Finished project and new project

My largest lace shawl to date is finished, all done. The ends are woven in, there were only two, one at the beginning and one at the end. The lace is blocked and open and dried, luckily before today's rain. the loose stitch that was spotted was isolated and woven in as neatly as I could, trying to match the pattern. With that project done, and off the needles there was all the excitement of choosing a new project, and I had fun this week. I dithered over which of two projects should be next, swatching and swatching for one, and then put that aside as I couldn't decide what to do and started another.

Deciduous shawl blocked, and finished,

Here is the shawl, and its statistics, Pattern is Deciduous Lace Shawl by Evelyn Clarke,  knit in Touch Yarns Lace  Kid Merino 2 ply. The yarn is hand dyed deep brown-green but has hints of purple here and there. I started January 1st 2012, finished April 16th 2012. I have no idea how some people knit 12 shawls in a year ... no idea at all. Finished blocked measurement = 64” across tip to tip and 33” from start to center tip, I probably blocked it larger but it has relaxed a little. I read that some people leave lace blocking for three days - to remove the potential for such a relaxation. I  didn't do that this time, but might next time. I love how shear the lace is now and the small leaf pattern really has a three dimensional effect- looking almost like small bubbles or stones. 

Deciduous shawl - the tapered ends

The corners blocked out nicely, I initially worried that the stocking stitch lace that framed the shawl would result in curling. I contacted two Ravelers who had knit this ... and both said that curling was not a problem so I trusted in the pattern and finished it as suggested. To date there has been no curl. The final edge is a simple crochet cast off, with loops. That makes the shawl fairly easy to block, sliding blocking rods through each loops and pinning the shawl out flat and symmetrical.

Claire cardigan - integrating the crochet and the knitting.

With the shawl off the needles I started looking for a new project. I have two cardigan sets of sock yarn sitting ready to knit a cardigan with. One in steel grey and one in burnt orange. I fell in love with the Clair cardigan listed on Ravelry, but sadly wasn't able to buy the pattern, I did track down someone who had knit it and traded for their copy of the pattern. Something about the cardigan just appealed. The shape is very much like a store bought cardigan I wear with dresses, and I loved the lace detail around the collar. When the pattern arrived I realized that what I had thought was lace worked as part of the cardigan was a crochet over layer, almost like a flat collar stitched onto the cardigan after it was knit. I wondered if the lace could be integrated into the cardigan and started to play. That of course meant updating my basic crochet skills using Youtube and other online tutorials so I could make sense of the charted crochet design. I also was attempting to reguage the cardigan from sport weight yarn to sock weight yarn. I worked the crochet on a 3mm hook, and worked at picking up and knitting from the edge, and it worked. I've swatched the raglan shaping on 2.75mm needles , and a 2x2 rib on 2.5mm needle. I'm also planning to swatch on 3mm and 3.5mm just to see what guage I like best. 

3mm and 2mm sampling of crochet lace in sock yarn

The Clair cardigan is bottom up, and knit in pieces, but I plan to knit mine top down and seamless. Given the cardigan isn't particularly high necked I thought the crotchet lace was a little bold, would take up to much of the shoulder and look odd unless I had a dress with an even lower neckline underneath it. So I've re-swatched the lace on a 2mm needle, and I like this better, its firmer and denser in a good way. I'm also looking for a result where the crochet stitches are the same scale and size as the knit stitches. The crotchet on 2mm swatch is smaller and  forms a more dramatic curve - so I've stalled as I think about how to make it less curved.  I'm using odds and ends of pale sock yarn - the same brand of yarn the cardigan will be in, which is nice, I can swatch and swatch and have lots to swatch with.

My Dirty Rainbow yarn

With my highly modified version of the Clair cardigan in the Thinking-chair, while I ponder my next move I started my second project for the week. Now there is more than one Helen in my world, there is embroidery Helen, and lace knitting Helen. Both those Helens knit but one is known for her embroidery, then there is Banjo Helen, who works with Bear and also is a knitter, but has started to play the Banjo. Banjo-Helen is having a baby and is moving to Wanaka - and it is cold there in the winter, it snows. I love to knit baby blankets, and handpspinning seems the right material for a brand new baby that a family has spend 9 months making and will be living where the snow lies on the ground there is skiing. That leads me to my second new project for the week, a slightly modified version of Knitspots Rosebuddie, this time knit in three different worsted weight handspun yarns. The first yarn I've called My dirty Rainbow, as it was intended to be a rainbow but seemed dirty in a good warm way.

Banjo Helen - the baby blanket, warm and thick,

As the colour changes are vibrant I'm omitting the rosebuds on the body of the blanket, but working the lace corner increases as charted. Right now I've incorporated 100 grams of woolen spun merino, followed by 100 grams of Pitt Island Merino from a spinning swap some years back, and now I'm working on the final burnt orange border. This is in orange Romney. I love the way the corner increases are worked in this blanket, and plan to start the final edge as per the pattern soon.

Once Banjo-Helen's blanket is done I think I might be ready for another play with the Clair cardigan pattern. I'm on leave this week but haven't done anywhere as much as I planned.  I used to worry about that but now just  accept that I will always plan to do more than I have time for. I've made lots of starts, there is a dress for little cub and a dress for me - both half sewn, and two new projects, and we have had visitors several time and will again. It has been a good holiday ...and today I have cut a deal with both cubs. If they tidy their rooms properly, clear and sweep under their  beds and the rooms surfaces are clear and clean, with most of their  things away in the right places ... we will head of to town and go to a movie. I won't be able to knit in the movie, but tonight is knit night and I'll knit more there.

