• Projects 02.01.2022 No Comments

    I don’t think I ever posted a picture of this hat. Someone helping out pitched it into the wash and it felted a bit, before I’d had a chance to wear it. Here’s a link to the pattern and it’s free. The Inga Hat

    The bottom rolls, which seems to happen every time I do a knit braid. I will change this, next time I knit it. Also, there are some long areas that I wove in the 2nd color, rather than just stranding. So the inside looks like this:

    Inside

    This is my hat to wear outside, as it’s very warm. I used leftover yarn for it. I still think it’s ome of the most elegant patterns I’ve seen and plan to knit another.

  • Projects 20.09.2019 No Comments

    I finished the Hap for Harriet. I’m happy with the knitting, but unhappy with the yarn. I’ll post a picture of it, when I block it this weekend. I frogged the original project. I had stitches slip off the end and it was the last straw. I don’t know what I’ll do with that yarn, but I’ll have to use it with a lighter color.

    And the hand spun sweater may also be frogged. I’m not happy with it. The moorit Shetland is dual coat and could stand to be recarded in places. It’s just a boring sweater right now. I’m going to put it away for awhile, take the spun yarn off the bobbin and take a look at it in a few weeks.

    This means I could start a new project! Little Knits had a great sale on Brown Sheep Nature Spun. I was looking for other yarns and started to get tired of looking at exotic blends. I wanted some pure wool. I picked up enough to do this:  https://www.trulymyrtle.com/shop/floozycardigan

    It calls for fingering weight, but I’ve been unhappy with every fingering weight sweater I’ve made. Sport weight works out well for this.

    I have enough of this yarn to make some short sleeved or sleeveless undershirts. That’s another project I want to try. It has sidelined my spinning for a bit, but I think that’s because I really didn’t want to spin that moorit Shetland any more. I am still working on a couple of spindle projects.

    I thought I’d show the second half of my system. I’ve posted about using the Notes app on my Iphone as a database of projects and stash. The other part is a physical notebook. I’d planned to use a regular notebook, but then I thought I could use my black Traveler’s Notebook. I like it so far. I keep it in a Swift with my supplies, so I can sample yarns and fiber as they come in. The hard part is remembering to add samples of finished yarns. I use two notebooks. One is a watercolor insert and the other is the blank lightweight paper. I use the watercolor insert for samples. It’s an insert that I happened to have, so I may switch to something else when I fill this.

    For fiber stash, I take a small sample and put it in a glassine envelope. I am using these little flash cards for the main part. They are thick and a nice size. I put details on the flash card, with samples of the singles and spun yarn. For knit stash, I put a sample of the yarn on the flash card. I can take pictures of these cards and add them to any notes in the Notes app. It’s nice to have these physical samples.

    If I decide that this notebook won’t work, I can easily remove the cards and put them in something else. I’m not going to put all the yarn in my stash in this notebook. I will add yarns that I’ll use in future projects. Same thing with fiber. As I work with this notebook, I’ll get a better idea of what will be useful.

    And finally, I finished the Inga hat! Still needs to be blocked. I used some left over yarn for this and knew it would be big. I really love the pattern and will probably do it in finer yarn someday. Link to the free pattern: https://eweniquefiber.blogspot.com/2006/11/free-knitting-pattern-inga-hat.html

    Picture of me in goofy hat. The braid part will show when I block it. I really need to have Lon take pictures of me because I just look terrible otherwise.

  • Projects 30.08.2019 No Comments

    I started doing A Hap for Harriet several months ago. I’m not finding the most recent picture of it, but I used the yarn called for in the pattern. It was a dark teal and I had to work slowly to keep from dropping stitches or messing up the SSK. I started out using an over to make a stitch, then discovered that I would not be doing that across the entire shawl, so I just started over. I got almost to the middle section, when I discovered that one of the SSKs had popped loose and I had a hole. I just did not want to work on it any more. So I bought some fingering weight merino.

    I really think it looks better and I’ve made great progress on it. I am almost done with the middle section. I haven’t decided what to do with the original project. I really need to just abandon it and use the yarn for something else.

    My handspun yoke sweater looks like this:

    Not really sure how this will turn out. I’d like to do some more interesting sweaters but thought something simple would be nice for now. I should have washed the yarn afterwards but really wanted to get going with this, so it looks a bit overplied right now.

