Krafty Koala

Still Alive

2008-08-20T12:49:00.003-04:00

okay, the reason for my absence? Computer issues. I have not been able to access blogger on my computer. We'll see if it holds out. I have worked on lots of things in my absence, socks, a few sweaters for the kids (they're much smaller), spinning and weaving. I'll get pictures of the current stuff as I work on them (and if the access holds out).

August Already

2007-08-05T15:59:00.000-04:00

It's been a little while, it's been hot and when it's hot I don't really like to sit by the computer that much. I have even been spinning right in front of the A/C. The past couple of days have been wonderful (it's 64 F at 3 pm) and I feel human again. I hve also had some computer issues that I thought were blogger's fault, but were actually the computer's.

I have been a little on the down side as the summer is winding down, school starts the 23rd and I don't feel like I have accomplished much this summer. My goals I think have always been the same since I can remember: completely clean and organize my house and lose 20 pounds. It seems that I never get those two things done.

I have finished a runner from the loom for a wedding gift:

This project used Maysville Carpet Warp set at 24 epi with cotton fabric as weft. I am pretty pleased with the outcome and there are actually two runners that came off this warp. Warp take-up was a little more than I am used to and I think I am going to need to consider a longer warping board. I am happy with this project.

One the loom next:

The former sewing room needs some rugs to cover the white berber that has a lot of stains. This stuff is glued down good. What a good excuse for me to make rag rugs right? The two balls of brown are some sheets that we Teddy Grahams. We have many sheet sets that aren't used, so I thought they would be better off as rugs. The walls in the room they are going in are a wonderful chocolate brown. I am a little jealous of the color actually, the thought of repainting our bedroom did cross my mind. ..

Tofutsies

2007-07-11T14:31:00.000-04:00

I needed a brainless propject. Socks are good. I needed something more brainless than dishclothes. I got out the new skein of Tofutsies from SWTC and cast on.

I have not decided if I like this yarn or not. It doesn't feel like yarn. It's like I am knitting with floss. It is also pretty fine, so I am on zero needles and it is taking forever. I started out with a K2P2 ribbing, but I ripped it--it was taking too long. Me thinks that if I continue, these might be anklets. Anyone else knit with this?

2007-07-09T18:46:00.000-04:00

I tried to add a title, but Blogger said no way today. Hence, no title.

I am in the process of learning about the loom. I tried to make a dishcloth using the same cotton I used with the rigid heddle. Mistake. It is three plies of 16/2 cotton. It wasn't a problem until the reed was threaded with two of those per dent. That makes 6 16/2 pieces through each dent in a 12 dent reed. The plies are not bound together in anyway. Plies got seperated and threaded in the wrong heddle and it was total mess. Me thinks that a 15 dent reed with one of these will make great dishtowels and LYS sells this stuff dirt cheap. They also mix the three colors and it looks cool. This is sold mainly for machine knitting.

Second try was a twill threading of the above yarn, 1 per dent. Not too bad, a few mistakes.

Knitting has been happening as well. This is the cloche from Lace Knits. Yarn is from Plymouth, it is alpaca and oh so soft. This is a gift for an Aunt recovering from chemo treatments. I like the pattern better in person, I did buy more yarn to make another one. It looks much better in person than in the book. It wasn't until I saw it in my not so LYS that I wanted to make it.

The Aunt also needs a pair of socks. These are Mountain Colors superwash. She is also diabetic, so I chose to go with a ribbed pattern all the way having never made her a pair of socks before.

Room Reveal (Sort of)

2007-06-25T10:55:00.000-04:00

There are few things in life that neccesitate complete room re-dos. The ones that come to my mind are babies and floor looms. Yes, I acquired a floor room and had to rearrange most of the house to accomodate it. The bright side is that now I have my own fiber studio. The down side is that I can't find room in it for everything. Strange, I thought this room was much bigger when I started....

I am still in the organizing stages and finalizing some stuff, so perhaps I will put a few pics up when that happens.

But what about the loom you might ask. I think I will name the loom Red because that was the color I became while waiting for it. I went to a surplus auction and waited all day long with the other fiber junkies for our chance. The university stopped offering weaving classes several years ago and were getting rid of the looms. I know, it is a crime. This particular loom is a 4 shaft, 36" weaving width. I am not positive on the brand as there is no label. I think it may be a Kessenich. I have cleaned it up and need to do a little lubrication. Of course I also need to decide on a project to weave.

2007-06-19T14:41:00.001-04:00

Time for a room re-do. One day I will count how many rooms we have in our house and how many have been redone. I forgot to take pictures of what the room looked like as our current guest room. I only remembered to take a few pics after most everything had been moved out.

We pulled up the carpeting and found a little surprise:

It's a little pleasant surprise. It is destined for a new coat of paint. This may shock some but perhaps one day I will refinish it. It is pine plank. I think it may have been varnished, but I can't tell for sure. I don't have the time or energy for a flooring refinish at the moment. Besides, the modern layers come right off, it's those that are closer to the 100 year mark that are hard to remove. The paint I picked out is called Mt. Olive and I think that it might look cool having the scuffs showing the creme color underneath.

So what is the reason for all this effort? All shall be revealed when the time is right.

Three Little Kittens

2007-06-06T18:57:00.000-04:00

Here are my Latvian-esque mittens that I finished the last day of May. I am hoping to get some mittens and socks done this summer--they are good to take to the pool and while shuttling the kids around. These were based on the child's mittens in Latvian Mittens. I did modify the thumb opening to put it on the side, which happens to be my preference. I really enjoyed the loop and the braid stitches. I am hoping these will fit the recently turned 4-yr-old when it comes time for fall. She did try to wear them to the store already this summer, so she does like them. My goal (I have two years) is to make mittens for the daycare workers who have been steady fixtures in my children's lives.

She is the reason for the title of the post, the nursery rhyme is one of her current song favorites. She emphasizes the 't' in the words and is ever so cute when the kittens cry. Instead of soiling the mittens, in her version the kittens have sold their mittens.

yarn: KnitPicks Palette in petal and black

needles: Clover Bamboo 1 dpns

My New Rug

2007-06-04T22:59:00.001-04:00

We took a mini-vacation to Sioux Falls this weekend for a pharmacy convention. I was able to download the kids on my SIL for awhile and make a trip downtown to Warp and Weft. This is a rug store where the owner brings back the rugs from Turkey twice a year to sell in the shop. He was in the Twin Cities picking up a shipment when I was there, so I didn't get to meet him, but I am told he is very knowledgeable and a hoot to boot. I have been wanting to go there for a couple of years after reading an article about the store in the newspaper, but have never had the chance. Since taking the tapestry class and even before, I have been doing a lot of reading about different styles of tapetry weaving. I have never had the chance to view handwoven rugs before, so this was a real treat for me.

The lady who was working was very helpful and kind to a begining weaver who wanted to study real rugs, rather than just pictures. I think the thing I enjoyed the most was the variation in color. This was also my first chance to see knotted pile--not mechanical rugs. The most amazing thing I saw was an antique silk knotted pile Persian rug. It was so amazing, I have never seen anything like that before. Since seeing this, I have been thinking when does craft become art? I used to paint a lot as a young adult and was very talented at it. Many wondered why I chose to enter the field of science instead of art (I find myself asking myself this now as well). Since begining to dive into the fiber arts, my father hasn't been real excited (it got better when I started spinning and dyeing). He has often asked why I don't go back to painting. I am looking forward to working with tapestry this summer.

Oh yes, back to the rug. I did buy a rug, I really liked the colors. My husband actually questioned whether or not it was indeed from Turkey. When I repsonded that is was, he said he thought it looked to Southwest to be from that area of the world.

What Could This Mean??

2007-05-25T14:58:00.001-04:00

Clean desk and clean room, this means I am done baby! School's out for summer! I just have to wait 30 minutes before check-out starts. Work on a sock and catch up on some blog reading until that happens. Grades are done, reports are done, dishes are done (chemistry teachers always have dishes) and personal belongings are put away for the summer.

Now I have just have to go home and clean the house madly before the folks get here in about 6 hours.....

Fleece to Shawl Beginings

2007-05-24T09:11:00.000-04:00

Preparations have begun for my first Fleece to Shawl competition. We are allowed to start with a washed/dyed fleece--does not have to be sheared on location. This weekend I aquired a sample of the fleece and proceeded to take it for a "test drive". Our fleece is from a border leister cross and was quite kinky, which I just love.

