Well, I finally finished these socks, started in April. Way too long, but I took up spinning, started a sweater (still unfinished) and did a lot of other things. I finally forced my self to finish them because I'm dying to start knitting the pattern Toxic Socks, black and white socks with skull and crossbones. How can I resist that? But I was disciplined enough to finish at least one project before casting on another. You knitters know how much restraint that took!
This pattern was given to me by Mezzodiva who gives you the pattern when you donate to her breast cancer walk. So these are good deed socks.
With fall coming, at least I have new socks to look forward to.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Hand-Dyed Yarn
Just a note to show what the hand-dyed yarn looks like when it was wound into a cake. The one on the left is merino and silk while the one on the right is superwash merino and nylon. I definitely prefer the way the merino and silk took the dye although I'm very happy with both outcomes.
I have to roll up the roving too. It will be interesting to see how that looks when it's spun.
I have to roll up the roving too. It will be interesting to see how that looks when it's spun.
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Dyeing Class
I went down to Stockton, NJ, to take a class in hand dyeing fiber. We were lucky to have lovely weather--not too hot and the threatened thundershowers never materialized. All to the good since we were working outside.
I dyed two skeins of yarn from Knitpicks--one superwash merino and nylon and one merino and silk--and four ounces of pure white roving.
The yarn in the foreground is the merino and silk. It took the dye really well. Almost nothing washed out during the rinse. The superwash also worked well, but more dye did rinse out. I'm not a pastel girl, but I really like the merino and silk which I think looks like spring flowers. It will make some really terrific socks.
Cousin Dan thinks the roving is reminiscent of a t-shirt from a Grateful Dead concert. This is not a criticism. I'm looking forward to seeing how it spins up. Of course, with the Little Debbie project, I don't know how much time I'm going to have to spin it. Maybe when I have a wheel and don't have to spin it on the drop spindle...
I dyed two skeins of yarn from Knitpicks--one superwash merino and nylon and one merino and silk--and four ounces of pure white roving.
The yarn in the foreground is the merino and silk. It took the dye really well. Almost nothing washed out during the rinse. The superwash also worked well, but more dye did rinse out. I'm not a pastel girl, but I really like the merino and silk which I think looks like spring flowers. It will make some really terrific socks.
Cousin Dan thinks the roving is reminiscent of a t-shirt from a Grateful Dead concert. This is not a criticism. I'm looking forward to seeing how it spins up. Of course, with the Little Debbie project, I don't know how much time I'm going to have to spin it. Maybe when I have a wheel and don't have to spin it on the drop spindle...
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Little Debby Project
A group from the Essex Spinners decided to buy a fleece from Julie Gerow and divided it for each of us to use it as we see fit. I am documenting my "sheep to finished object" sojourn.
This photo shows the fleece as it looked when I took it out of the bag it came in. Little Debby is a coated sheep so her fleece is very clean and free of vegetable matter. Julie skirted the fleece so the yucky parts were eliminated. This is one pound of fleece. It has brown and grays and some lovely silvery parts. This is a "dark" portion of the fleece. Some spinners got lighter portions.
I pulled off a section of fleece and washed it twice. It is now drying in the powder room. I plan to flick card it and spin it on a drop spindle since I don't yet have a wheel. I'm a complete novice at spinning so the progress of this project should be interesting and perhaps a little trying.
This photo shows the fleece as it looked when I took it out of the bag it came in. Little Debby is a coated sheep so her fleece is very clean and free of vegetable matter. Julie skirted the fleece so the yucky parts were eliminated. This is one pound of fleece. It has brown and grays and some lovely silvery parts. This is a "dark" portion of the fleece. Some spinners got lighter portions.
I pulled off a section of fleece and washed it twice. It is now drying in the powder room. I plan to flick card it and spin it on a drop spindle since I don't yet have a wheel. I'm a complete novice at spinning so the progress of this project should be interesting and perhaps a little trying.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Knitting Olympics Afghan
So here's the afghan I started as my entry in the Knitting Olympics. I started it during the opening ceremonies and here it is after a little less than a week. Now since the Olympics are nearly half over, this should be nearly half done, but it's about 25% complete. I guess I'm hoping that I will experience "negative splits" which is a term we use in running when you run the second half of the race faster than the first. I'm putting on a full-court press today because I'm busy for a couple of evenings this week so I'll need to put down some rows to keep up.