Take care
na Stella

Look - Cardigan!

Yes the cardigan is all done, eight days from go to whoa! Eight days! I'm starting to see the attraction of thicker yarns. The cardigan was finished on the trip up through Central Otago, and it seemed a good time to make some photos so here it is unblocked.

 I had finished one sleeve whilst the cub was asleep, when she woke she decided it was a tad short. I worked the second sleeve on the trip and had the cub with me so had her try it on. Little darling that she is ... insisted that it wasn't long enough and would I add more. So I did ... now the sleeves are generously long, so long that they can be folded up as cuffs. The hem of the cardigan comes to a few inches past the waist of the dress, so there is a little growth allowance in there.

 Buttons are always tricky, Bear and I visited the local designer charity shop (Shop on Caroll) where someone takes the time to sort vintage buttons and attached them in sets to brown paper cards. There were some that exactly matched the faded mauve of the cardigan - but these seemed a more sophisticated match. Is it me or are vintage buttons generally thicker and smoother and nicer than modern ones?

And the back, the leaf lace motif does seem to create a puffed sleeve effect, slightly unexpected but nice all the same. If I was to knit this again (and I might just do that in another colour), I would try and space the lace leaves around the yoke a little more evenly and hide the raglan increases between them. I also wonder about working eyelets at the top or bottom of the ribbing ... and then I tell myself that sometimes less is more.

And this is the front, personally I like it with the topmost button undone, but little cub is a sticker for doing up all the buttons all the way. The location is the Shaky bridge in Alexandra, built in the 1870's over the Manuherikia River, which really does shake as you walk on it. In the background you can spot the bright orange vest and workboots of the local inspector who was performing a 'walk-over' when we were there. I freely admit to not being the best with heights and liking to be be on solid ground - so the ease with which both cubs skipped and ran along the bridge was a little disturbing, and I was much comforted by the sight of the inspector.

So I'm back with knitting my Deciduous lace shawl, thinking about the Sanqhuar gloves, and being plenty distracted by spinning.

take care
na Stella

Knitting

I am back to knitting (and family and spinning and all the usual things) so today the blog post is a more 'usual' one, sans exciting things like world travel and knitting conferences and hero workshop .. and today it is just knitting. It is the first day of a week of leave (fantastic!), the sun is shinning unlike last week when we had snow most days, none of it settled it just flurried. I've just waved good-bye to the smallest cub who is off for a few days with her Granddad, which leaves the eldest cub here as a temporary only child. Latter today we plan to opp-shop, just troll thru the myriad of second hand and trader shops in South Dunedin to see what we can see. I have hopes of finding a vintage fountain pen that is pretty enough and cheap enough to add to the small collection I am building ...and I have plans to finish knitting the largest of the two blankets in progress. He has hopes of finding vast tubs of Lego at ridiculously cheap prices.

So knitting, where am I with that? Well today I've got some finished socks to show, these have been done for a while, and worn and washed at least twice .. but Vintage Purls yarn stands up to that so they still look great, plus I've got progress on my Shetland blanket, my weeks knitting to finish it project, there is a 'new-project' with a challenge and a deadline, so lets talk knitting.


First up - Theodora, which was found and finished in Shetland, and worn, and then came home, was washed and has been worn again .. now I've managed to nab them clean and fresh for a final photo. I love this pattern, the lace is easy and bold, and the colour is just amazing. I probably have not done this justice ... but even Bear commented what a nice colour they were - and then followed that up with a further comment that it wasn't a colour for him, but it was a nice colour for me.


The 'replacement' baby blanket, the boring one, with a plain garter center continues, with a plain contrast edge - also in garter. I picked up stitches before heading out to knit night last Thursday, and have been working away at the edging off and on since then. As the blanket grows in size, the rounds have more stitches and the progress seems to be less visible. I'm using two identical yarns to work the garter boarder, a neat trick 'invented' or 'unvented' by Fleegle, so one can garter in the round and never need purl. I think Yo-yo is happy to have me back ... don't you? She has been sleeping in my lap when I knit, and moving further and further up the bed at night much to Bears disgust .. he thinks cats should be banned from the bedroom ...and really prefers her to stay by his feet if she 'has' to be on the bed at all. But he is a sweetie .. so she sleeps on our bed most nights, despite his dislike of the practice.

The 'other' blanket languishes, but will receive some attention this week. As spring brings with it warmer weather it makes sense to have it ready to block outdoors as I did with the last one. I have only a few squares to work .. so it should not take long. and I've moved it from the living room to the room at the back of the house that we don't use so much, with 3 spinning wheels and two knitting baskets ... this extra basket with the jumbo-blanket made the room look even more cluttered.


My newest project is another blanket sort of thing, remember earlier this year I reported on the KSG retreat and how we not only knit but Dartmore-dyed some yarn. The purpose of that was to generate yarn and fleece for a community project. The KSG members who want to have each been given the name of an adult living in care and their preferred colours. The goal is to knit them something to brighten their rooms... Me I have purple and red to knit a wall hanging. I'm attempting to knit this Portuguese style, with little knitting broaches as shown to me by Andrea Wong. So far so good, I remember how to knit and purl with my thumbs ... my yarn tensioning is not as even as when I knit in my more usual way, but that will come with practice. Andrea made it look so easy .... and very very easy to work colourwork, with a pin on each shoulder and just flicking the colour of choice into place. The challenge is to knit this in a new style, Portuguese, and the deadline is to have it done and posted away in time for it to be a Christmas gift.


