Learning From Chavah

Storage Bobbin Winding With Your Spinning Wheel

2011-07-13T16:39:00.016-06:00

I still consider myself a fairly new spinner. I can speak the language (some of the time!), and I have a deep love of all things fiber that keeps me wanting to learn more and more. Last year, I participated in Tour de Fleece, challenging myself to spin for at least 20 minutes per day every day of the Tour de France, and I was completely taken aback with how much my spinning improved over just the few weeks of the Tour. So I didn't hesitate to commit to the Tour again this year. Several months ago, I contacted a very nice woman on Ravelry who was looking for spinners to spin up some of her Suri alpaca fleeces she was accumulating from her own animals, and I jumped at the opportunity. She asked if I had anything to combine with her silky, washed but unprocessed, fiber. I have a gorgeous first shearing Cormo fleece I brought home from Rhinebeck this year, so I set about combining some of it with her alpaca. I processed the alpaca fleece with hand cards, making a 75% alpaca/25% Cormo blend as I went. Whew - that is hard, but rewarding, work! I'd spun about a third of it all before the Tour, so I set a goal for myself to have the entire fleece spun, plied, washed, and mailed to the alpaca farmer by the end of the Tour de Fleece.

I have a Kromski Minstrel for which I purchased a Woolee Winder at Maryland Sheep & Wool in 2010. I've never purchased more than the single bobbin to go along with my Woolee Winder, so I've been hand winding my singles onto one of the three bobbins that came with my wheel. The first crisis arose when I realized I was going to need more than those three bobbins. A harried trip to a local craft store yielded Wilton's 7" Grecian cake pillars from the cake decorating aisle to step in as storage bobbins. Next I needed a faster, more efficient way to transfer my singles from my Woolee Winder bobbin to the cake pillars. There were lots of good suggestions in the "DIY Tools" Group on Ravelry, but I wasn't happy with the results of a few of the suggestions I tried. Another Raveler said she'd read in a back issue of Spin-Off magazine about how you can use your spinning wheel to wind singles onto storage bobbins without adding or subtracting too much twist. I had to try it. To my extraordinary joy, it worked! When I posted my celebration in the thread, another Kromski Minstrel owner asked me to post pictures of my set-up. I decided to go one better and write up a little tutorial!
I'm sure that this method might need slight tweaking to work with some wheels and may not work at all with others. I would love to hear from other spinners with different wheels about their results with this method.

Here we go!

First, let's talk tools. I used one of my cake pillars, a single US size 13 aluminum straight knitting needle, and some cotton crochet thread.

Before we start displacing and replacing parts, let's take a quick look at how my wheel is set up for spinning. Notice the difference between a regular flyer and my Woolee Winder flyer is the absence of hooks/presence of the rings through which the singles slide through and onto the bobbin.

Here's a photo of my Woolee Winder flyer removed from the wheel. Take notice of the orifice on the left and the pin that holds the flyer onto the wheel itself. These parts will be more important when we look at the next photo.

This is the mother-of-all, where the flyer actually sits on the wheel. The orifice rests in the U-shaped opening (on left, blurred in the photo), and the pin is inserted into the little hole you see on the right of the picture. These places on the wheel will be used to hold the knitting needle, on which the cake pillar will turn.

First slide the cake pillar onto the knitting needle. Then insert the pointed tip of the knitting needle into the little hole (where the pin of the flyer usually goes). The shaft of the knitting needle rests in the U-shaped opening toward you. Next you'll need to tie on a new drive band with a double loop of the crochet cotton. I'm sure you can use your existing drive band, but mine was too long and I really didn't want to shorten it just for the winding process. I found that one loop of crochet cotton wasn't substantial enough, but two loops worked very well.

Once the new drive band is around the wheel, place both loops of the wheel on the end of the cake pillar as pictured below. The thicker twine you see on the wheel is my original drive band; I've just put it aside for winding.

Here's a picture of my whole winding set-up. Notice my arched lazy kate on the ground to the left of my wheel.

Now to start winding! I found that I really needed to keep a hand on the knitting needle's end nearest me to keep it from jumping out of its spot. Also, I use my left hand to guide the single onto the cake pillar so it'll fill evenly. You'll have to adjust your tension throughout the process to keep the take up strong enough as the cake pillar fills. Sometimes I even had to slightly lift the end of the knitting needle nearest me out of the U-shaped resting place to keep the singles winding on at a decent pace. I treadle so that the wheel spins the same direction as I'd spun the singles, clockwise. Here's a photo of my hand placement as I'm treadling.

Once the Woolee Winder bobbin is empty, I'm ready to ply!

I really hope this tutorial is helpful to someone out there! If you have an questions or need clarification about any of the steps I took, please feel free to comment here or contact me on Ravelry. Happy spinning and good luck with your Tour de Fleece 2011 goals!

Adjusting My Pace

2011-07-06T20:45:00.005-06:00

This evening I was getting ready for bed, doing all the things around the house I do every night as I prepare to put my body and mind to rest. I was reviewing the events of today and thinking about what needs to be done tomorrow. If you follow my tweets on Twitter, you know that I'm currently participating in the Tour de Fleece, so naturally my mind wandered to my spinning goals for tomorrow. Suddenly I was hit by a touch of sadness as I began to long for my knitting. When I was a graduate student (2005-2007) and even before then, a day never slipped by without me spending some time with knitting in my hands. Now that my attention is spread amongst other obligations and crafty adventures, I'm finding that sometimes I have projects that linger on the needles for far longer than I'd like. I've become a sprinter rather than the marathon runner I used to be. I get engrossed in a sewing project or a quilt or a spinning project or whatever and everything else gets put on hold until the fever fades or the spotlight project is completed, whichever comes first. The socks you see pictured in this post took me ten months to complete! Of course, that time is measured cast-on to bind-off and not in actual knitting time. Had I maintained my sprinter's pace start to finish, I could have surely completed them in a couple of weeks' time. I have a square shawl on the needles that I've knit in two separate sprinting bursts of about a week each. Now it languishes on the needles, waiting on my next burst of energy to knit on its lovely lace edging.

A couple of posts back I waxed on about the spiritual gifts my knitting gives me, and tonight I believe it is a deficit these gifts that I'm missing. My spinning is wonderful and meditative in an entirely different way, but many times I allow my spinning to be an activity about production rather than just about the pleasure of the moment, feeling fiber run through my fingers and onto my bobbin. Knitting is entirely different. It's a companion that may go just about anywhere with me and thus can be tended to in bits and bobs at the slightest or oddest moments whenever I need or want to do so. Don't get me wrong, it's rare that I leave home without a knitting project in my bag. Somewhere along the way I've lost the habit of taking advantage of those little moments life gifts me to allow for knitting. Maybe I should blame my Blackberry. Maybe I'm just too settled into my sprinter's pace in my crafting. I think that many times I just don't pull out my knitting when I know I'll only have five or ten minutes to devote to it. Then the longer stretches of available time get filled with tasks and duties that aren't nearly as fulfilling or soothing as my knitting.

So, I'd really like to work harder to incorporate knitting back into my lifestyle. I want to spend time everyday, even if it's just a moment or two, with my knitting in hand. I have to learn to redirect my attention when I reach for my Blackberry to instead reach for soft wool and cool needles. That already sounds so soothing, doesn't it?

Welcome to the Fold

2011-06-10T06:37:00.004-06:00

In a recent post, I mentioned that I was in the process of teaching a dear friend to knit. She has taken to the physical hand movements with grace, becoming a natural continental knitter despite the fact that her teacher, a self-taught knitter, knits in the English style. She has progressed through simple, beginner projects into those she chooses based on how the finished objects move her, jumping right into new techniques with fervor and excitement. I live a little through her as she does this, remembering what it felt like to be a new, inspired knitter. But beyond her skill, I'm most impressed by how she's found the deep joy and fulfillment that those of us who consider knitting a lifestyle all know. I'm amazed at how she sailed through the initial learning curve of the craft to get to the spiritual benefits of knitting so quickly. I'm so thankful that this was the case for her as I knew in my heart that this was the part of knitting that would benefit her the most. In seeking to help her find a constant companion of a creative outlet that would allow her portability and the quiet time her mind needed, I couldn't have found a more perfect fit. She is well on her way to becoming a Knitter.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to take my dear friend to her very first fiber festival, and her excitement was palpable (as was mine!). As she's learned more and more about knitting, her interest in fiber and how different fibers behave in yarn has been insatiable. She's seen me spin on my wheel, and I feel that it won't be long at all until she's pursuing the wonderful addendum to knitting that spinning can be. I knew she'd marvel at the variety of colors and textures available for sampling at the fiber festival. We spent the entire day at the festival, visiting booths two, three or more times and making purchases of lovelies to take home with us. I have to admit that my goal of the day was to get her behind a spinning wheel. In the first booth we came upon with wheels to sample, we met the sweetest, most patient woman who jumped at the opportunity to help me indoctrinate my friend into the fold of spinning enthusiasts. I found myself able to step back and watch her learn, and I must admit that I got a little emotional! Spinning, for me, served to deepen and enrich my love of knitting and of its many benefits in my life, and I was moved to watch that door swing open for my friend. I even had the presence of mind to snap a couple precious photos of her first spinning lesson which I'm happy to share with you here.

In giving her a gift, she has given me so many in return by allowing me to see our crafts through her eyes in so many new and beautiful ways. If you ever have the chance to teach someone to knit or spin (or any craft for that matter), please do it. Slow down and step away from the chaos and rush in our lives and take the time to enrich someones life. You'll gain far more than you give, I promise.

Canning Season

2011-05-27T17:55:00.003-06:00

It's amazing to me how time tends to fly by! I remember being a child and feeling like the months before my next birthday or Christmas or the end of the school year would stretch before me as endlessly as the horizon. Now I blink and another year has gone.

Last year, I decided to try my hand at canning. I was entranced with the photos I saw on blogs of beautiful, lush fruits being turned into jewel-toned jams, jellies, and marmalades in crystal clear jars. I had to try it for myself. I purchased a canning pot, jars, and set to work finding the best fruit to put up for enjoyment all year long. I made strawberry freezer jam, plum jelly, apple pie filling, and the most delicious apple butter I've ever tasted. I found myself rationing the goodies over the fall and winter as I was so afraid to run out before I could make more. All of the sudden, the seasons have turned here, and it's time to start putting up the first fruits of summer. I bumped into a friend in the supermarket, and she invited me to attend a local strawberry festival to get fruit for canning. I had no idea that the local strawberries were ready for picking, so I was thrilled to get the invitation.

We ended up at a local farm and were given the opportunity to go into the strawberry patches to pick the berries ourselves. It was not an experience I've had before, and I'm so glad I got to do it. It gave me such appreciation for how the strawberries are loved and cared for by the farmers and for the workers who are paid to pick the berries for the farmers each year. The aroma of the berries in the hot sun was overwhelmingly delightful. I was so entranced by the experience that I ate a few berries right off the vine in the field, dirt and all! I purchased one flat (8 quarts) of the sweetest strawberries I've ever tasted.

I brought my haul home and immediately set about hulling the strawberries. Luckily there was a Glee marathon on to help me pass the time! I knew I wanted to make some more freezer jam, but I really wanted to try my hand at strawberry jelly too. When I made plum jelly last year, I had to leave the plums out to drain overnight to get the amount of juice I needed, so I figured it'd be the same way with the strawberries. I was wrong! Within two hours, I had all the juice I needed (and more!) for two full batches of strawberry jelly. By the end of the day, I'd whipped up two batches each of freezer jam and jelly. I was left exhausted but so satisfied with myself.

There is something so deeply rewarding in preserving foods for my family and I to enjoy all year long. And, for me, the sense of accomplishment doesn't end with the jars are tucked away into my pantry. I feel it every time they grace our table. I feel it whenever I see the pleasure on the faces of my friends and family as they enjoy their meals. I really never thought I'd be this woman. I had big plans for an ambitious career in which I worked long hours and earned financial success. What I'm learning is that financial success is nothing when compared to the rewards of a happy, close, thriving family. I feel so truly, deeply blessed.

Knitting Lessons

2011-04-18T17:04:00.003-06:00

Recently I started teaching a dear friend of mine to knit. I've been a part of several other friends' learning experiences in the past, but it feels different this time. Partly because I've been able to spend more time with this friend and because I'm helping her build her skills from the ground up. She is doing exceptionally well and is fast developing a deep love for the craft. When I'm talking to her about knitting, I try to remember what it felt like to be a new knitter, and I try to tell her things I wish someone would have told me when I was just getting started. There are technical lessons and tips and tricks I've picked up along the way. But then there is the deeper part of knitting that I believe differentiates those who knit from the knitters in life. Many times I wonder about how to teach the more existential part of knitting to my friend and to anyone else I might teach to knit in the future. How do you teach someone passion? How do you show a new knitter to look to their craft for comfort? Or help them understand how the deepest love can be expressed in their stitches? In contemplating this, I began to reminisce on my own journey as a knitter.

In 2002, I was 24 years old and suddenly found myself in a very unexpected, intense personal crisis. I was tiring of my job environment, I was in a relationship that was on the rocks (to say the least), and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to have a baby. I realized that I was the same age my mother was when I (her only child) was born and I couldn't be farther from the point in my life where I would be able to have a child myself. I sank into a depression that led me to start crocheting baby blankets for my "hope chest." My mother had taught me only the most basic crochet when I was a little girl, and I used those remedial skills to start churning out blanket after blanket after blanket to soothe my troubled soul. In August 2003, I took a position as a travel nurse in California, hoping that a dramatic change in my surroundings would help me get my bearings back. Unfortunately, the move had the opposite effect. I felt so isolated in my life, in my relationship, and now at work. I was ready to settle down and start a family, but nothing in my life was congruent with what I felt inside. But I was still crocheting those baby blankets.

One day I found myself ready for a more challenging project, so I went to the nearest big box craft store and started perusing the shelves for ideas. I remember being so amazed that there were entire magazines devoted to knitting and crochet. I thought for sure that I was the only twenty-something in the world sitting at home with yarn and an unsatisfiable urge to make! While crochet was a comfort for me, I loved the characteristics of the knit fabric I saw in the project photos in the craft store magazines, so it didn't take me long to resolve to learn to knit. I bought a "Learn to Knit" book and began the process of teaching myself. I had a few false starts on some projects I ended up abandoning, but I arrived back home in November with my first garment, a blue baby sweater, on the needles. And I finished it!

My friends were happy to have me home but were quick to nickname me "granny" when they realized that my purse always had a knitting project in it. I think I may have embarrassed them a bit when I knitted at restaurants or while waiting at the nail salon. They all wondered how I'd gone to California relatively normal and came back as a knitter. But I was starving for knowledge about knitting! There didn't seem to be a tremendous amount of resources available to me at the time, and the rare yarn shop that I came across left me feeling a bit like an outside invader. So I decided I'd have to gather the information for myself. For a while, I bought every book on knitting I could get my hands on. I read and read and knit and knit.

In June 2004, I met the love of my life, and almost immediately, we started making plans for our future together. In an instant, there was a person who both loved me AND shared all my dreams for a family. It was then that my knitting took on a whole new purpose. My knitting became, and still is, my love expressed with my time, my hands, my thoughts, and my intent. It was and is a physical manifestation of my faith that God will give us all our hearts' desire and all that He has promised us. My knitting is the very proof of our hopes and dreams.

Today my knitting remains to be so much more than the simple, rhythmic movement of my hands. It is my way to cope, to show love, to provide for my family. My knitting is my prayers in stitches.

So, when I teach knitting to others, how do I show how it saved me? How it has spoken for me in ways I couldn't have done on my own? How it has helped me cope and survive, focus and wait? Maybe that is not for me to try to teach. Perhaps that can only be learned from the knitting.

A New (Out)Look

2011-04-17T15:18:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking for a long time about my blog, trying to figure out just what to do with it. Quite honestly, I still don't know what the fate of it is. I remember a time during which the blog brought me great joy by giving me an outlet through which to share my crafty ventures and finished projects. Then slowly it became something I felt obligated to continue, regardless of how busy my life became or how my moods ebbed and flowed. Once it began to feel like a chore, I avoided it more and more until I had to grant myself some time and distance. I didn't expect to be away from it as long as I have, but it's only been recently that I've started missing the blog. I've missed the writing mostly, the expression of myself and of my innermost, rambling thoughts on whatever my creative pursuits happen to be at the time. So I'm opening the door to allow myself to really consider reintegrating my blog into my life.

My personal exploration of creativity and expression has certainly not stalled along with my blogging. Knitting remains to be part of my everyday life, and my spinning has definitely deepened my understanding and love of yarn. I've been dabbling in fiber preparation too. There is just nothing like taking fiber from its raw state and turning it into something that can warm and comfort you in your daily life. I also spend quite a bit of time with my sewing machine, for sewing things like project bags and apparel and for quilting. I even machine quilted a queen-sized quilt on my home sewing machine! The experience really boosted my confidence, and I have several quilts sketched out in my design book to try in the future. There is a whole different sort of satisfaction there for me. It's very fulfilling.

I sincerely hope that I can learn to reincorporate my blogging into my daily life again, and I hope that there will be a few readers out there who might be interested in whatever it is I find to put out into the world here. I am still here, and I'd like very much to share. Here's to a renewed spirit for "Learning From Chavah!"

Art Inspired By Art

2010-08-25T13:06:00.004-06:00

I think the fact that Scout is rather attached to this knitted baby quilt is an indication how just how long I've been working on it. He's spent some decent time lounging on an end or a corner while I've worked on it. Honestly it didn't feel like it has taken as long as it actually has to complete it. I let myself really languish through the stripes, allowing random whim to guide my color selection and insertion of short rows. Once I was nearly done with the third row, I set aside all other projects and worked exclusively on this one so I could get it done. I know myself well enough to realize that I have to strike while the iron of inspiration is hot. Otherwise I tend to lose the fire that keeps me going and projects quickly change from WIPs (works in progress) to UFOs (unfinished objects). So I sprinted through the white portions of this blanket, knitting all of them within about a week. The border went quickly, taking only about a day of knitting.

Quilt patterns never really interested me before I found the quilts of Gee's Bend and traditional Amish quilts. Then I found contemporary quilt artists like Denyse Schmidt, and I was totally hooked. I love quilts that are made up largely of solid fabrics, often in rather simple geometric designs with a bit of whimsy given by slightly off-kilter lines. I especially am fascinated with Chinese coin quilts. Something about the order and the potential for disorder appeals to me.

Much like Kay Gardiner of Mason-Dixon Knitting, I love the idea of using quilt designs in knitting. I've knit the Moderne Baby Blanket and a Log Cabin, but I was itching to try something new. I came across Denyse Schmidt's Stacking the Odds quilt pattern while looking for inspiration and was of course drawn to the Chinese coin pattern. Then days later I stumbled upon the new colors of Caron Simply Soft in the craft department in one of the local Walmarts that actually still have a craft department. They were so rich and so modern, just calling to be knit together in a quilty way! I'm not usually a bit fan of acrylic yarn, but I've always been pleased with how Caron Simply Soft feels and wears in finished projects. Really great for baby projects that need to be able to be machine laundered. And also very affordable for a knitter who has little confidence in her own improvisational skills in coming up with a unique pattern on the spot (that would be me!). I think in the back of my mind I was a little worried that the idea would tank, and I needed a little reassurance that I wouldn't be too devastated if I ended up tossing the whole thing into the trash.

But I don't think this one will go into the trash. I'm thrilled with it.

Please feel free to check out my Ravelry project page for more information about and pictures of the Ode to Denyse Baby Quilt.

So Over Summer

2010-08-11T15:05:00.002-06:00

It seems that the weather decided to save the hottest temperatures and most miserable heat indexes for the last month of the season here. It's practically unbearable to venture outside for any amount of time. And, for now at least, it feels that the heat has stolen my will to knit. I've barely touched my works in progress over the last few weeks. My sewing machine and I, however, have been rather well acquainted. I have several finished sewing projects to show you as soon as I get them appropriately photographed. The project pictured here is technically a sewing project, but the sewing needed to complete it is hand, not machine, done. I found these sweet little plastic cupcake cups at JoAnn over a year ago, and they've been tucked away in my craft room just waiting to become cupcake pincushions. I made the cupcake top with scraps of Amy Butler fabric from my stash and just gathered the edges by hand, stuffed them with polyester fiberfill and hand-sewed them closed. I put some dried pinto beads in the cups, then glued the cupcake tops to the cups. I really love how they turned out and already have them in use!

While I've not done much knitting lately, I've suddenly had a new burst of enthusiasm about knitting over the last few days. There are so many beautiful patterns being published this time of year with everyone anticipating the arrival of Fall. There is so much I'd like to knit RIGHT NOW! I'm particularly inspired by the Elizabeth Zimmermann 100th Anniversary Pi Shawls that have been released as free downloads on Ravelry. If you haven't seen the 3 versions designed in tribute of EZ's 100th birthday on August 9th, 2010, then you should stop reading now and head over to Ravelry to see these gorgeous shawls. Here, I'll even if you a link. No really, GO NOW. Make sure you scroll down far enough to see the links to all three versions of the shawl. I'm particularly inspired by the Camping version. So inspired that I'm thinking about using the Handmaiden Sea Silk that's been living in my stash since 2007. My only hesitation is that I'm worried about being a little short yardage-wise. I've posted on the Ravelry forums to see if there's a knitter who might have a partial skein they'd like to part with in the Straw colorway. I figure that if I can find one, that means the yarn was meant to be this Pi Shawl.

Don't think that my mind has been so knitting-focused that I'm not still making plans for the dollhouse! I ran across a posting on Ravelry in which a user was looking to sell a large lot of dollhouse furniture that was exactly in the modern rustic style I was thinking about for this log cabin dollhouse. We've had a lovely interaction while working out price and payment options, and I anticipate the furniture to arrive within the next several days. Then I feel like I'll be in a more informed place to make some plans for handmade accents and details for decorating the dollhouse. I think it's going to be a lot of fun!

Alright, I'm going to go knit on a project already on the needles! Let's hope I can resist starting something new for today. Oh, such temptation!

Doll Face

2010-08-07T17:17:00.006-06:00

Once upon a time, there was a crafter who was so obsessed with the fiber and textile arts that she thought there would never be another project that could distract her from her knitting, spinning, sewing, and quilting. Then one day she wandered into a Goodwill store, one that she used to go to regularly because it was near her former place of employment, but now she rarely goes to the area in which it is located. But this hot summer day she had another errand to run in that part of town, so the crafter decided to stop in just to see what was there. She found a cute skirt that fit her perfectly and a beautiful accent chair for her friend to reupholster and put her in living room. Then she found a dollhouse. Not just any dollhouse. Certainly not one of those plastic monstrosities so many of her friends had when she was a girl. No, this was a solid wood, seemingly-handmade log cabin-style dollhouse. It was in near perfect condition, just needing some cleaning up and TLC. And it was priced at $14.99. She tested lifting it to see if she could carry it to the front of the store, but it was too heavy for her to lift easily. She walked away from it several times, trying to think of all the reasons she should not bring this dollhouse home with her. But every time the crafter examined it again, she found more evidence that it was lovingly made by hand: tiny nails driven in with care so as not to be obtrusive, a delicate handrail on the staircase, and a tiny vase of ribbon roses placed in each and every window. The crafter began imagining what it would look like all cleaned up and filled with beautiful handmade details, like felted wool area rugs on the floors and tiny hand-painted paintings on canvases on the walls. She began to think of how much a dollhouse like this would cost if purchased new.

So she bought the dollhouse for a meager $14.99 and brought it home. It now sits on her dining room table while she invests the needed time to restore it and while she makes big plans to fill it with a happy doll family and all the things that family needs to live happily in the house.