Stay tuned for more progress.
Stay tuned for more progress.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Olympic Knitting Stash
Okay, folks. The Knitting Olympics (the Yarn Harlot's invention) and the Ravelympics start tomorrow at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver Olympics. I am planning on making an afghan using the yarn in this photo. The deal is you have to finish by the time they extinguish the Olympic flame. Wish me luck. I'll be firing up the old Addi Turbo tomorrow night. Pictures to follow.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Finished Port Orford Sweater
Well, I finally finished this sweater after losing the instructions, losing the replacement instructions and resisting sewing it together. The knitting is rarely the hard part for me. It's the associated stuff that gets me down.
I like the sweater a lot although I don't find it slimming. And today it caught on everything--a cat's claw, a nail at work, my bracelet. So it's going to have a lot of little threads sticking out if I'm not careful. But, hey, it's for wearing, right?
I still have a hoodie that needs sewing up. I did a little less than half of it during the first of the 2008 presidential debates. I finished the Port Orford by taking it with me to the Wednesday knitting group at the Village Sheep in Washington Depot, CT. The company was great and the tediousness of the sewing was thus mitigated. Maybe the hoodie needs to go with me next week.
Turns out my friend Cathy made a couple of very similar sweaters for her kids. Maybe the similarity of our taste is one of the reasons we've been friends for over 40 years.
Onward and upward to new projects and the Ravelympics!
I like the sweater a lot although I don't find it slimming. And today it caught on everything--a cat's claw, a nail at work, my bracelet. So it's going to have a lot of little threads sticking out if I'm not careful. But, hey, it's for wearing, right?
I still have a hoodie that needs sewing up. I did a little less than half of it during the first of the 2008 presidential debates. I finished the Port Orford by taking it with me to the Wednesday knitting group at the Village Sheep in Washington Depot, CT. The company was great and the tediousness of the sewing was thus mitigated. Maybe the hoodie needs to go with me next week.
Turns out my friend Cathy made a couple of very similar sweaters for her kids. Maybe the similarity of our taste is one of the reasons we've been friends for over 40 years.
Onward and upward to new projects and the Ravelympics!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Well, you never know where you're going to find useful information on matters of national security. Seems that the place for me to go is Ravelry, the all-important knitting site. That's where I found this terrorism alert. Apparently the threat level is somewhere between Bert and Ernie. No one comes between Bert and Ernie! Couldn't figure out how to get the whole chart. The most serious level is the Elmo (red) level. Watch out if the Department of Homeland Security calls an Elmo!
Here are some socks that I barely finished in time for the holiday. I'm working on a hat when I'm not studying the terrorism threat. I can finish the hat tonight, but it still needs to be felted. I'll have to dry it with a hair dryer. Hmm...
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Shoulder Cat
Tortellini likes to get up on my shoulder for brief periods. I think it helps her in her role as lookout. She is a very cute and loving cat. I'm lucky to have her.
She's not the only adorable cat around here. Abby and Nora are pretty wonderful too. Torts and Nora sometimes fight--not in a friendly cat wrestling kind of way, but like real antagonists. So it's nice to see them sitting sweetly together even if it's only because it's cold.
And Abby? She loves to sit on the (formerly) neatly folded packing paper. I finally had to get rid of this paper since tomorrow is recycling day, but if I ever empty another box there'll be a new pile for her.
No knitting posts today, just kitties. They do seem to go together.
She's not the only adorable cat around here. Abby and Nora are pretty wonderful too. Torts and Nora sometimes fight--not in a friendly cat wrestling kind of way, but like real antagonists. So it's nice to see them sitting sweetly together even if it's only because it's cold.
And Abby? She loves to sit on the (formerly) neatly folded packing paper. I finally had to get rid of this paper since tomorrow is recycling day, but if I ever empty another box there'll be a new pile for her.
No knitting posts today, just kitties. They do seem to go together.
Friday, November 06, 2009
I Can Haz Bukkit?
I have many, many works in progress so of course I had to start something new. I needed a hat since I have gone about three years without a usable hat. (I had some commercial knitted berets with elastic that was completely shot. Tossed them when I moved. Good idea.) So I looked in some books at the Village Sheep and found directions for a felted bucket hat from Chic Knits. I pulled some purple Cascade 220 out of the stash. Figured if it came out okay that Zoe might like it since purple is her color.
