Cobblestone: Only a Dead Snail is Slower

on October 11, 2007

Things are looking up, now that knitting with the dread Classic Elite ’03 Tweed is finished, since that made my hands feel dirty, and it’s onto my handspun. I’d have washed the yarn before knitting the sweater, only in a fit of preparation some time ago I’d wound all the skeins into center-pull balls. That wasn’t going to come undone, so I just knit as fast as possible. That got me into trouble when I started the yoke. I just sailed along, not noticing that there was a very distinct gauge change after the yarn switch. When I finally saw the puckering at the edge of the garter stitch, I took the sweater off the needles and found that the shoulders were about 10″ too big around. That’s not something you can fudge, so off the yoke came. Down 2 needle sizes was the ticket and it’s smooth sailing again.

I did some simple waist shaping that worked out very well. My usual waist shaping is 4 sts. per decrease row, 2 on either side of the side seam, every inch until the waist is the proper measurement, knit about 2 inches, and back up again. I am short-waisted, so measure yourself, of course. I waffled about where to do the decreasing on this sweater. Inside the garter strip, so that the strip was shaped like an hourglass or at the outside edge of the strip, not affecting its shape? I opted for the latter, decreasing the last 2 stockinette stitches before and first 2 after the garter strip up the sides. K2TOG before and SSK after gave a nice edge to the stockinette, and picking up the bar between the first and second stockinette stitches after and between the last 2 stockinette stitches before the garter bands made a nice increase.

Reminders:

Friday the 12th (tomorrow): fiber club renewals go on sale
Monday the 15th: shop update
Wednesday the 17th: fiber club on sale for everyone

I’ve decided on another change for the fiber club and will be offering a double dose of fiber for an extra $45. There will be a little option box you can check when ordering.

Pushing Daisies:

Are you watching it? You should be! It’s just the sweetest, most morbid, super-saturated, wonderfully charming show on. Also, in the second episode, there’s KNITTING. Actual knitting, with needles and yarn and proper terminology, and when the garments are tried on, the knitter sees the glory of his projects and utters one word- “Sweet.” It’s funny because that’s what happens in this house, too.

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The Return

on October 4, 2007

Yarn School’s over and I’m back from Harveyville, KS. My visits to Harveyville are always kind of dreamy. Someone else cooks my (glorious) food, our hosts, Nikol and Ron, are infectiously funny, strangers stop to chat in the street, and there’s always something crazy going on. Last year, a circus came to town, and this year, we were treated to a pirate-themed parade and the 70th Annual Harveyville Fair. Arrr! There were so many interesting people there this year, including some so giggly and silly, I wish I could have put them in my suitcase and kidnapped them so they could entertain me all day. Ginny, Mara, I’m talkin’ about you!

I took a few photos, but not many, as I had a lot of teaching and helping to do. Click the bunny for more.


I really, really wish those flufftastic bunnies didn’t make me sneeze at 10 paces.

For more photos, you can visit the Flickr group.

Knitting on Cobblestone was restricted to the plane ride and I’m still not even done with the body, so may I distract you with spinning? I thought so.

Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club September 2007 fiber selection
Merino/Tencel- 4 or so oz.
Getting used to the fiber and getting used to the Rose. There’s some lumpy spinning going on over here!

Shop Updates and Fiber Club:

I’ve got a whole lot of dyeing to do in the next couple of weeks. The plan is to put Fiber Club renewals up in the shop on the 12th and new slots on the 17th of this month. Since I’m leaving for Rhinebeck (for shopping purposes only) and want to get the current fiber club and orders from the next shop update shipped before I leave on Friday the 19th, I’m planning a shop update for Monday the 15th.

The next fiber club will include at least one pricier fiber and I never did fine a fiber I liked that was inexpensive enough for me to give 6 oz., so instead of the usual 4-6 oz. of fiber per month, the November- January club will be for 2-5 oz. As before, the value of the fiber for each month is the same as if I was selling it in the shop.

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Cobblestone, Navajo Plying, Fiber Club, and Out of Town, Baby

on September 22, 2007

For the last week or so, I’ve been preparing like a madwoman for Yarn School and getting the fiber club dyed and out. The fiber club shipped fully yesterday (I haven’t had a chance to enter all your tracking numbers into the database, but you’ll get them soon) and Yarn School preparations are winding down. I might actually breathe properly soon!

Cobblestone!:

I was calm enough last night to cast on the body of Cobblestone. This is going to make super excellent airplane knitting on Tuesday. The sleeves are done. Wanna see?

I’ve got my waist shaping planned and my yoke yarn wound and ready to go. The body numbers had to be fiddled with a bit, as I’m knitting the smallest size, but I’m a bit hippy and bewbsy for the lower body, though the arms and yoke are fine. There’s only an 8 stitch difference, so the yoke fudging, which will be done on the fly, should be fine. It will be ready for Rhinebeck.

Navajo Plying:

I’ve been preparing and collecting spinning samples for Yarn School and one thing that was missing was Navajo plying, which I’ll be teaching. So, I dug out a bit of hand-dyed BFL wool top and pre-drafted it without splitting so that the color repeats would be nice and long. I spun and Navajo plied it into a bulky, amazingly puffy yarn that acted like a spring when stretched. The resulting yarn was the stretchiest, bounciest, and softest BFL yarn I’ve ever spun. I knit it into a top-down hat (no swatching!) and watched the stripes appear.

I’m going to have to Navajo ply more often.

Out of Town:

I’m leaving for Kansas and Yarn School on Tuesday the 25th and returning on the 1st of October. Any orders and emails placed after Sunday won’t be dealt with until I return. I’ll put a notice across the top of the shop to be sure everyone knows. When I get back, there is a glut of new yarn bases and fibers waiting for me to dye them. I’m going to have all kinds of new lace and sock yarns, and great yarns for sweaters, as well. There will be a bunch of new wools and blends, as well. The next fiber club will go up for sale in mid-October. I’ll post again about that, but mark your calendars if you’re interested in joining. I don’t think I’ll be able to increase the number this time, with the Christmas rush happening in the middle of it. Maybe next time.

Have fun on the internet while I’m out of the loop!

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