Back to Blogging!

I'm going to get back into the habit of blogging everyday about my fiber activity. I really find this a great way to look back at what I've accomplished. So I have 3 things to blog about today. The first one is my most recent completed spinning project. Back in April I took a space dyeing class with Leef Bloomenstiel from Apple Leef Farms at the DFW Fiberfest along with my friends Edee, Ellen and Karen. I chose Teal, Turquoise and Chestnut dyes. I had approximately 4 oz of fiber to dye.

Roving in dye pot.

After the class I took my fiber home and rinsed it out and let it dry on my fiber (sweater) dryer. I really thought the colors came out beautifully.

Roving after dyeing on drying rack.

When I spun this I first split it into 2 parts as equally as I could. I had 3 separate sections of roving and I split each section into 2. The I spun each "half" to a bobbin. As I spun it I alternated between the 3 sections that had different amounts of each color in them. Now, I really like a barber pole effect when I spin hand dyed roving, mine or anyone else's dye job. Its my preference. I have tried other methods of plying to keep the color changes closer together such as Navajo plying but I wanted to have as much yardage as possible from this.

Roving spun to fingerling weight.

So this is my final product. It is essentially fingerling weight although I can't find my WPI tool right now so I can't be certain. The colors are lovely and I believe this will make a beautiful final product. I have approximately 449 yards of this. I'll let you know what I'll be making. Right now I'm leaning toward socks.

The next subject is the hats I've knitted lately. I'm into hats right now and I had some yarn left over from a "stealth" project and decided to use Fair Isle technique to make a hat. I found my friend Carissa's hat pattern on Ravelry. Carissa has a blog called Carissa Knits and the hat pattern can be found, along with many, many other wonderful patterns, at Carissa Knits: Snowflake Hat. I used sport weight yarn and thought I figured my gauge correctly but should have knitted the hat in the large adult size as Carissa suggested. The small adult hat fits me but with my new longer, curly hair its not quite right. So I will probably make a larger one and give this one away. I also made a hat called Shroom from Knitty. Its also a free pattern on Knitty. Just search for Shroom hat. Here are pictures of them.

Snowflake hat 

Shroom!

In February of this year I attended the Fiber Retreat hosted by Mary Berry from Fancy Fibers Farm. One of the purchases I made there was 8 oz. of a wool/angora blend. This is 80% Merino top and 20% German Angora fiber. I personally pulled out the fiber, weighed it and gave it to Mary to blend for me on the drum carder. I decided to start spinning this next. My plan is to get a fingerling weight double or triple ply and make a shawl from it.

I'm also doing some "stealth" knitting but more about that later. Currently on the needles (OTN) is still my Stacey Shawl, a cardigan from my handspun brown tones fiber and SOCKS! lol... I recently organized my yarn/fiber stash. I found this sock kit that Edee and I had purchased from the Woolie Ewe  in Plano, TX a while ago. I decided to start knitting it. I'll post what I've done so far and then give you updates... I had to get 00 Addi DPN for this to get the gauge. While I was at the LYS I got 00 Addi lace 40" circulars for toe up two at at time socks cause a lot of times the 0 is too large.

Lorna's Laces in Tree Frog colorway

Isn't it pretty wound up?

Pattern

Cuff complete on first sock.

Today's progress so far. 

The pattern is actually very simple.  You do a grid pattern for the cuff which is very stretchy and then the first 8 rows set up the diagonal pattern and then its just a simple 2 row repeat for the leg. You do have separate instructions for left and right so the diagonal lace pattern goes opposite directions. There is a YO that makes the lace but you can't see it in the picture. I used Jenny's Stretchy Cast On since these are cuff down. It is really easy and really works. When I do toe up I use Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off to finish the cuff. This link is Cat Bordhi's explanation.

I actually talked about more than 3 things but I hope you don't mind. I'm going to try to post this on Facebook also so please be patient as I try to do that. There are several methods but I'm going to start with the simplest and see how it goes. One day I'll have a Facebook page for this stuff but I think that will wait for a while. I hope you like my updates on my progress. Your feedback is important to me. Let me know how I'm doing!