I guess I should go and feed the one remaining cub .. today is also the second day of daylight saving, so the clocks are all forward and my body is yet to adjust, hence meal times are at odds with our feeling hungry.

Take care
I hope the sun shines where you are as warm and soft as it is shining here today
na Stella

Distracted,

This week I've been distracted, oh there has been knitting, and finishing and spinning, and all the usual work and parenting and keeping up with events online .. but I have been distracted. I can pinpoint the start of the distraction quite clearly, to Overkill, who not only blogged about her recent procrastination ending in a fountain pen revival, but spoke of it in person to Bear and myself. Well ... I started thinking about writing instruments, and my early working days in a engineering design office. Oh we had a stationery cupboard the likes of which I have not seen since, there were red pens, black pens, blue pens, and green pens, all for the purposes of checking of and initialing different stages of drawings. There was lined paper, gridded paper and graph paper pads, in A4 and A3, there were pencils in every grade from H to 4B, the traditional kind in wood that you sharpen, the technical mechanical kind that took 0.3 or 0.5 or 0.9mm leads. There were erasing shields and scale rulers and erasers of all sorts of shapes and materials for erasing on paper and parchment and tracing paper. There was ink, in bottles and the specialized Rotring pens for detailing final drawings .. and in those days the pens were refilled with ink cartridges ... so there were all manner of pen cleaning tools and wipes and solutions to keep them working well. There were also piles of stencils for detailing drawings, curves and templates ... and technical drawing equipment like brass parallel rulers, and set squares.


Then there was my all time favorite, 2mm clutch pencils, that were sharpened with a special lead pointer. Reading about a return and rediscovery of fountain pens brought back memories of that stationery cupboard, and of using those specialized writing tools. I went hunting out the clutch pencils we had and found this, Bears old Faber Castell 4600N (circa 1970) 2mm clutch. Vintage. I headed out to the art supply store and bought leads and made use of it from that day on.

Then the very next day I headed back to the art supply store to get a lead pointer, it was no fun writing with a blunt pencil.
The day after that I was cruising the internet looking for more supplies and information on technical and drawing pencils. These are called clutch pencils in the UK and here in NZ, and are known as lead holders in the US. The lead is about as thick as that in a wooden pencil, but seems smoother and nicer to use. The beauty is that it can be sharpened to a fine point, but as it sharpens unlike a wooden pencil the balance doesn't change. It is apparently a classic, and in demand and I can see why.

Yesterday I looked thru the other bits of stationery that we have here, Bear has some that were his mums and his dads. Amongst that I found this lovely vintage mechanical pencil, unbranded, that takes a 1.1mm lead. And it has a box of leads with it. I've been using it as well ...for it is nice, very nice. Good news is that the leads it needs are still available and I've got some on their way to me. The minimum order was $20 .. so I probably have a lifetimes supply ......at a $1.50 for 10, $20 is a whole lot of lead.

In the midst of all this distraction I have been knitting, I added Acorns to the nearly finished Squirrel Mittens. These were lovely, I knit 4 acorns in total, the first one was a little bumpy, the second I tried to knit in the round but really it needs the structure of the seam between the two sections to pull it into shape when it is stuffed full of fibre. The last two were good enough to use on the mittens. I attached them with self made rope, and then knotted them over the braid, before burying the yarn ends between the layers. I think they look good.



And I've also started a new project, Theodora, in the kit yarn, from Vintage Purls. This one is knitting up fast, with big bold sexy lace. I was going to knit a sock in Road Cone .. for my road safety working Bear ... but that is on hold for now. I've not quite sorted the pattern .... I needed a knit that required no planning on my part and Theodora fitted the bill nicely. The lace panel is bold, and clean and easy to work, the rest of the sock is plain .. so it is knitting up very fast. I've also done another square on the big blanket .. but as it is grey and garter .. well one photo of progress on a project like that is much like another photo, so I will spare you that.

so ... with any luck I will be more focused and less distracted this week, although there is so much out there learn about mechanical pencils. There are some beautiful pencils out there I've already succumbed to a set of five mixed vintage lead pointers and pencil sharpeners on TradeMe .... so I won't promise anything more. I found blogs on mechanical pencils, and an online museum on lead holder pencils, imagine what finding out about those does to some one as geeky about knitting as me?

I might have a new 'thing' to distract me .. but I think it is totally compatible with the knitting.

na Stella

News, reviews and anwers

Today's post is full, first up I'm guest blogging over at GrannyG's place, a review of the Nightingale sock pattern, so for a full update on that knitting you will have to pop over and read it there. There is also news ... two finished objects, the Mobius and the Rouge Roses socks .. which means I've started new thing(s). Yes plural, as in I have 3 projects lined up ready to go and I want to knit them all, one of them is the newest kit in the Winter 2010 Vintage Purls Sock Club.


so projects, well ever since I saw a pair of these in person, I've coveted them. Nothing for it but to knit my own, can you guess which pattern they are?

