A Few Knitting WINS

One of the “Black Mix” bags I got from the Sheep Shed was black and white swirled together like a soft-serve cone. I separated them as best I could, but there were some strips of roving that were so blended they weren’t worth the effort to separate fiber by fiber. Those went into bag #3. Which I felt strangely drawn to spin immediately. And the whole time I was spinning, I felt intensely compelled to make mittens.

I didn’t think I had enough. I was pondering doing a Fair Isle or striped section with either black or white. In fact, I was so sure I wouldn’t have enough that I nearly didn’t start them. See the ball “left over?” It weighs more than the completed mittens do. I’ve been knitting and spinning since 2001 and I still have no clue how to eyeball how much I will need for a project. sigh

Good news: The mittens came out perfectly the first time, great fit, no 28 revisions necessary. I was considering dyeing them but I believe I like them as is.

Disasters from previous post: The witch socks just got finished off at mid-calf height and I've been wearing them a lot. Very comfy and look great with pants. The cabled socks have been rescued by inserting a few more cables. They're nearly done.

And my latest triumph: A pointy felted hat for my Halloween costume (Elphaba). I just need to firm up the brim a bit.

Living History

Last Saturday was the colonial thing at the Plank House. It was a great day, but I was too busy explaining the sheep-to-clothing process to run around and get pics of everyone else (sorry, I'm a rotten Blogger). There was a girl making lace at an unbelievable rate of speed. Unbelievable because she was flipping her tiny thread bobbins through a complex memorized pattern like a cracked-out hummingbird, yet she says the final product grows by an inch an hour. Ug. There was also a candle maker, quill maker, blacksmith, lap-loom weaver, and lots of others, including those explaining the buildings and clothing. My costume-maker Delores introduced a little modern technology: She had clothes for people to change into, took their digital pics, and printed them out on the spot. The kids were (mostly) really adorable. I should have had her do mine, but suddenly we were slammed and then suddenly we were packing up for the day and I had a sunburned strip on the back of my neck.

Ok, I'll admit it - part of my camera avoidance may have hinged on the clothing. Multiple layers of stiff, heavy fabrics turned my already abundant figure into something resembling a pregnant mammoth. My waist wasn't just hidden - it was lurking in a cave in Afghanistan somewhere. I drew the line at the white apron that was supposed to go over all of that, and I noticed I wasn't the only one.

I started with a pile of raw, dirty fleece, explained the washing process to get to the pretty white fleece, then the carding. The Coopsworth locks turned out to be super rough when spun, so I used that as my table demo. I carded out a handful of locks into a fluffy mass, then handed some to each person. "This is sort of fun, but you can't really make clothing out of it. See how it comes apart? Now put a little twist in it...(Here I showed them how to twirl it into a few inches of yarn, with varying degrees of success)... and see how strong it is?" A few yanks on the ends and their eyes would light up. "That was pretty awkward doing it with your fingers, though, right? We need a more efficient way to do that." Ideally I would have had a spindle, but I can't use one so I just talked about it. And then I'd show them the wheel (my Kromski Minstrel), and my balls of yarn and knitted house socks I made for Matt. Then I'd get them to look at their own clothes and see the tiny knit stitch duplicated in their t-shirts.

If they were hankering for more I got into plying, knitting, weaving, and felting. It was mostly grownups who were interested in all of that. Men wanted to figure out the engineering of the energy transfer with the wheel, while women wondered how long it took to do everything. I used my bag as an example (2 evenings to spin, 3 days to knit), freely admitting that I had skipped the long and nasty process of scouring the wool by buying it cleaned and combed, and the day of boiling and stick-poking by chucking it in the washing machine.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. Not too many glazed-over eyes. I let some kids guide in a pre-drafted strip of wool while I worked the pedals, then gave them the yarn they made. I even recruited another knitter to the Wonderful World of Spinning - she's coming over tomorrow to learn. :)

Back in Time

I was recruited to be the demo spinner at the Historic Goshenville Miltown-Hickman Plank House! It's only a one-day event but I'm super excited! I'm plotting my table of explanatory props and a basketful of natural yarn to show off (they said I could sell some, so I'll be ready for visiting knitters / crocheters). I'll hide my blue hair under a bonnet, take the paint off my toenails, and *bam* I'm ready to go. They're even feeding us volunteers with accurate colonial food made on site. This weekend I'm meeting with my hook-up, Delores, for a costume fitting.

