After Unwind now I'm unwound ....totally

Yes, totally unwound, as expected. The unwind event was fantastic, beyond fantastic, amazing and wonderful and exciting and and lovely  ..... and well just plain old great. I'm still smiling, and happy at all the friends I met, and made and saw, and talked with, and all that was on offer. I didn't take a camera, somehow I forgot ... but I'm also a bit wary of posting photos of people and their stuff public ally without asking. Some how I never seem to get to the point in the conversation where I ask for permission to blog a photo I'm making ... so I just avoid it altogether. Unwind involved three full days of doing stuff, I turned up at 8:00 am on Friday to help with the set up, and it was full on after that. I was but a minor part of the event and totally take my hat off to The Vintage Purls team, M, Mr K, A and J, as well as all the local helpers who made the event run smoothly and were just friendly, amazing and non-flustered at all times.

Most amazing was that Little Cub, was the youngest Unwinder there. Oh there were younger people but none were registered as part of the event and none were knitting non-stop. While I was off teaching steeking  Little cub found a stand with  knitting and decorating supplies, patterns for Owls and hearts, and knit an Owl to hang on the tree. in the round, mostly all by herself, totally without me! Then she knit another and started a third! I also knit one, but mine pales in comparison to hers, and she won a skein of lace merino fingering yarn, for the largest Owl. Funny thing is that she was in the process of knitting an even larger one.  Mine is the sleepy Owl, I went a tad crazy with beading the beak and adding tufts to the ears and tail,  and thought that Owls slept during the day so avoided making eyes altogether. 

My classes, Steeking and Bookbinding seemed to go well, no one gave up, or announced that it was all too difficult. I tried to explain that I'm the kind of teacher that believes that improvement comes with practice, and that learning is the most exciting when one gets to do something real rather than mess about with fiddly little practice tasks. For steeking that means that I aim to have my class cutting up my steeked sample within the first 10 minutes of class, and stitching their sample in the first 15 minutes. Half way through the class time the students are unhappy with their first edge, but then we move on to the second steeked edge and things get more complicated and easier at the same time if that is at all possible. By the end of the class my aim is to have students who know they can go away and do at least as good but probably better next time they steek. Bookbinding went a little the same way ... at great speed. We had 12 bound books all done a little over 3 hours into the class - and again most seemed ok with the idea that this was a skill that could be improved with only a little practice, most were talking about the 'next' book - which was magic to hear.

My other role for the week was to run the SwapShop with Sharon, and so we did. Friday we traded in a whole mountain of yarn, we seemed to have more yarn on our table than many of the traders!  Saturday the shop opened for sales, using special Unwind Vouchers, earned thru donating yarn to the shop. By midday Saturday the table was pretty much cleared. The luxury fibres went to those who love special stuff. The fluffy stuff, and there was a lot of fluffy stuff, went early and easily to those who like fluff. The pink stuff went to those who lusted after pink, ditto the red, and yellow  and handspun, and sock stuff. By Sunday my Swap shop role was done.

 This was my big splurge, a new spindle, the one with the Sinister Raven. I was dithering over some of the bird Spindles that Sourkraut had on her table, and made the mistake of asking which one I should choose. Sourkraut replied that the Raven or even the Sinister Raven, with its beak facing left, was one she thought was ideal for me. That was that, after knowing about the Sinister Raven the decision was made. The raven is now home and seems to be eying up the cute silver bunny that I brought back from the last visit to a trade table stocked by Sourkraut.

 With the spindle purchase out of the way I did spurge on yarn, there is a mixture here, four balls of Rowan organic cotton from the Swap shop, a cardigans worth  of Blue faced Leicester fingering weight yarn from Verandah Yarns in a lovely red orange named Elizabeth Bennett. I bought a skein of Merino Silk fingering weight yarn from Spinning a Yarn in the perfect blue to match little cubs eyes, Waterman - that will become a wee shrug or short sleeved cardigan or even something like a lace warp for Little cub - this is same kind of yarn she won for her Owl, but that skein was in pink. I sucumed to James's beautiful yarn as well, and bought a skein of Merino Mania  Fibre Alive from Joy of Yarn, in Ranger (Batch 3).