Squirrel sampler mittens by Adrian Bizilia. I had a day at home with the eldest cub, he had a chesty cold and really wasn't ready to participate and infect a classroom of kids. Wow .. when one knits from noon until bed, with small breaks for after school pick-ups, and travelers vaccinations, and evening meals .. one gets a lot done. I'm hoping my squirrel will have a head and complete tail by end of today.

This all came about because I finished the Rouge roses socks, and they are thick and warm and cosy. I love the weight of the yarn, its a 'medium' sock yarn, and heavier than that I usually use. I'm not sure of the logistics of fitting thicker socks into my shoes .. and I'm a little wary of wearing them too much and putting holes in them. They are lovely but nylon-less .. and for some reason that worry's me. I want my hand knit socks to last .. but I am just supposing they will wear faster, they may not and in fact the high twist is supposed to prevent that, so I need to relax, trust, and wear them.

I also finished the Mobius, and while it is longer than I expected, I did cast on a lot of stitches, and looks more like crochet than knitting, I'm happy with it. Small bear has already claimed it - which is fine by me, I can see there will be another of these soon, wider and shorter and perhaps with a finer pattern.

the 2nd installment of the sock club arrived this week and I'm smitten. Look Bugs, and aptly named Bug out. I love it, we are a little spoiled in our neck of the woods as the designer delivers kits to us, this time at spin night. She also brings her sample along all knit up for us to fondle and admire ...

and there were gasps of surprise as we turned it over and found a knitted squashed bug under the foot - that just makes it even cooler. I have already queued this one, I've not cast on .. but it might just be the very next thing after squirrels are done.

Now recently I had a comment / question from Moemoe you do such great color work are there any site, books, patterns you can recommend for a beginner?.
Well, I can tell you how colourwork began for me. At first I worked a few items that had stripped cuffs, vertical striping, that let me play without fear and intimidation of taking on a large and complex project. To start with I also worked a few child's, (well toddlers) jerseys with small repeating colour work motifs. One that I can't find a photo of right now as a variation of Wendy Johnsons baby Norgi sweater that was a pattern and steeking tutorial on Knitty. I can't say what book would be best for you as I don't have many that show how to work colour work, but one of my fist purchases on knitting was Knitting in the old way, which has details for shaping sweaters and has quite a few charts one can use to decorate items with. I worked quite a few smaller simpler projects, the FakeIsle hat, a few pair of mittens, even a pair of colour work socks with very simple patterns. I designed and worked a larger cardigan for myself, Fannigan, and knit a Bohus from a kit. Each of these was a step more complicated in the colour work and gave me more practice and experience and confidence. Most of the early colour work was simple, working a 2 blue, one green stitches across a round. And all of it was in the round, that was essential for my sanity, not to have to work the design in reverse as I purled back the other way.
In my early projects I stressed a lot about 'how to best hold the yarn'. I found several video's on line that demonstrated ways to hold and work the yarns, the Fair Isle and Norwegien blog post has a lot of excellent detail of sources in print, dvd and free on line so I wont' repeat it all here. The Philosophers wool videos were a good source when I started, as I was knitting more with my yarn in the right hand. That technique is a good one and works well for many many expert knitters. Youtube is invaluable as well.

Eventually I started to carry my yarn more and more in the left hand, and I asked on the Knitters Review forums (pre-ravelry) about how to work colour work carrying both yarns in the left hand and had several very nice knitters post details of their techniques. Those I tried and adapted and found worked for me. I have a mental block with using both hands, I can never work out which hand is holding the colour I want to use .. even if I'm looking at my hands. When I carry both colours of yarn in my left hand I can just scoop the blue or the white .. whichever I need and I'm much less confused. I have now posted on Youtube and here in the side bar videos of how I knit colour work.


One of the best hints I ever read was by Wendy Johnson, its on this page under color knitting questions. Wendy suggested as one knits to stretch out the stitches on the right hand needle so the floats are as long as they need to be. Magic! that worked wonders for me and I do that all the time now. And don't panic or write it off until its blocked ... every. Blocking solves a multitude of tension problems in colour knitting.

I guess the main point is that one becomes better at anything in stages, start small and simple with a corrugated rib or simple geometric pattern on a hat. Work up confidence and ability in stages .. and use yarn you like, in colours you love.

please .. if there are other sources or information or advice that is important, do leave a comment
na Stella

Thursday not wednesday

Today is Thursday, not Wednesday. In the past I've posted Sunday and Wednesday, twice a week. I'm going to have to change that, not Wednesday because right now that is my only full day of work, to Thursday when I will get to leave work most weeks at noon. So today is Thursday, I'm at home, I've had lunch (yum .. Toby-cub cooked last night with help and there were left overs), and there is light for photos and so I post. There are two finished objects today, one is a little quickie, a instant gratification knit-fix, and a little bit of spinning to report, because, you know the Tour de Fleece continues still. I have made progress on the Rouge Roses socks, I'm past the heel on the second one .. but no photos so I'll save that report for the weekend.



I've finished the baby vest, its pretty soft green and pink in an eyelet pattern. This is a classic Margaret Stove lacy baby vest, and I've knit it before, November of last year, in cobweb lace merino. This time I used 'mystery laceweight' yarn from the sale stock at the back of the Mill, no identification buyer beware. It is still laceweight yarn but thicker, and so the needles were larger and the finished vest larger. Technical specs:
Pattern: Margaret Stove Lacy Baby Vest
Needles: 3.25 for the body and 2.75 for the ribbing
Started: 3rd July 2010
Finished:20th July 2010
For: a baby at Bears work, not yet here, ETA 3 weeks
Modifications: none, but I did take more care in dividing the work to knit the front and back chest and shoulders flat. That way I was working lace on the right side of the work .. not on the reverse side as I ended up doing last time.

