminates the possibility of dropping a needle on the go.

Best of all with this little owly, I think it is well liked. I love knitting for someone who really appreciates the effort that is part of the gift. (Pictured here with recipient and friend, instead of Lizzy, for scale.)

 

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Clairvoyant

"Crystal ball, crystal ball what do you see?"

"I see a light turquoise sweater, just for me!

And a lacy silk scarf in luscious blue."

I can hardly wait to start knitting these two.

So I may have gone to the local yarn store and took advantage of my birthday discount. And the yarn shown above may have accidentally fell in my basket and came home with me.

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A Yarn Crisis

Yes, there is such a thing.

And not just a case of not having yarn to start a new project, but even worse. Yarn barf.

At least that is what it looked like.

One of our knitters at Knit Nite is making a cowl out of some really cool artsy yarn. It is made of long lengths of yarns of various fibers and textures, knotted together in dark shades of gold, red and black. It had been wound into a cake and she was knitting from the center. In retrospect, possibly not the best end to choose. Because tonight, after being about half way through the cake of yarn, the middle fell out.

Literally fell out. And it continued to roll and toss itself around. As the two main portions were rescued, it did not look good. If she had not been among knitters, it may have been curtains for that cowl.

However, a couple of us picked it up, found the outside end and started to tame the chaos. We had anywhere from two to six hands working in the tangled mess, but over two hours later (and more than an hour later than our usual closing time) we had it back wound into a round ball.

Whew! I would show you pictures, but my hands were busy untangling and unable to handle the camera.

So instead, here is a picture of Leo enjoying his favorite napping place.....clean laundry.

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Starts and Finishes, Almost.

The red sweater pieces managed to dry before bedtime, thank goodness. The pieces blocked out great, with the pieces just falling into the right dimensions.

For now the pieces are folded and back in their baggy as I rush to finish the Green and White Jacket. I hope to at least cast off that this weekend. Then I will need to sort through the button bin to see if I need to get some for the jacket or if I have some that will work.

I have finished the back flap extension and started the last series of stripes. I must admit I am eager to finish this so I can get back to knitting with wool again. The acrylic tires my fingers, it's less resilient than wool.

I also spent some time working on my commissioned piece. I finally have the basic design down and have the measurements on paper. Picked the pattern/recipe I will be using as starting point, as well as the cable I will be using. I do need to type up the chart for that, so it is a more reasonable size. And I have plotted the basic modifications I will be making to the pattern. Once I have swatched and decided on needle size and gauge, I can calculate the stitch counts for cast on.

And then the new sweater adventure can begin.

 

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Slow Progress But it is Coming

I continue with my knitting, every day. I find though that I need to make more frequent breaks than I once did. The Green and White Jacket is progressing, although not as quickly as I would like.

I am past the white stripes and will wait until I start increasing before adding another set.

While blogging takes up some of my knitting breaks, as well as that popular time suck, Facebook, I find I need to still lay down the needles other times. Especially when knitting heaving items. I first noticed this when knitting my Leftover Pi shawl, which became a frequently used lap blanket.

While too warm and heavy for a shawl, it is a great cover up on windy drafty days.

I think, besides the weight in my hands, part of the trouble is arthritis. Yep, old age is setting on me. I find that a bit of medicine helps, along with breaks. It is mostly in my right hand. (Good thing I'm left handed.) I also have a catch in one of my fingers that sometimes releases with a snap.

I guess that is why I am making some of my sweaters in pieces then seaming them together. Especially when they are sized for me. But the knitting will continue.

I have a bit of stash yarn to burn through after all. Not to mention fiber to be spun into yarn.

 

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Return of the Spinners

With the wild winter that is finally starting to end, Spin Guild hasn't met all year.  Partly that was because we had decided to meet monthly instead of weekly.  And I knew I couldn't afford weekly trips on my reduced gas budget.   (I've become a hermit, remember?)
So when Evelyn proposed an impromptu spinning and potluck at her house, we were all game.
Sure the dirt road and mud drive were challenging for my poor little car but a great time was had by all.  We ate, talked up a storm and our time was gone   before we knew it.
And I made it back to pavement nearly intact.
I can hardly wait for our next meeting.

Recalculating

Christmas knitting continues. The hat that I had previously made for Lil'Farm Gal was a big hit, along with a sweatshirt for her birthday party. I want to make her another hat, with ear flaps for Christmas to go with the doll sweater and hat. Plus the knitting for her mom.

But the knitting isn't going down easy. I spent most of the afternoon decreasing the top of the mango hat, only to pull out the needle and rip back to just above the last cable row. I wanted to rethink the decreases. But I think I have my plan in place now.

On the other hand, Farm Gal's project may take some rethinking. I decided the light airy dove gray basket-weave scarf is still a bit dainty. She is a outdoorsy kind of girl. So I went stash diving and came up with these. In real life they look more blue and teal, and less yellow.

The current plan is to use this hand spun that was the same yarn I used for my Sporto hoodie a year ago. This yarn was plied on itself, instead of with white. I found a pattern on Ravelry for a mistake rib scarf. I'll sew a button on one end, in the middle. Then along the opposite end, I will try to work a crochet edging with loops left to use as button holes. If I make several loops, the fit can be adjustable.
That is the current plan. I'll keep you posted.

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