Here we are after washing:

Now after handcarding:

And finally the washed two-ply yarn. This is about a dk weight. We will be weaving so this will be the weft and close to the warp as well.

Now comes the hard part, trying to decide on an color for the accent yarn. I am thinking perhaps a jade green, cobalt blue and a copper. If you have suggestions, please share.

Sock Hop Rounduo

2007-05-08T10:47:00.000-04:00

One the left we have one pound (photo is slightly cutoff) of The Beat Goes On and on the right is one pound of Love Me Tender. I cannot believe the transformation they have undergone since arriving on my doorstep as rovings. At first I didn't like Beat at all, but I really like the yarn. I thought that Love Me would be perfect for school stuff as it was purple and gold. Funny, there was a lot of blue in there too that I didn't even notice until spun. I would have also never pictured these two yarns together at all, they actually look nice next to each other. I will get them packaged up tonight to send off to Teyani so that some lucky knitter can transform them even further!

Teacher Appreciation Day/Week

2007-05-07T12:01:00.000-04:00

Spawn's 3rd grade teacher likes monkeys. He wanted me to knit her a monkey. I usually knit something for his teacher eeach year and we give it during this week. The monkey isn't real big, about 6 inches. We have used up stash yarns here, Bev's Bear from Brown Sheep and some alpaca boucle without a label for the contrast. The pattern was an adaptation of the pattern in Quick Knitted Gifts. In the end, I think he turned out pretty cute. I tried to knit him a little stocking hat, but that just didn't look right. It ended up looked like a rolled up condom.

Oh yes, don't forget high school teachers either this week. We like candy.

Me Sooo Naughty!

2007-05-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

Knit Picks catalog and two books. No good can come from this......

17 Days!

2007-05-03T15:11:00.000-04:00

It has been a rough year. It is hard to teach kids the responsibility and skills that they will need to become productive members of society when those above you seem to have other ideas. There is a change in the guard coming, so there is hope. Don't get me wrong, I do love working with the students, but those above have become more of a hinderance than a help.

As the year winds down, here is the view around my desk:

Notice the yarn cakes around my desk? I have two socks that I have been working on while doing my photocopying etc. They are both at a measuring stage and I keep forgetting the mates. There is also a skein of black/rainbow Trekking around too. I found that I like to have some on my desk, it just feels a little more "homey".

Weaving Weekend VIII

2007-04-30T09:37:00.000-04:00

I forgot the digital camera until about halfway to Groton, so I had to wait until I returned home for a picture. Weaving weekend is sponsored by the Prairie Fiber Arts Guild, but weaving isn't the only thing going on. Lots of spinning, knitting and eating of course. This year's course was on tapestry weaving taught by Torrie Hannah.

I kept to my vow to use up some yarn in the stash and was sorely tempted when our instructor brought the Kareoke she was using. Nice single yarn, but was using the variagated colors so that one skein would be many different colors and they all went so nicely together. Not sure how I feel about tapestry weaving on the whole yet. I haven't finished.

The weather was so nice that I wished I had the wheel with me so I could just sit outside and spin. I did get some knitting done on Friday night though. Lots of talking, some folks from Knitter's Magazine were there and they always have interesting stories about the world of knitting and traveling.

P/T Conferences

2007-04-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Spring conferences at the senior high level are usually pretty quiet during the fourth quarter. It was raining and there were other events, I also have mostly juniors and seniors. As usual, it is the parents whose children are doing well that come to conferences, not the parents who have have been sending notes/emails home and asking their kids to come in and get extra help/turn assignments in. Some read during downtime, some gradepapers, some surf the internet. I knit. I can put down knitting right away, I don't get so lost in my own world that I won't notice when someone sits down at my table. This was a summary of my evening:

A cheery bright sock for spring. This Trekking (I think), the band ball has disappeared on my desk at home. I hope to find it again someday.

81% Finished

2007-04-24T09:03:00.000-04:00

Well, that's what the news said today as far as lambing goes. I have two gifts to present:

This is Teyani's American Pie. Depending on the light the purple and blue change a little.

Say A Little Prayer is the colorway. Also from Crown Mountain Fibers. These were worked on over Easter when I couldn't take the wheel with me. I have finished And the Beat Goes On and am currently working on Love Me Tender, both in 1 pound batches. Working this large of batch has been interesting. I think I have got it down now. Will share more later. I hurt my wrist--I can knit and spin, but I can't type or wind skeins.

SSS

2007-04-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

It's time once again for second-sock-syndrome. I really don't think it will take that long to get the second one done, once I get some time to actually get it started--those darn baby gifts!!

This is American Pie from Crown Mountain Fibers in a modified old-shale pattern. The modification?? I forgot the purl row and knit it instead. Oops. Looks good though. Easy pattern and I think it looks fab with the stripiness in the yarn. Teyani rocks!! These are for me and I can't wait to get the other done.

Post Easter Post

2007-04-11T19:48:00.000-04:00

Did get some knitting done over the Easter holiday. But we have another baby gift first. This one is in the Wild Thing colorway from Crown Mountain Farms.

It's Hatching Time

2007-04-04T10:11:00.000-04:00

More baby gifts! The hat on the right has been posted before, but the socks weren't finished. I didn't have enough yarn to do socks for the other hat. They are part of the same skein which was a handspun/dyed merino I made for a scarf. The hat on the left is for a boy whose mom my husband doesn't know as much, so they just get a hat. The pink on is for a girl that he knows better.

Introducing...

2007-04-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

This is George and Gracie. They just came in the mail on Friday. They are actually for work and not home use. I usually have two in my classroom, but one was stolen earlier in the year. The older model was actually smaller and all black including a black pan which blended in too nicely on black lab counters. Me and my chickens tend to forget to put the balances away at night and they were just small enough to slide into a backpack. The new ones are larger and will stand out a little more on the counters. There are those on the market that have a feature that will allow you to lock the balance to something. The problem is that those ones cost about 4x as much. Let's see, public school.... it's cheaper just to buy a new one every year. So, I was left with one balance and it met an untimely death last week when a student moved the cord to plug in their laptop. Student tripped over cord and there went my balance. Again, cheaper to buy new (and faster) than get the old one fixed.

So why are they named? It is important to use the same balance for the duration of an experiment. If I remember to put the balances away at night during a two-day experiment, I need to know which one is which. Not sure if the act of moving the balances negates this idea or not. George and Gracie sounds much better than A and B. I even had fun making the labels and learned how easy cropping can be with a tablet PC.

George and Gracie came from HBI Technologies, which is wholesale only, but they do have links to authorized sellers online. Both measure to 0.01 g and cost less than $100/each.

Spin-Spin-Spin

2007-04-02T13:52:00.000-04:00

So what has been occuping my time? Spinning. This is one pound of The Beat Goes On from Crown Mountain Farms. I am now in the process of plying. I wind my bobbins off into a center pull ball and ply from it. I feel like I have more control over it and it is more comfortable for me. I have problems with the singles getting caught on the bobbins with the built-in lazy kate that my Traveller has.

I have also solved the problem with the digital camera. Crappy batteries! I had put new batteries in before, but this time I put a different brand in (not the dollar store ones) and have results. Below is a Respect from Crown Mountain Farms. I love it!

I Need Answers!!

2007-03-23T22:07:00.000-04:00

Does anyone have a jumbo flyer for an Ashford Traveler Single Drive? I just ordered and received one and am a little confused. I think it is making my yarn fuzzy after it passes through the oriface. I tried to take a picture and my camera won't cooperate. Argh. I am trying to spin singles for a sock weight yarn and it keeps snapping it after it has passed through the hooks. I can't find any rough spots after the oriface.

Really interested in hearing about other people's experience with the jumbo flyer. I have always loved my Ashford and am starting to do some production spinning and thought the jumbo would be nice.

Grandma's Scarf

2007-03-21T10:33:00.000-04:00

Another one of Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf. This one was completed a little while back, but needs to be sent this week. It is handspun that I bought out of curiousity. There were a number of different colors in the roving, and I wanted to know how all the colors would blend up. I think it is "green" from The Woolery. I spun it directly from the roving, no predrafting. This is a little thicker than my normal yarn, this is close to a worsted-two ply.