Truly, I did try heroically to resist buying the dollhouse as I have absolutely no need for another project. But when I called my friend to ask her if she wanted the chair I'd found, she convinced me to buy to dollhouse as well. It really is in beautiful condition and will require only minimal cleaning and conditioning of the wood. I'm trying to decide if I want to paint the roof and possibly stain and seal the logs on the exterior. It's so meticulously made. I'd love to know where it came from and how it made it to Goodwill. It looks to be approximately the standard 1:12 scale, perhaps a little smaller. With only four rooms, it won't need much furniture, but I'd really like to spend some time handcrafting some meaningful details for the interior. I'm also thinking about making the doll family myself.

My urge to make dolls is not a new one. I've been thinking for some time about making some Waldorf dolls, like these. I love their simple faces and that they're made of all natural materials. I also love the Waldorf philosophy. To ease myself into doll making, I've been planning to make a rag doll or two, something lovely and simple like the ones Marie Grace makes for her daughter. I'm working on a pattern of my own to keep for making dolls for future children. I think both girls and boys need dolly companions, someone to play and snuggle with. I'd love to make at least one doll for each of my children one day. So I've been doing my research, reading books from the library about doll making. I also have a Vogue sewing pattern I want to try. I feel like I need to make a doll or two or three to really get a feel for what I want and what I don't want in my own original pattern. If you'll remember, I have a little experience with doll making, but I still feel like a giant amateur. I think it'll be a fun adventure.

I guess we never stop being little girls, no matter how "grown" we get.

All Projects Big and Small

2010-08-04T11:50:00.009-06:00

Again it’s been too long between posts. In pondering this, I wonder if perhaps I should resign myself to only composing once monthly blog posts. Maybe removing the expectation of more frequent posting would free up my mind some to allow for, well, more frequent posting. I am still trying to accept my own propensity to have a rebellious spirit, even though my habits and tendencies consistently show it to me. I think it has a lot to do with my rigid perfectionism when it comes to my expectations of myself. I decide that I want to do X or much accomplish Y by a certain time, and before I know it, I’m overwhelmed by my self-imposed deadlines and rules and am then paralyzed, unable to move forward despite my best intentions. Or rather I find myself so distracted by other projects or events, and I’m too scattered to focus on the one or two things I really wanted to accomplish. Isn’t it funny how some lessons we must be taught over and over again before we really learn them? I’ve already seen how emptying my Ravelry queue has enhanced both my creativity and my enjoyment in my knitting. It stands to reason that the concept would be applicable and beneficial to all my creative endeavors. I certainly consider blogging to be one of them. Writing has long been a companion of mine. Tucked away amongst other precious mementos, I still have a folder overflowing with my writings, some from as early as age seven or eight. I would love for my blog to be a continued documentation of my writings, and what better to write about than my creativity? After my family, it’s what occupies the majority of both my waking and sleeping mind. Do you dream about your crafting? I do, regularly. But I digress…

So what have I been doing since my last post? TONS! The month of July was filled with Tour de Fleece spinning and other spinning-related activities. My hope was to use up some of the fiber stash I’d accumulated and to work on my overall skill in producing consistent, balanced hand spun yarns. I’m very happy to report that I accomplished both of those goals with great success. I have one pound of some breathtakingly beautiful silver merino pencil roving left from my original stash, and I purchased eight ounces of some hand dyed South African fine from a local dyer that I began spinning last night. You are welcome to head over to my Ravelry page to see pictures of the yarn I’ve spun. I’m really happy with how my skill has progressed with daily spinning, and I plan to continue to spin on a more regular basis. I’m already dreaming up projects to knit with my hand spun yarn, and I anticipate it being quite a treat.

Speaking of knitting, I’ve been doing lots of that too. I still have my Tea Leaves cardigan on the needles and am stuck a bit in the endless back and forth of the stockinette body. It’s gotten to be large enough that it is rather uncomfortable to have it in my lap while the weather’s been so hot here. Today the heat index is predicted to be as high as 112! In the meantime, I’ve been working on a knitted baby quilt based loosely on a Denyse Schmidt quilt called Stacking the Odds. I stumbled upon some new colors of Caron Simply Soft one afternoon while in one of the local Walmarts that still has a craft department, and inspiration struck. I’m not usually one to knit with a lot of acrylic, but I’ve always liked how Caron Simply Soft knits up and is so easy to care for, especially for baby blankets. The quilt is all garter stitch, and it’s been the perfect project for that zen knitting I crave.

My biggest project as of late has been refinishing and reupholstering a glider rocker I bought on Craiglist. One morning I was thinking how nice it would be to have a glider to relax and knit in, so I cruised over to Craigslist just to see what was available. Lo and behold, there was a listing in my town for a glider and ottoman for $20! There were two broken spindles on the left arm, and the fabric was worn and dirty. I spent an entire day sanding every surface of the chair and ottoman and another day painting it all black. A friend helped me replace and repair the broken left arm. Then I ripped out all the seams on the cushion covers so that I could use the pieces as patterns for the new fabric. I found some gorgeous black and white fabric on Fabric.com, and it arrived in record time. A trip to JoAnn yielded medium- and high-density foam for fresh new cushions. I even sewed up an accent throw pillow with piping on the edges! In the end, I am over the moon with how the chair turned out. I wish I’d taken a before picture, but all I have it the picture the seller sent to me via text before I picked up the chair. Still, you can see before and after pictures here. It’s been such a nice addition to my living room and so wonderful to sit in at the end of the day. There’s just nothing as soothing as that rocking motion. Add a good audiobook and some great knitting – heaven!

Actually, that sounds pretty good right now.

Tour de Fleece

2010-07-05T11:59:00.003-06:00

So I made the command decision in the wee hours of July 3, 2010, that I will in fact take part in this year's Tour de Fleece. I introduced myself on a few group board on Ravelry and set a modest goal for myself: to spin at least 30 minutes per day for each day of the Tour de France. After doing so, I dove into the Rubbermaid bin that houses my fiber stash and dug out all I have. Somehow in my mind I had accumulated far more than I actually have. But that's a plus for me as you know how I hate stash. The first day of the Tour I spun up all I had of some beautiful, gently hand-painted roving I'd been sent by a fellow Raveler some time ago in a trade. I'm not sure of the exact fiber content, but I'm confident that it contains at least in part or in total some sort of wool. I really love how it spun up. I decided to leave it as a single-ply both because it's just so pretty that way and to maximize its yardage since I had so little of the fiber to being with. I was so engrossed with spinning this fiber that I ended up spinning for a total of 90 minutes the first day of the Tour de Fleece. For pictures of the fruits of my first day's labor, please check out my Ravelry page for this yarn.

Yesterday, day 2 of the Tour de Fleece, spinning was the first thing on my mind as I was very excited to be able to start fresh with a whole new fiber from my stash. I was ready to try something with a little color, so I opted for a merino/silk blend roving I'd purchased at Stitches South in 2009 (the same year I bought my spinning wheel). It's a gorgeous, soft blush color, and the roving is lofty and luscious to the hand. As you can see from the above picture, it looks like I'm spinning up cotton candy from the circus! I spent about 60 minutes spinning yesterday. It's really turning out to be lovely yarn, and the spinning is a true pleasure. I've not yet spun today, but I have big plans to spend some time in pink heaven this afternoon.

Last night I decided that it was high time that I paid the owed attention to a quilt top I've had finished and tucked away for a while now. When I finished piecing the top, my skill level in sewing/quilting just wasn't up to par, and I was not confident enough to move forward in completing the quilt. Finally my skill and my sewing equipment has improved enough, so I unearthed the quilt top and backing, ironed it, and set about making the requisite quilt sandwich. The first attempt was a disappointment as I'd neglected to adequately secure the backing fabric to the carpet, so the layers shifted around too much. The second attempt was much more successful, and I was able to get everything put together and ready for quilting. I'd like to stipple the two floral panels, but I want to practice my free-motion quilting first. I have cut out and sandwiched a set of 6 placemats just for the purpose of practice before I tackle that part of quilting this quilt. I like knowing that it's all sandwiched together and prepared for me whenever I get ready to jump into quilting it.

The only knitting that's going on is what little I've done on my Tea Leaves cardigan since my last post. Thank goodness - it seems that though I've ridden out the tsunami of startitis for now. I only have about 3 to 4 inches left to go on the body of the cardigan, then the sleeves and the buttonbands before it's all done. The progress is slow but steady, and I'm satisfied with that for now.

Well, I'm off to spin a while!

Beginning and Finishing

2010-07-01T18:57:00.004-06:00

Geesh, I am such a slacker when it comes to blogging! I really thought that once I had more free time I'd be posting all the time about all my crafty endeavors. Now I have the excuse of being too busy crafting to blog about it! Pathetic!

It's been a busy month, both with my crafting and with life in general. I've been knitting and sewing almost nonstop. The weather here has been beyond sweltering, so I've been staying inside in the A/C as much as possible. Today however is blissfully cool with a high reaching only in the mid-80's and the sweetest breeze. Right now I'm sitting outside with Scout and our neighbors' dogs enjoying the cooler still evening weather. I was surfing around a bit on my laptop and figured that now is as good a time as any to write a blog post. I have so many finished objects to share with you that I hesitate to rattle them all off with descriptions for fear of boring you to sleep. I'll just give you a quick recap.

I finished the scarf I described to you in my last post in record time. I knitted until I ran out of yarn from the first skein of the gorgeous alpaca I got at our local fiber festival. The scarf ended up being longer than I'd originally thought, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out. Please head over to my Ravelry project page to check out pictures of the finished scarf. I wrote up some pretty detailed notes while I was knitting it, but I need to go back into Ravelry and put them into my project notes there. Note to self...

So after casting off the Alpaca Scarf, I had a whole second skein left with no plans for it. Then I came across Jared Flood's Ptarmigan pattern. It just called to be knit with the alpaca yarn I had left over. I cast on almost immediately (without even swatching!). It knit up very quickly, and the lace pattern is breathtakingly beautiful. Surprisingly enough, I found that my finished cowl exactly matched the schematics in the pattern. I wet-blocked it just to set the stitches. There are a few more pictures over on my Ravelry project page. I highly, highly recommend this pattern. The resulting cowl is so luxurious and impressive-looking.

As much as I wanted to cast on for something totally new, I forced myself to return to a pair of socks I'd put down with less than an inch to knit left on them. I think sometimes it's good to do that with handknits every now and then. It allows you to indulge yourself in that "I'm so tired of knitting on this!" feeling, and it's so satisfying to pick the project back up later, work on it for only a fraction of the amount of time you've already invested, and then have a beautiful finished project at the end! The socks were from some Socks That Rock yarn from last year's Rockin' Sock Club, and I used the basic information from an article in a past issue of Interweave Knits to knit up toe-up socks according to the recipient's foot measurements. This is my favorite way to knit socks. There's just nothing like the soothing round-and-round of plain stockinette sock knitting.

I've had a few small projects on and off my needles since my last post (like this and this). Each have only mildly and temporarily satiated my startitis. For some reason I can't stop thinking about new, big projects. Like full size garments. Maybe it's that nagging need of mine to knit up my (thankfully!) dwindling stash. In fact, I swatched today for the Pimlico Shrug using the alpaca sportweight yarn I purchased at the Maryland Sheep & Wool festival in May. Of course, true to my own personal form, I'm changing the gauge and the body's stitch pattern. You know I can't just leave well enough alone. Patterns are supposed to serve as inspiration and framework, right?

I'm going to limit my goings-on to my knitting for this post. I'll be sure to catch you up on my sewing, quilting, and spinning in the next post. I'm off to work on my Tea Leaves cardigan for a little longer tonight. I'm determined to get it finished before allowing myself to cast on too many other big projects. I've been trying to decide whether or not I want to participate in the the Tour de Fleece activities this year. I'm very tempted as I'd love to spin up some of the fiber stash I've accumulated, but I worry that I'm not ready for the challenge of it. I'm still such a new spinner. If I do participate, maybe I'll just set a goal of spinning for a set amount of time every day during the Tour de France. We'll see. I need to make a decision soon though; it starts on July 3rd!

Lapses and Relapses

2010-06-08T17:09:00.008-06:00

The last several weeks have been hectic, leaving me little to no time or peace of mind to post. Scout came home after 3 weeks at Puppy College, and we had a bit of a nightmarish week as he struggled with sleeping in his crate at night. I felt like the mother of a colicky newborn! I spoke with his trainers several times, and we tried everything we could think of to get him to relax in his crate. Finally we realized that the best thing to do was have him return to Puppy College for another week of work. It was really rough having to take him back, but it was the absolute best thing to do. He came home yesterday a changed guy. He's much more secure and is able to calm himself in his crate. It's been far less stressful for both of us.

After I abandoned the idea of making Scout a welcome home dog bed, I decided to make him his very own quilt, and I could have sworn that I took pictures of it to show you! Apparently I had a lapse of memory. Next post, I promise. And I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't mind putting in the time and effort to make my pampered pooch a quilt of his own!

The sewing bug really took hold of me after finishing up Scout's quilt, and I finally tackled the fabric I'd purchased over a month ago to make myself some new summer skirts. I used the instructions from one of my favorite sewing books, Sew What! Skirts, to make three A-line skirts. I love how they turned out, and I've ready worn all three of them more than once each. At first I really wasn't sure if or how I'd photograph them for my blog. Then I remembered Eleanor! She was perfectly happy to model them for you to see.

My sewing mojo certainly hasn't had the opportunity to cool after I completed Scout's quilt and my skirt projects. I've broken out some fabric I purchased a couple of years ago at a quilt show, washed it, ironed it, and even drew up a design for it! I hope to get it all cut out and ready to go sometime over the next few days. In the meantime I started hand quilting a baby quilt I'd stashed fabric for a while back. It's my first attempt at hand quilting, and I'm really enjoying the soothing nature of the process. I've got a few other sewing projects percolating too. I'll save those for another blog post though.

The last weekend in May brought a local fiber festival I've managed to attend annually for the last several years. It really has grown since the first year I attended, and we had a great time. I purchased some absolutely luxurious 100% alpaca sport weight yarn, and I wasted no time winding it up and casting on with it. The vendor had a short scarf on the table by the yarn that was so amazingly elegant in its simplicity that I studied it and knitted up a full size scarf based on it. It is soft and drapey and delicious. Check out my Ravelry project page for pictures. Really it's just sections of stockinette separated by short sections of garter stitch, but I love the look. The real kicker is that I purchased two skeins of the yummy yarn and didn't even use the entirety of the first skein to complete the scarf. I was thinking about using the second skein to knit a hat of some sort. That was, however, until I saw Jared Flood's newly released pattern, Ptarmigan (Ravelry link). It's just too stunning and too perfect for this yarn to pass up. Hmmm, maybe I'll cast on for it tonight.

As in the past, the busier my life gets, the quieter my blog gets. I've had what I believe is an unfortunate relapse of the respiratory infection I brought home from Maryland last month. I finally gave in and went to the doctor today after suffering for over a week. I sound like this. Yeah, it's really awful. I've not slept more than a few hours a night since all this started again. Thankfully I've been given some excellent prescriptions, and I have high hopes that I'll be catching some serious Z's tonight. I'm off to hydrate and rest. More soon!

Back To The Drawing Board

2010-05-18T13:27:00.006-06:00

This weekend my mother was in town, and we decided that there was little else we wanted to do more than visit our little guy, Scout, at Puppy College. The trainers have been wonderful about posting pictures of him on their Facebook page, so we knew that he was not only being well cared for but also that he is having a great time. Nonetheless, we had to see him! He looked fantastic - so happy and so well-adjusted. And in need of a groom! The best part of the visit was when his trainer said that he should be ready to come home in a week! That's a whole week earlier than we'd expected! That's my smart puppy!! They've been doing a lot of work on getting him to be more comfortable and more at ease in his crate, something I'd exhausted all my resources to try to do on his own. My failed efforts left him only in his crate when I leave him alone and with much protest on his part. So the trainer suggested that he stay in his crate at night for a while before transitioning him to a bed on the floor next to my bed. So what's a crafty mama to do? I knew I had to make him his very own, one-of-a-kind Happy-Graduation-from-Puppy-College dog bed.

Initially, I searched the Net for inspiration and found that the patterns and tutorials were all essentially big pillows of some sort or another. So one evening I sketched out an idea I had for a dog bed with a built-in half bolster for cuddling and head propping. I decided to make the internal part out of an old sheet then make a cover that can be removed for washing. Just to test drive my design, I cut out the pieces that would make up the bed out of grid paper, and it seemed that my to-scale model demonstrated a very feasible project. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time with my rotary cutter cutting out all the pieces for my dog bed design. Today I sat down to do all the sewing. As I sat at my machine and all the pieces went together so well, I started to think about writing up my pattern with pictures and detailed instructions to offer as a PDF on my blog for sale to other crafters who wanted their doggies to be pampered by my ingenious design. I could barely contain my excitement when I finished the sewing and sat down to stuff the beg with PolyFil. That's when the trouble started.

Upon stuffing the bed, I discovered that the sheet didn't have enough body to help the bed hold its shape. I took a break and returned to the bed with a new idea. I used a long upholstery needle to sew some reinforcing stitches, which helped tremendously. The shape was really coming together! Then I started filling in the corners in the bolster with PolyFil and redistributing it to make it the perfect shape. It was at this point that the reinforcing stitches started popping. The looser weave of the old sheet just couldn't support the tension on the stitches. I sat in the floor with my mental wheels turning. This is so not going to work.

Now I'm washing some fabric from my stash for a new idea - one that I think Scout will actually enjoy more than my previous dog bed idea. And hopefully this one will come together with fewer bumps along the way. I don't have much time to spare if Scout really gets to come home this weekend!

When I've not been planning or cutting or sewing, I've been working on my Tea Leaves cardigan. I'm at the point where the rows seem almost unbearably long as I'm knitting to the yoke length at which I can separate the body and the sleeves. It takes me quite a while to get through just one row! Still, I keep telling myself that slow and steady wins the race. And the Malabrigo is really knitting up to be a lovely fabric. Very soft. I feel a little guilty about the socks waiting in my knitting basket with less than an inch left before the bind off, but I know I'll return to them before much longer. Maybe I just needed a little break from them for now.

I just heard the washing machine stop. I'm off to put the fabric for the new project in the dryer. And I think I'll go get a Chai Tea Latte' from Starbucks while it dries. I think I need a little treat to soothe my wounded ego from the failed dog bed expedition.

Simple Things

2010-05-10T18:11:00.004-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling miraculously like an actual human being! Some nasal congestion and a nasty cough still remain, but my energy level is on an upward trend. I managed to get out to run a couple of errands and even do a little cleaning around the house. But I was careful to not push too hard as I want to avoid a backslide at all costs. I'm so ready to be well again! There was a part of me that was starting to wonder if I'd acquired some weird strain of respiratory infection usually only occurring in sheep from Maryland! Thank goodness I'm finally on the mend.

I was so happy today about feeling better that I nearly forgot about my Simple Things shawlette I'd pinned out last night for blocking! Overall I'm happy, if not ecstatic, with the way this little shawl came out. I've seen many of these microshawls on the bloglines and on Ravelry, but this is the first time I've attempted to knit one myself. Given all the Socks That Rock yarn in my stash from last year's Rockin' Sock Club and my reluctance to be a very prolific sock knitter, I thought this little shawl would be a nice stashbusting opportunity. And it was. However, I'm just not sure that it's a look for me. It seems still too small to wear comfortably even as a scarf of sorts. I had about 12 grams left of the 174 gram skein, so I'm sure I may have been able to knit a little more on it before binding off if I'd wanted to. I have no regrets about finishing it as I did, though I will probably end up gifting it to someone who will love and appreciate it.

There are more pictures and details about this project over on my Ravelry project page. I'm very glad that I added the row of single crochet along the neck edge of the shawlette as this seemed to help a bit with its natural tendency to roll. I'm very pleased with the way the colors didn't pool with this yarn. Truly the Blue Moon Fiber Arts dyers have achieved their excellent reputation for a reason!

After working with the yarn for this project and in knitting a pair of socks with it recently, my interest is certainly peaked about using this yarn for larger projects in the future. I was among many admirers of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Wings shawl (made of Socks That Rock heavyweight), but I was always hesitant to order a large project's worth of yarn I'd never touched with my own two hands before. Now that I've had the opportunity to do just that, I think it would be lovely for a shawl or for baby garments. I'd really love to knit up some Magic Slippers with this yarn. How sweet!

Despite my startitis, I decided to go back to the Tea Leaves cardigan already on my needles. Thank goodness I was able to figure out where I'd left off in the pattern despite my utter lack of notes to self or row counter. I really think this will be a more enjoyable knit once I'm through the ruched sections in the yoke. It has been pretty awkward to manipulate so many stitches on the cord of my circular needles. Once I'm able to get into the flow of the body, I feel sure that it'll go a little more smoothly. Plus I'd really love to have this cardigan knitted up and waiting to be worn when the weather finally turns cool again. Can you tell that I'm already looking forward to Fall???

Festival Goodies

2010-05-09T18:03:00.007-06:00

The head cold I brought home with me from Maryland has officially become an ugly chest cold, the likes of which I am still struggling against. I'm resting as much as I can, drinking lots of fluids, and using my home nebulizer like a good girl. It's hanging on a little longer than I'd like, so I may find myself in my pulmonologist's office this week sometime. I'm still hoping for a self-medicated recovery. In the meantime I've gotten a bit of knitting done. I actually finished the Simple Things shawlette I'd started as a travel project. It's had a nice warm bath and is now blocking. I'll be sure to get some pictures of it tomorrow after it's dry.

I also thought I'd include a photo of some of the yarn I've been spinning with my new WooLee Winder. Please forgive the quality of the picture; it was taken with the camera in my BlackBerry. I'm so happy with the yarn I'm producing! This was spun from some undyed merino roving I received in a swap with another Raveler not too long ago. It took me a little while to get used to the slipperiness of the merino, but before long I was able to fall into a nice, natural rhythm. I haven't decided yet if I'll ply it as a two or three ply. I just love how tweedy it is spinning up. I can't wait to knit with it - my very own handspun!

I felt well enough this afternoon to snap a few pictures of some of the neat things I scored at the Festival (and wrote about in my last post). Pictured to the left are the Della Q cases I mentioned. The purple one is for circular needles. The mauve/champagne one is for an interchangeable set. I have my Knit Picks nickel-plated Options in it now. I got so tired of having to unzip and zip those plastic pouches that came in the Options case, especially when I was knitting projects that frequently call for a change in needle size. This is much better, much more accessible. And I absolutely love how the cases come pre-labeled with the needle sizes. I would highly recommend the Della Q cases to any knitter. The quality is outstanding, and they come in such beautiful colors of silk. I'm tempted to get another for my Addi Clicks, even though I have a perfectly suitable plastic case for them. The Della Q's are just so gorgeous!

In spite of my lingering illness, I kept my appointment on Friday to visit Scout at Puppy College. I've missed him terribly, and he's only been gone a week now! My friend, Patti, accompanied me, as did Scout's two best friends - her two Bouviers (like these), Amos and Bailey. Scout was thrilled to see all of us, but he stayed closest to me. Maybe he sensed my worry that he would forget about me while he's gone! He seemed so happy, and the trainers tell me that he is picking on up things very well. I almost took the coat I bought for him at the festival, just to try it on him, but with the temperatures being as high as they've been I just couldn't bear the thought of putting it on him. The coats are actually for lambs, but the lady who makes them told me that they are wonderful for small dogs as well. I loved the solid construction of them, and if it works for Scout as I think it will, I'll be ordering him some more for the winter. With no overcoat fur, he gets so cold playing outside with his friends in the snow! Head over the the Good Shepherd Lamb Coats website to see more about these sweet coats for lambs - and for dogs!

