Sit and Spin has Taken on a Whole New Meaning...

Last Sunday afternoon, Christy, one of the girls that I regularly knit with was kind enough to get together with me and show me how to use a drop spindle. For a month or so, I have had an ever-increasing interest in spinning, and this has been since the evening that Christy brought her spinning wheel and drop spindle to our Knit Night. Needless to say, I have been fascinated with the process of spinning ever since.

For years, my only thought about spinning was that it was absolutely none of my business how yarn got from sheep to shop... I was so wrong, and I will admit some people just don't dig the spin, and that's fine too - God knows I am no fan of nupps and fair isle. However, I have now become an amature enthusiast of the art of spinning and those who do it well.

Think back to how difficult that you thought knitting was when you were first learning - now multiply that times ten and that is how tedious learning to spin can be. That being said, this is not to whine about the learning curve, or even all the profanity uttered, but rather to give applause to the spinners who can churn out yard after yard of everything from bulky weight to perfectly plied and spun fingering weight sock yarn.

I have heard discussions that hand spun yarn can be too rustic, not refined, and strange-colored - all of those valid points, and ones I used to make until I saw the absolutely phenomenal things that a spinning wheel can do in the hands of a master. Today, I purchased 400ish yards of some absolutely lovely fingering weight sock yarn that was spun by someone locally, and sold in a local fiber and spinning shop called the Fiber Cottage. My photography does not do the dye work justice. In reality, the color changes are from kind of a subtle silverly lilac into a dusty amethyst that is really just stunning.

Now, from the sublime to the rediculous... This is the silk hanky that was my first attempt. The blue flecks are the yarn that has secured the little skein. There are places where it gets bulky, then thread and skinny, and then back to bulky. I am told my first skeins will be referred to as "novelty yarn" - eck!

The yarn on the spindles are some additional spinning attempts, as well as my humble tools. Also, a few silk hankies and a little bit of undyed roving that I am yet to mangle as well...

Just in case I have not appropriately frightened you with my spinning, one last close up.

Happy knitting to all, and stand up and applaud the spinners who do such incredible work - they deserve it!

What A Good Helper Natty Is...

I have knit a pair of baby sweaters for someone that is near and dear to my heart, but who has asked to remain anonymous at this time.

This is a free pattern from Jimmie Beans Wool, and the panel in the front is removable. There will be four buttons on each side of the panel, but I have not selected the buttons yet. I also have not blocked it as I am unsure if this yarn is blockable. They both were knit with Encore by Plymouth (25% wool, 75% acrylic), and it can be washed and dryed. I thought that was as much of a gift as the sweaters to the proud by shy parents to be.

However, Miss Natty did volunteer to model the sweater for the photo session since we have to keep the recipient a secret for now.

As you can tell, Natty does not mind participating at all, and she loves to play dress up! I had recently taken a picture of her wearing a pair of socks I knit, but the picture would not up load...

Natty thanks you for coming to her most recent fashion show...

Supervisor Turned Supermodel...

In her first modeling debut, Miss Natty takes the stage with a lace shawl knit from the label of Trekking XXL.

As a recap, it is a pattern from IK Spring Issue, and it is the Clementine Shawlette. My blocking is tighter than theirs, and the Trekking is less snuggle-like, but it blocks well, and really shows off the lace pattern.

Here you can see the drape and length of the shawl.

As you can see, the model is very weary of the

photo session, and ready for a well-deserved nap.

She was very patient to let me pose her and try the shawl on her in different ways while I took different pictures.

Although I hate to push my luck, I wonder how she feels about socks???

Tahdahhh!!!! Clementine is off the Needles and in the Bath!

I will keep this short and sweet - the shawl is completely knitted, ends worked in, and Clementine is in the bath. I will block her this evening, and hopefully she can be dry by tomorrow evening so I can take her to Knit Night. DM gave me the idea to fold the shawl in half for a manageable blocking length. The blocked pictures will be next time - wish me luck as this is my first lace blocking attempt!



After the blocking, off to scrub out that sink!!!

Does Time Move This Quickly for Those Who Don't Knit???