It's Saturday, Sept 19th from 11-5 at the Plank House, 352 & E Boot Rd in West Chester. There will be lots of other demos and fun historical geekery including a functioning forge. Come play!

What have I been up to?

Well... Working, a LOT. I get home about 7:30 most nights and my newsletters seem to be a huge hit. Which is awesome. And reading. About elephants, and more elephants*, and various British monarchs of yore, and fairy tales, and ...

We've been hitting art museums, and I'm finding myself discovering new favorites and swooning in front of masterpieces I've seen a hundred times in books and on TV. I know it's been said ad nauseum but they are so different in person.

I've been antiquing with Matt, where we found a great bunny print that's an old Purina Rabbit Chow ad. He found an old glass bottle. I discovered a silver artist I like.

The cats and kids are doing well. Mom has had a rough time. She's dealing with missing Dad, getting laid off, and her dog's cancer. Send her some love, please.

Oh! Matt ordered me a WooLee Winder! Here's my rave on Ravelry. So yes, I've been spinning, too. The "misty forest" colorway I did with Rachel last month came out a lovely soft grey.

* Elephants are incredibly smart, social, and playful. There are two sanctuaries for them in the US where they simply get to be elephants. I've talked about this issue before here. Poor depressed & anxious Bamboo is still at the Woodland Park Zoo, despite the Tennessee sanctuary's offer to take her on their dime.

Holiday Roundup

For Thanksgiving we went to Maine. Nancy (Matt's sis) & Andre throw legendary celebrations and this one was no exception. I forgot my camera, so here are some terrible phone pics. There's Matt & Nancy, and her three gorgeous kids, Hunter, Juliana, & Ben all wearing holiday cracker crowns.

For Christmas we were hoping to see his kids in Oregon, but the crazy airline prices put the kibosh on *that* fantasy. He's going out this month to get some quality time instead. We didn't even make it to NYC, thanks to Mr. Peach's little excursion to the vet. An acute infection sent him into respiratory failure. He needed two days in oxygen. it was insanely expensive but I guess that's why God invented credit cards. It's so good to have him back home and doing fine now. It would have broken my heart to lose him.

Our prezzies were all hand-made this year. I spun and knit up hats, scarves, and mittens. The one project I failed to finish was Matt's kilt hose. I'm still working on them, but when you see the pics you'll understand (think tiny yarn, complicated cables, and giant legs). The red scarf there is 100% mohair spun from locks. It seriously feels like heaven... in fact I heard that it was instantly subjected to egregious sexual advances by a cat immediately after being opened. In Nae's case, a fellow knitter, I stopped at the spinning phase and made her 2 skeins of lace yarn.

Matt outdid himself with the silverwork, turning out a stunning yarn ring for me, and molecule necklaces for all the women in his life. He crafted dopamines & seratonins, the neurotransmitters of happiness, and a one-off melatonin for sister Mary the sleep doctor. Pics of all these are coming... we're going to set up an online shop soon.

We almost saw Obama

Heather, my superawesome friend from Seattle (she appears many times in the earlier episodes of this blog) came to visit. She arrived Thursday and we (Matt and I) swept her off to South Street for a cheesesteak at Jim's and a brief foray to Rosie's. Then Friday, Heather & I railed into Center City and explored the historical district. We intended to see our next President speak, but upon hearing that 15,000 others would probably be in line ahead of us, we opted out. Betsy Ross house (the flute player was hot), the Liberty Bell, Reading Market, Chinatown... we did it all.

We spent a rolicking half hour with a hand spindler, Ruth, chatting about fiber arts and Scottish history. She had the most adorable puppets made of her handspun. Her extensive fuzzy flock included a rabbit, a sheep, and even the Nessie, who sported fringed eyelids and a tartan kilt. We chatted with another lady who was wheel-spinning linen at the Betsy Ross house. She said we could have her job when we pried it out of her cold, dead hands.