Now that my Simple Things shawlette is off the needles, I'm experiencing acute startitis. The gorgeous alpaca yarn I bought at the festival is certainly calling to me, though I know I should jump in and finish the Tea Leaves cardigan I've already got on the needles. Or I could finish the two Fuzzy Mitten Lambs I have all done except for the sewing up and embellishing. But who could resist that charcoal gray alpaca?!

But seriously, I've been thinking about projects that will use up my stashed yarn. I've long been wanting a pretty wrap cardigan for myself, and I have some heathery green Cascade 220 in my stash that might just work. I recently got a copy of Vintage Knits, and I absolutely love the Elise pattern. So classic, so feminine. I'll have to do a little math to account for the difference in gauge, but nothing that intimidates me. I've been playing around with the schematic to see if I can knit the garment in the round with steeks, but it looks like the ruffly edging will prevent that from being the most efficient way to knit it. And I really think that edging makes the garment. Oh, all that purling!

Maybe I should spin a while before I decide what to knit next.

Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival

2010-05-06T07:08:00.010-06:00

Going to the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival was certainly one of the highlights of my knitting career. Never before have I been so surrounded and so immersed in the fiber culture, right down to its very roots, as I was in West Friendship, Maryland, this past weekend. It was so amazing to see in person all the different sheep breeds that I've been trying so hard to learn about since I took up spinning. Spinning terminology can be so abstract to a beginner like me, so it really helped to have some concrete images to associate with it all. I will absolutely be making plans to attend the Festival again. In fact, it has me thinking about going to Rhinebeck in the Fall! It was such a different experience than going to Stitches. This was fiber in its most primitive and, at the same time, most advanced forms. Totally mind-blowing.

Surprisingly, the weather was a major contender in our daily longevity as Festival goers. The temperatures rose to the high 80's to low 90's during the day, making for a very sweaty experience. Saturday was particularly stifling with very little cloud cover. Sunday was a little cloudier and brought a nice breeze that made things more tolerable. I've added a wide brim hat and an umbrella to my packing list for next year. Shade is a precious commodity there! I've never sweat so much in my life!

I never thought we'd have so much fun attending the festival activities. We went to several of the sheep judging contests, and it was so amazing to see the care taken by the shepherds in showing their livestock. The sheepdog demonstration was fantastic too. It was incredible to see the Border Collies doing what they were born and bred to do - and with such precision! On Sunday we watched the first heat of the sheep shearing competition in which the shearers used real shears, not the mechanical clippers, to sheer Jacob sheep while being judged on many specific aspects of their overall skill. I'd never before seen sheep sheared with the scissor-like shears, and it was so interesting to see the shearers works so diligently and with such skill as to produce the beautiful, intact fleeces that were laid out for judging when the shearing was done. As I sat and watched, I couldn't help but think of all the wool that has passed through my fingers, both in knitting and in spinning, and I felt humbled to have been the recipient of the fruit of so many people's labors. It felt good to be among others who were as enthusiastic about fiber as I am. Everyone we spoke with at the Festival was warm, excited, and eager to both teach and learn about all they could. It was so inspiring!

It would have been very easy to bring home pounds upon pounds of raw fiber and yarn, but somehow I managed to restrain myself, keeping in mind my resolution to knit up my stash. I was very tempted many times while at the festival. However, I managed to hold back and only brought home three skeins of the most luxurious alpaca DK weight yarn from Delly's Delights Farms. I've not yet photographed it, but I will make sure to include pictures of the yarn in my next blog post. I'd really love to knit up a Faroese-style shawl from this yarn, probably from this book. I also picked up a couple of Della Q needle cases - one for my circular needles and one for my Knit Picks Options interchangeable needles. I immediately put my needles in them upon returning home, and I love how the cases work.

By far the best purchase I made at the festival was my brand new WooLee Winder for my spinning wheel. I've held back from buying one until now because I wasn't 100% sure that spinning was going to be something I'd really latch on to. To be honest, I'd still not gotten to the skill level with my spinning that would allow me to really enjoy it. It felt like too much like juggling, to many things going on at the same time for it to be fun. And every time I got a decent rhythm going, I'd have to stop to change hooks or to break off more fiber to spin. The WooLee Winder has a 100% satisfaction guarantee with the manufacturer being completely willing to take the Winder back for a full refund if you aren't happy with it over the first 30 days of owning it. I thought I'd give it a try. I can't express to you how happy I am that I did! The Winder has exponentially improved my speed, the consistency on the yarn I'm producing, and my overall enjoyment of the spinning process. Almost immediately the yarn I was spinning went from an ugly, thick-and-thin, worsted weight single to a much finer, much more even yarn. And no more stopping to break off more fiber or pre-draft! I'm able to spin right from the roving now. Before I knew it, I'd spun an entire bobbin full of yarn! I'm going to have to order some more bobbins as soon as possible. I've officially found my spinning mojo!!!

Along with the yarn and the WooLee Winder, I made a couple of other purchases that I'll share with you in my next post after I've had a chance to take some pictures. Unfortunately I also brought home a mean head cold that hit me full force on Monday morning. I've been resting a lot, trying to make sure that it remains just a head cold and nothing more serious. I think it's a further testament to the awesomeness of the WooLee Winder that I was able to spin and to enjoy spinning, even with the sniffles and a cough!

This morning I felt good enough to get up and at least start some laundry. I plan to continue to take it pretty easy for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll do a little knitting while the washer and dryer do their respective jobs. I really hope to visit Scout at Puppy College either tomorrow or over the weekend. It's been almost unbearable not having him here with me since I've been home. Today marks one full week of him being gone, but it feels like much longer. I've managed to only call twice to check on him, and I'm just dying to see him. The trainer tells me how good he's being and how much fun they are having with him. He's a smart and charming little guy. I can't wait for him to come home all happy and learned!

Well, I'm off to start another load of laundry and have some breakfast! More Maryland Sheep & Wool talk to come!

Taking Risks

2010-04-28T21:48:00.003-06:00

It's nearly 11pm, and I've spent the entire day doing laundry and getting things organized and ready to go to Maryland. I've made lists upon lists, and I even managed to get a few things packed. Needless to say, there's been no knitting.

I have, however, been thinking about knitting. More specifically, I've been pondering what my travel knitting is going to be. The Tea Leaves cardigan I have in progress seems a decent option, but the weather forecast for West Friendship, Maryland, for the weekend boasts highs in the mid-80's, making knitting with the loosely spun single ply Malabrigo worsted less than appealing in theory. All I can think about is sweaty palms and wool in my lap. So I started browsing Ravelry and thinking about the yarn left in my stash. I have several skeins of Socks That Rock yarn left from my Rockin' Sock Club membership last year, and I'd been looking as many of the shawl patterns available now that call for fingering weight yarn. I've long admired the Simple Yet Effective Shawl pattern, so I spent a little time this evening looking through others' finished objects from this pattern. I asked myself, "What do you like about this pattern?" Well, it has to be the way the stitch patterns show off the color stripes. I don't have an Noro sock yarn in my stash (and don't want to buy any), so I went stash diving for possible substitutions.

I stumbled across the two colorways you see pictured. They are very different, but I noticed that they both contain pink, yellow, and green, even though the saturation and lightness/darkness of the colors are very different. Also, one colorway is a mediumweight and the other is a lightweight.

But I'm still thinking about giving it a try.

Normally I choose travel knitting projects based on their reasonably simple skill set and low-stress quotient. My knitting conscience tells me that these yarns may not play well together at all and that a frustrating/disappointing outcome would leave me out of town with nothing to knit.

So why am I still thinking about giving it a try?

Because if it works, I think the results could be truly stunning. Nothing ventured is nothing gained, right? We'll see.

Tomorrow morning I'll drop Scout off at Puppy College. He'll be away from home at about a month, and the idea of that makes my chin quiver a bit. I'm going to miss him like crazy!

Maybe swatching will settle my nerves tonight.

Preparing

2010-04-27T14:39:00.002-06:00

I tried really hard to get a good picture of the newly-hatched robin babies that are nestled in the holly bush right outside my back patio railing, but their mama was getting really upset with me before I got a good shot. I decided that cease-and-desist was the best tactic. So instead you get to see some of the yarn I've been spinning off and on since my last post. One day was so beautiful here, just warm enough with the most wonderful breeze, that Scout and I camped out on the back patio with my spinning wheel. It was heaven! I think I'm progressing with my spinning. The yarn I'm producing it getting thinner and thinner. I'm really looking forward to the time when I have the techniques down so I can spin the weight I want. Right now it's mostly hit or miss.

This week is all about preparing to go to Maryland Sheep & Wool. I've had little errands to run, ends to tie up, laundry to do, and packing. A friend and I are flying there (not my favorite way to travel), so I'm doing the best I can to make the trip as comfortable and fun as possible. I'm thinking about downloading some movies for my big Ipod, but I've never done it before. Is it worth spending the money on the digital version?

Also in the preparation plans is getting Scout ready for Puppy College. We met with the owner and trainer on Saturday, and Scout was amazingly well-behaved and relaxed. That certainly made me feel better about leaving him there. I've been trying to enjoy every minute with him since I know he'll be gone for a least a month. I really have to resist the urge to send him with his own suitcase full of home reminders. He's a dog, not a person, right? It's going to be so hard to be without him here.

I've still been knitting on the toe-up socks and have less than an inch of ribbing left to go on each of them. I plan to use my trusty sewn bind-off on them. I'd planned to swatch for the Alberta vest to take to Maryland, but I just haven't been in the swatching mood this week. I think I'll take the Tea Leaves Cardigan I've already started. Top-down cardigans are just engaging enough to not bore me to death while still being very soothing to knit. Plus, who could be stressed while knitting Malabrigo?!

Ok, I'm off to do some more preparations before heading to my hairdresser's to get my roots touched up! More soon!

Lots of Knitting

2010-04-22T14:17:00.004-06:00

I finally got around to photographing some of the knitting projects I've been working on lately. I'm still really on fire about knitting up the rest of my stash, and, shockingly enough, I'm actually making some decent progress toward meeting that goal. What you see pictured is a pair of Baby Moc-a-Socks, a project for which I bought the pattern and yarn as an impulse buy one day when visiting my local yarn shop. They were simply too cute to resist, especially when viewed as a set with the Baby Merry-Janes. I've got that pattern as well and plan to knit them with the remainder of the yarn from the Moc-a-Socks. Seriously, are those precious or what!?! I just can't resist baby knitting.

Lately, I've been knitting monogamously on the toe-up socks I talked about in my last post. After switching to the proper-sized DPNs, I was much happier with the way the colors were turning out. In fact, I turned one heel last night and the other one this morning! So I'm on the home stretch with those. Given how long the foot had to be to fit the recipient, I'm a little worried that they are going to have shorter cuffs than I'd like. Oh well - gifted handknit socks are good no matter, right? I can't imagine that he'll complain.

I also have the Tea Leaves Cardigan from my stashed Malabrigo on the needles, though I've not worked on it much since sock fever hit me. I really like the way the yarn is working with the pattern. Very pretty. And the Malabrigo is one of the only two sweater-quantities of yarn I have left in my stash! Yay!!

As a longtime Brooklyntweed reader and fan, I was thrilled when Jared Flood decided to offer his pattern for the Alberta Vest as a Ravelry purchase. It didn't take me long to access my Paypal account and have the pattern all printed out and in my hot little hand. I wanted to use some of the brown merino lamb yarn from my stash, and the project would give me a great opportunity to try steeks. Next I decided I needed some gorgeous, masculine Noro Kureyon to pair with the stash yarn. I ended up really falling for the 149 colorway and was able to buy some from another Raveler. What did we do before Ravelry??? I've not yet swatched for the project as I'd like to finish the socks I'm working on before starting this project. I need to get on with the swatching though because I'd like for this project to go with me to Maryland Sheep & Wool. It seems like it'd be a nice in-the-round project for traveling and for working on in the evenings while winding down from the festival activities.

As you can see, I managed to snap a quick photograph of the acrylic painting I did for my guest/craft room. It's not the best picture, but you can get a good general idea about how it turned out. If you'll scroll down you can see the actual photograph that inspired the painting. I, of course, took quite a bit of creative liberty with adding color to go with my room decor.

Well, off to knit on the socks. Gosh, and I really need to get to swatching since Maryland Sheep and Wool is a mere week away!!!

Obligation

2010-04-19T21:55:00.005-06:00

I've been doing some thinking lately about my life and about where I now find myself. I've been doing a lot of resting and a lot of creative play that has helped me in healing and recuperating from where I was not too long ago. I'm learning that obligation is the antidote for my own creativity. Currently I'm very blessed to be in a place in my life in which I'm accountable only to myself and to those I love the most, and in this I'm feeling such an incredible rebirth and evolution of my own creative voice. I'm finishing projects I've long had the materials for, and I'm returning to old hobbies I used to love but had to abandon because of time constraints. I'm also giving myself permission to let go of hobbies that no longer inspire me. And in doing all this I'm also exploring new mediums and activities I never before thought I'd enjoy. It's all very exciting and soul-nourishing. In saying all this, I want to give myself permission to blog again. For so long I allowed myself to get caught up in writing posts that I felt others might want to read. I even went so far as to watch my statistics in Google Analytics, trying to figure out what was interesting and what was a bust. But no more. Writing has long been a love of mine, so much that I actually considered a career as a writer for a while.

So I'm taking back my blog (though it's not really as though I ever gave it to anyone else - rather I gave away my original intent for the blog). I'm going to stop putting off posts until a project is done or until I get the time and the inspiration to snap some decent photographs. I'm going to let this blog be about me as a creator and not about the things I create. I can't promise it'll always be interesting around here, but I would really like to use my blog as another medium for my own creative expression.

The picture above was taken near my home before any signs of Spring arrived. I'd purchased 4 canvases on which I planned to paint something abstract and colorful for my living room. Shortly thereafter I came across some beautiful framed pictures for my living room, so the project was put aside. I later decided that I needed something on the wall in my guest/craft room. So the picture you see served as inspiration for the art that now hangs in my guest room. I'll make sure to take a photograph of the finished piece to share with you. I'm quite happy with how it came out. I must admit that I'm also pleased to have the chance to return to my photography lately as well. Who knows what's going to show up in photographs on the blog from here on?

Speaking of random photographs, I had to include this picture of Scout in all his smiling glory. He's almost 10 months old now and is certainly a charming guy. He's gotten really used to having me home and is constantly by my side. He's really enjoying the Spring weather, so we're spending a lot of time walking around the neighborhood and romping through the new green grass (well, he romps and I watch). I've been in contact with a dog trainer, and I've been making plans to send Scout for some training. He'll be away for about 4 weeks, but I firmly believe that he'll be an even happier guy when he returns. We just need to work on a few things to prevent some of those little dog problems as he gets older. I want very much for him to have a long, happy, balanced life. It's going to be tough to have him gone for so long, but I'm trying to see it as an investment. But I'm going to miss him terribly!!!

I actually plan to drop him off at "Puppy College" the day before I leave for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Yes, I am going!!! I'm beyond excited about it. All the plans are made, and now I'm just counting down the days until I leave. This is my first big fiber festival as I've only attended the very modest local festivals we have in May and in October within driving distance from my home. I've been spending way too much time in the Ravelry forums chatting with others about the festival and generally ramping up my excitement beyond measure. I hope that my being busy with the festival will keep me from worrying too much about Scout getting settled in with the trainer.

So in knitting, I've been working primarily on a pair of toe-up socks out of some Socks That Rock medium weight yarn from last year's Rockin' Sock Club. I decided to give DPNs another try as my previous attempt with Magic Looping this pair yielded a less than enjoyable experience. Miracle of miracles - I've had such a better time with them this go-round. I knit the first sock to the point at which I need to turn the heel and then cast on for the second sock on another pair of DPNs. I noticed at first that the colors were pooling in a weird way, very unlike how they'd done in the first sock. Still I refused to allow myself to be so worried about the aesthetic that I'd rip out the second sock for pooling alone. Once I'd knit about 5-6 inches of the foot, I held up the second sock to the first to see how much further I needed to go only to discover that the second sock was about 1 inch more narrow that the first. I checked the gauge, and my gauge was 1.5 to 2 stitches per inch tighter on the second sock!!! Curses!!! I'd used DPNs from a different set of sock needles: same manufacturer but different package. Apparently there was a slight difference in gauge between the two sets. So I put the first sock on another set of DPNs just for holding purposes and cast on the second sock again using the exact same DPNs I knit the first sock with. Hopefully this will fix both the size problem and the pooling problem. It's so frustrating to rip out 2-3 days worth of knitting in about 10 minutes! Still, I'd rather it be right. I'm not the type to be able to ignore mistakes in knitting. I will definitely let you know how things progress. Pictures to come as well.

Thanks to you all who have stayed with me and continued to read my silly ramblings. I love your comments and am very encouraged that there are still some folks out there!

Soaker Central and Major Life Change

2010-03-31T19:03:00.005-06:00

Wow - my last post was in January?! That's disgraceful! I guess it goes without saying that my life has been really chaotic lately. The dust is beginning to settle, and I hope that my blogging will get back to a regular, normal schedule. I miss it terribly.

So, in February I found myself in a situation that forced me to abruptly leave my job. I'd been planning to leave by March 1, but I was placed in an unpleasant set of circumstances that forced me to make a stand for myself and exit a little early. It was rather distressing and traumatizing as I've never, ever left a job on anything but the best grounds, and I'm usually a "turn the other cheek" kind of person. But this time was different, so I reacted in the best, most professional way I could. Thankfully, I had lots of support from the higher ups and from my colleagues.

Since leaving my position, I've been adjusting to this new lifestyle, resting a lot, and enjoying the extra crafting time. I was very industrious initially and, for some reason, became very obsessed with making soakers. It all started with this post on Stefanie Japel's blog, which inspired me to knit this, this, this, and this. Great stashbusting projects for all those little bits of wool I've got left over from other projects. Then I started pocking around online and found this pattern for making soakers out of fleece. Immediately I thought about all the cute fleece prints I've seen in craft stores, and I was sold. As you can see from the picture, I had quite a good time sewing up some cute fleece soakers. Yeah, there isn't much I do "a little bit." It was just too fun putting together pattern/solid fleece combinations, and the soakers sewed up so quickly! Anything, they're all in my hope chest now.

After I got the soaker bug out of me, I decided to jump onto the Citron bandwagon as a method of using up some gorgeous hand-dyed yarn in my stash. I'd purchased it about a year and a half ago while I was in Minnesota for a job interview, and I've been waiting for the right pattern to allow the laceweight yarn to show off all its hand-dyed beauty. I'm always hesitant to knit lace patterns in anything but solid-colored yarn because of the potential for obscuring the pattern with the multicolored yarn. I really love the semicircular shape of this shawl! I took the opportunity to explore a technique I've not yet tried - knitting with beads. I searched and searched before finding the perfect beads to bring out all the lovely colors in the yarn. Check out my Ravelry project page for more details about my Citron, as well as more pictures. I'm thrilled with how it turned out, and I've even had a chance to wear it before the weather started warming up!

As far as what's keeping me busy now - I'm working on the finishing on a couple of Fuzzy Mitten Lambs I knitted. I plan to do some simple embellishing of them, and I'm even thinking about knitting them little cardigans out of left over sock yarn. I've swatched with some Malabrigo from my stash to make the Tea Leaves cardigan, so all I have to do is jump in. I was so excited to see that Jared Flood has made his Alberta vest pattern available, so I found some Noro Kureyon in a couple of destashes on Ravelry that I plan to use to knit that pattern. Finally, my first steeks!

I have some major plans for sewing too. Mostly I plan to sew up some of the many projects I'd already purchased materials for but not had the time to execute while I was working. Wouldn't it be great if they sold time at the craft stores!? In addition, I've become very interested in Waldorf dolls and hope to be able to try my hand at them in the near future. I'm really fascinated by the movement of providing children with toys made of natural materials that provoke more imaginative play.

Well, I guess that's enough updating for now. More to come!

Never Far From My Mind

2010-01-31T19:10:00.006-06:00

Wow - over two months with no blog post. I never thought I'd be away for so long, but I guess that's what all bloggers say when they've gone an extended amount of time between posts. Either way, I'm back and will hopefully have much more time for blogging soon. Work has been crazy and promises to get crazier before it finally settles down. Despite the chaos of things, the blog has yet to venture very far from my mind. I miss sharing details and pictures of my projects. I miss being able to put down my most random thoughts about my crafty obsessions into written words. Twitter has certainly helped me not feel overly disconnected, but I'm very glad to be back to blogging.

So, where to begin? Well, no surprise, I'm still working at whittling my stash down to as close to nothing as possible. I did a fairly big destash on Ravelry and was able to pass a lot of yarn on to some other knitters. After that was done, I went through my stash bins and photographed some of the yarn that hadn't yet made it onto my Ravelry stash page. I know I've mentioned before that Scout, my now 6-month-old Maltipoo puppy, has quite an affinity for yarn, especially the wool variety, so the act of going through my stash really sent him into a frenzy. He was finally content to play with one of the gallon-sized Ziploc bags I store my yarn in while I snapped photos on the back patio. As you can see, he's grown a lot since he was last featured on the blog. He's up to a whopping 9.8 pounds of cuddly fluff now, and I think he's nearly full-grown. He continues to be endlessly entertaining.

The knitting has continued as always. I recently whipped out a child's size sweater, knit from Wendy Bernard's Drive-Thru pattern. I used leftover yarn from the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan and scraps of Paton's Classic Wool from other projects for the yoke. Like many other Ravelers who've knit this sweater, I have some reservations about the seemingly-tiny neck opening. I used Jenny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off, so I'm hoping that'll help. I was amazed at how fast this sweater knit up! I'd love to knit it again in the future and play a little with the yoke. It would be fun to experiment with some more complicated fair isle patterns. Here's a link to my Ravelry project page for this sweater if you'd like more details.

Finishing the Drive-Thru sweater really got me revved up to do some more stash-busting. I decided to put to use the many partial skeins of 100% wool yarn lingering in my stash and knit up some wool soakers. I was particularly inspired by Stefanie Japel's blog post with a tutorial for the soakers she likes. I loved the simplicity of the design and how it just begs to be embellished with cute little details. And they are such great On-The-Go projects! You have to check out my Blue Jean Soaker, the first one I knitted from Stefanie's tutorial. The heathered blue yarn just begged to be decked out with little pockets! As soon as that one was off the needles, I cast on for another one in dark pink (the same dark pink I used in the yoke of the Drive-Thru sweater). I'm still playing around with embellishments for the pink one, and I've already got another soaker on the needles. They knit up so fast! I just love them. I've found some other soaker patterns in Ravelry that I really want to try, and I plan to just as soon as I get tired of this one. I'm just not there yet!!

This weekend has been exciting one with all the snow that got dumped on us here. We got somewhere around 4-6 inches, and Scout just doesn't know what to think of it. He loves romping and playing in it with his two best friends, a couple of Bouviers who live in our building. On the other hand, the whole pottying outside in the snow isn't an activity that excites him. Without a good topcoat, he gets chilled easily, so we have to limit our outside time, much to his dismay. He really wants to be able to play as hard and as long as his friends.

The weekend indoors has brought me opportunity to consider my other crafty loves. I did a little spinning (and my yarn doesn't totally suck!), and I really intended to get to my sewing machine at some point. I'm totally enraptured by the Weekender Tote featured on the cover of the current issue of Sew News magazine. So cute!! I hope that I'll have more time soon to get back to my sewing. I really miss it!

Well, I should close so I can get things ready for work tomorrow. Ho hum, there's never enough crafting time...