It was easy to knit, but the adult size requires 220 yards of yarn, the exact yardage of the Cascade. What did you think the 220 in the name meant? I found my gauge was okay on the stitches per inch, but short on rows. So when I tried to knit it to the exact directions, there wasn't enough yarn. I spoke to an employee at Modern Yarns in Montclair who told me that if you follow the instructions and knit to 5.5 inches in the body of the hat, it will be too deep when you felt it and come down past your ears. So I pulled out some rows and squeezed out the whole hat out of a single skein.
The next area of anxiety was the question as to whether my new front loader would felt the finished hat. The front loader has a pause button that allows you to open the door and check your project (or add newly discovered laundry.) Well, the energy efficient, super gentle washer did an excellent job of felting! I was very pleased. The hat is drying on a Farberware sauce pan. I think it's going to be great. The hat is not too deep. I've already started one in red. And maybe I need one in black. And how 'bout one in Noro? I see holiday presents! It takes about one evening or a little more to knit.
It was easy to knit, but the adult size requires 220 yards of yarn, the exact yardage of the Cascade. What did you think the 220 in the name meant? I found my gauge was okay on the stitches per inch, but short on rows. So when I tried to knit it to the exact directions, there wasn't enough yarn. I spoke to an employee at Modern Yarns in Montclair who told me that if you follow the instructions and knit to 5.5 inches in the body of the hat, it will be too deep when you felt it and come down past your ears. So I pulled out some rows and squeezed out the whole hat out of a single skein.
The next area of anxiety was the question as to whether my new front loader would felt the finished hat. The front loader has a pause button that allows you to open the door and check your project (or add newly discovered laundry.) Well, the energy efficient, super gentle washer did an excellent job of felting! I was very pleased. The hat is drying on a Farberware sauce pan. I think it's going to be great. The hat is not too deep. I've already started one in red. And maybe I need one in black. And how 'bout one in Noro? I see holiday presents! It takes about one evening or a little more to knit.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Grazing Sheep Bag
I finally sewed up the Grazing Sheep Bag and felted it. I also felted the i-cord handles. Just have to sew them in. A friend foolishly offered to line it for me, but I think that may be too much to ask. As someone who disdains sewing, it is hard for me to understand someone volunteering to do it, but maybe she will.
Meanwhile, I like the bag very much. I made one adaptation. Well, two. I added a black sheep on the back of the bag on the theory that one has to have at least one black sheep. I also did seed stitch on the top edge because I was afraid the edge might roll.
Meanwhile, I like the bag very much. I made one adaptation. Well, two. I added a black sheep on the back of the bag on the theory that one has to have at least one black sheep. I also did seed stitch on the top edge because I was afraid the edge might roll.
Monday, April 06, 2009
A Perfect Blendship
"If you're ever up a tree, send for me,
If you're ever down a well, ring my bell.
If you ever get so happy, you land in jail,
I'm your bail.
That's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships have been forgot,
Ours will still be hot."
Or so said Cole Porter.
The kitties seem to concur. Here Abigail and Tortellini enjoy some window time together. Two matching catloaves.
And here is a completed Kitty Sock. The full pair is done. Alpaca is soft (but you knew that), and all is right with the world.
If you're ever down a well, ring my bell.
If you ever get so happy, you land in jail,
I'm your bail.
That's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships have been forgot,
Ours will still be hot."
Or so said Cole Porter.
The kitties seem to concur. Here Abigail and Tortellini enjoy some window time together. Two matching catloaves.
And here is a completed Kitty Sock. The full pair is done. Alpaca is soft (but you knew that), and all is right with the world.
Monday, February 23, 2009
The iPhone Cozy
I knitted and felted an iPhone cozy. This is a little project, one you can knit in one evening with any suitable (i.e. feltable) scrap yarn. To make it work you have to knit a swatch that is nearly as big as the finished project and then felt the swatch and do a little Algebra I to get the sizing right. You always wondered where that algebra was going to come in handy and it turns out that it's useful in the domestic arts! Who knew?
Anyhow, I quickly knitted this up, sewed up the bottom and ran it through the washing machine. I decided it was a bit too roomy so I felted it in the bathroom sink using hot water, Soak (a soap for washing woolens) and a bit of wringing of the cozy. It came down in size (and got a bit thicker too, a good thing) quickly. Then I had to find a button. I couldn't find anything purple so I took this grey job which I like a lot because it has a grain look. I'm happy and the iPhone is happy too.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Abigail took it all in stride.