Look! Last time I knit it with lace cobweb weight and 2.75 mm needles. What a difference needle size and yarn weight makes .. I'd say a good 6 months growth in this case.

And the instant project? A moss stitch headband. Smallest cub wears her Quant ll the time, and I had 50 g of worsted weight handspun yarn that was BFL indigo dyed yarn from a Verb for Keeping warm. That is not a lot of yarn but half of it is enough for a headband. I mucked about for a bit, dithering over eyelets and lace and cables ... but really a simple moss stitch with a slip stitch edge was the best look with this yarn. I love the slight denim variation in the yarn - faded just like jeans and a perfect match for small-cubs blue eyes. I have enough to knit another .. which I just might do as a gift for one of her wee friends.

And spinning ...... yes I still am spinning with the tour. I have managed 30 minutes or more most days .. which surprises me. I'm still working away on the first half of the yellow perendale .. but Monday night I worked on this. A little 50g bag of wool/silk blend from Doe. One bobbin, fairly fine .. my plans are to wind it into a centre pull ball and two ply it - now I know that trick it seems a useful one to use.
My 'parenting' responsibility today, now I'm the 'after-school' parent is to transport cubs to swimming. Smallest one has a lesson, oldest one plays in the pool as he is a strong swimmer .. me I'm going to lane swim. That is something I used to do 4-5 times a week .. but with full time work it fell by the wayside. Tonight is knit night .. so there is that to look forward to, and this Saturday it is KSG (Knitters Study Group), the project is Mobius .. so I need to sort a project and yarn. Mobius knitting is something I'm keen to explore a little bit.

Take care
Na Stella

Last day of

my two weeks leave. Today I have plans to spin, and spin and relax ... already there has been buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, and the evening meal has been sorted and preparation started, and it is still not even midday yet. All this busy-ness is in order to have a relaxed afternoon and evening .. for tomorrow I start back at work, and the cubs start back at school.
At work it is the start of the final semester, the one in which our final year students undertake their biggest and most complex project, they design a collection of between 5 and 8 outfits and present them ... for them its a roller coaster of emotion and work, there are highs and lows and tears .. just as I image like any final year of study for most students groups. I have negotiated to reduce my hours - a difficult decision for me given that project looms but I think a good one, Bear will go back to full time work in August and I will be the one who picks up the cubs after school. There is a complicated work related meeting Tuesday which worries me a little, and I know I will relax more after then. I have really enjoyed this last two weeks, I have planned the evening meals, I've followed the sun around the house and had the chance to open windows on sunny days, having fresh air and light in ones day makes such a difference I think. I've even been able to get washing air dried and folded and away during the week not in a rush in the weekend! Oh the luxury of staying at home.

... and of course I have been spinning and knitting. Spinning has continued on my next Tour de Fleece fibre, 160g of yellow perendale combed top. Some I dyed myself, and knitting has continued on the Rouge Roses, and now one is done and the other started, and the baby-gift vest grows - but something slows me down on that one (I'll explain).


Look - I'm wearing Nightingale ..there are more photos on my Ravelry Nightingale Project page (I've shared it so those who don't have a Ravelry account can view it). I love these, I still think I need a new dress or skirt to go-with, and some new blue shoes .. but for now this will have to do.

Spinning, I'm still spinning away on my big Grace wheel, being home for two weeks has given me time to play with that wheel more than I have in the past. It is a big wheel, a powerful wheel and I have decided that I need only run it on the lower ratios for now. My hands just don't draft fast enough to work the higher ratios. I am going to have to make time to spin more on that wheel, usually use the little Majacraft Gem as it is portable and I can easily take it out Monday nights to spinning .. but really I see I need two spinning projects on the go at any one time, one on an 'at-home-wheel', and one more portable. I suspect I've thickened up the single a little .. so will attempt to refine it back to a thinner one as I work. I've spun 18g so far of the 160g ... the price of fine singles is very slow going.

And my Rogue roses socks ... I've started on the second sock. Well actually I've started on it 3 or 4 times, and ripped each time, the cuff worked well but for some reason I seemed unable to work the reverse of the chart easily. I kept defaulting to the original chart .. a simple thing, I tell my self the YO goes before not after ..... but that was enough to trip me up. Now on the 4th or 5th attempt and with focus and concentration I seem to have it sorted. I do like this pattern, and the way she writes it, quite conversational with explanations and suggestions rather than instructions, she being the Yarn Harolot, who suggests that one can work both socks the same, but it will be better to work them as mirrored pairs, and in her opinion they will look nicer that way, but then finishes with the choice is up to the knitter. I wonder if she had the same issues with initially mucking up the reverse chart as I did?

Look one all done, and isn't it pretty? Sprial socks almost never sit flat off the foot - as you can see from the previous image. but look just fine when worn.