Napoleon

2009-11-29T18:28:00.005-06:00

I actually managed to take my Napoleon vest off long enough to get some pictures of the finished project for the blog! I completed this vest on November 17th, and I've already worn it at least three times. It's so comfortable and warm without being too warm. I've decided I must knit a whole wardrobe of vests for myself. This one is a little big on me, but I'd much rather it be too big than too snug. I really love how the yarn behaved in the cables and lace in the front bodice. I have about 2 more metric tons of this yarn left, so you'll no doubt being seeing it again in future projects. I'm seriously having to restrain myself from knitting this vest again! I know that a second time around won't yield any more joy that the first go-round, so I'm in search of the next exciting project that'll thrill me just as much (or more!).

For more details on and pictures of my Napoleon vest, please head over to my project page on Ravelry.

It seems that the blogsphere is all a-buzz with talk of Christmas knitting and whatnot. I don't really have any projects planned for gifting, so I'm just continuing on with my resolution to knit down my stash and to place absolutely no expectations on my knitting. After finishing my Napoleon vest, I found myself with nothing on my needles to work on! So I started cruising around for ideas on a small project to cleanse my creative palette while I search for the next big project. I remembered that I've long wanted to knit up Fuzzy Mitten's Lamb, so I grabbed some stash yarn and cast on. I'm actually on the second lamb and have been having a great time dreaming up cute ways to finish them. I'm thinking cute collars and perhaps clothes! I have the first one all knitted up, but it needs sewn together. The second one is still on the needles. I'll show them off as soon as I get them done.

In my pondering today about my next big project, I even found myself considering a return to the beautiful Alpine Lace Knit Scarf I started eons ago for my mother. Honestly, I laid it down because it was such a complex knit and I have so little time in my life for quiet, contemplative, complicated knitting. I believe all this is the results of a personal recent spotting of a breathtaking lace shawl with sleeves as a sample in an LYS near where I visited for Thanksgiving. The tag identified it as "Brooke's Lace Shawl" from Mountain Colors Yarns, but alas, I wasn't able to find a copy of the pattern in the shop. It has me considering (a.) emailing the LYS to see if they can mail me a copy of the pattern, or (b.) designing a similar pattern myself. Yeah, I've lost my mind. I should just shut up and knit my mom's lace scarf, right?

So in puppy news, Scout has officially broken the 7 pound mark, and we're experiencing a little adolescent defiance lately. He's gotten more and more independent which is manifesting in all sorts of fun ways: like running away from me when we're outside, pulling at the leash, and barking a lot more. His favorite past time is picking up forbidden items and running from me with the item in his mouth, begging me to chase him. Preferred objects are my slippers, my shoes (especially my Danskos!), and (clutch your pearls!) balls of yarn. Um hmm. A time or two we've had the "I might trade you for a parakeet" talk. Once was when he was running around with my Socks That Rock Rockin' Sock Club yarn. We'll work through it as long as Mommy keeps reminding herself that this stage will pass.

There are a lot of changes brewing in my life right now, so I can't promise that my blog posts are going to get any more regular than they have been for a while longer. I have hope that all that will improve once this transition is complete. I plan to have much more time for knitting, crafting, and blogging very soon. Thanks to those who are still around reading my ramblings!

Perfectly Happy

2009-11-05T06:52:00.004-06:00

Finally, some finished object pictures! Eleanor was thrilled this morning to make her debut as a finished object model in her very first stylized pictures for the blog. The pictures have been delayed mainly by my inability to adjust my schedule to the end of Daylight Savings Time this week. I just haven't been able to get home early enough to get some natural light for pictures of the Perfect Sweater. Scout and I were up this morning at 5am, so after our walk and respective breakfasts I decided to seize the opportunity.

The Perfect Sweater is a free pattern offered from the wonderful ladies over at the Mason Dixon Knitting blog, and it's one I've had in my mental queue for years now. In fact, I purchased the yarn for it then as well, but there always seemed to be something else on my needles. Now that I've recommitted myself to knitting down my stash, I felt ready to knit up the beautiful Cobalt Heather Cascade 220 wool I'd selected for this garment. I'm over the moon with how it turned out. I adore the shaping, the elegant simplicity of it, and of course, the stunning color. I obviously opted for the v-neck option, and I chose the picot hemmed edging for the body and the sleeves. To help me get through all that stockinette, I adapted the pattern to be knit in the round to the armhole shaping on the body and to the cap shaping on the sleeves. I Magic-looped the sleeves and knit them simultaneously. At the end, the only real sewing left to do was to set in the sleeves!

I can absolutely see myself knitting this pattern again sometime in the future. I think it's the ideal knitted garment to live in. I think I'd eventually like to try it in a lighter weight yarn, maybe DK. Wouldn't it be decadent in cashmere?!

More details and pictures over on my Ravelry Perfect Sweater project page.

After laying out the Perfect Sweater to dry, I found myself surprisingly without the burning need to cast on a new knitting project, so I turned my attention back to the Napoleon Vest to see what its fate might be. I'd attempted a "winging it" approach to the welts and been disappointed before putting the project away to focus on the Perfect Sweater, so I knew there was a bit of critical assessment to do before proceeding on it. I'd gotten some really good advice from a Berroco pattern support person in the Ravelry forums, so I revisited the video tutorial she sent me to see if a new light bulb went off for me. I had to frog a few inches again to start anew, but I know now how worth it that was. It was like magic! Suddenly the welts appeared in all their glorious beauty as if no struggle had ever taken place. My fervor for this project returned with a vengeance, and before I knew it, I'd completed the lower back portion of the vest. I cast on yesterday morning for the back yoke and bound it off last night before going to bed. That's 9 inches of flat stockinette over 72 stitches I knitted in ONE DAY (a work day, no less)! Thank goodness for meetings, right? I couldn't help but cast on for the lower front last night, and I've been happily knitting away on it this morning. I just can't wait to get to those welts again! After that, it'll be the two front pieces and then the crochet finishing, and this knitter will be in a brand new, handknit vest!

A Very Long Month

2009-11-01T16:02:00.005-06:00

I should have never even mentioned blogfade in my last post! It doomed me to even more time between posting. It's been quite an eventful month of time, and I'm very glad it's over. There have been some good but a lot of not so good. Things have been so crazy that I don't have a lot of crafting to report, certainly no finished objects to show off. But I would like to introduce you to my latest "work in progress."

Meet Scout.

I've wanted a puppy for what seems like forever, and it's been a difficult thing to commit to with my demanding work schedule and allergy problems since starting my job. Still the desire was there, so I kept my eyes open for the right puppy to bring into my life. I researched breeds and visited a lot of different breeders. Finally I came across a sweet family nearby who breeds and raises Maltese/Poodle mixes (i.e. Maltepoos). My mom and I drove out to visit their available puppies and to test drive any allergy symptoms that might arise while I was around them. Surprisingly I had no reaction at all and came home with this sweet little boy. He's 16 weeks old now and has certainly changed my life! He's bouncy and busy and affectionate and wonderful. We're still working on housebreaking, but we're getting there. He loves to snuggle and is endlessly entertaining. I think he looks a like a little sheepdog! You'll be seeing lots more of him around here, no doubt.

So shortly after bringing Scout home, I came down with a little viral upper respiratory infection. It all started with a tickle in my throat that evolved into an awful cough and horrible congestion, but I pushed and worked through it. About a week later I had a really good day that convinced me that I was on the mend, followed by a day that sent me to the ER with my asthma. I saw my pulmonologist the next day and was prescribed an arsenal of antibiotics, steroids, and home breathing treatments. That night I was back in the ER again. I spent the next week struggling to make myself well with all my prescribed meds and breathing treatments four times per day. On Friday morning I was back in my pulmonologist's office desperate for help. He admitted me directly to the hospital, and I spent three days getting IV antibiotics and steroids with round-the-clock breathing treatments. I came home still very weak and easily winded. So now I've been off work for two solid weeks, and I'm still not 100% yet - but I'm getting there! I'm headed back to work tomorrow.

All of this has really left me re-evaluating my life and what it has been over the last year. Never have I had such trouble with my asthma, and it's been nothing but downhill since I began doing the work I'm doing. I'm being exposed to scary allergens over and over, and my body is just not tolerating it well. Not to mention the immeasurable emotional and psychological stress that has come along with all this. Time for my creativity has been almost completely stamped out, and I really, really miss it. The time I've been forced to take off with my illness has been cathartic and clearing for my mind. I feel like there are changes, big changes, coming in my life very soon, and while the unknown is intimidating, I'm excited to see what is to come for me. I feel like I'm waking up again, like something amazing is blossoming inside me. I'm so ready!

I had a few hours here and there while I was in the hospital in which I actually felt alive enough to knit, and so I managed to get the sleeves for the Perfect Sweater completed! Last week I finished up the v-neck, and today I sewed in the sleeves. The sweater is currently drying after its blocking bath, and I plan to snap some pictures of it this week on Eleanor. It turned out so beautifully! There's just nothing like a really great, well-written knitting pattern. It's such a classic shaped sweater, a real staple for anyone's wardrobe. All the stockinette was made much more tolerable by my adapting the pattern to be knit mostly in the round. I might not have made it through if I had to do more purling than I did. I knit the body in the round to the armhole shaping and the sleeves in the round to the cap shaping. The shoulders are finished with a three-needle bind-off, so the only seaming there was to do was tacking down the neck facing and sewing in the sleeves. It all came together really well.

So now that the Perfect Sweater is off the needles, I don't feel in much of a hurry to cast on something new. I'm already back to working on the Napoleon Vest, and it's really satisfying. I'm determined to conquer the tucks on the body! It'll be so nice to have a new handknit to wear soon. It's already been such a beautiful Fall here.

I'll leave you with one final Scout picture - an action shot! Thanks for sticking around and reading!

Blogfade Averted

2009-09-20T10:37:00.005-06:00

There have been numerous reason that things have been so quiet around here, and I must have composed at least a dozen posts explaining them all. Working 50-60 hours per week, computer troubles, the entering of my new Blackberry into my life (love it!)... They were all really good excuses. And then last week brought a visitor into my life I could have done without. The flu. BAM! I've been literally on my back, out of commission, and sick, sick, sick for almost a week now. I wasn't even able to knit for the first 2-3 days of my illness! I seem to thankfully be on the mend now and ready to enter back into blogland.

So let's talk about the really important stuff - the knitting! Once I was finally able to lift my head again, I reached for the Perfect Sweater I have on my needles. I realized that it was the only thing on my needles (another sign that I was ill), and so it got all of the knitting attention I could muster. Friday evening I felt so good that I picked it up and knitted the entire back from the armholes to the neckline. Of course, I realized after that point that I'd forgotten to do any of the armhole shaping before I started knitting away. This meant that I'd knitted 8.25" in stockinette over 100 stitches when I actually only had to do it over 70 if I'd only read the pattern correctly. I took that as a sign that I was still a sick girl. I ripped it all out and reknitted it yesterday. This morning I was able to perform the 3-needle bind off on the left shoulder, and I'm not putting it body aside to knit the sleeves. I had such a good time knitting the body in the round that I plan to knit the sleeves that way as well. I think I'll use a super long needle to knit them two-at-a-time Magic loop. Hopefully they'll go as fast as the body did. After I got the body done, I decided to let Eleanor model it for the progress pictures. I'm really happy with the how it's coming out. I love the length and the fit. Of course, Eleanor is a smaller size than the intended recipient, but she gives me a good idea of how the sweater will hang. I'm really having to resist blocking it yet. I may jump ahead and knit the V-neck before the sleeves so the body will be completely done. Isn't the color gorgeous? I just love Cascade 220 heathers.

I've been swept up in the frenzy surrounding the Endless Cardi Shawl patterns that were recently released by StitchDiva Studios, but I just haven't had it together enough to start on that pattern. Actually the active planning phase of this garment, for me, has been the longest in my knitting history. I love the knitted version of the pattern, but I don't love the stitch pattern of the body. I really prefer the open, lacier look of the crochet version. So I decided to do some stitch substitution. I've been pouring through my Barbara Walker books trying to find the perfect stitch pattern. To add to the complexity of my process, I've decided to use some beautiful natural merino lamb yarn that I acquired over a year ago at a local fiber festival. It has a handspun quality that I love, but it's making getting gauge a bit of a challenge. I think I've finally settled on a plan of attack. I'm going to be aiming for between two sizes, and I'll be using a simple eyelet stitch pattern. Surely the blocking process will give me some leeway. I've never swatched so much in my life! I really hope this turns out okay. I adore the garment and think it will be so versatile in my fall/winter wardrobe.

Fingers crossed that I'll be able to cast on for it today! It'll depend on how my energy level hangs in.

Perfect Knitting

2009-08-23T17:16:00.002-06:00

This has been quite the domestic weekend for me. Yesterday I spent the entire day cleaning, knitting, cooking, and doing laundry. It was fantastic! I even took a little afternoon nap - something I rarely get to do. Today has been more knitting and rest. I've gotten a lot done on the Perfect Sweater. I'm nearly through the waist shaping! It's been a challenge to maintain monogamy on this project as there are so many other great patterns calling to me right now. Since beginning this project, I've renewed my focus on knitting down my stash to near nothing. I even visited a yarn shop out of town and avoided all yarn purchases! It was a miracle!

Speaking of the yarn shop visit, I have to tell you a little about that trip. I was passing through Clarksville, Tennessee, for work and so I peeked online for any yarn shops in the area. I came across Unique Yarns & Crafts and decided to stop by while I was in town. The owner, Marie, runs the shop out of the bottom floor of her home, and she proved to be warm and delightful to talk with. Despite her fantastic selection of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, I managed to get out of there with only a couple of pattern books. I'd never before seen Jean Greenhowe's amazing designs, so I couldn't resist bringing a couple of booklets home with me. I bought Traditional Favourites and Topsy-Turnabout Dolls. Adorable! I've tucked them away for future knitting.

I also FINALLY received my very own copy of Jared Flood's new pattern book from Classic Elite, Made in Brooklyn. None of the local yarn shops in my area have yet received their shipments, so I was forced to order from Webs. I simply could not wait any longer! Since I was already ordering (and paying for shipping), I decided to go ahead and order the new Norah Gaughan pattern booklet of men's patterns from Berroco. Both booklets far exceeded even my highest expectations. There is just something so beautiful about classic, timeless knitwear. I can certainly appreciate the haute couture of the knitwear design world, but when it comes to what I want on my needles, it's traditional all the way.

I've been reconsidering my plan for my next project on the needles. The Textured Shawl certainly has kept my attention, but I've been tossing around ideas for making a more wearable, practical garment that harnesses the same feeling of the Textured Shawl. I love the variations of the very simple stitch patterns in the shawl, but I'm not sure how much wear I could get out of this shawl in my day-to-day life. I recently saw Jasmin (from the Knitmore Girls podcast) pictured at Sock Summit wearing her graceful Katarina cardigan, and I couldn't help but think what a useful garment that must be. So I've been shopping around for a similar pattern that I could substitute the stitch patterns from the Textured Shawl. I'm considering using the using the Minimalist Cardigan pattern as a starting point, but I may still start fresh and come up with a completely new, original pattern. Either way, I'm envisioning something with classic lines, 3/4-length sleeves, and no closures. The perfect layering piece for the cooler months of the year!

Forward and Back

2009-08-19T17:41:00.003-06:00

I don't think it'll ever matter how much I knit or how many projects I finish in my lifetime - it seems that knitting it always going to teach me something. I like to imagine that it's that way with all knitters all over the world and with all those knitters who proceeded us. Surely even the Knitters among us, like Barbara Walker and Nicky Epstein, still find that they have to look up a technique or the like every now and then. I by no means compare myself to the big names in knitting, but there are some things things I thought I'd learned along my knitting way. Gauge is one of those things. I tend to give very reverent respect to gauge. I swatch tirelessly. I wash the swatches as I would the finished garments. I measure and re-measure. But somehow I let gauge become a problem for me with this sweater. The lesson learned this time?

Don't neglect row gauge. Count it. Note it. Live row gauge.

Last night I finished all the decreases in the waist shaping for the Perfect Sweater I'm knitting and realized that I was coming up a bit short. I measured the gauge on the needles. I found my swatch and measured it. The stated pattern gauge is 20 sts and 25 rows over 4 inches. My gauge? 20 sts and 28 rows over 4 inches. I toiled over the math, trying to figure out exactly how much I was short (and if it really mattered). At the end of my efforts, I discovered that I was about 1.6 inches short. The sweater's recipient is tall. Very tall. Very tall with a long waist. Yeah, this was no good.

I had to rip it out.

Most of the dirty work was done as I'd figured all the math out already during my contemplation. So I ripped and ripped and rewound the yarn. I've already started reknitting it, and I'm trying to see the whole episode as merely an opportunity to prolong this happy in-the-round knitting. I really am enjoying it. It's just hard to take two steps forward and then a step and a half back. I'll certainly pay more attention in the future. Especially when a pattern tells me to do X for so many rows/rounds. I'll know that I need to translate the rows/rounds into inches. Oh yeah - and check my row gauge.

Not Bad

2009-08-18T17:42:00.003-06:00

After a significant amount of online research and legwork, I decided to take the plunge and buy a compact point-and-shoot digital camera. I realized that most of what I enjoy about blogging has little to do with showing off my finished crafting projects. It's more about the expression that blogging itself allows me. It's being able to muck through my thoughts and find new creativity and inspiration under all the noise in my head. It's about taking a moment to sit down, push away all the obligations and stress of everyday life, and find the small voice inside me that is inherently and irrevocably me. That said, I want to be able to share more of my life and of what inspires me in my creative endeavors.

Thus, enter the new camera, a Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS. I'm having the best time playing with it! The images are clear and crisp; the camera is intuitive and responsive to my whims. I love it! I've always been of the Nikon camp (and still am!), but this little point-and-shoot Canon impresses me far more than the Nikon ultracompacts did in the stores. I've been shooting the most mundane things: garbage trucks, birds, and the like, and the raw, unedited pictures are truly amazing. What fun!

In knitting, I'm loving the mindless, in-the-round stockinette of the Perfect Sweater I'm knitting right now. Why in the world have I ever knitted sweaters any other way?! I'm using some beautiful Cobalt Heather Cascade 220 from my stash, and the stockinette is just what my stressed mind needs lately. I'm already planning my next in-the-round sweater. I downloaded Wendy Bernard's Drive-Thru pattern last night, and I've been shopping in my mind for the right yarn. I have some brown Cascade 220 in my stash that would work, but the last little girl sweater I knitted was in brown. I'm thinking I need a change of pace. Maybe red. Or gray. Or blue. Something different is in order, I believe.

Okay, okay - off to knit. More soon!

On Blogging

2009-08-09T11:33:00.004-06:00

I've been thinking about my blog a lot lately. It wasn't too terribly long ago that I got a tremendous amount of pleasure from sharing my creative endeavors and thoughts on creating here. A change in day job status made my life far more hectic and my schedule very unpredictable, and most of the time I used to spend creating is now spent doing the mundane must-do tasks of life, like laundry and grocery shopping. So I usually end up feeling that if I don't have new projects to share then a blog post isn't warranted. My other hesitation, as it has been before, is pictures. Surely no one would want to read a blog post in which I blather on and on without any pictorial relief for the eyes. And with no new projects, how can there be pictures?

So this logic led to another train of thought. Why do I have to show only pictures of my current projects? Blogs are about sharing your life, which inevitably includes crafting projects, but does that mean that posts without shiny new projects are insignificant? I don't think so. Look at the likes of the Yarn Harlot and Knit and Tonic. Most of their posts are merely about the minutia of their lives, and I love it! So why do I hold myself to a different standard? If all that's holding me back from posting is pictures, where does the problem lie now? It's my very expensive, impeccably performing digital camera. It's perfect for shooting in and around my home, but I don't feel comfortable toting it with me in my day-to-day life! And what is a blog? A log of day-to-day life!

I need a lightweight, ultra compact, high-quality digital camera!!! So I'm shopping now...

One evening last week I came home with a creative fervor and started working on a project from Patchwork Style that I've wanted to make ever since I bought the book. I love the idea of standing on a beautiful, handmade patchwork mat while doing the dishes in my kitchen. I dove right into my scrap box, assembled a color scheme, and went to work. I ran out of steam and time before it was finished, but I love how it's turning out.

I also took a little time yesterday to ply up my very first handspun yarn! It's made up of the many wool samples given to me during my spinning class at the fiber festival I attended last Spring. It's overly energized, it's thin and thin, it's warty and bumpy and slubby, but it's mine. My very first handspun. I doubt I'll ever knit anything with it, but I also doubt I'll ever get rid of it. I used an Andean plying technique and ended up with two skeins of just a few yards of ugly yarn apiece. Now my wheel is clear and available for me to continue practicing my spinning. I have some undyed roving that I plan to spin up next. We'll see how my spinning has improved since the class.

I'm still taking to heart the resolution I made in my last post to stop seeing all my stash as too precious to use. So yesterday I started swatching for a new sweater using some Cascade 220 in my stash. I want to make a simple v-neck pullover, like the Perfect Sweater, but I'm going to knit it mostly in the round. It'll be good to get that amount of yarn out of my stash.

Well, I'm off to research some digital cameras!

Tools to Make the Maker

2009-08-02T15:51:00.003-06:00

This weekend brought me an exciting new addition to my craft room. I've been thinking for some time about acquiring a dress form to help in both my sewing and my knitting, but I was always disappointed with the ones available in the craft chain stores. The reviews online of those forms were always terrible, citing problems with the adjustment hardware, experiences with the form toppling over while in use, and other unacceptable issues. I started looking around for other options and, of course, found the forms used by fashion design students to be way out of my budget. I love the idea of making a dress form out of duct tape, so I've kept that idea in the back of my mind too. The only hesitation I had about this type of form is that I'd have to come up with some kind of stand for it to really make it as functional as I wanted it to be. So I started checking Craigslist periodically for forms. For weeks there were absolutely none listed in my area or in the area where I have family I could possibly beg into picking one up for me. Then all of the sudden there were four or five listings with the majority of them being in my immediate area. I sent out emails and mostly got no response. The first response I got was from a listing near where my mother lives. She was gracious enough to offer to pick it up for me, and she brought it to me this weekend. It's far more beautiful than any of the others I saw pictured in the listings. I absolutely love the mahogany stain on the base and neck block! It actually goes perfectly, from an aesthetic point of view, in my craft room. I think it'll be particularly wonderful for photographing my completed handknits. It's not quite my size, so I'm thinking about eventually going ahead with the duct tape dress form and sliding my form over this one when I need a second "me" for fitting sewn or knitted garments. I feel like I should name her, and I'm leaning toward Eleanor. We'll have to see though.

I'm been getting the feeling lately that it's time to sort and de-clutter some of my things again. I get this way a few times a year. I start to feel smothered and overwhelmed by the things in my home. Consumerism is something I try very hard to avoid in my life, and when I find myself with an over-accumulation of stuff I immediately seek to purge myself of the excess. I've been inspired by the amazing relief and new creativity that came from clearing out my Ravelry queue, and I took a drastic step this weekend. I went through my beloved library of craft books with a very critical eye. Many of them contain projects that I know I'll never do, instructions that I no longer need, or styles that just don't appeal to me any longer. Before I knew it, I'd created stacks and stacks of books to get rid of. I broke all of my own my rules. I got rid of some of the first craft books I ever bought, vintage books I've collected over the years, and books that are in series of which I kept a volume and discarded the rest. I gave myself permission to not do certain crafts again, like resin casting and printmaking. If I didn't love it and feel inspired and fed creatively by it, it's okay and the materials were removed from my creative space (both physically and mentally). I daresay that I reduced my craft book stash by between one-third and one-half. It's a fantastic feeling! Afterwards I went back through my knitting patterns and eliminated a great portion of them as well. In considering all of this after the fact, I feel like this was merely an extension of clearing out my Ravelry queue. I feel as if I have further removed unnecessary and unwanted expectation of my own creativity, and I have hopes that something amazing will emerge from this.