    I need to get back on track for my spinning projects. There’s a long weekend ahead so I’ll try and work them in. I have some sewing projects that I need to focus on first. I do get a lot more done, now that I don’t waste as much time on social media. I’ve been adding content to Slipped Stitches, so stop by if you haven’t checked it out lately.

  • Projects 26.07.2019 No Comments

    I really think I need to spend even less time on social media. There’s a nice group on MeWe called Unraveled Conservative Knitters and the Walkaway from Ravelry group on Facebook. It’s fun to chat for a bit, but it wastes time that I could use for my projects. And I’m having more fun with my projects.

    Here’s the socks I posted about, closer to being finished:

    I started this fiber project on the wheel. This is BFL from Miss Babs, colorway Sugar. Really lovely stuff! I ordered another 4 ounces. I want to make a few wool undershirts for the winter. This will be the first one. I haven’t decided on a pattern yet. I’m not quite through the first four ounces.

    I’m still working on the Southdown and Hot Lips. I am making some progress but the end is not in site.

    I decided to give up on the Cranberry Gorse pattern. I’m using the yarn to make Sarah Swett’s Sweater Somewhat Slanted. I hope this works out. This will be the third project for this yarn.

    And, this is the Bosworth Butternut Brigade!

    The skinny Midi is still  my favorite. I just got the Mini, so am trying to discover what it spins best. Not sure why I am so taken with butternut spindles and why they have to have walnut shafts. But I am pleased with the group. The Maxi is the heaviest Bosworth I have at 40 grams. The Midi is 27 grams, the skinny Midi, 21 grams and the Mini is 17 grams. Add the three cherry skinnies to the mix and I have a nice range for anything I want to spin. And the cherry skinny Maxis really are great for plying.

  • Fiber, Projects 16.07.2019 1 Comment

    I’ve been calling this project “The Reluctant Sheep”. I went to a shearing and this sheep did not want to be sheared. She managed to hide out until the last. Once they sat her down, she gave in. I just had to have the fleece! It’s been sitting in my stash for almost 20 years. I decided to start working up these older fleeces. I have plans to make a cabled cardigan from this, possibly one from A Fine Fleece. There’s 700 grams of this and I worked through 214 grams this weekend. I have other fleeces I bought at the same time, that will need to be worked up too. I am doing these on the wheel. I want to do everything on the spindles, but I need to crank through this. I do have a spindle sweater project going. And I am trying to work up some of the older, stalled projects like this one:

    This is some Inglenook Southdown/tussah silk. I have been spinning this on an Enid Ashcroft Midge, 3 ply yarn. I haven’t worked on it in months. I wanted to spin some Downs breed and remember this, so I’m working it up on a Bosworth. I hadn’t thought about using it for socks, but that’s likely what I’ll do. And it is nice fiber.

     

    The socks are coming along nicely! Really enjoy knitting these. The grey corriedale is ready to use. I’ll use it or possibly work on socks for Lon. The double marled yarn I did is also ready to use. And I have two other handspun sock yarns ready to use. I do need socks.

  • Projects 11.07.2019 No Comments

    I’m not totally committed to it yet, but am seriously considering it. Here’s a view of my office:

    The big bumps of roving are from 1995! Here’s more:

    I have been combing that white Corriedale/Romney fleece, which I’ll turn into a sweater for Lon. It’s at the spinning stage, then I’ll swatch. The other side of the room is as bad:

    The bottom duffels are clean, unprocessed fleece. I think there are five fleeces in there. It’s nice stuff, but always goes on the back burner. Instead, I’m finishing this:

    This is Hipstrings Flannel Jammies. It was fun but pointless. I have no idea what I’m going to do with this either. I need to make better use of my money and buy for actual projects. I’m going to finish this up and start in on some of these larger projects.

  • Projects 11.07.2019 No Comments

    Remember this? Greenwood Fibers Bountiful colorway as a three ply yarn. Since I finished the other socks, I get to finally work with this. Sock yarn works up at 9 stitches per inch. This is working up at 6 stitches per inch. I made myself restart the sock as I thought it would be too big. I love the yarn so far.

    And I finished this Inglenook Violet Teacup that I did for the Spinning Circle’s Mad Hatter SAL. I’m not on R any more so can’t do an update. It went quickly when I used a Bosworth. Still don’t know what I’ll do with it as it’s only 2 ounces.

    I’m getting closer to having the corriedale sock yarn finished. I just need to ply it. Then I think I’ll do a swatch and see what happens when I wash it. I plan to use the wheel for these older bumps of roving. I’m going to spin them up as singles and wrap them off the bobbins, to be plied later. The yarn will take up less space than the roving and I’ll be closer to actually using it.