Michele

Seaside Shawlette Blocked

Yea! The Seaside Shawlette is done! I'm very happy with how this came out. Its lovely and soft and a perfect weight for a lightweight cover when sitting in the evenings and knitting. It will also be a perfect wrap for going to a restaurant in the summer when you have summer tops on and they have the air conditioning blasting away! It folds up very nice and compact so its easy to carry along. It was easier than I first thought it would be and makes a great stay at home project. It takes a bit more concentration to keep your place in the charts. I think I will be making more shawls in the future. I used less than 1 skein of Schaefer Anne yarn in the Bay Leaf, Sage and Rosemary colorway and Wendy Johnson's pattern Seaside Shawlette. I haven't weighed the left over yarn but it feels like about half. I'm going to see if I have enough left to make socks.

Yea! My Seaside Shawlette is done!

Ok, so its not completely done, but it is bound off the needles. Its lovely. I have to find my pins for blocking. It did take me a lot longer to do that I anticipated but I had 3 long breaks while knitting it. But once I got moved and unpacked I zipped through the last chart. I really loved knitting this but I had to do it at home. Sometimes even the TV distracted me enough to make mistakes but it wasn't really that hard. I'll post again once I have it washed and blocked. Can't wait to wear it!

Shawl and Sock Update

I figured I better get an update on here. Here is a new picture of my shawl in progress. Its coming right along. I've completed Chart A and will be starting Chart B. I estimate its about 60% complete as I only do Chart B and C once where I repeated Chart A 3 times.

I'm also updating you on my Diamond Chain socks. I'm really happy with the look of the pattern. This yarn really shows it off. I've learned alot about yarn/pattern choice. I think I will save the lace patterns for smoother yarn as it really shows up better. The fuzzy yarns I'll do a simpler pattern like Wilma Beckers Waffle Stitch pattern. It make a lovely texture. On a side note while I was waiting for my car inspection to be done yesterday I pulled out these socks to pass the time. I had quite an audience in the waiting area.

Knit Olympics Shawl Update

Ok, a quick post to show my progress. It may not look like much but if you look close you can see the white string running through as the lifeline. In the last picture the string was several rows lower so I think I've done about 20 rows since the last picture. I'm going to visit Katie next week in Bosser City and will have time to work on it while everyone is in school and work so I still hope to be in Gold Medal contention. For those of you who don't know, Gold Medal is completed by the closing ceremonies.

Completed Crocus Toe Up Socks!

Ok, done with these socks! They are incredibly soft and comfy since they are made from 100% Alpaca fiber. I love the color pattern. I used Wilma Becker's pattern but dropped down a size on the needles to get a tighter fit since the stitch count was set for the pattern. This is my first attempt at any lace pattern and I really liked it. I may try a shawl soon since I do have several fingerling weight sock yarns in my stash. I'm trying to decide what to cast on next. I think I need a light color yarn for a change so its easier to see. I'll keep you posted.

Alpaca Crocus Toe Up Socks

Time to update everyone on the socks currently on the needle. This is lovely sock yarn, 100% Alpaca yarn and the pattern is a treat. Its by Wilma Becker from my Sock Toe Up yahoo group. I made the toe a bit more narrow rather than rounded and it feels better. I also went down a needle size as the pattern calls for specific number of stitches and I wanted the socks to be a bit more snug. I'm pretty happy with these and the stitch pattern is quite easy. It was a way to ease into lace.

Booby Socks Finished!!!

I know, everyone laughs when I say Booby Socks, but they are supposed to make you laugh. :) They are so cute. It did take me a while to get these done since they have so much pattern in them but I did have fun with them. I especially liked the star toe for the decreases. It was easy and no

Kitchener Stitch at the end. However, I've never really had a problem with the Kitchener Stitch. Just don't interrupt me while I'm doing it!

I will be casting on two new pair in a few days. One will be with Alpaca Sox yarn using a pattern called Crocus Toe Up socks by my fav designer Wilma. I'll also be casting on with one of my other sock yarns yet to be determined for another of Wilma's patterns called Diamond Chains. I'll post pics of that when I get them started.

OTN now is Paton's Classic Wool in camo colors for another ribbed cap for my grandsons. They work up fast so I'll get them done quickly. Katie has also asked for a scarf out of the rest of the yarn I spun for her hat. I'll post pics of those when they are farther along too.