My shawl progress is coming along, but not as quickly as I would like though... Don't get too excited, the first half isn't blocked, it is just pinned for the photo. Natty, of course, had to check that I had pinned the piece correctly...

This is a sort of close up of the lace work, but again, the yarn is not this pink. It is much more dusty purple and navy blue, with just a hint of pink here and there.

There are a minimum of two, and possibly three projects impatiently waiting in the wings.

Firstly, I have a friend with a birthday early in August (thankfully she is not a blog reader), and I am knitting her a pair of socks. They will probably be in the Pennlyn pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs, and knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in the Grape Jelly colorway. My friend is a self-proclaimed "lover of ALL things purple", and this should fit the bill. The photo does not do the yarn justice at all. It appears almost fuschia in the photo, and in real life it is almost a solid grape jelly purple with a hint of lighter purple here and there that is not quite lavender. As this colorway is already screaming hot, I will probably add beads at the cuff to finish the electric look.

Next, I want to knit at least one, and two if possible, Christmas stockings for my two nieces. I am using the Holly pattern from Annie's Woolens. I have knit a ton of socks, but never a Christmas stocking, and I have no idea how long this will take - that is where the concern for knitting one or two before Christmas comes into play. If all else fails, the eldest niece will get hers first, and the youngest the following year.

Initially, I had ordered some Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks for the stockings, but I just couldn't feel the love for that yarn. The colors were off, and it just did not feel like anything that the kiddos would keep and treasure all of their lives, as I hope they will with the new yarn. With that being said, it's not my fault that I had to go out and forage for more yarn yesterday... There might have been one, two, or possibly six (ahem, but who's counting) skeins of sock yarn that followed me home this weekend in addition to the new yarn for the stockings.

The sock yarn is Claudia, and from top to bottom the colors are: John B., Butter Pecan, and Jungle. To the right is the yarn for the stockings that I got this weekend. The hunter's green and ivory are from Galway, and the bottom wound hank is Cascade 220 in The Heathers line. Per the Yarn Shop and More, Galway and Cascade 220 are "the exact same yarn". The Yarn Shop and More even claims that they are made in the same factory. I have never heard this, but there a ton of things that I have not heard...

Put Me on the Short Bus and Send Me to Lace Town...

I will admit, I was a little slow on the uptake when it came to lace knitting. Between the two yarns, I think I snatched it out it eight times. I guess nine is the magic number. I think I am getting the hang of it thanks to the life line, stitch markers, and a great deal of hyperventilating.

The arm of the sofa seemed just right for pinning the end piece out for inspection.




All jokes aside, it is coming along, just SLOWLY... This isn't my stuck in molasses slow from last time, this is the knit 40 rows move ahead half an inch slow. Not really, but it seems like it.

The unblocked version of a lace projects is definitely nothing to write home about. I am hoping for better photos once it is blocked. Also, the actual color is way less pink, more of a smoky purple and a navy with only a tiny bit of pink. My camera tends to lie. I think it's in cahoots with my bathroom scales...


I also have a concern about the blocked size. I think it is going to be just about 12 inches or so in width, and I am hoping that will give me a similar result to the pattern's photo.

I think this pattern (Clementine Shawlette) was an afterthought in Interweave Knits magazine as it did not receive much in the way of good photos.




Also, great news for me, maybe not so much for other folks. One of my guilty secrets is that I am a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan (the television show, not the movie). I recently found a Buffy KAL that is active and very current. I am yet to contribute, but I fully intend to. Once I can figure a reasonable link from episodes to projects.

Somehow, I am Stuck on Slow...

You know how some projects just fly by, just blink and they are done? Well, this isn't one of them. The pattern is another one from Wildhorse Farm Designs, and it is the Berry Basket Socks pattern. It is turning out to be really nice, and I like the colorway I am working with (Baby Blues). I am knitting it with Panda Cotton, which I quite enjoy, but this project is moving at the speed of molasses.

Incidentally, Panda Cotton is a bit more difficult to bead than wool, but not too tough.

I just can't seem to get in the groove for this project. I have definitely put the time in on it, and it just isn't coming together the way I would like.

The progress on this has been so slow that even my knitting supervisor came to see if she could suggest something...