A little close-up. I am suddenly having problems with the digital camera. Not sure what it's issue is. I hope Grandma likes it. The weather is starting to turn around here--it's 41 F this morning--where are my Bermudas?

Happy Belated St. Patty's Day!

2007-03-18T16:33:00.000-04:00

Green for St. Patty's Day. This is Say A Little Prayer from Crown Mountain Fibers. It is really pretty. I want to see how it Fair Isles with Respect, which is yellow.

Stick It To Me

2007-03-16T13:42:00.000-04:00

I have only lived in here for five or six years and I have never hung pictures up. Bad Mommy. I tend to organize/clean/rearrange when home for long periods of time and during Spring Break I decided that now was the time to get those pictures hung. 15+ frames later I have a decorated stairwell. Best part is there are only three nails involved. All the pictures excet the two largest are hung with Command Strips. These are so awesome!!! They are especially wonderful for 100+ year old plaster walls.

For those of you wanting knitting content here it is:

Finished Jaywalkers. There are two, I only photgraphed one. I like the way the pattern changes the look of the SimpleStripes from KnitPicks. These were an earl birthday present for my SIL who frequently works at one of those gas booths where her feet get a little chilly.

Chemo Cap

2007-03-12T17:33:00.000-04:00

This is my son modeling a chemo cap for his great-aunt. This is a variation on the Old Shale pattern, no purl row--all are knit rows. She has a small head and we thought that a silk-merino blend and a lace pattern might be more of an all season hat. This was made with handspun left-over from the now cursed wedding shawl. This yarn remains one of my favorites.

Friday = Feet

2007-03-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

Another baby gift. I used some leftover Sock Garden yarn from KnitPicks in Pansey for the socks. Very, very sock. Felts good too. The hat is a merino yarn of an unknown brand bought on clearance a long time ago, but also very soft. The texture is similar to Karabella Aurora 8. The pattern is from the Green Mountain Spinnery book, which is one of my favorite pattern books. I like the mismatched look. Besides, I have lots of extra sock yarn.

Thursday = Toasty

2007-03-08T10:05:00.000-05:00

I mentioned that I have yet to post about my new scarf due to an unflattering picture of myself. Here it is hanging on the wall at work:

This is handspun merino, a little thicker than my normal yarn, about a sport-worsted weight. I dyed/plied a little differently to have the stripe progression. The pattern is Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf that I have made a couple of times. Very pleased with the scarf, it is soft and stretchy and warm. I also learned a little about dying in the process. You see this fiber was dyed with the same colors as I used to dye the yarn for my mittens.

Another version of the Nordic Mittens from IWK 2004. These have had a little wear lately and are a little fizzy and felted. I used KnitPicks Bare that I dyed with either RIT or Cushings dye. This yarn felts very easily, but it is so soft and cushy. I love wearing my mittens. So, what did I learn about dying? Several people have told me that they don't match.

Wee Wednesday

2007-03-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

It is spring time. That means babies. At least where the spouse works. He informed me that he needs six baby gifts. He has been informed that the recipients expect hats or socks. I finished one during the blizzard.

This is merino handspun that I used for a scarf that I haven't posted about yet. I like the rolled brim on baby hats, cute and very smart for fit.

Tuesday = Tableware

2007-03-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

I got some stuff finished on the loom over the extended weekend due to the blizzard. First up is a tablerunner made of 1" cotton fabric that was in a toile pattern. It is destined as a runner for my new table when it finally arrives. It's hard to take pictures of long runners.

This runner is about 48" in length and 16" in width. Warp is 10/20 cotton trippled set at 12 epi.

Here is a close-up, to show texture.

I like to use fabric for runners and also for rugs. The one inch strips and the 12 epi creates a material that is not to thick to use as on the table. I manually beat the strips to compress the fabric as much as possible.

This mat is about 22". I should have made it longer. It was an experinment using Lily Peaches n Cream Cotton. It is a thicker yarn that is very durable and very cheap. I have always liked all the different colors it comes in. I am also just now noticing that I cut about 1/4 of the mat out of the picture. Imagine another blue stripe. Originally I was thinking of giving it to our neighbors as a thank you for snow blowing our sidewal during the last snow storm, but I don't think it is long enough. Here is a close-up:

I am pleased with the weight and texture of this. Definitely a do-again. The variegated yarn adds interest, but it isn't something that someone might consider "too pretty" to use for every day use. That happens to me a lot with gifts. I even made a proto-type placemat to match my dining room. I ran out of warp though and only finished one. Have to decide if I want to do the others with a matching warp.

Blizzard Blues

2007-03-04T16:58:00.000-05:00

So what did I accomplish during the blizzard? Well, lots of knitting and spinning, games, cleaning, IMing, movies and eating. Here was the view out my back door when all was said and done:

I think that I will post about the stuff I have been working on a little bit at a time instead of all at once. Now today it is 33 degrees F out and I have about 22 inches of snow in my yard. Great.

Early Out

2007-03-01T14:03:00.000-05:00

We had a surprise early out today due to weather. I passed the time (while yelling at hyper-active children) by clearing up some older bobbins to prepare a new sweater. This particular batch of merino was spun smaller than I remembered to my pleasant surprise and I think I have a project in mind for it, but might have to spin some more, there wasn't a whole lot on the bobbin.

I know I am a tight plyer, but I have never had this happen to me before. This is a two-yard skein after being taken off the niddy-noddy.

Gift Mitts

2007-02-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

These are the Wine and Roses Mitts from the Fall 2006 IWK. They were knit with some early handspun wool and navajo-plied. They were a fast knit on size 2 dpns with the lace, but if I do them again (which I might) I think 1's would fit my hands better. A little lose for my taste. They are destined to my brother's wife who has RA.

Argh.

2007-02-18T22:08:00.000-05:00

Well, I am happy with it, but it isn't quite big enough. I think my family has larger heads. Would prefer to do with fingering weight and size 2's. Will have to adjust pattern to fit adult size. It really is too small for the spawn, so I think it will go to a coworkers grandson. I would also add another row of the pirates. This one was done as written and its a little small for my 3 yr old. Very popular though, several family members want one.

Don't Quit Your Day Job

2007-02-17T18:05:00.000-05:00

I am working my way through American Pie from Crown Mountain Fibers and loving every minute of it! Spinning this is absolute pleasure and I don't seem to tire of the way the colors are constantly changing and striping. What's in store for this roving? Who knows. I think I could become addicted to this stuff!

Hide the Rum!

2007-02-08T10:11:00.000-05:00

Finished are my Pirate mittens from helloyarn.com. These were done in a dyed yarn from KnitPicks, but it was more a fingering weight than the sport weight called for in the pattern. A little felting did help to make them a little more on the dense side. They were fun, I have several requests from family members for ones. This is going to involve adapting the pattern for an adult size as the beggars were all adults. I think it's a little easier to adjust gauge on a hat than mittens with the larger number of stiches.

The girl loves the new mittens. Pink pirate mittens--who could blame her?

Stewed Tomatoes

2007-01-30T21:07:00.000-05:00

This scarf has a story. A story so ridiculous, that I can't do it justice here in blogland. You can't see how ridiculous I looked hauling this fleece in my leaf-filled backyard and then dropping it as it was larger than me. You didn't see how it looked like I had some strange creature in my backyard as the fleece dried on my chaise lounges, and then get snowed on. You didn't see me try to wash the fleece in my kids old sandbox and dump the water out only to give up and try doing it on the picnic table with the hose. You didn't see the washing machine full of grime after the 5th washing. But you can see the finished object of the picking, picking, washing, picking, carding, dying, spinning and knitting. One completed scarf. The fiber is actually Columbian, very soft, except for all the dirt in it. The sheep didn't get their usual sheering time due to the drought. My MIL promises me that the next batch will be cleaner. She promised.

My SIL and I named this colorway stewed tomatoes as that is exactly what it looks like. It was a gift for my FIL for Christmas. He can wear it and think of me while he is feeding the sheep. Maybe the occasional remaining pokey will serve as a reminder to keep my sheep clean.

There is still another fleece in the garage, untouched. Ho hum.

Down to the Line!