And this is the results of my class with James on making and using one of Kaffe Fassets Magic yarn balls. The class was amazing, and this swatch dosn't do justice to the range of yarns we had to pick from or the generosity of the knitters who shared and offered advice and just had fun in selecting 7 or 8 colours to knit with on a plain background.

Sorry the post is a bit jumpy, and bitsy, I'm still tired and happily recovering from all the fun, and missing my weekend sleep in. I'm so looking forward to next weekend when I get to be at home an sleep in Saturday and Sunday.

I'll link to posts about Unwind 2012 as I find them or as people let me know here,
Veranda Yarns Unwind 2012,

take care .... more next weekend.
Stella

New project - old project, both going well

Yes, a new project, and one that has been lingering on the needles has been 'reactivated', although I might have stalled on that one again. Interesting invites at work, and lovely things in the mail box. Things I knew about (as in I have ordered), and things that I didn't know about and were surprise gifts.


First the new project, because that is how it is, new stuff just seems to get more shelf space. I knew the next sock project after Bears Bunker socks would have to use my handspun sock yarn, and that I wanted something that didn't involve being welded to a knitting chart. Not mindless but memorable, not boring but portable. The sock yarn had been calling me, it was handspun earlier this year using a new product, Vintage Purls Sock pencil roving, a super wash merino blend with 25% nylon to withstand the rigors of sock life. The 100g of pencil roving spun up into 420m - pretty much perfect for a sock yarn. After a bit of to-ing and froe-ing with my Barbara Walker treasuries I settled on a round mock cable, worked with traveling stitches. I'm working on my standard 2.25mm sock needles, and so far it is working up nicely.


So nicely in fact that I'm already up to the gusset increases. I'd have to say that the yarn knitted looks 'handspun' but knitted looks surprisingly even. And I'm loving the way the colour changes are resulting n stripes unlike any that you would get with a dyed-in-the yarn yarn. I briefly thought this should be for the youngest cub, with her pink and purple preferences, but nah - its for me!

The 'other' project on the needles, a colour work tam, started way back in January of this year (and its now September!) finally made its way out of the project basket and into my hands. I sat down and knit the wee people I had charted out. Now I was totally inspired by Kate Davies Paper Dolls and used the idea of paper dolls as a starting point. I found a chart for girls and boys holding hands, in McGregor's Traditional Scandinavian Knitting on page 99. I charted this out way back at the beginning of the year to use the Shetland yarns I had bought while in Shetland - and realize it has been a whole year since then. I keep looking at this and wanting to show anyone who is around my 'little people' !

Instead of working the dancing couples in one colour I worked mine in several colours like the Fair Isle colour work but I kept the background unchanged. As I worked the wee people I made minor modifications to what I had charted. Sometimes what is planned doesn't work as well as imagined and needs tweaking. I went for a darker colour for the little sweaters and for the faces than I had originally planned - just to get more contrast. I've marked my changes in pencil on the graph but will rework the chart once I decide what to do with the crown. That is my sticking point right now, as I'm looking for something in keeping with the little dancing people.


During the week a few parcels arrived at home, one is tucked away for eldest cubs Christmas - its a 1940's USA vintage plane spotting manual from ebay that fits well with his current interest of all things to do with WWII aircraft. I just hope I remember that I've bought it and where I've hidden it when Christmas finally comes. The next was a book that I ordered, Shaping Sustainable Fashion edited by Alison Gwilt and Timo Rissanen. This is fantastic, I was lent it by a colleague and by the end of the first day had placed an order for my own copy. Finally a book that goes beyond the green-message of that we have to do 'something' but fails to say what that could be. Shaping Sustainable Fashion is divided into four sections - source, make, use and last. In each a variety of workable options are reviewed and balanced up. Finally - there was a wonderful surprise in my letter box from J, a Peruvian Spindle and pencil cases. Shown is mine, the cubs have theirs in use, and Bear had a packet of McIlhenny Co Hot Cinnamon Candies with Tabasco which he shared but the littlest cub found far to hot and spicy! The pencil cases amaze me, the embroidery is a straight stitch machine and free form, and the effect is spectacular considering the utilitarian nature of the equipment used. I want to take this to work and show everyone what can be done with a simple sewing machine and reinforce that complex embroidery machines and computer control systems are not the only solution.