Incidentally, I have plans! This is not the time to daudle! I have the impending shawl (Clementine Shawlette) to revive, and I have already wound the yarn for that. Also, I need to knit something for a girlfriend's birthday in August, although I have not a clue what that will be. Hmmm, maybe a nice shawl...

It is now June, and CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! Just last weekend, I had the idea that each one of my nieces should have an heirloom Christmas stocking. Where the top row of holly is, just under the ribbing, the pattern allows for a name to be placed there, which I probably will do. This whole heirloom stocking idea might have been better reserved for February or March... At any rate, I bought the pattern from a LYS, and ordered the yarn from Knit Picks. However, I may only knit one a year as they look somewhat involved.

Time's a wastin' - off to knit.

The Shawl Passed Away...

Could we have a moment of silence for the dearly, or not so dearly, departed shawl...

The wretched little shawl reverted back to its wicked ways, and it had to be frogged. It was such a final death, that I even returned the unusued portion of yarn back to The Studio... This was not because I hate the pattern or lace knitting for that matter, it was the yarn that I did not care for.

Merriam-Webster lists one definition of progress to be forward or onward movement. In my own self-negotiating way, I suppose there may be a smidge of progress in regards to the shawl - but in a very abstract way...

From that I experience, I have learned a few things. I can knit lace, as well as read charts, and I will pick up the project again, but in another yarn. I have heard many knitters extole the virtues of alpaca yarn. I unfortunately am not one of them. I hate the hairy, albeit mild, quality that alpaca yarn has. In fact, I pretty much hate all hairy yarn, chief among them being mohair!

I think I am going to try the shawl again in a fingering weight yarn (once the socks are done), and maybe even in Trekking as I have a great big skein of purple that has been crying to come out of my stash drawer. Yes, just one drawer. I am not pitiful, that is just how I maintain my work flow and manage my yarn budget.

To comfort myself, I have started a sock (aren't you all surprised???) in Panda Cotton. I have read that some knitters just loathe that yarn as they feel like it is way too splitty. I have not really had much trouble with it, but you do have to pay attention.

Hot off the Press...

Damn, Damn, Double Damn!!!

I am just about to rip out this damned shawl for the fifth (YES, FIFTH) time, and I have come to a conclusion...

If we (the shawl and I) can't get our act together, it is going to be either it or me, and I like ME better.

With my naturally forgiving nature, I will give it one more chance before it has to go to shawl heaven...

I Don't Suppose Anyone Has Actually Died From Knitting Lace...

I keep remembering the lace on the sleeves for DMS that nearly made me mental, and I find myself wondering why I wanted to knit a lace shawl???

I am going to take a deep breath and jump in. The shawl is from Interweave Knits latest edition, and it is the Clementine Shawlette. I am using the Blue Sky silk/alpaca listed in the pattern, and I am using Mocha/122.

Dear Lord,

Wish me luck, and please make sure my Addi needles go to a good home if I don't survive this project. Amen.

To Meme or Not to Meme, That is the Question...

I looked at my comments yesterday and discovered that I had been tagged by someone who has read my blog. While I am a team player, I am definitely a negotiator at heart. Here are my terms. I will do approximately 50% of the request, and we will call it good. I will answer the questions, but let the tagged decide who they are instead of me tagging them. I know people are busy, so participation is the most fun when it is not coerced.

Here are the tag rules (of which I have totally disregarded and/or made up my own):

1. Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves.


2. Those tagged need to write on their blog the 7 facts as well as the rules of the game.


3. You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog - or rewrite the rules as I did (heh!)

4. You have to leave those you are tagging a note in their comments so they know they have been tagged to read your blog.

Seven Random Facts:

1. Halloween is my favorite holiday.


2. I am comfortable being by myself.


3. Fall is my favorite time of year.


4. I have always loved magical things.


5. I recently purchased an MP3 player, and I love to download books and listen while I knit.
(Thanks, Grandma)


6. I have recently discovered that I am probably a very boring person, but I am comfortable
enough with myself not to care...


7. I hate rudeness. I try never to display it, and dislike it in others.

NOTE: If you feel that you have been tagged, then be tagged. If not, maybe next time.

