Wheel for Sale

on August 23, 2007



I’m having to part with a wheel, folks, the Kromski Polonaise. It’s for sale here. I love her, but I’ve found that spinning on the couch allows me to spin comfortably for a massive amount of time, and it works out better if I treadle with both feet.

The wheel is pristine, comes with 4 bobbins, a tensioned lazy kate, and matching stool (the stool has a couple of nicks to the finish). $475 + $6 shipping. I’m only shipping this within the US. If you can pick her up here in Boston, I’ll knock some off the price.

Somebody buy her so I can get a double treadle lazy lady wheel! :)

ETA: Someone’s coming to see her, so I’ve taken down the sale page. If you’d like to be notified if she doesn’t sell, comment and let me know.

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Progress Report

on August 20, 2007

Jury duty came in handy for one thing- knitting.

This is another Baby Surprise Jacket (The Opinionated Knitter, Elizabeth Zimmermann) done in Fleece Artist Merino sock yarn in Cornflower (I think). This is my first in fingering weight yarn and it’s going to be teensy tiny new baby size, I think. Super cute. It’s screaming for a matching baby hat, don’t you think? If they’d needed me for a jury, I could have the thing done by now!

The progress on the Fantom Bohus isn’t that exciting, since it’s plain old stockinette, but it sure is pretty.

The sleeve has already had a few inches ripped because the decreases I originally planned were too sharp in practice. You know how sometimes, you knit something and it’s just smooth sailing all the way? Cripes, this sweater is the exact opposite of that. Thank goodness the spinning was a pleasure! I did learn one thing- that if you knit top-down and cast on the underarm stitches for the body, then pick those stitches up and knit them for the sleeve, it’s a pretty nice underarm treatment. No weaving and very tidy. It won’t be as stretchy as a grafted seam, but this isn’t a tight sweater, so all should be well with that.

There is so little knitting to show because I was a busy woman this weekend. On Saturday, Jess, Maya, and I went to the Fiber Revival in Newbury, MA. Much fun was had by all. There was an Alden Amos spinning wheel there I might have coveted to death. Photos were taken (click the one below to go to Flickr for more) and Maryse, who rocks her camera, took a bunch more.

On Sunday, Mr. HelloYarn and I put together the new living room bookshelves, including one for yarn and yarn accessories.

Why does anything to do with Ikea feel like it takes two days out of my life? Oh, right, it’s BECAUSE IT DOES. One day to shop and another day to assemble. They’re done, they’re shiny/pretty, and they’re full of yarn, books, and shelf upon shelf of National Geographic magazines (Those big stripes of yellow are so cheerful!). There’s only one problem- what we took off the old shelves didn’t all fit back on the new ones. Whoops.

The Lazy Red-Liners knitting group is meeting at Dado Tea on Mass. Ave. near Central Sq. tonight. The Bohus and I will be there. Someone’s bringing me a copy of Aran Knitting to borrow, so you might not hear from me for awhile and when you do, all I’ll be able to talk about is cables. :)

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Needle Gnome

on August 15, 2007

You know sock gnomes? I think I’ve got a needle gnome. So, because my 40″ size 3 Addi Turbo disappeared between last week and this, we go from Saartje’s Bootees in the round to Saartje’s Bootees flat. (Needles have been ordered to prevent further problems.)

Pattern: Saartje’s Bootees (PDF)
Yarn: Hello Yarn Fat Sock in ancient unnamed colorway- 20 grams (less than one skein)
Needles: size 3 US
Gauge: 6.5 sts. per inch
Size: 4.25″ long, smushed flat
Buttons: dark shell

I’m afraid you are going to be seeing a parade of baby-type stuff on this blog for some time because PEOPLE KEEP GETTING PREGNANT! I’ve got another BSJ started in sock yarn that is half done because of all the knitting time I had yesterday during jury duty. I was not chosen, so normal life may continue. :)

Fantom Bohus:

Knitting has resumed. The body is almost done, but *someone* hasn’t decided how to finish the bottom of the sweater. Ribbing? I was going to rib to match the neck, but I think I might want the neck more open, and while I’m ripping, I can redo it in another stitch. Hemmed? Garter? I do plan on doing the body and sleeve edgings in the body yarn with the very last, cast-off row in the acidy green.

Knitting could resume because:


Handspun from Fantom Farm wool/alpaca mix roving.

approx. 180 yards/ just shy of 4 oz. each, worsted weight

Spun from one of these. This is the second 8 oz. I’ve spun. I really think this might do me for the sweater.

I got about 10 more yards out of this 8 oz. than the last. Not too shabby, and the yarn has the same wpi, so should knit up the same. There’s always that moment of fear when re-skeining handspun yarn for a large project when you were naughty and didn’t spin it all at once.

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