I did start a graph for this blanket a while back, I guess I need to break it out again...well, I should go knit.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Blanket Updates
I did start a graph for this blanket a while back, I guess I need to break it out again...well, I should go knit.
Monday, March 2, 2015
No more excuses and a disappearing cat
Ok, so I found a way to get some photos. Before the cat comes and goes here's a quick peak at a rug I have been making sow but steady progress with.
I have a friend who is teaching a class to his guild on fractal spinning. He wanted some specifically dyed yarn to help see the stripes a bit easier. I'm still a pretty new dyer, so I did a bit of practicing. I went to my fiber stash and grabbed some Dorset and Whitefaced Woodland and began to dye. So then I have 8 or so ounces of this very oddly dyed wool (some sections came out better than others, and I used different colors on some parts because I got bored and wanted to see what all the colors I got for Christmas looked like).
Well, I am also in the process of using all of my long wool to make a rug to go in my slab basement with ceramic tiles set directly onto the concrete. I figured that this was as good a place as any to use all my test wools.
Over the course of about 4 hours I spun and plied the 8 ounces (it's not even close to fair quality and a bit thicker than normal). Then I joined it to the rug. Pacman was quite pleased.
I'm actually quite happy with the overall look of the yarn. Especially that fact that I paid absolutely no attention to any of the colors while I was spinning.
A few days later, I decided I needed to comb some more of my friend's wool. I'm getting a new puppy soon (yeah, there might be another pause in the posts) and decided that the wastes from my combing would make a good bed, so I stuck them in an old pillow case. My cats felt it very important to test this new bed. They approved. This one liked it so much, she didn't even care that I had more that could go into the pillow case/bed.
This was the final result of my combing. I know you're supposed to draft the fibers off the comb, but I wanted to see what would happen if I didn't. And yes, my cat is still under the wool in that last picture.
Well, I am also in the process of using all of my long wool to make a rug to go in my slab basement with ceramic tiles set directly onto the concrete. I figured that this was as good a place as any to use all my test wools.
Over the course of about 4 hours I spun and plied the 8 ounces (it's not even close to fair quality and a bit thicker than normal). Then I joined it to the rug. Pacman was quite pleased.
I'm actually quite happy with the overall look of the yarn. Especially that fact that I paid absolutely no attention to any of the colors while I was spinning.
A few days later, I decided I needed to comb some more of my friend's wool. I'm getting a new puppy soon (yeah, there might be another pause in the posts) and decided that the wastes from my combing would make a good bed, so I stuck them in an old pillow case. My cats felt it very important to test this new bed. They approved. This one liked it so much, she didn't even care that I had more that could go into the pillow case/bed.
Monday, February 23, 2015
More excuses and a new goal
It's the same excuse really; I still haven't found my card reader and can't get photos uploaded (though maybe I could make more excuses about why I haven't looked harder for my card reader, gotten another on, taken pictures on my phone and then e-mailed them to myself, or even worked on anything worth taking pictures of, but who wants to read that?). So, yeah, I'm being a bit lazy with the blogging, but rest assured the knitting/spinning/combing is still happening.
Here's the run down of skills and feelings about said skills:
Knitting- Certainly Competent: While I don't know everything there is to know I feel sure that I could quickly learn any technique needed for any desired pattern. I have successfully completed scarves, blankets, stuffed animals, hats, gloves, mittens, socks, and sweaters; lace, cables, and fair isle projects. There is an endless supply of patterns and techniques, and while they might not be the easiest ,quickest, or most fun projects, I do feel I could complete almost any project out there (though I'm sure I would get an interesting set of results if you wanted to "challenge" me with a pattern or two, though no promises that anything would get made).
Spinning- Worsted Fingering- Fairly Adept: I feel I have gotten to a good place with a worsted style fingering weight yarn, even to the point that I have a finished skein of BFL just waiting for some more friends before it heads over to Etsy. Other drafting styles or weights, well that's a different story, but I am working on it with reasonable amounts of progress. That said, I'm not holding my breath for any ribbons at this year's fair now that I'm not a novice anymore.