2007-01-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

I had given up on being able to submit something to the Red Scarf Project for this year. I connected to this project becuase of the death of my mother at the end of my freshman year in college. My mailbox was never the same after that. I had been working on a cotton accent scarf that was using a painted red warp and solid red weft. It just wasn't meant to be as it was taking me forever to finish it and ultimately the preschooler took the scissors to the warp. I guess she was trying to tell me something. I went to SnB last week (about 45 minutes away) and was inspired by the scarves the shop owner had been weaving out of novelty yarns. Open new life for these yarns for me! They had left a bad taste in my mouth after all the scarves. It intrigued me how the appearance and texture changed with weaving vs. knitting.

The warp yarns are 2 skeins of FurReal by Southwest Trading Co., Incredible ribbon yarn from Lion, and some generic black mohair. Weft is RedHeart (gulp) Plush, which is a loopy yarn, and I really like this yarn. I know, I know. Not only did I get one scarf finished, I got TWO done!!

Anyway, I did happen to stop at my LYS, which specializes in man-made fibers and a whole bunch of ribbon yarn was marked down to $3.00/ball. I stocked up. Does it count as stash enrichment if you are purchasing to help you get rid of what's in your stash? I thought not.

Tuesday = Toes

2007-01-23T10:14:00.000-05:00

Socks! These are both done with a mix of dyes--Cushings and RIT. The yarn is KnitPicks Bare, which is a warm, soft yarn. It has no nylon, but I kinda like the felting on the bottom a bit. I had some problems with all of my socks and pilling, but my sweater stone worked miracles! All the people who get handknits from me got one as part of their gift at Christmas.

The bottom pair was for MIL. The top pair ended up for me. I wish the stripes would have been smaller, but it was my first. Both were done with preknitted blanks. Below is a close-up:

Monday Mittens

2007-01-22T20:24:00.000-05:00

These were finished awhile back, but the cord for my camera seems to have gone missing. Many moons later I remember that the computer does have a card reader in the front and maybe I could just stick the card in the front.....

These are from IWK 2004 Nordic Mittens. Have been admiring them for some time and finally got around to making them. The owner does apporve as well, says that his hands are never cold. I did enjoy making them, they are knit in Pallette from KnitPicks.

Currently working on another pair for myself. I am really liking the stranding part, finally getting the hang of things I think. Is this a new trend? I did also try the Pirate mittens from HelloKnitty.com, but I really prefer the thumb gusset over the afterthought thumb.

The Pattern

2007-01-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

We went to a concert yesterday by Willson and McKee, a duo that specializes in Celtic music. They are here with our schools for an artist in residence program. She wrote a lovely prize-winning song called "The Pattern" which is about the ladies of Aran and the purpose of the patterns in the fisherman's sweaters. I had already known about how the pattern was like an identification card in case the fisherman was lost at sea or would wash up on the shores of Galway, where they would be unknown, but she did a wonderful job of singing and writing such a poignant song. Truly a moving song.

It is a continual source of amazement for me to discover how often the fiber arts is embedded into a culture and especially how it crosses cultures as well. Yesterday it was Celtic, but I am also preparing for a demo for women's getaway at church that is themed around the book "The Red Tent".

More Shawl Blues

2007-01-19T11:43:00.000-05:00

The shawl is now part of a divorce settlement. The wedding was in October and divorce proceedings began in December. Apparently the new bride didn't know what the word "faithful" meant. Before and after the wedding.

Shawl Blues

2006-11-03T10:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I finally finished the shawl and I did get it finished before the shower. The bride wore it at the wedding dance and it was beautiful and just what she needed for a chilly evening. She also got a lot of compliments on it. I was just happy to see her wear it. So why am I blue? I gave it away. It turned out great and I would have really liked it myself.

The pattern is Fibertrends Lace Leaf Shawl. I really like the pattern and was very easy to complete--especially after I took out the stitch markers and learned to just read the yarn. The yarn is a silk/merino blend that is hand-dyed and spun. The model is me, the photographer is my husband. I need a new photographer. I just uploaded the halloween pics and they are awful. At least the ones where I am not taking the picture are. Have to train #1 spawn.

Recovering

2006-09-18T09:47:00.000-04:00

The annual Northcountry Fiber Fair was this weekend. I had a great weekend until I came home. Now I am in recovery mode.

1. My house. I do believe that my family has a philosophy that if mom isn't cleaning than the rest of them can't clean either. If mom isn't home, people forget what a garbage can is made for.

2. My body. I took a SAORI weaving class that was two hours long. I seriously thought about calling in sick to work today as my body is sooooo sore. I am assuming its from the weaving class, but could be from being on my feet the rest of the time on concrete, I don't know. Whatever the cause, my legs and back are so sore I can hardly move.

Marvelous Mauve

2006-09-02T09:48:00.000-04:00

I am a member of the ScienceKnits Webring. I received my new copy of Chemical Heritage magazine the other day. Here is the cover:

We are celebrating 150 years of mauve, the first mass-produced, commercially available dye that was discovered by accident by a chemist looking for a cure for malaria. If you are interested in reading the article, here is the link :http://chemheritage.org/pubs/ch-v24n3-articles/mauve1.html.

I really enjoyed reading this, as some people have a hard time understanding why a person heavily involved with the sciences would be so attracted to fiber and dying. I am still discovering how much science is really involved in dying and fiberarts. As a teacher, I try to show how everything is a result of chemistry and I am still fascinated by this!

So as the school year begins, I once again look at the merging of my two loves--fiber and the world of chemistry!!

What Happened?

2006-08-17T11:47:00.000-04:00

Like everyone else, it was just plain too hot. Spinning in front of the AC for awhile there allowed me to a least get the blue roving for the wedding shawl finished.

Very pleased with the way it turned out. It is on it's way to becoming another lace leaf shawl.

Some of my projects that I have finished have not lent themselves to photography--a woven blanket and lace leaf shawl in a two-colored yarn. Can't see anything on those.

I did finally find the perfect yarn for my own Jaywalkers. It is from KPixie.com. I picked this as purple and gold are my school colors and our "mascot" is an Arrow. On casual Fridays we are allowed to wear jeans if we wear school colors on top. Of course a girl needs matching socks.

I also noticed something interesting happening on the inside:

It's a Jaywalker flower! School starts one week from today, I don't think they will be done. That's alright, it will still be too hot for socks anyway.

Blue Skies

2006-07-15T12:56:00.000-04:00

Isn't it pretty? Exactly what I was hoping for when I started dying. We have a merino/silk blend that is destined to be a lace leaf shawl for a wedding. It was dyed with Cushings Perfection in Royal Blue. I actually started and perhaps am 1/4 way through Adamas from KnitPicks, but this pattern requires attention. I like the pattern and the shawl is looking good, but I don't know if I can finish it in time. I have difficulty working on Adamas when I might be interupted and with kids around this is constant. I don't seem to have that problem with Lace Leaf.

I am not giving up on Adamas, just taking a break and then I will get to keep the finished result.

Pretty in Pink

2006-07-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

I finished my first clothing project in a handwoven material, a little dress for my little girl who loves the color pink. This fabric was set at 12 epi using 10/2 cotton that had been tripled in each heddle/dent. I used bias tape on the facings and hem.

Excuse the mess behind the picture please.

Fun on the Fourth

2006-07-05T12:27:00.000-04:00

I don't know whether the kids had more fun firing the noismakers or playing in the aftermath. I know Mom keeps finding more aftermath all through the house.

We spent the evening with a packed football stadium in the stands and on the grass for music and fun and the fireworks after dark. We even got to see the Space Station zoom on by as the fireworks got started. The fireworks were great, as usual and we had a great time playing boggle, dancing and knitting of course!

During the parade, I finished the sock. I didn't get a good start on the next one before the trip to the stadium, so I worked on this there. I had a couple of hours on it as you have to get there early if you want a good seat on the grass.

A feather and fan scarf from the yummy Easter egg yarn cake from a while back. I have been working on it while watching my kids in gymnastics at well. I have discovered that the colors actually to go with more of my wardrode than I would have ever thought possible.

No Naked Looms!

2006-07-03T16:15:00.000-04:00

I can't handle having a naked loom! So today I finished warping what I started last night:

So if I put a new warp on, what came off??

This is 100% cotton set at 36 epi. I think it is destined to be tea towelss. This is some new stuff and I need to test it our first. Here is a close-up:

I am pleased with it overall, if it absorbes water well. There is some variation due to the winding of 3 different colors of 16/2 together. I used a 12 dent reed.