Now that that little chore is complete, on to the knitting news. I am nearing the finish line for suprise surprise, another pair of socks. This is the first time I have tried lace knitting for socks. The pattern is from Wildhorse Farms (Savannah), and the pattern is pretty easy. I did use an eye of partridge heel with a little modifcation here and there instead of the pattern's heel, but I like the effect. The yarn is Jitterbug, made by Colinette, and the color Toscana. My stitch count is correct, but the yarn feels and looks the slightest bit FIRM. They stitch pattern is really pretty, but I think this pair will be reserved for cool fall or cold winter days.






I think the time has come for me to get some sock blockers for my photos. The little cardboard set I cut out just doesn't really do it for me...



I think Karen has some really nice wood sock blockers from The Loopy Ewe. Take a peek at hers back in the archives.


Happy knitting!

Fun, Felting, and My Favorite Author...

I have had a lot of fun this week. I have lived in fear of entrelac for years, and this week I have finally arrived!!! I conquered my fears, jumped in, and knit like there was no tomorrow. The pattern is from a company called Knitability, and I used Brown Sheep yarn. This was also my first attempt at changing/designing my own color scheme. I am not entirely happy with it, but it is a start.

The first picture is the before shot. This was so big I could have worn it as a skirt!

I am not a fan of the felting process, but I do enjoy the finished results. The smell and feel of wet wool is not something I look for on a day to day basis. The pattern did direct me to make button holes and insert the grommets, but that did not work at all. I resorted to brut force, and stabbed holes with a phillips (ha ha) screwdriver, and snipped a little teeny bit with scissors. I made the holes so they would be snug around the grommets. That being said, I think it turned out okay.

Also, this week I got to meet my favorite author (Charlaine Harris), and have her sign her newest book that came out on 05/01/2007. She writes the Southern Vampire Series, also called the Sookie Stackhouse books. She was a complete delight, and I enjoyed meeting her. She was even gracious enough to allow me to have my picture taken with her. Charlaine is seated, and I am the star struck fan standing beside her. My clothes are a little too baggy, but I have lost some weight, and nothing from the bra out fits quite right. I have always liked a "comfort zone" in my clothes, and have hated tight clothes all my life as I fear I might look a little too much like a sausage if I were to wear snug clothing! At any rate, baggy or not, I was thrilled with the opportunity to meet Charlaine!

As you can see above, I have the newest book in my clutches. I am off to read now.

I've been a bad, bad blogger...

Okay, okay, I get it. The postings have been few and far between. Tardy does not even begin to cover a two month hiatus from blogging. In my defense, I've been sooo busy...

I have not slacked off on the knitting however, and I have knit several pairs of socks.




Before you ask, I did knit both socks. I realize my follow through on posting makes me a little suspect in this area.

This is the Pennlyn sock pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs (I did use a different heel and toe though).

This sock was knit with CTH Spring Frost with green beads with a gold center just below the ribbing cuff. (Thank you Debi for the bead tutorial.)
As you can tell, I have been much enamored with the Pennlyn sock pattern, and used it for both of the next two pairs as well.


This pair was knit for my DMS who has yet to take receipt of them. They were knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarn (Freesia) - no beads as they were kind of loud all on their own...











This pair (now finished of course) was knit with Claudia Hand Painted Yarn as well. This may be my favorite pair of socks I have ever knit. They now belong to a friend at work. It made my little heart sing to find out that she loves themas much as I do! They have beads just below the ribbing cuff, and the bead color is called "tropicana".





The yarn color is Sherbet, and I am definitely going to have to order some for myself.

(I got all of my Claudie at Loopy Ewe as I love to get packages in the mail...)

I have also started on my Christmas knitting - for the little gifts that are nice just to let someone know that you thought of them, and hope they have a happy holiday season. I am using up my sock yarn left overs by knitting mini socks. I got the pattern from the Loopy Ewe.



I am a little bit socked out right now, and I am trying something new. I have seen both spellings, so I do not know which is correct. I am doing a felted (entreloc or entrelac?) back pack in fall colors. I am on the third tier, and will take pictures when complete. Unfelted (entreloc or entrelac?) doesn't look like such big whoop, but I have it on good authority that it will whip itself into shape once felted.