Dyeing- It's fun, and alot quicker than anything else: I'm still figuring out how to get professional quality dye jobs, but I like what I've made for myself, and my friend that I did some dyeing for liked the results (which lead to another possibly Etsy-worth idea).
So I feel like I can make just about anything I would want for myself (like most crafters I have lower standards for the things I keep than the things I would give or possibly even sell). I am confident that I could keep my family in woolies in a post-apocalyptic world. So what's next? While my current skills are far from perfect, certainly have room for improvement, and keep me pleasantly occupied with wool as often as I want, I can't help but feel that I should try my hand at designing. I have improvised several things, but it would be nice to plan something on paper so that everyone could know what is happening in my head. For some reason I feel like a hat is the place to start. So before my birthday this year, I want to try and design (on paper) a hat, and then see if someone else can make it. The trick will be making it interesting enough for anyone to care while not making it so crazy that nobody understand what on earth I am thinking. We shall see how it goes...
Here's the run down of skills and feelings about said skills:
Knitting- Certainly Competent: While I don't know everything there is to know I feel sure that I could quickly learn any technique needed for any desired pattern. I have successfully completed scarves, blankets, stuffed animals, hats, gloves, mittens, socks, and sweaters; lace, cables, and fair isle projects. There is an endless supply of patterns and techniques, and while they might not be the easiest ,quickest, or most fun projects, I do feel I could complete almost any project out there (though I'm sure I would get an interesting set of results if you wanted to "challenge" me with a pattern or two, though no promises that anything would get made).
Spinning- Worsted Fingering- Fairly Adept: I feel I have gotten to a good place with a worsted style fingering weight yarn, even to the point that I have a finished skein of BFL just waiting for some more friends before it heads over to Etsy. Other drafting styles or weights, well that's a different story, but I am working on it with reasonable amounts of progress. That said, I'm not holding my breath for any ribbons at this year's fair now that I'm not a novice anymore.
Dyeing- It's fun, and alot quicker than anything else: I'm still figuring out how to get professional quality dye jobs, but I like what I've made for myself, and my friend that I did some dyeing for liked the results (which lead to another possibly Etsy-worth idea).
So I feel like I can make just about anything I would want for myself (like most crafters I have lower standards for the things I keep than the things I would give or possibly even sell). I am confident that I could keep my family in woolies in a post-apocalyptic world. So what's next? While my current skills are far from perfect, certainly have room for improvement, and keep me pleasantly occupied with wool as often as I want, I can't help but feel that I should try my hand at designing. I have improvised several things, but it would be nice to plan something on paper so that everyone could know what is happening in my head. For some reason I feel like a hat is the place to start. So before my birthday this year, I want to try and design (on paper) a hat, and then see if someone else can make it. The trick will be making it interesting enough for anyone to care while not making it so crazy that nobody understand what on earth I am thinking. We shall see how it goes...
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Technology Issues and excuses
For all of those who actually follow this...thanks Mom! I know I was hoping to have new pictures of the blanket up days ago, but it turns out that someone (who may or may not be 5) moved my card reader so now I can't get the pictures off my camera...But rest assured that when I find it there will be photos of the blanket, the new shipment from the PF Fiber Club (spoiler...Cashmere!), comb blending, and dying efforts. Here's hoping I find it soon!
Friday, February 6, 2015
COMBS
Last year I was given many many fleeces from a herder friend who raises a small breeding flock for lamb meat. I still have bags that need to be washed and we are coming closer and closer to this year's shearing season...but now I have a new set of tools to help me get through it all and hopefully not end up with a house full of raw wool.
These are my lovely combs from Paradise Fibers. This picture was actually taken for a friend after she shared that she had had some combs, but as each one was over 2 pounds she lacked the motivation to use them and they were sold. In case you can't see, these are 11.25 ounces together.