Anyhow, I quickly knitted this up, sewed up the bottom and ran it through the washing machine. I decided it was a bit too roomy so I felted it in the bathroom sink using hot water, Soak (a soap for washing woolens) and a bit of wringing of the cozy. It came down in size (and got a bit thicker too, a good thing) quickly. Then I had to find a button. I couldn't find anything purple so I took this grey job which I like a lot because it has a grain look. I'm happy and the iPhone is happy too.
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Abigail took it all in stride.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Grazing Sheep Bag in Process
Long time, no post. Here's a work in progress. It is a felted bag from the book "I 'Heart' Felt" by Kathleen Taylor. It was featured in last month's Knit Picks catalog, but alas, Knit Picks was out of the book when I tried to order it as well as some of the colors. I had a gift certificate from Amazon and free (and available) trumps 40% off any time. Tortellini approved of the Amazon box.
Of course, Wool of the Andes is a lot cheaper than Ultra Alpaca, but when they don't have it, the price doesn't much matter.
This design sshould be easy. It's all stockinette, after all. But the chart has been harder to follow than I would have predicted. I suspect that's because it is 100 stitches wide, and that's a long line to follow. Also it's sheer "easiness" makes one less meticulous. So I've done my share of frogging. And it will not be fun weaving in all those ends! I was toying with the idea of not lining this baby, but 1) a lovely person in my knitting group offered to do the sewing for me and 2) a lining will hide a multitude of unwoven ends so I will probably go for a lining.
The good news: I'm more than half done. Only 3 sheep to do and then it's truly easy. The bad news: the ends and making i-cord since I want to be able to carry it over my shoulder.
Of course, Wool of the Andes is a lot cheaper than Ultra Alpaca, but when they don't have it, the price doesn't much matter.
This design sshould be easy. It's all stockinette, after all. But the chart has been harder to follow than I would have predicted. I suspect that's because it is 100 stitches wide, and that's a long line to follow. Also it's sheer "easiness" makes one less meticulous. So I've done my share of frogging. And it will not be fun weaving in all those ends! I was toying with the idea of not lining this baby, but 1) a lovely person in my knitting group offered to do the sewing for me and 2) a lining will hide a multitude of unwoven ends so I will probably go for a lining.
The good news: I'm more than half done. Only 3 sheep to do and then it's truly easy. The bad news: the ends and making i-cord since I want to be able to carry it over my shoulder.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Princess & Pea
This is Abigail. She is sitting on four felted bags. I made these bags as Christmas gifts and recently decided to felt them more than I had at first. I took them up to Connecticut and ran them through the washer. Left 'em up there to dry. When I returned, I stacked them up and Abigail claimed them immediately. She says there are no peas under her mattresses so her sleep is not disturbed.
Meanwhile (always stay away from recipes that use the word "meanwhile"--these are words to live by!) I made a felted cat bed, the Kitty Pi bed by Wendy Johnson, with Nora in mind. All the kitties like it, but Nora seems to have claimed it for herself. There are probably three more Kitty Pi's in my future...
Meanwhile (always stay away from recipes that use the word "meanwhile"--these are words to live by!) I made a felted cat bed, the Kitty Pi bed by Wendy Johnson, with Nora in mind. All the kitties like it, but Nora seems to have claimed it for herself. There are probably three more Kitty Pi's in my future...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Big Bag Swap
I participated in a Ravelry swap. For those not familiar with a swap, it works like this. You sign up to knit a specific project to someone who is assigned to you whom you don't know. Someone else in the group is assigned to make you the same item. Often "goodies" are part of the swap--knitting things, chocolate, tea, etc. If the swap works, you send out a package and around the same time, you receive one. Fun!
So here is what I received. A lovely felted bag in the assigned pattern, some luscious sock yarn, cookies, candy, tea, a teleidoscope, a mug with a sheep, hand creme, Eucalan soap (for knitwear), a scratch pad in the shape of the letter "P" and some trail mix. I have to put off eating the goodies (except the tea) until I've finished my treatment for diverticulitis. One more day to go!
Penny, the lovely knitter who sent me these things, is from Winnipeg. I sent a similar package to Jen in California.