And I have been spinning, but its all blue grey and looks the same ...so I'll spare you more photos of blue grey singles on the bobbin.

na Stella

Hello - it is WWKIP time!

Yes World Wide Knit in Public day!
and look ... if you are in Dunedin please join a whole host of interesting and talented knitters.

I'm part of the team (that is me in the small print!), Robyn and her team at the museum have worked with a local Opp shop who are supplying yarn and needles, I have asked all those who knit regularly with me if they would join me (the Thursday night take back the knit group) ... and I've also let people know that I'm happy to teach people how to knit. I have the lovely J - all set to teach making a cute wee cat/kitten, and I've been working on beginner project that is not too naff and is achievable in one 2-3 hour session. We are all set - the Transport lounge is lovely all tiles and 1930's fit out .... a special place to knit in many ways.


What-do-you-think?
If you were a beginner knitter would this appeal?
Its hard - to find something that is cool and desirable and yet something that takes only a few skills and is easy to knit if you don't know how to knit.
I wanted to find/design a project that some one new to knitting could achieve in a few hours, the more usually suggested beginners scarf or hat or sample seems to result in boredom or abandonment or both. I knit both of these last night, and think if I can get people

• casting on 15-25 stitches,
• knitting a few rows,
• then knitting 5 stitches, casting off a few stitches, knitting a few stitches, casting off a few stitches, and knitting to the end ...
• then on the return row casting on to replace to cast off stitches,
• then knitting every row until it is long enough to fit their wrist ... or whatever ....
• then casting off (which they learned earlier).

Even if they didn't cast off in 'class' at WWKIP day ... they would go home with the skills to cast off on their own.


So far I have made two ... and will knit a few more ... maybe for a suitcase handle or cups or takeaway coffee cups ... or something.

And I have been spindling ..... the cop (singles wound around the spindle shaft) is growing. I took this to spinning Monday night and that is where I did most of the yarn creating. That on Monday, Knitting beginner project cuffs on Tuesday ... and not much else to show this week.


Take care
Enjoy WWKIP day where ever you are, hope some time will be with knit-sibs and please let me know of any other beginner projects that I could add to my teaching basket.
All suggestions gratefully recieved.
na Stella

There are some universal truths

One that I recently had reafirmed is that there are some very very clever creative and lovely people out there sharing what they know ... and that results in me almost always spending money. I'm talking about Handmade at TePapa, where I met the absolutely amazing and friendly and wonderful Sourkraut who sells the most amazing spindles on etsy. Of course her away from Ravlery and etsy name is not really Sourkraut ... but Francis, and I am such a language klutz that Sourkraut was always the first name to surface in my mind.


I bought these, how could I not? The first is a 29gram spindle with a Purri whorl and a rimu shaft with a stg (silver?) Bunny, the second is a Nostepinne in Pukatea. All native to New Zealand woods and all beautifully made, shaped and finished, a designer jeweller by training her work is jewelery ......I really tried hard not to buy more. I have already asked Bear if he would consider gifting me one of these for my next birthday so I resisted and resisted taking one home with me as well. I love this bunny, I have a deep appreciation of pre-victorian Arts and Crafts work and motifs and the history that inspired them and this has that feel, an object well made by some one who knows how. And I love the floppy feel of the hard silver bunny, the weight of the spindle and that the hooks and yarn stop are silver.This spindle and nostepinne feel like luxury things to use, and yet are very easy to use and defiantly practical.