Lastly the baby vest, a gift is needed in the next few months, and this will be it. I am nearly up to the armhole at which point the front is worked flat, and then the back worked flat before being joined at the shoulders. No problem there but again just like the Rogue roses socks the lace chart stays the same and yet changes .. as it is worked flat there are rows that must be worked in pattern and purled ... which was enough to throw me when I worked the last one. I'm sort of dragging my needles a bit on this one knowing that the 'knit-flat' section is nearly upon me. Of course I think the row that one starts the knit-flat lace is all important, and when I knit the last one I may have made a fatal error on that point that had me p3tod and s1, p2 psso, and p, Y0, P, k2. Or to put it more simply working all the tricky bits on the wrong side of the work. Lets see if I can learn from my mistakes and get it right this time?

take care, keep knitting and spinning and smiling ... (or humming - see two weeks leave is enough to leave me humming)
na Stella

oooo - finished!

Nightingale is finished, yes really, all cast off, woven in and blocked. I finished the charted colour section and started the cuff earlier this week .. and yesterday started the day knowing I only had a few cm's to knit to be done. For me, some times knowing how close the end is .. is enough to spur a finish. That is what happened, I decided that I 'needed' to finish them and block them whilst the sun shone, yesterday was a sunny day here. So after I had a load of laundry out to dry, and tidied up and opened windows the kids rooms so they could air a little, all the things I discovered that working does not let me do during the week but which make the house neater and easier to live in, I sat and knitted.

Look, all done!
If I am to continue to knit knee-high socks I might just have to source some knee high blockers .. for now these ones work. The colour work was a little tight in places .. not puckered but perhaps not as smooth as it could have been .... after a 10 minute soak in warm water with a little home made wool wash .. and a spin in the washing machine .. the socks looked beautiful. I can't wait to wear them .. but alas I don't have the 'right' shoes yet. I can wear them with calf high black boots .. but then only a bird would show and I want all the birds to show. I love so much about these, the reversed chart so they are a true pair, the way the stripes work around the heel cup and flap ... the toe up construction meaning that they could be as long as I needed them to be.



Tech specs:
Started April 10th 2010
Finished July the 15th 2010
Pattern Nightingale by Vintage Purls
Yarns, Vintage Purls sock, the ground in Midnight Runaway and the colourwork in Birthday Bash colour way that was a special edition.
Yarn left over, 3g of Midnight Runaway, and 16g of the Birthday Bash.
Modifications .. few, I worked mine on 2.25mm needles, and changed the top to stripes with 3 rounds of 1x1 rib at the top.

I have of course been continuing to spin along with the Tour de Fleece .. . The other finishing I did yesterday was a third skein of the Texel, and I plied the skein of Merino Silk that was a gift in the New Zealand fibre swap 4.0. The Texel is more of the same, well as same as hand-spinning can be. I now have three skeins and only a wee bit more to spin(34g plus some on a bobbin). The three skeins I have look pretty much the same, but the first is 189g and 309m, the second is 181g and 287m, while the third is 187g and 390m. I am thinking as that one is so out of keeping I should really count the number of strands in the hank again - in case I made a mistake. Notice my wee furred companion in the shadows. That is Yo-yo, who has been tailing me around the house and spending way to much time lazing in the sun.

This is the merino silk yarn. I divided the dyed roving into two sections along its length, spun one as it, and divided the other into three finer sections again along the length .. this is a technique called fractal spinning. Fractal spinning is intended to result in a pleasing fairly regular play of colours in a yarn made from a randomly dyed roving. I've only played with this preparation once before .. and it does seem to make a less .. how can I explain ... contrasty yarn. This skein is 97g and 191m.

Earlier in July an Anon commenter left a lovely comment .. and asked about spinning.
"Lately I've been researching spinning, and wonder "What's it about?" On the financial side, is it cheaper than buying a skein? Is it as obsessive a craft as knitting? I am hoping to take a spinning class one day soon, but in the meantime can you give me a little feedback. In all honesty I don't think I can handle another craft right now, but can't help the curiousity."

Now I'm not an expert .. but I'll do my best.
On the financial side, is it cheaper than buying a skein?
Spinning can be cheaper than buying yarn .. but it can be dearer .. it all depends on what you spin and what you like to buy in the way of yarn. By and by it is probably about the same cost as yarn .....without factoring in any equipment costs like a spindle or a wheel, or other fibre prep tools. I can buy 100g of hand dyed combed top for $NZD9 .... which compares very well to any 100g skein of yarn that is hand dyed. I can source cheaper fibre in bulk .. and source unprepared fibre much cheaper again ..at the other end of the scale I can also source much dearer fibre, cashmere, and other luxury fibres.