Ode To A Simple Sock

2006-06-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

Oh mindless sock how I love thee...

You allow my mind to wander

When the day has overwhelmed me.

Of my own yarn I could not be fonder

the way the colors blend and change

so simple in stockinette

to see how the same stitches rearrange

so simple--this pleasure how could I forget?

This is the roving that I dyed last fall at our local Fiber Fair. I thought that I really should get it knitted up before this year's fair. Kool-Aid colors on merino two-ply. I really do enjoy watching the colors change and rearrange--I think that it looks the best in just a simple sock.

There has been some progess on the spinning front as well. 1 marmaset bobbin. I can't get my bobbins quite as full as some people, I start to have problems with the Scotch tension.

It's A Wool World!

2006-06-26T11:14:00.000-04:00

I have a bad spinning habit--I finish plying a skein and then it just goes into a basket until I have gobs of skeins and then I finish them. I don't know why. We have about 13 skeins about 220 yds each and 3 smaller skeins.

I also did some dying over the past couple of days. I used a roaster that I got super cheap at Wallie World, but was only able to do about 8 oz. at a time. This is a combination of Cushings Acid Dyes and Orange Kool-Aid. This is my marmaset yarn--or it will be. About two pounds of wool/tussah blend.

Mystery Solved

2006-06-24T16:33:00.000-04:00

Remember the mystery project I posted about awhile back? Well, it is finally off the loom and been finished. It is now a wall hanging in my laundry room.
This is a tatter-weave technique that I wanted to try to add some color on a two-harness loom. Small pieces of fabric are placed in the warp. It was originally used for those special rags that were in short supply. The fabrics were chosen for their colors, not for their patterns. Once the fabric is beaten, it is almost impossible to distinguish the pattern, only the colors. I was experimenting with different patterns, which is why things might seem a little odd. Here is a close-up:
I wasn't real sure about the finished project until it was hung. I didn't like it even then until I moved it up further on the wall. Now I think I am pretty happy with it.

Paradise

2006-06-14T14:34:00.000-04:00

I received my order from Paradise Fibers today. Excitement!! I have 1lb of their own merino top which is only $12.00/lb. I have used it before and it dyes wonderfully and is very soft. And 3 lbs of merino/tussah blend for a sweater for the hubster. As an experiment, I also purchased a couple of ounces of recyled sari silk to spin up. Oh fibers, how I love thee...

The hubster's sweater has a little story to it. I seem to find color inspiration in all sorts of places. The two most common ones for me are church (stained class windows) and the zoo. Here is the inspiration for the color of the sweater:

Well, this is a picture I found off the internet, too lazy to figure out how to get it from the camcorder. This is a Golden Tamarind. We have two of them at our zoo and the hubster was just watching them, and he commented that he really liked the colors of them. They are beautiful--so now it is my job to attempt to capture this in other fibers. I don't think the zoo would allow me to shear the monkeys. It gets cold here in the winter.

He says he really not a sweater person, but I found a men's pattern in the new IW Knits that he kinda liked and the picture is done in orange colors. Maybe that's a sign?? I think perhaps that this might also be my first attempt at a 3-ply yarn.

Finished Objects

2006-06-13T17:09:00.000-04:00

These have been off the loom for a couple of days, just needed to get them finished up. I used 1" rag strips for both and they could be runners or rugs. The material makes them a little thicker than yarn would be, but not too thick. After a couple of washings, they become a little softer too. I have to manually beat the fabric every couple of rows, but the warp becomes a little unven and adds to look of the piece. The one with the red is supposed to be a rug for my MIL who came up to help me clean up my house before my dad and SM showed up.

Not Fully Warped

2006-06-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

I am just a little warped. Okay, bad pun. The start of a new project on the loom! I have it half warped and this is what will be going into it:

How will it turn out? We will just have to wait and see.

It Begins...

2006-06-09T11:00:00.000-04:00

Why don't I post more often?? Computer time is not really an issue--I probably spend too much time on it. Here are my reasons why I don't post more often:
1. Have a hard time taking pictures of WIP--only want to take pics of finished projects.
2. Hate transferring pics from camera to computer
3. Think noone reads my blog.

After thinking about this, here are my solutions:
1. This was a no brainer, take pics of things I'm working on. Just b.c I haven't posted doesn't mean I haven't been working--quite the opposite actually.
2. Get over it.
3. If you stop by--leave a comment, if I know people are reading, I am sure I will post more. Perhaps I should put a counter on the blog too.

I will even put up a pic of my new project:

This is the from the new IW Knits. Yarn is Patons Grace, I always have to substitute unless I buy off the net. I live in a place where yarn usually consists of plastic. It was the color that attacted me to this, but so far I am really liking the yarn. Also included is a can of my new weakness--IZZE. IZZE is 70% fruit juice and 30% carbonated water. No added sugar. Very yummy too, oldest spawn loves it.

Memorial Day Weekend

2006-05-30T18:42:00.000-04:00

It was over 90 degrees this weekend and I knit socks. Wool socks. Finally got these ones finished up.

These were dyed on a knitted tube with Cushings Perfection Acid Dyes and the unraveled and re-knit into the sock with a chevron pattern that I found in a knitting dictionary from the library a long time ago.

Here's a close-up opf the fabric. I liked using the knitted tube--I am actually teaching a workshop on it this fall. I think it is a little easier to control than a 20-ft skein.

My folks came for a visit and I brought the wheel outside and spent the afternoon working. The colored ply is a mixture of 80% SD wool, 20% mohair and 10% silk noil. That is exactly what it says on the label. I am going to have to give the supplier a hard time the next time I see her. I chose to ply with a solid left over from another project as I didn't have enough for a larger project otherwise. I have a vest pattern in mind for this.

Still Around

2006-05-18T09:49:00.000-04:00

Spring is soo busy. Trying to get the garden planted, the house completely over-hauled for parental visit and still trying to get my towels woven/finished for belated mother's day presents!

In the fiber world, I have been working on a handpun sweater forever, and finally finished the second sleeve. It was then I discovered that I must have sone the decreases different on the first sleeve as there is a NOTICEABLE size difference between the two. I am going to try to get creative with the sewing machine before I start frogging.

I have also used up the Easter egg dyes on clearance for this lace weight yarn:

I like it better now that it is wound into this yummy looking yarn cake.

It's in the bag!

2006-05-06T11:07:00.000-04:00

My first big weaving project. I have a 20" rigid heddle loom and have been experimenting with the log cabin pattern. I really like how something simple can look complex. This is with two differntly textured yarn. The colored is a alpaca/silk laceweight from KnitPicks. The black is plain crochet cotton. Both are doubled. After much contemplation, I decided on a bag. I was very pleased with the texture of the fabric, but it didn't have the drape of a wrap. It was very dificult making that first cut with the scissors!!! I am very pleased with it and even my husband said that perhaps this was the best fiber project I had made so far.

What seems strange to me is how different the fabric looks in its finished form vs. off the loom.

Pansy Socks

2006-04-19T18:13:00.000-04:00

Not quite time to plant pansies here yet, so I will finish socks. There are the Lavaflow socks from Sockbug. I really liked the pattern, I was able to take these almost anywhere and it really broke up the pattern in the yarn. Yarn is KnitPicks Sock Garden in Pansy. I was hoping for more purple and gold, since those are my school colors, but I still like them. Very soft and I even got to wear them on this chilly, rainy spring day.

Seasonal Mix-Up?

2006-03-23T09:34:00.000-05:00

Here's the products of my dying adventures a few weekends back. I am very pleased with the colors--all are Cushings Perfection dyes, which are acid dyes. I tried something different to set the dyes this time since these ones aren't food safe. I sat them overnight on the radiator--we have hot water heat. I think it worked pretty good. Yarn is Henry's Attic Lichorice Twist. It has one fiber that takes the dye differently and gives a tweedy look. I noticed that this depends a little on the color that is used.

Oh yes, I did some regular skeined yarn and then I did a knitted tube. I have been looking at the www.machineknittingtodyefor.com and Sara Lamb's site and wanted to try my hand at this. I have done self-striping yarn before, but a 22 ft skein is hard to deal with when you have a toddler and a cat. I found a kid's knitting machine at the store ($19.99) to try it out on. I did a tube rather than a flat piece simply becuase I can't get the flat piece to have nice sides. The tube is easier to knit and the extra layer didn't cause any dying problems. I do think this was a little easier to deal with than the larger skein. I think a "real" knitting machine might have a smaller gauge and the ability to make a wider flat piece instead a really long tube, which is what I will have when I try this with 100g of lace weight merino.