I had a mental note to take a wee snatch of fibre with me, as I had booked into Francis's spinning class, one hour 45 minuets of teaching. Now I'm not the worlds best packer, I always forget something (this time it was my toothbrush - still sitting in its travel box on the bed at home waiting for me to pack it when I returned). So as I dashed around the house collecting and packing I kept thinking of the fibre I needed to select and pack .. and then didn't pack any. Francis was so organiseed that she had little kits with plain spindles ... and a selection of lots of little bits of fibre. Even her 'budget' learner spindles are amazing, look at the neat grain in the wood, and they are small and light, and nice to use. By then I had done my dash so to speak on spending what was in my purse ... so I had no ready cash left and the automatic teller nearby was out of order. We did come to an arrangement where Frances went home with a project bag .. and I got a starter kit with fibre and spindle.

oooooo ...now this may be a little misleading, as Francis started us all on white combed perendale, and once we were spindling - suggested we play with the colour fluff. Look she even put in pencil roving! Now yes I can already spindle, but I learned things, like spinning from the fold and even more simple had the idea of the importance of staple length and amount of fibre to hold for spinning reinforced. Some times I need little reminders to keep me focused on the little easy things that make 'doing' more successful.

Even better we covered Andean plying .... and making an Andean bracelet. This is for me a little leap into one of those areas where my mind can't quite work out how it works ... but it does. In time I know my mind will put together all the bits so I understand how looping yarn around your hand in a figure shape ends up in a bracelet that then allows you to ply from both ends at once - but for now it is a magical moment along the lines of - 'Look it works". This is my plying ..... just enough for proof of principle.

So what did I knit whilst I was away .. well fish, until at least Sunday night on the plane home. At that stage ... the fish in progress had an 'unusual stitch count' .. so I decided that was a clear sign to stop. Several fish were added before that point, so I will update the fish count at some point.

Then I came home to family, including this fluffy one, so I'll leave you with a triptych of Yo-yo in the living room window. (Please ignore the lack of window cleaning ...)
take care
na Stella

off the needles

but not yet finished, so close, sooo close. Today its all about the Fannigan Cardigan, oh and my first very nearly real home made yarn. Oh and if you do visit me this week please leave a comment, with some contact details, I've got a little give away to celebrate my 10,000 visitor, While I won't be able to pinpoint just who that is, leave me a note in the next few weeks and I'll organize draw one lucky name out of a hat to send a something to.


Fannigan is finished, nearly, very nearly finished. After the last post I worked a few more rounds decreasing at the front neck edge, then decided that it probably really did need some short rows. After all what sort of cardigan doesn't have a higher back neck? Besides if I continued with decreasing at the front neck edge to raise the back neck, well the neck 'hole' would end up very very narrow, and that would never be a good look. I've have to cut away more than the planned steeks to get a good fit. So I did short row until the back neck was just over 1" higher than the front. I worked carefully - and don't think there is any visible difference between the 'in the round' knitting and the 'flat' short rows. I worked my short rows 5 stitches shorter each time, which seems to work well in this gauge.

I did end up working all the colour work rows in purl, which was good, in a strange way, now I know I can. You see I have another Bohus kit stashed away(large rose lace collar), but I want to knit it as a fitted cardigan, only I don't want to purl so many colour work rows. Now I know I can, if I have to, I can, I don't think I want to commit to that amount of purling, but, I conceivably could.


So I finished knitting, and cast off, That was Monday morning before work. Monday night I steamed her gently, and stitched two rows of machine stitching up either side of each steek. I know you can crochet steeks, and Pam at knit night suggested that hand sewing especially if you make sure the sewing stitches split the knitted yarns with each stitch gives a result that is nice an flexible, and the Zimmer-folk use a steek one stitch wide, but I didn't know much of that when I started Fannigan all those months ago. Besides - I was being super careful. The baby blanket steek was 3 stitches, and it worked, but the colour work wasn't so easy across that small steek. Fannigan has a steek of 10 stitches, and that is to big, but the colour work across the steek was much easier. I will trim much of this steek away.

Any way, prep images of the machine stitched steek. That shows up much better on the 'wrong' side, so I will cut inside out. You can hardly see the stitching lines on the right side. I plan to trim away the middle section of the steek eventually - maybe - perhaps....depending on what I do to finish the edges.