Is it as obsessive a craft as knitting?Oh yes, most definitely, for me and for others. But then for some, two I know of this is not 'their thing'. One lady was really keen to learn .. but excused herself after the first lesson saying it was the most boring thing she had ever experienced. Others just struggle with the hand feet coordination and find it no fun at all. Others struggle but enjoy the struggle and are really buzzed by the idea of making yarn and that carries them until they have mastered the art. I've read people spin to their heartbeat, and whilst that makes me wonder about the speed J spins at, it is a nice idea, a kind of whole body rhythm that is peaceful. I want to spin some times and knit others, the two activities are different and give me different senses of being, at times interchangeable but different. Then there is the obsessive side, for some trying different spindles or wheels, or collecting older wheels and working with them so they are in perfect running order, that is all fun for me, then there is finding the perfect fibre/ twist combination, that is fun as well or the tricky little special effects .. I've not gone there yet. Then there are those who 'just spin', and there is no deeper side than the pure enjoyment of making yarn. I have friends who spin because in a way it connects them to history, and to the traditions people had for centuries and as such they feel part of the continuum.
I don't know if it will be 'a thing you find enjoyable', or something you body learns to do with ease .. I learned to draft on a spindle before sitting at a wheel and believe that is an easier way to learn. But there are hundreds(thousands) who learn direct on a wheel - and spindling is not as much done as wheel spinning.
"What's it about?"
Ooo the hard question, for me, two things started me spinning, I saw all this lovely spinning on a lot of the knit-blogs I visited .. and I was intrigued, and I had difficulty finding the weights of yarns that I wanted to knit with here where I live. I built a spindle a few years ago, dowel and a door knob from the hard ware shop, and played. Then I upgraded to a wheel, a kitset that I had to build myself which taught me a lot about the mechanics and balance and adjustment of a wheel. ... and in time bought a few more old wheels on Trademe (New Zealands version of ebay). I sold the first wheel, and now have 3 older wheels that I love, and two newer ones. I bought those as I was afraid that when the older ones finally wore out (each is at least 30 years old) that I would not be able to find a well made craftsman wheel, and I wanted a portable wheel so I could easily go to retreats and classes.
There is a sense of satisfaction that comes with finishing anything, and with mastering anything .. and spinning is an area that I can score a little of that feeling. There is at some point a sense of control in knowing I can spin .. although to be honest what I knit is mostly bought yarns ... the spinning seems at times separate from the knitting. Perhaps because I can not yet spin reliably what I want to knit, but I am now gaining confidence to make plans to spin expressly for garments I want to knit.
Perhaps for me .. one of the most attractive aspects of spinning, other than playing with soft fibre and making things, two noble objectives on them selves, is the community that exists here and online around spinning. I have made friends thru spinning, and it connects us, it is a nice activity to work on in a group.
And I love trash-tv, sci fi and other stuff but have what I suspect is a kind of residual middle class English guilt about being inactive .. so knitting and spinning allows me to watch trash tv .. look I'm not lazy I'm spinning/knitting! I am one of those people who has to be making or doing something, some people have hobbies that are around gaming or socializing .. for me and my family it is around making things.

In all honesty I don't think I can handle another craft right now,That is how I feel about weaving! I am afraid to give in to it .. for then I would have no time for the things I enjoy now. Spinning has 'stolen' a little of my knitting time - but not in a way that worries me.
Please - any one else, do comment - about spinning and its connection to yarn and knitting. I don't want to be the only voice on this.

na Stella

FO alert, and spinning ....

Today: a FO, yes the Ccatta Andean colour work hat is finished, so photos, I've been spinning, so an update of what worked and what didn't (mostly what didn't), and not much else. I'm still plodding and knitting along on the garter ribbed cardigan for Bear, and trying to decide what socks to knit next.


So the hat - here it is, finished last night, ear flap boarders all sewn on and then the hat gently steamed. First the outside. Please ignore the little one stitch out alignment issue in this ear flap - I did spot it, much to late, and no I'm not going back to reknit the flap. I might work a little duplicate stitch miracle on it some time before I put all the left over yarn away.


... and the inside, with all the stranding on show. I was planning to mattress stitch the ear flap boarder, but .... those little teeny tiny stitches, together with the tight bind off. The pattern instructed that a tight bind off be used - to shorten the edging and help it fit the curve better. That made it difficult to sew the bind off loops neatly. I ended up whip stitching the boarder on from the right side. Stitching one ear flap loop to 2 bind of stitches seemed to be the right ratio to ease it all together.


Now here is the embarrassing part, spinning, you all know how last week I was so confident about the spinning, the green and brown fiber? How I went googling and reading about plying fine yarns on the internet, then decided to add more twist to the singles? What was I thinking? That was a very bad idea. I ruined the yarn, well the result is more string than yarn, so I either ruined the yarn or I made string. Hard, over-twisted, and kinky merino string. Here is a little sample or two, some of many. Oh I tried to save it, I discovered it is impossible to un-ply, that setting is not a panacea, and over-twisted singles are not pleasant.
The good news is that the fiber was free so I haven't lost any thing, my spinning lesson didn't cost anything other than time or pride. The other good news is that I rang Ashfords to seek more, and found out it was called green-bean and was in fact not merino, but a 50/50 merino alpaca blend. Assuming we were both talking about the same fiber (they said they only had one olive and brown mix so we probably are) it appears I really have been spinning luxury fiber. The really disappointing thing is that I had some lovely working softly twisted testing samples done before I over worked it and added more twist to the singles. I now know to sample or do the spinning equivalent of a swatch just to make sure I know what I'm doing. And to trust the swatch (or what ever spinners call small sections of test yarns).

To cheer myself up I've got more of the same, perhaps a little more than the last time, 300g of merino alpaca green-bean ordered, which should be here soon.


So after that - I needed a re-affirming spinning moment. I dithered over what to do, return to the grey corridale roving or try some merino? Working on the premise that the first trials of the green and chocolate did actually look promising and work, and that the merino felt so good compared to the corridale I went with the Merino. The last two nights I spun a little merino, and then plied it. And it worked, see? It is soft, and fine, and bouncy. This is about sock weight. Confidence is restored.

Socks - I want to cast on some socks tomorrow night, and I need easy socks, to knit at knit night. We chatter, we talk, we show and tell, and I get easily distracted so need simple stuff to knit there. I'm toying with either Chalet socks from Nancy Bush's Folk Socks, or
Undulating Rib Socks by Anne Budd, Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt, or Merino Lace Socks by Anne Woodbury the last three all from Interweave Favorite socks. Any suggestions? I'm just not ready to take on a new sock architecture - I'm saving those for my holiday in 10 days - then 5 weeks off work.