We even hit East Market for some clothes. Yay for fun stuff in bigger sizes! Then Friendly's for dinner (she's never spent time on this coast so I wanted her to taste all the local color). More tomorrow...

The Knitting Doldrums

My little clinic has been mega-busy the past few weeks. My brain is exhausted... I just can't tackle those socks. You know... the ones I started on last year and still haven't turned the heel on? In short, since I finished the Fire Blanket I've felt stuck like a Yugo in a tarpit. With a broken axle.

I have lots of great yarn, and a million things I want to make, but nothing seems to ever get done. This has been particularly frustrating with Girlie holding up a new Finished Object every ten minutes or so. I have two sweaters mostly done, and no desire to finish either. Instead, I'm hankering to crank out a bulky comfy cardi for the few cool evenings left. But then again I should wait, because it IS March already, and hopefully next winter I'll need a smaller size... I wind up just surfing Ravelry endlessly, reading about fiber art more than creating it. And adding even more projects to the already overburdened queue.

I did spin my Enchanted Knoll roving into yarn for Ravelry pal Eva in Germany I've marked entrelac (frogged, as I disliked the project, but I learned the skill which was the goal) off the list. Today I taught myself Continental knitting, and started a kid's hat using two handed knitting (a different yarn in each hand, switching back and forth to create a colorwork pattern). Purling left-handed for the brim was a challenge, but it was really fun once I got the rythym of it.

What I really need to be working on are my slippers of the Sea Socks contest. I have a concept in mind and it'll take a while. But I've already started that colorwork tam. Oh well. I almost don't care... it feels good to be productive again!

Fiberlicious

Playing catch-up: Here are two of my recent projects. I'm not quite decided on the beaded beret. I didn't use a pattern, just made it up as I went, and the drape / fit don't thrill me. Opinions and suggestions welcome! The yarn is Tilli Thomas.

Girlie made me the lovely rose by bending some sterling silver wire around a crochet hook. Her talents never cease to amaze me. I'll use it as a closure pin for the mohair sweater I'm working on now.

The silk yarn didn't photograph true to color, but it's a rich deep purple and teal silk. 1 oz, 240 yds of teeny navajo ply. I didn't think I was going to like it as I spun the singles (lots of slubs in the hankies) but plied it's super soft and has a great sheen. It'll make a gorgeous shawl. I keep recalculating the yardage... somehow it seems like it should be a lot more. Hmm.

Mercer Museum

Today we went to the Mercer Museum, a huge concrete castle filled with 40,000 tools and artifacts from American life early last century. Room after room after room, each with a theme. Some of my favorites: The collection of spinning wheels, swifts, looms, and other fiber acutrements. The medical stuff. The accessories exhibit, including those little overshoes for bad weather. See the space for the heels of her shoe? So cute. Girlie was entranced by the navigational equipment. Matt liked the cast iron fence posts. Somehow we wound up on the roof.

Rhinebeck Report

Okay, so I spent more than I planned. But I didn't go toooo crazy, and how can you pass up silk at $1/oz? Everything was so cheap... And I should be able to fill my Xmas orders now. I love this first pic, taken by Pam's husband Kris. It represents what the weekend was all about: Showing off your gorgeous shawl, yarn and people everywhere, but mostly connecting with (and hugging) your online knitsibs.
Sheepies! Sorry, Jas, couldn't find one to volunteer to live on your porch. Matt went bonkers touching all the bunnies. So hard not bring them all home!

Kimberly exhibited both practicality and style.The Fairgrounds were gorgeous. I was actually born in this area and it was fun to see names of towns, etc that I remember my parents talking about. Driving around was amazing ... obviously the brilliant colors influenced my fiber buying quite heavily.

I've been lusting after roving to make an autumny sweater. Found it! Didn't have quite enough green so I bought a supplemental bump to blend in. The mohair was Matt's request for a throw (I got a bag full). Also adopted: A pretty ironwood Lucet, white tussah silk fiber, charcoal gray teen alpaca roving, and some purple for Maddie's mittens.

