Thursday, September 29, 2005

MERINO/SILK HEAVEN, BABY BLANKET MISERY


The results of Monday's dyefest. I finally got around to dyeing the silk/merino that I bought at the dye retreat. It took much longer than I thought that it would--five hours. So far I am in love with the results, but the proof will be in how it looks when spun up. I am going to do some of this batch to make sure that I really like this before doing the other pound. I am spinning like crazy to get the grey merino/silk off the spindles so that I can start this on Saturday at the Guild meeting.

On Sunday I went down to Alamitos Bay to pick up the supplies for camp and saw some great patterns. One is a kimono type with bands edging the sweater if a semi-traditional kimono style and the other has a collar that intrigues me. So I had to buy both and spend way over the limit, but since it took an hour to get there on a Sunday it seemed like a good idea. Anyway when do I ever need an excuse to spend money.


After seven tries--yes I have no life--I finally got the baby blanket started. The chart is very subtle and what on a glance looks like one thing on close look, after it was already done, was another. I think that maybe I better blow this up to life-size and then maybe I will get somewhere. It's done on size 3 in Rowan's version of baby cashmerino and if every finished will be very lovely. According to my calculations if I can slog through three rows a day it may even be done in time to be used to bring the baby home from the hospital.

Two weeks until knitting camp--counting the days.

Friday, September 23, 2005

MOHAIR


The result of a quiz—amusing and maybe a bit real, but couldn’t it have been silk instead?

You are Mohair.

You are a warm and fuzzy type who works well with others, doing your share without being too weighty. You can be stubborn and absolutely refuse to change your position once it is set, but that's okay since you are good at covering up your mistakes..

Thursday, September 22, 2005

IN LOVE WITH SILK


After being told that just because I could spin wool, that did not mean that I would be able to handle silk, I could not just let that one go and took up the challenge. I didn't buy the merino/silk from the woman that couldn't be bothered but from another. I met Ruth from the Dizzy Ewe at the dye retreat and got this lovely blue/gray from her. I only bought 16 ounces at that time not sure that I would be successful and have ended up loving it. I ordered 16 more ounces and she got it to me in record time along with some undyed merino/silk that I plan to dye this weekend. I love how this stuff feels and the lovely sheen it has and can hardly wait to compose my own colorway.

Monday, September 12, 2005

TWO IN ONE DAY!

My Secret Pal Questionarie:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?I do some charity knitting and for that I always use the cheaper yarns, but for myself, family and friends tend to use better stuff.

2. Do you spin? Crochet?A beginning spinner with a relatively new wheel, I am loving designing my own yarn.
Have lost interest in crochet after a granny square faze way too many years ago.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Some scents give me fits.

4. How long have you been knitting?
More years that a lot of people have been alive.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes! It’s under Theresa Robinett.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Adore freesia.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Yes, wish it would fall out.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I collect beads and have made jewelry for years. Also make puppets (work related)

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
Like all kinds of music, but in order to get all the reading done I find that most of my time is spent listening to books on my I-pod.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
I’m a “Spring” and anything with a blue base works for me--purple and pinks are my favorites though.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I have been divorced for years and now that the kids are grown, it’s just me and the dog (a great springer spaniel named Dooley).

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To have as much fun as possible, to see as much of the world as I can, and to hopefully do a bit of good along the way.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
I love wool and wool/silk/etc. blends with interesting color variations.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Have yet to meet one I don’t like.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
This list is just too long--but since my daughter is expecting my first grandchild, I guess baby items.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
I tend to prefer projects that are more involved—sweaters, shawls, etc.

17. What are you knitting right now?
One baby blanket, one sweater, one handbag that will be felted and a pair of socks are on my needles now.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I basically like the idea, but have yet to find one that suits me—it maybe that this is something that has just passed me by.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
No preference.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
All good.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Yes, knit eight pairs last year for Christmas.

22. How did you learn to knit?
My grandmother taught me when I was eight—a pair of slippers was my first project.

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
2 years.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Love dogs.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
It’s a toss up between Halloween and Christmas.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Pop-up books.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Cast-on, Interweave knits and Spin-off

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
See my Amazon list.