Baby Boom

2006-03-14T17:04:00.000-05:00

It must be spring--seems like an awful lot of knitting has gone into baby hats and socks for gifts.

These are a pair of handspun merino dyed with kool-aid.

Spawn #1 picked this out for his teacher's baby. It's pretty bright.

These are made from some storebought yarn.

Almost Spring

2006-03-06T17:33:00.000-05:00

Close-up of some dresser scarves for Grandmothers' birthdays this month. I am pleased with them and like the weight. Nice springy colors.

Rag Rugs

2006-02-26T17:00:00.000-05:00

I have been working with my little rigid heddle loom quite a bit lately. Mostly rag rugs. My house needed some and then I needed a few for gifts. I don't mind doing them, it's just that the beating takes a little while since I must beat it manually since the rigid heddle isn't heavy enough. These are all done at 12 epi.

My new back entry rug

MIL's Birthday present

It's A Miracle!

2006-02-24T16:32:00.000-05:00

I have FINALLY learned how to use my macro function on my digital camera. The directions weren't very specific, turns out I wasn't holding the camera close enough. I would see things in focus, and then move the camera closer and things would go out of focus. By accident I moved the camera eben closer and VOILA!--focus. Think of all the beautiful things I need to re-shoot...

Here is some roving that I believe is from Ashland Bay that I bought last fall, but just now got around to spinning. It is interesting the ways that the colors combine. This has plans for birthday socks for my SIL. Who has been reminding me how much she likes her socks she got for Christmas and that she has a birthday coming up.

I would really be intereseted in how other people spin these multi-colored rovings. I have difficulty with bulky yarns--I tend to finish in a fingering/sport weight two ply.

The Sock Monster Cometh

2006-01-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

These weren't ever posted as they were gifts. They were finally given to their receipients. I was immediately reminded that they have birthdays coming up too. In other words, they really liked their socks and now want more. At least we all have the same size feet.

I think they are of a BFL roving that was dyed with kool-aid and then hand-spun. The left one was navajo-plied and is much denser and rougher as a result. The right one is a two ply. I love the randomness of the stripes and seeing the new color combos that appear.

Socks

2006-01-16T13:31:00.000-05:00

Hmm, cleaning the place up this weekend and noticing that I have a lot of small amounts of self-stirping sock yarn left. Typically, it takes me about 75% of a ball to do a sock. Trying to think of some things to do with the other 25%. Should keep some for mending, could do baby socks or mini sweaters for christmas tree ornaments, could make granny squares for an blanket....

Other ideas?

It's A Wrap!

2006-01-01T19:55:00.000-05:00

This was supposed to be a clever title with pictures of the two wraps that I made on my new 20" Schacht Rigid Heddle Loom. I finished said wraps and then proceeded to wrap them as they are gifts and forgot to photograph them. Ho hum.

Here is a picture of said loom with warp on it for wraps. I am almost ashamed to admit it is acrylic. It has a chenille-like texture and the warp was a boucle, also in acrylic. Why acrylic?? It's what the recipients wanted. They did turn out pretty good, even for being plastic.

So what's next for the new loom? Practice with color and texture. I did weave this runner out of cottons:

Monster Mittens

2005-12-15T21:49:00.000-05:00

Another present finished-two actually.

We have two pairs of monster mittens from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation. Pattern does need to be modified some--I have had terrible luck with the sizing, especially the mouth.

The original pattern doesn't have anything on the top of the mitten, but I thought it would be cuter. They are cuter in person--it's hard to get a good picture of them.

Getting Closer....

2005-12-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

Here's what I put the finishing touches on tonight:

It started out as what I thought was the world's ugliest roving. Corriedale, dyed in a hot water bath with kool-aid colors that were inspired by the swirls in the stained-glass window at church. The colors did some strange things that they had never done before. Still manly though....

Two-plied and this roving turned into:

A pair of pretty awesome fingerless mittens for a man person I know. I love the striping and the muted tones of the colors. This was a lesson in never judge a roving until you are finished with the project.

Would have finished last night, discovered one was longer than the other and a few choice words later it was a trip to the frog pond.

Another project from start to finish:

Corriedale. Dyed with Wilton Cake colors
and heat set in the microwave. The colors came from a Finch I watched while knitting and waiting for eldest child at Zoo School this summer. I wanted to keep the colors together, but didn't want the hardness of a Navajo-ply and inspired by the Keyboard Biologist, I left them singles. The colors seperated slightly so that there is some variations in color--especially in the blue.

The pattern is from "Quick Knitted Gifts". I always have to size up when working with hand-spun, the pattern called for a #5, but I settled on a 7.

Now if these were only the last two... I so have roving for me I want to spin.

Christmas Knitting

2005-12-06T18:33:00.000-05:00

How many days left to get those Christmas gifts done? I am knitting and making progress, just nothing pretty enough to post. Need to get it done soon though--especially the ones that have to ship.

Been working out a project in my head for a striped cardigan with garter stitch between the colors. I am spinning the yarn and trying to decide if I have enough to start knitting or spin some more first. The strips are a cobalt blue and an emerald green with the garter stitch a two ply of both colors. That's why I just can't do it all. Need to make sure I have enough of the two-color one. I have two hanks of each at the moment and my hanks average about 220 yds. Perhaps one more hand of the two color...

but not until Christmas.

Mittens for Mom

2005-11-30T23:34:00.000-05:00

New mittens! Of course they have a story:

Pink yarn is merino from KnitPicks bought who knows how long ago to make girl a pair of lacy socks.

Daycare complains that girl's mittens aren't warm enough--they aren't very thick. Never mind they are 100% merino that has been felted from playing in sandbox. Mom gets mad, decides to make felted pink mittens for daughter. Mom has never made felted mittens before. Won't shrink enough to fit toddler hands, but will fit Mom's hands. Mom feels strangely attracted to pink color and pairs a handspun/dyed blue-faced leicester yarn for ribbing. Mom wears mitten after major blizzard. Mom likes mittens, thinks pink snow boots and a new pink scarf might be the thing. Mom has NOTHING else that is pink.

Oh yes, Mom gave in and bought daughter thick store-bought nylon mittens. She knows hers are warmer, but she has learned that you never piss off your daycare providers. Mom makes mental note to make mittens for daycare providers.....

What a tangled mess we weave

2005-11-29T16:08:00.000-05:00

Well, it doesn't look tangled, but I completed my first weaving project. For warp I used some thick crochet thread and the weft is a 50/50 alpaca-wool blend from Louet. I wove the singles right off the bobbin and then threw the scarf in the washer when finished weaving. This fiber has a lot of the outer hairs of the alpaca and is pretty scratchy, the fulling seemed to help that. I am especially pleased with the look of the fabric.

It is a short scarf, one that you can tuck in a man's jacket. It is for my dad--I guess if he doesn't like it, it will make a nice runner.

Box O Sox

2005-11-13T15:13:00.000-05:00

Look what was on my doorstep on Thursday! A box full of treats from KnitPicks! I had been trying to decide what socks I wanted to try next and then they came out with a sampler pack of all the Simple Stripes colors and it was cheaper than buying them seperately! Woosh, out came my credit card! The colors are much prettier than in the catalog. I am especially fond of the one at the upper right--the wine colored ones. I showed my hubby with much enthusiasm and he just nodded. Perhaps the couple of balls of Essentials in grey that I was going to make a pair of socks for him should go somewhere else.......

November Nittings

2005-11-06T20:07:00.000-05:00

I have been finishing up a few projects, trying to get Christmas knitting started. I discovered that I like making socks and other things--for me.

Here are some pics of some finished objects:

Here is a scarf for a lady in our study group at church who is ill. She has been wanting a fuzzy scarf for about a year, and I didn't know how to tell her that I was so sick of making them. I was really happy with it when it was done, I like the colors.

Here is one of a pair of Simple Stripes socks from Knit Picks. I think the color is Storm. I like it, it can be either purple or blue depending on what color you are wearing with it. I do have the other sock done, but we are in the middle of laundry at the moment.