They certainly make the wool combing go much quicker. Before I was using sort of similarly shaped dog brushes, and the results were useable, but not ideal. The real combs work much faster, allow me to get out much more veg, and produce those nice little "birds nests" I had heard about when I first started processing wool.
Overall, everything is working better, and as long as nobody gets too close, I can happily comb wool through a whole TV show (as long as I've seen it before, otherwise my attention kind of wanders... :)).
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As far as the blanket goes, I am going to try to get a new picture up this weekend, but little progress has been made this week. Last week was good and I got through the first two borders (37 rows) and started about 6 or so rows of the pattern. However, once I had done those 37 rows and started the first row of the pattern, I learned that I had not actually cast on the required 164 stitches...I only had 150. I was not about to rip out all those rows and start over, and since there were effectively two borders, I just made the inner border thinner...a lot thinner, but it's still there. Hopefully it works out, and my sister-in-law-to-be likes it. Anyway...here's hoping for a new picture this weekend!
They certainly make the wool combing go much quicker. Before I was using sort of similarly shaped dog brushes, and the results were useable, but not ideal. The real combs work much faster, allow me to get out much more veg, and produce those nice little "birds nests" I had heard about when I first started processing wool.
Overall, everything is working better, and as long as nobody gets too close, I can happily comb wool through a whole TV show (as long as I've seen it before, otherwise my attention kind of wanders... :)).
--------
As far as the blanket goes, I am going to try to get a new picture up this weekend, but little progress has been made this week. Last week was good and I got through the first two borders (37 rows) and started about 6 or so rows of the pattern. However, once I had done those 37 rows and started the first row of the pattern, I learned that I had not actually cast on the required 164 stitches...I only had 150. I was not about to rip out all those rows and start over, and since there were effectively two borders, I just made the inner border thinner...a lot thinner, but it's still there. Hopefully it works out, and my sister-in-law-to-be likes it. Anyway...here's hoping for a new picture this weekend!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Countdown to September
Last, um, October or November I went to my LYS and picked out some yarn to go with the PERFECT pattern for a wedding present for my brother-in-law's wedding this September. Last Wednesday, I went and picked it up (there was apparently an issue with the yarn companies shipping services, it's not an issue for me- I still have 9 months to knit this thing). The beaver has kind of taken a back seat, partly because I know my husband will still love me if I give him a birthday present with dpns still in to, but my future sis-in-law probably has higher expectations for a wedding present- and rightly so- and partly because I am over the circular linen stitched tail.
So I've been working on the blanket for the wedding. My goal for now, is to post weekly updates, mostly to keep me coming back here and posting. They may end up just being photos, but hopefully I will be inspired once I am here, because....I also got wool combs! But that is another post, or two.
Anyway, since last Wednesday, I have been able to get all 164 stitches cast on (with a knit-on cast on) and I am 20 rows into the 24 row seed stitch boarder. I had originally (on Wednesday) considered starting the blanket now, thinking that 4 rows won't make much of a difference in the look of the blanket, it will save me 8 rows total knitting, more importantly it will save 8 rows of SEED STITCH, and will save me some yarn since I had irrational fears of running out. But now I am thinking that it's only 4 more rows, the seed stitch hasn't been terrible (far better than the linen stitch beaver tail in time out), according to the estimates on the pattern I think I have about an extra 300 or so yards, and the extra 4 rows, in a chunky yarn on size 10 needles will make enough of a visual difference, that I should just do all 24 rows. Whew, so much information that no one ever cared about :).
Anyway here is the first of hopefully many photos...
The needles are very curly, I'm hoping that works itself out as it gets longer and more blanket-y.
Hopefully I will have some more time this week to fill you in on the wonders that are the wool combs, so until then...thanks for reading!
So I've been working on the blanket for the wedding. My goal for now, is to post weekly updates, mostly to keep me coming back here and posting. They may end up just being photos, but hopefully I will be inspired once I am here, because....I also got wool combs! But that is another post, or two.