Spin-Out 2007

What a day! Perfect weather, friendly people, knitting, wheeling, and spindling everywhere. Check out the adorable tiny Peacock (smaller than it looks - I got some forced perspective on that shot) and Hitchhiker wheels (click to see details of cut-out hitchhiking hand and the foot pedal). I didn't notice until I was processing these pics, but it looks like there was some serious racial self-segregating going on. Hopefully next year we can mix it up better.

Autumn is here!

I looked out the window yesterday and was thrilled to realize I was looking through red leaves rather than green ones. There's a tree right outside that offers us some privacy (for now). I didn't realize, but of course it's also a seasonal indicator. I took this pic of Matt in Portland outside our old apartment. His comfy fleece and the scattered colors say "Fall" to me in a deliciously heart-warming way. We're planning on doing some foliage roadtripping - including a weekend in NY for Rhinebeck so I'll have some fresh snapshots soon.

Joy to the Girl!

I just got my Ashford Joy. I mean I literally got home with it 10 minutes ago. Set it up, spun just about 30 yards of alpaca, and stopped to tell you all. And to thank the Universe. It's unusual to find a (barely) used wheel these days, and thanks to Ravelry I scored a terrific one.

I am so, so lucky. I love my life. I have absolutely everything I need, and more than a few of the things I want. It's almost embarrassing!

Matt is so good to me. He came with me tonight and is impressed with its construction and operation. He used to be a textile guy and has worked with giant floor looms. I keep hoping he'll want to weave again but he's got bodies on the brain these days. Anyway, it's wonderful to have a spouse / best friend who truly gets you and your interests.

Okay, enough with the glowing. Back to the wheel!

Spin-Out - not just for Camaros anymore!

If you happen past Central Park, NYC, on Sept. 29th, you'll see herds of roving... not roving bison, just roving! And the spinners enjoying it all with their wheels and spindles. Spin-Out is an annual event designed to raise funds for Heifer International. Silly? Maybe. Humanitarian? Check! Happiness-inducing? Absolutely.

No Sheep For Me!

I love Secret Pal Swaps, and the No Sheep For You book / blog / swap has been a great way to expand my fiber horizons. I get into engineering special little packages to suit my target, and I adore (of course) the prezzies in the mail. It's always interesting seeing how others see me when they assemble the surprises, too. Today is no exception. It's not the first time I've wanted to send stuff UPSTREAM, too, but WOW... I really hit the jackpot with this one! I knew I was going to like her because she was teasing me relentlessly with emails. She really drew out the suspense, mailing on the last day of the month!

Check out the mountain of cheerfully wrapped goodies... and what the mountain yielded when mined. Lindt truffles, Harry & David Moose Munch, Jelly Bellys, Lantern Moon circulars (I actually said "Oh my GOD!" out loud), a funny cat book, a kitty bookmark (doubly apropos because I'm riding high on the wave of paperbackswap.com), knitty stickies, a cute card... and...(drum roll)... 2 skeins in lush Caribbean blue cotton, and 2 soy silk in a rich purple that refused to photograph well.

Holy Cow. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Also - here is the silk spun up as a 4 ply. Each single was basically thread. It's now worsted weight. I have 107 yds, plus 37yds of Navajo plied single that I had left over. Project ideas, anyone?

Knit for Brains

RE: Yesterday's roadtrip: I forgot to mention that you know you're with another yarnoholic when you pass a road sign for "Kitchens St" and you both read it as "Kitchener."

Also, Weird Al should redo "Shiny Happy People" as "Shiny Happy Needles" in my hands... It's a natural! Don't you think we need a good pop anthem to celebrate our increasing world domination?

I have Yarn-dar!

Today I geeked out with Jas, AKA Artsygal, yarn handpainter extraordinare. First we kettle-dyed some merino sockweight. Then we went by Twist, an LYS on the NE side of Philly. Silk was 40% off... yikes, what's a girl to do? I got some light purple to make a summer cardi. On the way there, I spied a yarn shop that Jas had somehow never seen. She declared Yarn-Dar my superhero talent. We then ventured off to the High Meadow alpaca farm in New Hope. We each scored a fleece for $40. Mine is 4 lbs, hers 5.6! After that, well, there was no way to end the day without a stop at Coldstone. :)