Perhaps I should ask for a new digital camera for Christmas. This is a drop-stitch shawl that is made from a two-ply handspun yarn. One ply is a solid burgandy and the other is a multicolored, green, purple and a red. This is the largest project I have ever made from my handspun. My husband said he didn't think it would be very warm with the dropped stitches, but I had to take it off at church--it was warm. I wish I could get a close-up of the yarn.

Of Mice and Mittens

2005-10-16T22:06:00.000-04:00

Okay, no mice, I have a trackpad. Bad computer joke.

I did finish the little mittens. I think she likes them, she has fallen asleep with them on two nights in a row. They are very soft--100% merino. We will see how they last at daycare through the winter. I like the striping on the body and on the thumbs, I just wish that they matched better.

As for other projects, I finished two socks this weekend. No pictures as they do not match. I think if I put pictures up I won't finish them. I am wearing one sock now, wishing I had a matched set as my foot is so warm and cuddley. My son always says his handmade socks feel like a "big hug". I am also working on a triangle drop-stitch scarf made from some handspun yarn.

UFO Mania: Live

2005-10-09T19:31:00.000-04:00

It's the weekend of the UFO's! They have been captured and probed!

First is a baby gift for the new girl in our family, Ireland. I had to have something with green in it, this is the only thing I could find. I wasn't thinking that I should be ordering from KnitPicks within a week....

A pair of socks for me out of KnitPicks Dancing. I wore them all day Saturday and the fit is nice, but I should have made the tops a little longer. I like my socks about 3/4 length, but I was a little short.

This one has been finished since June, just hasn't been seamed. Funny how that kinda gets put off. This is a plain hoody cardy that I found on Knitty.com. I was stash busting and made it from Bernat's Denim, which is a cotton/acrylic blend. Had too much left over, but not enough to make a sweater for her brother, so I purchased some more.

She looks very grown up in this picture, I was really hoping she would be able to wear it next winter, but I don't think so.

She picked out the buttons, they are little bronze bees. Yup, bees.

This is a felted laptop bag from the current issue of Interweave Knits. I was attempting to stash bust. I was dissapointed that it didn't use up more yarn... We have various colors of Lamb's Pride Worsted. Still have quite a bit left over. Debating to make a purse or a hat for a Christmas present.

It's just the size of my laptop, I would have liked it a little bigger, but it went from too big to barely big enough in under three minutes.

Another Sock RIP

2005-10-07T22:03:00.000-04:00

I was using some leftover yarn to make some socks for my little girl. I got a little paranoid that there wouldn't be enough yarn left to complete the pair. I was also debating, she's two, we live in South Dakota, what would she get more use out of (time-wise): socks or mittens??? I decided on the mittens. Stay tuned for the finished project. (Finished projects?? What are those??)

The yarn was Dye Your Own from KnitPicks, they were dyed with Dylon dye that I bought at Wal-Mart. Here is the parent project that generated the leftovers:

The lure of new projects....

2005-10-01T09:10:00.000-04:00

Two new projects underway. This one was a fiber fair influence. I had some roving that I had dyed. The lady spinning next to me was pairing a multi-colored silk with a solid and it looked so neat and it got me thinking. She helped me pick the color and off I went. It amazes me how the addition of the solid changed the overall look of the multi single. I have 8 oz here and I am thinking of a triangle garter stitch shawl. Nothing real complicated, but the gal on the other side of me was wearing one and I just liked the way that it looked.

The other project that I have been working on is a felted laptop case from the most recent issure of IW Knits. I reasoned it was ok to start another project as this is stash busting. I am using Brown Sheep Nature Spun, which happened to be exactly what the patter called for--another rairity. I am making my own stripe pattern as I go. I feel like I am knitting an afghan with the length of it. I am hoping to get it finished next weekend. While looking through patterns to find this, an Airy Cardigan caught my eye...

We Came, We Saw, We Dyed

2005-09-19T20:09:00.000-04:00

Here is my creation from my worksop this weekend. I am very pleased with it. It is Tropical Punch, Grape and Orange Kool-Aids. I am hoping to post more of the results from the class as they email them to me.

It was fun to sit with other spinners, I know no-one within 40 miles of me that spins. Our Fiber Fair is miniscule compared to something like Maryland Sheep and Wool, but hopefully it will grow.

I got lots of great fiber that I can't wait to spin, lots of ideas for new combinations. Don't know what I am going to knit with all this great fiber. The only problem is that I am spinning faster than I knit. I got 4 oz finished this weekend. I was amazed how much I can do without distractions (kids, phone, laundry, work etc).

Baaaaa!

2005-09-19T13:22:00.000-04:00

I am still here. Last week was a myriad of homecoming activities, a birthday party for my now 8 yr-old and Fiber Fair. I hope to post some fibery goodness from my class, Daring to Dye, as people email me their creations. I am really excited to see them--so were they. I think the biggest complaint was waiting until the fiber cooled to see their results. This process can take HOURS!

But look what came in the mail just in time:
Birkenstock Sheep!!! They are so cute. They came from QVC. So many Birkenstocks, so little $$$. I am starting to get a collection. I dancing all over singing "I got sheepy shoes..."

Thumbs Up!

2005-09-09T23:46:00.000-04:00

Well, at least the thumbs are all that's left to do on another Christmas present. I am very pleased with them. They are 100% MmmmmMerino wool that has been dyed with Grape, Berry Blue and Changing Cherry Kool-Aid. The roving was split into smaller pieces and then a two-ply created. I just spin and let things create themselves, I don't spend any time preparing the roving other than splitting it to make it easier to work with.

I will have some leftovers after I wind the other skein up and finish the thumbs. Not sure what I will do with the leftovers. The are so pretty. I almost hate to give them away.

Bye Bye Sock

2005-09-07T21:43:00.000-04:00

Two problems. First one it's too small. Second, you can't see the pattern. There's a pattern there? Yes, a spiral rib. Not worth the trouble if you can't see it when it's on. Perhaps we are destined for better things. .. Yarn is Dancing from KnitPicks.

I am proud of the heel though--hourglass heel from the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. Easy to do--can do it without instructions in front of me!

Things I learned today: never buy more than one set of Addi Turbo needles at a time and never go yarn shopping when you are feeling blue. It adds up....

Dr. Jane Goodall

2005-09-05T22:25:00.000-04:00

This weekend was very exciting for me being a science geek--my son and I had the chance to hear Dr. Jane Goodall speak in our town. Our town is only about 20,000--big for South Dakota. I took a picture at the book signing table, but no flashes allowed. We had our picture taken, but it won't be posted on the website for a couple of weeks and I couldn't wait.

Dr. Goodall was a very inspiring speaker, full of hope and reminding us that little things do make a difference. She has a beatuful, calming voice and is very well spoken. She spoke for just over an hour, about her beginings and how she first went to Gombe. I was unaware that at that time she didn't have any sort of college degree. She told some stories about the chimps of course and about how the Jane Goodall Institute was formed and why as well as some of its programs. I wish I would have taken notes, as I can't remember a lot of the things she said right now.

My son enjoyed the chimp stories, especially when he figured out that his book REALLY happened. He liked the one about the big brother who took care of his little sister. He has been going on about how he has to take care of his sister now. The book we waited for over an hour to have signed was With Love--it's a children's book of short stories about the chimps.

Kitchen Kromatography

2005-09-03T13:07:00.000-04:00

Experiments have been completed. Using 1/2 oz. merino and a Wilton Cake Coloring Gels, some great things have been created.

In the picture below we have Terra Cotta at the top. Reds never seem right on a digital image, but there is some color seperation into a red and an orange. In the middle is black and the bottom a blue.

Here we have another blue, copper and a green at the bottom. Very little seperation in the copper. The green does have some, but it doesn't show well in the photo. There is some magenta in it.

The blues are my favorites. I love the purple and magenta, it makes me think of an ocean. I am not sure why, haven't seen a lot of oceans that have a magenta tinge to it. But this has me reconsidering the use of the denim/emerald roving that I have been spinning. Here's a close-up of the black and one of the blues:

The orange and reds have very little seperation, but I knew that by looking at their chromatograms. The blues seem to have the most seperation of color, which does surprise me a little since blue is a primary color. Below you can see the page of chromatograms for the greens and blues.