I promised Spinning Jenny at knit -night, that if she brings her fair isle, we can steek it Thursday night. She has had this knit for many many years (10!), so steeking is long overdue. If Jenny does bring hers, I will haul out Fannigan, and we can steek together - a steek-along at short notice! If not, I will have bear record the surgery this weekend and post a video.

So the next issue is how to finish the steeked edge, I already know I'm using clasps not buttons, so won't need button holes. But

1. do I knit on a double facing as I did on the baby blanket?
2. do I knit on a button band for the clasps and hide the steek 'raw' edge with a ribbon facing sewn inside?
3. do the raw edges need hiding, or just catch stitching down as done by Zimmer-folk?
4. do I single crochet the band, as discussed on Brenda Daynes Cast-on last season?
5. Do I moss stitch and i-cord just like the baby blanket, or some other stitch?
6. do I bind in fabric, woven or stretch (note - must take yarn to fabric store and scope colour matches)
7. or some other solution?

... and to finish my first real yarn plied on the spindle.
This photo is a little out of date, I've now skeined it, there was 62 wraps on a 1.5m ninny-noddy, so 90 or so meters. Maybe enough for some wrist thingies for Toby?. Then I soaked it, dried it (a little to much twist methinks but not to bad for a beginner), and wound it onto a center pull ball. Better photo next time.

a tad late, but Ta Da anyway!

Hedgerow is finished, well you knew that, but here are the images to prove it, and Brother Amos' grows, I mouth bad words and blame some tools like a bad workman, and another sock book or two, plus my latest spindle progress (yes, the Ashford is still in the box!). I can be a patient soul.

So, hedgerow, all done and worn and washed, and worn again. This is such a nice comfortable sock, thanks again Jane for the pattern! I will knit this one again, for both Toby and for Bear, but first Brother Amos.


This is how Brother Amos looked a day or so ago, I frogged the toe several times, and struggled with both the 2-circ method, and the sherman toe. Why did I struggle with the 2-cric method that so many love? Well I blame my tools, my Inox 2.25mm have a little bend just before the join and despite looking smooth snag the stitches every time at that **** join. I've tried to show the difference between the two needles joins but not sure this is a visible difference, it is a performance one. My 2mm and my 2.5mm addi's don't snag and are smooth and hitch free. So I blame my tools, call me a poor workman/workwoman/workperson, but I still blame my Inox needles. Suzanne who comments here often, suggested going a down a size for the toe and heel - something I would never have thought of. But a very good idea to add extra durability and it doesn't even show where I switched needle size. And using 2 circs with smooth needles like the Addis? That was Magic, but I don't have needles in the right size (2.25mm) yet to continue that way for the entire sock, but I soon will !


I did however loove judy's magic cast on, another one of those very clever knitters who share their clever ideas with us mere mortals of the knit world. One day that might be me!, What didn't I like about the sherman toe that Brenda D loves, well it involves short rows (fine by me), and done without wraps (again perfectly fine by me), but because of that it means shaping every row, not every 2nd row, which for us of the longer leaner (boney?) feet variety of human, well we need more length to our toe shaping. I have my dads bony feet. Also I do like a row of plain to allow the extra bulk of the increases (or decreases) to become meshed in to the knit fabric. With shaping at the same place every row - well there tends to be a bulk and stiffness to that section of knitting that throws me out of sorts - I just don't like it. So I substituted a toe, with standard increases every 2nd row, one stitch from each side of the foot, on the instep and the sole.



This is how Brother Amos looks now, today, after a night knitting last night. The lace pattern is working out fine, near the end of the second repeat, i found myself not needing the chart at all. I've just started the gusset increases, and my hand dyed flame yarn is working out well. I am quietly proud of this. I must return to Fannigan, I promise more on that next time.