Anyway, since last Wednesday, I have been able to get all 164 stitches cast on (with a knit-on cast on) and I am 20 rows into the 24 row seed stitch boarder. I had originally (on Wednesday) considered starting the blanket now, thinking that 4 rows won't make much of a difference in the look of the blanket, it will save me 8 rows total knitting, more importantly it will save 8 rows of SEED STITCH, and will save me some yarn since I had irrational fears of running out. But now I am thinking that it's only 4 more rows, the seed stitch hasn't been terrible (far better than the linen stitch beaver tail in time out), according to the estimates on the pattern I think I have about an extra 300 or so yards, and the extra 4 rows, in a chunky yarn on size 10 needles will make enough of a visual difference, that I should just do all 24 rows. Whew, so much information that no one ever cared about :).
Anyway here is the first of hopefully many photos...
Hopefully I will have some more time this week to fill you in on the wonders that are the wool combs, so until then...thanks for reading!
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
A Beaver for A Birthday- The Ultimate Free Gift
So a couple of months ago, my husband and I were bored and on Netflix, so we decided to watch this documentary on beavers. Hey, they're cute, fluffy when dry, and build crazy things. What better show for an engineer and his wife? So after this viewing, my husband became pseudo obsessed with beavers. Nothing major, he just makes frequent remarks about wanting to get one for a pet, though not as often as his remarks about wanting to get a bobcat, but that's another story.
So fast forward to this year, and I am killing time one night on Ravelry or Pinterest, or someother place with way too many choices and ideas than could ever be finished, and I found this beaver pattern. It called to me, so I decided that I had to make it for my husband for his birthday. I started it on January 7th and figured that would give me plenty of time to get it done by May 1, his birthday. I originally planned on just working on it at my Friday Night Knitting gatherings, but between my daughter having dinner issues after Friday gymnastics, and general socializing, not much knitting was getting done.
Luckily, I am currently home most of the time, as my main employment is home based. So the beaver came out while he was at work, and wow, between its general small size, largish gauge and the fact that my daughter considers it playing as long as I talk for the toys, I was able to make some great progress.
As I was working, I found it odd that the pattern starts with the body, then you leave live stitches for the tail on waste yarn, and go back and pick-up stitches for the head. After a few more seconds of actually reading the pattern ahead of time, I soon saw that you stuff the head and body before knitting the tail, which explains the segmentation. I still don't understand, however, why you don't just start with the head and knit from end to end. Maybe the designer didn't think that a cast-on would be secure enough to hold the stuffing at the nose... Oh well.
So here we are, January 21, and I am on the tail. To be fair, it is going much more slowly than the rest, but I feel very comfortable with my progress.
So it's a free pattern, I used stash yarn, and I stuffed it with some of those fleeces I got for free. I guess I did spend money on the yarn at some point, but not recently, and since my husband is horrible to get gifts for, I figure this is as good as just about anything else.
So fast forward to this year, and I am killing time one night on Ravelry or Pinterest, or someother place with way too many choices and ideas than could ever be finished, and I found this beaver pattern. It called to me, so I decided that I had to make it for my husband for his birthday. I started it on January 7th and figured that would give me plenty of time to get it done by May 1, his birthday. I originally planned on just working on it at my Friday Night Knitting gatherings, but between my daughter having dinner issues after Friday gymnastics, and general socializing, not much knitting was getting done.
Luckily, I am currently home most of the time, as my main employment is home based. So the beaver came out while he was at work, and wow, between its general small size, largish gauge and the fact that my daughter considers it playing as long as I talk for the toys, I was able to make some great progress.
As I was working, I found it odd that the pattern starts with the body, then you leave live stitches for the tail on waste yarn, and go back and pick-up stitches for the head. After a few more seconds of actually reading the pattern ahead of time, I soon saw that you stuff the head and body before knitting the tail, which explains the segmentation. I still don't understand, however, why you don't just start with the head and knit from end to end. Maybe the designer didn't think that a cast-on would be secure enough to hold the stuffing at the nose... Oh well.
So here we are, January 21, and I am on the tail. To be fair, it is going much more slowly than the rest, but I feel very comfortable with my progress.
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