I also realized that I've fallen into the trap of feeling like my craft materials are too precious to use up. I'm afraid to experiment with my own ideas in uncharted territory because it'll mean "using up" my stashed materials. Well, I say NO MORE! I'm giving myself permission to play with my fabric, my yarn, and my spinning fiber. I'm going to do whatever strikes my fancy at the time, whether it be knitting up a sweater Elizabeth Zimmermann style or constructing a new tote bag out of fabric scraps. I'm done with being cautious and afraid of failure.

I'm eager to see what's to come of it!

Chasing Inspiration

2009-07-27T07:58:00.004-06:00

The last three weeks have been indescribably busy. I'm being forced to relearn how to set boundaries between my work life and my personal life. It's just too easy to work myself to death! I'm finding that my knitting has had to adapt to my constant state of "On The Go." I'm dashing from small project to small project, and the instant gratification of fast finishing is exhilarating. It's been a much better experience than last summer's project! As I mentioned previously, I couldn't resist knitting up a Baby Sophisticate, and I cast on for it as soon as my last blog post was done. Progress on it has been slow as my attention was snatched away by a sudden need for something knitted in my work life.

Last week I found myself in two different patient encounters in the same day in which I was attempting to teach breastfeeding to pregnant women who'd never given adequate thought to breastfeeding their soon-to-arrive newborns. Both ladies told me that "it hurts," while neither of them had ever attempted breastfeeding with their older children. As we talked about the mechanics and benefits for both mom and baby, I was thrilled to see a light dawn behind their eyes. Talking is good, but demonstration is better. Now that I've been able to plant to seeds with these two women, I plan to nurture that seed more and more with the handful of encounters I have left with them before they deliver. So in preparation for this, I've knitted some tools for demonstration. I'm going to refrain from posting pictures here to avoid any weird non-knitting surfers onto my blog, but please go to my Ravelry project pages (here and here) to see my work. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and I'm excited to be able to use them in my teaching.

It's going to be an exercise in willpower, but I'm going to try to refrain from casting on a new project until after the Baby Sophisticate is done. It is a really simple pattern and actually knits up in no time. I just need to get to work and finish it. I still fully intend to start a Textured Shawl soon out of my stashed Malabrigo Worsted. But I'm also terribly tempted by the Knitted Doll Baby pattern I found recently. I started surfing Ravelry for a doll pattern in hopes of using up what I have left over from my recent breastfeeding teaching toolmaking when I came across that pattern. They are so adorable! But I can feel myself tempted to knit a couple in varying ethnicity. Remember the sewn baby dolls I made? Why, oh why, can't I just be satisfied with making one baby doll??

Okay, okay - no need to obsess about it until after the Baby Sophisticate is done. When's that ever stopped me, right?

Knitting For Sanity

2009-07-12T16:01:00.003-06:00

I really had forgotten how satisfying baby knits are! I finished my Blueberry Pie Helena yesterday, blocked it last night, and sewed the buttons on today! I decided to omit the ties in the pattern and instead use buttonholes. It's just too much fun to pick out buttons for a finished knitted garment, and I prefer the look of them over the ties in the pattern. I dashed out to Joann's this morning to pick out the buttons and was thrilled to find the perfect ones. I think they look like little candies. I almost chose the same buttons in a blue-purple color but decided to go with the more matchy-matchy buttons. I like that these let the yarn really shine on its own. Normally I'm not thrilled with the look of variegated yarn with a lace pattern, but this lace pattern is simple enough to support the slight variations in color. This is an adorable baby pattern, and it knit up super fast - even in the sock yarn I used!

While all signs pointed to me casting on for a Textured Shawl, I've become completely won over by the Baby Sophisticate. I've got more than enough yarn leftover from the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan, and the idea of a "matching" baby sweater is just irresistible. I picked up some more of the buttons I used on that sweater to use on the baby version. A baby sweater in worsted weight should take no time to knit up. There's just nothing like a baby dressed up like a little grown-up. Adorable! I'll probably cast on for this sweater tonight.

I've been taking some time to watch the Elizabeth Zimmermann DVDs I purchased in Atlanta, and there isn't a better adjective than charming to describe them. I've spent the majority of my watching time on the Knitting Around DVD. It's just amazing how the DVDs can make the projects come to life, causing my own personal interest to rise exponentially in projects I'd previously dismissed. I love the raw home movie feel about the way they are shot - Meg talks intermittently to her husband who is running the video camera, Meg and Elizabeth make jokes and tease each other, and they both engage in unscripted dialog that makes you feel as though you are sitting with them in a yarn shop chatting. They are just delightful! If you have the opportunity to check them out from your local library, run - don't walk. They are marvelous for giving today's knitter a glimpse into the amazing mind of EZ.

I'm off to cast on for my next project. Last week was a rough one, and I'm not looking forward to the next starting so soon. Thank God for my knitting!

Blue

2009-07-08T16:55:00.007-06:00

It seems that my purple possession has given way for a bluer-hued preoccupation! As I gathered all the things I wanted to blog about together for photos, I realized that I've inadvertently created another color theme. I honestly don't think I could do this intentionally if I tried!

Okay, buckle your seat belt. It's been a while since I last posted so I have a lot to talk about in one short blog post. Ready? Off we go...

I succumbed to the temptation of the Knit Picks Summer Book Sale when I realized that a couple of books I'd already planned to buy were included. I also took the opportunity to get a couple of fixed circulars I've needed. Then of course I found myself close to the $50 requirement for the free shipping, so I threw in 5 skeins of Gloss Lace. I've been wanting to try this yarn for some time now, and this was the perfect opportunity. In my recent Pi Shawl obsession, I really found myself drawn more to the Pi Are Square shawl, but I didn't have enough of one yarn in my stash for it. Problem solved! The colorway is Bluebird, and it is absolutely gorgeous. It'll be a joy to knit with. As you can see, I scored copies of Spin Control and Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing. Yay!

Over the holiday weekend, my mom and I decided to take a road trip to Atlanta for some shopping and play. Of course I had to do a mini-yarn crawl! We actually passed by a yarn shop I didn't know about while driving around town, and I was able to go by there before we headed home. What a treasure trove! The Needle Nook was smallish but full of beautiful yarn and very friendly faces. I was over the moon to find a copy of Barbara Abbey's Knitting Lace! In dreaming up my Pi (or Pi Are Square) Shawl, I've been envisioning a fairly simple shawl body with a stunning, intricate border, and I've had a terrible time finding just the right lace border pattern. I have a feeling that this book will end my search. What an incredible reference book! They also had a few of Elizabeth Zimmermann's DVDs, and I just couldn't leave them behind. I've not yet had time to watch them, as I want to be able to sit and enjoy them uninterrupted. So excited!

In knitting news, I've been working sporadically on the Helena I'm knitting from sock yarn. It's going really fast actually. I've got one more sleeve to knit, and then I'll get to work on the neck/button bands. I've really been motivated to get this adorable little sweater completed because I have another project calling to me. It all started when I read Soulemama's post about her beautiful Textured Shawl. So simple, so elegant! There is just nothing that moves me like the harmony between gorgeous yarn and the perfect stitch pattern. It didn't take me long to remember the 7 skeins of Malabrigo that have been marinating in my stash for nearly 3 years now. I've been waiting for just the right, most deserving project. I believe this shawl is it! I've literally been carrying around the pattern, the yarn, and the needles (my new Addi Clicks!) for over a week now. I'm trying to refrain from casting on until after Helena is finished. Isn't that yarn yummy and SO tempting?! Must, must, MUST finish Helena!!

Shades of Purple

2009-06-28T10:47:00.004-06:00

Today's post is brought to you by the color purple. I didn't realize how purply preoccupied I currently am with my knitting until I started to snap the photos for this post! I do love me some purple though. From light fresh lavenders to deep rich plums and violets, purple always appeals to me. That's probably what drew me to the hand-dyed yarn I'm using for the baby cardigan I'm currently knitting. I have to be careful about my yarn purchases. I think it would be pretty easy to end up with a stash full of variations of the same thing. Good thing I'm keeping to a yarn diet!

Speaking of yarn diet, I was thinking the other day about the last time I made a significant yarn purchase. The last I can remember was way back in late September or early October 2008 when I ordered the yarn from Webs to make the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan. That was a long time ago! I really feel lately like I've rediscovered my stash. I've been discovering new patterns on Ravelry that have me really excited to knit up what I already own, rather than running out to the yarn shop for new yarn. If you've been listening to Brenda Dayne's podcast, Cast On, then you already have heard her talk in this series about the "Make Do and Mend" movement, which originated during World War II and encouraged families to reuse and refashion clothes and household items. It has significance and meaning today in light of our economic and environmental concerns, and I am particularly inspired by it. I've been interested in making old things new again for some time because I find it thrilling to move toward more self-sufficiency and world-wellness mindfulness. I've been trying for the last couple of years to decrease my own personal consumerism, so the "Make Do and Mend" philosophy suits me. That certainly doesn't mean that I've stopped shopping/spending altogether. Rather I'm finding that I have curbed the instant gratification, impulse buying and instead make more thoughtful purchases with vendors that I believe it. I'd much rather spend a little more on shoes I know will be comfortable and last for a long time than buy the jazzy numbers on sale for only a little more than a drive-through meal might cost me. Yarn is the same way. I'd rather spend my money on beautiful, natural-fiber yarn that will push me ever closer to a stunning finished object than pinch a few pennies on yarn that even the most perfect technique couldn't save. Something about a sow's ear and a silk purse comes to mind.

Well, I certainly didn't mean to turn this post into some sort of political statement! Let's change gears, shall we?

This morning I found myself wide awake before 7am, so I decided to use the opportunity to get all my housework done. In doing so, I unearthed the yarn I received in my May shipment from the Rockin' Sock Club and realized I'd not yet photographed it yet. Another gorgeous colorway! I've also put it into my stash on Ravelry, so you may go there to read details about it, if you like.

Yesterday I spent most of the day resting and knitting on Helena. Somehow I managed to knit all the way through the top portion and into the first repeat of the lace on the skirt before going to bed last night. I'd forgotten how satisfying baby garments are to knit! I believe that I only have four or five more lace repeats to go on the skirt before it's done. I'm really happy with the way this yarn is working out for this sweet little cardigan. I may have just solved my problem of stashed sock yarn and a knitter (me) who doesn't really want to knit socks! I think I'm going to forgo the ties on the cardigan and instead knit in buttonholes. This yarn really wants to be accented with sweet little buttons!

I'm off to relax with my knitting for the afternoon. I'm determined to get every second of enjoyment out of this weekend!

Short-Term Goals

2009-06-24T16:41:00.004-06:00

I don't know if it's the unbearable heat of summer that is mercilessly upon us or my recent completion of a large woolen knitting project that has me in my current state. Either way, I'm craving small projects right now. I'm finding myself in need of easily obtainable, short-term knitting goals. It's been a while since I knitted a baby garment. I love knitting baby garments because they are quick to knit and, for the most part, gauge isn't quite as much an issue. Thank goodness babies come in all sizes!

The yarn pictured is a hand-dyed skein of sock yarn I picked up in Minnesota last year while I was visiting for a job interview. I really loved the colors and the hand of the yarn, and I was thrilled when I discovered that the colorway was aptly named "Blueberry Pie." I've recently accepted that I'm not much of a sock knitter as I don't particularly enjoy wearing handknit socks, so I've been looking for creative ways to knit up my sock yarn stash in nonsock projects. I've always loved the Helena pattern from Knitty's Summer 2008 issue, and I poked around Ravelry a bit to see if anyone else had knit the pattern in sockweight yarn. I wasn't too surprised to see they had - and with beautiful results. So I think I'm going to give the pattern a try. I hope to cast on tonight or tomorrow, so I'll keep you posted.

I had to make an emergency run for needles to start Helena as US size 3 circs are apparently the only size I don't own, and in the process I came across Issue 6 of The Knitter magazine. I've not allowed myself to get too sucked into this UK publication as it is terribly expensive (for a magazine) and the designs don't always appeal to me. This issue, however, was irresistible. The pattern for Honeysuckle was the one that really sold me. It's a circular shrug/cardigan knit in laceweight, and it is absolutely breathtaking. So elegant and so wearable! I'll be tucking this issue away for later knitting.

In the meantime, I've been knitting away on the third (and final!) Kicking Bag for Baby I cast on last January. This pattern was perfect in helping me use up the wool yarn I dyed during a dyeing class I took in the Spring of 2008. As with the other two I knit, I'm alternating the yarn from each ball every other row so it makes for a cohesive color transition. Now that I've finally made it past the ribbing, it's nice to just knit around and around and around. It's also exciting to get this yarn out of my stash! It's been a while since I made a yarn purchase, and the urge to bust my stash to smithereens is getting stronger and stronger, especially with my recent dive into spinning. I'm finding myself thinking in terms of my available yarn rather than in patterns that catch my eye when considering what my knitting future holds. It would be so incredibly liberating to be stashless! What fun to choose a pattern based only on the pattern itself and then be able to trot off to the yarn store to buy the yarn for that specific project. I wonder if I could crank out projects at a faster clip that way. By just allowing my creativity and inspiration to guide me and carry me through? It sounds promising to me!

The Lid is Off

2009-06-21T16:13:00.002-06:00

It's been another blog lull around here. This time it is not because I had nothing to say, but instead it was that I was working too hard to stop and blog about what I was working on! I started this cardigan WAAAAY back in October and found that it was too difficult to knit on-the-go (as much of my life is lived nowadays). So it lingered around my knitting basket only getting attention every so often. Suddenly (so it felt) I was coming very close to a deadline on it and absolutely had to get it finished. I set little daily knitting goals for myself and gave up many hours of cumulative sleep to meet them. I'm happy to report that all my efforts were well worth it as the cardigan was finished and ready for the recipient at the right time. And I must say that I am thrilled beyond belief with the way this sweater turned out. There was SO much finishing to do on it, even given that I'd knit the body in one piece to avoid having to seam the fronts to the back. I sewed and sewed and sewed! I really feel that it was worth all my meticulous work as the finished sweater exudes a casual elegance and sleek style (at least in my humble opinion). The button and neck bands are knit with a slipped stitch facing that it folded toward in the wrong side and stitched down then the garment is complete, and I have to admit that I really like the look of it. I've never been too happy with the more traditionally used ribbed button bands that must be picked up and knit after the garment is put together. I really like the clean look of the faced button bands, though there were a bit of sweat and teeth gnashing that went on while I was easing in the neckband. Still, it went together with amazing ease and without any huge catastrophes. I'm very, very pleased with it.

For more details on this cardigan, please head over to my Ravelry project page.

After finishing the cardigan, I wanted to reward myself with a fresh new project, and I toyed around a bit with some hand-dyed laceweight I got in Minnesota and the Pinwheel blanket pattern. I think my nerves and patience were a bit too affected by the recently finished cardigan to get me smoothly through the cast-on and initial awkward rows, so I put it away for a bit. I've picked up the third Kicking Bag for Baby I started some months ago and have been knitting away on it. It's a nice no-brainer pattern that I think will allow me some time to contemplate my next big project. I have a lace stole in hibernation that I'd love to get finished, but I'm just not sure that I'm up for something so complex right now. I have some beautiful Cobalt Heather Cascade 220 in my stash that I'd like to knit up into a simple v-neck pullover, but I hesitate to start that now with the heat of summer raging now and for the next several months. I crocheted a few rows on my Candy Store Afghan and found quite a bit of enjoyment there, so perhaps I'll return to that for a while. It'd be wonderful to have it finished when the cool Fall weather returns (hopefully sooner rather than later!). After the rush to finish the cardigan, I think it might be good to have a more laissez-faire attitude toward my yarn crafting for a while. No rules, no expectations, no deadlines. It only all of life could be that way.

Well, tomorrow marks the first day of my returning to my regular routine after a week's vacation. It's been absolutely divine to have some time off, and I'm reluctant to return to what I'm sure is going to be a pile of work waiting for me. Hopefully I'll have some time to return to regular blogging again. I do miss it.

Off to catch up on laundry and prepare for the work week! Thanks for reading!

Top Secret

2009-06-08T17:22:00.000-06:00

It's been quiet around here because I'm working like a fiend on some top secret projects! I'll be back soon!

Mixed Media Post

2009-05-30T13:45:00.006-06:00

While it's been quite a while since I posted, blogging hasn't been far from my mind. Work has been particularly demanding lately, and I really needed to vacate some of my usual (however self-imposed) deadlines to regroup and refresh myself. My mini-vacation was wonderful, and it was difficult to leave it behind to return to my everyday life. I attended a spinning class at a modest local fiber festival and emerged with my first handspun yarn! It's rather ugly and painfully inconsistent, but it's the first step toward my becoming an honest-to-goodness spinner. The class instructor gave us lots of different types of fiber to spin during the class, and I had plenty leftover to do some more practicing at home. It's been a lot of fun, though I must admit that I've not yet moved into the"Wow, this is so relaxing!" part of spinning. I still have quite a mountain of things to learn about spinning, but it certainly has provided me another creative outlet when I'm not in the mood to knit. I've got some gorgeous fiber in my stash now, which makes me very motivated to continue to practice so that my skills can be worthy of spinning it up!

Last Sunday I had the sudden urge to do some more sewing, so I seized the moment and raided my stash. I'd purchased everything I needed to make one of the baby quilts in the book Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts months ago when the book first came out, but I'd just never gotten around the executing the project. Now that I have my new sewing machine(s) and some time during my mini-vacation, I jumped right in. It was a great way to introduce myself to machine quilting on my Janome 6600. The quilt is designed to look tied, but it's all done with an embroidery stitch on your sewing machine. It look me a bit longer than the book suggested, largely because the batting I used required stitches no more than 3 inches apart (the book's author's batting allowed for up to 8 inches between quilting stitches), meaning that I had many more stitched places than the book's example. Still, I was thrilled with the result. I even had a lady at work as me if I'd make one for her to give as a baby gift (for pay!). I used 100% cotton fabric and batting, so this would be perfect for a summer baby. I'll be tucking this one away in my theoretical hope chest for myself.

I've been waiting for some time now for Debbie Bliss' new book, Design It, Knit It: Secrets from the Designer's Studio, to come out, and so I popped into Barnes & Noble yesterday after work to take a peek at it. I was really hoping it'd be a textbook of sorts on knitwear design, and at first I was a bit disappointed that it was really more pattern book, less instruction book. Then I allowed myself to accept what it was and to see what was really there. Debbie Bliss has always had an aesthetic that appeals to me - beautiful classic designs with elegant details and shaping. However, I find that many of her books have similar silhouettes and patterns that make collecting them a bit of a deja vu experience. I found that this book has a freshness about it, and I was intrigued by the way it's organized to include a written monologue of sorts of Debbie's inspirations and design processes with a handful of patterns that demonstrate her ideas. When I came to the Garter Stitch Coat, I knew I had to take the book home with me. I love the swingy, casual feel about it, and of course, the glorious garter stitch sold it. I can really see myself knitting and wearing this. I never tire of garter stitch! I might even have yarn in my stash for this one!

Just in case you thought I'd given up completely on the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan, here's proof that I am actually still working on it. It is slow going as the cable is rather laborious. I wish I could wave my magic knitting needle and have it all finished! I've got so many other knitting projects that are tempting me! I'm trying desperately to focus on this project and only this project, but the cable requires so much of my attention to knit it properly that it really isn't practical for it to be my To Go project. And oftentimes I find that when I finally sit down in the evenings, I'm just too fatigued to concentrate on it as much as I need to. Surely if I can make it through all that ribbing on my Margaret sweater, I can make it through these sleeves, right? Send me any of your extra or leftover knitting mojo, would you? I really need to get this sweater finished!

Sunday Workday

2009-05-17T17:28:00.003-06:00

As much as I needed the break that an entire weekend would give me, I got called in to work today. It was only for a few hours, but it certainly turned my Sunday Restday into Sunday Workday. Work is work no matter how much you enjoy what you do (and I do really love what I do). I've got a little mini-vacation planned for the end of this week, and my plans were for it to start on Thursday. Given the extra hours I put in this weekend, I think I'm going to bump it back to start on Wednesday afternoon. I think that's fair, don't you? This is one of the good things about being a salaried person. When you giveth, you can taketh away. I've learned that you really have to be a self-advocate for the value of your time as a salaried person. I've just known too many people on salary who run themselves in the ground and have no one but themselves to blame for the burnout that inevitably comes. At the end of the pay period, they make the same amount as the other workers on salary who set boundaries to protect their personal lives and free time. No one's giving out martyr awards for working 24/7.

Okay, enough work talk. Seeing as my crafting time was cut short today, I don't have much to progress to show you on any one project. I worked a few rows on the sleeves for the cardigan last night, but I pooped out before I made any real headway. This cable is just complex enough to keep me chained to the chart and to my cable needle, so it's not the most relaxing knitting. I'm really itching to start a mindless knitting project, but the simple fact that I'm so ready to have this cardigan finished keeps me from allowing myself to start a project that might distract me. Still, my frazzled nerves might really benefit from some soothing knitting.

On my way home from the hospital, I stopped by a Goodwill and found a beautiful sheet to make my next skirt from. It's kind of an eggshell color with a pretty crocheted edging. I was so excited about it that I practically danced when I found it. I threw it into the washing machine as soon as I got home. I'm hoping to get it dried before too late tonight so I can whip it into a skirt before I go to bed. We'll have to see though. I never seem to have enough time on Sunday evenings! I also ran across the book you see on the right in the picture. It's called Great Braids! The New Way to Exciting Hairstyles. My hair is longer than it's ever been in my life, and the warmer weather has had me searching for new ways to put it up and still look cute. I just have had no real experience with hair braiding since I've always kept my curls so short! I thought I'd give the styles in this book a try. It should be fun.

I also stopped by JoAnn's just to see what was new there. I've not been shopping there in so long! It seems that I've come to the point of stash and craft materials accumulation that I have practically everything I need at my fingertips and do not currently need to be dashing to the store for every project. I decided to use my 40% off coupon to buy the new issue of Stitch magazine. There are some really cute patchwork projects in this issue! I look forward to spending some time with it.

I guess I should get some work paperwork done. Back to the salt mines tomorrow!

Feeling Rather Clever

2009-05-16T13:40:00.003-06:00

After quite a sabbatical from sewing, I'm happy to report that I've not completely lost my sewing ability and fervor! The weather has grown consistently warmer here, and I've found that I've been longing for more skirts in my wardrobe. That desire sent me scouring through my favorite crafty websites looking for inspiring tutorials. Skirts are some of my absolute favorite things to sew since they are fairly simple and so fun to make and wear. Plus they are easy to fit and personalize which virtually guarantees a successful sewing experience. In all my searching online, I came across this tutorial and immediately thought of a thrifted sheet in my fabric stash. I bought it at Goodwill several months ago and was just waiting for the perfect project for it. This was it!

The sheet I had on hand was a queen-sized rather than the twin-sized sheet in the tutorial, so I ended up cutting some of the width off. I ended up with a good amount of the sheet leftover, so I'll have plenty for other projects later. I may even try a tiered skirt out of the leftovers soon. I used 1" wide elastic instead of the 1/4" to 1/2" wide elastic suggested in the tutorial. I find that wider elastic waistbands are more comfortable. It's amazing how quickly this cute skirt came together! I love that there was no hemming to do since the bottom of the skirt the pretty finished part of the sheet. I will definitely be thrifting for more sheets soon! I can't wait to wear my new skirt! After all, what could be more comfy than wearing a cotton sheet? This certainly makes me want to try the wide-leg lounge pants from Amy Butler's In Stitches book out of old, soft sheets.

This past work week was a doozy, so I've done little more today than rest and recover. I anticipate the next week to be rather crazy too, but thankfully, it'll be a short one. I'm taking Thursday, Friday, and Monday off for some R&R time. I'm taking a spinning class on Friday morning, and there's a local fiber festival this weekend that I'm attending. I'm so excited! This afternoon I called and got some help getting Victoria spinning-ready. I was having a bit of a time figuring out how to get the drive band on! Finally she's all set up and ready to go. If I get brave enough, I may try spinning a little on my own this weekend. I'd really like to be familiar enough with my wheel and with the basic spinning concepts before my class so I can get the absolute most out of the class time.