Chili Socks Done!

I finished another pair of socks tonight. 10 days start to finish. Not bad huh? This is my 2nd pair using this Serenity sock yarn. Since it has bamboo as well as nylon and merino wool they are very soft and silky. I love these socks. I'm going to go backwards from the Paprika socks and try making Katie a pair of pedicure socks out of the leftovers of these... But I will try making hers "toe" up in case I run out of yarn. Gotta finish the Booby Socks before starting any new socks.

Waffle Stitch Socks

Since the Booby Socks are nearing the finish line I've started my next pair. I'm using Serenity sock yarn, the same yarn as Katie's Pedicure Socks are made from. I loved knitting with that yarn and it feels lovely on the feet. I got 2 skeins in the Chili colorway. I cast on last night using Judy Becker's Magic Cast on which you can find a demonstration by Cat Bordhi. Its my favorite cast on for toe up socks. I'm going to use a pattern from Wilma in my SocksToeUp Yahoo group called Waffle Stitch Toe Up Socks. I wanted to do some pattern but nothing too complicated since the self striping yarn would not show anything too complex. These should knit up fast as I am using size 2 needles. I used size 3 needles with the last pair and would like to have a tighter fabric.

I also wanted to show off my new project bag from Blue Tulips. I love these bags and she makes them for me with a divider so I can keep my 2 balls of yarn separate. While I'm knitting I fold down the top of the bag and lay it on its side with the balls side by side to keep me from tangling up my yarn while knitting 2 socks at a time. It reminds me to turn back and forth not around and around..... I love the sheep fabric. I had ordered one with that fabric to use as part of my gift exchange for the spinning guild.
I now have 3 of these bags, 2 smaller ones and one a bit larger. I think I may ask her if she can make one for me in the larger size that does not have a divider but has a plastic liner. In all her bags she puts a plastic pocket on the side. It would make a great bag to carry fiber in for spinning when going to meetings. It would look much nicer than a plastic zip loc bag! That would be perfect! If so, I will be sure to post a picture of it.

Car Coat

I finally got around to getting Anthony to take some pictures of me with my car coat. I finished this project in the spring but was at a loss on how to block such big pieces. Finally in September I found some of those interlocking play mats at Sam's Club and used them. That gave me the surface to lay some towels on and then to pin the garment down. Anthony had given me the yarn and pattern for Christmas last year and I started it right after New Years. I used Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes bulky yarn in the Hazelnut color with size 10.5 needles. I used the interchangable circular needles with the 32" cable on the needles. This is a Knit Picks pattern. This is the biggest and most complicated knitting project I have done so far. It taught me a lot about following patterns and charts. After it was dry and blocked I had to wait for cold weather to try it out. Believe me, its not suitable for wearing in Texas even in October! Now that we have had some cold weather I have worn it several times and I love it! Its warm and soft and really comfortable. It is even a good fit although its very forgiving with the pattern. Its a chevron pattern that acts like ribbing as far as stretchiness. I'm really, really happy with it although I think I'll stick to socks and other smaller things for now.

Booby Sock Update

Time for an update on my Booby Socks! I have knitted all the leg and have turned the heel. In these pictures I have picked up gusset stitches on one side of one sock. It should go pretty quickly now. I really love them and think I will be wearing them often.

I also had a great time on Saturday at the Song and Dance Ranch Fiber Gab. We had a demonstration on hand carding and I took home some wonderful alpaca fiber. I have spun nearly a full bobbin and still have tons left! I hope to make a pair of socks from it. I have some brown and some white alpaca to wash so I'll get it done and ready to spin also. That way I can use the white for the toes and heels and if the other brown is different color I can put some stripes in.

On Sunday we had our gift exchange at the North Texas Weavers and Spinners Guild meeting. We had wonderful fellowship, food and gift giving. The violence from gift theiving was kept to a minimum with only a couple of thefts. I chose my gift based on the packaging. It was in a wine tube and I had been reading about how they make good spindle carriers for your drop spindle. Since I want to start using my drop spindle again I thought that was a good gift to choose. In the container was this lovely hat knitted by Laura Easterling. It was a great meeting, I always have such a good time.