And yes, I am still working with the spindle, this is some 'free' fiber, gifted by a work collegue who found out I bought a spinning wheel. I was warned it would happen, free fibre, and it did! Its old, naturally brown, and kind of dry yet sticky, but its spinning up nice and even and fine. Jenny, a spinner and knitter of considerable experience, yet new to our knit-night group, showed Kelly, a founding member the basics of spinning this week while we met. She also showed me, and I learned so much about feeding the fiber into the twist, and that little 5-10 minute practice, well it improved my spindle spinning amazingly.
For comparison - here is my first every plied spindle yarn. Well its yarn, but as I announced at knit night, well i wouldn't buy it. Still it is yarn, and it is mine, and I made it.


and books, yes I've added a few recently, Cat Bordhi's New pathways, Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks, Patterns for Guernsey's, Jersey and Arans, by Gladys Thompson, and of course the Ashford Book of Spinning by Anne Field. My library grows! So I have no idea what I am going to do next, other than knit and read.... finish that study report so I can unpack the Ashford. I think my deadline is end October, so things could get busy. Oh - and I have booked to got to a knitting designing weekend workshop mid November, so I'll tell more about that next time.

Colour, colour, colour deep and strong.

Quick post before we drive north tomorrow, and more colour, finally a fish report, Toby my 8 year old has a knitted project he insisted I include in this post, and more on my latest fetish - spindle spinning.

We plan on going north to Waimate Thursday, where we will leave the 8 year old with the 5 and 73 year old*, departing Friday morning to to Geraldine (rumored to have alpaca for sale), then on to Asburton (home of Ashford! - with the factory!), on to to Christchurch where Bear wants to take me out for dinner and buy lots of dark room supplies. He and two buddies are setting up a darkroom studio, and yes we know it is the age of digital, we have had that conversation already. Its the same as knitting when you can buy clothes.


I'm always surprised at the intensity of these yarns, somehow I expect hand dyed yarns to be pale, subtle and faint, but these are strong and vibrant. Usual recipe, skein up yarn in 210m hanks and soak in a liter of warm water with 1/3 cup white vinegar, this time I boiled the yarn, so to one liter of water, 2 mustard spoons of powdered food dye, a squirt of brown dye (in liquid form - to tie the colours all together), mix, add wet yarn, and simmer gently until liquid is clear or clear-ish. The yellow, green, and orange all exhausted, that is the water turned clear as all the dye was taken up by the fiber. The blue, rose red, and brown didn't - mental note, use less brown and blue next time. btw the rose red is sold as rose 'pink' - maybe I used to much? So beautiful strong colours, all ready for the Peruvian knitting workshop in 3 weeks, me I'm not over keen, am I? does it show? And I am wondering what colours I would dye for me to knit and wear ... something not so bright perhaps?

And this? I wound off the cone some of the 4 ply natural merino from the Mill shop in Milton. I want to swatch knit, and fish for the fish blanket seem a good idea. The first cone of wool bloomed so much, that while this looks like heavy fingering, - I just want to check it doesn't turn into something heavier once washed.


Here is the latest fish, No 97 I think ... each square of the check is just under a cm, so more of a goldfish or sardine really.


Toby is 8, and has been working on these for a while now, occasionally I catch him sitting quietly in front of kids-tv knitting away. He has a french knitting doll, the kind that makes I-cord (has around 70 cm done), and a plastic knitting frame. Some time early last evening he came and showed me his 'innovation', he had created a thumb hole by 'not knitting a few' and wanted me to cast off. So I did. I let him know there was a 'neater' way to make a thumb but his way was just fine - and just between you and me, that really isn't ribbing, its ladders. Nothing wrong with feeding fiber obsessions in one so young is there?



This is the frame he uses,







And spinning, yes I'm sort of addicted, mostly because I want to get it right. I can see my errors, to uneven, to thick, to slubby, and much to much twist. This is day 3/4, and I have switched to a different fibre. In the batch I bought from the mill there was a some smooth and straight, and some with more crimp. I've been to the library and got out every spinning book I could and they all say more crimp is good for beginners. This morning I switched to the crimpier fiber and it was immediately, and easier and finner. Some how I would have thought straighter fibers would produce finner yarn, but for me right now the crimpier ones make finner yarn. I'm working on reducing the twist, I realise the spindle shouldn't spin like a furious top, more like a lazy spin, giving me time to feed out a really fine even bit of fibre to add.