Well, I suppose I should be knitting on these cables sleeves rather than daydreaming about spinning and sewing. Off to knit!

P.S. Brenda Dayne mentioned my name on her latest podcast in regards to the book review I did for her! She mispronounced my first name, but I can let it slide. She's Brenda Dayne, for heaven's sake!!

Success and A Cool Announcement

2009-05-11T19:18:00.003-06:00

Okay, some accomplishments make two blog posts in one day justifiable. First, I just finished fixing the errant cable in the sleeve of the cardigan I'm knitting.

Second (and probably way more exciting), Brenda Dayne just posted the book review I did for her podcast, Cast On! I reviewed Lorna Miser's new book, Faith, Love, Hope, Knitting: Celebrating the Gift of Knitting with 24 Beautiful Patterns. Please go check it out on Brenda's site and comment if you feel so inclined.

Thanks!

Procrastination

2009-05-11T16:23:00.006-06:00

I'm not nearly as afraid of mistakes as I was when I was a very new knitter. I feel like I have a much better understanding of my own knitting and the way stitches are constructed and behave under most circumstances. I don't fret over dropped stitches or twisted stitches anymore. I can correct missed yarn-overs and poorly done decreases. But for some reason, I've been unable to make myself sit down and correct the problem in the cable of these sleeves! Mostly I'm intimidated by the task of getting both sleeves to the same place again and identifying which row I'm on once the repair is done. I've been so careful to keep track both with my magnetic board and my row counter. I'm really an overly cautious, painfully meticulous knitter. But a moment's distraction threw me enough off course to cause a subtle loss of confidence that has flung me into the abyss of procrastination. Want to see a closer look at the source?

Can you see the problem?
Look closer.

I really think I worked a wrong side row on the right side of the sleeve pictured on the left. I feel like I'll only have to rip back two rows to fix it, and hopefully it won't be too painful. Now if only I can get over this silly procrastination and do it!

I experiencing quite a bit of startitis lately but I've yet to land on a particular project (which is probably good since I wouldn't allow myself to start it until this cardigan is done anyway). I'm still daydreaming about the Pi Shawl, but I'm feeling rather sweatery too. That figures, right? We're about to be in the hottest part of the year here, and I'm thinking about knitting another wool sweater. I'm thinking steeking...

Meet Victoria

2009-05-10T16:33:00.004-06:00

As promised, my forever spinning wheel arrived in the blink of an eye, and I raced home to collect and assemble her. She was immaculately and painstakingly packed, ensuring that she arrived in perfect condition. I was so surprised that the second wheel appeared somewhat lighter than the first, mostly because of the streaks of a cooler chestnut color in the wood grain that just aren't present in the first wheel. It has character and beauty that inconceivably outshines the first wheel. I never thought that would be possible! The second wheel even treadles easier and more smoothly than the first. I believe that we are truly a match made in heaven!

I had no period of adjustment or contemplation before I decided on a name for my beautiful new spinning wheel. The name came to me rather quickly actually. I've decided to call her Victoria. I love how classic and strong, yet very feminine, the name is. I think it suits her, don't you? I've still not yet been able to spend the proper amount of time with her to learn how to appreciate her fully. I feel that my learning curve is steep, but I'm very ready to accept the challenge. I have a couple of questions about the basic construction and function of the wheel, and I plan to call The Woolery this week to get some advice so that I can start to tap into the exquisite function of my wheel.

On knitting, I'm reluctant to report that I've made a misstep in the cabled sleeves of the cardigan I'm trying so desperately to complete. I was knitting on them through a meeting last week and obviously became distracted enough that I neglected to knit the same row on each sleeve. I have to figure out where in the world I went wrong. I plan to use my spare Knit Picks Options cables to put the correct sleeve on hold so that I may tink back the incorrectly knitted sleeve. I am too afraid to just frog it as I'm terrified to lose my place in this rather complex cable. I was so proud of myself as I contributed to the flow of the meeting while knitting away on the sleeves. I was trying desperately (obviously too desperately) to get through an entire repeat of the cable before the meeting's end, which is obviously where I went wrong. I just need to sit down and see how bad the damage really is. I hope it will be a quick and painless fix. I am very motivated to get this cardigan finished!

Well, I think I'll pop in the "How To" DVD that I purchased along with my new spinning wheel so that I can move closer to becoming an actual spinner rather than just a person who owns a spinning wheel. I'm desperate to soon be knitting a shawl from my own handspun yarn!

Bittersweet

2009-05-03T14:44:00.008-06:00

The arrival and subsequent presence of my new spinning wheel in my home has been both a joy and a bit of a stress. It is overwhelmingly, stunningly beautiful, and I can't help but touch it every time I walk past it. It is far more than a craft tool; it is a work of art. It goes perfect with the decor in my living room, and I can't tell you how much I enjoy having it here.

The sad news is this. It was slightly damaged in shipping. I've spoken to the seller several times, and I've been reassured that all will be made right. I anticipate having to take it apart, pack it back up, and ship it back, and a new wheel will be sent to me. The owners of the shop from which I purchased it are at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this weekend, but I expect to hear from them tomorrow with a final word on what's to be done about it. I was very happy that I didn't have to send this one back right away. It's just so incredibly beautiful. I've already come up with a name for my wheel, but I'm holding back on using the name as I'm honestly afraid to get too attached to this particular wheel. That sounds so silly, doesn't it? It's not a puppy, for heaven's sake. It can't love me back! Either way, that's how it is. I'll reveal the name when my forever well arrives. Until then, we can indulge in a little wheel admiration, right?

I could have posted hundreds of pictures of this gorgeous wheel, but I've tried to control myself. I just can't get over what a breathtaking example of timeless workmanship it is. Remember the antique dresser and mirror set my mother refinished for me? Well, the dresser acts as my TV stand in the living room, and I dragged the mirror out of my craft/guest room to put in an empty corner of my living room, just to see how it looked with the new wheel. I was floored to see how well the finish and the style of the mirror goes with the spinning wheel. It looks like they belong together! I love it! I also love how I can admire both the front and the back of the wheel because of the way it is reflected in the mirror. I'd like to get a pretty chair to go in the corner to complete the little spinning area I've set up there.

I've not yet jumped off into actually spinning on the wheel yet. Like naming it, I'm afraid that spinning on it will bond me to it even more. I've played around with treadling on it, but I've not gone any further than that. It's already going to be so hard to pack it up and send it away! Hopefully I'll have my forever wheel soon and can start spinning. I can't wait to try this gorgeous fiber I bought at Stitches!

Welcomed Arrival

2009-04-30T19:57:00.003-06:00

LOOK WHAT ARRIVED TODAY!!!

Out of the UPS oblivion, my spinning wheel has emerged and found its way to my humble abode!

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go and play...

More pics and gushing to come!

STITCHES South 2009

2009-04-29T17:04:00.006-06:00

Alright, it's been ten whole days since I posted, but I have a very good excuse. I managed to sneak away last weekend to attend the very first STITCHES South event in Atlanta, Georgia!! Since it was a fairly last minute trip, I didn't sign up for any classes as I could only attend on my usual off days (Saturday and Sunday). No big deal though; I really was far more interested in the Market anyway. As you can see from the picture, I made out with a decent haul of goods. I got a copy of Vintage Baby Knits, and I was able to meet the author, Kristen Regren and get my book signed. I snagged some beautiful hand-carved wooden shawl pins and a set of the Addi Click interchangeable needles. My friend (who I recently taught to knit) bought me the tiny sheep pin you see in the picture (you might have to enlarge the picture to see it). And the bigger news is the reason I bought the gorgeous fiber you see in the picture. I BOUGHT A SPINNING WHEEL! Actually, I ordered it on the phone from The Woolery in Frankfort, Kentucky. There was only one vendor selling spinning wheels at the show, and they were positively inundated with customers. I needed a lot more help than they could offer, so I called The Woolery just to ask some questions about wheels. I spoke with Nancy, and she graciously answered all my questions and made me feel so comfortable that I whipped out my credit card and ordered on the spot! The next day I went back into the STITCHES Market and bought my first ever fiber for my first ever handspun yarn. The pink fiber is a merino/silk blend, and the fiber in the plastic bag is a natural black alpaca with bamboo in it. I also managed to pick up a skein of natural-colored yarn and a pretty shawl pin for a friend who couldn't attend the party with me. I can't wait to give it to her. She's been interested in trying Kool-Aid dyeing, and hopefully this will give her the inspiration she needs to give it a whirl.

So back to the spinning wheel talk... I ordered the wheel Wednesday night, and I was told that it would arrive by Tuesday. Last night (Tuesday night) I stayed up until 10pm - much later than usual for me - hoping the UPS guy was just running waaaaaaaaay late. The tracking info online put my wheel in the next big city to me - only about 20 minutes drive away - at 1am yesterday morning. Nothing happened. Several calls and much frustration later, I've been told today that my package has been lost by UPS. They've launched an investigation that could take up to 8 days. ARGH!!!! I plan to touch base with The Woolery again tomorrow to see what other information they might have about it. My poor lost spinning wheel! Come home to me!!!

The weekend was so busy and so exciting that not a single stitch was knit on the Cable-Sleeved cardigan. I have gotten a couple of rows in this week, getting me finally through the first repeat of the cable pattern. I just LOVE how it's turning out. It's amazing to me how all those stitch maneuvers can produce something with such classic simplicity. I can't wait to see how it looks with a few repeats on it.

My Pi Shawl obsession continues. I'd planned to cast one on before my Atlanta trip for my To Go knitting, but there just wasn't time enough in all the laundry, packing, and planning that had to be done before leaving at the crack of dawn on Saturday. I decided to use some hand-dyed laceweight in my stash that I scored while I was in Minnesota last September. The colorway name is "Hearth," and it's inspired me to try to come up with a fire-themed lace pattern. I've been scouring my stitch dictionaries and Ravelry for ideas, but I'm trying to refrain from starting until I've finished the cardigan. I must, must, must finish it!

I've fallen into the Twitter trap, so if you'd like to see what I'm up to, please come over and check me out there. I'm chavahsdaughter! It's actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be.

Sleeves!

2009-04-19T17:18:00.003-06:00

Look! I have sleeves!! Well, okay, they don't really look like sleeves yet, but I'm sure you'll trust me, right? To tell you the 100% truth, I've not yet made it through the first cable repeat. I still have some hours left in the evening, and I plan to get some knitting time in before I go to bed. I'd forgotten how intense cables can be! I decided to knit through at least one repeat before trying to cable without a cable needle. It's a technique I used and loved when knitting my Mr. Greenjeans. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some momentum and speed from here on out on these sleeves. I'm really looking forward to seeing the intricate cable take shape. Seeing as it's the primary design feature of this cardigan, I have high expectations for it.

Speaking of high expectations, you must click on over to see the Interweave Knits Summer 2009 preview! So many times I'm underwhelmed by the online preview then blown away by the actual issue when it arrives. This time I'm thrilled to report that the preview has me completely bowled over! It's so exciting to see some new (new to me at least!) designers' names, and I'm just fascinated with Annie Modesitt's designs in this issue. Thank goodness the estimated shipping date is tomorrow! I don't know that I'd be able to wait much longer for this one!

Well, the work week is inevitably about to begin, so I guess I'll try to squeeze whatever time I have left of the weekend here. It's going to be one of those running-around-a-lot weeks for me, so I don't know how much knitting or blogging time I'll have. I'm planning some fun stuff for the weekend, so hopefully I'll have lots to blog about soon.

Proof

2009-04-18T13:42:00.004-06:00

What you see pictured is proof that I'm still knitting even though I've been posting far less often than usual lately. I've really got a fire under me to get this cardigan done, and I'm over the moon to report that I'm 99% finished with the body! I've got only a few more inches to go on the 13-stitch button band, and then I'll be casting on for the sleeves. I'm excited and nervous about them as the cable on the sleeves is the most complex cable I've ever knit. There are no written instructions for the cable, only a chart, so there will be a bit of a learning curve for me at first as I memorize the symbols on the chart. Some of them are so similar in appearance! I have high hopes that the "just one more repeat" nature of the cable will make the sleeves go by fast. I've not yet decided if I'm going to block the body before or after I put the sleeves in. I'm definitely going to knit the sleeves flat though. The idea of knitting one in its entirety and then having to knit another one right after makes me feel a little nuts. Knitting them at the same time means that when I'm done, I'm done. I've been looking so forward to knitting that beautiful cable that I've not really given any thought at all to buttons for the cardigan. I'm tempted to go with leather ones, like the ones I used on my Margaret sweater. I just love the classic look of them. I'll just have to see what I find when I go button shopping (something I don't allow myself to do until all the knitting, finishing, and blocking is completed).

In the past it's always seemed that the best and brightest craft books make their debut during the Fall. This Spring has proved so far to be a huge exception to that rule. There have been some really remarkable knitting and sewing books to hit the shelves as the weather gets warmer in our hemisphere. I've been particularly anticipating Socks From The Toe Up. I know I wrote in a recent post about my general lack of enthusiasm for wearing handknit socks which further influences my enjoyment in knitting them. Given this fact, I considered, however briefly, that perhaps I should leave this book in the bookstore. A glimpse inside it made me quickly decide otherwise. Toe up sock knitting is without a doubt my preferred method for knitting socks because I'm relieved of the task of swatching with the sock yarn I've chosen. I'm certainly not anti-swatch; if anything, I'm an over-swatcher. But for some reason I have a real mental block against swatching for socks. Perhaps it's my subconscious mind constantly reminding me that I don't have to because of the ingenious toe up construction. Either way, this book is a diamond! There are several suggestions for casting on, binding off, heel construction, toe construction, and stitch patterns. So many questions I've had in the past about toe up sock knitting are answered accurately and with amazing photos in this one gem of a book. This one book is inciting the urge to jump into my stash and knit up the sock yarn I've got there. You can't miss this one - it's fantastic!

The other book, Patchwork Style, is one of those books that makes you want to jump into its pages and live amongst the beauty that lies there. This isn't your traditional quilting book. Like many of the knitting books I love so much, this book invites you to create things that you can live with in your everyday environment. The fabrics used are modern and bold, and the projects are both innovative and practical. I'm already daydreaming about how I can use fabric in my stash to sew up some things for my home. This one will keep me reading and daydreaming for hours.

I also picked up a copy of the latest issue of Sew Simple magazine. How I wish this magazine was available as a subscription! The projects are always so imaginative and so beautifully executed. There's an apron pattern in this issue made from recycled blue jeans that is just too adorable and too functional for me not to try. I only wish I'd had it before my last big haul to Goodwill! I must have donated over 20 pairs of jeans! Oh well, I'll just pick some up during one of my thrifting trips.

Well, I'm off to finish up the body on that cardigan. I'm absolutely determined to be well into that cable pattern before the start of the work week!

Mother's Day Gift Idea

2009-04-13T14:58:00.002-06:00

I recently got an email containing the following information and thought it was worthy of sharing here. It's a wonderful idea of Mother's Day! The email came from one of the midwifery listserves to which I am subscribed, so I consider it to be completely credible.

Mother's Day Gift Idea

We would like to suggest a way to give your mother a mother's day gift that will give life to another mother and her baby in Zambia. A gift of $10 will purchase two Clean Delivery Kits (CDKS) for Zambia. We plan to give these CDK's out to expectant mothers during our Zambia Medical Mission and throughout the year at the Namwianga Rural Health Center. We will be targeting mothers who will not have access to a hospital or rural clinic for delivery.

Each year about 60 million women in developing countries give birth with only the help of an untrained attendant or family member or with no help at all. Many of these deliveries take place at home and often in a small hut in a remote village. The infection rate is high with some 1600 women per day dying from complications associated with pregnancy or childbirth, and infection is a leading cause. Around 950,000 newborns per year die from infection, according to the World Health Organization. Many of these infections can be avoided when Clean Delivery Kits (CDK) are used. Our kit will include the following:

Bar of soap
Square yard of plastic sheet
Razor blade (single edge)
String for umbilical cord
Sealed bag for packaging
Cotton cloth to wrap baby
Candle
Matches
Pain relievers
Vitamins
Two pairs disposable gloves

We are making a special drive for Mother's Day by encouraging family and friends to donate to Zambia Mission in honor of their mother or friend. A personal note will be sent to individuals informing them of this gift. If you are interested in participating, please make checks to Zambia Mission and send it to the following address (Zambia Mission, 658 E.N. 21st St., Abilene, TX 79601).

You are encouraged to have this published in your church bulletin, send it out to friends, or put it on your blog or web page.

Ellie Hamby

Lazy Sunday

2009-04-12T13:29:00.003-06:00

It seems that I've become one of those once-a-week bloggers! Actually it seems to be quite an epidemic, at least among the blogs that I read regularly. Maybe it's the change in the seasons and the inevitable pull to the outdoors that comes with Spring. Either way, I hope to get back to more frequent blogging soon. I really miss it.

This weekend my mom was in town, and we did out usual shopping and chatting. I bought a new pair of slippers, and I can't help but want to lounge around in them. I've had a recent resurgence in interest in the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan too. It only took forcing myself to sit down and start on the right front to figure out how quickly knitting up the rest of the body should go. It's the very idea of knitting the sleeves and that gorgeous cable that is moving me along. I've finished the right front and am now working on the back. I'd initially planned to knit the sleeves in the round, but I'm a bit worried about the change in gauge with differing the knitting technique. I'm thinking now that I'll knit them flat and at the same time. It's going to be so great to have this project completed. I started it back in October! Shame on me!

I think I may take a break, however short, from sweater knitting once this cardigan is completed. The summer months are looming ahead of me, and I just can't imagine slogging through with a heavy wool sweater on my lap and running through my fingers while it's sweltering hot out. I'm still obsessing with vigor over the Pi Shawl. I like the idea of it being portable and lightweight with all the yarn I'll need for the whole project being an easily-managed single ball of yarn. The genius of Elizabeth Zimmermann never ceases to amaze me.

Spinning is another constant on my mind lately. I'm so eager to get started. Hopefully I'll be able to get into a spinning class soon so that I can confirm my assumptions about my personal preferences in a spinning wheel. I've decided on a castle-style wheel, and I'm 98% sure I want a double-treadle. It's just hard to make such a financial investment based on what I read and on what I can find online in pictures. I wish I had a spinning shop in my city! I'd love to be able browse through several models, trying them out at will. I just hate to make such a big decision blindly. It would be so easy for me just to allow my enthusiasm to take over and order online without another thought. I'm trying to be rational about this! My resistance is waning though.

Okay, I'm off to knit and relax for what's left of my weekend.

Catching Up

2009-04-05T15:27:00.007-06:00

When I have a weekend for which I have few plans, I like to commit to posting at least twice. This weekend was one of those weekends, but I have a very good excuse for not posting yesterday. That excuse is pictured at left. I finished the Wool Peddler's shawl I've been working relentlessly on! It's gone everywhere I've traveled over the last few weeks, and I'm thrilled to have it finished today! Those rows were very, very long at the end! After I took the pictures seen here and on my Ravelry project page, I put it into the washing machine with some Soak, spun it, and then laid it out to dry on my guest bed. WHOA! It grew and grew and grew. It's blissfully soft and drying under the ceiling fan. I can't wait to see what its finished size is going to be. I knitted almost 1800 yards into this shawl. What a great stash-busting project! The project also succeeded in convincing me that I must learn to spin yarn for future shawls. I'm over the moon with the idea of having an entire wardrobe of shawls in various colors and weights for year-long use. And in yarn I made myself? I can't resist!

Just to prove that my shawl obsession continues, I thought I'd share my plans for my next shawl on the needles. I mentioned previously that I've been thinking about knitting either a Pi shawl or a Pi Are Square shawl but of course, I want to come up with a unique lace pattern for use with this yarn in my stash. While I was finishing up the Wool Peddler's Shawl, I remembered the crimson red yarn I hand-dyed (leftover and over-dyed from the unraveled Goodwill sweater I knit my Diamond Fantasy Shawl). It's been on a shelf in my guest/craft room in a crystal bowl as decoration, but it might be just what I need to knit a test Pi shawl. It might be beneficial for me to knit one via EZ's instructions before I start going off on my own with all my wild ideas. I really love the red I was able to get from over-dying the yarn, and the construction of the Pi shawl will allow me to knit until I run out of yarn. It might just be my next To Go project.

I got my second Rockin' Sock Club kit last weekend, and again I'm absolutely blown away by the colorway and the amazing pattern! The designer this installment is none other than Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, and her design is absolutely gorgeous. Only the RSC could tempt me into knitting socks. I've been thinking about sock knitting lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I like, but not love, sock knitting. I think most of it has to do with the fact that I don't like wearing knitted socks. I know, it's knitters' blasphemy, but there it is. I find them irritating to the bottoms of my feet and hot, even in the coldest cold of winter. And I'm always scared of wearing through them with the back of my shoe or my big toenails. I know knitted socks are designed to be worn and worn out, but I just can't make myself enjoy wearing them. I have a couple of pairs that I wear around the house, and I love them. But as for wearing them with shoes on a day-to-day basis, it's just not for me. I joined the Rockin' Sock Club to get a tasty sampling of the Socks That Rock yarn, and I love seeing the beautiful colorways that I would have otherwise not chosen myself. I don't regret joining the club at all, though I don't know that I'll do it again. Actually, I can't say that yet. I want to try knitting a shawl, lacy scarf, or cowl with the yarn before I make that decision for next year.

A recent visit to Barnes & Noble to flip through Betz White's new book was a trip down the garden path to some personal library padding I certainly didn't need. Betz's book focuses on "green" crafting that involves the use of reclaimed, recycled, and/or organic materials. Repurposing fabrics and other craft materials has long been an interest of mine, and Betz has given me some wonderful, fun ideas. It's very much worth checking out if you are into sewing. I also picked up the newest issue of Sew Hip magazine (it has a gorgeous coat pattern in it!), and I accidentally unearthed a copy of booklet Irresistible Gifts to Knit which features many of the most popular Alan Dart patterns. I've heard rumblings about Alan Dart on Ravelry, but until I found this booklet I really didn't understand why his patterns are so special. These are by far the most beautiful knitted toys I'v ever seen! Such detail, such ingenuity! It was the knitting nativity scene that won me over. I plan to tuck away this treasure until I'm ready for it, but I'm thrilled that I found it. No doubt it'll be something sought after in years to come.

I'm sorry for the long, windy post today. I had a lot of catching up to do after it's been so quiet around here for so long! I hope to get back to regular blog posting soon. I really miss it.

I'm off to rest my poor hands for the day and to prepare for the upcoming work week. I'm going to resist starting the Pi shawl until I've gotten some more work done on the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan. I have GOT to finish it!!

Monogamy

2009-03-24T18:14:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking lately about monogamy. More specifically, I've been contemplating monogamy in my crafting life. For a long time, I've prided myself as being a person who strictly works on just one or two projects at a time in the name of getting to the big finish line as soon and as efficiently as possible. There's a lot of talk in the crafting community about process vs. product knitters (even though the concepts can be equally applied to other crafts). In a conceptual sense, I'd have to say that I'm a process knitter. I knit because I love the rhythmic motions, the soothing way it quiets my mind and my spirit, the opportunity it gives me to drape the people closest to me in tangible expressions of my love, and the creative urge it satisfies for me. But I conduct myself like a product knitter. I force myself to plow through a project to its completion before allowing myself to indulge in something new. Today I was thinking about all the other projects I've passed over because the project of the moment wasn't complete. I'm sure there are literally hundreds of moments of inspiration and creativity that have been left along the proverbial wayside, never to be indulged because of a silly, restrictive rule I've placed on myself. No one else cares how many projects I have going at one time. It doesn't make me less of a person to have unfinished projects languishing around. So what really is the benefit of being a monogamous knitter if the knitter is truly a process, not a product, knitter?