There is nothing special that I did to dye it this way. I just didn't saturated an area with dye, but let the dye work it's way through the fiber. I squirted dye in an area in a line with a children's medicine dropper from my local pharmacy. These are my favorite applicators and they are free! Before I steamed it in the microwave I pressed the fiber to get the dye covering more area. I didn't turn the dye over to make sure both sides were saturated. That's it.

The different colors become much more prominent when I seperate the fibers for spinning, but these will need to be transported, so I left them in the condensed state.

Here Bootie Bootie

2005-08-31T18:46:00.000-04:00

Aren't they cute? I have been itchin' to see how this Alpace Cloud from KnitPicks would make up into booties. They are sooo soft, maybe one day I will knit me a little top out of it. Well, it wouldn't be so little. I think I would like to have this next to my skin. I got the chance since someone at work had a baby girl.

Knitting Knerd

2005-08-31T17:11:00.000-04:00

I discovered, by accident, that unexpected things can result in the dye process. I was working with some punta from S. America and using Wilton Cake Gels in a green with the following result:

I have definate bands of color seperation here--it's all one color of dye. Here's a closeup:

I had this happen with a couple of other colors too. Royal blue and of course black. I have never had this happen using food colors or Kool-Aid. Foolish me, I didn't take pictures of these, I did bring them so school to show my chemistry students though.

This spun into a beautiful yarn that I finished with a navajo ply, but my camera doesn't do it justice, so I opted to not include a picture.

My dying method was the same--cold pour with a steam set. The concentration was very similar as well, so this leads me to believe that the breed of sheep caused the difference.

I think I will try some other colors this weekend to do some testing. I may even take the small amounts and blend it together which is something else I want to try...

Moral of the story----ALWAYS TAKE PICTURES!!

Tales from the kitchen

2005-08-28T17:23:00.000-04:00

Seeing all the newly dyed fibers at a couple posts and the upcoming fiber fair, I had to do some dying myself this weekend. The first batch is a blue that is done with Wilton Cake Coloring Gels. These tend to be a little unpredictable with results, I have seen some beautiful examples of chromatography before. This time didn't give me quite that results, but there was a small amount of color seperation. I am happy with the results, but was hoping for more purple and magenta which has seperated out in bands in the past.

Second image was inspired from a bouquet of flowers I saw at the grocery store. There were these small intense lime green flowers in it. It was such an unsual color combination that I had to give it a go. I actually came pretty close. This was done all with Kool-Aid. We have black cherry, grape and a watermelon-kiwi one that they don't make anymore. Just the color I was looking for, good thing, it tasted terrible.

Mmmmm.....Merino

2005-08-27T16:22:00.000-04:00

I have to say I am much fonder of merino that the cordie. Isn't this a pretty picture? It is my preparations for the upcoming fiber fair. I am teaching my first fiber class on dying in the kitchen. The balls are all about 4 oz. each, I just got better at wrapping them as I went. I even remembered to wind a ball for me. This isn't a set up picture either, I happened to be winding them at the table in front of the vase of roses. What are the roses for? Tomorrow happens to be our 10th wedding anniversary. He can't believe I took a picture of 11 balls of wool. I said I coudn't help it, it just seemed so pretty.

It's Friday Night!

2005-08-26T22:58:00.000-04:00

What does a teacher do at the end of the first week of school? She comes home to her spinning wheel and her good friend Mike and his twin brother. They got a little transparent as time went on. You can see them in the backrgound if you look carefully. More of the Blue Jeans roving. I think after I get to a certain point, I will knit and spin as I need it. That way if I have some extra, I can have the solid color.

Snip, Snip

2005-08-25T23:26:00.000-04:00

These are the socks for my 5 year old ogre nephew (that is said with love). It really is his knick-name. I finally got around to getting the ends weaved in with my toddler watching. Went to get a drink, came back and found said toddler with scissors "helping Mommy". Snip, snip went the ribbing. Oh $#(@ went the Mommy. (Bad Mommy)

Good knews is after careful inspection, she only snipped through one of the strands on the ribbing. Will reinforce area and keep fingers crossed. Perhaps he will grow out of them before they start to unravel.

I know they don't match exactly. Cheapskate didn't want to buy a second ball to make them match. These were toe up and took just under 1 skein. I am not thrilled about the top, I tend to bind-off too tightly, so went up in needle size which made them too loose. When my son modeled them, they look better, but will need to experiment with some different cast-off techniques before attempting another pair.

Here I Sit...

2005-08-24T18:17:00.000-04:00

I am still thinking about this yarn. And perhaps trying for a new digital camera for Christmas. I have been trying to get a good picture of this stuff. It's not cooperating, it is sitting in the chair being lazy, mocking me.

Here is the original thought I had intended it for: Classic Elite Yarns BamBoo Pullover. I thought the blues and greens would be like an ocean. I haven't had a chance to spin up any more at the moment. Thoughts? Suggestions?

I think that this weekend I may need to dye...

School starts tomorrow...

2005-08-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

Well, maybe not tomorrow, but today was the first day of inservice for returning teachers. Morning consisted of listening to some speeches. Afternoon consisited of listening to presentations and looking at graphs of test scores. Lots of listening and not a lot else, what's a fiber fiend to do? Knit socks of course. When I started, I was just finishing the ribbing on the top.

Sock is knit on #2 Brittany needles, with KnitPicks' Simple Stripes in Autumn. I think the colors look a little better in person. It is nice to have a good brainless project once in awhile. The mate to this sock was knit mostly in the dark during a 10 hour ride to Wyoming.

Camping Canundrum

2005-08-22T17:02:00.000-04:00

This is what I accomplished camping this weekend. Not sure if I like it. Perhaps I thought it would look different, I don't know. The best thing to do is probably put off judgement until knitting up a sample. I was so happy with the singles, but unsure about the plyed version. The Hubby and I are still having an argument over whether or not the emerald is actually emerald as it is named, or if it is teal. He says it's teal and isn't real fond of it. I love it. He likes the blue. I like the blue too, but if the plied isn't what I want, I have almost a pound of each and no thoughts of a finished project. Ho hum.

Yummy Yummy!

2005-08-18T23:14:00.000-04:00

I couldn't take it any longer--it's been days since I have last been spinning and a brand new box of fiber.... forget the dirty kitchen--forget the dirty laundry--I need to SPIN!

Isn't it just beautiful? It is a superwash wool, and it is sooo soft and pulls so nicely! Usually I pull the roving into strips to make it easier to work with, but this I can spin it right from the bag. I thought I would get bored with just one color, but now I am not so sure.

In the Beginning...

2005-08-18T17:45:00.000-04:00

There is roving, then there is singles, then there is two-ply, then there is hopefully a sweater....

A box from Paradise Fibers arrived on my doorstep today. The emerald and blue are supposed to be the beginings of a sweater with a wavy pattern to it--like the ocean. The blue was originally supposed to be a little more on the cobalt side, but alas, there wasn't enough in stock.

In the background you can see 4 pounds of merino. What in the world am I going to do with four pounds of wool? It's for a class that I am teaching at our fiber fair in September. I do a lot of my dying with Wilton Cake Gels and Kool-Aid and that is what we will be working with during the class. Of course I did order a little bit extra, I have to have something to keep me out of trouble.

Teeny Toes

2005-08-17T15:07:00.000-04:00

I have been busy painting a few rooms in the house for the last few days of summer, but have gotten a little knitting done. These little socks were made from some leftover Koigu KPPM. They are destined to be a gift. The garter stitch toes and heels makes for a stretch to fit sock. The picture isn't the best, which is the reason for the delayed posting, they have been finished for a few days. I have always gotten great pics with my digital camera and now that I want to blog, it decides to be finicky.

Back to painting....

Berry Cute

2005-08-14T00:57:00.000-04:00

A finished Berry Cute Hat from Fiber Trends! I bought the yarn and pattern for this well over a year ago, perhaps even two....

I knitted it in Cotton Fleece from Brown Sheep. I had bought the pattern and yarn when I first started knitting "real" items after the fuzzy scarf epidemic. I saw it a long, long time ago at SkinnyRabbit and tracked the pattern down. I even used the same yarn as the one that inspired me.

This will probably be a fall, early winter hat, not sure if the 20% Merino will be enough when it is bazillion below. I keep reasoning with myself that it has to be warmer than 100% plastic but who knows.

Now on to the matching mittens!