  • I received the latest spindle order yesterday. This puts me up to six Bosworths! I am making up for lost time. First up, two skinny Cherry maxis and one skinny Cherry mini.

    The cherry midi is 18 grams. I need to test it out on finer fiber. The two maxis will be my go to plying spindles, although they are light enough to use for regular projects.

    And this batch are my butternuts! I don’t know why I have this fascination with butternut wood, but I do.

    I have a regular Butternut maxi with a walnut shaft, a regular Butternut Midi with a walnut shaft and the skinny Butternut Midi with a walnut shaft that was my first purchase. I just like the lighter whorl with the dark shaft. There’s an interesting difference in the skinny versus regular midi. The regular has a slightly slower spin but longer. It’s likely due to the slightly heavier whorl. There’s a six gram difference between the two. I’m expecting the two Midis to be my workhorse spindles. I already reach for the skinny Midi for any new project. The Maxi is a nice plying spindle, when I need something heavier. I have to keep the weight down on it, but it works fine if I ply about two ounces at a time.

    And this is my first finished yarn!

    This is the dyed corriedale I was spinning on the cherry Midi. I plied it on the butternut maxi. It’s three ply and I used my plying stick to ply. The plying stick is so much better than tennis balls. I wrap the singles on it, like I’d wrap on a nostepinne. When you ply, the twist will run up the yarn to the point where it’s touching the stick. It stops there. The stick is lightweight and easy to hold. I can set the project down and pick it up later, without getting anything messed up. It fits my style of spinning.

    I’m trying to finish a couple of knitting projects that need to be done by the weekend. Abraham’s birthday is tomorrow, so the baby sweater needs to be finished. And his mom’s birthday was last week, so I’m giving her the socks I started. I’m close to finishing those. When I get those two projects done, I’ll be ready to start knitting handspun socks. I’ve finished a couple of skeins of hand dyed yarn and the grey corriedale is about halfway finished. I want to spindle spin one of the six ounce bags of roving I bought for socks. These yarns are thicker than commercial sock yarns, so maybe the socks will be a bit faster to knit.

  • Projects 29.06.2019 No Comments

    I picked this up at a local store (which has since gone out of business.) It’s Masham, which I haven’t spun before and I bought it because it was the only yarn with an odd color like this. It was called “Dragon’s Breath”. I finally finished plying it and I still don’t know what I was thinking. It’s not as awful as I thought before I plied it, but it’s just not a pretty colorway. Maybe I need a felted cat bed?

  • First up, my cool new tool. It’s a plying stick.

    I learned about these on Sarah Swett’s site. It’s like a nostepinne and replaces the plying ball. The ridges hold the ball on the stick. You wrap the singles together on the stick, just like you would with a nosty. Then you ply off it. This one is walnut. And here’s the link: https://www.etsy.com/listing/262781967/plying-wandstick-made-to-order?ref=shop_home_active_2

    She also makes lovely tapestry bobbins and nostepinnes.

    Next up is some finished yarn. I posted this on Rav. This is the spindle spun fractal, Three Waters Farm colorway Spring By Way in Finn.

    I divided the fiber in half, then split one of those into four sections horizontally. I put each piece in a bag, labeled AA to AD. The second section was split into four long vertical. These went into the bag, after the first four were spun. It was easy to see which color to start with since these all started at the same end. Next up, the two singles wrapped on a ply ball, in the correct order:

    Finally, the plied yarn. I plied this on the new Bosworth Maxi.

    No idea what I’ll make with this but the colorway is wonderful.

    I also plied up some Bam Huey. I received a sample of this with a Jenkins spindle. I like it, so ordered 4 ounces. I believe it’s BFL. This is another project that disappeared for awhile. The main part had felted slightly and the pieces I’d spun  were out of order. So it’s not a great looking gradient.

    And I’m spinning up two ounces of dyed Corriedale. They call this teal, but it’s more sea green to me. This is the Bosworth cherry skinny maxi. I have found that I love the skinnies!

    Last is Hipstring’s Flannel Jammie on my Bosworth butternut skinny midi. I don’t normally like merino, but this is really a nice blend. I think the colors are perfect.

    I am getting closer to starting the sweater project. Still trying the new tools out and I have one more spindle order to place. And I am working on something new for this site. More on that to follow.