Here's the bag I made. I didn't photograph the goodies, but they included a soft sculpture elephant for Jen's 2-year-old son, chocolate jack-o'-lanterns, a tape measure, Soak soap, some tea, a wooden bookmark, a knitting project bag, a toy mouse for Jen's cat (gotta include the whole family!) and a toy sheep (ever knitter needs one!)
This was fun!
So here is what I received. A lovely felted bag in the assigned pattern, some luscious sock yarn, cookies, candy, tea, a teleidoscope, a mug with a sheep, hand creme, Eucalan soap (for knitwear), a scratch pad in the shape of the letter "P" and some trail mix. I have to put off eating the goodies (except the tea) until I've finished my treatment for diverticulitis. One more day to go!
Penny, the lovely knitter who sent me these things, is from Winnipeg. I sent a similar package to Jen in California.
Here's the bag I made. I didn't photograph the goodies, but they included a soft sculpture elephant for Jen's 2-year-old son, chocolate jack-o'-lanterns, a tape measure, Soak soap, some tea, a wooden bookmark, a knitting project bag, a toy mouse for Jen's cat (gotta include the whole family!) and a toy sheep (ever knitter needs one!)
This was fun!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Rhinebeck
This past weekend was the third in October which means it was time for the Sheep and Wool Family Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. As usual, the weather was gorgeous, and so were the sheep. Here's one particularly beautiful specimen. I didn't get any photos of the alpacas, llamas or goats or of the fall colors, for that matter. But they were there in great numbers and looking good.
There were lots of Ravelry buttons. I couldn't make the events since Saturday is a workday for me and the big party was Saturday night. But it was good to see a lot of Ravelers in attendance. My favorite political button of the day read, "A llama for Obama". I would wear one of those if I could find one.
The sheep apparently have to primp as much as some of the people. As Frieda from "Peanuts" would say, "People just expect more of you when you have naturally curly hair."
There were lots of Ravelry buttons. I couldn't make the events since Saturday is a workday for me and the big party was Saturday night. But it was good to see a lot of Ravelers in attendance. My favorite political button of the day read, "A llama for Obama". I would wear one of those if I could find one.
The sheep apparently have to primp as much as some of the people. As Frieda from "Peanuts" would say, "People just expect more of you when you have naturally curly hair."
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Cat Butts
Mommy put some black oil sunflower seed on the windowsill, and a little house finch came to take advantage of the offering. Soon all the girls were at the window watching the bird.
That's Tortellini on the left, Nora on the right and the huge derriere of Abigail in the middle. She is one fat cat. Considering how skinny she was in May when I adopted her, this is not good. But she eats up everything the other two leave behind. She doesn't seem to understand that she doesn't have a tapeworm anymore. And there is no cat on Earth who is less inclined to move. Anyone know of a kitty gym?
That's Tortellini on the left, Nora on the right and the huge derriere of Abigail in the middle. She is one fat cat. Considering how skinny she was in May when I adopted her, this is not good. But she eats up everything the other two leave behind. She doesn't seem to understand that she doesn't have a tapeworm anymore. And there is no cat on Earth who is less inclined to move. Anyone know of a kitty gym?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Big Bolt
I putted out of my driveway, and as I turned right I saw this tree. It was missing some bark although at the time I thought it was only a few feet of bark. When I came home, I explored the tree more carefully and realized that the damage ran the entire length of the tree which is 50-60 feet high.
Apparently a lightning bolt hit this tree at the top and stripped away a 6" wide piece of wood straight down to the ground. Wood pieces were all around the base of the tree and across the road. The neighbors had been away and knew nothing of what had happened. Lightning is powerful, and I'll bet this event was very loud. The kitties would have been freaked out. So would I. Now we know why "when it thunders, don't run under a tree."
I'll be interested to see whether this tree thrives during the next few years. I'm betting it will. (I think it's an aspen or at least it is aspen-like.)
Apparently a lightning bolt hit this tree at the top and stripped away a 6" wide piece of wood straight down to the ground. Wood pieces were all around the base of the tree and across the road. The neighbors had been away and knew nothing of what had happened. Lightning is powerful, and I'll bet this event was very loud. The kitties would have been freaked out. So would I. Now we know why "when it thunders, don't run under a tree."
I'll be interested to see whether this tree thrives during the next few years. I'm betting it will. (I think it's an aspen or at least it is aspen-like.)
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