* the 73 year old is my dad, the 5 year old is Poppy. so nearly 2 days, one night childless ....... :-D

Its term break so ..... fibre time.

School holidays started on Saturday, for two weeks, and smallest child has gone to visit granddad for much of this week, which leaves one 8 year old underfoot. Things are pretty calm here so I've been playing, some dying, some buying and some finishing up of a project that never even made my WIP list a few weeks ago. And yes, Tania - another post another stash enhancement. So in a year when other knitters are knitting from their stash, I am actively growing mine.

The dying, when I finish Hedgerow, I plan to knit Brother Amos mostly because Brenda has made it clear just why she chose each construction technique, and you all know I'm a sucker for techniqe. I had stashed undyed trekking away to use and inspired by Clara's newsletter on how to create your own semisolid colour sock yarn I painted flame based colours onto the Trekking, using chocolate, two shades of red, egg yellow, and an orange mixed from the yellow and the reds. I took my time and did some test yarns first, and then painted away. I am still using at home amateur food colour dyes, the powder ones, but got a really good result. First result was a bit orange, so while it was still damp I returned it to the pot and over dyed with chocolate so now have glowing ember colours to keep my tootsies toasty warm.



At the last weavers and spinners knitting group, many of the other knitters had their little miniature Guernsey sweaters finished which spured me to finish mine. I reknit it, and it has little under arm gussets, a shoulder strap. I did omit the neck gusset as Curley has a large head and didn't need the neckline pulled in. Curley is in Waimate with Poppy just now, so she couldn't model for me. The Guernsey is sitting beside the sink as an indication of size. In case you are wondering, this is a Kauri wood bench, the original kitchen bench installed in the house in 1939. It shows wear, but looks much better than I'd imagine any 1939 formica or synthetic would look today. Its like having a giant chopping board to use, and no - we have never died or suffered from food poisoning.






The next 'class' is on Peruvian knitting and we were asked to bring fine yarn, in lots of colours to work with. I did a little swotting up and read about how bright colours are traditionally used so set about dying some. Yesterday Toby and I drove to Milton, 40 minutes south of Dunedin to check out the Milton Woolen Mill factory yarn shop, what a find! I purchased two cones of wool, one merino crossbred and one unknown 'wool' from the sale table. They also had possum merino 50g balls of dk weight for $3NZ, merino alpaca, and several weights of cone yarn, all labeled by sheep breed and spinning style. A fine gauge knitters idea of a yarn shop.

The original white yarn was a cone of merino 2 ply, the finer of the two in the image above, bought for the substantial sum of $5. It was marked 500m, but I wound of 2 batches of 200m yesterday to dye and didn't seem to alter the cone size at all. I clamped my warping pegs to give a skein length of 1m, and wound off two hanks each 210m, then dyed one orange and one green, they yarn bloomed considerably when dyed/washed. I plan to add blue, purple, pink and chocolate brown over the next 3 weeks so i am ready to knit something Peruvian at the next class.



While I was at the Mill factory shop, I did get waylaid by a basket of yarn at 20c a ball, which I though would be of use for the Peruvian class, but on arrival home found it was mostly singles yarn, so not of use for knitting. But I do have that table loom ...





At The Mill factory shop, also sold fibre for spinning in what I think are called slivers(?), most was merino blends, with silk or tencel, but they did have dyed merino fibre for $10 a kilo, in deep red, orange red and green. I've been thinking about spinning and so bought 50g of fibre on a whim, a whole 50c investment. Latter that same day I used internet instructions to build my own spindle, and last night played with spinning. Its not easy, but it was day one for me the beginner spinner and I liked it, I liked it a lot. The single yarn I made is not the kind of yarn I like to knit with, much to much twist, but I am a beginner and it was strangely satisfying. On friday I'm off to Ashburton home of Ashford, and thoughts of acquiring a spinning wheel are strong. Chris is not helping much, he is enabling this thinking, I have been scouting around second hand ones on Trademe, the New Zealand version of E-bay, .... I'll let you know.