Take care
Stella

Finished !

So we can just let the photos speak for the first little bit, ta-da!

And Fannigan, yes I am happy, really happy, a great fit, perfectly warm, the sleeves just over-long enough, the fit just snug enough, the length just right, and very lightweight. I popped into Knitworld to show them today (where I bought the yarn) and they said it looked so even it could have been machine knit, I didn't know if I should be amused or offended. It was cause they don't see much knitting in the round, and mostly work flat, I told myself.

so today, I am showing of Fannigan, we have a visitor coming, a spin report and I'm off on a knitting weekend.


ta-da! again - now I am just showing off! Yes the lighter of the two clasps was nice, but the heavier ones just seemed a better match. I'm sold on the idea of clasps and will be using these as a closure again and again. A very clever solution for knitwear - why have we been knitting button holes, with all the associated to tight, to loose, to whatever, here in our English based nations, when those clever Europeans had little perfect solutions like pewter clasps hundreds of years ago?
I started with one clasp at the neck, and it looked good, like jewelery, but with a little wear the front pulled open, so I added the second, and then decided the third was needed just to snug it in under my bust. I'm aiming for traditional but not frumpy, let me know if I'm off please. And look the steeked neckline worked! A little kink where the raglan intersects, but looks fine to me. There is a flaw - which I might show you next time, and no I am not frogging!


And this is the wet-blocking, look at the colour of the water, gosh that red ran! I rinsed 4 times and the water was still ever so slightly pink. Note to self, wash on its own until that stops.


So not much else to show, Emily is coming to town (well she is in town as we speak but we won't meet up until tomorrow), and she is coming home for dinner (the evening meal), and out to meet the Thursday night knitters. Tania asked me to step in and take over hospitality duties, while she is away, lets see, meet visiting knitter, take knitter to knit night, eat good food with knitter, discuss knitty things, perhaps wine or something - whats not to say yes to?

I plied up two bobbins of the singles, and now have two seemingly balanced skeins of 172 and 105 meters each. To work that out I just counted the number of wraps on the 1.5m ninny noddy, and times'd by 1.5. I had three full bobbins of singles, but one bobbin ran out earlier than the other two - I guess the trick to spinning is consistency and that means I wasn't consistent. They sure looked like they had the same amount.

And this weekend, please excuse me I won't be posting again until mid next week. Three of the Spinners and Weavers knitter study group (never just flows of the tongue that one no matter how I write it), and I are off to a designing knit wear weekend, with Barbara Paley (stitch'n' pitch lady? can any one confirm that?). Some one asked why, when I teach pattern-making and construction on a fashion degree, well .... its a weekend away, its knitting, it isn't expensive, I like my traveling companions, I like knitting, and you always learn some thing. Always - even if it just something small. So I am off to do my home work - knit a gauge swatch to take with me. I'm thinking that baby alpaca I added to stash some time ago? We also have to take a sweater that fits and one that 'could fit better', what a nice way to put it. I'm taking Fannigan, just to show off! the one that could fit better, thats harder, I don't keep those, I frog them.

Can you tell I'm happy with it? Cause I am.

finished !

I've got 2 Pomatomusii , which seems be the plural of Pomatomus(Thanks Donyale). So today we have the obligatory celebratory photos, the other finished item (do washcloths count?), and a new beginning.














Details -

• Pattern:Pomatomus by Cookie published in Knitty,
• Yarn: Trekking pro natura 75% Wool 25%Yarn. Started 17th June,
• Finished 20th August (but there was a fair isle baby blanket in there as well)
• Needles Brittany 2.25mm dpns
• Knit again : Yes but try replacing YO with M1's to avoid holes.
  
• Comments : nicest shaped and resolved top down heel I've knit yet.
  

And when grafting the toe, as Pomatomus is top down, I wished I had a darning mushroom. I really have meant to buy one, but never see then in my lys. But while tidying up my stash, and working out what the next filler project was to be I found this - a sock mushroom! I think it is a forgotten heirloom from my MIL's estate. I also think I would like one of those wooden eggs, slightly smaller for grafting the odd smaller sock toe. Lorna, knit guru at our spinners and knitters guild has taught me to graft glove fingers over old fashioned wooden pegs, so one of those needs to be in my work basket as well.


So I also finished the greener than green washcloth. I've never really been happy grafting cotton, and this one is no exception. Oh I love grafting wool yarns, and happily graft toes, and underarms, and even tubular hems on top down cardigans. But cotton, no I don't like it. Why? Because it is very very hard to get it looking seamless. It always looks ok when I stitch it, but once done - unlike wool where a gentle tug settles things into place, well - - - you can see the line of the graft.



But once the wash-cloth is folded in the laundry pile, or even better has a couple of trips through the washing machine under its metaphorical belt, well, no one ever notices - or that is what I tell myself.
















And I started a new project, a sweater for Bear, in naturally coloured yarn, slightly sticky but that is the lanolin so my hands are 'oh so soft'. So far we have 8 rows of K2P1 rib, followed by the body in garter rib (that the same rib but every second round is just knit).

thanks, I'm always flattered at the number of visitors, so please do let me know what you like to read about - I'll try to customise it somewhat.
stella