In case I don't post again before, Merry Christmas to all my friends and family and a Happy, Happy New Year. I for one am really looking forward to the new year, may it be a happy one! I love you all, thanks for your never ending support.

Autumn Prairie Roving into Yarn!

A couple of months ago I saw this roving on Etsy at Laughing Rat Studios and fell in love with the depth of colors and the vibrancy of them. When it came in the mail and I opened the package I literally gasp out loud. The colors were even more lovely than on the computer. I knew I wanted to try to spin thin enough to have enough yarn for socks so I set out to spin very thin and I managed to get pretty thin. Then due to the hand painted dye I decided to learn to

Navajo Ply which makes a triple ply yarn out of one single. It allows you to keep color changes together. For the most part I did pretty well with the color changes and don't have too much that is barber poled. Overall I'm very happy with the resulting yarn. I'll let you know how the socks turn out!

Update on Christmas Stockings and Katie's Afghan

I have one stocking finished and has been approved by Katie so I cast on last night for the 2nd one. If I'm quick I should be able to get it to her before Christmas. I've included 2 pictures of the progress as well as a completed one. I realized when I was knitting the swatch to test that I had yarn that was too thin for the pattern so I experimented with 2 strands held together. Since I had a skein each of red and green I used that. I liked the look so I sent a picture to Katie to make sure she liked it. The resulting pattern was very nice and definitely Christmas! Since this was my first experiment with felting I wasn't sure what to expect but it really went very well. I put the stocking in the washer with towels and hot water. It took about 10-15 minutes to felt to the point I was happy with it.

I also have an update on Katie's Afghan. I really wasn't that happy with the yarn I had found because it was so rough. Even if it was for an afghan, it was still rough. So when Anthony and I were at Michaels before Thanksgiving we found this other Red Heart yarn that had much more beautiful colors as well as being very soft. Because the color changes are closer and more varied you get a much nicer looking pattern. This will make a lovely throw. We found the coordinating colors as shown in the picture, 2 shades of blue and 2 shades of brown. So I will crochet it all up into hexagons and we will see how the pattern forms. No idea yet on how we will arrange the squares but I believe it will be lovely.

Sock Update

Ok, I've been working on 2 sock projects as you know. My brother's socks that will be done in time for Christmas are coming along nicely. I just have about 5 miles of foot to knit and then finish the toes..... Well, maybe not 5 miles, thats a bit unfair. Its not that he has large feet, its just that mine are so small that it makes his seem huge!. Anyway, here are a couple of pictures of the progress. Its hard to see the heel turn so I took a close up.
Looking good huh? I may just have enough yarn left over to make a short scarf also. Not sure yet but if so it will be one where you have a slit in it to tuck one end through.

Ok, now mine are coming along nicely too. I am knitting mine toe up since I'm using left over yarn from Katie's pedicure socks. I've turned the heel and am knitting up the leg. I think I will end up with about 3" in the leg which on me is plenty long enough. I don't really like tall socks anyway.

My next projects are going to be felted Christmas stockings for Dax and Katie. I'm thinking of trying some needle felting with some white roving after the stockings are felted to put names on it. I've never done this before but have always wanted to try. Should be interesting. I also have yarn for an afgan for Katie as well as socks for Seth and Dakota. I also have several spinning projects going. I've finished spinning and plying some of my mohair as well as the hand painted roving I got for socks. I'll post pictures of those projects when they are washed and dried.

Lazy Kate

No, I'm not talking about my daughter (sorry Katie) I'm talking about my new Lazy Katie that Anthony made for me today. We only had to purchase the pegs and dowel. Other than that we used scrap lumber that we had here.

I had 3 bobbins of mohair I had spun and wanted to ply them together. My Lazy Kate on my spinning wheel has a built in Lazy Kate but it only holds 2 bobbins. I was going to make something temporary but after showing Anthony on line what I needed he put it together for me.
The secret of this is the tension string. It works like the Scotch tension on my spinning wheel. It allows the plying head to pull the yarn as it plies.

I'm getting a lovely tweedy looking yarn. I'm hoping to have enough to knit a shrug for Katie. 100% mohair is a bit scratchy close to the skin but I'm thinking this over a shirt will be ok. I think the yarn is beautiful and my Lazy Kate is perfect!