Holy Crap! I Have Loose Balls!!!

Loose balls, that was all I needed...

Before you get you knickers in a twist, the balls I speak of are the yarn balls wound on my very own swift and ball winder. Worse yet, I have uneven, loose balls...







To all the knitting geniuses (or is is geniusi) in the world - how in the world do you get nice compact, firmly wound yarn balls that are the same size every time???


On a happier, less screaming kind of note, more Claudia Handpainted yarn. I am going to make the scale skin socks that FKD posted a while back. I will also be beading them - thank you Debi!!! The picture made the pinks look much brighter than they are, it is really very soft and delicate. The color is Pink Clouds, and it may be my favorite yarn so far...





I am almost done with a pair of socks (photos once they are finished) knit with CTH in the Pennlyn Pattern from Wildhorse Farm Designs complete with beading. FKD gave a great tutorial on beading with a crochet hook, and with that I was able to do it in a snap!



Finally, the knitting supervisor in repose...

Dear Hubby Put My Knitting Needles To Sleep...

DH (Dear Hubby) is a fine husband, friend, and all around good guy. However, and yes there is a however, he is possibly the most boring person on the planet to knit for... I adore color - bright, soft, loud, subtle, and God forgive me, even metallic colors... I also love small delicate patterning, as well as things that are big and bold. That might give you a hint how DH feels about patterning in his knitted items - you guessed it, he wants things "just knitted, no loud color, no patterning, just simple". The man does have an image you know - as I have been told many times.

Thus, the sleeping knitting needles now present their latest accomplishments...

The socks were made from my teeny, almost non-existent stash drawer with Fortissima yarn. This yarn is just okay. It is a little bit scratchy, not very stretchy, and oh so plain. DH loves it!



If he loves them, I am glad. He is the one who has to wear them...











The hat looks like it is great big, and it kind of is, but it fits DH's head perfectly, and he doesn't like hats that squeeze his head. Once again, no pattern, just black, and for God's sake, NO POM POM! This yarn was actually wonderful to knit with, and it feels very nice too. It is from Karabella, and it is from the Soft Tweed line. I knew I had to work in tiny flecks of color somewhere - he would not even allow a stripe!

















FKD knits beautiful socks, and she always has the best yarn. She recently recommended The Loopy Ewe, and it is as wonderful as she said it was. It is a totally on-line yarn shop with the absolute best customer service, quick shipping, and a nice selection of yarn as well. FKD introduced me to the Claudia Hand Painted Yarn, and there is nothing "just okay" about this yarn. It looks and feels great, and thank you Jesus it has COLOR! I can't wait to knit the socks that this yarn will become...




Lastly, the puffed heart. This appeared most recently in the Holiday Edition of Interweave Knits. It is knit with Koigu, and stuffed with lavendar potpourri.

Happy Knitting New Year!!!

I am not a drinker, I do not stay up/out late, and other than dancing around a yarn shop with glee I have hung up my boogie shoes. All that being said, this is shaping up to be a joyous New Year's Eve. My hubby and I are home together with a warm fire, my house is clean, and the laundry is done. I am probably one hour's worth of work away from finishing the second modular sock.

Thanks to some kind encouragement from FKD and my mom, I have finished a difficult project. I found a friend who loved this colorway, and I knit them to her size. This will be my final project for 2006.

They were knit with Koigu yarn, and the pattern is called Diamond Patch Socks from Heartland Knits.

Surprisingly enough, my next project will also be a modular project, and hopefully a quick one too. No one is more surprised than I am, believe me... As a hint, it appeared in the holiday edition of Interweave Knits 2006. For fear that some of the recipients may read this, I will post the picture once they are ready to be presented to their intended recipients.

Santa Claus gave me a gift certicate to the LYS this year for Christmas, and I got a swift, two hanks of Koigu, and a ball of Inspiration. I don't know that I set out to get a swift, but my mother snatched one up, and gave me an acute case of swift envy. Since there was only one left, I snatched it up, whipped out my gift card, and danced around the counter with joy!













My mother is on the right, and my grandmother is on the left.

Now I ask you, is this the face of someone who could inspire swift envy? You betcha, baby! She is also the one who taught me to knit and finish my projects - I don't which lesson was tougher...