Last evening I started thinking about the unthinkable. I'm thinking about knitting a Pi Shawl. I have some Skacel Merino Lace in my stash that would make such a lovely, lacy shawl. Even crazier is that I'm thinking about coming up with my own lace pattern and (this part makes me certifiable) beading it. Um hmm. I've always viewed the Pi Shawl as a knitting Everest of sorts. A step in the direction of the Wedding Ring Shawl. Or a knitted lace wedding dress. Or an Alice Starmore Fair Isle sweater. Maybe I'm dreaming way beyond my present ability. Maybe I just need to go for it.

So if I maintain my knitting monogamy as I always have, am I risking losing the nerve and the creative urge to knit my first (and hopefully not my last) Pi Shawl? Maybe. I think I still have a few days of obsessing over it before I make the leap...or not. Either way, I think that abandoning my product knitter attitude will help me enjoying my process knitter knitting even more.

Knitting Goals

2009-03-22T16:33:00.005-06:00

My most successful and fulfilling knitting projects are often those that take me by such creative storm that I neglect to consider the stamina I will need to finish them. I just charge in, cast on, and knit obsessively until I either finish the project or meet some self-imposed goal for myself. Oftentimes I find myself running on fumes as I near the goal, and this is the time at which I'm most at risk of putting the project down for an extended amount of time. The Wool Peddler's Shawl I'm working on is no exception. I knew when I started it that my gauge was very different from the pattern's gauge, so I set a rather arbitrary number of stitches I was aiming for before I started the ruffle edging. I've been struggling through the last 15 or so rows before that number, and so I was more than thrilled last night when I finally reached that number. For reference sake, the pattern instructs the knitter to knit until 231 stitches are on the needle, and I was shooting for 319 stitches. When I got to 319 stitches, I measured the top edge and discovered that it wasn't quite as long as I'd like. Add that to the fact that I have several balls left of this yarn in my stash, and I made the command decision to continue knitting with no real goal in mind. Initially I was shooting for a little girl's size shawl, but now I'm reconsidering since I have the yarn on hand to make it bigger than that. It's pretty difficult to have a shawl be too big. Conversely, it's fairly easy to have a shawl that's too small. I'd almost rather err on the side of larger than smaller since I have the resources at my fingertips to make it a big comfy shawl. So as of right now, I'm working with no less than 339 stitches on my needles. I finally had to change out my 29" cable for my 32" cable. I have in the back of my mind that knitting a ruffle on the edge will increase the stitch count at least 50%, but I'm not giving it too much thought. I think that's a one-way ticket to knitter's insanity. I've not yet decided if I'm going to increase in every other stitch, every two of three stitches, or every stitch for the ruffle. I like the look of the "gentle" ruffle, but I'm a little worried about losing the ruffle in blocking like Kay did with her shawl (pictured and discussed here in the 3/5/09 entry). I definitely want the ruffle on my shawl to survive blocking.

I'm beating myself up a bit for not working on the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan this weekend. I'm finding myself so absorbed with this shawl that I can't pull myself away from it though. I guess this is just another part of my own personal exploration with judgment-free creativity. I have to allow myself to work on whatever feels right for me at the time. I'm sure the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan is going to have its day in the sun soon. I'd love to finish it before the heat of summer is upon us. I spent all last summer with wool in my lap as I knitted my February Lady Sweater. It was definitely warmish.

Speaking of wool, I'm continuing to obsess over buying a spinning wheel. I've been looking online for the perfect one, but I feel like I need to see them and touch them in person to make a real decision. I've read a lot of good things about the Schacht Ladybug, but I don't really love the aesthetic of it. I know that's pretty silly, but I plan to leave my new wheel out in a corner of my living room so that I'll be inspired to use it regularly. So I really want it to be a classy, beautiful addition to my decor. I'd love to have it coordinate with the antique chest on which my TV sits. I really love the look of the Kromski Minstrel in the Walnut finish. I like the Kromski Sonata too. I'm pretty sure I want a double treadle, but the other details I still have to work out. I've got to decide if I'd rather have a traveling wheel or not. There's just so much to consider!

Oh yeah, and I have to learn to spin... Details, details...

Knitting Book Fairy

2009-03-21T16:55:00.003-06:00

It's been a ridiculously long time since I last posted, and I have only the most mundane and common excuses. Work, fatigue, blah, blah, blah. There hasn't been a whole lot of crafting going on around here. I'm finding myself reaching for my garter stitch shawl whenever I am able to sit and knit for a moment, however scarce that opportunity is. Things at work have been particularly stressful lately. We've had a bit of a hostile climate around the office, and it's really taking a toll on all of us. I have high hopes that this situation will be resolved during a meeting we've got coming up this week. I just hate working amongst personal conflict. It's just got to get better. If not, I may be applying for a job at Joann. I wonder if they give employee discounts. Or maybe I'll apply to Hancock's of Paducah. Now that would be a cool place to work. I could cut and play with fabric all day. I wonder if they offer health insurance for their employees.

As you can see, the Amazon fairy has been visiting me this week! This has been one of the few times I've ordered knitting books sight-unseen. I'll admit that I didn't have terribly high hopes for Simple Style, but I have all the other books in the Style series from Interweave and couldn't neglect adding this one to my collection. It turns out that I made an error in judgment in assuming that this new volume would be lackluster in comparison to the others in the series. The designs are beautiful and classic while maintaining an overall theme of simple construction that is usually interpreted as mostly in-the-round with only limited amounts of seaming. Brilliant! I'm particularly drawn to the Big Cable Vest as it could be the perfect match for the super bulky yarn I obtained from the last Goodwill sweater I unraveled. There are numerous other patterns I'll be considering, so please go over to the book's Ravelry page to see all the designs in the book. It'll be worth your time.

The other book in the picture is Mother-Daughter Knits written by Sally Melville and her daughter Caddy. One of the first knitting books I ever bought, and the absolute first one that both effectively helped me learn the techniques and inspired me to continue in this craft, was Sally Melville's The Knit Stitch. Since then I accumulated the other books in that series, and I continue to go to them over and over for instruction and inspiration when I need it. While I don't always love every single one of Sally's designs, I love her voice, her instruction, and her general attitude about knitting as a craft, an art, and a lifestyle. When I saw that Sally was finally publishing another book and that it was one she collaboratively wrote with her daughter, there was little deliberation I needed to do before pre-ordering it. The entire first section of the book is an exploration of how to adapt knitting patterns to make the finished garment look beautiful on any body type. This section in itself is worth the price of admission. The designs that follow range from quirky accessories to classic wardrobe staples to sophisticated show-stoppers. Each have a gentle feminine feel to them. Unfortunately, the book's Ravelry page is yet to be properly populated with design photos, but keep checking. I'm thrilled to add it to my library.

After a day of doing little more than watching TV and exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen, I'm finally feeling like knitting. I'd better grab hold of the urge while it's here and I'm still conscious.

Happy Handmade

2009-03-11T18:16:00.004-06:00

A mid-week post - can you believe it?! Seriously, I wanted to show off my simple little grocery bag wrangler! It was a very easy pattern, so I feel a little silly being as proud of it as I am. It's wonderfully functional and completely satisfies that part of me that wants to have a house full of functional, creative things that I've made with my own two hands. Sure you can buy bags like this or slippers or quilts or aprons, but it always feels to me like handmade things just do their jobs so much better, so much happier! It's like having tangible expressions of love and time all around you. Handmade is just SO much better, isn't it?

Last night I started a new craft obsession. I know, I know - I have Crafter's Attention Deficit Disorder (CADD?). I've started considering trying to knit a quilt. Well, maybe not a full-size quilt per se, but something that evokes the feeling of a quilt. I've got a copy of the Double Wedding Ring Quilt pattern, but I'm thinking of trying something a little more modern. Something no one else has tried before. I love, love, love the Denyse Schmidt-inspired knitted quilt that Kay did. So I've been thinking about what I'd like to do. Believe it or not, I've actually been contemplating the Color Wheel Quilt from the breathtaking book, Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts. You can see a picture of it on this page. I'm also considering the Stacked Coins quilt (see some examples here) and the (Sort Of) Crazy Quilt like this one. I've got my copy of the quilt book alongside my copy of No Pattern Knits on my bedside table for perusing while I daydream about it. This would mean a seriously big yarn purchase but also some seriously fun color and knitting play. I'm totally intrigued with the ideas I'm having. We'll just have to see what comes of it. If I spent as much time crafting as I do coming up with these insane ideas, I'd be one exhausted (but very, very happy) lady!

Happy Hump Day!

P.S. Did I mention that the grocery bag wrangler is made of some pajama pants that I "recycled?" A bag for recycling bags made of recycled fabric! Hooray!!

The Secret to Longer Weekends

2009-03-08T18:07:00.003-06:00

I inadvertently uncovered a hidden fact this weekend! Normally I'm an early-to-bed-early-to-rise kind of person. Rarely do I see the clock with double digit hours in the evening. Seriously. I'm well into a REM cycle by 10 or 11pm. And I usually wake on my own around 6 or 6:30am. It's frustrating on the weekends when I'd like nothing more than to have a lazy sleep-in until 9am or so. There really is nothing much to do on a Saturday or Sunday morning at 7am. I usually end up just lounging around in my PJs until I have such cabin fever that I'm practically hallucinating. I think my profound bed head has something to do with that too though. Well, I took an unplanned detour from my usual weekend routine yesterday. About the time I'm usually turning in for bed, I decided that I had to sew something. In particular, I wanted one of those tube-type bags to hang in my pantry to control the uncontrollable plastic grocery bags that I use for various things around the house. I'd been inspired to make my own from the book, Sew What! Bags, I've talked about before. That book is so cool! I'm already cooking up ideas for more bags using my fabric stash. Anyway, I went into my craft closet and found some suitable fabric. In less than an hour, I had a pretty little bag to store my grocery bags in! I was excessively thrilled with it, feeling way too clever for my own britches.

After that I found that the organization of my grocery bags was unparalleled by the nightmare I've let my home environment become over the last few weeks. The whirlwind began around 10:15pm. I sorted, I filed, I shredded, and I scrubbed this place from top to bottom. I even dusted the ceiling fans! The whole charade lasted without a droop in my energy level until 2am. Well, at that point it was actually 3am since I picked the night we had to "Spring forward" to have this sort of insane episode. After the cleaning was done, I sincerely considered doing another craft project before talking myself into just laying down to see if sleep would come. Oh, and it did. It was one of those sleeps that you wake up after and realize that you haven't moved a single muscle and you actually wonder for a second, "did I breathe??" - which is obviously a stupid question since you are alive and well to ponder the question in the first place. I looked over at the clock: 10am. Score! I got all my housework done and managed to sleep in on Sunday morning! Good stuff, I'm telling you.

It's amazing how much longer the weekend felt after my late-night cleaning session. I guess all you have to do to prolong a weekend is to give up a big chunk of sleep! I got up this morning to a spotless home environment and realized that I had another whole day of weekend to enjoy, virtually chore-free. I still had my laundry to do, but laundry doesn't really get me down. So I've knitted, I've cooked, and I've listened to my audiobook. I even took a nap in my recliner! What I didn't do (obviously and unfortunately) is take a picture of my nifty new grocery bag wrangler bag to show you. I was so shocked that we still had sunlight at 6pm this evening that I marvelled too long and let it get away from me. Soon, I promise.

Another crafty task I accomplished last night was felting the natural-colored cabled sweater I bought at Goodwill so long ago. It's the one I had the poll up about. Well, on closer inspection around Christmastime, I realized that there were quite a few moth holes in the sweater, so I decided against unravelling it. I'm bouncing around some fun ideas for its future though. We'll just have to see what I can come up with.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-07T16:58:00.004-06:00

I felt compelled to show photographic evidence that I have, in fact, made some progress on the Cable-Sleeved cardigan I've been blogging about for months now. This week I only got as far as knitting a row on it to transfer it onto the new cable Knit Picks' customer service sent me. I had big plans to work on it today, but it was absolutely not an option to stay indoors and knit. The temperature hovered around the mid-70's today with the most delightful breeze, and I found myself inventing excuses to be out in it. Now that the sun is beginning to get lower in the sky I don't mind being home so much. I plan to spend the evening working toward being able to divide the fronts from the back of this cardigan. I must finish it! I have other sweaters wanting to be knit. I'm still brooding over that Vogue sweater. It doesn't help that my dear friend Lisa is knitting it (and loving it, per her own testimony) right now. Speaking of Lisa, you must go over to her blog and see her adorable pictures showing off her most recent FO.

I've made amazing progress this week on the Wool Peddler's Shawl I've been knitting. The first Wednesday of the month is always jam-packed with meetings, and the knitting is entirely necessary to maintain my peace, sanity, and attention. I've gone past the pattern's specification for stitch count before starting the border, and I want to keep going to make absolutely sure that it's big enough before I start the ruffle. I have plenty of yarn, and I'm still really enjoying the knitting process. Unbelievably, Kay has finished her second - yes, that's one two - shawl like this. That woman is amazing! I can see how easy it would be to knit shawl after shawl after shawl like this. I've actually been thinking quite a bit about Faroese shawls lately. I'm intrigued by the shoulder shaping and how it affects the wear and drape of the shawl. I've thought about using the Summer Lace Shawlette pattern or the Comfort Shawl pattern to test drive the techniques. But then again, I've been saving my copy of Stahman's Shawls and Scarves for a while now. That book is so inspiring! It seems to me that shawls have taken the place of ponchos (thank goodness, right?). I love their elegance and versatility. And I really love that they just beg to be worn with artsy shawl pins. I'm going to have to cruise Etsy for some pins soon!

Well, the temperature here isn't the only sign of Spring. The end of Daylight Savings Time is practically upon us. The Bradford Pear trees are starting to bud. I'm being infiltrated by an army of happy, gentle ladybugs who hang out on my windowsills and on my blinds. I stopped in a couple of Goodwill stores today, and the sweater stock is dwindling fast. I'm feeling the urge to clean and streamline my home again. Winter will soon be just a memory and the heat of summer will be in full, persistent. I've really been considering my stash and what might arise from it. I'm feeling particularly drawn to the Cobalt Heather Cascade 220 that's been hiding out in there for so long. I'm really feeling an EZ sweater reverberating from that yarn. Oh, the blissful in the round knitting!

Shawl Obsessed

2009-03-01T17:30:00.003-06:00

As much as I'd like to believe that my taste and style are totally unique, I am hopelessly and shamelessly influenced by other knitters and their amazing creativity and skill. It seems that shawls are popping up all over the online knitting community, and I can't help but catch the shawl fever. I hope you've been over to the Mason-Dixon blog to see Kay's beautiful creation (see my previous post). Then there's Soulemama's beautiful shawl. There is just something so simple yet so elegant about a knitted shawl. I'm completely fascinated by the clever construction of shawls. I love that the increases can be both functional and beautiful. I'm intrigued with how even the simplest stitch pattern can contribute to an overall illusion of motion and grace in a shawl. Color can add or detract interest, depending on the knitter's preference. The possibilities are truly endless, and I choose to think that there are some that have yet to be explored. There are just too many brilliant knitters out there; I'm sure that the best is yet to come.

I've been obsessively working on my Wool Peddler's Shawl today, even though I know full well that I should be putting my new Knit Picks cables to use on the Cable-Sleeved cardigan. I keep telling myself that I'll just get through this first ball of yarn, start on the second, and then put it away. After all, I don't want to have to change balls when I'm out and about this week, right? Yeah, it's a pathetic justification, but there it is. This is the first top-down shawl I've ever knitted, and I'm loving it! It's so satisfying to watch the shawl drip from my needles as I knit. I love that I can alter the pattern as I'd like, making it longer or shorter as my whim guides. It's a good thing under the circumstances; my gauge is way off from the pattern. I'm getting many more stitches per inch, so I'm planning to knit much longer than pattern says. No big deal though. I'm not ready for this to be over yet anyway.

I caught myself surfing the web for spinning wheels yesterday. Uh huh. Yeah, I'm in big trouble. Hello, rabbit hole - would you like me to jump down? It has to be the result of my shawl obsession. Handknit shawls (by me) from handspun yarn (by me)? That's practically irrestible.

Stress Knitting and New Plans

2009-02-28T15:55:00.005-06:00

Well, I'd planned a lengthy "Poor Me" blog post for today, but the excellent customer service at Knit Picks stopped me in my tracks. Let me explain. Last weekend I was continuing to make amazing progress on the Cable-Sleeved cardigan, and I was really into the rhythm of the project. I mean, I was really whizzing along. I had fewer than 20 rows left before I would be dividing off the fronts from the back. Then all of the sudden I hit a speed bump. The cable on my Knit Picks Options needles came out of the metal hub causing me to drop a handful of stitches and utter some fairly unladylike words. I managed to pick up them back up and carefully finish the row after shoving the cable back into the hub. On the next row, I knitted onto the other 32" cable from my Options set, just to be extra sure that this little mishap wouldn't repeat itself. Less than one hour into knitting with the new cable, the same thing happened again. GRRRR!!! The speed bump was now a road block.

Monday morning I sent an email to Knit Picks seeking advice on what to do with my dysfunctional cables. I've read online of other knitters who've rectified the situation with a dab of Superglue, but I wanted to hear from the source (i.e. Knit Picks themselves) that this was a feasible solution. I'd had the same problem in the past with the shorter cables in the set, and customer service was quick to send me replacement cables, no questions asked. This time I really wanted to hear that something had been done to fix the original problem in the design. I got a prompt response from Knit Picks customer service stating that I'd obviously received defective cables and that they'd replace them immediately at no charge. I hunkered down and prepared myself for the lengthy wait that precedes the delivery of any other order I've placed with Knit Picks in the past. You can imagine my surprise this morning when I checked the mail and discovered a box from Knit Picks in my mailbox! I continue to be very, very impressed with Knit Picks' integrity and dedication to knitting and to knitters.

The above described conundrum obviously halted any momentum I had going with the Cable-Sleeved cardigan. I had a particularly stressful week this week, one that made not knitting an absolute impossibility. So I started thinking about my stash and about the things I'd like to knit. I trolled my favorite blogs, poked around in Ravelry, and played with my stash. I've been watching with awe as Kay (of Mason-Dixon Knitting) motored through her gorgeous shawl (see her 2/25/09 post) recently, and I stumbled across the original shawl over on Ravelry. So simple, so elegant! I love it! There's nothing like miles of garter stitch to soothe a worried soul. So I've started my own, and I'm using a delicately variegated yarn in a baby pink. I've got enough of it for both the body of the shawl and the ruffle (and then some, actually). I'm not sure that I'll replicate the ruffle exactly. I'm toying around with a few ideas to mix it up a bit.

With two big knitting projects in progress, the last thing I need to be doing is obsessing about another sweater project, but nevertheless, here I am. I'd scanned through the Winter 2008/2009 issue of Vogue Knitting magazing and rejected the thought of bringing it home with me when it first hit the newsstands, but a recent second look yielded an opposite reaction. Most of the projects featured are typical Vogue stuff: runway-appropriate designs on starved models in awkward poses. There is also a heavy (no pun intended) emphasis on chunky knits in this issue. Ick. On closer examination, I saw the section entitled, "Attention to Details" and nearly flipped my lid. Gorgeous, classic designs with modern flair and fashion. For me, it was worth the price of admission. Since purchasing the magazine, I've been toting it around with me so I can drool over the pattern for the jacket you see in the picture. It's a combination of garter stitch (heart!) and a classy Herringbone stitch, and the jacket has an incredibly innovative construction. It's Elizabeth Zimmerman meets Euclid of Alexandria, and there is a big part of me that wants to knit it just to see if I can. Unbelievably, there are no other takers yet on Ravelry for this project. How can that be? No one else is knitting this pattern!? What?! Personally, I'd really like to try it out of Knit Picks Andean Silk. It's a beautifully luxurious yarn that has a hint of sheen and fantastic drape. I've used it before to knit a Klaralund (see mine here). Normally I wouldn't even really consider knitting a sweater in the same color as the one pictured in the pattern, but the "Imperial" colorway of the Andean Silk yarn sure has caught my attention. The other hangup is that the pattern only goes up to a 40" finished chest measurement. I'm ahem a little more endowed than that. With the unique construction, I'm not entirely confident that I can adapt the pattern on my own. So much to consider!!

I must finish the Cable-Sleeved cardigan!!

Miles of Stockinette

2009-02-22T14:32:00.007-06:00

It seems that the progress I made last week on the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan was just the boost I needed! I have only one more buttonhole to knit and then I'll be dividing the back from the fronts. Hopefully my progress will go even faster after that. I had really forgotten how much slower I purl than knit! Those purl rows feel like they take hours! I'm really wishing I'd not been such a scaredy cat and just committed to knitting this cardigan in the round and steeking it. It has me daydreaming about knitting a top-down, v-neck, raglan sweater sans pattern with the gorgeous cobalt blue Cascade 220 I bought about 50 years ago to knit myself a Per fect Sweater. I'm feeling so sweater-knitty lately. What's wrong with me?! Spring is fast approaching, and what do I want to knit? Long-sleeved sweaters out of 100% wool! Last summer's project was the February Lady Sweater out of 100% wool (see mine here). I sense a pattern (no pun intended) forming here. I guess in some ways it's fairly logical. If I knit winter sweaters during the Spring and Summer, then I have them ready and waiting for me when the weather is appropriately cold enough to wear them. But it's decently challenging to sit around with growing wool sweaters in your lap during the sweltering, smothering humid heat of Tennessee summers. Still, if the knitting inspiration leads me to knit wool in summer, that's exactly what I'll do!

I got a wonderfully happy surprise delivered to me early last week! My sweet, thoughtful Valentine sent me a beautiful ring adorned with the Lover's Knot. I'm absolutely enraptured with it! It didn't take me long to notice that the knot looks distinctly like a knit stitch atop a purl stitch. Perfect complements to each other. The ring's meaning is so complexed and multi-layered, and I couldn't love it more.

Last week unfortunately didn't afford me the crafting or the blogging time I'd hoped for. I'm finding that my free time is becoming more and more precious, so I decided to trim down the list of blogs I have bookmarked and the number of podcasts I subscribe to. I just don't have the time to keep up with them all anymore, and I hate feeling like I've missed something with them. I also feel like this decision is in keeping my recent paring down of stash and books, and I feel good about clearing out the space for new inspiration to come along. The changes I've made will be reflected in the lists on my blog sidebar as well. I just feel the need to eliminate the clutter in my mind (through what I read and what I listen to) as well as my physical life. I know there are some really amazing things out there that I've never seen because I'm so busy spinning my wheels trying to keep up with all I've willingly put on my plate.

I hope this week allows you to nurture your own creative spirit!

Unexpected Spring Enthusiasm

2009-02-15T16:55:00.005-06:00

The new job of mine certainly has me valuing my crafting time in a whole new way. I'm not putting in too many more hours per week than I did in my previous job, but I'm working more consecutive days in a week. By the time I get home, I do a few things around the house before hitting the hay, and then before I know it, I'm knee deep into the next work day. Now that I'm out of orientation and finally in charge of my own schedule, I'm really enjoying my new position. It feels so amazing to be practicing midwifery again. Have I ever mentioned that I'm a nurse-midwife? I don't think I have. I am. I'm a midwife. Now that I'm back in it full time, I feel like something inside me has re-awakened. My new job isn't without its challenges, but what job is? It's just so simultaneously humbling and thrilling to feel as though I'm making a difference, however small, in the lives of women and their families again. This means that I've had to give up a bit of my crafting time though. I really think that things will even out eventually as I continue to settle into my new job even more. My crafting is very, very important to me.