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
I love the Just One More Rows patterns after doing the short row bag and want to get Crystal Cove, Half Moon Bay and Lighting Lace.

ETA: 30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
Size eight shoe. Love anything soft and warm with a bit of color.

NEW STASH ADDITIONS

Finally finished the brown that I bought last spring in Solvang. It had a lot more green in it than I would have wished for, but hopefully will work out. All of the rovings look so beautiful when you see them, but my inexperience is unable to have any idea what the finished yarn will actually look like. I plied half of it with the pumpkin that I bought at the Weaver's Cottage. My consistancy is getting so much better, but I still need to work on plying. My vision for this yarn is a kimono with some sort of print body and solid trim. Something to think about and keep me busy (as if I need that)!

Sunday, September 11, 2005

JUST UNDER THE WIRE!

Finished just in the nick of time as the shower is next weekend. I had enough left of the blue to make a little stripped hat to match. The lamb is a first attempt at intarsia--need to learn lots more before attempting the Annabel Fox sweaters that I would love to make. Now if the weather holds and this dries prompty, and I can find buttons I like this will be ready to be wrapped up for the party. I have known the mother-to-be since before she was born and it was such a pleasure making this for her little boy. Being an October baby he should get good use of this sweater and hat. I can hardly wait until our little one arrives next spring. I need to get started on layette items but with the exception of a Debby Bliss blanket haven't found any patterns that excite me.

MERINO SHAWL

This was finished a couple of months ago, but needed blocking. I stretched it out to show off the pattern more and can hardly wait until it dries to see how it turned out. It took awhile to memorize the pattern but once that happened it knit up very nicely and was enough of a challenge to keep me going without being too hard to endure. The yarn is Knit Picks merino and the pattern was from an Interweave Knits, Winter 04.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

LITTLE RED HEN





Finally finished—my little red hen. This started as roving dyed at the Stitch Café, yarn spun on my drop spindle, though the last little bit was finished on the wheel and knitted from what started out as a doodle. The buttons were a Fiber Fest purchase, splurge actually, and are Czech glass. I did the collar with decreases instead of short rows and am fairly happy with how it turned up. The close up is a pattern/color detail. I ended up with about a 2” ball of leftover yarn—cut it very close! I don't have an actual start date for this project, but think the roving was dyed sometime at the end of May or beginning of June. which is not a long timeline for a project, but have to admit to a bit (lol) of an obsession! Something new and previously unexperienced in my life. Now if I could just figure out how to translate this to other areas no telling what I could do.












Determined to learn how to do short rows I discovered the pattern for this purse from “Just One More Row” and knit it up in doubled Noro Kujaku that I had been hording in the stash. I added the I-cord to the seam edge to give the bag and handle a little more stability, also wanted to try doing an attached I-cord. This project from start to finish was only a couple of evenings parked in front of mindless TV--not a bad showing for time misspent. In the past I have not been interested in knitted bags, but after this one may change my mind. I would like to try the felted bag in the current issue of Knit Off if I could just decide on a color.




Thursday, September 01, 2005

DYE RETREAT


It was hot, dusty, lots of bugs but we had such a great time. My niece, Ansley, and I went to a dye camp put on by the Griffin Dyeworks this past weekend. I spent the entire time, spinning, knitting, dyeing, learning new things and making new friends. There were lots of people with great skills to share, many informal classes and evenings spent spinning with other spinners outside under the canopies. I learned Japanese braiding from one and Navajo plying from another. The picture is the graduated roving that I dyed and when it is spun will Navajo ply to retain the color variations. Ansley did some tie dyeing and learned to spin with a drop spindle. I was brave enough to try spinning a merino/silk blend and after a slow start, think that I actually may be able to do this and the Nancy Flynn roving I bought at FiberFest will not languish forever in the stash. I also came home with renewed enthusiasm to get busy and start handpainting roving here at home. More to follow...