This is what Santa Claus brought me from the LYS this year, and I must have been good...














I turned 40 this December, and my life is far from perfect, but I have made peace with my inner demons. In doing so, I have decided to count my blessings and just be...

Happy Knitting and New Year's to all!

The Frog Poncho Lives!

I have decided to continue on with the aforementioned wretched sock, and its mate as well - much to my own chagrin, because one of the most accomplished knitters in Blogland mentioned it would be a great gift to an adventurous sock wearer. I have just that sort of person in mind, and she has exclaimed undying love for the colorway. It will be my pleasure to give them to her as a gift for Christmas. I would rather she had mentioned that to me two weeks ago when I stopped working on the wretched thing, and then I would have had purpose. Like all knitters, things for myself can wait - things that are a gift require knitting at breakneck speed!

Besides, encouragement like that from FKD is akin to a papal blessing on your knitting.

Off to the frog poncho!

I Hate That Damn Sock!!!

PROBLEM #1: The sock has little to no stretch as it was knit on size 0 needles. My feet and ankles are wide, and this will never fit comfortably, and I do not like tight socks!

PROBLEM #2: According to the teacher in the class for the modular sock, "Gauge doesn't really work on this project. Just cast and on follow the instructions." I must tell you, GAUGE MATTERS!!! Also, said knitting teacher has very narrow feet and small ankles. Note to self - remember to hate her.

PROBLEM #3: For all the hooplah about how great and glorious Koigu is, I would like to officially say it's not such big whoop. I much prefer Cherry Tree Hill for the sheen and twist in the yarn. Some people think the two yarns are nearly twins. To them I say - NOT SO MUCH...

CONCLUSION:

I hate that damn sock. I am not going to finish the pair. I am going to attempt to return to the two unused skeins of Koigu, and count the one skein I knitted with as a total loss. I am at the point where I am to pick up stitches and add the heel, as well as evening out the points at the toe, and then of course pick up stitches there and add the toe. I see no point to wasting knitting time on a project that I won't/can't wear. Even if this hateful thing did fit, I like socks that stretch, not a modular prison for me feet.

To add insult to injury, I can't even frog the sock as each modular piece was knit individually by picking up stitches, and then cut. I have included a photo so that all may embrace the horror. Even my DMS told me the sock "is the ugliest thing she has ever seen, and it looks like a frog poncho". I have never seen a frog with a poncho, but to that I say, let the frogs have it then...

I Do Not Like Green Eggs and Ham, Alas I Might Be Sam I am...

As you might have guessed, I am not always the one in the crowd beating the drum for new things. I like things in my world, including my knitting, to be the way I know them. Change is for the wicked... The "comfort zone" is a big deal to me, and tonight I jumped out of the comfort zone with both feet because I do want to learn new things about knitting. This was the first knitting class for the modular socks. I think in reality they are called diamond patch socks. They are from a company called Heartland Knits. This was a hard class, and I have knit several pair of socks before. I am sore from my shoulders to my knees after knitting those little mitred squares of hate.






Being the person I am, I like to get to class early so I may select my seat, and not just sit anywhere that is left. I have all of my requisite items neatly on the table in front of me, and something to take notes with. However, I am never blessed with the people that slide sideways into the seat beside me being quite as prepared. They want to come in late, loud, and appear to have little or no knowledge of knitting. This was supposed to be an advanced knitting class, and I was afraid I would slow the class down as I am not an advanced knitter, but I could complete all the "you should know how to do this prior to taking this class" tasks, so I signed up. Most of the other gals were nice, but I always get the joy of sitting by the loud gals that don't get much done - except being loud. I am all for having a good time, and my agenda does not have to be theirs, but if their constant chatter is keeping me from hearing or concentrating, I should be able to poke them with a knitting needle. One of theirs preferrably, I am knitting with mine!

I am really not a grouch, I like to visit and laugh, but can some people have to take over the whole class with totally non-knitting projects, or at least not the one we have all paid to learn.

Now that I have gotten a good whine in, back to knitting. I am knitting the modular socks out of Koigu. Once I have significant progress, I will post the Koigu in all of its modular glory.