Last week I had to attend a class for work, and I took along the Cable-Sleeved cardigan I've let languish for far too long. It was 7 hours of blissful knitting time, and I made a lot of progress on the body. I got to and completed the next buttonhole! It's really motivated me to work on it again. Just the thought of getting to knit that gorgeous cable on the sleeves is moving me along. Sometimes I think that the best thing for ramping up your enthusiasm about a project is to put it down for a while. Now that I've picked it up again, it feels all brand-new again! Maybe I'll actually finish it before the dead heat of summer is upon us again.

Speaking of the inevitable arrival of summer, I received my copy of the Spring 2009 Interweave Knits this week. I was a bit nonplussed with the online preview of this issue, but, as usual, the magazine itself far exceeded my expectations based on what I saw in the preview. The issue contains some seriously stunning garments! I love the cardigan on the cover, the Diminishing Rib Cardigan, and the men's pattern, Jeff's Pub Sweater, is so classic with a delightfully vintage feel about it. Even the garments that I'm not sure I'll ever knit are fascinating in their innovative construction. I find myself reading through the patterns like they're articles in themselves. Truly, this issue is a collection of seriously imaginative work. If you get a chance (and you aren't a subscriber), check it out when it hits the newsstands. As unenthusiastic as I've been about Spring knitting, I'm very impressed with this issue!

This weekend my mother came for a visit, and we had a wonderful time hitting all our favorite stores and eating out. I found some wonderful new sewing books at Barnes & Noble, and I just have to rave about them for a moment. The first is one I've been waiting on for a long time. I bought the book Sew What! Skirts a year or so ago, and I was so inspired by the book's approach to sewing. The author teaches you how to draft your own skirt patterns, step-by-step, which insures that you'll end up with a garment that is both uniquely your own and fits you just right. When I found out that there was a book on bags coming out, I thought I would nearly die from anticipation. Sew What! Bags does not disappoint! The book includes directions for totes, drawstring bags, and messenger bags along with many, many other useful bag-type items. It is written in such a way that the basic projects can be customized and personalized to any crafter's heart's content. I'm tickled to have it as part of my craft book library. The second book I purchased is Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase. What an adorable book! The photography is gorgeous, and the projects are so tempting! There are patterns for ruffled aprons, purses, lounge pants, and so many more - all out of pillowcases. What a fun way to make beautiful vintage pillowcases a part of your everyday life! The author also includes a useful chart in the beginning of the book that allows the crafter to determine how much fabric to buy for any given project if the perfect pillowcase isn't available. I love it!

Well, the work week is about to commence again. Here's hoping that I'll have some extra time to craft (and blog) this week!

Spring Resistant

2009-02-08T19:22:00.003-06:00

We're having a period of unseasonably warm weather in my corner of the world, and while it's a nice break from the frigid temperatures of last week, it has me worrying that winter is slipping away before I'm ready for it to be over. Tomorrow the high is 70 degrees, for crying out loud! I'm just not prepared for Spring yet. I ventured out today and wandered through my local Barnes & Noble. I've been scouting a copy of the new UK knitting magazine, The Knitter. I finally found it today, and in the process, I ran across several Spring issues of other knitting magazines. Specifically, I looked through Yarn Forward and The Debbie Bliss Knitting Magazine. The designs were beautiful with a light, airy feel, but I just couldn't make myself purchase a single magazine! Maybe I'm becoming one of those knitters that knits all year round for the blissful two seasons in which handknits are most traditional and appropriate. I need to move to a more knitwear-friendly climate. The forecast in London is for temperatures in the upper 30's to low 40's with rain, rain, rain over the next 10 days. It's even a bit cooler in Dublin. Seattle is going to have temperatures closer to the 50. Amsterdam boasts temperature averages less than 60 degrees in seven, count 'em seven, months per year! Maybe my future will hold a BIG move soon.

This weekend was far too short. My work week has promise to be a very hectic one. :-( I hope I can fit in some mental-health knitting.

Knitting Happiness At My Door

2009-02-07T16:22:00.006-06:00

It's been a blissfully relaxing Saturday for me, and it really couldn't have come soon enough. I thought I'd take an opportunity to write a little about some of the new exciting knitting books/magazines that have drifted into my life lately. Last weekend I visited one of my favorite used bookstores, and I discovered a copy of the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting in absolutely beautiful condition. I was first introduced to this amazing collection of lace knitting patterns when Kelley Petkun of Knit Picks had a poll up on her blog to allow her readers to vote on which circular shawl she should knit next. One of the shawls she was considering was the Daffodil Design by Marianne Kinzel from the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting. I loved the unusually large scale of the design and decided to keep an eye out for a copy of the book. It was really thrilling to find the book, and it only cost me a few dollars!

I think I mentioned a few months ago that I'd subscribed to Knitcircus magazine. I got the second issue in my subscription this week, and it didn't disappoint! I love this magazine for its distinctive mix of new, edgy designs and traditional patterns. Go check out the preview pictures for the current issue. I love the Kate Cardigan, the Rosepole Cardigan, and the Angularity Vest. The Vanilla Twist hat is adorable as well (and available for free download!). If you haven't given this magazine a good look, go check it out. There's just nothing like supporting an independent publication.

The last addition to my library came today in the mail. I was notified by email last week that I'd been chosen as a winner in the Count the Sheep Contest from the Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts magazine. I didn't mention it here before because, honestly, I just couldn't believe that I'd actually won! I never, ever win contests like this! My prize was a copy of Franklin Habit's book, It Itches. Inside the front cover, there was a very sweet handwritten note of congratulations from an Interweave staff member and a book plate signed by the author. I'm having a great time reading through it.

I was catching up on the Rockin' Sock Club blog this afternoon, and I found that many of the club members had reported problems, like knots and slubs, in their skeins. The good folks at Blue Moon Fiber Arts have been graciously replacing every single problematic skein. I figured that I'd better wind the skein I was sent to make sure it was okay. I'm happy to report that my skein is completely perfect, and I was so taken by the colors in the wound center-pull ball that I just had to take some pictures of it. Aren't the colors amazing?! I've not yet decided what I'm going to do with it yet. I'm totally inspired by the fingerless mitts made by one of the club members. I vacillate between wanting to knit the socks per the pattern or to come up with another project using the stitch pattern from the pattern (like a scarf, small shawl, etc.). The colors are just so stunning, and I love the idea of trying beaded knitting. So many decisions...

Is It Over Yet?

2009-02-05T17:59:00.003-06:00

This has been the longest week! I feel like I've been trudging through mud and mire, and I'm exhausted. I've had to much on my mind, and I am physically and emotionally drained. It started last weekend when I started coming down with a cold. Not a good start to my first full week on my own in my new job. Sunday I made a rash decision and brought home the sweetest-faced cocker spaniel puppy. I've wanted a puppy for some time, and I've been casually looking for one since around Christmastime. The opportunity presented itself quite unexpectedly last Sunday, and I couldn't resist. After only a few hours with her in my home, I began to notice a resurgence of my previously much-improved allergy and asthma symptoms. Monday morning I gave her a quick bath, hoping to wash away whatever allergens she'd picked up on her fur with her litter mates. By Monday night I couldn't deny the obvious. I was having a terrible allergic reaction to my precious puppy. I spent most of Tuesday morning crying over her as I phoned the lady from whom I bought her to see if she'd be interested in taking the puppy back. It was utterly heart-wrenching. By mid-morning, I was again petless and hoping to regain control of my asthma as quickly as I'd lost it. Wednesday I spent a lot of time talking back and forth with my apartment leasing office, trying to negotiate a refund of the $365.00 I paid in a pet deposit Monday morning. The puppy was in my apartment less than 36 hours, and it just killed me to think I'd have to surrender that deposit over such a minuscule amount of time. Thankfully, they decided to apply it to my next month's rent and not penalize me for the whole situation. With all this going on and the trials and tribulations of a work week, I feel like the earth must be rotating at a slower pace and producing a longer week than usual.

The good news is that I went back to my pulmonologist this morning, and even with the head cold and the allergic reaction to the puppy, my pulmonary function tests are improving with the new medication regimen he's got me on. Even better news than that is that tomorrow is blissfully Friday. HOORAY!

There's not been a lot of knitting lately with everything else going on. I've only accomplished a handful of rows on the third kicking bag I started last week. I started knitting on a cozy for my Klean Kanteen bottles last night. It's just a basic 2x2 rib sleeve out of some Lion Wool I dyed with Kool-Aid. I want to make several cozies for my bottles and for my mother's bottles, so I plan to experiment with some fun stitch patterns and leftover yarns from my stash. I felt like I needed to knit a pretty simple one to start with to find out how it needs to function when in use.

Sorry for not including pictures today. I just didn't make it home before the sun went to bed for the night. I'll be posting this weekend, for sure.

Hybrids

2009-02-01T19:19:00.004-06:00

By some amazing force of knitting, I was able to completely finish the hat you see pictured in the one solitary snow day I was graciously given last week. I tucked in all the ends and blocked it, and it was perfectly dry the next morning. It was a remarkable event that could only be accomplished with sheer knitterly determination and all the celestial bodies lining up just so. It turned out so well! The recipient couldn't have been more appropriately enthusiastic and grateful. It was so thrilling. She put it on immediately and wore it the entire day, both indoors and out. I've always wanted to try the Norwegian Star fair isle pattern, and this hat gave me the perfect opportunity. I used the Thorpe hat pattern, and I used the fair isle chart from the aptly named Norwegian Star Earflap Hat pattern. I know, I know. I could have used the Norwegian Star Earflap Hat pattern from start to finish, but I really like the garter stitch brim and earflaps from the Thorpe pattern. I have to do a little tweaking to get the fair isle chart centered, but I'd done it with my previous Thorpe hat so I knew that was coming. I'd thought about using a lighter shade of blue for the main color, but it didn't give me the POP I was looking for. I think the color combination I chose works well with the fair isle pattern. I even knitted a lining for the hat in the contrast color! Not bad for a day's work, huh?

I'm getting pretty good at making knitted goods out of hybrid patterns, combining characteristics I like from two patterns and making something new. I'm hoping that this new skill is just another step on my way to coming up with my own unique knitting patterns. I'm finding myself feeling braver and braver about trying new things. Knitting is not like pouring cement. It can definitely be undone if you get a product you don't like. Thank goodness!

I started the third kicking bag, but I've not gotten much work done on it. I think my hands needed a bit of a rest after the knitathon last Wednesday. I had a busy weekend too. As if I needed something else to contribute to my current situation with my asthma, it seems that I've come down with a bit of a head cold. It started Friday night with the tiniest hint of a sore throat, and now I'm all snotty and congested. And wheezy, of course. I'm thinking that some of my new medication has made me a little more susceptible to the viral plague that circulates this time of year. Hopefully it'll be mild and short-lived. It's back to work tomorrow - snotty or not! Hope ya'll have a great Monday!

A Surprisingly Good Day!

2009-01-28T15:49:00.004-06:00

I really thought that today was going to be like any other work day. I got up and started my morning routine like always. I knew that we had a winter storm blowing through, but virtually nothing shuts down my workplace. All of the sudden, my phone rang. It was one of my co-workers letting me know that our boss had called and said she didn't want us driving in the weather so our day of work had been canceled. Canceled?? SNOW DAY!!! So I've been lounging around the house, enjoying my unexpected day off. One of the midwives I work with is leaving to pursue her PhD, and we'd planned to have a surprise going-away lunch for her today. She'd asked me very casually a week or so ago to knit her a hat, and I thought I'd end up mailing one to her in a week or so, after I'd had some knitting time. But the time off today gave me the perfect opportunity to whip something up. I decided to try the Thorpe hat again with a different Fair Isle motif. I should finish it tonight before I go to bed, which will give me just enough time to block it overnight and have it ready for my co-worker's lunch tomorrow! I'll make sure to snap a couple of photos in the morning before I give it away.

Another surprise came in the mail today! I got my very first package from Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin' Sock Club!!! I am so excited! The yarn is absolutely delicious to touch and so beautifully dyed. The pattern is by Sivia Harding (LOVE HER!), and it's absolutely breathtaking. I've got to sit down to really read through everything that came in the package. I was losing my daylight so quickly that all I could do is open it, take some pictures, and jump on the blog to post! I'm thrilled that I signed up for the club this year. It's going to be a lot of fun!

The last surprise of the day has been the Knitty surprises! I'm most excited about the knitted anatomical heart! I love whimsical knitting patterns, especially those that can be used in everyday life. I've knitted two different versions of a uterus that are so useful to patient teaching in my line of work. I happen to know a very special cardiologist who may just be getting a knitted heart in the future! ;-)

I'm usually such a planner, but this unexpected day off has been wonderfully relaxing and full of knitting surprises. I'm not sure that I could handle it if it got any better than this!

Unenlightened As Of Yet

2009-01-25T16:39:00.009-06:00

The process of finishing is often the only thing that stands in the way of me being able to officially label a knitted project as complete. I think I share this with a lot of other knitters. The anticipation of the finishing tasks is always, always worse than the actual execution. Once I force myself to sit down and take the time to get it done, I usually find that it is far less painful than I expected. I think a lot of my hesitation lies in the knowledge that hours and hours of knitting can be completely undermined by messy finishing. Careless seaming, bulky woven-in ends, inattentive blocking - any of these missteps could ruin the final product. That's a lot of pressure, especially when you've spent so much time knitting and have a used-up creative tank for said project.

Yesterday I managed to sit down with my Monkey Sock cowl and perform the sewn bind-off. It's the same one I used for my Spiral Cowl, and I really just love it. It provides the perfect amount of stretch and recoil, perfectly matching the characteristics of the provisionally cast-on edge. After whipstitching the picot hem down, I let the cowl rest in a warm Soak bath. I gently blocked it and left it to dry overnight. This morning it was dry and unbelievably soft. I'm really pleased with the Knit Picks Bare yarn I used for it. I'd love to try it in other weights for future projects.

So now I find myself wondering what I'm going to knit next. I'm half tempted to buckle down and commit to dragging around the Cable-Sleeved Cardigan I started months ago. I usually don't like to take sweater projects on the go with me, but it may be what I have to do to get it finished. I'm not feeling the siren call of any one particular pattern right now, which is strange for me. Even the newest issues of Vogue Knitting and Knitscene did nothing for me. Usually I have some inkling on an idea of what's next on the needles for me. The time I spent yesterday with my stack of books didn't yield a brilliant idea, so I've been trolling the Ravelry forms looking for inspiration. I don't want to force it though. Surely something will come to me, right? I think I may haul out some of the vintage knitting pattern books I have to see if anything strikes me as interesting. I feel like an idea is just around the corner but still hidden. Patience is a virtue, I'm told.

Seeking Inspiration

2009-01-24T12:01:00.006-06:00

I am self-professed book junkie. I am particularly addicted to craft books. They hold so much inspiration, instruction, and promise. I use Amazon like a weather forecast, checking often to see what's on the craft book horizon. When I first began knitting in 2003, I bought nearly every knitting book I could get my hands on. The craft book market seems to have changed a lot since then. There seem to be hundreds more titles than ever before, and I have to think that this is due to the higher demand resulting from more and more people getting interested in crafting. I think that's completely exciting, and I love to see what new ideas these books bring to the market. But I've noticed over the last few years that my buying habits have evolved, despite the flood of craft books in the market. I'm much more particular about the books I bring into my home crafting space. The books that really appeal to me are those that provide me with a jumping off place. I'm finding that I'm less interested in following a pattern word for word and more interested in putting my own spin on a concept, making it more personal and my own. I have a handful of craft books that I find myself just wanting to live in. I want to fill my home and my life with the beauty and handcrafted art that fills the pages of the books. I just love curling up with my books and daydreaming about future projects. The possibilities feel endless. Lately I've run across a project here or there on Ravelry or on some of the blogs I read, and I'm reminded that I have the book from which the project was derived. So today I've decided to take some time with some of my favorite inspiration books to see where my creativity leads.

My Monkey Sock cowl is finished except for the sewn bind-off and blocking. I made it a couple of inches longer than the the cowls I've knit in the past. I was going for a nice slouchy look, and I wanted the ability to pull it over my face and ears when I'm walking outside in the cold. I'm still struggling with my asthma, and breathing the cold air on my walk to and from work really sends me into bronchospasms. I'm hoping this cowl will help with that (and look pretty too!). I should have FO pictures of it tomorrow.

In other good news, the Namaste Cali Zuma bag in the limited edition Eggplant color I pre-ordered from Scout's Swag a couple of months ago was delivered to me this week! I'm beyond thrilled with it. It's so pretty that I've not even started using it yet. Seriously, it's been been sitting on the bar in my kitchen so I can look at it and pet it whenever I want. Okay, okay - I'll start using it this week.

With my Monkey Sock cowl being finished, I need a new To-Go project to put in my new, sassy Namaste bag. I'm not ready yet to start another pair of socks, and I think I've ridden the hat train for as far as one rationally should in a given time period. I also think I've adequately scratched the cowl itch. I'm considering mittens. Well, specifically Bella's Mittens. Especially after I read this blog post (which is possibly the best knit blog post I've ever read).

Okay, time out for a super dorky confession. I'm totally wrapped up in the Twilight series. Yes, I'm a full-grown woman (most days), and I can't get enough of the tweeny books. I downloaded the books from Audible, and I've been consuming them like potato chips ever since. I saw the movie for the first time the same day that I finished the first book. I was pretty disappointed with it, mostly because of its lack of character development and abandonment of many of the side stories that make the book so interesting. I was, however, completely taken with the knitwear in the movie. I even went to see it a second time in the theater to get a better look at the gorgeous sweaters, mittens, and scarves on all the characters. It seems I'm not the only one who is inspired by the movie/books. There are lots of Twilight-inspired patterns showing up. No one's dared to replicate any of the sweaters yet, but I'm hopeful someone will get brave.

You just never know where inspiration will come from, right?

Redirected

2009-01-19T17:03:00.003-06:00

As I continue to allow my creativity to grow and to guide me by its whimsical will, I'm learning that trusting it can only lead to more satisfaction in my crafting life. I wasn't happy at all with the way my second Spiral Cowl was working out. I wanted it to fit closer and to pull in a bit to lend maximum neck warmth. I decided to try a lace pattern instead, so I flipped through several of my stitchionaries and pattern books with no real results. Then I remembered Cookie A's Monkey sock pattern. I've always wanted to knit those socks, but I've just never gotten around to it. I even have yarn in my stash specifically for Monkey socks. It dawned on me that the qualities I was looking for in my cowl are exactly the qualities that a lot of sock patterns inherently possess. Stitch patterns for socks are designed to fit closely and stretch to accommodate the shape of a foot. I want my cowl to snuggle my neck in warmth without gaping or constricting. I decided to give it a try. I frogged the second Spiral Cowl, cast on 112 stitches, and re-knitted the hemmed picot edging. Then I commenced to using the lace pattern from the Monkey socks. I absolutely love it! I'm already seeing a gradual shift in the depth of the colors in the yarn, and I have a couple of inches to go before it's complete. I think it's going to block out beautifully. I really hope to use all or most of the yarn left on the ball.

Thank you to everyone for sending well wishes about my asthma. I'm continuing to struggle with it, but I'm hopeful that something is going to change soon to get me breathing easier again. It's amazing how easy it is to take something as basic as breathing for granted. For now I'm just taking it a day at a time, and I'm doing everything I know to do to take care of myself. Knitting helps, right?

Sorry for the short post today. I'm just plain worn out! More soon...

The Addi Turbos Made Me Do It

2009-01-15T18:07:00.005-06:00

I finished my Spiraluscious Cowl last night! I thought I'd never get through the knitted-on lace edging, but it was so incredibly worth the time and effort necessary to complete it. I absolutely adore this pattern. I can see many more Spiraluscious Cowls in my future! I washed and blocked it (gently per the pattern's instructions), and it was dry by this morning. I can't believe how super soft this yarn is. I worried a bit about the wool right against my neck, but there wasn't even a hint of itchiness while wearing it today. I love how close it fits and how the lace edging lays on my chest. So, so pretty! I'd love to knit it again in a solid or semisolid yarn. Or in cashmere. Yum.

So you'd think that after spending enough time with this yarn to produce this cowl, I'd be done with it for a while. With over 400 yards on the skein, I knew I'd have plenty left over for another project or two. As soon as this cowl was completed, washed, and laid to dry, I was already hammering for another project using this yarn. Well, to be completely honest, I wanted to keeping using the combination of the yarn and the US size 2 16" circular Addi Turbo needles I purchased for this project. When did I become such a needle snob? I started knitting this project on a set of circular needles I picked up at one of the big box craft stores some time ago, and it was simply intolerable. The joins were so terrible that nothing I did could stop the yarn from catching on them as I knitted around and around. I just ended up ripping the whole thing out and running to a local yarn store for some Addis. There's just nothing like them.

So I've cast on another Spiral Cowl, this time following the pattern exactly as far as stitch count goes. I repeated my previous use of a provisional cast-on to make the hem easier. I'm loving the round and round of it.

I've been really under the weather this week. An old calamity has raised its ugly head after many long years of relative silence. I have asthma, and it has flared up over the last several weeks, worse than I think it's ever been. I've got some new medicine, and I'm trying to take care of myself as best I can. It's safe to say that I'm looking very forward to this weekend so I can get some rest. Come on, Saturday!

It's Alive!

2009-01-13T17:14:00.005-06:00

It worked! It totally worked! I can't believe this little idea of mine, however simple, actually worked out! I had the idea a couple of months ago to knit jewelry from I-cord, but I wasn't sure what kind of yarn to use or how to execute it. I'd seen Judi & Co. Rayon Corde' in a yarn store here or there, and I always thought it was pretty but couldn't imagine what to knit with it. Then I saw the Superfestive Lantern pattern in the new Mason-Dixon Knitting: Outside the Lines book. That project really got my wheels turning about putting the idea of I-cord jewelry with this mysterious, but stunning, yarn. I also ran across this scarf in Ravelry, which only further deepened my interest in the yarn. I began the hunt for it, but soon I discovered that it had virtually disappeared from almost every shop I'd seen it in before. Even Ravelry only lists one vendor that carries it! So I emailed Ann to inquire as to where she got the yarn for the book sample, and she graciously offered to give me the remnants of what she'd used for the lantern in the book. Fantastic!

The yarn lay untouched for the last several weeks as I debated about the best way to get my I-cord jewelry out of my head and into the physical world. Thank goodness for my recent urge to purge! In my sorting and tossing, I came across a necklace and bracelet craft set I'd purchased months ago at Wal-Mart. The clasps are magnetic, and one of the ends on each comes off so you can string beads onto the wire (see picture in previous post for details). I'd bought it with the intention of making beaded jewelry, but when I got the set home, I realized that the wires were too big to fit through the holes on the beads I'd wanted to use. So I tucked the jewelry hardware away, hoping to find a use for them later. When I found them the other day, I thought immediately about the Rayon Corde' yarn!

To accomplish this necklace and bracelet set, I simply cast on 3 stitches and knitted an I-cord, capturing the wire in each round. After the I-cord was long enough, I secured the ends, threaded the tail on a tapestry needle, and ran the tails through the center of the I-cord. I love how they turned out, and I'm excited to have something unique and beautiful to wear to show the world I'm a knitter! I have some ideas to branch out from this original idea, but they will have to wait for now. I'm very encouraged that this idea came to fruition so nicely. If you'd like to read more details about my I-cord jewelry, please head over to my Ravelry project page.

I had a bit of trouble with the edging on my Spiraluscious Cowl last night, but it was all user error. I finally got the hang of it but ran out of steam only about a third of the way through it. It's too bad because I really could have used it today! It was SO cold! Hopefully I'll be able to finish it tonight. We've got some pretty frigid weather days ahead of us here.